offers, declaring that he would be perfectly satisfied with whatever she was pleased to give.  While he was speaking, she took off a string of pearls which she wore round her neck, and gave it to Juan Ortiz the interpreter to present it in her name to Soto, as she could not deliver it with her own hands without transgressing the rules of decorum[160].  Soto stood up and received it with much respect, and presented her in return with a ruby which he wore on his finger.  Thus peace was ratified with this princess, who now returned to the other side of the river, all the Spaniards admiring her beautiful appearance and good behaviour.

[Footnote 160:  The circumstance of great quantities of pearls being found in this part of the country tends in some measure to confirm the idea of Soto being now on the Tenasse River.  In the most recent maps of this part of America, a part of this river near its great bend, where it sweeps round from a S.W. to a N.N.W. direction, is distinguished by the appellation of the Muscle Shoals, and it is well known that the fresh-water muscles are often very productive in pearls.—­E.]

After this all the Spanish force was transported across the river, on rafts and in canoes, four horses being drowned in the passage.  The Spaniards were all commodiously quartered in the middle of the town, and the country round was found to be extraordinarily fertile.  The mother of the princess of this tribe was a widow, and resided about twelve leagues from this town in great retirement; and on being sent for by her daughter to see the strangers, she not only refused, but sent a severe reproof to her daughter for admitting those persons of whom she knew nothing.  Soto sent Juan Anasco with thirty horse, with a respectful message to the old lady inviting her to come to visit him.  Anasco was accompanied on this occasion by an Indian of considerable rank, who seemed pensive and melancholy.  After travelling some leagues, they stopped for rest and refreshment, and sat down under the shade of a tree to partake of a repast.  Throwing off his mantle of sables, the Indian took the arrows one by one from his quiver, which were very curiously made of reeds, having heads of bones with three points[161] all of them feathered on three sides, and both them and his bow beautifully painted with some kind of bituminous substance, as smooth and glossy as the finest varnish.  The last arrow which he drew out was headed with flint, sharp-pointed, and double-edged like a dagger.  Seeing that the Spaniards were all intent upon observing the curious arrows, he cut his own throat with the flint-headed arrow, and immediately fell down dead.  The other Indians who accompanied Anasco said that in their opinion he had killed himself because he was carrying a message which he believed was disagreeable to the old lady.  A short time after this, as Anasco was still proceeding, one of the Spaniards observed that they were going blindly in search of a woman who was said to have gone to hide herself from them in another place; and as Soto already had the daughter in his power, he had no occasion for the mother also, and as their number was small they were exposed to much danger, and had much better return to head-quarters.  As this advice was universally approved of, they turned back.