Trade Wind Season: Intrigue, Adventure & A Search for Hidden Gold That Spans the Centuries.

By James Madison Law Jr.

Trade Wind Season is a tale that begins in 1533 when a sea captain plans to steal treasure originally destined to help establish the city of St. Augustine, Florida. A hurricane and subsequent pirate attack spoil his plans and it isn't until the twentieth century that Elvis and Henry,two unsuspecting fishermen, discover a modern day plot to once again steal the treasure that has been beneath the sand for centuries. Adventure, intrigue, and twists of fate guide the two in their search to reclaim the gold.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257665358

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SECTION ONE

Chapter One

The Settlement

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ON EASTER March 27, 1513, the Spanish explorer and treasure hunter Don Juan Ponce De Leon first sighted the mainland of the North American continent. He claimed the land for Spain and named it La Florida, meaning Land of Flowers. From 1513 to 1563, the government of Spain launched six expeditions in an attempt to settle Florida, but all failed.

The French succeeded in establishing a fort and colony on the St. Johns River in 1564 that threatened the Spanish treasure fleets that frequently sailed along Florida’s shore. This resulted in King Phillip II naming Spain’s most experienced Admiral, Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles as Governor of Florida. He was instructed to set out to explore and colonize the territory.

The Menendez fleet was provided with six hundred soldiers and full armament to drive out any pirates or settlers from other nations when they were found. When they arrived off the coast of Florida, it was August 28, 1565, the Feast day of St. Augustine. Eleven days later, he and his six hundred soldiers and settlers came ashore at the site of the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy with banners flying and trumpets sounding. He hastily fortified the fledgling village and named it St. Augustine.

Admiral Menendez utilized brilliant military tactics that destroyed the French garrison on the St. Johns River. Subsequently, a hurricane hit the coast of La Florida during that period, which assisted them in defeating the French fleet, and the coast of Florida was finally securely in the hands of the Spanish.

The next step was to build the town and establish missions to convert the local Indians to Christianity. Soon the town of St. Augustine was officially founded, making it the oldest permanent European settlement in North America.

Chapter Two

The Trade Wind Season

August 29, 1533

THE MONTH OF MAY was when conditions of the Atlantic Ocean were more favorable for sailors to embark on long journeys. The idea was to avoid sailing when hurricanes were more likely, as in August through November, and to take advantage of the southerly surface currents and what sailors called trade winds. This weather pattern of predominant northwesterly breezes from the tail end of winter could be counted on year after year to make it easier to travel to southbound destinations from Spain. By the time the ships made it south to the island of Cuba one or two months later, the wind typically became redirected to a predominant northerly direction because it would be June or July when the seasonal weather patterns changed. In addition, like a giant flowing river, the current of the Gulf Stream gave them a much-needed four-knot boost in speed.

The manifest of each of the Spanish galleons recorded a written account of everything being carried on board including a head count of humans, livestock, poultry, produce, pottery, grain stores, items for trade with Indians and other cultures. The ships were slow, bulky by design, and often overloaded so as to carry as much as possible since it was such a long trip. Many ships and lives had been lost in the past, so there was a sense of urgency to get underway. King Phillip had vowed to conquer Florida, but as it stood, a good number of French people were already establishing a small colony near the site of an inlet in the upper Florida peninsula. The inlet was connected to a fresh water river and this was a prime location for the new settlement. Unfortunately, the French thought so too. They stood in the way of progress and were pirating his merchant ships that were sailing the trade routes in the Gulf Stream.

This was to be the second attempt out of six by the King of Spain to conquer La Florida. This time, there were twenty merchant ships bound for the New World to bring materials and skilled persons to establish a new settlement to be called St. Augustine. The plan was to first build a fort to guard the entrance of the inlet and to act as a deterrent to any enemy passers by. Once the stronghold was in place, the city could then expand inside the walls of the fort in safety.

