The land of eternal youth. Source of Eternal Youth

Caribbean / Juan Ponce de Leon and his search for the Source of Eternal Youth.

Legends about the source of eternal youth appeared at different times among different peoples. Two thousand and a half years ago, Herodotus wrote about him, it was mentioned in the legend of Presbyter John, in the sixteenth century the famous conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon tried to find him. But what to hide, and now scientists are engaged in its search in order to extend the life and youth of mankind. But despite the fact that they tried to find the source for many millennia, few believed in it for real. But for Juan Ponce de Leon, the search for the source of eternal youth became a fix idea, although there were positive aspects to the conquistador’s enthusiasm, so, trying to find the coveted source, he discovered Florida.

As you know, Juan Ponce de Leon at the beginning of the sixteenth century successfully served the Spanish crown and helped to conquer Hispaniola. For his merits, he was even appointed governor of this island. In 1509, rumors reached the conquistador that there was a land rich in gold in the east. De Leon immediately equipped the expedition, as a result of which Puerto Rico was discovered. Soon the conquistador was appointed him governor. But such success was envy of many. A conspiracy was organized against Ponce de Leon, as a result of which he was suspended from business. But by this time the tireless conquistador had a new goal - the search for the source of eternal youth.

(c. 1460-1521).

According to legend, Juan Ponce de Leon first heard about the source from the mouth of his Indian maidservant. The story so inspired the conquistador that he began to question the Arawaks living in Puerto Rico about him. As a result, it turned out that the source of eternal youth is on the mysterious island of Bimini, which lies north of Hispaniola. The Arawakians from Cuba not only told the conquistadors about the direction in which to swim, but also said that one of their leaders had long been living in Bimini and drinking magical water, remaining young and strong.

At his own expense, Juan Ponce de Leon assembled a team and went on an expedition, during which he hoped to find a legendary source. The Spaniards anchored at almost every island they were approaching, but they still couldn’t find any source that was even vaguely reminiscent of the stories of the Indians. By the spring of 1513, the conquistadors were completely desperate to reach their cherished goal. But in April, their ships approached the ground, and the more they approached the shore, the more confidence grew that they had finally found Bimini. There was a thick, heady aroma of tropical flowers in the air, birds sang their trills, and warm, sun-warmed water gently splashed on the white coastal shallows. The Spaniards landed during the Easter week, so the land was called Florida (Easter week in Spain is called "Pascua Florida").

But, despite the beauty of the lands discovered by him, Juan Ponce de Leon soon completely despaired of finding a source of eternal youth. The Spaniards drank from all the ponds they found on the coast of Florida, but no one felt a surge of strength and youth. By the way, during the life of the great conquistador there were legends that he nevertheless drank from the source and became immortal, he simply did not want to reveal to anyone the secret of his finding. However, with the death of Juan Ponce de Leon, these myths quickly dissipated. In addition, Florida’s goodwill was flimsy, very soon the conquistadors clashed with local tribes, who not only refused to show the source, but also began to force strangers out of their territories.

The Spaniards drank from all the ponds they found on the Florida coast,
but no one felt a surge of strength and youth.

Just a few weeks after the first landing, Juan Ponce de Leon was forced to head back south. Although the journey to Florida did not take so much time, the conquistadors fell back into a severe storm, one of the ships even went to the bottom. The Spaniards returned to Puerto Rico on October 19, 1513. There, disappointing news was waiting for Juan Ponce de Leon - one of his most faithful assistants, helmsman Alaminos said that the island of Bimini was finally found, but there was no source on it. Juan Ponce de Leon decided that the coveted pond was hiding somewhere in the west of Florida, not far from the place where he turned back. But before recovering in search of a source again, the conquistador had to return to Spain in order to personally submit a report to the king about the lands discovered by him. He was very warmly received and even knighted at home, but for a long time Juan Ponce de Leon did not stay there - the monarch soon died, and the conquistador realized that he had lost a strong patron and now he could not “regale on his laurels” for a long time, but he had to go back to development of new lands.

But the second trip to the shores of Florida took place only in 1521. The Spaniards were well prepared for this expedition, their detachment consisted of two hundred well-trained and armed soldiers. After landing on the ground, the conquistadors faced desperate resistance from the Indians. Some sources believe that the second expedition to Florida was organized only with the goal of developing new lands and colonization, while others think that Juan Ponce de Leon still suffered from the obsession with finding a spring in his youth. According to these two opinions, there are two versions that talk about what happened next. One says that the Spaniards, faced with the aggression of the Indians, were forced to declare war on them. Another says that initially the natives were quite peaceful, but the conquistadors captured them and used torture, hoping to find out the location of the source. Be that as it may, a real bloody massacre unfolded between the Indians and Spaniards. During it, Juan Ponce de Leon was wounded by a poisonous arrow and died in July 1521. On this, the search for the source of eternal youth ended, fate played a cruel joke with the brave conquistador - recovering from eternal life, he found death.

Today, in the place where Juan Ponce de Leon first landed in Florida, a national archaeological park has been opened. And it is not surprising that its name is “The Park of the Source of Eternal Youth”. On its territory, of course, there is a fountain from which drinking water flows, but this source does not have any magical power. But in the park there are numerous exhibits of colonial heritage.

In fact, the conquistadors, without knowing it, found the coveted Bimini. In the middle of the sixteenth century, this island, rejected by the Spaniards, who were looking for a source, began to actively settle. Europeans came to him and brought black slaves. It was the slaves who discovered that in the northern part of the island there is a fresh reservoir, into which mineral water flows from underground sources. The backwater was immediately called the “healing grotto”. It is believed that people who bathed in it feel cheerfulness and energy. Interestingly, scholars who studied the records of the conquistadors found that the words of the Indians regarding the source were not completely correctly interpreted. In a legend told by the Spaniards, it was said that on the island of Bimini there is a magical pond from which the old man once drank, who after that felt strong and healthy. He was even able to marry a young girl who bore him many children. There was no talk of eternal life. Thus, we can say that the healing grotto is the source of the eternal youth of the magical island of Bimini. Just the Spaniards themselves did not know what exactly to look for.

