ng man had, therefore,
endeavored to escape from the dilemma by self-destruction.

Juan De Anasco was not only deeply grieved by the fate of his young
friend, but also greatly perplexed as to the course he was then to
pursue. None of the Indian attendants knew where the widow was
concealed. He took several natives prisoners, and anxiously inquired
of them respecting the residence of the queen mother. But either they
could not, or would not, give him any information. After wandering
about fruitlessly until noon of the next day, he returned to the camp,
much mortified in reporting to De Soto the utter failure of his
expedition.

Two days after his return, an Indian came to him and offered to
conduct him down the river in a canoe, to the dwelling of the queen
mother. Eagerly he accepted the proposition. Two large canoes, with
strong rowers, were prepared. Anasco, with twenty companions, set out
on this second expedition. The queen heard of his approach, and, with
a few attendants, secretly fled to another retreat far away. After a
search of six days, the canoes returned, having accomplished nothing.
De Soto relinquished all further endeavors to obtain an interview with
the widow.

In the meantime, while Anasco was engaged in these unsuccessful
enterprises, De Soto was making very anxious inquiries respecting the
silver and the gold which he had been informed was to be found in the
province. The princess listened to his description of the yellow metal
and the white metal of which he was in search, and said that they were
both to be found in great abundance in her territories. She
immediately sent out some Indians, to bring him specimens. They soon
returned laden with a yellow metal somewhat resembling gold in color,
but which proved to be nothing but an alloy of copper. The shining
substance which he had supposed was silver, was nothing but a
worthless species of mica, or quartz. Thus again, to his bitter
disappointment, De Soto awoke from his dreams of golden treasure, to
the toils and sorrows of his weary life.

The princess seemed to sympathize with her guest in the bitterness of
his disappointment. In her attempts at consolation, she informed him
that at the distance of about three miles from where they were, there
was a village called Talomeco, which was the ancient capital of the
realm; that here there was a vast sepulchre, in which all the
chieftains and great warriors had been buried; that their bodies were
de