Ponce de Leon's search for the fountain of eternal youth may be the stuff of legend, but the underlying idea - finding a cure for old age - is very real. Fountain of Eternal Youth

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

Legends about the source eternal youth appeared in different time among different peoples. Two thousand and a half years ago, Herodotus wrote about him, he was mentioned in the legend of Prester John, and in the sixteenth century the famous conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon tried to find him. But what to hide, and now scientists are searching for it in order to prolong the life and youth of humanity. But despite the fact that they tried to find the source for many millennia, few people truly believed in it. But for Juan Ponce de Leon, the search for the source of eternal youth became a fixed idea, although there were also positive aspects in the conquistador’s passion, so, trying to find the treasured source, he discovered Florida.

As you know, Juan Ponce de Leon successfully served the Spanish crown in the early sixteenth century and helped 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 an expedition, as a result of which Puerto Rico was discovered. Soon the conquistador appointed him governor. But such success caused envy among many. A conspiracy was organized against Ponce de Leon, as a result of which he was removed from business. But by this time, the tireless conquistador already 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 spring from the lips of his Indian maid. The story inspired the conquistador so much that he began asking the Arawaks who lived in Puerto Rico about it. As a result, it turned out that the source of eternal youth is located in mysterious island Bimini, which lies north of Hispaniola. The Arawaks from Cuba not only told the conquistadors about the direction in which to sail, but also said that one of their leaders had been living on Bimini for a long time and was drinking magic water, remaining young and strong.

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

But, despite the beauty of the lands he discovered, Juan Ponce de Leon soon completely despaired of finding the source of eternal youth. The Spaniards drank from all the reservoirs 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 the secret of his whereabouts to anyone. However, with the death of Juan Ponce de Leon, these myths quickly dissipated. In addition, the goodwill of Florida was feigned; very soon the conquistadors encountered local tribes who not only refused to show the source, but also began to forcefully expel strangers from their territories.

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

Just weeks after the first landing, Juan Ponce de Leon was forced to head back south. Although the journey to Florida did not take much time, the conquistadors were hit by a severe storm on their return, and one of the ships even sank to the bottom. The Spanish returned to Puerto Rico on October 19, 1513. There, Juan Ponce de Leon received disappointing news - one of his most faithful assistants, the helmsman Alaminos, reported that the island of Bimini had finally been found, but there was no source on it. Juan Ponce de Leon decided that the treasured reservoir was hiding somewhere in west Florida, not far from the place where he turned back. But before he went looking for the source again, the conquistador had to return to Spain in order to personally provide a report to the king about the lands he had discovered. In his homeland he was received very warmly and was even knighted, but Juan Ponce de Leon did not stay there for long - the monarch soon died, and the conquistador realized that he had lost a strong patron and now he could not “rest on his laurels” for a long time, but must go to war again. 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 encountered desperate resistance from the Indians. Some sources believe that the second expedition to Florida was organized only for the purpose of developing new lands and colonization, while others think that Juan Ponce de Leon still suffered from an obsession with finding a source in the spring of his youth. According to these two opinions, there are two versions of what happened next. One says that the Spaniards, faced with Indian aggression, were forced to declare war on them. Another says that initially the natives were quite peaceful, but the conquistadors captured them and tortured them in the hope of finding out the location of the source. Be that as it may, a real bloody massacre unfolded between the Indians and the Spaniards. During it, Juan Ponce de Leon was wounded by a poisonous arrow and died in July 1521. This was the end of the search for the source of eternal youth; fate played a cruel joke on the brave conquistador - while recovering from eternal life, he found death.

Today, in the place where Juan Ponce de Leon first landed in Florida, a national archaeological park. And it is not surprising that its name is “Park of the Fountain 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 the park displays numerous exhibits of colonial heritage.

In fact, the conquistadors, without knowing it themselves, found the treasured Bimini. In the mid-sixteenth century, this island, rejected by the Spaniards who were looking for a source, began to be actively populated. Europeans flocked to it and brought black slaves with them. It was the slaves who discovered that in the northern part of the island there is a fresh reservoir, which receives water from underground sources. mineral water. The backwater immediately received the name “healing grotto”. It is believed that people who bathe in it feel cheerful and energetic. Interestingly, scientists who studied the records of the conquistadors found that the Indians' words regarding the source were not entirely correctly interpreted. The legend told to the Spaniards said that on the island of Bimini there is a magical pond from which an 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 eternal youth magical island Bimini. It’s just that the Spaniards themselves didn’t know what exactly to look for.

Healing grotto.
In the maritime mangrove forest that covers four miles of North Bimini lies The Healing Hole, a backwater located at the end of a bizarre network of underground tunnels. During low tides, cool fresh water enriched with mineral salts enters the backwater through these channels. Natural lithium and sulfur are two elements said to be contained in this water, which appears to have medicinal properties, as people experience a feeling 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, even the most fantastic dream could turn into reality. A participant in Columbus's second voyage, Juan Ponce de Leon, who became rich on Hispaniola and was appointed governor of Puerto Rico, landed on the island in the mid-summer of 1506, founded the first Spanish settlement there (1508) and completed the conquest of the island, which was accompanied, as elsewhere, by massive beating up Indians. In Puerto Rico he heard the legend of Fr. Bimini, where the “fountain of eternal youth” gushes. Ponce turned to the king with a request to give him a patent to search for and colonize Bimini and to own a wonderful spring. Ferdinand the Catholic complied with the request and said, hinting at Columbus: “It is one thing to give powers when there was no example of anyone holding such a post, but since then we have learned something...”