Healing grotto.
In the marine mangrove forest, which covers four miles of North Bimini, is the Healing Hole, a backwater located at the end of a bizarre network of underground tunnels. During low tides, cool fresh mineral water enriched with mineral salts enters the backwater through these channels. Natural lithium and sulfur are the two elements that are said to be contained in this water, which seems to have healing properties because people experience a sense of mental and physical rejuvenation after visiting the grotto.

The search for the "island of Eternal youth" and the discovery of Florida and the Gulf Stream.

In those days when the Spaniards discovered new continents and seas, reality seemed like a dream; but any, the most fantastic dream could turn into reality. Columbus’s second voyager, wealthy at Espanyol, appointed governor of Puerto Rico, landed on the island in the middle of summer 1506, founded the first Spanish settlement there (1508) and ended the conquest of the island, accompanied, as everywhere, by a massive beating the Indians. In Puerto Rico, he heard the legend of Fr. Bimini, where the "source of eternal youth" beats. Ponce asked the king to give him a patent for the search and colonization of Bimini and for possession of a wonderful source. Ferdinand the Catholic fulfilled the request and said, hinting at Columbus: “It is one thing to give authority, when there was no example yet that someone held such a post, but we have since learned something ...”

Ponce invited Anton Alaminos, a Columbus second voyage, as a senior assistant. They set about equipping three ships in Santo Domingo and hiring sailors. According to the stories, Ponce recruited both the elderly and the crippled. And why, in fact, need youth and health for people who, after a relatively short sea passage, can rejuvenate and regain their lost strength? Probably the crews on the ships of this flotilla were the oldest of all that marine history knows.

Juan Ponce de León.
(c. 1460-1521).

On March 3, 1513, a flotilla sailed from Puerto Rico in search of Bimini to the northwest, to the Bahamas. The southern group of these "islets" (in Spanish - Los Cayos), discovered by Columbus, the Spaniards often raided from the time when Ferdinand allowed the Indians to be enslaved. Alaminos cautiously guided ships from island to island to the north of Los Cayos: the islands of Cat and Eleuthera were discovered. The Spaniards bathed in all the springs and lakes, but the wonderful source still did not come across.

On March 27, ships passed the northern Bahamas, spotting Fr. Big Abako, and on April 2, sailors saw a big land. Ponce dubbed her Florida ("Blooming"), since she doubly deserved this name: the banks were dressed with magnificent subtropical vegetation and he opened it on the holiday of "blooming" Easter. But on the map compiled by Alaminos, she was given another, “pagan” name - Bimini.

Alaminos believed that the expedition was at 30 ° C. w. According to the calculations of seaman historians of the discoveries of our time, Ponce reached the coast at 29 ° C. w. The ships went into a small bay near present Daytona Beach. On April 3, the Spaniards went ashore, and Ponce with all the formalities took over the new "island", the first Spanish territory on the continent of North America. Of course, here the sailors “tested” all the sources, but, alas ... again, failure.

On April 8, Ponce tried to continue sailing north along the east coast of Florida, but because of the oncoming cold current he soon turned south and fell into a powerful stream of warm current that went from the south into the open ocean between Florida and the Bahamas. The Spaniards moved slowly south along the low coast and, when landing, tasted the water of many rivers and lakes, in vain looking for "sources of eternal youth." At the same time, they were in great danger: on the newfound "island" Ponce met warlike Indians - people "tall, strong, dressed in animal skins, with huge bows, sharp arrows and spears in the manner of swords" (B. Diaz).

Flotillas took one month to reach the southern tip of Florida with a fair wind. Ponce discovered about 500 km of its east coast, including the sandy cape Kennedy (Canaveral, known today: it launches American spacecraft). The Spaniards also discovered a chain of coral islands of the Florida Keys, forming a barrier reef about 200 km long. Here the oncoming stream became so swift that it tore off one anchor and carried one ship into the ocean. The giant dark blue "sea river", which was very different from the greenish-blue ocean, flowed from the west and turned sharply to the north at the tip of Florida. Alaminos was the first to study its direction and later proposed to use it when returning from Western India to Spain, correctly guessing that it reaches the shores of Western Europe.

This "sea river", as has now been proven, carries 96 times more water than all the rivers of the Earth combined. Later, when the entire coast of the Gulf of Mexico was mapped, the Spaniards called it the "Gulf Current". Among Northern Europeans, it is known as the Gulf Stream - a source of eternal youth for the climate of Europe.

After the return of the ship torn from the anchor, the flotilla traced the entire Florida Keys chain and began to repair ships in the lagoon of one of the coral islands near its western tip. On June 3, Ponce headed north to the Gulf of Mexico and soon discovered a bay on the west coast of Florida (at 27 ° N). Relations with the Indians were initially friendly, but on June 11 they tried to seize the Spanish ships and were repulsed. Poncet decided that Florida had no source of eternal youth, and on June 14, 1513 moved south. The Spaniards discovered a group of tiny islands Dry Dortugas, where for 10 days they stocked up provisions - turtles, seals, pelicans and other game.

On June 24, Ponce went on a southwestern course, but one can only guess why he did this instead of taking advantage of the Gulf Stream. After two days of sailing, he touched some land and track it to the west for more than 200 km. According to historian conquistador A.N. Herrera, “most ... sailors mistook her for Cuba,” but S. Morison has a different opinion: “obviously, it was something completely different - the stretch of the Yucatán peninsula between Cape Katoche and the modern port of Progreso ... ”, that is, Ponce discovered, however, a second time, almost the entire northern coast of the Yucatan. He discovered the harbor and landed to mend the sails. On the coast of the open "island" - as the Spaniards decided, calling it Bimini - Ponce spent more than a month and unsuccessfully searched for the source of eternal youth. On August 6, he left Yucatan and, through the Strait of Florida, using the Gulf Stream, proceeded to Fr. Eleuthera (August 18). From here, he ordered Alaminos to "comb" on one of the Bahamas' ships - the idea of \u200b\u200bfinding a source firmly stuck in his head - and he returned to Puerto Rico on October 10.

