t five hundred
large houses, situated upon elevated land, which commanded an
extensive view of the country around. One portion of the town was
protected by a deep ditch, one hundred and fifty feet broad. The
higher portion was defended by a strong palisade. The ditch, or canal,
connected with the Mississippi river, which was nine miles distant.

Capaha, hearing suddenly of the arrival of so formidable a force, fled
down the canal in a curve, to an island in the river, where he
summoned his warriors to meet him as speedily as possible. Casquin,
marching as usual a mile and a half in advance, finding the town
unprotected, and almost abandoned, entered and immediately commenced
all the ravages of savage warfare. One hundred men, women and
children, caught in the place, were immediately seized, the men killed
and scalped, the women and boys made captives. To gratify their
vengeance, they broke into the mausoleum, held so sacred by the
Indians, where the remains of all the great men of the tribe had been
deposited. They broke open the coffins, scattered the remains over the
floor and trampled them beneath their feet.

It is said that Casquin, would have set fire to the mausoleum, and
laid it and the whole village in ashes, but that he feared that he
might thus incur the anger of De Soto. When the Governor arrived and
saw what ravages had been committed by those who had come as his
companions, friends and allies, he was greatly distressed. Immediately
he sent envoys to Capaha on the island, assuring him of his regret in
view of the outrages; that neither he, nor his soldiers, had in the
slightest degree participated in them, and that he sought only
friendly relations with the Cacique.

Capaha, who was a proud warrior, and who had retired but for a little
time that he might marshal his armies to take vengeance on the
invaders, returned an indignant and defiant answer; declaring that he
sought no peace; but that he would wage war to the last extremity.

Again De Soto found himself in what may be called a false position.
The chief Capaha and his people were exasperated against him in the
highest degree. The nation was one of the most numerous and powerful
on the Mississippi. Should the eight thousand allies, who had
accompanied him from Kaska, and who had plunged him into these
difficulties, withdraw, he would be left entirely at the mercy of
these fierce warriors. From ten to twenty thousand might rush upon his
little band