1541 Discovery of the Mississippi River. 35 the bay of Es-pi-ri'-tu Santo, now Tampa bay, in Florida, with six hundred and twenty chosen men, a band as gallant and well appointed, as eager in purpose and audacious in hope as ever trod the shores of the new world. The clangor of trumpets, the neighing of horses, the fluttering of pennons, the glittering of helmet and lance startled the ancient forest with unwonted greeting. 47. Amid this pomp of chivalry religion was not forgotten. The sacred vessels and vestments, with bread and wine for the Eucharist were carefully provided; and De Soto himself declared that the enterprise was undertaken for God alone, and seemed to be the object of his special care. The adventurers began their march (1539). Their story has been often told. For month after month and year after year the procession of priests and cavaliers, cross-bowmen, soldiers with hand guns, and Indian captives laden with the baggage, still wandered on through wild and boundless wastes, lured hither and thither by the ignis-fatuus of their hopes. They traversed great portions of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, everywhere inflicting and enduring misery, but never approaching their phantom El Dorado." 48. "At length, in the third year of their journeying, they reached an uninhabited country full of forests and swamps, where they had sometimes to swim their horses. For seven days they traversed this country, coming Discovery at last in sight of a village (1541). It was seated of the Missisnear a wide and rapid river, which, being the sippi River. largest they had discovered, they called the Rio Grande. This was the Father of Waters,' the mighty Mississippi. De Soto was the first European who looked out upon the turbid waters of this magnificent river, and that event has more surely enrolled his name among those who will ever live in American history, than if he had discovered mines of gold and silver," 49. As the canoes of the Indians were not large enough nor strong enough to convey horses across the river, the De Soto Spaniards built suitable boats, and in these they were borne to the western bank of the stream. The search for the land of gold was then resumed; and a region west crosses the of the Mississippi, to the distance of more than Mississippi. two hundred miles, was explored. But De Soto, discouraged and sick, turned his wanderings eastward, and finally made his way back to the river, where he died of a fever (1542). Burial 50. "So soon as the death had taken place, Mos-co'-so, whom De Soto had named to be his successor, directed the body to be put secretly into a house, where it reof De Soto. mained three days; and thence it was taken at night, by his order, and buried. The Indians, who had seen De Soto ill, finding him no longer, suspected the reason; and passing by where he lay, they observed the ground loose, and, looking about, talked among themselves. This coming to the knowledge of Moscoso, he ordered the corpse to be taken up at night, and among the shawls that enshrouded it having cast abundance of sand to increase its weight, it was taken out in a canoe and committed to the middle of the stream. 51. An Indian chief asked for De Soto, saying: What has been done with my brother and lord, the governor?' Moscoso told him he had ascended into the skies as he had done on many other occasions; but as he would have to be detained there some time, he had left him in his stead. The chief, thinking within himself that he was dead, ordered two well-proportioned young men to be brought, saying that it was the usage of the country when any lord died to kill some persons who should accompany and serve him on the way, on which account they were brought; and he told him to command their heads to be cut off that they might go accordingly to attend his friend and master. 52. Moscoso replied to him that the governor was not dead, but only gone into the heavens, having taken with him of his soldiers sufficient number for his need, and he besought 1577 Drake's Voyage around the World. 37 him to let those Indians go, and from that time forward not to follow so evil a practice. The two men were presently ordered to be let loose that they might return to their homes; but one of them refused to leave, alleging that he did not wish to remain in the power of one who, without cause, condemned him to die, and that he who had saved his life he desired to serve so long as he should live. De Soto's property was ordered by Moscoso to be sold at public outery. It consisted of two male and three female slaves, three horses, and seven hundred swine." 1 53. While the eastern and southern parts of North America were being explored, the western part was not neglected. Expeditions sent by Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico, examined the California peninsula; and Coronado Other ex(ko-ro-nah'-do) "with an army of three hundred plorations. Spaniards, most of them mounted," sent by the governor of Mexico, wandered for three years, extending his excursion as far as the western part of Kansas (1540-1543). His courage and skill should have secured for him the approbation of King Charles instead, "his failure to find a northern Peru threw him out of favor."2 The most memorable enterprise, however, in connection with the early Western explorations was that commanded by the English navigator, Francis Drake, during his career of splendid piracy." 