The Demise of Juan Ponce De Leon at the Fountain of Youth

JUAN PONCE DE LEON:

DREAMER AND SEARCHER FOR THE FOUNTAIN OF PERPETUAL YOUTH.

(1460-1521

"The tropic breeze fanned a fairy tale, a tale of the sheltering palms,
Where the grimy sea cow sunned herself, in the bay where the ground-swell calms.
It sang a song of a fountain clear in the depth of the tropic glade,
Where the bubbles sparkle clear and cool, o’er the rocks of brown and jade.
It spoke of the waters healing, which to bathe in meant joyous youth,
To the gray-haired and decrepit, with wrinkles and hollowed tooth.
And the breeze came to the ears of men, who believed it to be no lie.
So the agéd De Leon chimeras chased, in the land where he was to die."

“God’s will be done!” cried he. “Blessed be His holy name!”

"In sorrow and with downcast faces, the Spaniards turned about, and wearily, dejectedly, mournfully, wended their way back to the camp of the friendly Olatheta.

The good Knight Ponce de Leon traveled through much of this beautiful land of Florida, fought many a stiff fight with the native inhabitants, and finally sailed back to the isle of Porto Rico, bearing marvelous tales of this land of promise, but no water which would restore the aged to youth and beauty. He journeyed to Spain, was received right graciously by the King, and came back to his island home, expecting to remain there in peaceful pursuits, until his demise.

Yet, still hoping to find that mystical and fabled fountain, he finally fitted out two caravels, and, with a larger force than had followed his banner in the first expedition, resolved to again explore the western coast of beautiful Florida.

This journey was to be his undoing. At every point naked savage’s fought desperately against his mailed warriors. In one of these encounters he was attempting to rescue one of his comrades, when he was hit by an arrow in the thigh. The barb penetrated the protecting armor to the bone. He was rescued by his faithful followers and was carried to his ship, weak and fainting from the loss of blood. It is said by some, that, although the arrow was withdrawn, a part of the arrow-head, which was of flint, did not come wholly away.

Suffering and delirious, the brave old navigator was borne to the harbor of Matanzas in Cuba, where was a settlement which he, himself, had founded. His adventurous companions lifted the pallet upon which he lay on the upper deck, where the cooling breezes might alleviate his fever, lowered it into a boat, and, when the shore was reached, carried him tenderly into an unfinished house, which he was having constructed. They brought his suit of mail, his banner, and his sword, placing them around him so that he might feel at home. Delirium now seized the care-worn explorer, and thus he lay for days, as, in fancy he saw himself a boy again, climbing the bold rocks of the Sierras after young eagles, contending in the courtyard with his brothers, or chasing the brown deer in the leafy forests.

Then the camp and battle scenes passed before his eager vision; voyages over vast seas among beauteous islands; expeditions through palms and moss-grown mimosas; journeying to the villages of brown-skinned natives.

One night, peace came to the old warrior, and there was weeping and sorrow among his staunch and battle-scarred companions.

They carried the body of the good knight to the Isle of Porto Rico, where they first gave him a sepulcher within the castle, but eventually his ashes were deposited beneath the high altar of the Dominican church in San Juan de Puerto Rico, where they rested for more than three hundred years."

Famous Discoverers and Explores of America, Charles Haven Ladd Johnston, transcribed by Project Gutenberg

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Ponce de León and the Fountain of Youth, Men of the West

In those days no insult went unpunished...

In those days no insult went unpunished; no tribe failed twice in its obligations. The circle of French influence was firmly extended around the haunts of the Iroquois in New York and along the Ohio. From Frontenac, on Lake Ontario, north to Hudson’s Bay, was French land. To the westward, along the Ottawa River, and skirting the north shore of Lake Huron to Michillimackinac and Green Bay, were the strong French allies, the Hurons, Ottawas, Nipissings, Kiskagons, Sacs, Foxes, and Mascoutins. Down at the lower end of Lake Michigan, at the Chicagou and St. Joseph 6 portages, were the Miamis; and farther still, the Illinois, whom the Sieur de la Salle and Henri de Tonty had drawn close under the arm of New France."

Arcady Brave Warriors Play Sets

I was visiting an area in my county that I rarely get to visit and happened to see one of those Dollar stores. I don’t remember its exact name, but it was one that I had not seen before, so I thought, why not go in a have a look around.

I found several interesting items, two in which I will share with you now. Each of these sets includes two Indian riders, one horse and several scenic pieces that seem to be in 54mm. Although, not top notch stuff, they are painted rather decently.

Set 1

Two Indian braves riders (one with a full head set-presumably a chief), one horse, a Totem pole (but the braves look like they are either plains or Indians from the south west), a cactus, four poles and a wooden roof?

Set 2

Two Indian braves riders, one horse, one prickly cactus, a Tepee, a wooden ladder (sort of out of place here), a fire pit and a stew pot?

Haven’t got around to taking them out of their packaging and assembling them yet. I will leave that for another day.

IMEX 1/72-25mm Eastern Friendly Indians

The Eastern Friendly Indians set is part of IMEX’s American History series and includes a combination of 43 figures and scenic pieces. The quality of the figures is not stellar, however these miniatures would work well setting up an Indian village diorama.

Frank Reade Jr. Indian Hunter

It has been reported that before Frank Jr. participated in his jaunts in the Caribbean, Frank Jr. took part in the Indian wars of Abobe Walls, and Geronimo.

• Second Battle of Adobe Walls (1874): A battle over a spot of land in the Texas panhandle that once held an adobe build that served as a trading post.
• Geronimo (1885-86): A venerated war chief of the Apaches. His warring parties took part in raids on Mexico and US territories.

As was the case of his Caribbean affairs, Frank Jr. and his crew provided cover for US troops from his air and land ships.

The American Indian never really had a chance and were outnumbered and out gunned from the start. They might have been called savages because of some of their barbarous ways, but who were the real savages in these conflicts?