OUT OF THE PAST: Ponce de Leon died from infection

Published: Saturday, August 24, 2013 at 01:17 PM.

They were most likely in the Timucua’s territory. These round, reddish complexioned Indians wore their hair long and tacked up neatly around their head. Most men and women wore only a small pieces of deerskin. Some had their skin tattooed in unusual patterns of black, red and blue. Chiefs and their wives painted their faces in black or red and added a blue color around their mouths.

Ponce de Leon and his party remained in that location for several days then prepared to depart aboard their ships.

Ponce de Leon’s three vessels followed the coast south where it grew difficult to make forward progress, despite the strong winds in their favor. On April 21, 1513, the current became stronger than the wind, causing the ships to fall back then sail forward. The Spaniard had discovered a “river” some 50 to 300 miles wide in the ocean.

They continued around Key West, naming several places, and stopping at times for firewood and fresh water. The warlike Calusa Indians attacked them from their canoes while they anchored near Sanibel Island. The men wore long hair and deerskin breechcloths while the women bore skirts of Spanish moss.

Collecting Turtles

At Las Tortugas they loaded up on loggerheads and other land turtles.

Two of the three ships soon returned to Puerto Rico. Ponce de Leon sent the other one in search of the mystical Bimini.

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