Ponce invited Anton Alaminos, a participant in Columbus's second voyage, as his senior mate. They began fitting out three ships in Santo Domingo and hiring sailors. According to stories, Ponce recruited both the elderly and the crippled. And why, in fact, do people need youth and health, 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 known in maritime history.

Juan Ponce de León.
(c. 1460-1521).

On March 3, 1513, the flotilla sailed from Puerto Rico in search of Bimini, heading northwest to the Bahamas. To the southern group of these “islands” (in Spanish – Los Cayos), discovered by Columbus, the Spaniards raided frequently from the time Ferdinand allowed the Indians to be enslaved. North of Los Cayos, Alaminos carefully guided ships from island to island: this is how the islands of Cat and Eleuthera were discovered. The Spaniards swam in all the springs and lakes, but they still did not come across the wonderful spring.

On March 27, the ships passed the northern group of the Bahamas, seeing the island. Great Abaco, and on April 2 the sailors saw mainland. Ponce christened it Florida (“Blooming”), since it doubly deserved this name: the shores were covered with magnificent subtropical vegetation and he opened it on the holiday of “blooming” Easter. But on the map compiled by Alaminos, it is given another, “pagan” name - Bimini.

Alaminos believed that the expedition was located at 30° N. w. According to the calculations of sailors-historians of discoveries of our time, Ponce reached the coast at 29° N. w. The ships sailed into a small bay near what is now Daytona Beach. On April 3, the Spaniards came ashore, and Ponce, with all the formalities, took possession of the new "island", the first Spanish territory on the continent North America. Of course, here too the sailors “tried” all the sources, but, alas... again failure.

On April 8, Ponce tried to continue sailing north along eastern shore Florida, but due to the oncoming cold current, he soon turned south and fell into a powerful stream of warm current, which went from the south into the open ocean between Florida and the Bahamas. The Spaniards slowly moved south along the low-lying coast and during the landings they tested the water of many rivers and lakes, searching in vain for the “springs of eternal youth.” At the same time, they were exposed to great danger: on the newly discovered “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).

It took the flotilla one month to reach the southern tip of Florida with a fair wind. Ponce discovered about 500 km of its eastern coast, including the sandy Cape Kennedy (Canaveral, which has become famous these days: American spacecraft are launched from it). The Spaniards also discovered a chain of coral islands in the Florida Keys, forming barrier reef about 200 km long. Here the oncoming current became so swift that it tore one ship from its anchor and carried it into the ocean. A gigantic dark blue “river of the sea,” in stark contrast to the greenish-blue ocean, flowed from the west and turned sharply north at the tip of Florida. Alaminos was the first to study its direction and later suggested using it when returning from Western India to Spain, correctly guessing that it reached the shores Western Europe.

This "river of the sea" has now been proven to carry 96 times more water than all the rivers of the Earth combined. Later, when the entire Gulf Coast was mapped, the Spanish called it the "Gulf Current." Among northern Europeans it is known as the Gulf Stream - the source of eternal youth for the climate of Europe.

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

On June 24, Ponce set a southwestern course, but why he did this, instead of taking advantage of the Gulf Stream, one can only guess. After two days of sailing, he touched some land and followed it to the west for more than 200 km. According to the conquistador-historian A. N. Herrera, “most... sailors took it for Cuba,” but S. Morison has a different opinion: “obviously, it was something completely different - a section of the Yucatan Peninsula between Cape Catoche and modern port Progreso...”, i.e. Ponce discovered, however, a second time, almost all north shore Yucatan. He discovered the harbor and disembarked to repair the sails. On the coast of the open “island” - that’s what the Spaniards decided, calling it Bimini - Ponce stayed for 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 the island. Eleuthera (August 18). From here he ordered Alaminos to “comb” the Bahamas on one ship - the idea of \u200b\u200bfinding the source was firmly stuck in his head - and he himself returned to Puerto Rico on October 10.

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

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

St. Augustine, Spanish name San Agustín - oldest city in the USA, the first European settlement that has survived to this day on the territory of the modern United States, is located in the northeastern part of Florida on the Matanzas and San Sebastian rivers near Atlantic Ocean. The “inter-Atlantic waterway” begins from St. Augustine.

It is believed that Spanish explorer and navigator Juan Ponce de León was the first European to set foot in Florida. The first Spanish conquistador Ponce de Leon (Columbus's comrade-in-arms on his second voyage, former governor 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 the miraculous source of eternal youth to the Bimini Islands (the present-day Bohama Islands), which he learned about from the Indians.

In 1521, Ponce de Leon set out on two ships to colonize Florida. His force of 200 men landed on the western shore and entered into a war of extermination with the Calusa tribe. Ponce de Leon was wounded by a poisoned arrow and died during the sea passage to Cuba. Buried in San Juan. The third largest city in Puerto Rico, Ponce, bears his name. Ponce de Leon's grandson, Juan II, temporarily ruled Puerto Rico in 1579 and wrote a written description of the West Indies in 1581.

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

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

Lisa Zwerling. The Fountain of Youth.

The Italian Pedro Martyr, who personally knew Columbus, wrote: “North of Hispaniola, among other islands, there is one island at a distance of three hundred and twenty miles from it. On the island there is inexhaustible source water of such miraculous properties that an old man who drinks it, observing a certain diet, will after a while turn into a young man.”

The Fountain of Youth by Lucas Cranach the Elder.

