Three crewmen from the Trinidad, including the diarist, Pablo Salvador Hernandez, escaped by rowing the ship’s longboat to Acapulco. Soon the Spaniards, “lacking the immunity built up over the centuries by the Indians,” succumbed to dysentery contracted from the polluted waters of the lake.
Ill with scurvy, most of the crew abandoned the ship and camped inland near an Indian village by a freshwater lake. Based upon his archeological evidence and Spanish documents-including a mysterious diary written by a Trinidad survivor-Markey described how Ulloa had anchored the galleon in the mouth of the San Luis Rey River on Aug. 25, 1952, Markey presented a detailed account of the last days of Francisco Ulloa and his men. In a speech before the San Diego Historical Society on Jan. Ulloa carried instructions from the conquistador Hernan Cortes to explore the coast to the north and pursue the endless rumors of gold and the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. Sailing from Acapulco in July, 1539, Ulloa commanded a fleet of three ships: the Santa Agueda, the Santo Tomas, and the Trinidad. An eager visitor to the library of the San Diego Historical Society will ask the harried archivists for material on the Spanish galleon Trinidad, flagship of explorer Francisco de Ulloa, believed wrecked off the coast of Oceanside in 1540 with millions in Aztec gold.įor centuries the story of the Trinidad and the fate of its master, Ulloa, mystified historians.
His column will appear when there is a fifth Thursday in the month. He studied history in both the undergraduate and graduate programs at San Diego State University and has worked for the historical society since 1981. North County Focus today introduces history columnist Richard Crawford, archivist and historian for the San Diego Historical Society.
0 kommentar(er)
