116 Shells as evidence of the Migrations. 
of a man, “all black, dressed with chaynes of perle.” The 
process of preserving the remains of the chiefs is described 
as follows: “ After the body had been disemboweled, the 
skin was laid back and the flesh was cut away from the 
bones. When this operation was completed, the skeleton, 
held together by its ligaments, was again inclosed in the 
skin, and stuffed with white sand, or with * pearle, copper, 
beads, and such trash sowed in a skynne. It was then 
dressed in fine skins and adorned with all sorts of 
valuables, including strings of pearls and beads. The 
same kinds of treasures were also deposited in a basket 
at the feet of the mummy.” *~ 
The chroniclers of De Soto’s expedition to Florida in 
1539, speak of almost fabulous quantities of pearls in the 
possession of the Indians of the parts traversed by them. 
One Portuguese narrator says, “they obtained fourteen 
bushels of pearls” from a certain sepulchre, and it is 
stated that a common foot soldier had “a linen bag, in 
which were six pounds of pearls,” and pearls are elsewhere 
spoken of that are “as large as filberts.” Garcillasso de la 
Vega says “while de Soto sojourned in the province of 
Ichiaha the cacique visited him one day and gave him a 
string of pearls about two fathoms long. This present 
might have been a valuable one if the pearls had not 
been pierced, for they were all of equal size and as large 
as hazelnuts.” 
‘As in Cleopatra’s time in Egypt,” says Streeter, 
“so in Florida, the graves of the kings were decorated 
with pearls. Soto's soldiers found in one of their temples 
129 Jhid., pp. 480 Ss. 
'29 Stearns, Aeft. US. Nal, A/us., 1887 (1889), pt. ii., p. 279, quoting 
Irving's ‘* Conquest of Florida”; see also Grace King, ** De Soto and his 
men in the Land of Florida,” New York, 1914, pp. 136-143, ete. 
ig4 Streeter, op. ttl., pp. 45-6. 