Ponce de Leon also heard from old Indians living in Puerto Rico about the island of Bimini, located in the north, where there is a source 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 came ashore, he noticed that the local people lived for a very long time - up to 70 years. He couldn't believe it. Ponce and his buddies were glad to live to the age of 35. These dark-skinned old people on the mainland were healthy, and by God, it had to be the water, Ponce concluded. The explorer found the sacred key, drank from it, and said that it was the sweetest, best water, which he has ever drunk. It must be magical. Ponce, accustomed to drinking sea water and rancid water stored on his ships, of course, found the spring water to taste much better. He bottled it, placed it on a ship, and took it all home back to Europe. He drank gallons of spring water, bathed in it, and swore he felt like a child. A little later he was shot with an arrow and died. So we don't really know if the water was truly magical, but we really want to believe it, don't we?

Mentions of the Fountain of Youth in films:

In Darren Aronofsky's film "The Fountain" story line revolves around the fountain of eternal youth that Ponce de Leon sought.

At the end of the film "Pirates" Caribbean Sea: At the End of the World" Captain Barbossa tells the crew of the Black Pearl about their new goal - the fountain of eternal youth of Ponce de Leon.

In the fifth season of The X-Files, episode entitled “Detour,” Agents Scully and Mulder investigate a case of disappearances in the forests of Florida, the culprits of which turn out to be mysterious forest people, who may have long lived in the forest and were once, according to Mulder, , members of the Ponce de Leon expedition.

In the animated series Spider-Man (1967), in the episode "Fountain of Terror", Dr. Conner finds the "fountain of eternal youth", but the doctor is discovered and imprisoned in a cell by Ponce de Leon.

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

In the film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the entire plot is based on the search for the "fountain of eternal youth", at the very beginning two fishermen find a man who claims to have been on Ponce de Leon's ship. Also in one of the episodes, Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa will visit Ponce de Leon's ship.

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

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

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

If you've ever wondered where exactly the Fountain of Youth is, then you're already there. And the fact that it is located in the oldest city in the country only confirms this once again.

The road leading to the fountain.
There's definitely an air of mysticism that surrounds the Fountain of Youth at the National Archeological Park.

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

She claimed that this was the Fountain of Youth that Ponce de Leon had discovered, and an intrigued public immediately began flocking there. Whether you believe in the legend or not, it doesn’t hurt to check what will happen if you take a sip from this magical fountain!

In a sense, the Spanish explorers were right in believing that the Fountain of Eternal Youth was located somewhere in what we now call Florida. Beneath Florida's soil lies the largest known spring system in the world. The water of these springs, enriched with minerals and “which is as pure as anything that appears on this planet for the first time,” supports the life of unique animals and rare life forms.

It was January 1513.

Ponce de Leon crossed the threshold of his home.

Beloved wife Leonora, daughters Juana, Isabel, Maria and son Luis rushed to their father. They were happy. A lot has changed during Ponce's long absence. And life without the head of the family was much harder. The only thing that made me happy was the constant visits of Dominican monks to visit the family of Juan Ponce De Leon.

Each time they brought good news - about his reception by King Ferdinand II himself and the issuance of new ships to him. That in Burgas, the capital of Castile and Leon, Ponce is honored and he has been given many diplomas and positions for the discovery of New Lands. All this made it possible for the family not to experience the difficult confrontation between Diego Columbus and the de Leon family.

In appointing Ponce de León Adelantado, King Ferdinand II the Catholic spoke historical words, alluding to the discoveries of Columbus: “It is one thing to give authority when there was no prior example of anyone holding such a post, but we have since learned a thing or two. You (Ponce - note by K.A.) appear 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) , Royal Treasurer - Miguel de Pasamonte (MIGUEL DE POSAMONTE), Vicar of the Dominicans – Pedro de Cordoba (He lived from 1460 to 1525 - approx. author K.A.)- prior of the Dominican monastery, and bishop of the Dominican order - Alonso Manso, who arrived on September 26, 1512.

Everyone sat and developed plans to organize a trip to the Fountain of Youth in the country of Bimini by order of King Ferdinand II.

I don’t really understand, what is our role? - Bishop Alonso Manso, who recently arrived from Spain, began during the feast.

What are you saying, Father Manso! Pasamonte smiled. – Bishop Fonseca and the Pope approved you in this New Land, so that you would be the center of help for this unusual campaign. – Listen carefully to those who come to you for confession and you can safely invite them to change their fate if it does not suit them.

Well, let's start with the fact that this whole story began with us - with the monks of the Dominican Order... - the prior of the Dominican monastery Pedro de Cordova 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, Ponce said. – I’ll say more: in the work that lies ahead of us, I would like to see the Dominican friars as the first people to find New Earth. In the meantime, you have already begun to build a solid parish here in San Juan Bautista with our help and support.

Thank you, my son! – Father Alonso said with a smile. “We will be able to spread the word to all the inhabitants in all the communities of Hispaniola and San Juan Bautista.” But how many people do you need? How many ships will you have and when do you need them?

I'm afraid that there won't be more people on my team than necessary! But I don't want any spies from the Columbus family.

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

No one can know the person who can become an informer for Viceroy Columbus. The question is money. How much will they be paid?

Okay, that's all talk. We will solve problems as they arise.

I am glad that preparations for the opening of the island of Bimini are now beginning 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 region. And there is one more 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 visited there more than once with Indian hunters. Apparently, he is now idle, and will be very useful to us,” Ponce de Leon continued after a pause.

How many ships will there still be?

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

Dear friend! – Treasurer Pasamonte added his word. - How are you going to understand: where and how this really is that water and that Fountain of Youth that is spoken about. Will you drink it yourself and try it? Or how? And what do you tell people? Are you going to discover New Lands or to find the Fountain of Youth? And who do you want to recruit for the team?

We will recruit elderly or elderly people from among the settlers, but those who could be both sailors and soldiers, and so that their 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 wants to find a source, so that everyone longs to try the effect of the Water of Youth.

