I 17
De Soto and iJt/ oscoso Beyond tlee Mississippi, 1537-1543
But court life and its formalities irked the active young captain, who was now in the flower of his youth, and who longed for excitement and activity. Despite the dismal failure of Narvaez and Ay116n, it was to Florida that the ambitious conqueror turned his eyes. News of the failure of the former had already reached Spain, although the wonderful escape of Cabeza de Vaca and his three companions could hardly have been known to De Soto when he made application for his grant early in 1537. Ternes of g,·ant. With the wisdom gained by experience, the king graciously acceded to the wishes of the wealthy and popular conquistador on April 20, 1537, carefully stipulating that all expenses, including his salary and that of the various royal officials were to be paid out of the income derived from the lands conquered and settled. Out of regard for the previous services rendered to the crown in Nicaragua and Peru, the king granted Hernando de Soto the right to undertake the conquest, pacification and settlement of all lands "that lie from the province of Rio de las Palmas to Florida, whose government had been entrusted to Panfilo de Narvaez, and of all the lands beyond those provinces whose government had been similarly entrusted to Ayll6n." He was to have the title of governor and captain general over an area of two hundred leagues, measured along the coast anywhere within the general boundaries stipu- lated. These lands were to be designated within four years after his arrival in the new grant. He was assigned a salary of two thousand ducats a year, which was to run from the day he sailed from San Lucar, but it was to be paid out of the royal rents and revenues that might accrue from the new lands. The titles of adelantado and high sheriff were further granted him in perpetuity. At his own expense, and without the crown being liable at any time for the cost, he was to erect as many as three fortifications of stone and mortar at such places as he might deem advisable, after consulting with the royal officers of the expedition. To compensate him for this and all other expenses as well as his many services, he was to receive an estate twelve leagues square within the two hundred leagues selected, provided this site did not include a seaport or the principal city within his juris- diction. In order to facilitate the conquest, pacification and settlement of the new lands, he was also granted the government of Cuba, being allowed five hundred additional ducats for this office. He was to have the right to import into Cuba fifty negro slaves, one-third of which had to be females, from any part of the dominions of Spain, or Portugal, or from the Islands of Caho Verde. or Guinea, by paying only two ducats per
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