Narrative

Document Extracts regarding the Luna Settlement and Hurricane. Transcribed and translated by John E. Worth. Extract from Davila Padilla narrative regarding port and settlement: “When the new settlers saw themselves in such a passable place, for some days they enjoyed the freshness of the place and the gift of the tides. Some seated themselves on the sand before the sun warmed up, and at sunset, when the afternoon cooled, the exercised the horses, displaying their finery and dexterity. Others entered in the barks and cruised the shoreline. Others considered it from land, regaling themselves with the view of the peaceful waves, which arrived gently at the beach, and without disturbance returned to the sea, as if they had thoughts and courtesy. They arrived as if to greet those on land, returning immediately without perturbing them. Finally those who were beyond [the waves], all rejoiced, because as much as it is a gift to walk next to the sea, it is likewise to sail next to the land. But since the journey had not been undertaken to look for recreations or siestas, later they dealt with matters in earnest, and order was given to enter and discover the land, and give His Majesty news of what had occurred in fulfillment of his royal decree. The Governor ordered a ship to be readied to go to Spain, and some people that would go in it, in order to depose in person, and report on the beauty of that port, and encourage the Spanish people to come settle that land. It also seemed to the missionaries a suitable thing to send to Spain for friars, who would come assigned to that land, and that they should take a private ship in which they could come, with one of the missionaries who was there going for them…They prepared two ships for Spain, and also undertook tasks on land” “Quando se vieron los nuevos pobladores en ta[n] apazable puesto, gozaron por algunos dias de la frescura del lugar y regalo de la marea. Unos se sentavan sobre el arena antes que el sol la calentasse, y otros quando enfriava la tarde a puesta del Sol, exercitavan los cavallos, mostrando su gala y destreza: otros se entravan en los barcos, y costeavan la ribera: otros la consideravan desde la tierra, regalandose con la vista de las olas mansas, q[ue] como si tuvieran seso y comedimiento llegavan a la playa blandamente, y sin desmandarse se bolvia a la mar. Llegavan como a saludar a los de tierra, recogiendose luego sin perturbarlos; finalmente los q[ue] estavan fuera dellos todos se regozijavan: porq[ue] assi como es regalada cosa pasearse junto a la mar, assi lo es navegar junto a la tierra. Pero como no avia sido el viaje para buscar recreaciones ni siestas, luego se trataron las cosas de veras, y se dio orden en entrar a descubrir la tierra, y dar a Su Magestad aviso de lo sucedido en cumplimiento de su real cedula. Mando el Governador aprestar un navio para España, y algunas personas que en el fuessen, para deponer de vista, y referir la lindeza de aquel puerto, y animar a la gente Española para que viniesse a poblar aquella tierra. Parecioles tambien a los religiosos cosa acertada embiar por frayles a España, que viniessen senalados para aquella tierra, y que se les llevasse navio particular en que viniessen, yendo por ellos uno de los religiosos que alli estavan…Apercibieronse dos navios para España, y hizieronse tambien diligencias por la tierra…”

Document Extracts regarding the Luna Settlement and Hurricane. Transcribed and translated by John E. Worth. Extracts from Davila Padilla narrative regarding the storm: “All this shame was nothing with respect to what happened to the poor fleet that was anchored in the port, and to the two ships that were ready to leave for Castilla, and which were already at the point of departing, which were not waiting for the Governor, but rather for the return of those who had gone into the interior to bring some relation in order to send to the King. Those who were to sail were already aboard, awaiting the hour to make sail. On the twentieth of August [sic], and the seventh in the port, there began the most terrible storm, and the wildest north wind that man has ever seen. As if the cables were strands of thread, and the anchors were not made of iron, thus they surrendered to the force of the air. The ships came loose, and were broken into small pieces…” “…the greatest misfortune was to see that they had lost all their supplies, which had remained in the ships for greater security. Since on land there was no house or shelter in order to collect them, it had seemed a better decision to them that the food should remain on the ships, where, anchored in a good port, and with strong cables and anchors, there was the promise of more security than existed in the end. In the ships there was food enough for more than a year, even if the fifteen-hundred persons that where there had eaten to excess, but afterward they walked on the beach, hoping that the waves would make them some restitution of the great amount that the sea had robbed them, and everything that they recovered was little, although it was very esteemed on account of the necessity that had already begun to be felt…” “…They found in a dense grove of trees, which was one arquebus-shot from the port, an intact caravel, without lacking even one thing that was in it, and everyone went to see it as a prodigious thing, and each person recovered whatever had their sign and mark, without lacking even the smallest needle. The grove was surrounded by very dense trees, and even if they failed to detain or break that ship, it should have been in the grove itself, where it seemed that it had been placed by hand, in order to hide it. It is unbelievable that the waves had carried it, because they did not reach the grove, nor would they have left it so well-placed if they had carried it…” “Those that made this entrance [into the interior] carried some little food with them, leaving those in the port with very little, and everything from the relief that remained of the first unloading which they made from the ships when they made landfall, and of some cargo which had washed up on the shore after the storm, although most of it had been lost in the water.” “Toda esta lastima fue nada, respecto de lo que sucedió a la pobre flota, que estava surta en el puerto, y a las dos naos que para Castilla se aprestavan, y estavan ya tan a punto de partirse, que no esperava el Governador sino que bolviessen los que avian ydo la tierra adentro, y traxessen alguna relacion que poder embiar al Rey. Ya estavan embarcados los que avian de navegar, desseando la hora de hazerse a la vela. A los veynte dias de Agosto [sic], y siete de puerto, comenco la mas terrible tormenta, y el mas descosido norte que jamas hombres vieron. Como si los cables fueran hebras de hilo, y las ancoras no fuera de hierro, assi las rindio la fuerca del ayre. Desamarro las naos, y hizolas menudas piecas…” “…lo que sobre todo dava pena, era ver que se avia perdido todo el bastimento, que por mas seguridad se avia quedado en los navios. Como en la tierra no avia casa ni abrigo donde recogerse, aviales parecido mejor acuerdo, que se quedasse la comida en las naos, que surtas en bue[n] puerto, y con rezios cables y ancoras prometia mas seguridad que la que despues huvo. Avia en las naos comida bastante para mas de un año, aunque comiessen sobradamente las mil y quinientas personas que alli avia: pero despues andavan por la playa, esperando que las olas les hiziessen alguna restitucion de lo mucho que la mar les avia robado, y todo fue poco quanto sacaron, aunque fue muy estimado por la necessidad que ya se començava a sentir...” “…Hallaro[n] en un arcabuco, que estava un tiro de arcabuz del puerto una caravela entera, sin faltarle cosa de quantas en ella estavan, y todos yvan a verla por cosa prodigiosa, y sacaron della cada qual lo que era de su senal y marca, sin que en todo ello huviese un alfiler de menoscabo. El arcabuco estava rodeado de muy espesos arboles: y quando en ellos no se huviera detenido y quebrado aquel barcon, huviera sido en el mismo arcabuco; donde parece que fue puesto a mano, para esconderlo. No se puede creer que las olas le llevassen, porque ni llegaron al arcabuco, ni le dexaran alli tambien puesto, si le llevaran…” “…Llevaron alguna comidilla consigo, los que hazian esta entrada, quedando con muy poca los del puerto, y todo de los relieves que quedaron de la primera saca que hizieron de los navios quando tomaron tierra, y de algun matalotaje que avia salido a la rivera despues de la torme[n]ta; aunque lo mas se avia perdido en el agua.”