The Green Forest tribune., 1908-09-11
The Hunting Ground of the Arkansa

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 ill note books of the first explorers. Ill a narrative of travels among them in 17J0, a 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 Eu- ropean wheat, all kinds of food and 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 ployers, 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
 
 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 ratiye says:
 The Arkanzas live on the banks of a river that bears their name It rises in New Mexico and falls into the Mississippi, These Indians are mers and expert in hunting and fish ing. They have some expert jugglers 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 a 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 a 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 primeval 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 a tribe encamped on the banks of the Mississippi. The ap- pearance on the shore of the mighty river of such strange visitors created wild eommotion, warriors, youth and squaws running from their scalp 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 quiyers 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 nobIeman 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 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 captives, and bloodhounds. The fighting men were clad in steel armor glittering with gold, and carried lances, broadswords, scimiters and a few firearms.
 " It'll lHG pl OUu tlSeu OA t COItQuS ing army the brilliant invaders drew up near the Indian village.
 The squaws drew back in fear. A youth cautiously approached a white plumed leader and cast his bow and arrow at his feet An aged chieftain advanced and offered the calumet of peace.
 But the hard, imperious eye of the commander took no notice To him the frightened red men were as SO many animals to be counted or be killed. as might seem best.
 The Indian peoples were now de..l- ing with fernando De Soto, Governor of Cuba.
 The Cross and the Cannon.
 Fernando De Soto was in quest of gold and glory. With the fame acquired by Cortez and Pizarro in the golden regions of the Aztec and the Inca, still thrilling Spain. and the richness of it's spoil inviting other expeditions of conquest. De Soto organized his splendid army, provided his superb equipment and set out determined 70 rival in the glory of success the Mexi- can and Peruvian conquerors. . The new world was then known as