Show historians pick up year old trail of de soto expedition ASHINGTON four Wh W hundred undred years after hernando de soto led his I 1 tragic expedition across the south lands of north america historians are packing pi eking up his trail in preparation for the anniversary celebration in 1940 43 led by dr john R swanton of the smithsonian institution ethnologists are elamin examining old documents about the first white man to penetrate the eastern interior ot of the united states I 1 they chey will follow his footsteps from the day he landed on the florida coast and headed lor for the interior plowing through swamps and over mountains in search of the fabled el dorado all he found was the mississippi river just how the anniversary will be I 1 celebrated has not been determined I 1 ill I 1 hernando de soto solo but certainly there will be observances along the route provided it can be traced accurately all four major sources of information present discrepancies moreover the physical appearance of country through which de soto passed has undergone profound changes and the last speakers ot of the tongues of some of the savage tribes he encountered along the difficult transcontinental route have died survivors of the expedition who eventually reached mexico left the major sources of reference one is by a gentleman of elvas a portuguese who actually accompanied de soto another by an inca indian is so colorful that researchers think his accounts are highly exaggerated the third which found its way to spanish archives is thought to be the official report ori on the eppedi expedition tion another is the diary of de sotos solos secretary rodrigo besides dr swanton members of the commission are miss caroline dormon of chestnut la and col john R cordyce of little rock ark recently deceased |