town lying on the east bank of the Savannah River, in what is now the
State of South Carolina, an unusual commotion was evident. An Indian on
the river bank had noticed with his far-seeing eyes a strange sight on
the opposite side of the river. The sunshine was flashing on glinting
brass and steel implements upheld by a host of strange foreigners who
were massed near the river, some on foot and others mounted on such
animals as the Indian had never before seen. What was to be the next
move of these strangers? Were they planning to cross the river and
invade the Red Man's stronghold? Quickly the Indian called around him
the principal men of the village, sent a message also to the young and
beautiful princess who had recently been made Queen of the province of
Cofachiqui and of many neighbouring provinces. This princess was so just
and loyal and honest in dealing with her people that they loved her as
though she had been a wise man instead of a young girl. Now she was
quickly told of the strange spectacle across the water and came herself
to view it. Then her councillors gathered around her to receive her
commands, and several Indians hurrying to the river, hastily embarked in
their canoes, the rhythmic sound of their paddles echoing on the still
air.
Meanwhile on the bank toward which they steered their canoes, there was
an air of expectancy as the canoes came nearer, were grounded, as six
stalwart Indian chiefs filed up the bank from the river, and stood
before the foreigners, who were no other than Hernandez de Soto, the
Spanish general, and his band of adventurers. The chiefs made three
profound bows, one toward the East, to the Sun, one toward the West, to
the moon, and one to De Soto himself. Then their spokesman asked:
"Do you wish peace or war?"
"Peace," answered De Soto promptly. "We ask only permission to pass
through your province, transportation across the river, food while we
are in your territory and the treatment of friends, not foes."
Gravely the Indian listened, gravely he answered. Peace, he said, could
be assured, but for the other requests there must be time given to make
answer. Cofachiqui, queen of the province bearing her name, must be
consulted. Of food there was a scant supply because of a pestilence
which had recently ravaged their land causing many natives to go into
the forests, and preventing them from planting their fields as usual,
but if the strangers would await Cofachiqui's response to their demands
with what patience they could command, that patience would surely be
rewarded.
The Indian ceased speaking and bowed. Gravely his companions also bowed.
The interview was over. With silent sinuous strides the chiefs retraced
their steps to the river, and entered their canoes which soon shot
through the water, homeward bound, watched by the eager eyes of the
waiting Spaniards.
[Illustration: COFACHIQUI, THE INDIAN PRINCESS]
Now although De Soto had shown surprise at the news that the ruler of
the neighbouring province was a young princess, the surprise was not
genuine. Some months earlier in the season, while encamped in what is
now the State of Florida, an Indian had been captured and brought into
the Spanish camp. This youth had told thrilling tales to the Spaniards
of the fascinating young Queen Cofachiqui and he related to a breathless
audience how all the neighbouring chiefs paid tribute to her as to a
great ruler, and sent her presents of magnificent clothing and
provisions and gold. At the mention of gold which was the ruling passion
of De Soto and his followers, they plied the young Indian with further
questions, and he, hoping for release as the price of his information,
told in detail of the wonderful yellow metal which was found in such
quantities in the province of Cofachiqui and neighbouring territories
and how it was melted and refined, and as the Spaniards listened, they
exchanged glances of joy that at last after all their weary wanderings,
they were to find the long-looked-for treasure. At once they broke camp,
robbing and plundering the Indians, without whose kindness and
hospitality during the long Winter months they would have fared badly,
but of that they were careless, and in every possible way drained the
stores of the savages who had befriended them, in fitting themselves out
for their expedition northward.
Then for long weeks they pressed onward through the trackless forest
with no chart or compass, except such general directions as they
received from the young Indian, to guide them, and as they travelled
they left behind them a trail of theft and barbarous cruelty and murder
in return for the kindness of the simple-minded natives whom they
encountered in their march.
