The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-02-19

ing vessels along, and afterwards
landing on the coast OF Santa Rosa
island. five small. rudely constructed
vessels. having for sails a grotesque
patchwork of masculine under and
overwear. That fleet was the first
fruit OF efforts made OF naval construc-
ton in the United States. II was built
of yellow pine logs and calked with
palmetto and pitch. Horses tails and
names furnished the cOrdage, as did
their hides its water vessels.
Its freightaga consisted of $40 hui
man bodies. wasted and torn by fatigue
and exposure and as many hearts
heavy and wrecked with disappoint-
ment. II was commanded by his eX-
cellency. Panfilo de Narvez. captain
general and adelantado of Florida,
tall, big limbed, red head, one-eyed
man. These were the first white men
to put footprints on Pensacola bay and
to look out upon its waters. Narvez had
, sailed from Cuba for the Florida coast
in April. 1928, and landed about near
Tampa bay; having resolved upon a
westward march, he ordered his fleet
to sail along the coast whilst he by a
rather circuitous march would advance
in the same direction. This parting
was at once final and fatal. He again
reached the gulf in the neighborhood
of st. Marks with his command woe
fully wasted and diminished by toll,
battle and disease and his dream of
avarice and dominion rudely dispelled.
No tidings of the feet from which he
so recklessly parted being obtainable,
in despair, he built this fleet with
molly sails, which we have seen moor
ing off the island of Santa Rosa in the
early days of October, its destination
being Mexico, destination, however,
which was but another delusion that
the winds and waves were to dispel
Narvez found a grave in the NAV OF
the sea, as did most OF his followers.
One Of the survivors was Cabaca de
Vaca, the treasurer and historian of
the expedition.
Twelve years elapsed after Narvez
discovered Pensacola bay before the
shadow of the white mans sight again
fell upon its waters. In January. 1910, |
Capitano Maldonado, who was a com
mander of the fleet that brought Fer
nando DeSoto to the Florida coast and
into the harbor, gave it a careful exam |
ination and bestowed upon it the name
Of Puerta de Anchusi. This ended
Maldenado's search for a good harbor. !
Having returned to DeSoto, Maldon- |
ado made such favorable reports, the |
first official reports of the advantages |
of Puerta de Anchusi, that DeSoto de- |
termined to make 1t his base of sup
plies. He ordered Maldonado TO pro-
coed to Havana, and after having pro-
cured the required succors to sail to
Puerta de Anchusi, where he Intended
TO go himself and there to wait NAL
donado's return before ventufing into
the interior, a resolve suggested pos
sibly by the sight of the bones of
Narvez's horses. The rendezvous was
to be in October, 1910.
Faithful to the instructions, Maldo- /
nado was at Puerta de Anchusi with l
the fleet bearing all the supplies, but I
DeSoto did not keep the tryst. He was /
then at Malbetea, supposed to be Choc- I
taw bluff, on the Alabama river. Again, 1
if in fancy we stand on the deck of 1
Maldanado's ship at Puerta de An
chusi we may realize the keen watch |
fulness and the deep anxiety which day
after day and night after night he +
scans the shores and hills beyond to
catch a glimpse OF a spear or shield, or
strains his ears to hear a bugle note
announcing the approach of a brother
in arms. Only after many months,
he weighed anchor and sailed out of
the harbor and secured the gulf coast
from Florida to Vera Cruz until the
curtain of drama was lifted for him
to find that seventeen months previ-
ously his long sought chief had been
lying in the depths of the Mississippi
Nearly 20 years passed away after
Maldonado's visit to Puerta de An
chusi before Europeans again looked
upon the shores. In 1856 the viceroy OF
Mexico and the Bishop of Cuba united
in a memorial to the Emperor Charles
V. representing Florida as unsurpassed
for conquest and religious work I'M
perial sanction having been secured,
an expedition was organized under the
command of Don Tristran DeLuna to
effect the triple objects of bringing
gold into the emperor's treasury, ex-
tending his dominion and enlarging the
boundaries of the spiritual kingdom
by winning souls to the church. For
the first two enterprises. 1900 SOL
diers We're provided. and for the last
spiritual teachers. Puerta de AnchusI
was selected as the place of the pro-
jected settlement. the bay from which
the cross and sword were to advance to
their respective conquests. Accordingly
On the 14th day of August, 1853, De-
Luna's fleet cast anchor within the
narbor. which he named Santa Maria.
The population OF 1000 souls which the
'leet brought with the required sup
plies of every kind having been land
ID, the work of settlement was made
Of the place where the settlement was
made there exists no historical infor-
nation, and we are left TO the belief
hat the local advantages induced Ari-
ola TO select what is now called Fort |
3arrancas as the site OF his town. The
destruction Of the fleet within a week
after its arrival by a hurricane threw
/ shadow over the infant settlement
Against that discomfort, ever on the
DeLuna manfully and sue
a+rtrpQied until 1890