66 54. On the 13th of December, 1577, Drake sailed from Plymouth, England, with five small vessels which had been procured and armed by himself and others, age around ostensibly for a voyage to Egypt, but really for a Drake's voy; the world. 1 The remnant of De Soto's followers, having in vain tried to reach Mexico through the forests, built seven frail barks, and sailed down the Mississip and along the coasts of Mexico, till they reached a Spanish settlement. 2 Alarcon (ah-lar'-son), ent up the coast with two ships, to aid Coronado, discovered the Colorado of the west, and sailed up it nearly a hundred miles above the present boundary of the United States. In 1542, Cabrillo (kab-reel'-yo), sailing from Mexico, explored the coast as far as San Francisco bay, but, dying, his pilot, Fer-re'-lo, continued the explorations as far north, probably, as the latitude of the forty-third degree cruise against the dominions and subjects of Spain. The governments of England and Spain were then indeed at peace with each other; but mutual hatred prevailed between the two nations, and the principles of general law or morals were not at that period so refined as to prevent Queen Elizabeth from favoring Drake's enterprise. 55. "For some months after leaving England, Drake roved about the Atlantic without making any prize of value. He then refitted his vessels at a port on the eastern coast of Patagonia, and succeeded in conducting three of them safely through the dreaded strait of Magellan into the Pacific. Scarcely, however, was this accomplished ere the little squadron was dispersed by a storm; and the chief of the expedition was left with only a schooner of a hundred tons' burden and about sixty men to prosecute his enterprise against the power and wealth of the Spaniards on the western side of America. 56. Nothwithstanding these disheartening occurrences, Drake did not hesitate to proceed to the parts of the coast occupied by the Spaniards, whom he found unprepared to resist him either on land or on sea. He accordingly plundered their towns and ships with but little difficulty; and so deep and lasting was the impression produced by his achievements that, for more than a century afterward, his name was never mentioned in those countries without exciting feelings of horror and detestation. 57. At length, in the spring of 1579, Drake, having completed his visitation of the Spanish American coasts by the plunder of a town on the south side of Mexico, and filled his vessel with precious spoils, became anxious to return to England; but having reason to expect that the Spaniards would intercept him if he should attempt to repass Magellan's strait, he resolved to seek a northern route to the Atlantic. Accordingly, on quitting the coast he steered west and northwest; and, having sailed in those directions about fourteen hundred leagues, he had, in the beginning of June, advanced beyond the forty-second degree of north latitude, where his 1579 Drake's Voyage around the World. 39 men, being thus speedily come out of the extreme heat, found the air so cold that, being pinched with the same, they complained of the extremity thereof.' 58. Thinking it best to seek the land, he soon made the American coast, and endeavored to approach it so as to anchor; but finding no proper harbor there he sailed along the shore southward until the seventeenth of the month when 'it pleased God to send him into a fair and good bay, within thirty-eight degrees towards the line.' In this bay (San Francisco, or Bo-de'-ga), the English remained five weeks, employed in refitting their vessel, and obtaining such supplies for their voyage as the country offered. 6 59. The natives, having their houses close by the water's side,' at first exhibited signs of hostility; but they were soon conciliated by the kind and forbearing conduct of the strangers; and their respect for Drake so increased that, when they saw him about to depart, they earnestly implored him to continue among them as their king. The naval hero, though not disposed to undertake, in person, the duties of sovereignty over a tribe of naked or skin-clad savages, nevertheless thought not meet to reject the crown because he knew not what honor or profit it might bring to his own country; whereupon, in the name and to the use of her majesty, Queen Elizabeth, he accepted the crown, sceptre, and dignity of the country, wishing that the riches and treasure thereof night be so conveniently transported for the enriching of her kingdom at home.' The coronation accordingly took place with most ludicrous solemnity, and Drake bestowed on his dominions the name of New Albion. 60. The vessel having been refitted, Drake erected on the shore a pillar bearing an inscription commemorating the fact of this cession of sovereignty; and on the 22d of July he took leave of his worthy subjects to their great regret. Hav. ing, however, by this time abandoned uii idea of seeking a northern passage to the Atlantic, he sailed directly across the Pacific, and thence through the Indian seas, and around the |