This is an excerpt from a journal kept by one of the men in de Soto's party. Here, the explorer discusses his
impressions of the Savannah River region.
The country was delightful and fertile, having good
interval lands upon the streams; the forest was open,
with abundance of walnut and mulberry trees
To all it appeared well to make a settlement there... [it]
is a good country, and one fit in which to raise supplies;
but Soto, as it was his object to find another treasure like
that of Atabalipa, lord of Peru, would not be content with
good lands nor pearls, even though many of them were
worth their weight in gold.
- The Expedition of Hernando de Soto,
1557
What was this Spanish explorer's impression of the
Savannah River region?
It was an area rich in natural resources that could
provide many supplies.
The farmland was poor, and the forests had few
useful tikes
The area was filled with a great deal of gold and
silver to send back to Spain.
The area was a poor choice for a Spanish
settlement