He described the Natchez
Indians and gave them a terrible character; then the monsters of the
woods and the waters. He marked the form of the tiger, the bear, and
the alligator and described them as aggressive and ferocious. Taking a
handful of sand he scattered it on the boat's floor or bottom, and
pointing to the separate particles, attempted to explain by this means
the countless numbers of these Indians, and monsters of the country
below. Here was his first information of the existence of the Natchez,
but his information augmented as he descended the river. At the bluffs,
where now is Memphis, he encountered the Chickasaws and learned of the
visit of De Soto to that point, and of his death. These Indians warned
him of the dangers he had to encounter. They had had trouble with De
Soto and were chary of their intercourse with the whites, but
manifested no hostility.
The next tribe of Indians seen was at the Walnut Hills, now Vicksburg.
Their flat heads told him he had reached the country of that formidable
nation, but he held no communication with them. Landing at the great
bluff or Natchez, he found there quite a village.
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