About This Object

This English translation of an earlier Portuguese book is by the Gentleman of Elvas, whose identity is unknown although traditionally the work has been attributed to the explorer Hernando De Soto (1496—1542). This work is the primary source for information concerning the De Soto expedition (1539—1543), which began as a search for gold and resulted in a long journey that crossed the southeast region of the United States and extended perhaps as far as the present Oklahoma-Arkansas border. De Soto died on the return journey and was buried on the banks of the Mississippi River.