In the ships’ holds were food stores, building materials, tools and everything that would be needed to supply the fledgling village of five hundred and eighty-three people with what they needed. There was one particular vessel named St. Almas that was to be among the flotilla that carried an undisclosed store of finance for the building of the new township. She carried the bankroll for the new settlement in her hull, being loaded with gold and silver bars for minting into coinage once they made mainland.

A captain was appointed to be in charge of this ship and its stores and no one else was to know which of the twenty ships was carrying the secret manifest. The reason for this was that King Phillip couldn’t take any chances that there would be internal pirating within the flotilla. Anything was possible at sea where there are few witnesses and many places to hide, so the fewer people that knew about it, the better the chance there was of the treasure making it to the new St. Augustine.

Renegades, freebooters, or pirates, as they were known, were also a constant threat. It wasn’t unheard of for a passenger or shipmate to have a hidden agenda and let out information to his fellow swashbucklers about the destiny of his ship so they could intercept her while at sea. This was all the more reason to keep it confidential. Sometimes, crewmembers would become deserters during the trade wind season by jumping ship during an attack, often times to spare their lives.

The pirates often created their own temporary settlements on remote islands and set up a crude form of government that was much akin to what we would nowadays call a commune or cult. They preyed on galleons that were sailing the trade route and they remained nomadic enough to pick up and set sail when the word got out where they were hiding.

King Phillip had vowed to conquer Florida, but as it stood, a good number of French people were already establishing a small colony near the site of an inlet in the upper Florida peninsula.

The inlet was connected to a fresh water river and this was a prime location for the new settlement. Unfortunately, the French thought so too. They stood in the way of progress and were pirating his merchant ships that were sailing the trade routes in the Gulf Stream.

There was one particular vessel named St. Almas that was to be among the flotilla that carried an undisclosed store of finance for the building of the new township. She was loaded with gold and silver bars for minting into coinage as this one particular ship carried the bank role for the new settlement.

The galleons in the flotilla were also loaded with cannon and other armory destined to be installed at the fort they were going to build. During the journey, the armament would also protect the fleet from enemy ships. These weapons were highly sought after by pirates as they could use the guns and cannon as a means of capturing more galleons passing through the trade route.

King Phillip appointed a man by the name of Juan Petro to take charge of this particular vessel. Captain Petro had worked for the merchant line for over four years and had established a good reputation in his community. Juan had four children to support and his wife had become ill with a disease that was incurable, as many illnesses were back then. He had asked to be pardoned from this journey so he could tend to his sick wife, but the King found it more important for Juan to make ready to sail regardless of the situation. The longer they waited, the more of a foothold the French were going to have.

Juan was very angry with this and went off on his journey with an unending desire to quit the shipping when he returned. It wasn’t possible to reject orders from the King if you valued your life and a quick trial and lynching from the gallows were not uncommon.

AT SIX O’CLOCK in the morning, Juan awoke to the sound of the village church bell that called the townspeople to mass.

He reached up to light the lamp. It was fueled by whale blubber and hung on the wall over his bed.

Gently, he woke his children one by one to make ready for church.

Juan was busy helping his children get dressed, while his wife, Catrina, was already up trying to cut the hard bread that had been kept in the clay store.

Catrina didn’t have much strength in her hands to make the cut so Juan took the knife and carefully sliced the bread into thin pieces for each of them.

They sat down at the small oak table and Juan said a prayer before they started to eat. After they finished breakfast, they all got up from the table and Juan opened a drawer and grabbed the bible. Then they all headed out the door so they wouldn’t be late for church.

The bell usually stopped ringing after six rings unless there was an emergency or something else of importance going on in town.

Today was the day Juan was to embark on his sixmonth journey and he wanted to go to church with his family before he left.

He was feeling sad that he might not see them again. It was a dangerous job he was about to undertake.

