. A larger history of the United States of America, to the close of President Jackson's administration . water of such marvel-lous virtue that, the waterthereof being drunk, perhapswith some diet, maketh oldmen young. Others addedthat on a neighboring shorethere was a river of thesame magical powers — ariver believed by many tobe the Jordan. With thesevisions in his mind, Ponce de Leon, sailing in command of three brigantines from PortoRico, where he had been Governor, touched the mainland,in the year 1512, without knowing that he had arrived at seeing it on Easter Sunday—a day which
. A larger history of the United States of America, to the close of President Jackson's administration . water of such marvel-lous virtue that, the waterthereof being drunk, perhapswith some diet, maketh oldmen young. Others addedthat on a neighboring shorethere was a river of thesame magical powers — ariver believed by many tobe the Jordan. With thesevisions in his mind, Ponce de Leon, sailing in command of three brigantines from PortoRico, where he had been Governor, touched the mainland,in the year 1512, without knowing that he had arrived at seeing it on Easter Sunday—a day which the Spaniardscalled Pascua Florida, or Flowery Easter— he gave thisname to the newly discovered shore. He fancied it to be anisland whose luxuriant beauty seemed to merit this glowing-name—the Indian name having been Cantio. He exploredits coast, landed near what is now called St. Augustine, thenreturned home, and on the way delegated one of his captains,Juan Perez, to seek the island of Bimini, and to search forthe Fountain of Youth upon it. He reached the island, butachieved nothing PONCE DE LEON. 72 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. Long after these days, Herrera tells us, both Indians andSpaniards used to bathe themselves in the rivers and lakes ofall that region, hoping to find the enchanted waters. Poncede Leon once again visited his supposed island, and was mor-tally wounded by Indians on its shores. He never found theFountain of Youth, but he found Florida; and for the multi-tudes who now retreat from the Northern winter to that blos-soming region, it may seem that his early dreams were notso unfounded after all. The conquest of Mexico by Cortez revived anew the zealof Spanish adventure, and a new expedition to Florida was or-ganized, which led ultimately to a new discovery—that of thefirst land route across the width, though not across the largestwidth, of North America. Alvar Nuiiez, conlmonly called Ca-beza de Vaca, sailed from Spain to Florida, in 1527,
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