▁for ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁from ▁G ij on , ▁Ast ur ias ▁( Sp ain ), ▁May ▁ 2 5 , ▁at ▁the ▁crossing ▁from ▁Can ary ▁Islands ▁to ▁the ▁Car ib bean , ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁fleet ▁by ▁a ▁storm ▁and ▁ended ▁up ▁taking ▁refuge ▁in ▁Y agu ana , ▁His p ani ola , ▁along ▁with ▁ 2 0 0 ▁men ▁in ▁two ▁ships ▁in ▁dis rep air . ▁From ▁there ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁Cuba , ▁but ▁along ▁the ▁way ▁he ▁was ▁captured ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Portuguese ▁boat ▁sm ug gl ers . ▁In ▁early ▁January ▁ 1 5 6 6 , ▁he ▁arrived ▁in ▁Hav ana ▁and ▁met ▁with ▁Men ende z ▁Av iles ▁and ▁Pedro ▁Men ende z ▁Mar quez , ▁who ▁had ▁already ▁given ▁him ▁up ▁for ▁dead . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁re union ▁with ▁Pedro ▁Men ende z , ▁he ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁" Est ado ▁Mayor ", ▁as ▁his ▁book keeper . ▁In ▁addition , ▁he ▁expl ored ▁South ▁Florida ▁and ▁contact ed ▁the ▁Cal usa ▁tribe . ▁Later ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁expl oration ▁of ▁North ▁Florida ▁( re aching ▁the ▁current ▁Georgia ▁and ▁South ▁Carolina ), ▁looking ▁for ▁French ▁H ug uen ots . ▁There ▁he ▁contact ed ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁tribes ▁of ▁the ▁G ual es ▁and ▁Or istas , ▁through ▁whose ▁friendship ▁the ▁Spanish ▁could ▁raise ▁Fort ▁San ▁F eli pe ▁in ▁the ▁domains ▁of ▁the ▁chief ▁the ▁Or ista ▁tribe , ▁at