This will be the funniest trip of all if your team is made up of old people! – exclaimed his friend Juan Quejo. “And as the captain of your ship, I will see to it that the old sailors are not decrepit.”

I think that by recruiting old ones you will arouse the suspicion of Viceroy Diego Columbus! - said Dominican Bishop Alonso Manso.

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

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

Both 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 men of Viceroy Diego Columbus was overhearing them, they would 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 “lit up” as if someone had rubbed them.

“Darling,” Leonora, Ponce de Leon’s wife, suddenly said. - I have a suggestion. Take the women with you aboard your ship and into your settlement. And women can definitely be the first to see the changes that can happen if you find the Fountain of Youth.

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

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

Ponce, your wife is right! – Treasurer Pasamonte smiled. - She speaks correctly. Take women, and more than one. Take a few.

This will be ballast for us. We need soldiers and sailors. Every person will count.

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

Dear Leonora! You always know the easiest way out of difficult situations! - exclaimed Treasurer Pasamonte. – If this goes well, then I will take you as my adviser.

And everyone present laughed.

Coin. Ponce de Leon.

It is probably impossible to find a person who at least once, and most often more than once, asked himself the question: why can’t we live forever? People have been searching for the elixir of eternal youth for centuries. All of Europe in the Middle Ages was looking for the philosopher's stone, which was capable of not only turning metals into gold, but also prolonging life and restoring youth.

The most noticeable trace in the search for the elixir of eternal youth was left by Juan Ponce de Leon, Spanish conquistador and governor of San Juan Island, who lived in the 15th–16th centuries. Then the elixir of youth was represented as living water, legends about which can be found back in antiquity. Suffice it to recall Herodotus, who wrote about the Ethiopians who lived for 120 years. When the Persian ambassadors were surprised by their longevity, they took the Persians to a source of “living water,” in which constant bathing prolonged life.

Ponce de Leon sought eternal youth in the Bahamas. There, on the island of Bimini, according to Indian legends, there was a source of living water, a bath in which granted eternal youth.

Certainly, living water, which he was supposed to bring to the court of the Spanish king Ferdinand, Ponce de Leon did not find. However, the expedition was not in vain - he discovered Florida.

The story of the search for eternal youth in the Bahamas had a very recent continuation. A few years ago, a famous illusionist David Copperfield bought four islands in the south of the Bahamas archipelago, in the Egzuma ridge, for $50 million. On which of them he found “living” water, which, according to him, literally revives dried leaves and plants and almost dead insects, is not reported.

Copperfield invited scientists who had to figure out whether the miraculous effect of water also applies to people. Apparently, the water only revived the dried leaves, because there were no reports of the construction of a resort for those wishing to rejuvenate.

Reproduction is more important

What prevents humanity from living forever? Many people believe that the environment prevents us from becoming immortal. Others sin on food and water. In fact, the reason is in ourselves. Our own body does not allow us to live forever.

The lifespan of any living organism is determined by the amount of energy allocated to two main processes: life activity and reproduction (reproduction). If all or most of it were spent on ensuring vital functions, then we would live much longer. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), we have to grow up and reproduce.

In any case, we live much longer than our ancestors. Among cave dwellers, 30-year-olds were considered long-livers. The average life expectancy in the United States just 100 years ago was only 53 years. One in four children did not live to see their fifth birthday, and tens of thousands of women died due to complications during childbirth.

Today, thanks to healthcare, life expectancy has increased to 78.1 years. In Japan, the average life expectancy of women is 85.6 years, and in some African countries where AIDS is rampant, it is no more than 30.

Functional machine

French woman named Zhanna Kalman is considered the oldest inhabitant of the Earth among those whose dates of birth are precisely known. She lived 122 years and 164 days. Scientists believe that this is the limit for humans.

Why can't we all live that long? Here, too, everything is extremely simple. In general, all organisms consist of two types of cells: non-producing and producing. Non-producing cells are the cells of the eyes, skin, muscles, bones, etc. Reproducing cells are the cells of sperm and eggs. Any living organism faces a constant task - to survive. Radioactivity, chemicals, free radicals, harmful bacteria and viruses attack our cells 24 hours a day. During the day, thousands of cells cannot withstand such a life. This “environment” also negatively affects DNA, which changes or mutates. Our body gradually replaces damaged cells through continuous reproduction. This process requires a lot of energy. However, the amount of energy is limited; it must be divided between life activity and reproduction.

In the process of evolution, all living organisms on our planet began to spend O Most of the energy is used to support reproductive cells.

Aging occurs because our body constantly must maintain a balance between reproduction and maintenance of the body in a normal state. There is not enough energy for both processes. B O Most of it goes to the reproduction and protection of reproducing cells, and the rest is used to support non-reproducing cells. As a result, damage accumulates in cells over time, which causes organ diseases.

“The human body is a machine that performs a number of functions,” says Aubrey de Gray, one of the authoritative experts in the field of life extension, - and, like any normally functioning mechanism, it accumulates various damages. Therefore, in principle, damage should be repaired periodically.”

In addition to this, severely damaged cells or those cells that can no longer divide commit suicide (apoptosis).

The body thinks something like this: why waste precious energy on cell repair? Our body is waste material that can be donated. Genes from our reproductive cells will live in our offspring.

Multi-headed hydra

The main factors influencing life expectancy are genetics and metabolism. A few people live to be 100 years or more thanks to special genes that control the aging process. Metabolism in mice is much higher than in turtles. That's why mice live only three years, while turtles live up to 150 years. Therefore, a mouse must begin to reproduce as early as possible, but for turtles this takes a century.

