members
were richly entertained by the Governor of Gomera. There De Soto's wife,
the Lady Isabel, engaged the beautiful daughter of the Governor to
accompany her as her chief lady-in-waiting, a choice which led to some
interesting personal complications, actually affecting the progress of
the expedition.

It was on June 7, 1538, that De Soto arrived at Santiago with probably
the most imposing fleet that had ever yet visited that port or the
waters of Cuba. It comprised more than a score of vessels, carrying more
than a thousand soldiers. This armada comprised the galleons _San
Cristobal_, _Buena Fortuna_, _Magdalena_, _Conception_, _San Juan_, _San
Antonio_, and _Santa Barbara_; one caravel (a three-masted vessel), two
light brigs (two masted), and about a dozen smaller craft. Juan de
Anasco was chief pilot of the expedition, and the captains were Nunez
Tobar, Luis Morosco de Alvarado, Andres de Vasconcelas, Arias Tinoco,
Alfonso Robo de Cardenosa, Diego Garcia, and Pedro Calderon. Among the
commanders of the troops were Carlos Enriques, Micer de Espinola,
Dionisio de Paris, Rodrigo Gallego, Francisco del Poso, and Diego
Banuelos. Nor was the propagation of the True Faith neglected. It was
entrusted to a mission comprising four priests and a number of Dominican
friars, under the leadership of the friar Luis de Soto, a cousin of the
generalissimo of the expedition. Santiago was naturally selected for the
entry to Cuba seeing that it was still the official capital and that De
Soto was already commissioned Governor. There was a narrow escape from
shipwreck in entering the narrow and somewhat tortuous mouth of the
great harbor, after which the Governor was received by the municipal
functionaries with all the pomp and dignity of which the capital was
capable. Tidings of the coming of the new Governor had spread
throughout the Island and people of consequence from all parts had
flocked to Santiago to welcome him, to seek to ingratiate themselves
with him and to celebrate what they fondly hoped would prove to be the
beginning of a new and splendid era in the history of Cuba. It is
recorded that the gentlemen of the town sent down to the boat landing a
fine roan horse for De Soto to ride and a richly caparisoned mule for
Dona Isabel. He and all his company were lodged in the most luxurious
quarters the town could afford and were hospitably entertained without
cost to themselves. Santiago had at this time about eighty houses wh