In February 1514, Alaminos arrived with the news that he had found another island with the name Bimini. Ponce’s attempt to conquer Florida in 1521 ended in the defeat of his detachment, severely wounded and the death of himself (July 1521).

Florida: Youth Fountain, Blood River. St. Augustine.

St. Augustine, Spanish name San Agustín, is the oldest city in the United States, the first surviving European settlement in the modern United States, located in the northeast Florida on the Matanzas and San Sebastian near the atlantic ocean. From St. Augustine begins the "inter-Atlantic waterway."

It is believed that the Spanish explorer and navigator Juan Ponce de León was the first European whose foot stepped on the land of Florida. The first Spanish conquistador Ponce de Leon (colleague of Columbus on his second trip, the former governor of Puerto Rico) set foot on this land in 1513. In March 1513, he assembled an expedition on his own money and sailed from Puerto Rico in search of a miraculous source of eternal youth to the Bimini Islands (the present Bohemian Islands), which he had learned from the Indians.

In 1521, Ponce de Leon set off on two ships to colonize Florida. His detachment of 200 men landed on the west bank and entered into a war of extermination with the Calus tribe. Ponce de Leon was wounded by a poisoned arrow and died during the sea passage to Cuba. Buried in San Juan. His name is the third largest city of Puerto Rico - Ponce. The grandson of Ponce de Leon, Juan II, temporarily ruled Puerto Rico in 1579, and in 1581 composed a written description of the West Indies.

The painting by Eduard Veith depicts a scene at the mystical fountain Fountain of Youth.

The first known mention of the Fountain of Youth, whose water supposedly gives the drinker eternal youth, concerns the legend of PRESTER JOHN, the legendary Christian monarch who was believed to rule the territory in either Asia or Africa in the 12th century or later.

Lisa Zwerling. The Fountain of Youth.

The Italian Pedro Martir, who personally knew Columbus, wrote: “To the north of Hispaniola, between the other islands, there is one island three hundred and twenty miles from it. There is an inexhaustible source of water on the island of such a wonderful quality that the old man who will drink it, observing a certain diet, after a while will turn into a youth. "

The Fountain of Youth by Lucas Cranach the Elder.

Ponce de Leon also heard from old Indians in Puerto Rico about the island of Bimini, located in the north, where there is a spring that gives eternal youth. It was said that several years before, many Indians from the island of Cuba went in search of her and not one of them returned.

So what made the water in St. Augustine so special when he found it? When Ponce went ashore, he noticed that local people lived a very long time - up to 70 years. He could not believe it. Ponce and his friends were happy to live to the age of 35. These dark-skinned old people on the mainland were healthy, and by golly, the reason for this was to be water, Ponce concluded. The researcher found the sacred key, drank from it, and said that it was the sweetest, best water that he had ever drunk. It must be magical. Ponce, accustomed to drinking seawater and the rancid water stored on his ships, of course, spring water tasted much better. He poured it into bottles, put them on a ship and took it all home back to Europe. He drank gallons of spring water, bathed in it, and swore that he felt like a child. A little later, he was shot with a bow arrow, and he died. So we don’t really know if the water was really magical, but I really want to believe it, right?

Mention of the Fountain of Youth in the cinema:

In Darren Aronofsky’s film “The Fountain,” the storyline revolves around the fountain of eternal youth that Ponce de Leon was looking for.

In the ending of the film “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End”, Captain Barbossa tells the crew of the Black Pearl about their new goal - the fountain of eternal youth Ponce de Leon.

In the fifth season of The X-Files, an episode called Detour, agents Scully and Mulder investigate the disappearance of people in Florida's forests, culprits who are mysterious forest people who may have long lived in the forest and were once, according to Mulder , members of the expedition Ponce de Leon.

In the animated series Spider-Man (1967) in the episode Fountain of Terror, Dr. Conner finds “the source of eternal youth,” but Ponce de Leon discovers and imprisons the doctor.

In episode 6 of the 2nd season of the series Lost, Sawyer addresses the lost Ana Lucie: “Then tell me, Ponce de Leon, where should we go?”

In the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” the entire plot is based on a search for “the source of eternal youth”, at the very beginning two fishermen find a man who claimed to be on the ship of Ponce de Leon. Also in one of the episodes, Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa will visit the ship Ponce de Leon.

It was during this expedition in April 1513 that Ponce de Leon saw the land and landed on it. He mistook this land for the island and named it Florida for a luxurious tropical flora, and due to the fact that the discovery of the "blooming land" had on Easter week (Pascua Florida) and declared it the possession of the Spanish crown.

In the mornings, boats descended from the ships and headed for the shore, and at night, Captain Ponce de Leon checked the contents of each flask filled with water from all the sources that could only be found on the island. They said that just a couple of sips is enough, that the transformation begins instantly.

But to stay here in Florida was quite dangerous, since the Spaniards met warlike Indian tribes there. Ponce de Leon returns to Spain.

If you ever wondered where exactly the Fountain of Youth is located, then you are already at the goal. And the fact that he is in the country's oldest city only convinces him once again.

The road leading to the fountain.
There is definitely an impression of the mysticism that surrounds the Fountain of Youth in the National Archeological Park.

In 1901, an initiative woman bought property in St. Augustine and began offering people water from a fountain located on her property.

She claimed that it was precisely the Fountain of Youth that Ponce de Leon had opened, and the intrigued audience immediately began to flock there. Believe it or not, the legend doesn’t hurt to check what will happen if you take a sip from this magical fountain!

In a sense, Spanish scholars were right in believing that the Fountain of Eternal Youth was somewhere in the place that we now call Florida. Under Florida is the world's largest known source system. The water of these keys, enriched with minerals and, "which is as pure as everything that appears on this planet for the first time," provides the life of unique animals and rare life forms.

The Spanish king Ferdinand invited Juan Ponce de Leon to go in search of the rich land of Bimini. At his own expense, Ponce prepared three ships and set off. He left Puerto Rico on March 3, 1513. He did not find Bimini, but on April 3, 1513 he set foot on the land, which he considered an island. Juan Ponce de Leon named it La Florida, in honor of Pascua Florida or the flower festival held on Easter.
Florida celebrates the 500th anniversary of this event this year. Throughout the state, events are held throughout the year to mark the anniversary. When we went to, we went to the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum, where there was a small exhibition dedicated to Juan Ponce de Leon and life on a 16th-century ship.

