and fully instructed how to act, Soto gave notice
to his army to commence the attack by ordering a musket
to be fired off. The twelve Spaniards who attended
Soto immediately seized the cacique according to the
instructions they had received for that purpose; and
Soto mounting his horse led on the Spanish cavalry
to the charge, being always foremost on every occasion,
whether for fighting or hard labour. The Indians
took up their arms and resisted the Spaniards as well
as they could by repeated flights of arrows, even
killing the horse on which Soto rode, as they chiefly
aimed at the horses of which they stood in much fear.
Soto soon got another horse from his page, and as
the cavalry now penetrated the main body of the Indians
their whole army took to flight, some seeking for
safety in the wood and others by throwing themselves
into the lakes. All who fled along the open plain
were either killed or made prisoners. About nine
hundred of the Indians took shelter in the smaller
lake, which was immediately surrounded to prevent
their escape, and the Spaniards likewise kept up an
incessant attack upon them with their fire-arms and
cross-bows, to induce them to surrender. Although
in the water, the Indians continued to shoot as long
as their arrows lasted, many of them standing on the
backs of their comrades, who were swimming, till their
arrows were spent, and then giving similar aid to others.
They continued in this manner from about ten in the
morning till midnight, always surrounded by the Spaniards,
refusing to surrender though assured of their lives.
At length many of the feeblest surrendered, after
being fourteen hours in the water. As the rest
observed that no injury was offered to the prisoners,
they mostly surrendered next day at noon, when they
had been above twenty-four hours in the water; and
it was observed that they came out excessively tired,
hungry, sleepy, and swollen. Seven still obstinately
remained in the water till about seven in the evening;
when Soto, thinking it a pity such resolute men should
perish, ordered twelve Spaniards to swim to them,
with their swords in their mouths, who dragged them
all out half-drowned. Care was taken to recover
them; and when asked the reason of their obstinacy,
they alleged that as commanders, they were willing
to convince their lord that they were worthy of their
rank, by dying in his service and leaving a good name
behind them, even expressing a desire that they had
been permitted to perish. Four of these men were
about thirty-five years of age. The other three
were lads about eighteen, the sons of chiefs, who
had obeyed the summons of Vitacucho, in hopes of acquiring
honour, and were unwilling to return home vanquished.
Soto presented some small mirrors and other baubles
to these youths and dismissed them; but he told the
four commanders, in presence of Vitacucho, that they
all deserved to be put to death for having broken
their plighted faith, yet he forgave them in hopes
that they would take warning by what had now befallen
them, and behave better for the future. He then
invited Vitacucho to dine at his own table every day,
being of opinion that more was to be gained among these
barbarians by kind usage than severity, unless when
indispensably necessary.