which were translated by the interpreter as
follows:

"I am informed that you are the envoy of the most powerful monarch on
the globe. I have come to proffer to you friendship and homage, and to
assure you of my assistance in any way in which I can be of service."

De Soto thanked him heartily for his offers, and entreated him to
land, assuring him he should meet only the kindest reception. The
following extraordinary account of the termination of this interview,
a termination which seems incredible, is given in the "Conquest of
Florida:"

"The Cacique returned no answer, but sent three canoes on
shore with presents of fruit, and bread made of the pulp of
a certain kind of plum. The Governor again importuned the
savage to land, but perceiving him to hesitate, and
suspecting a treacherous and hostile intent, marshalled his
men in order of battle. Upon this the Indians turned their
prows and fled.

"The cross-bowmen sent a flight of arrows after them, and
killed five or six of their number. They retreated in good
order, covering the rowers with their shields. Several times
after this they landed to attack the soldiers, as was
supposed, but the moment the Spaniards charged upon them
they fled to their canoes."

If this account be true, the attack by the Spaniards was as
inexcusable as it was senseless. At the end of twenty days the four
barges were built and launched. In the darkness of the night De Soto
ordered them to be well manned with rowers and picked troops of tried
prudence and courage. The moment the bows touched the beach the
soldiers sprang ashore, to their surprise encountering no resistance.
The boats immediately returned for another load. Rapidly they passed
to and fro, and before the sun went down at the close of that day, the
whole army was transported to the western bank of the Mississippi. The
point where De Soto and his army crossed, it is supposed, was at what
is called the lowest Chickasaw Bluff.

"The river in this place," says the Portuguese Narrative,
"was a mile and a half in breadth, so that a man standing
still could scarcely be discerned from the opposite shore. It
was of great depth, of wonderful rapidity, and very turbid,
and was always filled with floating trees and timber, carried
down by the force of the current."

The army having all crossed, the boats were broken up, as usual, to
preserve t