﻿HISTORICAL 
  OUTLINE. 
  19 
  

  

  encountered. 
  Here 
  he 
  continued, 
  notwithstanding 
  his 
  

   disasters 
  and 
  the 
  persevering 
  and 
  galUng 
  attacks 
  of 
  the 
  

   Indians, 
  until 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  April, 
  1541. 
  The 
  position 
  of 
  

   this 
  winter 
  encampment 
  is 
  conjectured 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   near 
  the 
  northeastern 
  part 
  of 
  Pontitoc 
  Countj, 
  where, 
  

   it 
  is 
  said, 
  remains 
  of 
  ancient 
  fortifications 
  are 
  still 
  to 
  be 
  

   seen, 
  and 
  relics 
  of 
  European 
  origin 
  probably 
  pertaining 
  

   to 
  this 
  expedition 
  have 
  also 
  been 
  found. 
  Thus, 
  far 
  in 
  

   the 
  interior, 
  distant 
  from 
  the 
  sea- 
  shore, 
  and 
  remote 
  from 
  

   the 
  Mississippi, 
  was 
  the 
  territory 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  first 
  en- 
  

   tered 
  upon 
  by 
  Europeans. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  needless 
  to 
  trace 
  his 
  subsequent 
  wanderings 
  if 
  it 
  

   were 
  practicable, 
  even 
  with 
  approximate 
  accuracy, 
  to 
  do 
  

   so. 
  - 
  There 
  is 
  little 
  doubt, 
  however, 
  that 
  De 
  Soto 
  

   traversed 
  the 
  country 
  comprising 
  the 
  county 
  now 
  bearing 
  

   his 
  name, 
  and 
  in 
  May 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  year 
  discovered 
  the 
  

   Mississippi 
  River, 
  called 
  by 
  the 
  natives 
  " 
  Cicuaga," 
  at 
  a 
  

   point 
  near 
  the 
  extreme 
  northwestern 
  corner 
  of 
  the 
  

   State.* 
  

  

  After 
  crossing 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  at 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  Chickasaw 
  

   Bluffs, 
  and 
  consuming 
  another 
  year 
  in 
  fruitless 
  and 
  wast- 
  

   ing 
  excursions 
  far 
  to 
  the 
  west, 
  he 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  Mis- 
  

   sissippi, 
  where 
  his 
  career 
  was 
  terminated 
  at 
  the 
  village 
  

   of 
  Guachoya, 
  "which 
  was 
  situated 
  on 
  two 
  contiguous 
  

   hills 
  a 
  bow-shot 
  from 
  the 
  Mississippi," 
  probably 
  the 
  site 
  

   of 
  the 
  present 
  town 
  of 
  Hellena 
  in 
  Arkansas,-|* 
  and 
  his 
  

  

  * 
  According 
  to 
  Marbois, 
  the 
  northern 
  Indians, 
  bordering 
  on 
  Canada, 
  

   called 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  the 
  " 
  ISTamesi-si-pou," 
  or 
  River 
  of 
  Fishes. 
  

  

  f 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  point 
  on 
  the 
  western 
  side 
  where 
  the 
  highland 
  or 
  

   "MIW^ 
  jut 
  in 
  upon 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  below 
  the 
  Ohio. 
  Some 
  writers 
  

   assign 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Arkansas, 
  and 
  others 
  that 
  of 
  Red 
  River, 
  as 
  

   the 
  place 
  of 
  De 
  Soto's 
  death; 
  and 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  "Guachoa" 
  is 
  laid 
  

   down 
  on 
  an 
  English 
  map 
  published 
  in 
  1164 
  at 
  the 
  latter 
  place. 
  Neither 
  

   of 
  these 
  points, 
  however, 
  answers 
  to 
  the 
  description 
  given 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  