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resumed its journey in March 1540, Perico
guided it northeast into the hills of present-
day southern Georgia. There the Indians were
friendlier, offering the Europeans food,
porters, and guides. In return, de Soto built
large wooden crosses in the center of several
towns and lectured the townspeople on the
blessings of Christianity.
Within six weeks, however, the Europeans’
supplies were again gone. Starving Indian
slaves were released and told to fend for them-
selves, far inside South Carolina. De Soto
threatened Perico, who finally admitted that
he was lost. Perico escaped being thrown to
the dogs, for he was the only Indian whose
language the translator Ortiz understood. On
April 26 four Indians were captured near a
deserted village. After de Soto ordered one of
them burned to death, the others revealed
that Cofitachequi was only two days away.
The cacica, or female chieftain, of the
Muskogean-speaking inhabitants of Cofi-
tachequi welcomed de Soto warmly at the
Wateree River near the present site of Cam-(^98) B Discovery of the Americas, 1492–1800
The Lady of Cofitachequi, as she was called, greeted de Soto and his party when they reached the tribe
she ruled near present-day Camden, South Carolina.(Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
[LC-USZ62-104378])
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