At last in late April they found themselves in the territory governed by
Cofachiqui, the fair young girl who was ruler of many provinces and
possessor of much gold, and their hopes of conquest were high. So, in
accord with a hastily-laid plan, they massed themselves on the east
bank of the river, with the sunlight glinting through the great forest
trees behind them, shining on their weapons and armour, and thus they
received the visit of the Indians from the town of Yupaha, capital of
Cofachiqui.
The interview was over--the Spaniards watched the chiefs as they
disembarked on the opposite shore, saw a great crowd of natives gather
around them, engaging in eager conversation, saw canoes being again made
ready for use, one more showily ornamented than the others being filled
with cushions and mats, over which a canopy was hastily raised. The eyes
of the Spaniards were strained to lose no detail of the Indians'
preparations as four strong young braves came in sight, carrying a
palanquin down to the river edge, from which a young woman alighted, and
gracefully stepped into the gaudily decked canoe.
"The Princess! It can be no other!" exclaimed an excited and susceptible
dragoon, and all eyes were at once centred on the slight, lithe figure
seated now in the canoe. She was followed by eight Indian women, who
also seated themselves in the boat with their Queen and took up the
paddles, making the little craft cut swiftly through the water by the
power of their deft strokes, while the men followed in another canoe.
The shore was reached. Gracefully, quietly the princess stepped from her
barge, and ascended the bank, her women following in an impressive
procession, until they stood before the army of expectant Spaniards. De
Soto, after one glance into the lustrous dark eyes of the girlish
princess, rose and placed the throne chair by his own side, and with a
swift and gracious acknowledgment of his courtesy, the princess took it,
and began to speak rapidly in a low melodious voice.
"My chiefs tell me you ask for provisions and shelter while passing
through my provinces," she said.
De Soto asked his interpreter what her words meant and inclined his head
in affirmation, while his soldiers watched the mobile face of the
princess, fascinated by her beauty, as she spoke again.
"We give you and your men a hearty welcome and will protect your
interests as if they were our own while you remain with us," she said.
"But for provisions, my chiefs told you of the pestilence which has so
ravaged our land that the fields have not been planted as usual, but I
have two storehouses filled with grain which I have collected for the
relief of those whom the pestilence has spared, one of those shall be at
your service, sir. As to your accommodation," this with a graceful wave
of her hand as though including De Soto in all that she possessed, "half
of my own house is at your disposal, and your men may make themselves at
home in as many of the buildings in the village as are necessary, for
barracks."
Watching De Soto's face, and fancying she saw disapproval there, the
princess hastily added, "But if that is not satisfactory to you, oh,
sir, I and my people can retire to a neighbouring village, leaving you
in possession of my own."
Her winning hospitality was not to be resisted. A grave and courtly
smile flitted over De Soto's face and he hastily reassured her that this
would not be necessary, then asked if she could provide them with a
means of transportation across the river. To this Cofachiqui replied,
"That has already been attended to, and to-morrow morning rafts and
canoes will be in readiness for your use."
While she was speaking, De Soto had fallen under the spell of her
musical voice and personal charm and when she finished he rose, and
bending over her hand, kissed it in true cavalier fashion, assuring her
of his loyalty and good faith, as well as those of his sovereign, and
although the vow was as insincere as it was effective, it gave great joy
to simple-minded, big-hearted Cofachiqui, who believed that these
foreigners were as trustworthy as she was, and were hereafter to be her
friends and allies.
Slowly she unwound a long string of pearls as large as hazelnuts that
were wound three times around her graceful throat and fell in a long
strand to her waist, and handing them to De Soto's interpreter, she
asked him to present them to his commander whose eyes gleamed at sight
of the magnificent jewels, although he shook his head saying gallantly,
"But Madame, they will be doubly precious if given by your own hand."
The princess flashed an arch glance at the handsome Spanish general, but
showed her reluctance, replying that such an act would lay her open to
the charge of immodesty. This being repeated to De Soto by his
interpreter, he answered firmly and chivalrously,
"More indeed than the pearls themselves would I value the favour of
receiving them from her hand, and in acting so she would not go against
modesty, for we are treating of peace and friendship, of all things the
most important, most serious between strange people."
