early, so that probably ten natives
perished to one of the Spaniards. There was nothing gained by this
carnage. De Soto was anxious to arrest it. Every consideration
rendered it desirable for him to have the good will of the natives.
Peace and friendship would enable him to press forward with infinitely
less difficulty in search of his imaginary mountains of gold and
silver, and would greatly facilitate his establishment of a colony
around the waters of some beautiful bay in the Gulf, whence he could
ship his treasures to Spain and receive supplies in return.

Finding it impossible to disarm the hostility of Capafi by any kindly
messages or presents, he resolved if possible to take him captive. In
this way only could he arrest the cruel war. The veneration of the
Indians for their chief was such that, with Capafi in the hands of the
Spaniards as a hostage, they would cease their attacks out of regard
to his safety.

It was some time before De Soto could get any clew to the retreat in
which Capafi was concealed. And he hardly knew how to account for the
fact, that the sovereign of a nation of such redoubtable ferocity,
should never himself lead any of his military bands, in the fierce
onsets which they were incessantly making. At length De Soto learned
that Capafi, though a man of great mental energy, was incapacitated
from taking the field by his enormous obesity. He was so fat that he
could scarcely walk, and was borne from place to place on a litter.
He could give very energetic commands, but the execution of them must
be left to others. He also ascertained that this formidable chief had
taken up his almost unapproachable quarters about twenty-five miles
from Anhayea; and that in addition to the tangled thickets and
treacherous morasses with which nature had surrounded him, he had also
fortified himself in the highest style of semi-barbarian art, and had
garrisoned his little fortress with a band of his most indomitable
warriors.

Notwithstanding the difficulty of the enterprise, De Soto resolved to
attempt to capture him. This was too arduous a feat to be entrusted to
the leadership of any one but himself. He took a select body of
horsemen and footmen, and after a very difficult journey of three
days, came to the borders of the citadel where the chief and his
garrison were intrenched. Mr. Irving, in his admirable history of the
Conquest of Florida, gives the following interesting account of the
fortress, and of t