Cabaca de Vaca, a man
of glowing imagination, and who held the pen of a ready writer, wrote
a Baron Munchausen account of the expedition. He descanted upon the
delicious clime, the luxuriant soil, the populous cities, the
architectural splendor of the edifices, and the inexhaustible mines of
silver and of gold. There was no one to call his account in question.
His extravagant stories were generally believed.

De Soto, who was in the prime of his vigorous manhood, having as yet
only attained his thirty-seventh year, read this narrative and
pondered these statements with enthusiasm. A couple of years of
inaction in his luxurious saloons had inspired him with new zeal for
romantic adventure; and to this there was added the powerful motive of
the necessity of retrieving his fortunes. He believed that gold could
be gathered in Florida, even more abundantly than in Peru; that by
the aid of the crown a numerous colony might be established where,
under genial skies, every man could be put into possession of broad
acres of the most luxuriant soil. And he felt fully confident that his
long experience on the isthmus and in Peru, qualified him in the
highest degree to be the leader of such an enterprise.

In these views he was sustained by the common sentiment of the whole
community. De Soto applied to the king of Spain, the Emperor Charles
Fifth, for permission to organize an expedition, at his own expense,
for the conquest of Florida. He offered to the crown, as usual for its
share, one-fifth of the plunder.

Eagerly the Emperor, who was always in need of money, accepted the
proposition, "asking no questions, for conscience sake." The Emperor
was very profuse in conferring honors and titles upon his heroic
subject. He appointed him governor of the island of Cuba, which he was
to make the base of his operations, investing him with almost
dictatorial powers as both military and civil governor. He also
granted him a private estate in Florida, with the title of marquis, in
whatever part of the country he might choose. This magnificent estate
was to consist of a region, ninety miles long and forty-five miles
wide.

As soon as it was known throughout Spain that De Soto was about to
embark on such an enterprise, volunteers began to flock to his
standard. He would accept of none but the most vigorous young men,
whom he deemed capable of enduring the extremes of toil and hardship.
In a few months nine hundred and fifty men were assem