Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-10-10
lrrom The Now orleana picayuns.l

DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI Most
strange of all the expeditions was that Of
the discoverer of the mississippi. Ferdi-
nand DeSoto left Hispnniola, accompanied
by numerous band of horsemen, besides
infantry. How horses were stored in
small vessels at that period IL is difficult to
understand. 1t is, however, on record
that between 200 and 800 cavalry dieein
barked in the Bay Of Spirituo Santo. Por-
tuguese volunteers in FURNISHED armor,
and Castilians Every gallant in silk upon
silk" joined the adventnrer rs soon as the
news Of his voyage was told. Chains to
bind their captives; bloodhonnds to hunt
them down; stores of food, aud pigs which
they might turn loose to breed i'll the
woods, were among the munitions with
which the expedition WIS furnished. Gal
liant freebooters in quest OF fortune, men
ferocious with avaricc, bound on whatever
path rumor might indicate AZ lesding to
the residence Of some wealthy prince, or
wherever the signs of tho natives were in
terpreted to indicate the existence of gold.
The ships which brought the adventurers
to the Florida shore were sent back.
"Death or success snys tho Portuguese
eye witness. Then follows II narrative of
disaster, leading up to climax Of suffering
and death. What n romance underlies the
formal phrases OF that eye witness We
get glimpse of terrible real Ito. We soc
the advenJurers' dismay ut the swamps
and forest soitudes. Deseftion Of Por
Gala, who had lavishsd his fortune in
magnificent equipments. One guide after
another who fails to lead them to tho
golden city, torn to pieces by bloodhounds,
burnt alive, cruelty slain in nameless
ways. Now the passion for play takes
possession of their souls; tho hot-blooded
Castilidn desperadoes quarrel eagerly over
their dice. Now and then a blow a
CLEAN of Toledo raplers in the moonlight,
q few passes caTte, tlerce, d stumble or
somewhat too wide n parry of an eager
thrust, u wicked blade leaping in like a
tongue of flame right over the tardy guard j,
and then q shallow grave among the roots.
Yet tho solemn ceremonies Of the Church
were observed in the forest the ornaments
which the usages Of the Church enjoined
were carried on every saints day in pro-
cession. Gold was to be found ut all ha2.
ards, and by means fair or foul; but
Christianity was to be carried on at the
swords point. The adventures wandered
on, fighting with the Indians, decimated
by sickness, silken bravery in rags, rags
giving place at last to skins and mats Of
IVY. After four years and a half Of wan
dering, 81 men reached Cuba, the rem
nant of 600 who had been chosen from
many candidates Ms the flower of the chiv-
airy Of Spain. DeSoto's miseries had ended
the year before, beside the Mississippi,
which he had discovered .--KCoIus If tbs
Western Nations, by F28cou1at Bury.
There is tradition that fernando De-
Soto first saw the Mississippi from the
shores of that State which bears tho name
of the mighty river. Take map of Mis-
sissippi, and run your eye along the north
ern tier of counties, and you will discover
that one Of the counties has narrow strip
of land running to the river, between the
county of Tunica and the Tennessee line.
1t was there that tradition located the spot
from which the eyes of DeSoto first beheld
the mighty river he was seeking. The
county now bears the name OF DeSoto, and
the county seat is named Hernando-Her-
nando DeSoto-in honor Of the great ex-
plorer - VSc&sbwg HerGtd.