Having heard this apparent declaration of amity the princess allowed
herself to be persuaded, then rose, and with her own hands placed the
string of costly pearls around the neck of De Soto. He too stood, and
taking from his hand a valuable ring, set with a large ruby, which he
had doubtless pillaged from the Peruvians, he begged Cofachiqui to
accept it.
Won by his magnetism and courtly manner the heart of the princess beat
fast, and with evident pleasure she accepted the ring and placed it on
her finger. Then with a bewitching smile to De Soto, and another to his
men, she turned and retraced her steps to the river, and followed as
before by her attendants, she again entered the canoe which under the
impelling strokes of the sturdy Indian women, shot homeward, leaving the
ranks of the Spanish army quite demoralised by such a vision of youth
and beauty, as well as charmed by a strength of character which made
them call the princess then and ever afterwards _La Sanora_, or the lady
of Cofachiqui, and both then and ever after did she deserve the title,
for no truer-hearted, kindlier-mannered aristocrat ever made and kept
covenant of faith with a treacherous foe, than did she, this sweet
princess of a barbarian race.
So much in love with her already were the susceptible Spaniards that
they awaited the morrow with extreme impatience and could only while
away the hours with tales of her perfections told to the master of camp
and the remainder of the army, but just arrived from the interior.
At the appointed hour of the next day came the promised rafts and canoes
to transport them, and soon De Soto and his cavaliers found themselves
in the most beautiful spot, and among the most hospitable Indians they
had ever yet encountered. They were peaceable and affable in manner and
almost as white as the Spaniards themselves, and so intelligent that it
was possible to gain much valuable information from them concerning the
region and its products. As for the lovely princess herself, daily the
strangers became more astonished at her soundness of judgment, and
practical grasp of affairs, which would easily have challenged many a
white man's mental capacity.
With eager desire to make her guests as comfortable as possible, and
also with a touch of personal interest in the handsome cavaliers,
Cofachiqui ordered wigwams to be put up for the soldiers under the
shading mulberry trees, placed houses at the disposal of the officers
and made everything bend to the comfort of the Spaniards to such a
degree that the delighted army approached their general with a petition
to make a permanent settlement there. But De Soto was a man of one
controlling passion and was impervious to all pleas, reiterating these
words, "Our quest is for gold, not for comfort or for courtesy. We must
press on."
A man of few words but of inflexible purpose, the soldiers knew only too
well the uselessness of entreating him further and putting aside their
emotional appreciation of Cofachiqui's kindness, even while accepting
all that she gave them, set to work and secretly discovered the burial
place of her people, and robbed it not only of figures of babies and
birds made of iridescent shells, but also of three hundred and fifty
weight of pearls. Then, fired with the lust of possession, and having
found out that Cofachiqui's widowed mother, who lived in retirement
forty miles down the river, was the owner of many fine pearls, De Soto
at once began to plan to get her in his power. Of this he gave no hint
to the princess, but pretended, in his long daily conversations with
her, that he was her loyal friend, and his only aim was peace so long as
he and his men should be in her territory. At the same time he suggested
casually to Cofachiqui, who was still somewhat under the spell of his
magnetic personality, (although now not altogether unconscious of the
selfish deeds done to her people in his name) that perhaps her mother
would enjoy coming up to Yupaha to meet his people who were unlike any
she had ever known, also to see the wonderful animals they rode,--for
the fine horses of the Spanish cavalrymen were the greatest admiration
of the Indians. To his suggestion Cofachiqui gave a pleasant assent, and
at once De Soto's message was conveyed to the Queen's mother by a young
Indian who had been brought up as the elder woman's own son. But the
Queen's mother had lived longer, and had a broader knowledge of the
world and of the treachery of the white man than had her daughter, and
instead of accepting the invitation in the spirit in which it was
apparently given, she sent a sharp reproof to Cofachiqui for having
allowed strangers about whom she knew nothing to invade her capital.
