ilful workmen in
building, under the concealment of a neighboring grove, two very large
flat boats.

Twelve days passed before these barges were finished. By the aid of
men and horses, they were brought to the river and launched. In the
morning, before the dawn, ten mounted horsemen and forty footmen
embarked in each boat, the footmen to ply the oars as vigorously as
possible in the rapid passage of the river to a designated spot, where
the horsemen were immediately to spur their steeds upon the shore, and
with their sabres open a passage for the rest of the troops. De Soto
was anxious to pass in the first boat, but his followers entreated him
not to expose his life, upon which everything depended, to so great a
peril.

The moment the boats were dimly seen by the watchful natives, a signal
war-whoop rang along the bank for miles. Five hundred warriors rushed
to the menaced spot, to prevent the landing. Such a shower of arrows
was thrown upon the boat that every man was more or less wounded. The
moment the bows touched the beach, the steel-clad horsemen plunged
upon the foe, and cut their way through them with blood-dripping
sabres. Other native warriors were however hurrying to the assistance
of their comrades. In the meantime the boats had with great rapidity
recrossed the river, and brought over another detachment of eighty men
with De Soto himself at their head. After a sanguinary conflict the
Spaniards obtained complete possession of the landing place. Though
unimportant skirmishes were kept up through the day, the remaining
troops were without difficulty brought across the river. At nightfall
not an Indian was to be seen. They had all withdrawn and fortified
themselves with palisades in a neighboring swamp.

The Spaniards found opening before them a beautiful and fertile
country, well cultivated, with fields of corn and beans, and with many
small villages and comfortable farm-houses scattered around. They
broke up their boats for the sake of the nails, which might prove of
priceless value to them in their future operations. Leaving the
Indians unmolested in their fortress, they journeyed on five days in a
westerly direction, when they reached the banks of another large
river, which is supposed to have been the Tombigbee.

Here De Soto found hostile Indians arrayed on the opposite bank, ready
to oppose his passage. Anxious to avoid, if possible, any sanguinary
collision with the natives, he tarried for two days