Show Keeping Up c n erv e em D m Science Service Service Service Spanish Explorers x Saw Sav a Great Flood on t tIle the Mississippi 1 Vividly Described b by hy Y Garcilaso de la Vega Washington Great Great floods on Americas America's great rivers are areno areno areno no new thing under the sun They are recorded by the earliest Spanish explorers who found that the Indians had adapted themselves to the flood problem by building building building build build- ing great mounds as artificial hills of refuge for emer emer- The chronicle of the expedition of Hernando de Soto who discovered the Mississippi tells of a terrific flood on the lower river near MemphIs Memphis Memphis Mem Mem- which lasted from mid-March mid until the end of May In hi the year 1543 De Soto and his men had landed at Tampa Fla traversed traversed traversed trav trav- the states of ot Florida Georgia Georgia Georgia Geor Geor- gia the Carolinas and Alabama Then they discovered and crossed the Mississippi which De Soto called the Great river After explorIng exploring ex ex- Arkansas and Louisiana the Spaniards again came back to the Great river where their leader fell fel sick and and- died and was buried burled in its waters so that hostile Indians might not find and dishonor his body Described by De La Vel Vega It was during their sojourn on the river that they were given the first view of a Mississippi flood that white mens men's eyes had ever beheld Here Is how the tho chronicler Garcilaso Garcilaso Garcilaso Gar Gar- de la Vega was Impressed Then God our Lord hindered the work with a mighty flood of the Great river which at that time time time- about the eighth or tenth of March began begon to come down do with an enormous enormous enormous enor enor- increase of water which In Inthe inthe inthe the beginning overflowed the wide level ground between the river and the culls cliffs then little by little it rose roseto roseto roseto to the top of the cliffs Soon it began to flow over the fields In hi an Immense flood and as the land was level without any hills there was nothing to stop the inundation tion Beautiful to Look Upon The flood was 40 days In reaching reaching reach reach- ing its greatest height which was the twentieth of April and it was a beautiful thing to look upon the sea where there had been fields for on each side of the river the water extended over 20 leagues o oland of land and all of this area was navIgated navigated navi nay gated by cano canoes s and nothing was seen but the tops of ot the tallest trees On account of these inundations of the river the people build their houses on the high land and where there is none they raise mounds by hand especially for the houses of the chiefs the houses are constructed constructed constructed con con- three or four stages above the ground on thick posts that serve as uprights and between uprights they lay beams for the floors am and above these floors which are of wood they make the roof with galleries galleries galleries gal gal- around the four sides of the house house where they store their food foot and other supplies and here they take refuge from the great floods |