At that time, Spanish scholars were called conquistadors or conquerors. In the year 1493 Ponce de Leon sailed to America withChristopher during his second journey. With his family he settled on the islandHispaniola (Dominican Republic)in the Caribbean, where he became a military commander and was appointed deputy governor.In 1506, Ponce de Leon discovered a neighboring island, namedBorinken . While there, he discovered large deposits of gold.Soon after his discovery, he left the island, but returned there in 1508 on the orders of the king of Spain to explore and colonize the island.He renamedBorinken in Puerto Rico and was his governor for two years, until the king replaced him with the son of Columbus.

Offended by the king,Ponce de Leon set off north towards florida on search for new lands and treasures.He also heard of the mythical fountain of youth.The Indians spoke of a legendary, magical spring, the water of which gave eternal youth.Ponce de Leon explored many territories, including the Bahamas and Bimini, both in search of gold and in search of a mythical source, but did not find anything.

Later ships of Juan Ponce de Leon moored off the east coast of Florida near modern St. Augustine.He decided to continue exploring this land and sailed down the coast, where he first stopped at the cape Canaveral (it already was on the map, but the name gave it to Ponza de Leon), and then to the same named Dry Tortugas - an island on which he did not find fresh water (dry - "dry", tortuga - in Spanish "turtle" )

Continuing along the west coast of Florida, Ponce de Leon came across not very friendly Indians of the Calus tribe.The researcher decided to leave this area and sailed back to Puerto Rico.

In 1521, Ponce de Leon again returned to Florida to buildagriculturalcolony. He arrived here with more than 200 future settlers, horses, tools and seeds.However, Kalus arrangedPonce de Leon was ambushed, as a result of which he was seriously injured.The settlers decided to abandon their plan and sailed to Cuba. The wound of Ponce de Leon was severe and he died at the age of 61.

So, let's see the exhibition itself, which is presented in the form of a ship.

On board we found a captain making up or studying a map.

The special development of cartography began in the 15th century. The cards were of great value, and the information they contained was considered a state secret. One of the most famous cartographers of the 16th century was Sebastian Munster (Sebastian Munster). The development of European cartography was one of the reasons for the spread of the strongest influence of Europe.

Items used for navigation. While the compass was invented in China back in the 3rd century. BC, in Europe it began to be used only in the 12th century BC Astrolabe was the first item that Europeans used to determine latitude and longitude. It was used during the day, and at night a quadrant was used. Time was counted using an hourglass. The ringing of the bell signified a new hour.

On the ship, sailors lived in cramped spaces. We slept practically where there was simply a place.

Feeding sailors on long voyages was not easy. There were no refrigerators at that time, so all the provisions should have been such that would have been preserved throughout the entire voyage. If something could go bad, it was eaten first. To store certain foods, such as meat and fish, they were salted, dried and pickled. Sometimes ships kept domestic animals, which were killed immediately before eating. Rusks and beans were one of the main foods that the Spanish sailors of the 16th century ate. They cooked food once a day right on the open deck, since it was dangerous to make fire on a wooden vessel. Fresh water was taken with them in barrels. Its lack was one of the difficulties of life on the ship, because they ate salted fish and wanted to drink all the time. Due to poor nutrition, sailors suffered from a lack of vitamins, which led to various diseases.

As such, there were no doctors on the ships. The best that patients could count on was the departure of comrades and the barber, who healed, cut his hair and could tear out a tooth. The barbers were also trained in the preparation of ointments for open wounds or rashes, in the treatment of dislocations and fractures, in bloodletting, which was almost the main way to treat diseases and led to a large number of deaths. There was no anesthesia. If a sailor was injured in a leg or arm, the limb was quickly amputated. Many died of postoperative infection.

Various weapons that could be on the ship.

I took these photos at the festival of archeology, but they are better suited to this record. This tent is a small example of what the camp of the first Spanish New World settlers was like.

When we first arrived at the festival, the tent had several reenactors, but then only one woman remained. The men were in armor. Unfortunately, it was not possible to photograph this valiant group.

Not how much the camp itself, how many individual objects were quite interesting.

Beautiful powder flask.

Reconstructors make many items themselves, but the fact that under glass is possible originals.

Woman shows a drawer for spices. The Spaniards were very careful about them.

A small spinning wheel.

Wine barrel and saddle on the chest. I don’t even want to imagine what it was like to ride such a one.

Well, a bonus to all this is modern Florida. Everything took place in the city of West Palm Beach (West Palm Beach). We visit there relatively often, but there was not much to photograph. This time they decided to go at least to the embankment and look at Intrakostal.

We walked along the pier.

Just here, in downtown, the annual SunFest festival takes place, so we visit here mainly in the evening or in the midst of a huge crowd. In the afternoon, everything is perceived differently.

Mangroves were planted in the middle of the pier. This is a new thing.

And modern "ships".

City Hall building.

A small church on one of the streets. Next to her is a Catholic school.

Abstract series of articles

The encyclopedia continues to acquaint readers with the series of essays by Ivan Medvedev, author of the book “Finding Eldorado,” about great travelers and adventurers of the past. Articles by Ivan Medvedev are based on primary sources and archival materials that are a presentation of the writer's work on the World Travel Encyclopedia portal. Readers are waiting for a meeting with Spanish mariners who tried to discover the legendary country of King Solomon - the country of Ophir; wanderings in 1774 in India and Central Asia of the sergeant of the Russian army; full of drama, the story of the first crossing of Australia from south to north by the expedition of Robert O'Hara Burke. The world network published essays for the first time.

Once a person realized the transience of life, he could not come to terms with death. To defeat the laws of nature, for centuries people have sought the philosopher's stone, invented the elixir of life, and went to new lands for new knowledge. Sometimes these searches led to completely unexpected, other significant discoveries.

