The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-01-29
Juan Ponce De Leon.
BY FRANCIS caEsIBoRo.

BY FRANCIS oantsoRo.
Silently the misty veil Of the past is drawn
aside, and we behold the ocean waves roll in upou
he shores of the new world. a. more than three
centuries ago, they lay in unexplored beauty
For FIVE days a small feet has been lowering near
the coast, unable to land account Of the tenn
pe,tuous sea and dangerous currents. At length
the deep IS calm-d and the vessels Apat at anchor
amid all the splendors Of n tropical night. The
sparkling waves dash against the richly carved
prows, but no sound rises from the motley thrOng
who with such va led hopes and interest," crowd
those fr4il barks. A solitary figure stands npou
the deck # the fag .hil apparently wa ching the
Southern cross. "'Tis past midnight" at length
he ej ,culates, 1.-The cross begins to bend" Turn
lag to the cas- he beh '!dI The sky grow bright.
but with the ghi of stars the moon is rising,
aud as the slantns beams strike the deck. they
are Aa-hed back BY the glitterins armor which
enca. es hi' giant form. .otionless stands the
warrior-blt the blood courses wlrh Lightning
speed through his Veins, a. the breeze fans his
worn cheek. That breeze is from the land, for
surely the breath Of f'wers. the fragrance Of
groves Of balm, aingles with its freshness. And
why wakes the stern commander to it's call while
lis followers are sleeping
mighty ambition burns, a q1cnchless frr ia
the breast Of that lonely man, kiudled not by the
thirst tor veal h and power alone, hut for an un.
d ing fame Yes the companion of Columbus
a.pires To add oeconI world to the dom Mon, of
Spain. an enterprise. which If slcce-sfnl, will
rcpder the name JuIr Ponce D.. Leon second only
i,:y ory 10 that of the adventurous Geno.-e. but
al eady he is old-ever foremost among the gallant
\ L
| a'-hed his cohluering sabre Bearing the scars
won IN ranV harI fou Sht battle the aged sol.
der hal eff home and kindred, to Join the chiv.
airy Of the an. believing that in The New World
! to which he listened. there ,ited him ,riumphs
more glorious than those Of the C1 ,ars. For did
not that orld. rich with gold ald gems cnn ain
also the Fountain Of ouIh, tn: charm of who's
waters shodli be more potent thaa the sparkling
\ drops of the tabled Elixir of Life And that he
tight discover this fountsin -believec in even by
SPANS wIscst sages-why should the brave old
Ca,tilian doubt I Tue! he had drank OF the
puresE water. that sparkled among the orange
groves of The Bahauas. and ill his chez K wa
sunken. and furrowei, his thin gray locks bore no
resemblance to the black curs his plumes had
shaded in ,nanhood-ns returning vigor nerved
his some: ines faltering But when the sacred
wave yet to be discovered had stamped the seal
i of youth upon his brow. who should set bound
to his achievements? What wonder that his
heart beat wildly against his iron mail The
moon paled mid heaven, and the brill ant colors oi
the Orient were reflected where the green waters
of the Atlantic mingle with the deep blue of Tho
Ocean river. along whose rapid current his ves,el
were horne. Up sprang the tropical sun. dslugins
| nit tba obnra fha. nh Ia md
which for days had nocked his longing sight =
A sudden light fl ,shed from the dark eyes of thu
= veteran q. ne contemplated the El Dorado of hi
hope, He had gaz upon the vega of Granada
Andalusias crowning glory, the dresmliSe beauty
, of the Alhambra sill fingered ia his memory
yet never " he murmlred. had he beheld scen'
like THIS. Down the gently sloping hill side
swept the rich forest Of oak, chestnut and palm
Where the magnolias waved their white how-r
by the river side the scarlet filming" stalke1. it
gorgeous plumage veing with the bright-h hueC
D flowers that loaded each shrub II shall b.
c called Pascha Florida" he exclaimed, the Fsa'
Of Flowers for oday from every cathedral in ole
IS Castillo the East'r bells pealirg. and the jy
/ Gus salutaton Christ is risen. is echoed through
t out the length and breadth of Span, shout o
+ Joy bursts from the crews whl now sWarmed tn
;, decks the bnAt Of the commander was lowered
and another rent the air Ponce de Leon stood i
l. triumph on the shore OF the Land OF Flowers
. Ten years have passed away,-the bold adveH
turer, although he has searched vAihly for III
fountain, yet believes he has discovered. instea
~ Of an Island acontinent overh1wing with weAlil
" He has visited Spain aud returned with an A
'e mada, furnished by his king, to subdue the c ur
C try of which h. is appointed ruler. But til" eli
ID ment h ave fought against him, An his brave banC
a. even when safely landed. have been no match f
rs the numerous ard powerful trihss. wto coutsSte
of with them every foot of soil They had given II
If 1T length the unequal strife and horne away the
, leader. dangerously wounded to his island hem
:, Deeply chagrined he thought only Of th' failure
his st euterPr,e. forgetting that he had won
u deahlsss name by his discoveries, and opened II
lg ba,h Tor civilisatinn which sh 'uld spI,ni ov
u the fair Wss cru World.
Ye, once more We will gass uros the vouna'