In spite of hunger, disease, death, and many other misfortunes, however, De Soto in his mad search for gold threaded his way through the tangled forests until, in the spring of 1541, about two years after landing at Tampa Bay, he reached the bank of the Mississippi River. After spending months in making boats, he at length crossed the mighty stream, and then continued his march in a northerly and westerly direction, going, it would seem, as far as the site of what is now Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas.
Marching southeast, probably to the banks of the Washita, he spent a winter so severe that many of the party, including Ortiz, died.
About the middle of April, 1542, the Spaniards, travel-spent and sick at heart, reached the mouth of the Red River, where De Soto, discouraged and broken in spirit, was taken ill with fever and soon died. At first his followers buried his body near the town where they were staying, but when the Indians began with some suspicion to examine the ground under which he lay, the Spaniards in the darkness of night took up the body, wrapped it in blankets made heavy with sand, and sadly lowered it into the waters of the mighty river which it was De Soto's chief honor to have discovered. After many more hardships the wretched survivors of this unhappy company, numbering not many more than half of those who landed at Tampa Bay, found their way to a Spanish colony in Mexico. Thus ended in disaster the expedition which sailed with such hope of wealth and renown.
SPANISH THIRST FOR GOLD AND ADVENTURE. DE SOTO'S EARLY LOVE OF SPORTS AND DANGEROUS EXPLOITS. DE SOTO PLANS TO EXPLORE AND COLONIZE FLORIDA. PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXPEDITION. DE SOTO SETS OUT ON HIS VOYAGE. HE FALLS IN WITH ORTIZ. DE SOTO'S CRUEL TREATMENT OF THE INDIANS. THE INDIAN PRINCESS. THE PLAN TO DESTROY DE SOTO AND HIS MEN. THE GIANT CHIEFTAIN. DE SOTO IN DANGER. A TERRIBLE BATTLE. DE SOTO DISCOVERS THE MISSISSIPPI. DIFFICULTIES AND SUFFERINGS. MORE TROUBLES FOR THE SPANIARDS. DE SOTO'S DEATH.
1. Find on the map Mexico, Peru, Porto Rico, Cuba, Florida, Mobile the Mississippi River, and the Washita River.
2. Draw a map in which you will indicate De Soto's route.
3. Tell in your own words the story of this wretched march through the forests.