woods with music, and white-winged waterfowls
skimmed quietly on the surface of the water. The ground was carpeted
with green grass and beautiful flowers of various hues; also in the
forest was an abundance of wild game, deer, turkeys, and so forth.

"De Leon thought he had found the paradise of which he was in search.
He went up the river, but by mistake took a chain of lakes, supposing
them to be a part of the main river, and finally reached a great
sulphur and mineral spring which is now called by his name. He did not
stay long, but soon sailed southward to the end of the peninsula, then
back to Puerto Rico. Nine years afterward he tried to plant a colony
in Florida, but the Indians resisted and mortally wounded him. He
retreated to Cuba and soon afterward died there."

The captain paused in his narrative and Elsie asked, "Then did the
Spaniards let the Indians have their own country in peace, papa?"

"No," replied her father. "Cortez had meanwhile conquered Mexico,
finding quantities of gold there, of which he basely robbed its
people. He landed there in 1519 and captured the City of Mexico in
1521.

"In the meantime Narvaez had tried to get possession of Florida, and
its supposed treasures. He had asked and obtained of the king of Spain
authority to conquer and govern it, with the title of Adelantado, his
dominion to extend from Cape Florida to the River of Palms.

"On the 14th of April he landed near Tampa Bay with four hundred armed
men and eighty horses.

"He and his men were entirely unsuccessful: they found no gold, the
Indians were hostile, provisions scarce; and finally they built boats
in which to escape from Florida. The boats were of a very rude sort
and the men knew nothing about managing them. So, though they set
sail, it was to make a most unsuccessful voyage. They nearly perished
with cold and hunger and many were drowned in the sea. The boat that
carried Narvaez was driven out to sea and nothing more was ever heard
of him. Not more than four of his followers escaped."

The captain paused for a moment, then turning to his wife, said
pleasantly, "Well, my dear, suppose you take your turn now as narrator
and give us a brief sketch of the doings of Fernando de Soto, the
Spaniard who next undertook to conquer Florida."

"Yes," said Violet, "I have been reading his story to-day with great
interest, and though I cannot hope to nearly equal my husband as
narrator, I shall just do the best I can.