The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-05-13

Irving ("Conqucst Of Florida by Her.
nando De Soto'D, the Spanards de-
parted from the encampmcnt OF Ali
banjo, still marching towards the
north, to avoid the sea. For several
days they travcrscd an unlnhapited
country, full of forests and swamps,
where they had sometimes TO swim
their Horses. At length they came in
sight OF a village called Chisca. seated
near a wide river. As tic river was
the largest they had discovered in
Florida, they called it Rio Grandc; it
was the sanE now called the Missis.
sippi. The Indians OF this province,
owing to their unceasing warfare with
the natives OF Chicaza, and the cOun-
try !, ing between them being tinpeo-
pied, knew nothing OF the approach
OF the strangers. The moment the
Spanish deserted the village they
rushed towards it in a dlsorderly man
ncr, took many Indians prisoners, of
both sexes and OF all ages, and pill.
lagcd the houses"
This Is the brief but dramatic story
OF how the first Europeans 10 the Mis-.
sissippi valley laid their hands upon
the river and the land. The name
Mississippi was not, however, the
name by which the great river was
known. 1t is stated on the authority
Of Juan Coles. one Of De SotO's fol-
lowers, that the Indian name OF the
river was Chucogua, from which has
come, doubtless, the name Chicago.
1t had. however, other names between
the point at which De Soto first
sighted it and the gulf. Atone place,
according to the Portuguese Relation
it was called Tumalisoyi, in another
Topata, in still another Mics, ant
where it empties into the Gulf IL!
name was RI, very shortappellation
it might be thought, for so long {
stream.
De Soto devoted nearly month t
the work Of building eight large pi
rogues, In which he crossed the rivcl
with his army. His army was reduced
tO.ncarly One-llalf the number witt
which it had left Espiritu Santo, or
the coast Of Florida.
Dispirited and yet resolute, De SOtt
continued his aimlcss march, jour
neying toward the north, then stray
Ing in succession to the southwest
and the northwest until finally h,
reached the White River, which wa
the westward limit OF his march
Eventually he resumed his wander.
ings, proceeding south by the Hot
Springs OF Arkansas, and made his
winter station Of l54l-42 at an Indiar
village on the Waslita river. In the
spring OF 1912 hc marched down the
Washita to the Mississippi, and while
be was endeavOring to march down
the banks OF the latter he was seized
With q fever, somewhere near the
mouth OF Red Ri;er. in Louisiana, as
supposed, and from this sickness ht
died. The fact of his death was con
cealed from the Indians, and his body
wrapped in his martial cloak, wa
, taken to the middle of the Missis
sippi and there sunk in the stream.
. Before his death he cOnaded tn,
J command Of his remaining followers
some 800 in number, to his lieutenant
Luis de MOscosO, who, venturIng to
} wards the east from the Mississippi
! was driven back by the Indians to tn
river. MoscOsO then constructed sever
! vessels, and In the spring OF l543 h
descended the Mississippi to the Gul
, with his followers, constantly at
tackled and harasscd by the Indians
' who followed them in canoes. The
= finally reached the town OF PanucG
In Mexico, where the expedition VIA
disbanded.
DE SOtO's young wife was still !
v Havana when the news Of his sad fat
r reached her. More faithful, becaus
e more devoted, than was Penelope {
e old, she expired from griet on the thir
Q day after she received the Intelligent
$ that she was . widow.
}. The precise date Of DcSOtO's deaf
Q is unknown, although the event o
y CURED in the year 1542. The day {
IS which 1t occurred is given various
c as May q, and June s and Is.
I'll Had DeS0tO been enabled to pursV
a his march still further to the nor
n and west than he did, he would ha
(, come 10 the region OF the great silv
,e mines-the present Comstocks al
1. Bonanzas OF the northwest. III
" Spaniards Of that day we're expel
Q. diggers for silver. They would nav
,e taken away all the silver there, ana
,e troublesome Spanish vice. royalt
would have grown up in the norti
a west.
l. Pens are made by machines, whic
v seem almost to think. The steel
= cut Tito ribbons as wide as the lengt