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 POMPONIUS MELA the fleets of Octavius ; but again by his inac- tivity he let the moment for decisive action slip by, and quietly permitted his enemies to equip new armaments. In the summer of 36 three large fleets sailed from different points upon Sicily, but were so shattered by a storm that the attack proved abortive. With fatal infatuation Sextus again allowed Octavius to recover from this disaster, and in Septem- ber of the same year the triumvir's fleet, com- manded by M. Vipsanius Agrippa, completely defeated his own in a fight off Naulochus on the coast of Sicily. He fled to Asia Minor, and, after vain endeavors to wrest the eastern provinces from Antony, was captured and put to death by the triumvir's legate, M. Titius. POMPONIUS MELA. See MELA. POMPTINE MARSHES. See PONTINE MARSHES. PONCAS, a tribe of Indians in Dakota terri- tory, a branch of the Dakota family. They were originally part of the Omahas, and re- sided on the Red river of the North. Here they were attacked by the Sioux, and, after losing greatly in numbers, emigrated beyond the Missouri, and built a fortified village on Ponca- river. They united for a time with the Omahas, but have generally kept apart. Their constant pursuit by the Sioux kept them wan- dering and reduced them to a very wretched condition. At the beginning of this century their numbers were very small, but after the coming of Lewis and Clarke, and the treaties of June 28, 1817, and June 9, 1825, they rallied rapidly. In 1822 they were estimated at 750, and this has since been their average popula- tion. Then a large majority were women, the men having been cut off during the long hunts on which they mainly depended. They claimed the land from Iowa creek to White Earth river. On March 12, 1858, they sold their 'lands to government and went on a reservation near the Yanktons. The compensation, in instal- ments, was to be $185,000, with the support of a school and agricultural aid. But their crops failed, and they were killed by Sioux parties and even by soldiers. A new treaty, March 10, 1865, gave them a reservation of 576,000 acres of bottom lands, near the junction of the Missouri and Niobrara, where they formed three villages. They had no arms for hunting or defence ; there was no game on the reserva- tion, and agriculture, from floods and locusts, had been frequently a failure. In the distri- bution of agencies the Poncas were assigned to the Protestant Episcopal church. Soldiers were sent in 1874 to protect them. They then numbered 730, 132 being half-breeds. PONCE, Pedro, a Spanish Benedictine, born in Valladolid about 1520, died at the convent of Ona, in Old Castile, in 1584. He is believed to have been the first instructor of deaf mutes in articulation. (See DEAF AND DUMB, vol. v., p. 730.) Sir Kenelm Digby's account of Ponce and his method is supposed to have been the means of calling the attention of Wallis and Holder, and perhaps also of Dal- PONCE DE LEON 699 garno, to the education of deaf mutes. Ponce wrote a treatise in Spanish, now lost, in which he explained his methods, and laid down rules for the instruction of the deaf and dumb. PONCE DE LEON, Juan, a Spanish discoverer, born in Leon about 1460, died in Cuba in 1521. He distinguished himself in several campaigns against the Moors of Granada, and, accompany- ing Columbus on his second expedition in 1493, became commander of the eastern province of Hispaniola. He made an expedition to Porto Rico in 1508, and in 1509 finally reduced the island, which he governed with severity till the family of Columbus caused his removal. He was then advanced in years ; but his love of adventure being still strong, and he having heard of the existence of a fountain which could restore youth and beauty, he set out from Porto Rico in search of it, March 3, 1513, and, after visiting most of the Bahamas, he descried on Easter Sunday land which he took to be an island, and to which, from the magnificence of the vegetation and from the day of its discovery (Span. Pascua Florida), he gave the name of Florida. On April 8 he landed some miles N. of the present site of St. Augustine, and took possession of the coun- try in the name of the king of Spain. He spent several months in cruising, doubled Cape Florida, sailed among the group called by him Tortugas, and finally returned to Porto Rico, leaving behind one of his followers to con- tinue the search. In 1513 he went to Spain and was appointed governor of Florida; but he was not able to undertake its colonization till 1521, when he was severely wounded by the natives, and withdrew at once to Cuba. PONCE DE LEON, Lnis (usually called in Spanish Fray Luis DE LEON), a Spanish lyric poet, born in Granada about 1527, died in Madrigal, Aug. 23, 1591. He entered the Augustinian order at the age of 16, became licentiate in theology in 1560, and doctor of divinity shortly afterward, and at the age of 34 obtained a professorship of theology at Salamanca, where he himself had studied. Ten years later he was made professor of sacred literature. For the benefit of some friends he made a literal version of the Canticles into Castilian ; and the manu- script falling into the hands of his enemies, he was brought before the inquisition of Valla- dolid in 1572, on a charge of Lutheranism. He was fully reinstated in December, 1576. His original productions, which stand at the head of Spanish lyrical and heroic poetry, are few but remarkable alike for elevation of style and purity of diction ; the best are La profecia del Tajo, La vida retirada, La im,' mortalidad, La nocne serena, and La Ascension. They were first published by his friend Que- vedo in 1631. His most popular prose work ishiaPerfecta casada, or "Perfect Wife," a treatise in the form of a commentary on por- tions of the book of Proverbs. Among his other prose works are the Exposition de los Salmos and De los nombres de Cristo. The