54 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 137 



Aquixo and Quizquiz Indians, since Tunica Oldfields near Friar 

 Point marks a former location of the Tunica tribe. However, this 

 is highly speculative. The province of Quizquiz may have been 

 about the Alligator Mounds, Aquixo about Avenue south of Old- 

 town Lake, and Pacaha a short distance above the mouth of St. 

 Francis River. 



While De Soto's army was at Pacaha, one expedition penetrated 

 the country toward the northwest but found only bands of wild 

 huntsmen and territory difficult to pass through on account of the 

 tall grass and underbrush. On account of this unpromising out- 

 look and because he heard of populous towns to the south, De Soto 

 determined to return in that direction. Taking their departure from 

 Pacaha on July 29, the Spaniards passed through the Casqui country 

 and August 1 came to the River of Casqui "as large as the Guadal- 

 quivir," evidently White River, and were ferried across it by the 

 Casqui Indians. Traveling farther south they came, on the 5th, to 

 "the largest village which they saw in that country," named Qui- 

 guate, and they remained there 20 days. The form of this name 

 allies it with a number of other towns more to the south and sug- 

 gests that it was Natchez, but the relationship is uncertain. The 

 site corresponds very well with the Menard mound group a few miles 

 east of Arkansas Post. 



At Quiguate De Soto learned of a town "near some mountains" 

 toward the northwest, and, thinking that silver and gold might be 

 found there, he determined to direct his march thither. On August 

 26 the army set out and passing four marshes in as many days came 

 to a river which they followed up, arriving at the town of Coligua 

 on September 1. This was "a populous place along the gorge of a 

 river" and is believed to have been at the present Little Rock, the 

 river they had followed being, of course, the Arkansas. Nearby 

 were many bison. 



Although considerable plunder was secured in this town, there 

 was no gold or silver, and on September 6 they turned toward the 

 southwest, where they had learned of a populous province called 

 Cayas, and next day they reached Calpista, where there was a salt 

 spring, perhaps near the present Benton, Ark. Continuing in the same 

 general direction by easy stages they spent one day in a province called 

 Palisema, and on the 13th or 14th they came to a large river, the one 

 which they afterward called the River of Cayas or Anilco. This was 

 undoubtedly the Ouachita. On the 15th De Soto rode forward with 

 some cavalry to a better province called Tanico, where the remainder 

 of the army joined him next day. This is sometimes identified with 

 the salt province and sometimes it is treated as if it were distinct. 

 Here, in any case, they spent some time extracting salt along the 