Once a person realized the transience of life, he could not come to terms with death. To defeat the laws of nature, for centuries people have been searching for a philosopher's stone, invented the elixir of life, and went to new lands for new knowledge. Sometimes these searches led to other significant discoveries. At the beginning of the XVI century, among the Indians of the island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, there was a legend about the source of eternal youth on the island of Bimini, which is ten days north. Crowned by a high mountain, the island is covered in dense forest. But if you follow inconspicuous paths to the foot of the mountain without turning around, - otherwise the source will lose its magical power - the gaze will open a reservoir with clear running water. A dried flower moistened in it will come to life, a dead branch will turn green, a person just needs to take a few sips to regain youth and recover from all diseases.

Old governor

The Governor of Puerto Rico, Juan Ponce de Leon, has already reached the age when people begin to understand the relative value of money and the absolute value of life. He spent his youth in military campaigns against the Moors, his maturity in the development of the New World. An impudent Castilian nobleman, he put his life to adding solid capital to a big name. And at the sunset of life, when the goal was achieved, a simple truth revealed: gold will not replace those genuine joys that only youth gives. In paradise, if it exists, other values. In addition, there is no guarantee that you will go there, not hell. And here, on earth, in ten days of travel, according to rumor, you can find youth lost in the struggle and labors. And then, relying on your accumulated wealth, you can enjoy life forever! The Indians swore that many of their fellow tribesmen regained their youth and remained forever in the wonderful country of Bimini.

Royal patent

Ponce de Leon filed an official petition with the Queen of Spain, Juan Mad, to give him a patent to search, colonize and exploit the source of eternal youth. Instead of the insane Juan, the country was ruled by a completely sober pragmatic regent of the kingdom Ferdinand, who was not at all surprised by such a request. In those days, when the unusual and amazing world of a new continent was opened across the ocean, everything seemed possible. Since the governor of Puerto Rico took all the costs of the expedition on himself, the regent, and without batting an eye, granted such a fantastic petition.

Having invested almost all of his money in the purchase of three caravels, Ponce de Leon, not being a sailor, invited Anton Alaminos, an associate of Columbus himself, to be the main pilot of the most experienced navigator. From those who wanted to go on a trip there was no end. Everyone was taken on ships, including the elderly, sick and crippled. The holds to the eyeballs were filled with empty barrels for living water from a magical spring. The governor understood that such an unusual product would be the most expensive and best-selling in the world. The prospects for such a business were pleasantly dizzy.

From island to island

On a warm sunny day, March 3, 1513, the ships left the harbor of Saint-Herman on the west coast of Puerto Rico, intending to make a discovery that was not yet known to mankind. The stem of the “Hope”, the flagship of the squadron, was decorated with a carved figure of the Madonna, whose glass eyes gazed steadily forward - to where a miracle earth will open, giving people immortality.

Navigator of the squadron Anton Alaminos confidently headed northwest to the Bahamas. Passing the southern group of the archipelago previously discovered by Columbus, the ships fell into unknown waters. The Spaniards peered into the horizon to pain in their eyes.

Discoveries were made almost every day. Fearing to miss the source of youth, the Spaniards landed on each new open island, scattered across the desert land covered with stones and stunted vegetation, bathed in lakes and sampled water from springs and even rain puddles. But, alas, the old people remained weak, and the sick did not recover. Frustrated sailors returned to the ships and again with new hopes rushed further north.

The chain of the Bahamas broke off, the squadron went on the high seas. Ten days of sailing are long gone. The fourth week of painful expectation lasted. When will the fate compass lead travelers to the promised land?

On April 2, 1513, land appeared on the horizon with which none of the previously encountered islands could compare. The seafarers saw a continuous wall of green trees intertwined with vines. Having dropped anchor in a quiet cozy bay, travelers inhaled with full breasts the thick, spicy aroma of fragrant flowers, coming from the shore together with enchanting birdsong. Warm water on the coastal shallows sparkled under the sun. Since a wonderful discovery fell on the Christian holiday of blooming Easter (in Spanish, Pasqua Florida), the Spaniards regarded this as a sign, and Ponce de Leon called the open land Florida. No one doubted that the beautiful coast - this is the Indian island of Bimini, only such land can give people youth, immortality and happiness.

Mariners eagerly landed on the yellow sandy beach. On one of the paths moved through the dense forest. A spring with crystal clear water gurgled in a flower-strewn clearing. Ponce de Leon was the first to cling to the source. Breathing in, he lifted his face, eagerly peering into his reflection, expecting wrinkles to smooth out. In vain. A beautiful dream was crumbling.

Clinging to their last hopes, the Spaniards sailed for another two weeks along the east coast to the north, landed in the mornings on the shore and checked for a miracle every pond. In vain. Soon, the search was complicated by the fact that the squadron reached areas inhabited by warlike tribes of the Indians. Fearless, tall and strong warriors refused to enter into negotiations with the aliens, threatened with spears and huge bows with poisoned arrows. Ponce de Leon did not risk the expedition and ordered to turn south, look for a miracle source at the other end of the island. The Spaniards did not suspect that they had discovered not the island, but the Florida peninsula - part of the North American continent.

Gulfstream

Ponce de Leon and his navigator, Anton Alaminos, discovered a five-hundred-kilometer stretch of the eastern coast of Florida and Cape Canaveral, from which the US spacecraft are launched today. Here the expedition for immortality fell into a powerful stream of warm sea currents. The water of the sea river sharply differed in color from the rest of the ocean. It flowed from the west, and at the tip of Florida abruptly turned north. Anton Alaminos made the correct assumption that this current can be used to return to Spain.

It was the Gulf Stream - a source of heat for northern Europe, transporting water 96 times more than all the rivers of the Earth combined. The Spaniards did not suspect that this was the source of life for many peoples, but of a completely different kind.

Newfound hope

Ponce de Leon continued his search with enviable tenacity. Probably, if the source of youth really existed, he would have found it. In August 1513, the head of the expedition decided to split the squadron in order to increase the chances of success. He sent Alaminos once again to “comb” the Bahamas, and he himself explored the northern coast of Yucatan.

In early October, the deranged governor of Puerto Rico returned home, and in February 1514, Alaminos arrived with stunning news: he found an island that the local Indians call Bimini! True, the source of youth was not on him, he was deserted and naked, but the name again revived the governor's hopes for immortality.

