Hom^on.oPa^ii8h !nke-	lll,lle	shlps	aU^p°l 1^Uth0°8Cnttered
settlements and returned to Spain loaded with wealth. J/y^. ■LcJ&r •Jj-taAj -p 6^-f"
•‘Spanish waters, Spanish waters, you are ringing In my ears, l<lke a slow Bweet piece of music from the grey forgotten years."
Occupying the Southern United States i ^ortesconquered Mexico In 1521 and Mexico became the base for continental operations and development. Florida In 15C5 tk*Ca.S,ler" Bcnt of operations.	Nuevo,
J^snafh^'were the two great divisions of territory. New Spain embraced Mexico and tlio southwestern United States. Florida wttsaded-ta tho New Spain territory. The great wnrfcg were in Uie-Southwest.- .ln_ tho Southeaot the Indians remained masters, in T.nfit. nfiyi nn r*v’+emrl a/1	^
opuuieaoc tno inutana-remained masters._
in ■that, period extended indefinitely northward} and westward to Ken Spain territory. Before the Spaniards pushed northward through Mexico and occupied Texas the boundary between La Florida and Mexico waa the River of Palme, apparently the Rio Grande. As the years passed, the great Spanish works were in the Southnest. In the Southeast the Indians remained masters•
Ponce de Leon, Aylion.
Saint Augustine, 1565, was the first permanent settlement in La Florida. Powerful, orderly Indian tribes, resentful of cruelties, defeated Spain's plans for colonizing and development. Spain made A five strong attempts to occupy that eastern territory before founding Saint Augustine. She also conducted numerous mapping and exploring expeditions along the coeits. Prior to the landing of colonizing expeditions careful explorations ohd preparations were made—very careful, the times and strangeness of the New World considered.
In 1521 Ponce de Icon landed a colony far below Tampa Bay. In 1526 ds Ayllon colonized on the Carolina coast. Both ooloniea quickly failed. In 1523 Narvaez landed at approximately Tanya Bay with five ship*loads and near this same bay de Soto landed in 1559 with nine ship-,loads. Both were commissioned to colonize but both started a hunt for another Mexico or Peru to plunder. Narvaez, driven by Indian warfare, built flimsy boats and sought escape from St. Mark's Bay, south of Tallahassee. The Soto expedition was north to the Car— linas, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma—one of the greatest explorations of all times. The survivors built little ships and escaped down the Mississippi River to Mexico in 1545■ A Both Narvaez and Soto lost their lives and half their people. Cl Then, with Government help, benign padres entered Florida to win the natives by brotherly ministrations.
Fray In fa Cancer, of noble attainments, found a martyr's grave; the others escaped to Vera Cruz. (Again Spainntried to colonize. Ships again set forth to find the best place. Pensacola Bay was chosen, and v in 1559 Inna y Arellano,', who had been a captain with Coronado in the West, headed the colony ' of. 1,500 soldiers, families	.	and
priests. Misfortune and Indiana sent them back to Mexico ^in 1561.
v--. d)
Spanish activites henceforth centered in Saint Augustine and in Mexico, and north in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
Spanish dominion in La Florfda was broken in two when the French took possession of the Mississippi River Valley and settled Old Louisiana in 1699- Later (I765-I8OO) Spain controlled - French Louisiana and again Spanish dominion extended over the southern and western United States, Mexico, Central and South America except Portuguese Brazil, and except Florida west to New Orleans held by the English,I765-I785.
The Hard.hip. of the Explorer.
The trails of tbe Spanish pioneers on sea and land, when traced on the map, cover It like a tangled cobweb. On land, burdened with pack-animals, baggage, and livestock for food, they broke through the tangled Jungles, forded rivers and torrents, and crossed the trackless mountains and deserts to learn more of the vast and mysterious new country. They bnllt flimsy ships despite lack of tools, proper materia] and skilled labor, and with the crudest of navigating instruments they braved storms, hunger, privation and scurvy to explore the seas and Inlets and record their discoveries for their country. V picture of Spanish organization Is gathered from
Coronauo explorations, 1540-42. He left Mexico with 300 Spaniards, 800 Indians, 1,000 horses, 7.200 animals for food, pack-animals and equipment. The Indians had no domestic animals except the dog; the Spanish filled the land with livestock, fruit and ornamental trees, and Industrial equipment In an age of little ships. Tribute to their achievements Is easier when these facts are remembered.
Eldorados
€-
For a century the Indian
tale of El Dorado (the Gilded King), somewhere in the Jangles of South America, drew Spanish, English and German expeditions to disaster, one led by Sir Walter Raleigh.
"Where can It be—this land of El Dorado?
Over the Mountains of the Moon.------
Down the Valley of the Shadow.
Indians could not successfully combat horsemen in armor, guns and bloodhounds but they could use their wits to bring disaster upon tho Invaders. Indian tales of Cities of Gold, of the Gilded**King, of tho Gran Qulvlra, and other myths, bred disaster to expeditions everywhere.
"An alien Indian, hailing from afar.
Who in the town of Quito did abide.
And neighbor claimed to be of Bogata,
There having come, I know not by what way.
Did with him speak and solemnly announce A country rich in emeralds and gold.
"aIso, among the things which them engaged,
A certain King he told of who, disrobed.
Upon a lake was wont, aboard a raft.
To make oblations, as himself had seen.
His regal form o'erspread with fragrant oil On which was laid a coat of powdered gold From sole of foot unto his highest brow.
Resplendent as the beaming of the sun.
"Arrivals without end, he further said.
Were there to make rich votive offerings 0f golden trinkets and of emeralds rare And divers other of their ornaments;
And worthy credence these things he affirmed;
The soldiers, light of heart and well content.
They dubbed him El Dorado, and the name By countless ways was spread throughout the world."
—Elejlas de Varones Iluatres de Indias, Madrid:-
?,<inturIc3 of, Spanish splendor and achievement fol-i?^.?.d	iiC?'My	,°f America. Lsplorers, conquerors, colon-
izers and builders, they laid the foundations for a new civilization and showed themselves men of force and character. The •Ri^K^iV’’or,ied Jbe Span,sl1 lenders to promote industrious “"V 4? I y lra,;eled lnt« the far places on the two continents and tlicir missions rose to stand through the ages as ruonu-S^nU.Vro11, TZnaLand ab,llty and evidences of their refinement and culture. In those days the best of men sought churclily tho SnnniRh finl?1 ,ant tncn °f all races sought distinction under Jii? Spanlsli^fla^ usurit?- chauglng their names to Spanish form.
"I’-'--''
Through conflict and stress ttey roso to the control of a half of the two continents. They spread over pathless seas. They conquered the 1'hilllplncs the same year they drove the Huguenots from Florida and founded San Agustln, the oldest city in the United Stales. For*'250 Jycars the Manila galleon brought rich cargoes from those-i3lands of the China sea to