Evening star., 1920-07-04

or Belmont bay. The word Occoquan.
though it has an Indian sound. has
been traced by some philologists to
"Axacan." 1t is most likely that in
picking out mission site the priests
did not go far inland to the ex-
but selected site on the shore of
Occoquan or Belmont bay. where the
land is level. but at slight eleva :
tion above the water. If they picked
out site on the shores of this bay
they probably did not go far from
the main river 1t is related that
a ship cast anchor off Axacan and
that members of the crew saw saw
ages on shore and observed them so
closely that they Ghe Spaniards) con-
cluded that the missionaries had been
massacred. The ship then could not
have been far from the shore. Along
Belmont bay are numerous fine sites
which the missionaries may have
chosen, but the Rambler believes from
his understanding of the lay of the
land that the mission was on Free
stone Point. 1t is on the lower or
the southwest side of the mouth OF
the bay. There man commands
the longest view to the north up Bel
mont bay. to the northeast up the
Potomac and to the southwest down
the Potomac. 1t is also the highest
land along the shores of Belmont
bay.
X * \
In previous narratives the Ram
bier has referred to the work of John
Dawson Culinary Shea, which furnish
ed the substance of a paper which the
late Hugh r. Taggart read before the
Columbia Historical Society. The
Rambler followed the story up to the
time of the landing of the mission
aries in 1870 and the desertion by
Luis. a Potomac Indian. who had been
carried to Mexico by Spaniards who
had visited this region many years
before 1870. Then the story pro-
ceedS:
For time after their arrival Luis remained
with them but being once more upon his ma
tive bea IN his original nature reasserted itself.
his old habits returned and the veneer OF ms
Christian civilization proved to he but thin and
easily effaced. He became Indian with the IN
dians ather than Spaniard with the Spaniards.
and he finally forsook the missionaries alto
gether.
The latter being reduced to great straits for
food during the winter. three of their number
were sent to make last appeal to Luis for
assistance. He made MANY excuses for his ab-
sence and sought to hguile them with prom
ises. As they were departing sadly from the
Indian village, convinced of his insincerity.
they were attacked and slain and their bodies
horribly mutilated by the savages. Four days
after this. arrayed in the gown OF one OF the
murdered priests and attended by his brother
md a war party armed with clubs and bows,
Luis appeared before the quarters Of the sur
vivors who knelt at their rude altar and calm
ly awaited their fate. At IA signal from Luis
they were massacred The bodies of Father
John Baptiste Segura Brothers Gabriel Gomez.
Peter d. Lnares, Sancho Iorallos and Christie
pher Redondo and of their Indian attendants.
who were also slain, were buried beneath their
chapel.
In the spring a vessel bearing supplies for
the missionaries anchored off Axacan. The In
dians sought to lure shore those on board
the ship by pointing to men arrayed in the
garb Of the missionaries, standing some dis
tance away. But treachery was suspected from
the fact that these did not approach nearer
and join in demonstrations of welcome. The
Spaniards weighed anchor and sailed away.
taking with them two of the Indians whom
they had seized and from whom the fate Of the
missionaries was learned
Admiral Pedro Melendez having heard the
report sailed at once for the Bay of st. Mary's.
as the Chesapeake was called by his country
men, for the purpose of chastising the murder
els. He sailed Up the Espiritu Santo the
Potomac, and landed with a band of armed men
and pursued and captured many Indians To
them he announced that he would not harm the
innocent and demanded that Luis be delivered
up but that fend had fed to the mountains.
Eight others who had been concerned in the
killing were sent by Meendez on board his ves-
sci and hanged at the yardarms. After this
summary piece of justice the founder Of st.