The lifespan of some organisms can be changed by changing their metabolic rate. Mice's metabolism slows down in an environment where food is scarce. If people eat less, it will slow down their metabolism very slightly and increase life expectancy, because our metabolism is already low. On the one hand, for significant changes a person needs to reduce energy consumption by 30–50%, on the other hand, reducing the number of calories by more than 50% will significantly shorten our life.

There are rare living organisms that live forever. For example, jellyfish and hydra have reproductive cells throughout their bodies. All their energy goes into supporting and repairing these particular cells. A hydra can be cut into one hundred pieces, and each one will grow into a new hydra.

A complex and delicate matter

Aging is the process of accumulation of damage to macromolecules, cells, tissues and organs. This process is very complex. Everything is confusing, even the terminology, not to mention the processes themselves. For example, rejuvenation is not the same thing as increasing life expectancy. The first can be considered a 180-degree turn in aging. It involves repairing damage caused by aging and replacing damaged tissue. The second deals with the causes of aging and the fight against them. Rejuvenation can lead to increased lifespan, but when lifespan increases, rejuvenation is rarely used.

Scientists have now identified at least eight important hormones that slow down aging. These are human growth hormones (HGH), sex hormones: testosterone and estrogen, erythropoietin, insulin, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), melatonin, thyroid and pregnenolone. Theoretically, if you replace at least part of these hormones, you can achieve a rejuvenation effect.

B O Most attempts at genetic repair have traditionally involved the use of retroviruses, which insert a new gene anywhere on a chromosome.

Old age is a disease like all other diseases. And diseases are treated.

Distant future

Speaking about the search for the elixir of eternal youth and immortality in our days, it should be remembered that, despite talk of numerous high-profile discoveries and breakthroughs (according to the scientists and journalists who made them), the work is at a very early stage, in its infancy, and that the first Medicines that can prolong a person’s life or specifically fight old age are unlikely to appear in this, or even the next, decade.

For example, a lady Linda Patridge, who leads researchers from College London and the Institute of Biological Aging in Cologne, one of the most respected specialists in the field of gerontology, believes that the first drugs will not appear until 2020. Moreover, they will not be the elixir of eternal youth or immortality. They will treat and prevent diseases associated with old age, and thus prolong life. We are not talking about immortality, but about increasing life expectancy and extending the active age to very deep gray hairs.

Telomerase mice

Despite the fact that it is a long time to wait for the appearance of drugs for old age, there are already some successes.

One of the causes of physical degeneration associated with aging is telomeres, the pieces of DNA at the ends of chromosomes. With each cell division they shorten. Once the telomeres disappear, the cell stops dividing and dies.

The enzyme telomerase reverses this process. In November 2010, the journal Nature reported that Harvard Medical School scientists injected telomerase into a group of mice suffering from age-related degeneration. The damage has disappeared. The mice not only began to feel better, but also looked younger.

This is not the first time that scientists have turned to telomerase, but previously all experiments were carried out on simple organisms. Merit of the professor Ronald Depinho in that he was the first to show its capabilities in increasing life expectancy for complex mammals.

Two months after the introduction of telomerase, the brain volume of experimental elderly mice, whose internal organs corresponded to 80 years in our language, returned to normal. Even more surprising was the return of the almost completely lost reproductive ability of rodents, which began to produce large litters. And this is not to mention the fact that mice receiving telomerase lived longer than their relatives who did not receive this enzyme.

Random discoveries

Most of the drugs that have at least some relation to the problem of life extension were originally intended for completely different purposes. You don't have to look far for examples. Three months ago, NASA scientists announced the accidental discovery of the elixir of youth.

We are talking about a drink for astronauts - AS10, which, in addition to protecting against radiation, can fight some signs of aging.

At the beginning of the experiment on humans at the University of Utah, pictures of the skin of 180 volunteers were taken using the Visia device, which allows one to “look” under the skin of a person. They then took AS10 twice daily for four months. At the end of the experiment, it turned out that ultraviolet spots were reduced by 30% and wrinkles by 17%.

AS10 is a food supplement based on a mixture of cupaucu, acai, acerola cherry, prickly pear and yumberry juices. In addition to them, the preparation includes grapes, green tea, pomegranate and vegetables.

They claim to have found a way to slow down the aging of individual cells, and Durham University scientists led by Chris Hutchinson. The professor developed a medicine that slowed down the aging of cells taken from children with progeria. This is a rare genetic disease in which cells age eight to ten times faster. As a result, patients quickly become old and die between the ages of eight and 21.

By the way, it is believed that the basis of the successfully filmed story of the American writer Scott Fitzgerald « Misterious story Benjamin Button" lies precisely in progeria.

The discovery of British scientists is based on a medicine used to treat not senile diseases, but infectious diseases accompanied by increased viscosity of sputum, as well as otitis media, rhinitis and sinusitis. Professor Hutchinson found that acetylcysteine (ACC) can also slow down the aging process of cells. He believes that in the future, a medicine based on ACC will significantly alleviate the suffering of progeria patients and, possibly, help them live longer.

Exactly one year ago, scientists from Harvard Medical School discovered the elixir of youth on Easter Island. It is from the bacteria Streptomyces hygroscopicus from the family Streptomycetes, found on this Chilean island, that rapamycin, an effective drug against progeria, is made.

As usual, the antiaging properties of rapamycin were discovered by accident. It turned out that rapamycin not only weakens the body's rejection of foreign organs during transplantation, but also suppresses the activity of damaged proteins that lead to aging. All cells that received rapamycin increased their lifespan.

