nce, to keep his head continually under water. The result of this
practical biological experiment, so adroitly conducted, brought hope and
joy to the despairing natives. The body was kept immersed until long
after every sign of life had gone, but they still feared animation might
return. Carrying the body to the bank, a new farce was acted; they
lamented over him, they begged his pardon for the accident, and they
protested their innocence of any design. In every way they provided
themselves with a plausible defense in case he should recover or they
should be suspected. After several days, putrefaction happily settled
all their doubts about the mortality of their conquerors, and the glad
news was communicated to their people."

The natives then at once commenced to massacre the Spaniards. But this
did not last long. Ponce de Leon immediately sent for reinforcements,
and the Indians believed that these newcomers were the resurrected
bodies of those they had killed. This idea caused them to lose all hope
and courage, and they fell an easy prey to their enemies. It was not
many years before the aboriginal population, large as it was originally,
was completely exterminated.

The Spaniards now began to colonize the island and the town of Capana
was the first one settled by them. Its site was found, however, to be
too high and inaccessible. It was therefore abandoned and in 1511 the
present city of San Juan was founded.

In this city Ponce de Leon built the governor's palace called Casa
Blanca, a structure which is still in use.

After de Leon's unsuccessful expedition to Florida, where he received a
mortal wound at the hands of the Indians, his remains were brought to
Porto Rico and interred in the Dominican church.

The inscription upon his monument reads as follows:

_Mole sub hac fortis requiescunt ossa Leonis Qui vicit factis nomina
magna suis._

These words may be translated into English as follows:

"This narrow grave contains the remains of a man who was a Lion by name,
and much more so by his deeds."

His cruel treatment of the gentle natives, inspired though it may have
been and probably was by the home government, by no means causes him to
deserve so flattering an epitaph.

CHAPTER II.

STRUGGLES OF THE PAST.

Ever since the days of Ponce de Leon, Porto Rico has been a Spanish
possession. It has never been captured, although many attempts have been
made to take it both by external and internal