n they will go on their way. But we shall be left in
this country as we were before. We shall then meet again. Pray to the
gods that they may send us good weather."

De Soto humanely did everything in his power to promote reconciliation
between the hostile chieftains. But all was in vain. Though they
treated each other with civility, he observed frequent interchanges of
angry glances.

The Spaniards found, in this town, a great variety of valuable skins
of deer, panthers, buffalo and bears. Taught by the Indians, the
Spaniards made themselves very comfortable moccasons of deerskin, and
also strong bucklers, impervious to arrows, of buffalo hide.

After making minute and anxious inquiries for gold, and ascertaining
that there was none to be found in that direction, De Soto turned his
desponding steps backwards to Kaska. Here he remained for four days,
preparing for a march to the southward. He then continued his progress
nine days down the western bank of the river, until, on the fourth of
August, he reached a province called Quigate. His path had led him
through a populous country, but the Indians made no attempt to molest
his movements. It is supposed that Quigate must have been on the White
river, about forty or fifty miles from its mouth. Here De Soto learned
that, faraway in the northwest there was a range of mountains, and
there he thought might perhaps be the gold region of which he had so
long been in search.

Immediately he put his soldiers in motion, led by a hope which was
probably rejected by every mind in the army, except his own. A single
Indian guide led them on a weary tramp for many days, through dreary
morasses and tangled forests. They at length came to a village called
Coligoa, which is supposed to have been upon the banks of White river.
The natives at first fled in terror at their approach, but as no
hostility was manifested by the Spaniards, they soon gained
confidence, and returned with kind words and presents. But there was
no gold there, and no visions of gold in the distance.

The chief informed De Soto that there was a very rich and populous
province about thirty miles to the south, where the inhabitants were
in the enjoyment of a great abundance of the good things of life.
Again the Spaniards took up their line of march in that direction.
They found a fertile and quite thickly inhabited country on their
route. The Indians were friendly, and seemed to have attained a
degree of civilizati