plies were dwindling. Advance riders and
information obtained by torturing Indians
suggested that only the barren deserts
described by Cabeza de Vaca lay ahead.
Turquoise (a semiprecious stone) and cotton
suggested to some Europeans that a more
plentiful land might be found on the overland
route south to New Spain. Dismissing the
objections of these optimists, Moscoso
ordered the group to turn back toward the
“great river,” the Mississippi.
After a grueling march, Moscoso and his
men eventually reached the “Río Grande” and
took over the Indian town of Aminoya, whose
inhabitants were reduced to starvation when
the Europeans seized their food supplies. By
spring 1543 the Europeans had built seven
brigantines (two-masted vessels) from local
wood and nails made by melting down slave
chains. Moscoso ordered all but his closest
allies to dismiss their slaves. Amid much
weeping, 500 Indian men, women, and chil-
dren were abandoned in hostile territory, far
from their homes.
On July 2, 1543, 322 surviving Europeans
and 100 slaves set forth onto the Mississippi
River aboard their homemade brigantines.
The expedition’s methods remained
unchanged on water. The Europeans stole
maize from houses along the river and burned
the first town they encountered. The next day,
Indians approached the Europeans in canoes,
offering friendship. As soon as the Indians
were within range, however, they rained
arrows on the Europeans. Two dozen Spanish
soldiers took to canoes to attack their pur-
suers. The Indians simply capsized them,
sending the armor-laden conquistadores
sinking to the river bottom.
The emboldened Indians continued to
attack by day and night, wounding many
Europeans before eventually giving up the
chase. The drifting survivors reached the
mouth of the Mississippi River 17 days later.
Avote was taken, and they decided to pro-
ceed westward along the coast rather than
risk voyaging across the Gulf of Mexico in the
rickety brigantines. Juan de Añasco brieflyHernando de Soto and “La Florida” B 103