Evening star., 1920-06-27

Spaniards who had sailed up the river
at least as far as the place we now
call OccoQuan and to the river had
given the name of Espiritu Santo."
The story runs that "a tall. we'll
formed brave. the brother of a native
chieftain, who was the ruler of AKA
can, upon the occasion of a visit to
the Potomac river by a Spanish ves
sci was persuaded by the Spaniards
to accompany them upon the return
to Mexico, which at that time had been
conquered and was under the govern
ment of the viceroy, Don Luis de Va
lasco. The Indian from the shores of
the Potomac. upon his arrival at the
City of Mexico, was taken under the
viceroy's patronage and was solemn
ly and with great pomp baptized in
the cathedral; he took the name of
his patron, was educated in the Span
ish language and instructed in the
Christian religion and in the course
of time was sent to Spain, where he
|, spent several years"
1t is said that in the year 1866 the
famous Spanish admiral, Pedro Me-
lendez, dispatched a vessel bearing
thirty soldiers and two Dominican
fathers to establish a station at Aka
can. The ships crew and soldiers, be-
coming diSgruntled and perhaps not
liking the unknown perils of such an
expedition, forced the captain to re-
turn. Then, several members of the
Society of Jesus resolved to embark
in the enterprise, and four years later
Father Segura, vice provincial. ac-
ccmpanied by several younger men,
bers of the society. set sail for Aka
can, at which they arrived on Sep
tember 10, 1870. The Indian Luis de
Velasco, well advanced in years,
grave and intelligent and to all ap-
pearances sincere, volunteered to ac-
company the missionaries and made
every promise as to their security.
No soldiers landed with the mis-
sionaries. because, so runs the story,
they thought that with the support
| of Luis no guards would be needed
and the presence of soldiers might
hinder the work OF the mission. Luis
did not long remain faithful. but re-
| sumed his Indian mode of life. The
missionaries came to be in need OF
food. Several of their number sought
| out Luis and got from him promises
| instead of corn. On the way back
| from the Indian village to the mis-
sion they were murdered and the
record, found in Spanish archives. re-
lates that their bodies were horribly
mutilated." A few days later Luis
wearing the gown of one of the muir
dered priests and accompa MED by a
| band of savages, appeared at the
mission. The priests there, under
standing what impended. knelt at the
altar, and at a signal from Luis they
were killed with clubs. Nearly year
later came a vessel to Axacan with
| supplies for the mission. Learning OF
| the crime, this party sailed away car
rying two Indians as prisoners and
| from whom were obtained the details
of the massacre. On receiving the
news Admiral Melendez sent a war
| ship. Soldiers were landed, many In
dians were killed or captured and
eight of the savages, charged with
participation in ehe murder, were
hanged from a yardarm of the ship
! The Rambler has come to the end OF
his space and hopes to write more OF
IOccoquan next Sunday, and at the
same time he must remind those good
people who read his work that ne
has not completed his story OF 1ne
old steatmboats and steamboatme n
of the Potomac. He means to resume
that story at the end of his occo-
uuan excursion.