Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/76

 16 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI nation of the im'steries which they beheld for the tirst time. The solemn service was closed with the singing of a Te Deum and the forest aisles echoed for the tirst time with the sound of men's voices lifted up in the service of song to God. In the middle of the night the long drought was broken and a copious rain fell upon the earth. Such was the first religious service of the Christian church held in Missouri. Speaking of it Irving says:* "More than three cen- turies ago the cross, the type of our beautiful religion, was planted on the banks of the Mis- sissippi, and its silent forests wakened bj- the Christian's hymn of gratitude and praise. The effect was vivid but transitory. The voice cried in the wilderness and reached and was answered by every heart, but it died away and was forgotten; and was not to be heard in that savage region again for many gener- ations. It was as if a lightning's gleam had broken for a moment upon a benighted world, startling it with sudden effulgence, only to leave it in ten-fold more gloom. The real dawning was yet afar off from the benighted valley of the Mississippi." That the place of this first service was with- in the limits of Missouri we may not doubt. It is impossible to fix the precise spot. The high hill, doubtless an artificial mound, has probably disappeared. The pine tree, which was made into a cross, was probably a ej'press which resembles the pine in some respects, and might have been found anywhere in a vast extent of territory. From these things, then, it is impossible to determine the place of this Indian village, but, judging from the direction of their travel, from the distance probably covered in the two days of their march, they were within the limits of Mis- souri, perhaps according to the opinion of Xuttall near the present site of New Madrid. At an early day a mound stood near the town. This mound has been swept away by the river, but it may well have been the scene of this service. On the next morning after the service and the rain, De Soto made ready to continue his journey to the north. He was still led on- ward by the hopes which had brought him into the wilderness. Great cities were yet to be found, gold was to be discovered. These things lay in the distance before him, as he fondly thought. From time to time, during their journey, they had found in the posses- sion of the Indians various trinkets and other things made of gold ; and these served to con- firm them in their belief that somewhere in the mighty and unconquered wilderness there was much of the yellow metal waiting for the fortunate men who might be led to find it. And so to seek gold and adventure, after the days of rest and pleasure with their new friends of the Casquin Indians, they made ready to depart. The cacique, however, a wily savage of about fifty years of age, had no idea of al- lowing his good and great friends to depart without conferring on him other tokens of their friendship and power. He had been greatly impressed with the evident power of the Spaniards and meditated on turning it to his own account. For many .years enmity had existed between the Casquins or Kaskaskias and the Capa- has, a tribe living further to the north. Lately the fortunes of war had inclined to the side of the Capahas, and the cacique of the Casquins and his people had been com- pelled to accept the yoke of their enemies and to pay tribute and render service to them. In the undoubted prowess and power of his
 * " Conquest of Florida," p. 114.