It took seven years to prepare the new expedition. During this time, Ponce de Leon traveled to Spain and received the rights of governor in the lands he discovered. If the desired source is not on Bimini Island, then it should be somewhere nearby, most likely in Florida, the governor believed. It is necessary to conquer this country and explore the water from each reservoir.

Ponce de Leon is sixty years old. Not too much time left. Either he will gain youth, or an old woman with a scythe will take him there, from where no one returns.

Fire and sword

In 1521, two ships went to sea. Along with a select crew of sailors on board was a well-armed detachment of two hundred professional soldiers and ferocious dogs specially trained to hunt people. In those days, for the New World, these were significant forces: ten years later, Francisco Pissarro, with four hundred soldiers, crushed the vast Inca empire.

Fire and sword Ponce de Leon walked through the villages of Florida. The captured Indians were tortured on incandescent grids, but none of them knew anything about the magical source. Having delved into the wilds of the peninsula, a detachment of Spaniards was ambushed. Several thousand Indians brought down upon the newcomers a hail of poisoned arrows and spears. The response shot in the jungle yielded nothing. The Redskins reinforced the onslaught. The Spaniards faltered, their ranks mixed up and the soldiers of the Ponce de Leon retreated in complete disarray. Ponce de Leon himself was wounded by a poisoned arrow. With great difficulty, the remnants of the detachment managed to reach the ships, which hastily removed from the anchors and march a course to Cuba.

Ponce de Leon writhed on deck in dying spasms. No one paid any attention to him: the crew struggled with the powerful current of the Gulf Stream. In the confused consciousness of the governor, who was so eager for immortality, the cold refreshing jets of the source of life interfered with the coast of Florida that fell into the ocean - a land that not only did not return his youth, but also took away the last years God had allotted to him.

Additional information to the article cycle

Millennium Extreme

The book of Ivan Medvedev “In Search of Eldorado” is a collection of fascinating essays on travels from antiquity to the end of the 20th century, written in the best traditions of the adventure genre. The essays go in chronological order, which allows the reader to trace the history of geographical discoveries, in its most striking, extreme moments. The adventures of the royal prosecutor in captivity among the Dakota Indians give way to searches for ancient cities lost in the jungle, flying to the pole in a balloon - a risky expedition to unexplored areas of Africa, and the story of Australia's first crossing with a drama story will not yield to the tragic fate of Robert Scott. Plots are developing rapidly, do not have to be bored. The author was able to saturate the text with such companions of success as entertaining, informative, concise and imaginative.

In total, 50 stories have been collected under the cover, which to one degree or another reflect the title of the book: the captivating myth of a golden country made Europeans conquer the seas and oceans, lay many roads and explore entire continents. Over time, Eldorado has become synonymous with great discoveries. This spectacular name was suitable for all the new achievements that the mighty spirit of the discoverer is capable of.

The materials of the book were supplemented and processed by the author specifically for publication on the portal of the World Travel Encyclopedia.
Book sales addresses can be found at: [email protected]

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Saint Augustine (St. Augustine), Spanish name San Agustin, ( San agustín) Is the oldest city in the United States, the first surviving European settlement in the modern United States, located in the north-eastern part of the state of Florida on the Matanzas and San Sebastian rivers near the Atlantic Ocean. From St. Augustine begins the "inter-Atlantic waterway."

It is believed that the Spanish explorer and navigator Juan Ponce de León was the first European whose foot stepped on the land of Florida. The first Spanish conquistador Ponce de Leon (colleague of Columbus on his second trip, the former governor of Puerto Rico) set foot on this land in 1513. In March 1513, he assembled an expedition with his own money and sailed from Puerto Rico in search of a miraculous source of eternal youth to the islands of Bimini (today's Bahamas), which he learned from the Indians.

The painting by Eduard Veith depicts a scene at the mystical fountain Fountain of Youth.

Lisa Zwerling. Detail of ,

So what made the water in St. Augustine so special when he found it? When Ponce went ashore, he noticed that local people lived a very long time - up to 70 years. He could not believe it. Ponce and his friends were happy to live to the age of 35. These dark-skinned old people on the mainland were healthy and healthy, and by golly, it only had to be water, Ponce concluded. The researcher found the sacred key, drank from it, and said that it was the sweetest, best water that he had ever drunk. It must be magical. Ponce, accustomed to drinking seawater and the rancid water stored on his ships, of course, found spring water tasted much better to him. He poured it into bottles, put them in a ship and took it all home back to Europe. He drank gallons of spring water, bathed in it, and swore that he felt like a child. A little later, he was shot with a bow arrow, and he died. So we don’t really know if the water was really magical, but I really want to believe it, right?

Mention of the Fountain of Youth in the cinema:

In Darren Aronofsky’s film “The Fountain,” the storyline revolves around the fountain of eternal youth that Ponce de Leon was looking for.
In the ending of the film “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End”, Captain Barbossa tells the crew of the Black Pearl about their new goal - the fountain of eternal youth Ponce de Leon.
In the fifth season of The X-Files, an episode called Detour, agents Scully and Mulder investigate the disappearance of people in Florida's forests, culprits who are mysterious forest people who may have long lived in the forest and were once, according to Mulder , members of the expedition Ponce de Leon.
In the animated series Spider-Man () in the episode Fountain of Terror, Dr. Conner finds “the source of eternal youth,” but Ponce de Leon discovers and imprisons the doctor.
In episode 6 of the 2nd season of the series Lost, Sawyer addresses the lost Ana Lucie: “Then tell me, Ponce de Leon, where should we go?”
In the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” the entire plot is based on a search for “the source of eternal youth”, at the very beginning two fishermen find a man who claimed to be on the ship of Ponce de Leon. Also in one of the episodes, Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa will visit the ship Ponce de Leon.

(from Wikipedia)

But to stay here in Florida was quite dangerous, since the Spaniards met warlike Indian tribes there. Ponce de Leon returns to Spain.

If you ever wondered where exactly the Fountain of Youth is located, then you are already there. And the fact that he is in the country's oldest city only convinces him once again.

