Founder of St. Augustine
In the age of piracy on the high seas, sailing instructions were top-secret documents protecting the security of the king’s fleet and his treasure from all-too-frequent threats from intruders. Here, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, governor of Florida, gives Don Cristóbal de Eraso complicated and detailed instructions for sailing to Spain on the Buenaventura with his fleet, via the islands of Flores and San Miguel. He is told not to proceed beyond a designated rendezvous without further instructions from Menéndez, “under penalty of paying with his person and his property for any injury to his Majesty or his royal treasury.”
<div>In the age of piracy on the high seas, sailing instructions were top-secret documents protecting the security of the king’s fleet and his treasure from all-too-frequent threats from intruders. Here, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, governor of Florida, gives Don Cristóbal de Eraso complicated and detailed instructions for sailing to Spain on the <em>Buenaventura</em> with his fleet, via the islands of Flores and San Miguel. He is told not to proceed beyond a designated rendezvous without further instructions from Menéndez, “under penalty of paying with his person and his property for any injury to his Majesty or his royal treasury.”</div>