Rapamycin successfully fights another important factor in aging - the ability of cells to remove waste, which weakens over time. After treatment with this drug, the cells got rid of waste products much more energetically.

A growth hormone

Many gerontologists consider human growth hormone (HGH) to be the elixir of youth. It has become the latest fashion in Hollywood, where the largest percentage of people dream of eternal youth. People who are familiar with the Dream Factory claim that any actor, producer, cameraman, etc. who is over 50 and has highly developed muscles is taking HGH. Injections of this hormone do not hide Sylvester Stallone, Nick Nolte And Oliver Stone.

Doctors consider HGH, which is produced by the pituitary gland, to be one of the most important hormones in the human body. The blood carries it to almost all organs. It is responsible for processes related to strength and growth, the formation of proteins and the repair of damaged tissue.

As we age, the pituitary gland produces less and less HGH. It is believed that between 40 and 60 years its volume decreases by a quarter. Scientists believe that a decrease in HGH is one of the reasons for the aging of the body.

In the first half of the last century, scientists used rBGH, a bovine growth hormone, which was purified and given to patients with type 1 diabetes and children with growth hormone deficiencies.

Physicians at Tufts University began extracting HGH from cadavers in 1958. Every year the number of patients he helped grew.

In 1981, the American pharmaceutical company Genentech released the first synthetic version of human growth hormone. The medicine is sold only by prescription and is prescribed to patients with growth hormone deficiency, but not due to old age, but to other reasons. In adults, by the way, unlike children, deficiency of this hormone, most often associated with pituitary adenoma, is extremely rare.

Elixir of youth from Belarus

Scientists from Belarus, working together with American colleagues, also claim to have found the elixir of youth. They noticed that polyunsaturated fatty acids carry free radicals that destroy DNA and cause aging, and replaced the hydrogen atoms with a harmless isotope of deuterium. Experiments on bacteria were successful. Experiments on long-suffering mice are now in full swing. If they give a positive result, then in 10 years we can expect the Belarusian elixir of youth to appear in stores.

Rafael de Cabo from the National Institute on Aging believes that the life of obese mice can be extended with the help of the drug SRT-1720, which reduces the amount of fat in the liver and improves insulin sensitivity. These and other advantages allowed the experimental mice to live an average of 44% longer than obese rodents that did not receive the drug. Even more promising, according to Cabo, is the SRT-2104.

But hope always lived with those who hoped, and faith - with those who believed. The next chapter in the search for the promised land of immortality was opened by His Majesty's Admiral Christopher Columbus, who found new, unknown lands overseas. Following the conquistadors and merchants, adventurers of all stripes and nations, hopes also moved to the west. We are interested in Pedro Martyr d'Angleria (actually Pietro Martyr d'Anghierra; 1455-1526) - Italian historian; settled in Spain and in 1505 became prior of the Granada Cathedral. There are several works and letters left from him in Latin, in which he reports a lot of interesting things about the life of Spain at that time. Pedro Martyr, who personally knew the great navigator, wrote to Pope Leo X in the first book of his seventh “Decade”: “North of Hispaniola, among other islands, there is one island at a distance of three hundred and twenty miles from it, as those who have found it say. On that island there flows an inexhaustible spring of running water of such wonderful quality that an old man who drinks it while following a certain diet will after a while turn into a young man. And they, the islands and their inhabitants, are called by one name: Yukayos. I beg your Holiness, do not think that I said this out of frivolity or at random; This rumor has really established itself at court as an undoubted truth, and not only the common people, but also many of those who stand above the crowd in their intelligence or wealth also believe it.”

Among those who believed in the existence of a source of life were both representatives of the nobility and commoners. The Castilian hidalgo Juan Pons de Leon was one of them. He was already old when he learned from the old Indians living in Puerto Rico about some island located in the north, where there was a source that restored youth and bestowed immortality. Many years ago, many Indians from the island of Cuba sailed in search of him. None of them ever returned, which is why they managed to find this island.

Others argued on this issue: why go so far if among Bahamas Is there an island of Bimini where exactly the same source of eternal life flows?
Ponce de Leon was not the only Spaniard interested in these tales. He decided at his own risk to organize a special expedition and go in search of this island. When rumors concerned gold, funds, ships, and participants would not be long in coming. But there were few people willing to chase the chimera. After all, it was just about immortality. But Ponce de Leon was already at that age when people begin to understand the relative value of gold and the absolute value of youth and longevity.
Pons de Leon invested all his funds in the purchase of ships, recruited a crew, and on March 3, 1512, set off into the unknown. Under the roar of cannonade, the flotilla created to search for immortality goes to sea.

The ships safely reached the green islands of the Bahamas archipelago. The Bahamas archipelago consists of 700 islands and almost 2,500 small islets located on 259 thousand km2 of ocean. Day after day, month after month, ships circled the islands, but all searches and all inquiries remained unsuccessful. The captain himself went ashore, not trusting anyone, and drank from every source he came across. He tasted water from rotten swamps and muddy streams. But alas! - youth did not return to him. Juan Popse de Leon sailed through the archipelago in search of the mythical Fountain of Youth. Instead, he entered the fast Gulf Stream, which carried him to Florida and he discovered North America.
At first, the new unknown land was also mistaken for an island. Florida named it Ponce de Leon in honor of the day it was opened (“Pesca Florida” - Palm Sunday). The captain immediately sent all his men to search deep into the unknown country. But the messengers returned with nothing. Soon there were reasons for concern. The Indians began to attack the sailors. Pons de Leon himself was also wounded. It was decided to go back.