The news was duly brought to De Soto, who set his firm lips more firmly
still, and then ordered one of his officers, Juan de Anasco, to take
with him thirty men and start at once for the dwelling-place of the
Queen's mother, and force her not only to see them, but also to return
with them to the camp. On hearing this, the princess argued with him as
to the uselessness of the expedition. "My mother," she said, "is of a
firm will and tenacious purpose. Had she been willing to see you, she
would have come at once. Do not urge her."
But De Soto spoke in a tone of firm command, telling her that she must
supply a guide for the expedition, and with no further sign of
reluctance Cofachiqui again commissioned the young Indian, of whom her
mother was so fond, to lead the strangers forth, hoping that the lad's
coming would make a stronger appeal to her mother than all the force
that could be used.
When the young fellow stood equipped for the journey, receiving his
instructions from Cofachiqui, he was so strikingly handsome, both in
face and stalwart figure, that even the Spaniards could not but note it.
On his back was strung a magnificent bow as tall as he, and a quiver
full of arrows, his mantle was of finest softest deerskin and on his
head was set a coronet of rare feathers.
That evening the party set out, and on the following day when the sun
was high, stopped to rest under a spreading clump of trees, and as the
Spaniards lounged in the refreshingly cool spot, the young guide sat
apart, not entering into the gaiety of his comrades, but with his head
bent in his hands, in apparently deep and melancholy reverie. Then
rousing with a start, he threw himself down beside the others and began
to show them the arrows with which his quiver was filled, and the
Spaniards examined them with eager interest and surprise, for they were
gems of carving and of polish, and each one was different from the
other. While the soldiers' attention was thus centred, the young Indian
gave a quick glance at them, then suddenly he drew out a dagger-edged
flint head, plunged it into his throat and fell at their feet. With
cries of horror they bent over him, but it was too late. The cut had
severed an artery and life was already gone from the noble form.
Only too well the young man had known when he started out on this second
expedition that the queen's mother whom he so dearly loved, would never
be willing to have any acquaintance with these strangers, for she
distrusted them. On the other hand he had received a command from his
much revered princess to conduct the Spaniards to her mother's home, and
if need be to bring her to Yupaha by force. He dared not disobey, but
his heart was heavy at the thought. He was unwilling to so treat one who
had always been kind to him and he had taken his own life rather than be
disloyal. Where in the annals of history can be found a greater proof of
devotion than this?
The tragedy brought great consternation to the Spaniards, for without
the youth it was impossible to go on to their destination unless some of
the other Indians in their party would volunteer to conduct them, but
they all swore they did not know where the queen's mother lived, and for
some hours the Spaniards still rested in the heart of the forest,
talking over their plans. Meanwhile Cofachiqui, alone with her people
for the first time since the coming of the strangers, had called
together her chiefs, and was with them discussing matters of importance
to all her subjects. One old chief spoke bitterly of the expressed
desire of the cavaliers for conquest, for gold, and warned his princess
that she was in danger of disaster if she harboured the intruders any
longer, but Cofachiqui answered with flashing eyes:
"You ask me to betray those who have given me loyalty and trust? You
call these strangers unworthy of confidence because they demand the
presence of my mother? How do we know what the white man's code of
honour about such matters is? To the very end I shall keep my covenant
of good faith with them and you as my people will do as I command!" Her
firmness was so evident, and so did she hold her people's hearts in her
keeping that the old chiefs never again mentioned that which was making
more than one in the community uneasy, but they were no less troubled
because Cofachiqui showed no concern about the matter.
Their conference over, the Spaniards had decided to press on without a
guide, and for two days wandered aimlessly through jungles and swamps in
excessive heat and discomfort, then, exhausted by disappointment and by
the weight of their heavy armour, they returned to the camp in no happy
frame of mind, carrying with them the sad news of the young guide's
death, upon the reason for which Cofachiqui pondered long and deeply.
