The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-20

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Turning the hands of time back
ward along the dial of Floridian his
tory, we find chronicled in the year
n559--or according to SONG writer's
1553-the birth of an infant city on
the shores OF Ochees. a beautiful deep
water bay, which offered safe Anchor
age to feet sailing northward under
the command of one Tristan de Luna,
one of those adventurous SpaniardS
who. following the ignus fatuus of all
Spanish explorers of tle Guh-the
fabulous golden stores of a country
to the northward,-had catered the
harbor in search of landing place.
How the beauty OF It's scenery must
have impressed him we. can judge
from our own appreciation, dulled as
vine and creeper, stately growths of
oak and pine, with here and there
Towering shrub, lent a dark and bril-
liant background to the Snimmering
blue of its placid waters. Here the
lurking Indian aborigines watched the
followers of de Luna disembark, anu
here, somewhere in the neighborhood
of Barrancas. DeLuna planted col
ony-the primitive Pensacola.
No Record Found.
No record is found of life in this
settlement Peopled by "a class of
men better versed in the use of arms
than in implements of toll; unsup-
ported by the parent colony, the Ill
nourished settlement dwindled, until
only a miserable remnant or the ex-
pedition, remained to follow de Luna,
When he was recalled after two years
of ineffectual attempts to establish
a permanent settlement on fhe shores
of Ochees--the Indian appsllation OF
m 9ts1 Aar <r1. ri. Tr{e
tam de Luna afterwards bestowed the
name Santa Marie, in accordance with
the custom that prevailed among
Spanish explorers of designating their
discoveries by titles OF religious sig-
nificance.
The name Pensacola Is supposed by
some to be a transposition OF Penis
cola" small seaport of Spain. There
are diverging opinions on this SUBJ
5ect, some claiming that the name OF
Santa Maria was given by de Luna
to the town, and not to the bay, and
was in full, Santa Marie di Peniscola
fSt Mary's OF the peninsula) later
abbreviated TO Pensacola.
The name. unlike the settlement
that primarily bore 1t. had taken deep
root in the soil OF the bay shore and
though buried for a hundred and odd
years in the silence Of a rev ruined
and deserted huts was destined to
spring into new life, and again figure
in the pages or history. although the
existence OF DeLunA was Forgotten
and his bones dust before the day OF
resurrection.
Followed by D'Arriola.
In 1886 Andres d. Arriols, leader in
a new generation, sailed the course
taken by Tristan de Luna. many years
previous. landing as near as can be
ascertsined on the same spot. He re
constructed the abandoned settlement
which still bore the name of Pen.
sacola. To him is attributed the
building of the first Spanish fortified,
ton, later known as San Carlos This
new colony showed signs of more Wig
orous life than its predecessor, and
bid fair to become a thriving town
even trading with other gulf ports
but disturbances in Europe set waves
in motion that ensulfed the smaller
colonies of the New World. and in 171S
a French commander, Desnard des
Champmeslin. acting under instruc'
tons Of Bienville at New Orleans. at.
tackled and captured the town. burn
ing IL to the ground, and dispensing
the inhabitants.
In the conflict and confiagration
that wiped out the second Pensacola
all the records of its life and strug
giles. IL such had ever been made,
were OF course destroyed. but allow.
ing the imagination to play over &C
counts of similar settlements, we may
form some idea of conditions, and
draw picture OF the demolished set
element.
We have certain knowledge of q
stone fort-we can judge that the
other buildings so easily destroyed
were but mere matched huts or al
best cottages, clustered round q
church. because every expedition, in
those days, had it's chaplain, and was
generally accompanied by members
OF varipus religious orders, zealously
bent on the conversion of the Indians
so that We can not doubt that a
church of some sort existed-all hud
died together under the sheiterins
fort.
There were days Of plenty, perhaps
revelry and feasting, when the~Sans
ports brought supplies from the moth
er colony, and days OF hunger wher
shese supplies ran low. Maize anc
other native products obtained iron
Indians in exchange for paltry trink
cts. for these wandering sailors ant
soldiers had not yet learned to til
the ground.
The fruit that grew abundantly il
southern and eastern Florida was no
indigenous to its western portion
Flowers baoomed everywhere, but tn'
iuxuriant blossoms that charmed tn.
r5e Of the explorer and gave the lans
It's name. were not satisfying to TIT
palate.
OF the Social Life.
OF the social life we can form
small idea, but can safely surmis'
that the adventures VINO followet
D'Arriola in search OF goll or terri
tory. did not burden themSelves will
wife or family, and yet we can hardl.
suppose that these men dispense'
with the gentle ministrations Of VIC
mankind through the twenty year
that the colony existed Therefore
Is safe to infer that many an lndial
maiden, bought or seduced from
neishkoring tribes. shared the live
and labors OF these men. who as rui