The Nevada County picayune., 1908-09-17
+0+.+9+o-9+9+o+o+0+o+e+s

Such women as had husbands or sons lost in the battle might choose a cap- tive to take the place of their dead. If no such captives were selected, they were tortured and burned in a slow fire.
 There were many other powerful and warlike tribes in the country of the Arkansa, but the great river took it's name from this tribe. which had many villages around it's mouth, and the tribal names of the Choctaw, the Quapaw, the Ozark and the Chicasaw was left for other uses.
 The Hunting Ground of the Arkansa.
 The hunting ground of the Arkansa and his nearby neighbors was one worth fighting for, as can be learned from descriptions in note books of the first explorers In narrative of travels among them in 1150. French army officer says: The country of the Arkansa is one of the finest in the world; the soil is so fertile that it produces without any culture Flu 
 good fruit unknown in France. Game of all kinds is plentiful there. Wild oxen, stags, robucks, bears, tygers, leopards, foxes, wild cats, rabbits, turkeys, grous, pheasants, cartridges, quail turtles, wood pigeons, swans, bustards, ducks of all kinds, teals. divers, snipes, water hens, golden pioyers, stares, thrushes and other birds which are not known in Europe. Game is so common in the neighbor- hood of the river St Francis that when we went on shore in those parts it was impossible to step on account of the multitude of swans, cranes, geese, bustards and ducks that were constantly going up and down those watery places"
 This same writer in the same mar rative says:
 The Arkanzas live on the banks of a river that bears their name. Ii rises in New Mexico and falls into the Mississippi These Indians are tall, well made, brave, good swim mers and expert in hunting and fish ing. They have some expert iugglers among them who would perhaps amaze our jugglers. l saw one of them in my presence perform trick which will appear incredible to you. After some wry mouths he swallowed rib of a stag seventeen inches long. held it with his fingers and drew il out of his stomach again"
 Brave and powerful in life they mourned their dead heartily. men and women gathering at night around newly-made grave to weep and vail, while sometimes the women built fires beside the mounds to keep the ! departed Indian warm on his passage way to the Happy Hunting Ground.
 So the Arkanzas and neighboring tribes lived in the forest primeyal before the advent of the white man.
 Arrival of the Pale Face.
 The arrival of the white man in | the country of the Arkansa was first discovered by tribe encamped on 1 the banks of the Mississippi. The ap- ! pearance on the shore of the mighty i river of such strange visitors created wild commotion, warriors, youth and squaws running from their scalp i decorated wigWams to gaze at the strange sight that was coming with the rising sun.
 The alarm spread across the river and from the Arkansas side canoe after canoe of painted warriors, with quivers full of arrows and tomahawks in hand sped across the stream.
 Meantime the pale faces advanced. Their leader. sitting proudly erect | his noble steed, wore the splendid armor of a Spanish noblcman of the sixteenth Century. His helmet was tipped with waving white plumes and over him swung the yellow ban neret of Spain and the double-headed eagle of Austria.
 His force consisted of seven hun dred chosen Spanish and Portugese volunteers, young men of note and valor. Beside these there were three hundred and fifty cavaliers with Andalusian chargers and a retinue Of twenty-two priests and monks brought for the conversion of the natives. In the train of the army was live stock of various kinds and everything neces- sary for conquest and the permanent colonization of the country, including chains and letters for captiyes, and bloodhounds The fighting men were clad in steel armor glittering with gold, and carried lances, broadswords. scimiters and few firearms.
 With the proud tread of conque".