The road leading to the fountain.

There is definitely an impression of the mysticism that surrounds the Fountain of Youth in the National Archeological Park.

Many travelers of the ancient world searched in vain for the Fountain of Youth with water, giving eternal life. Among these famous researchers was Ponce de Leon, who searched and found it.

In 1901, an initiative woman bought property in St. Augustine and began offering people water from a fountain located on her property.

These sources and animals of Florida are described in the popular science film Springs Eternal: Florida "s Fountain of Youth (English; 51: 27)

Monument to the founder of St. Augustine - Admiral Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles.

Fort Matanzas.

Built 1740-1742, it is a well-preserved masonry fort built by the Spaniards. By providing a height to watch enemy ships approaching from the south, the fort played a strategic role in warning St. Augustine of potential enemy advancements from the south across the Matanzas River.

From the book of Tony Horwitz, "The Journey is Long and Strange" ( A Voyage Long and Strange) about the discovery of Florida, the Fountain of Youth and Ponce de Leone:

".... A distorted story. Or what is it? The studies of French Protestants led by Jean Ribot and Rene de Lodonnier and Spanish Catholics led by Pedro Menendes in the mid-1500s led to the discovery of the land of modern Florida. This chapter on research answered the question is whether the English "pilgrims" created the first religious colony in North America.

The answer was no.
French Protestants (later called Huguenots), escaping religious persecution in France in 1562, fled to North America and founded the small colony of La Caroline under the direction of researcher Laudonniere. Laudonniere and the French began to run out of food supplies, and they were ready to head back. But just at that time, the French explorer Jean Ribault arrived to replenish the colony and to replace Laudonniere. As the French colony began to flourish and grow in La Carolina (the area that is now known as Jacksonville, Florida) they were surprised by the appearance of the Spanish fleet led by Pedro Menendez. Menendez obeyed the strict orders given to him by the King of Spain, Philip II, “to liberate those lands, and not give a quarter to the enemy to take root in them.” When Menendez arrived, he stopped not far from La Carolyn, calling this place St. Augustine (St . Augustine). Ribault was repelled by the Spaniards and launched several French ships to repel the Spaniards' invasion, but a powerful ocean current carried the people of Ribot towards the ocean, which caused them to lose their original position. When the missing ships of Ribot returned, they arrived at the mouth of the river in St. Augustine and asked the Spaniards for a safe passage. The Spaniards refused them this, promising to kill each of the French who dare to approach. The French were forced to surrender to the mercy of Menendez. Menendez set the condition for them to abandon their faith, and only in this case would he spare those who convert to Catholicism. However, only two out of one hundred and ten Frenchmen went for it. The rest did not abandon the Protestant faith and accepted death.

The Spaniards, led by Menendez, who has at his disposal 500 soldiers to conquer the territory of La Carolina, struck the French with their atrocities and cruelties: they massacred more than 140 people in the French colony. Menendez believed that he was fulfilling God's desire in the massacre of these Frenchmen for their religious Protestant beliefs. The Spanish priest wrote of Menendez: “He is indefatigable in his passionate desire to serve Our God, destroying this Lutheran sect, the enemy of our Holy Catholic Faith.”

With the intensification of rivalry between the Spaniards and the British, the former strengthened San Agustin by erecting the massive gloomy fortress of St. Mark (1672). Now it is a monument of national importance - the oldest stone stronghold on American territory ..

For almost 200 years, St. Augustine has witnessed the many battles of the Spaniards with the French and British. Fortress of San Marcos (Castillo de San Marcos) - The oldest stone fort in the United States, built from shell limestone in the late 1600s, successfully resisted several attacks and sieges.

In 1670, Charles Town (modern Charleston, South Carolina) was founded by the British, and was located near St. Augustine. In November 1702, the British Navy set sail from Carolina in an attempt to capture the city of St. Augustine

Upon arrival in St. Augustine, the British besieged the city. The entire city with inhabitants (approximately 1,200 people) along with all the soldiers of the fort (approximately 300) remained defended within the walls of the fort during the siege for the next two months.

The British cannon had little effect on the walls of the fort. Shell limestone (coquina) was very effective in absorbing shells from tools, allowing very small damage to the walls themselves: the cannonballs stuck in them, without breaking, as is usual. The Spaniards who built the fortress themselves were surprised at such a successful and unexpected phenomenon for them. The siege was broken when the Spanish fleet from Havana (Cuba) arrived, trapping the British in a bay. The British were forced to burn their ships so that they would not go to the Spaniards, and went by land back to Carolina. When the British left, they set fire to St. Augustine, and the fire set up burned to the ground most of the city.

After the siege of 1702, the fort of Castillo was reconstructed. Starting in 1738, the interior of the fort was redesigned and restored. The interior spaces were made deeper, and vaulted ceilings replaced the original wooden ones. Vaulted ceilings took into account the best defense against bombing and took into account the gun to be placed along the deck of the weapon, not only in the corner of the strongholds. The construction of new ceilings required that the height of the outer wall be increased from 26 to 33 feet.

Among the many British attacks on San Agustin, the robbery committed in the 16th century by Sir Francis Drake and the siege of San Agustin by the founder of the colony of Georgia are especially famous.

Osceola from Floridadrawing on stone made George Katlin from the original portrait

Despite the numerical superiority over the Seminoles, ten to one, the US troops failed to achieve a quick victory. In the end, they resorted to desperate measures and tricks, namely they captured Osceola under the pretext of negotiating a ceasefire. The American artist George Catlin was outraged by this act of hypocrisy and went to South Carolina, to the place of imprisonment of Oceola, to express his support. In 1837, the leader of the Seminoles agreed to pose for a portrait, which formed the basis of this lithography. Osceola died in captivity a year later.

It was January 1513.

Ponce de Leon crossed the threshold of his house.

Beloved wife - Leonora, daughters - Juan, Isabel, Maria and son Louis, rushed to his father. They were happy. For a long absence, Ponce has changed a lot. And life without the head of the family was much harder. The only thing that pleased was the constant visits of Dominican monks to visit the family of Juan Ponce De Leon.

