In 1539, DeSoto thought America was an Island (called Florida) separated from Asia by a narrow branch of the World's Oceans. Magellan had sailed them to China when DeSoto was 21, but around South America. He died on that long voyage. DeSoto planned to trade Spain's New World fortunes with China* by traveling north from Cuba: across this "Island of Florida." Another Map from that Era
*"The explorations of Columbus and those of his contemporaries
completely revised the world picture. As a result, cartographers
were stimulated to devise new methods for depicting the enlarged
world. But the voyages did even more: they relegated the
Mediterranean to a secondary place in world affairs by diverting
trade between Europe and the Orient to the Atlantic." *Doctors Clarence B. Odell and Dale Edward Case in: Geographical Background of the First Voyage of Columbus
