Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-04-12
HISTORIC INCIDENTS
OF VERA CRUZ

Arriving in Vera Cruz at ll:3O we
repair to the Diligencias hotel, the
largest and best in the city, run by
n Frenchman And this reminds us
that nine out of ten hotels in the Mex
lean Republic are run by Frenchmen.
Now French cooks are said to beat
the world, but those in Mexico have
deteriorated, or rather have fallen
into the way of preparing delicacies
for the Mexican palate which are not
to our liking and we find all Ameri-
cans kicking.
Vera Cruz is full Of history, and as
Herald readers have been refreshed
along these lines, brief review OF
the early history and trials of this
city will be of interest before we tell
about our visit
Vera Cruz il the capital of the rich
state of the same name; is the great
est port OF the Republic of Mexico
and possesses one of the most modern
harbors In the world
Vera Cruz. What a wealth OF re-
collections the very name calls up.
How 1t Is interviewer with all the de-
parted romance and glory, all the
fighting and the bloodshed of the
great days of the Spanish Main.
The most splendid adventurer that
the world has ever known, Herman
Cortez at this very place conceived in
his dauntless brain that most magnlfi-
Gently hazardous of expeditions-the
penetration of handful of men into
an unknown country. there to en-
counter legions of hostile soldiers of
a powerful monarch and for all they
knew dragons and giants or even the
powers of Hell itself.
Through the staid streets OF Vera
Cruz the bearded and bepistoled buc-
cancer. in all mis- awful glory has
swept, plundering, burning and raw
ishing. If the old walls could speak,
they could relate such stories of sack
and fire. of such devilish cruelty and
desperate combats, the like of which
even pales the murderous renown of
Morgan's sack of Panama.
From the earliest days the great
English and French rovers repeatedly
narried the port, and Francis Drake
himself took HIS first lesson in pir-
actical adventure-or, as he himself
POLITICALLY expressed 1t, "the singeing
of the king of Spains beard"-in
these waters.
Vera Cruz has suffered siege and
assault continually; the black flag
and foreign banner after foreign BAN
ner has flown over the citadal of San
Juan de Ulua and the houses of tae
town have often literally been beaten
down with cannon balls. This has,
however all changed and new Vera
Cruz has sprung into existence, the
growth of which in mercantile glory
and riches is now assured. and which
from the natural conditions of things
must continue until she is the great
est port on the wide shores washed
by the Gulf of Mexico.
The first European to land at Vera
Cruz was the Spaniard Grijalva, in
1913. Cortez followed on April q,
1919, disembarking upon the site of
the present Fort OF San Juan de Ulua.
On the ensuing day ne landed where
N,fN S''' h'N S'dubS anu bctullSe IL
was Good Friday" and the accounts
OF gold were good in the land, he
gave the town, that he then and there
founded, the name of the villa Rica
de la Santa Vera Cruz'-tlre Ricn
City OF the Holy True Cross.
1t must be Remembered that the site
Of the city was Immediately removed
10 the northwad, in fact different
location was chosen no less than four
times, until in 1000 in conformity
with orders sent from Spain, during
the vice-royalty of the Conde de Mon
terrey, it was brought back to its
present and primitive site.
1t would appear, however. that the
present spot was often used by ships,
under certain conditions of the wealth
er, to discharge cargo through the lit
tie village OF Medellin, which was
the nearest settlement.
The first epoch of interest in the
history OF Vera Cruz. after the arrival |
Ia the country by the Spaniards. was
the arrival of the first foreign tourist. |
on the 1ath of September 1868. This |
was no other than the famous John |
Hawkins, one of those Elizabsthan |
sea rovers, VINO flew the flag of Eng
land on every sea and against all
comers. Hawkins captured and took |
possession of the island of Sacrificios
and took the small fort that then ex-
listed on San Juan de Ulua. capturing
many prisoners. among them the king
OF SPANS treasurer and factor. He
then took all the artillery and with it
strongly fortified his camp at Sacri-
ficios.
hawkins appears. at least Judging
by his behavior at Vera Cruz. to have
been a very peculiar man. After the
slight attentions he had paid the
Spanfards, as mentioned above. he
made state call upon the govern
ment representatives ashore.
He paid his visit with great formal
ity. apologized for his acts of ap-
sresicn. assuring the Spanish officer
hat ne had captured the place mere
" as a matter of form" His denorr.