The Spanish king licensed conquistadors to conquer and settle Florida, including DeSoto, though he was neither the first nor the last, and three earlier attempts had ended in disaster. The Crown risked little by authorizing private exploration because under the king’s contract it would receive a considerable share of any treasure without financial investment. Three years after landing, DeSoto died of fever on March 21, 1542, and his personal equipment—three horses, five slaves, and 700 pigs—was auctioned to the 300 remaining soldiers of the expedition. His death tarnished the golden myth of Florida, and when Spanish efforts resumed two decades later, Indians were no longer the only opponents because the French had established Fort Caroline near present-day Jacksonville, Florida.