As the family of six walked down the narrow bumpy stone street, the smell of baking bread permeated the air and the wonderful aroma brought a smile to Juan’s face. There was something about the smell that gave him a warm feeling, a sense of security.

Juan knew it would be a long time before he could be with his family again. There was something he had in mind that no one would ever have expected from him and he wanted to be sure that if anything went wrong with his plan, that his family would be cared for.

Large wooden doors were held open for them as they entered, following the line of people into the old church. Candles adorned the white stucco walls adding heat to the cool, early morning air. There was the sound of shuffling feet on the stone floor and low murmuring voices were heard as the townspeople crammed into the pews.

Prayers went out to the men who were about to depart on their journey.

Juan looked at Catrina and held her hand firmly. Though he had made many a voyage before, this one was going to be different. The time it would take to sail as well as to help establish the new settlement of St. Augustine could take more than just six months. Ten of the ships were to stay there permanently and he didn’t want her to know this.

The St. Almas and other nine vessels were to return to Spain to pick up more supplies, only after an agreement was made among the captains that the new community was well underway.

Juan was afraid that by the time all of this took place, he would return home to find his beloved wife had passed away. With this in mind, he held Catrina’s hand ever so tight. He fought back the tears as he knelt to say a prayer while he embraced his children as the early morning light beamed in through the stained glass.

Take care of my wife and my children and watch over them, I place them in your hands. Guide me on this journey to a safe harbor and may the sea and wind be in our favor.

Amen

Chapter Three

The Captain

Captain’s Journal

Oct. 14, 1533

IT IS FORTY-FOUR days since the St. Almas departed Port St. Mary. The crew is tiring and seventeen souls lost their lives, most of them from dysentery. It is difficult to keep water in large stores for safe drinking because the ship is already weighted down enough with the special cargo. We have cleared the coast of an isle called Cuba that hath great mountains that seem to run to the sea with the green jungle at her feet. A heavy fog came upon us from the west today making it impossible to see the entire island. It is time for me to make provisions for the men on the next isle we pass. We need more water and will need to stop and send men ashore to replenish our kegs. I am growing weary of this journey. After passing the Isles of La Florida, we will then turn east to an archipelago of isles we call Baha Mar that exists several miles away from the La Florida coast.

DAY FORTY-FIVE: There is a distant roar that sounds of waves crashing on a reef that may tear us apart from stem to stern. The crow’s nest watch hath alerted the crew to be on the look out for the shallows as we approach the Isles of the Florida. Last night, a watchman tumbled from his post to his death. He fell asleep in the nest and a wave tossed him down through the rigging for him to land on a cannon below. A proper burial at sea was commenced upon sunrise. I have since appointed a young man who hath no children to assume this task. I have known some of the crew from other journeys and there are good comrades among them.

DAY FORTY-SIX: It is nearing midnight and a gale is about to blow. All hands are on watch as there is a feeling in the air of impending doom. Such sounds of the crashing waves on the isles that we are following keep one from sleep. Every hour I have a deck hand drop the depth line to ensure we are clear of the bottom. At times, the moon sheds light on the crashing reefs outlaying the Florida isles, telling us to stay clear of them. There is a green glow in the water that I have seen during other expeditions that seems to set the water on fire when it is moved or disturbed. This light in the water makes the waves breaking on the reef appear green in the night. I have no understanding of what causes this mystical light except that we usually see it in the late summer while traveling the warm waters off La Florida coast. The mermaids that follow our bow seem to like this glow and play music with it. They charge ahead off our bow, chattering, and leaving a green trail behind them as they swim. They chase small fish for food, and seem to see them better when the glow is present because they too leave a trail behind. I have named some of these friends after my family to help remind me of them. They are playful beings and seem to be of a loving family. We need to keep to our northward heading as much as possible, but the direction of the waves may tell us otherwise. It is going to be another sleepless night. I need to rest but know I cannot, as I must guide the crew. I will now go up on deck to see the progress of the storm and check on the helmsman.

