▁Spain , ▁to ▁study ▁in ▁Sal aman ca , ▁when ▁their ▁ship ▁w reck ed ▁on ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Florida . ▁The ▁surv iving ▁crew ▁and ▁passengers ▁were ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁Cal usa , ▁who ▁ens la ved ▁them ▁and ▁eventually ▁sacrific ed ▁most ▁of ▁them , ▁including ▁Font an eda ' s ▁brother . ▁Font an eda ▁apparently ▁escaped ▁death ▁by ▁correctly ▁interpre ting ▁their ▁commands ▁to ▁sing ▁and ▁dance ▁for ▁them . ▁He ▁spent ▁the ▁next ▁sevent een ▁years ▁living ▁among ▁the ▁Cal usa ▁and ▁other ▁tribes , ▁learning ▁several ▁languages ▁and ▁trav elling ▁extens ively ▁through ▁Florida . ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 5 6 6 ▁Font an eda ▁was ▁res cu ed ▁from ▁his ▁capt ivity ▁by ▁Pedro ▁Men énd ez ▁de ▁Av il és , ▁Florida ' s ▁first ▁Spanish ▁governor ▁and ▁founder ▁of ▁St . ▁August ine , ▁who ▁b arg ained ▁for ▁Font an eda ' s ▁freedom ▁from ▁the ▁chief ▁of ▁the ▁Cal usa , ▁who ▁was ▁called ▁King ▁Carlos ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁interpreter ▁and ▁guide ▁for ▁Men énd ez ▁on ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁miss ions ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁several ▁years , ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁Spain ▁in ▁ 1 5 6 9 ▁to ▁rec laim ▁his ▁parents ' ▁property ▁from ▁the ▁Crown . ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 5 ▁he ▁wrote ▁his ▁mem oir , ▁which ▁proved ▁valuable ▁to ▁histor ians ▁of ▁the ▁day ▁such ▁as ▁Antonio ▁de ▁Herr era ▁y ▁T ord es illas , ▁and ▁remains ▁so ▁today .