requested that Soto would pray to his God to send rain, of
which they were in great want." The general answered, that though he and
all his men were sinners, they would humbly pray to God to shew mercy.
Having accordingly ordered a cross to be erected on a hill, he and all
the forces, except a guard left to protect the quarters, went in solemn
procession to adore the cross, accompanied by the cacique and some
Indians, the Christian priests singing the litanies, and all the
soldiers joining in the responses. Being come to the cross, many prayers
were recited on their knees, after which they returned to their quarters
chanting appropriate psalms. Above twenty thousand natives stood gazing
at this religious procession, some on the same side of the river, and
others on the opposite bank, all of whom occasionally set up loud
shouts, as if begging of God to hear them. It pleased God to answer
their humble prayers, as towards midnight there fell sufficient rain to
satisfy the wants of the Indians, and the Christians returned solemn
thanks for the mercy which God had been pleased to grant at their
intercessions.

Nine days afterwards, the Spaniards again set out on their march,
accompanied by Casquin and a great number of Indians carrying water and
other necessaries. The cacique was also accompanied by five thousand of
his warriors, as he was at war with the cacique of the next adjoining
tribe, and took the opportunity of the Spaniards to assist in the war.
During this march they spent three days in getting across a great swamp,
when they came in sight of Capaha[176], being the frontier town of the
next tribe. This place was fortified on three sides by a wet ditch forty
fathoms wide and ten fathoms deep, into which water was conveyed from
the great river by a canal three leagues in length. The fourth side,
which had no ditch, was secured by high and thick palisades. As the
cacique of Capaha was unprovided for resistance, he went away on seeing
the approach of his enemies along the canal in a canoe, and sheltered
himself in a fortified island in the great river. Many of his subjects
accompanied him, and those who remained were butchered by the followers
of Casquin, who took the whole scalps[177] of all they killed to carry
home as trophies. They plundered the town, and took many prisoners,
among whom were two beautiful women, wives of the cacique. They likewise
demolished the burial-place belonging to Capaha, throwing about the