The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-06-23


When the history Of English set
Element In America begins, the
breathless, eager stir OF the Eliza
bethan age is over, and the sober,
contentious seventeenth century has
come, with its perplexed politics, its
schiamatic creeda, Is scheminR rival
ries in trade. An age Of discovery
and bold adventure has given place
20 an age Of commerce and organi-
zation. More than one hundred years
have elapsed since the discovery of
North America. Spain has lost her
great place in the politics Of Europe,
and France and England are pressing
forward 10 take IL
liz has been a century Of prepare
tions a century Of vast schemes but
half accomplished, Of daring but not
steadfast enterprise. Of sudden SAL
lies Of audacious policy, but not q
cautious plans or prudent forecasts.
The New World in the north still
waited TO be used.
And yet much had in fact been ac-
compished towards the future sue
/ cessful occupation Of North Amer
1 lea. Some part Of the real charac-
ter o. the new continent stood sufi-
GENTLY revealed. Early In the CEN
fury Balboa had crossed the Isthmus
and
Stared at the Pacihe-and al his
men
Looked at each other with a wild
mrmise--
| Silent upon a peak Of Darion."
/ Magellan had found his way TO the
south, round about the coasts ~
South America, into the new ocean
and before the middle Of the century
/ Spanish vessels had beat their ad-
vepturous way along almost the en-
tire Pacific lenvth q both continents.
By the time Drake set out on his
famous first voyage round the world
lin 1877, the Spaniards had already
/ established a trade route across The
I Pacific 20 India and the Spice islands
In 1913, the year Of Balboa's great
I discovery. and again IN 1921. the gal
liant Ponce do Leon led an expedition
into the beautiful peninsula which ~
named Florida, In search Of a TABLED
/ spring whose waters, Of Sweet sa.
YOUR and refaire," Il was said, @as Il
were Of divers manner Of spicery.
would impart immortal youth G.
1 those who drank Of them. But The
/ wilderness baffled him. and be lost
both his hope and his life in the era.
terprise.
] In 1928 panfilo de- Narvaez sought
70 take the land by storm. in trus
4 Spanish fashion, landing a force Of
1 three hundred men az Apalache bay
with horses and trappingB an5
stores, 20 march ia quest Of kingdoms
/ and treasures. After a marvellous
and pitifui pilgrimage Of almost tive
? thousand miles, full Of every peril0u.
Bnd strange adventure, they actually
/ reached the Spanish settlements or
the Pacific, eight years after tina
gallant landing a. Apalache.
/ In 1880 fernando de Soto repeates
The folly. He brought 70 the Bay 81
Espiritu santo nine vessels, witi
near six hundred men and morn thar
two hundred horses. Leaving a small
part Of his force with the feet, n
set cut with q great force FOR th'
interior % the continent With con
tempt Of danger, melting out bite
scorn and cruelty 20 every human
foe, and facing even pitiless naturI
itself without blanching or turnini
back, proud and stubborn % the las
through every tormenting trial 81 tn
desperate march, they forced thei
way onward to the great waters o
the Mississippi From the mouth o
that river, in boats 81 their own con
struction. some three hundred sur
vivors reached Spanish posts on Oh.
gulf But without their leader. DH
Soto had sickened and died as the.
beat up and down the wilderness
; which lay along the great stream q
the Mississippi, whose inland course
he had discovered, and they ha.
buried bis body beneath Its slaggisi
waters.
J @AE@stMfttte IKE N&tNtlAkA@A VS.
wasting is strength in the wild
+ which stretched back from the Pa
p cif5c. IN 1910 Coronado, Sranis
r governor 81 New Galicia, had led a
} army Of three hundred spaniards an
. eight hundred Indians northwar
from his Pacific province IN scare
Of seven Tabled cities q "Cibola.
These cities" proved 70 Be only hum
bic pueblos such a. those whose ruin
still so euriously mark the rive
cliffs Of Arizona and New Mexics
Having put out parties 20 explore th
courses Of the Colorado and the III
Grande. only to find the stately car
ons Of the one. at the west, and Oh