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From this untoward enterprise De Soto returned to the village of Guachoya, renouncing all idea of establishing his colony in Anilco.
The Indians of Guachoya came every day with fish in such numbers, that the town was full of them.... The Governor felt in himself that the hour approached wherein he was to leave this present life, and called for the king's officers, captains, and principal persons, to whom he made a speech. Baltasar de Gallegos answered in the name of all the rest.
The chief Guachoya, very kindly offered to supply De Soto with eighty large and many small canoes with which a portion of his force with the baggage could ascend the Mississippi, twenty-one miles to the mouth of the Arkansas, and then ascending that stream about forty miles would reach the point selected for the settlement.
It is supposed that this village was near the Indian village of Guachoya, where the unhappy De Soto, whose romantic history we have given in a previous volume of this series, breathed his last, one hundred and fifty years before.
Death of De Soto. Ascent of the Mississippi. Revenge of Guachoya. Sickness of De Soto. Affecting Leave-taking. His Death and Burial. The March for Mexico. Return to the Mississippi. Descent of the River. Dispersion of the Expedition. Death of Isabella. The village of Guachoya was situated on a bluff on the western bank of the Mississippi, and was strongly fortified with palisades.
They returned in eight days, having explored but about fifty miles, in consequence of the windings of the stream and the swamps which bordered its banks. Upon this discouraging information, the Governor decided to build two brigantines at Guachoya, and to establish his colony upon some fertile fields which he had passed between Anilco and that place.
Here he learned that, at the distance of some leagues to the south, there was a populous and fertile country such as he thought would be suitable for the establishment of his colony. Again he crossed the Arkansas river to the south side, and moving in a southerly direction reached the Mississippi at a village called Guachoya, about twenty miles below the mouth of the Arkansas river.
The Cacique of Guachoya inquired for him, demanding what was become of his brother and lord, the Governor. Luys de Moscoso told him that he was gone to heaven, as many other times he did: and because he was to stay there certain days he had left him in his place.
In the narrative which has descended to us of that ill-fated and cruel expedition the historian writes: "The same day, July 2, 1543, that we left Aminoya, we passed by Guachoya, where the Indians tarried for us in their canoes."
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