MISCELLANEOUS PAPEBS. 269 



have been dominant in the past, and indicate some of those which are 

 destined to rule in the future development of this great common- 

 wealth, the hour thus spent may not be altogether unprofitable. 



It has been a matter of great personal interest to ascertain just 



who of the celebrated European explorers of American soil came into 



this region, and where they went ; therefore, a hasty review of their 



journeys may be pardoned, although the main facts in regard to them 



are, no doubt, familiar to all. 



It is quite remarkable, when one comes to think of it, that in less 

 than fifty years after the discovery of the ISew World by Christopher 

 Columbus, this vast contiaent should have been traversed to such a 

 distance from the sea. In May, 1539, DeSoto started, with his follow- 

 ers, from Tampa bay, Florida, and made that wonderful march through 

 an unknown wilderness, overcoming all obstacles, and reaching the 

 Mississippi river in May, 1541, at the lower Chickasaw bluflfs, in the 

 northeastern corner of the state of Mississippi, a few miles south of 

 where the city of Memphis, Teun,, now stands. It is possible that 

 Oabaca de Vaca, in his remarkable journey made in 1528 from Florida 

 to the Gulf of California, may have entered this region ; but in the 

 absence of any authentic record to prove this, we must conclude that 

 DeSoto and his band of adventurers, in their vain search for gold and 

 silver, were the first white men to penetrate within the area that is 

 now included in the State of Missouri. Koblemen, cavaliers and 

 priests were in his train, and it was with flying banners and great 

 pomp that this expedition faced the unbroken forests within whose 

 recesses were thought to be concealed the treasures so eagerly sought. 

 The romantic story of this undertaking attracts the student, although 

 its main features have been so often told. Bands of hostile Indians 

 opposed its progress; wild mountain cliffs, torrents and impenetrable 

 jungles called for such displays of energy and daring as this continent 

 had never before witnessed ; but we can stop only to follow its course 

 in the region with which we now have to deal. 



The narrative left of this expedition tells us that DeSoto's route 

 extended north of west to the St. Francis river, the land of the Casqui 

 Indians; thence east of north, to what is now the Missouri line, and 

 about the site of New Madrid. Here he was opposed, and fought the 

 Capahas Indians, and his course was then changed to a little west of 

 south, across the St. Francis river to Quigate, below and not far from 

 L'Aguille river; thence north, along Crowley's ridge, to the Missouri 

 line, and on between the Black and St. Francis rivers to Coligoa, the 

 land of great mineral wealth, as described to him by the Indians. La- 

 ter explorers believe this region to be located among the granite knobs 



