New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-27

brave ADD cblValuc soldier Ia the "eFs sgHhs+ 'uH
Moors-Eho had been companion OF Columbus, aud
lad Won and acquired houOr wealth aud distinction.
was dissatisfied aud unhapPy-old age had oEertakeu
him, while bis ambitious projects we're yet un-xeclset
He sighed for the restoration Of his youth, strength and
besuy. Among the natives Of the Csrribee l-lands.
be lad heard Of wonderful Fountain which possessed
The miraculous property OF restoring the bloom and
veOr 81 youth 10 sge and decrepirude The existence
such Fountain was confirmed By the Indian tradi
tiors aud was not only believed by Juan Ponce. bat
very generally credited at the Court of CASTLE aud
ArsRon.
In March 1912, Juan Ponce, then Governor Of Porto
Rico sailed With three ships in search Of this FOunt-
ain of Youth to the unexplored regions of the North
west be sailed along the Bahama Islands, inql'ring
for the reuvenatng waters and thence
~ he discovered land on Sunday March 9TH aud land
ed little south of where ST. Augustine nov is.
The country in the first bloom OF spring the trees
covered with blossoms and the gro ind with flowers
and because Of this verna beauty that be first dis
covered land on the Sunday before Easter which the
spaniaId called PGscua de Flores he gave to il the
name Of FLORIDA After diligent search for the FOun-
TAIN and bathing in all the springs and brooks ne found
be proceeded SOUTH touching and exploring the coast,
and the islands or keys, to the TOrtugas, where he
caught liz turtles in night and named the group
of islands Tortugas-i turtles. Failing in the object
Of his voyage he returned disappointed, to Porto Rico
Age and its inimities still increasing upon him, in 1921
be again sailed in two ships, to the Florida coast in
search of the Fountain of Youth HI chilled his aged
frame by bathing in all the springs aud streams, fought
bloody battle with the Indians and wounded by an
arrow in the thigh. Sick and detected, he returned as
far as Cuba and died. And although Juan Ponce failed
in discovering the Fountain and acquiring immortal
youth BY bathing in its reuvenatng waters he acquired
worldwide fame by discovering and naming that pOr
ton of the American continent part whereof is
known as FLORIDA
The account Of the discovery of Ponce de Leon being
circulated in Spain, it natural for the adventurous
TO imagine the interior of Florida filled with people rich
cities and golden temples in the of Mexico aud
Peru ard a cavalier PamphilO de Narvaez filled with
aurlferous magininy, obtained commission from the
king to conquer and govern the country from Cape
Florida to Palmos River Galveston Bay and in 1921
he sailed With five ships was detained in San Domingo
nearly year repairing losses, and in April, 1873,
landed near Tampa Bay with 400 men aud 50 horses
The object of the expedition conquest, settlement
and gold The Indians informed Naryaez that in the
interior was the Apaachee country, filed with people,
cite, and gold He left his ships and the coast and
marched through svamps and hamnOcks to an Indian
settlement of 2l0 wigwams, near where Tallahassee
DOW is and this was, the Capital the MeIico of the
Apalachees NaIvaez was disappointed aud disgusted
aud resolved to abaDdon the country aud repair to Gu
ba but he had sent away bis ships on leaving Tampa
Bay. He proceeded to the Bay OF Auto, nsw ST.
Marks where he built five small open boats making
nails of his stirrups bridebts aud cross bows-roPes
of the tails and of horses twisted with thebres
of the PALM and sails he made of the shirts OF his men,
In these FIVE boats be put out TO sea encountered
storm and all persisted but Avar Nuhez and four others
These we're made prisoners by the Indians and alter
ward attempted to find their way across the
country TO the Spanish settlements of Mexico and
ae passing from tribe tribe they at last arrived az
Compostea on the Pacific Ocean, in seven years from
their landing in Florida They returned to Spain and
Nunez published an account of the expedition.
About this time there appeared at the Spanish Court
of Charles " cavalier Of gentle birth, of noble
bearing and in the prime of manhood. He had be3n
companion Of Pzarro in his Peruvian cOnquests and
turned to Spain with gold and glory He appeared at
the Royal Court with all the rich and gorgeous sur
roupdngsof the most fashionable Spanish nobeman Of
that day He married Isabella de Bobada, young
LADY of distinguished rank and personal attraction and
thus he was apparently in the possession OF all that
was desirable in this world. But HERSASDO De SorO
was disconsoate and unhappy COrez and PizarrO had
immortaized themselves by the conquest Of empires
and golden cities De Soto ambitious aud sought
to rival if not surpass, the glory of the Mexican and
Peruvian conquerors He learned from the account of
Nunez of the extensive region called Forda-Of its
ONLY partial exploration and the golden stories Of the
Indians He applied, once, to the Emperor Charles
V and was appointed Governor of Florida and Cuba,
and organized his expedition He landed in Cuba,
April 1888 with brilliant armament; and, perfecting
hi, final arrangements he left his wife, DOha Isabella,
toooyern Cuba and sailed for Florida On May %, 1882
be landed his forces at Tampa Bay consisting of 1000
Standards mostly young men, armed with crOssbows,
svords lapces firearms, and one He had
5O horses large number of cattle and swine for
Element and for the conversion of the Indians, he had
tselye priests eight assistants, and four monks. On
every Sunday and hoyday he erected altar and said
mass.
Soon after landing he proceeded TO the Apalachee
country which was represented contain large cities
. cultivated country aud gold. BE had roads cut,
bridges 10 build swamps TO cross and savages 20 fight
AT place now knoEn as MicanoPy, he encountered
10 o. indians and killed 500 warriors. At length he
reached the Capital Of the Apalachee country, consist
ing of about $50 hus Here he found plenty of corn,
beans pumpkins and other vegetables, but ne gold or
cities and this the turierOus region be had come
eonouer! He remained here FIVE months, sent out OK
porug parties discovered the Bay Of ST. Marks, where
N.rvaez had built his boats, and so forth.