Final answer:
When De Soto first met the Mississippians, he encountered fortified towns and a heavily populated region. However, the region had been emptied and returned to wilderness by the time La Salle traveled down the Mississippi River.
Step-by-step explanation:
When De Soto first met the Mississippians, he encountered fortified towns and a heavily populated region. However, by the time La Salle traveled down the Mississippi River in 1670, the region had been emptied and returned to wilderness due to the diseases brought by De Soto and his men. The French explorer reported traveling for hundreds of miles without passing a single village. This shows the devastating impact of European contact on the Mississippians.