Once decided on a course of action, De Soto was not a man to be balked,
and when several days later an Indian secretly came to him with an offer
to personally conduct him to the home of the queen's mother, the offer
was gladly accepted and a second expedition set out. But the lady in
question was a person of determination too, and hearing of the approach
of the party, doubtless from one of Cofachiqui's chiefs, she quietly
fled to some more sheltered spot, and after six days of wandering in
search of her, the party returned to camp in disgust and never again
attempted to visit her.
Even when apparently absorbed with other things, De Soto's whole mind
was centred on planning how to discover the gold which he had been told
could be found in such large quantities in the territory belonging to
the princess. Always a diplomat, he spoke carelessly of the pearls which
she had given him, asked whether she also owned any yellow and white
metals similar to the rings and other ornaments he showed her. As always
when she talked with him Cofachiqui's eyes sparkled, and her whole
nature seemed to go out to him in confidence and interest.
"Indeed, yes," she made answer through her interpreter, "on my land
there is an abundance of metals, both white and yellow."
De Soto's eyes gleamed at the statement. Then she summoned an Indian,
and directed him to go at once and bring to her specimens of both kinds
of metals. With ill-concealed impatience De Soto waited for the
messenger's return, and almost snatched the small lumps from his hands,
as the messenger brought them to the princess. With radiant joy she
handed them to De Soto, glad to give another proof of her friendship.
One look was enough, the yellow metal was only copper, the shining white
specimen was a worthless kind of quartz!
Glancing at De Soto with eyes full of pride in the products of her
realm, Cofachiqui's expression changed to one of surprise and fear, for
on the face before her she saw such rage and hatred that she knew
something dangerous had happened; and trembled lest revenge should be
visited on her guiltless people. In a gently soothing voice she hastily
said, pointing with a graceful wave of her hands to a spot in the
distance, "Yonder is the burial place of our village warriors. There you
will find our pearls. Take what you wish, and if you wish more, not far
from here there is a village which was the home of my forefathers. Its
temple is larger than this. You will find there so many pearls that even
if you loaded all your horses with them, and yourselves with as much as
you could carry you would not come to the end of them. Many years have
my people been collecting and storing pearls. Take all and if you still
want more, we can get even more for you from the fishing place of my
people."
What an offer! It could be no other than evidence of a heart's real
devotion, or of deep rooted fear, when an Indian princess offers to rob
the burial place,--the treasure house of her ancestors!
While Cofachiqui, with appealing eyes, made the offer as a substitute
for what De Soto had evidently been disappointed in finding, the
Spaniard's hopes revived, and with a quick reassuring gesture he took
and kissed the hand of the princess in his most courtly manner, which
courtesy she received with proud dignity, and gave no further evidence
that her heart had ever been touched by the fascinating general.
De Soto lost no time in accepting the offer made by Cofachiqui, and two
days later, with a large number of his officers, and escorted by some of
the household of the princess, who made no promise which she did not
carry out to the full, De Soto visited the temple of which she had
spoken. During the three mile trip, they passed through such wonderfully
fertile country, saw such luxuriant vegetation, picked so much luscious
fruit hanging in profusion from the fruit trees on the way, that the
cavaliers felt this to be truly the promised land and again begged their
commanding general to make a settlement here, but he only responded by
silence and by marching on. At last the temple was reached. Impressively
the Indians threw back the massive doors and on the threshold the
Spaniards stood, spell-bound by the beauty and the majesty of what they
saw, so the historian of the party tells us.
Twelve gigantic wooden statues confronted them, counterfeiting life with
such ferocity of expression and such audacity, of posture, as could not
but awe them. Six stood on one side and six on the other side of the
door, as if to guard it, and to forbid anyone to enter. Those next the
door were giants about twelve feet high, the others diminished in size
by regular gradation. Each pair held a different kind of weapon and
stood in attitude to use it.