DAY FORTY-SEVEN: The wind and seas have worsened and the flotilla hath converged to gain safety as the gale hath turned into a hurricane and we are all being tossed about like toys on the water. I felt the rudder strike bottom once as we went down in the trough of a wave, but I do not think any damage hath been done. Some men are retching uncontrollably and have fallen overboard and lost their lives as they clung to the gunwales. The wind is howling as I sit below writing this, I cannot keep the pen full as the Ink slid off the table and I have only a dry quill, must stop for now.

DAY FORTY-EIGHT: I found a new ink bottle in the store over the table I have been writing on and have used hemp to tie it to the top so not to lose it again. The ship hath lost some sail to the wind but the hands have stitched up the tears and made good the damaged sails. The mountain of seas is still strong and the watch hath sighted only two other ships from our flotilla. I do not know if others have survived and we will not know for some time of this. It is difficult to stay below as the seasickness hath caused a stench below deck. Many of the men who are weak have come below to lie down because of the sickness and wallow in their own retch.

DAY FORTY-NINE: The storm hath taken seven of my hands and this leaves me with only twenty-four men to complete the voyage. King Phillip provided me with good sailors that have worked hard through the night. I may see if one of the other two remaining ships can give me use of a deck hand if we can get near one another in safety. The seas are calming, but the storm hath weakened the men and our rigging. We must stop for repairs and will do so in the morning. The rage that came upon us hath made us follow the waves to sail safely and we have been blown to the east of the islands of the Baha Mar. There is still no sight of other ships. Thus, there are only three of us together now. When the seas calm, I shall check all damage from the storm and assign to each man a deed. We shall commence repairs as able while underway and then find anchorage in the safety of an island for more serious repair work.

DAY FIFTY: The wind and sea hath calmed to bring the three of us together to speak to one another. I have ordered that we sail further northeast to the Baha Mar Isles off the La Florida coast to try to find others of our Flotilla. We are repairing our rigging as we sail with the Gulf Stream current and must stay in the stream to make for better passage. Many sails have been torn from the booms, and the damage to some of them is beyond repair. It will take many days to make the sails we can save wind ready again. The steerage is in need of repair and this would be better for the shallow seas near an island where a man can go overboard for a better look. We are taking on water at the helms post and will pack the rudder tight with hemp soaked in beeswax to make for a better seal.

DAY FIFTY-ONE: The watch hath sighted an isle to the east that is of the run of isles I have been looking for. The other ships must have been lost in the storm, seventeen out of twenty. If lost, they will be weak to pirates that may come upon them. There is a chance some of them survived and will continue to sail. We shall see when we arrive at our destination of St. Augustine. I pray that they survived the storm as they carried the armament to defend us in case of attack from pirates or other enemies we may encounter. To keep the ship from going down in a storm the cannons are cast overboard as a last resort to keep the weight below deck. Knowing this, pirates may seek ships after a storm and take them. Women would be kept and men killed or tortured if they do not convert to piracy. The St. Almas is now weak as it hath only two other ships to protect her from renegades and all we have are pistols that are good for only thirty paces.

DAY FIFTY-TWO: There is no sight of the other seventeen ships and we now call them as lost. We will drop anchor at an Isle that hath reef out lying of it. There is a bay with many of the mermaids about. I see families of them everywhere. Joyfully they are playing about while chasing one another, sometimes leaping high into the air to land on their belly to make a big splash. There are many Isles to choose from with a large one to the west that seems to disappear from sight. It would appear as the coast of La Florida but I know it as not. The St. Almas hath been good to us and we pray for mercy of God should we be found by pirates. The storm hath blown us to the East side of the island run as to place the isles between La Florida and us. There are many sizes and shapes of the islands. Some are no more than a spat of sand and rocks, yet others are many leagues long with many trees and rocky cliffs. The isles run in a row for as far as the eye can see. One can almost swim to the next isle from here