His wife fell sick; as soon as he saw her at the point of death he fled, embarked in a Piragua on the Mississippi, and came to New Orleans.
"A further contribution to the study of the mortuary customs of the North American Indians First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-80, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 87-204"
H. C. Yarrow
As soon as he came to Apalache, presently the Governor sent sawed planks and spikes to the sea-side, wherewith was made a Piragua or bark, wherein were embarked thirty men well armed, which went out of the bay to the sea, looking for the brigantines.
"A Narrative of the expedition of Hernando de Soto into Florida published at Evora in 1557"
A Gentleman of Elvas