Fighting hostile inhabitants, storms and trade winds, the seekers of immortality returned to Puerto Rico. Only two ships returned to port. The third, led by Pons de Leon himself, continued the search. Finally, persistence was rewarded. The legendary island of Bimini has been found. Covered with beautiful forests and undulating meadows framed by clean and transparent springs, the island fascinated and delighted. But, alas, there was no magic fountain among them. Pons de Leon, looking for youth,

Every day he grew older, and, crippled, frail, decrepit, finally sailed into the country -
To that country; in the sad limit, in the shadow of gloomy cypress trees,
Where the river roars, whose waves "
So wonderful, so healing.
That river is called Lethe. Drink, friend, the joyful moisture - And you will forget all the torment, You will forget everything that you have suffered.
The key of oblivion, the edge of oblivion!
Whoever entered there will not come out,
Because that country is
Real Bimini.
(Heinrich Heine. Bimini)
But here’s a paradox: the inhabitants of Puerto Rico themselves, from where Pons de Leon set off in search of eternal life, were sure that the Spaniards who conquered these lands were immortal! The Indians endured all the oppression and tyranny that the conquistadors inflicted. The rebellion against the immortals, in their minds, was doomed to failure from the very beginning.

However, any discovery begins with doubt. There were brave ones who expressed some uncertainty that the terrible white gods do not know death. To test the validity of this assumption, it was decided to conduct a rather bold experiment. Having learned that a noble Spaniard was going to pass through his domain, the leader sent an honorary escort to him, explaining to his people what they had to do. In accordance with these instructions, when crossing the river, the Indians dropped the stretcher into the water and kept the “immortal” in the water until he stopped struggling. Having pulled him ashore, just in case, they apologized to God for a long time and flowerily for accidentally dropping the Spaniard into the river. He, naturally, did not move and did not answer. To make sure that this was not a trick or a pretense, the Indians did not take their eyes off him for several days until they were sure that this was not a pretense. The “immortal” was, in fact, dead. Realizing that their conquerors were as mortal as themselves, the Indians rebelled throughout the island, destroying every last one of the Spaniards.

However, the delusion about the immortality of rulers was also common to other peoples. Thus, during the campaign of Alexander the Great, the peoples of the Middle East he captured believed that the king of the Greeks who had captured them was immortal. During the reign of Emperor Augustus, his subjects sincerely considered their emperor immortal.

The readiness to believe in the immortality of the ruler was always so great that very little was needed to turn it into confidence. This was obviously known to the Western Roman emperors Arcadius and Honorius (395-408), who in 404 issued a verdict on their divine origin. The main argument was the following: “Those who dare to deny the divine essence of our personalities will be deprived of their positions and their property will be confiscated.”

From the moment the verdict was announced, it was no longer necessary to address the emperors as “Your Majesty,” but as “Your Eternity.” But we also know something else - the dates of death of both emperors, which means that the measure they took did not provide them with eternal life.

Members of the French Academy of Sciences have been bearing the title of “immortals” for the fifth century. This title brought them no closer to immortality than the members of clubs now existing in Los Angeles, Chicago and Tokyo, the charter of which proclaims the bodily immortality of all their members.

Travels of Ponce de Leon

Don Juan Ponce de Leon was a true son of his time. A representative of one of the most noble Castilian families, he distinguished himself in countless wars between the Spaniards and the Moors.

Then, without hesitation, he crossed the ocean and arrived in the “West Indies” (as the travelers themselves called the new lands) in November 1493, with the second expedition of Columbus, when the islands of Dominica, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico were discovered, as well as a second expedition visited the island of Haiti (or as it was called then - Hispaniola).

Ponce de Leon hoped, like thousands of other conquistadors, to get rich quickly. But if for most of them hope remained hope - at least at first - don Juan was lucky. In 1508, at the head of a small force of soldiers, he conquered the island, which the natives called Boriquen (later Puerto Rico). Let us recall that this island was discovered by Columbus during his second voyage overseas, and, who knows, maybe it was then that Don Juan Ponce de Leon, a participant in this voyage, first had the idea that the owner of Boriken, a flourishing island from it should become a fertile climate. And he became one.

Having heard about rich gold deposits on the island of Boriquen, de Leon captured the island, then founded the first Spanish settlement there. Having settled on the northeastern shore of Boriquen, don Juan founded a city in 1511, which he named San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico in honor of his patron saint John the Baptist, where he later became governor. Later the island became known as Puerto Rico - Rich Harbor.

At least that's how she became for don Juan. Ruthlessly robbing the local Indians, he collected countless amounts of gold. It bothered him a little that indigenous people The islands were shrinking at a catastrophic rate. According to ancient Spanish chronicles, Boriquen was the most populated of all the islands. The Indians here were engaged in hunting, farming, fishing, and knew how to weave fabrics and make pottery. One historian wrote: “Puerto Rico was a real paradise for the Indians, who harvested abundant harvests from its fertile lands; and when the Spaniards came across a prosperous and happy Indian population, they decided that they, too, had found an earthly paradise...” Well, for the Spaniards the island remained a paradise, but for the Indians it turned into absolute hell.

And in the same 1511, Don Juan Ponce de Leon first heard the legend of the island of eternal youth - Bimini. At first he was told about him by an old Indian woman, Kacha, who had been taken into his house as a servant. But was it possible to trust an old woman who had lost her mind? However, as it turned out, other Indians also knew that somewhere north of Puerto Rico there was an island with a spring that gave youth. Their stories coincided surprisingly even in the smallest details, they all named the same number of days and nights that had to be spent on the road to reach Bimini, they identically described the top of the mountain that crowned this happy island, and the walls of trees covering its banks. 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. Isn't this evidence that they managed to find the fountain of youth?