Each time they brought good news - about the reception by King Ferdinand II himself and the issuance of new ships to him. The fact that in Burgas - the capital of Castile and Leon, Ponce is honored and given him many letters and posts on the opening of the New Lands. This all made it possible for the family not to experience a severe confrontation between Diego Columbus and the de Leon family.

When appointing Ponce de Leon Adelantado, King Ferdinand II the Catholic said historical words, hinting at Columbus' discoveries: “It is one thing to empower when there has not yet been a preliminary example for someone to hold such a post, but we have since learned something. You (Ponce - approx. K.A.) are when the beginning has already been made ... "

And now, in honor of the owner’s arrival, all the people close to him gathered at Ponce de Leon’s house - his friend and ship captain Juan Bono de Cajo (Juan BONO DE QUEJO) , the royal treasurer - Miguel de Pasamonte (MIGUEL DE POSAMONTE), Dominican Vicar - Pedro de Cordoba (he lived from 1460 to 1525 - approx. author K.A.) - Prior of the Dominican monastery, and the bishop of the Dominican Order - Alonso Manso, who arrived on September 26, 1512.

Everyone sat and worked out plans for organizing a trip to the Source of Youth in the country of Bimini by order of King Ferdinand II.

I do not quite understand, but what is our role? - began during a feast bishop Alonso Manso, who had recently arrived from Spain.

What are you, Father Manso! - smiled at Pasamonte. - Bishop Fonseca and the Pope approved you in this New Earth, so that you are the center of help for this unusual trip. - Listen carefully to those who come to you for confession and you can safely suggest that they change their fate if it does not suit them.

Well, to begin with, with us - with the monks of the Dominican Order - this whole story began ... - the Prior of the Dominican monastery Pedro de Cordoba smiled. - And our monk - brother Ortiz is still with the Bimini Indians. One of our monks will accompany the respected owner of this house - Adelantado Ponce in his search for this amazing place.

Yes, said Ponce. “I will say more: in the matter before us, I would like to see Dominican monks as the first people to find the New Earth.” In the meantime, you have already begun to build a solid parish here - in San Juan Batista with our help and support.

Thank you my son! - Father Alonso said with a smile. “We can spread the message among all the inhabitants in all the settlements of Hispaniola and San Juan Batista.” But how many people do you need? How many ships will you have and when do you need it?

I’m afraid that there will be no more people in my team than necessary! But I do not want any spies from the Columbus family.

You will have to watch all the members of your team yourself! - no one will do it better than you.

No one can know a man who can become a scammer for Viceroy Columbus. The question is money. How much they will be paid.

Okay, this is all the talk. We will solve problems as they become available.

I am glad that preparations are now beginning for the opening of the island of Bimini and I am glad to accept your help in any form. I think we can collect all the provisions on our own farms. We will try to take the team from the Salvaleon area. And there is another very important detail. I was strongly recommended to take Anton Alaminos. They said that he sailed north and knew the way there.

In my opinion, he has been there more than once with the hunters for the Indians. Apparently, he is now idle, and will be very useful to us, ”Ponce de Leon continued after a pause.

But how many ships will there be anyway?

Well, we already have three! Since we want to find not only the Fountain of Youth, but also try it out, then three is enough. Less is dangerous and unprofitable. More is expensive and impractical.

Dear friend! - put in his word to Treasurer Pasamonte. - And how are you going to understand: where and how really is that water and that Source of Youth, about which it is said. Will you drink it yourself and try? Or how? And what do you say to people? Are you going to discover the New Lands or to find the Source of Youth? And who do you want to recruit as a team?

We will recruit elderly or old people from among the settlers, but those who could be both sailors and soldiers, and so that the hand does not tremble. And on the one hand, they must be strong so as not to be a burden. And on the other hand, so that each of them would like to find a source, that everyone would like to try on themselves the action of the Water of Youth.

It will be the funniest trip of all that were, if your team will be recruited from old people! - exclaimed his friend Juan Quejo (Juan Quejo). “And as the captain of your ship, I will see that the old sailors are not decrepit.”

I think that, gaining the old you will cause suspicion from Viceroy Diego Columbus! - said the Dominican bishop Alonso Manso.

It seems to me that he was informed of this even at that moment when Ferdinand sent a letter here. He wants to find this amazing Source of Bimini too. And I won’t be surprised if everything that we say here will be known to him in the near future. Everything has ears. And the walls too ...

Ears ... - Pasamonte laughed. - Eavesdropping ears can be cut off!

And he and everyone at the table laughed at this joke.

But if they only knew that at this time, lying in a very uncomfortable position on the roof of the house, one of the people of the Viceroy Diego Columbus was listening to them, they would have definitely cut off his ears, and certainly his tongue!

Therefore, when they said about the ears, the spy felt that both his ears turned red and “caught fire” as if someone had rubbed them.

Honey, ”said Leonora, the wife of Ponce de Leon, all of a sudden. - I have a suggestion. Take women with you on board your ship and into the settlement. And women can definitely see the first changes that can occur if you find the Source of Youth.

Well ... I don’t know ... but if we can’t find these islands. And women for the first time is not good, you know!

Ponce, dear, what settlement can there be if there are no women there?

Ponce, and your wife is right! - the treasurer Pasamonte smiled. - She speaks correctly. Take women, but not one. Take a few.

It will be ballast for us. We need soldiers and sailors. Everyone will be counted.

Honey, I think I can help you. I have a girlfriend - her name is Juana Ruiz - you know her ... It so happened that her beloved man was killed in the massacre that the soldiers of Agueban in the village of Sotomayora arranged. And she was left alone. She has a slave bought and brought by her from the slave market. She also has three Indian translators who are converted to our faith and two free black women from Africa who also profess Catholicism (already at that time - 500 years ago, the Spaniards gave freedom to all who accepted the Christian faith! - approx. K.A.). You may also have Indian women as translators on all three ships, and they will help to establish contact if the Indians also live there.

Darling Leonora! You always know the easiest way out of difficult situations! - exclaimed the treasurer Pasamonte. - If that goes well, then I will take you to my advisers.

And all those present laughed.

Coin. Ponce de Leon.