The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1835-11-25

nuence OF some Dameless tributary and The vast
Mississippi, stood The dwelling of the first white man
that ever trod those boundless solitudes. 1t was
rude and shapeless edilce of logs, hewn from the
expresses and cedars of the swamp, which lay out
stretched for a thousand miles around, by hands
unused TO aught of base menial labor ); yet were
there certain marks of comfort, and even of luxury,
to be traced in the decorations and appliances of
that log cabin "a veil of sea-green silk drawn
across the aperture which performed the massy tim
bers of the wall heavy drapery of crimson velye,
decked with fringe and embroidery of gold,
looped up to the two inels if to ad nit whatever
breath of air might sweep along the channel of the
river. Nor were these all lofty staff was pitched
before the door, from which dropped in gorgeous
folds the yellow banner, rich with the casted ba-
zonry of Spain and beside tall warrior-sheath-
ed from head heel in FURNISHED amor, with gifted
spur and belted band-staked to and fro, as though
he were on duty upon some tented plain, in his
land of chivalry and song. At short distance in
the might be observed camp, if by that name
be designated confused assemblage Of huts suited
for the accommodation of five hundred men horses
were picquetcd around spears decked with pennon
and pennonccl, and all the bravery of knightly
fare, planted before the dwellings of their
ers semines, in cleaning mail, paced their accus
toned Iound But in that strange encampment,
there was mrth, no hustle not even the low hum
of converse, or the note of preparation. The sol
diers glided to and fro, with humbed gait and de-
meanor; the fiery chargers dropped their proud
heads to the ground aud appeared to lack sufficient
animation to dash aside the swarms of venemous
flies that fattened, it seemed, upon their very life
blood the hage blood hounds those dread auxilia-
ries of Spanish warfare, of which a two
were visible among the cabins, lay slumberng in
listless incidence, dragged themselves along, af-
ter the heels of their masters with souching crests
and in attitudes widely different from the fierce
tivty of their usual motions. Pestilence and fam
M w around Them N the thick md brppZelpss
air-in the dark waters, in the deep waters, in the
deep mor1ss, and in the vaults of pine forest, the
seeds of death were loating-avengers of the luck
less tribes already scattered or ensaved by the iron
hand of European war.-Oh, how did they pine for
the clear seams of Guadalquiver, the whey banks
Of Here's, the breezy slope of Apuxarras, or the
snow clad SUBMITS of their native Sierra-those ia
ted followers of Demon Gold. How did their rec
objection doat upon the waving palms, the orange
groves, the huertas and meads of fair Grenada La
vain, in vain +! OF all those gallant hundreds, who
had eeped in confidence and hope, from their proud
brigantines, upon the glowing shores of Florida,
glltterng in polished steel, and "very gallant with
silk upon silk" who had traversed the wild country
of the Appalachans, who had seen the CLEAN of the
Spanish arms, reflected from the black streams of
Alabama, who had made the boundes praries of
Missouri ring with the unechoed notes of the Cas-
titan trumpet who had spread the terrors of the
Spanish name, with all its barbarous accompanl-
ments of havoc and slaughter, through wilds untrod
before, by the feet of civilized man.Of all those
gallant hundreds, but few weak and wasted moiety
was destined to reach the shores of the father land
and that--not as they fondly deemed, in the pride,
the cxultation, and the h,silth of conquest but in
want, and hcaviness and
The arrows of the savage and the yet fiercer
rows of the plague, dearly repaid the injuries that
they had wreaked already, the wretched natives
dearly repaid too, as it were, by anticipation, the
wrongs that their ckdren's children, should wreak,
long perspective on the forest dwellcrs of the
There, in that lonely hut there lay the proudest
spirit, the braves heart the miehtiest intellect the
favoritc Comrade of PiZarro-the joint conqueror of
Peru There lay fernando de Soto his fiery
energies, even more than the hot fever, wearing
way his mortal frame his massive brow clogged
with the black sweat of death his eye that had
flashed the more brilliantly, the deadlier was the
peril-dim and filmy his high heart sick-sck and
fearful, not for himself, but for his followers his
hopes of conquest, fame, dominion, gone like the
leaves of autumn There he lay, miserably per-
shing by inches, the discoverer of Il word-a world
never destined to bless him his posterity, with It's
redundant riches.
Beside his pallet bed was assembled group OF
men, the least renowned of whom might well have,
led royal army to battle for crown.-But then
frames gaunt and omaciated their checks fur
rowed with the lines of care and agony, both of the
mind and body; their eyes wet with the scenes o.
bitterness. The dark cowed priests had admins
tered the last rites OF religion the dying warrior
and now watched in breathless silence the parting
of his spirit.-An Indian maiden, of rare symetry
and loveliness that would have been deemed exqui
site in the brightest halls of old CASTLE, leaned
his pillow, wpng the cold dew from the Conquer
ers brow with her long jetty locks, and flaming of
the myrads of voracous insects, that thronged tn,
tainted air There was not q sound in the crowded
lchamber, the sob-like breathngs of the dyin!
man, and the occasional winnings of tall hound
the noblest of his race, which erect, gazing will
almost human intelligence upon the paid feature
of his lord.
Suddenly light draught of air was perceptible
the silken veil futtcrcd inwards, and heavy rust
ling sound was audible from without. As the hug
fold of the banner swayed in the rising breeze,