ls_, and it is well known that the
fresh-water muscles are often very productive in pearls.--E.]

After this all the Spanish force was transported across the river, on
rafts and in canoes, four horses being drowned in the passage. The
Spaniards were all commodiously quartered in the middle of the town, and
the country round was found to be extraordinarily fertile. The mother of
the princess of this tribe was a widow, and resided about twelve leagues
from this town in great retirement; and on being sent for by her
daughter to see the strangers, she not only refused, but sent a severe
reproof to her daughter for admitting those persons of whom she knew
nothing. Soto sent Juan Anasco with thirty horse, with a respectful
message to the old lady inviting her to come to visit him. Anasco was
accompanied on this occasion by an Indian of considerable rank, who
seemed pensive and melancholy. After travelling some leagues, they
stopped for rest and refreshment, and sat down under the shade of a tree
to partake of a repast. Throwing off his mantle of sables, the Indian
took the arrows one by one from his quiver, which were very curiously
made of reeds, having heads of bones with _three points_[161] all of
them feathered on three sides, and both them and his bow beautifully
painted with some kind of bituminous substance, as smooth and glossy as
the finest varnish. The last arrow which he drew out was headed with
flint, sharp-pointed, and double-edged like a dagger. Seeing that the
Spaniards were all intent upon observing the curious arrows, he cut his
own throat with the flint-headed arrow, and immediately fell down dead.
The other Indians who accompanied Anasco said that in their opinion he
had killed himself because he was carrying a message which he believed
was disagreeable to the old lady. A short time after this, as Anasco was
still proceeding, one of the Spaniards observed that they were going
blindly in search of a woman who was said to have gone to hide herself
from them in another place; and as Soto already had the daughter in his
power, he had no occasion for the mother also, and as their number was
small they were exposed to much danger, and had much better return to
head-quarters. As this advice was universally approved of, they turned
back.

[Footnote 161: Perhaps this ought to have been _triangular_ pointed
heads.--E.]

Three days afterwards Soto sent twenty Spaniards up the river in two
canoes at the request of t