The Italian Pedro Martyr, who personally knew Columbus, wrote in those years: “North of Hispaniola, among other islands, there is one island at a distance of three hundred and twenty miles from it. The first thing you see with big water, this is the top of the mountain. The shore is closed by a solid wall of green trees, and therefore it seems that it is impossible to step on the shore. But if you are keen-eyed, you will find several unnoticed paths. Step onto an island in one place or another and go to the foot of the mountain. On the island there flows an inexhaustible spring of water of such wonderful quality that an old man who drinks it, observing a certain diet, will after a while turn into a young man. But do not forget during the journey that you cannot turn around, otherwise the source will lose its miraculous power for you. The moment will come when the forests will part and a flat place will open up in front of you. There this source flows, giving eternal youth. A dried flower, moistened with its water, will bloom again and remain so forever. A dead branch dipped into its stream will immediately turn green and sprout new shoots. And you are a man, if you haven’t looked back, get down on your knees and take just a few sips. And the return of youth will happen so imperceptibly that in the previous moments you will still be old and weak, and in the next moment you will become young and full of strength...”

And don Juan, who was already more than fifty years old, believed the legend.

How did the legend on Boriken Island originate? After all, most often, any legend is based on some real information, intricately intertwined over the centuries with the most fantastic speculation. Perhaps she reflected the memory of some real travel indigenous islanders to other lands of the Caribbean, even more fertile and prosperous than Puerto Rico. Be that as it may, the man who conquered the island firmly decided that he would be the first European to discover a wonderful spring on the island of Bimini, and began to prepare for the journey.

However, Ponce de Leon had to face some difficulties before. He had no official rights to “voyages of discovery” - such rights were granted only by the Spanish king - and, in addition, he was accountable in his actions to the governor more large island, Espanyol, Diego Colena. First, don Juan had to cross the ocean again to apply for a patent - at his own expense - to search for and colonize the island of Bimini and to exploit the miraculous spring and “island of eternal youth.”

And, apparently, nothing really could have surprised a person at that incredible time, if the Spanish king Ferdinand of Aragon, without expressing even a shadow of amazement, granted Ponce de Leon all rights and on February 23, 1512 signed an official charter in Burgos. Having sealed this fantastic agreement with his signature, the king even said, hinting at the dazzling discoveries of Columbus: “It is one thing to give powers when there was no prior example of anyone holding such a post, but we have since learned something. You appear when the beginning has already been made..."

De Leon invited Anton Alaminos, a native of the same Andalusian port town of Paloe, who gave the world several famous sailors, companions and rivals of Columbus, as the main helmsman for the expedition. Alaminos himself previously participated in Columbus's fourth expedition.

The head of the expedition and his helmsman began outfitting the three ships and hiring sailors. According to stories, Ponce recruited both the elderly and the crippled, recruiting probably the weakest crew in the history of the navy. The crews on the ships of this flotilla were the oldest known in maritime history.

This had its own logic: why choice, youth and health, if after a relatively short sea passage its sailors can rejuvenate and regain lost strength in the waters of a wonderful spring?

And so, at dawn on March 3, 1513, the flotilla sailed from the coast of Puerto Rico to the northwest, towards the Bahamas. Each could be exactly what they were looking for. At the end of March, on the eve of Easter, they saw the mainland - a wonderful flowering island, which could not be compared with anything they had seen before.

But the goal of the expedition - to find a source whose waters would have the power to restore youth - was never achieved. The Spaniards explored everything East Coast Florida. Day after day, the sailors went in search. The ships moved from island to island, and on each one the Spaniards “tested” all the springs and lakes. In the mornings, boats were launched from the ships and headed to the shore, and at night, Captain Ponce de Leon checked the contents of each flask filled with water from all sources that could be found on the island. They said that just a couple of sips are enough, the transformation begins instantly.

And while the captain was waiting for the evening to come, the sailors told each other everything that they had heard from those who went ashore. If there is heaven on earth, then it should be here on these islands. The forests here are full of game, and the quiet rivers are filled with fish that you can catch with your hands right off the shore. But most importantly, it was land - fertile, abounding in fruits and, what is most surprising, practically no one's land.

But Ponce de Leon was not looking for earthly paradise, or even gold, since he was already rich enough. He only dreamed of a wonderful spring. Distressed by the failure, he landed on the shore for the last time and took possession of the new “island” in the name of the Castilian crown.

Ponce de Leon called the land that he took for the island “Pascua de Florida” - flowering land. This is how the Easter holiday was called in Spain. According to legend, it was on this holiday, April 2, 1513, that the crew first came ashore in Florida. And the name suggested itself - the entire coast was covered with magnificent subtropical vegetation.

This was the first Spanish possession on the continent of North America. But it was dangerous to stay here, since the Spaniards saw warlike Indian tribes in Florida - people “tall, strong, dressed in animal skins, with huge bows, sharp arrows and spears in the manner of swords.” Described it this way local residents Bernal Diaz in 1517.

In 1521, Ponce de Leon again went in search of Bimini. In addition, he had a patent to colonize Florida. In 1521, Ponce de Leon returned to the site of his first landing - on the Gulf coast - with two ships loaded with colonists and things to settle in these places. His force of 200 men landed on the west coast of Florida to conquer the island. However, the Spaniards met such fierce resistance from the local Indians that they were forced to hastily board ships and go home.

Ponce de Leon, among many, was seriously wounded and died in Cuba in July 1521. He is buried in Puerto Rico, in San Juan. True, there is a legend that he survived and in subsequent years continued to explore Florida, trying to find the magical source of eternal youth. But historians quite rightly doubt the authenticity of this legend.

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