A BACKWARD GLANCE. 35 



his predecessor, and that he would succeed where the latter 

 had failed. Moreover, each was searching for another 

 Peru or Mexico, with their marvels of a\ ealth. 



Consequently, just twenty years after the landing of 

 Fernando De Soto at Tampa Bay, another force, even 

 more splendid in equipments and greater in numbers, 

 landed at the then Bay of Santa Marie, now Pensacola, 

 fifteen hundred men, and a large number of priests to 

 christianize the natives, under the leadership of Don Tris- 

 tan De Luna. 



The expedition was ill-omened from the start, for within 

 a few days after their arrival a hurricane wrecked every 

 one of their ships, together with the greater portion of 

 their provisions. Nothing daunted, however, they built a 

 ship from the remnants of the fleet, and, sending it back 

 to Cuba for more stores, set forth into the interior to look 

 for gold, and convert the natives by conquest and oppres- 

 sion and chains. 



Some of the Indians were friendly, but there is such a 

 thing as trespassing on the hospitality of our friends, and 

 ** wearing out our welcome." 



Wearied and worn, the Spanish troops, coming to a pleas- 

 ant spot and finding generous hosts, sat them down for a 

 good long period of rest and enjoyment. It was all very 

 well at first, but soon the poor Indians found themselves 

 likely to be eaten out of house and home. They were not 

 rich ; in fact, it was rather hard times with them, because 

 (we suppose) the "factory hands had struck for higher 

 wages," the railroad freights had " eaten up the profits on 

 vegetables," and the pigs had rooted up their sweet pota- 

 toes, and the savings bank had gone all to pieces. 



At all events, whatever the inducing causes might have 

 been (there are some who may not credit the above as 

 such), the friendly Indians felt that they had " too much 



