Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-09-04
No. "a

Among the islands of the Mediterranean
sea they organized colony for the eastern
coast of Florida. At an expense of S1GO-
600 they fitted out their own ships, and
with freight of 1000 souls, men. women
and children on board, they sailed from
Smyrna IN the year 1867 for the Land of
Flowers. soon after they landed sixty
miles south OF San Augustine. at point
called Mosquito Inlet, which thev named
New Smyrna. The indentures under which
this contract was made bound both parties
to discharge certain obligations Dissatis-
faction soon arose. Complaints, many and
greylous, were brought against Mr.. Turn
bull, and the colonists became so bell, .r-
ent that they could be no longer controlled
Application was made to the legal authori-
ties at San Augustine and they were re
leased from their indentures as y redres.
Tor their grievances. In 1916 the colony
came en- mass to San Augustine and were
admitted to citizenship under the govern
ment of England. Plats of ground were
donated to them in the northern part of
the city, where they built themselves
homes, and where their descendants re-
main TO this day.
ABOUT tins time the news of the Declar-
alton of Independence of the United
States was received at San Augustine. So
ncensed Were the subjects of John RulI
that John Hancock and John Adams were
burned in etfigy upon the public plaza,
/ upon the spot where now stands the old
Spanish monument de la Consticusion.
Another hundred years has since marked
Its circuit upon the dial plate of San
Augustine. The descendants of Turn-
Dulls colony constitute three-ffths of the
present population Of the city, and are
generally styled "Minorcans." These pee
pie have remained comparatively distinct
! have amalgamated but little with other
races. Small of stature, dark, swarthy
complexion, quick tempered, ready to for
. give insult or injury, kind and obliging,
full of fun and frolic, uuassuming, un-
obtrusive. But few of them have ac-
quired accomplished educations, yet nearly
| all have fair knowledge of the English
! branches
! The women are below medium size
figures beautiful, movements graceful, step
elastic. and body erect. Most of them are
finely featured-hair black, straight, and
of the jetty hue. They are passionately
! fond of dress, and pride themselves
! specially upon their small feet A neat
! fitting shoe is considered the sine q,,a non
to toilet Had | no fears that this para
| graph might chance to fall under the eye
of madame, I'd say the girls are Uery pretty.
The very old ones of both sexes prefer
their own native jargon to the purer
Anglo Saxon, and when speaking among
themselves entirely ignore the English
DR.. Turnbull and Sir William went where
''the wOodbine twineth" The Minorcans
have flourished like the green bay tree.
The bones of the Hugenots rest in peace
beneath the shadows of the cocoanut.
Menendez has name in American history
as the vilest of murderers. Osceola has
gone to the happy hunting grounds" and
his ashes rest in Fort Moultrie, Charleston
Harbor, S. C. The gallant Major Dade
and his 107 veteran soldiers repose beneath
three pyramids, in the old Hugenot bury
ing ground, in South San Augustine.
The siren song of old ocean chants its
morning reveille, and the gentle sea breezes
glide softly over the still waters at twilight
come to whisper to their sleeping dust
"Peace, be still" A monument to their
memory is erected upon the spot, to tell to
coming generations,
How sleep the brave who sink to rest
With all their countrys honors blest;"
while the great Atlantic rolls its foaming
billows into the sunny little bay, whose
crystal waters mirror the dark gray walls
of San Marco. The old City of Saints still
stands upon the ocean shore the land that
Ponce de Leon sighted" more than three
hundred years ago, and was charmed with
its "palm-shaped ferns" and green forests.
To-day all is quiet in the ancient city. Its
public thoroughfares are thronged with gay
pleasure-seekers from all parts of the globe.
The savage war-whoop is no longer heard
in the land, and the indentations upon the
embrasured walls of the Old Spanish fort,
made from the shots from Oglethorpe's
guns, are all that remain to tell the stranger
that there was ever strife in Americas
grandfather city.
A. VI. WILLIAMS.