Which deals with the first Christian town on the island of Boriken or San Juan, and why it was moved to where it was rebuilt later.

Marta Candelas ’23

At the time that Juan Ponce ruled the island of San Juan, he founded the first Christian town on the northern coast of the island and named it Caparra. In it, he built a house of mud and mortar, and as time went on, he built another one of stone, for he was a man driven towards populating and building. But this town, due to the unsuitability of its location, was unhealthy and laborious, for it was surrounded by bushes and swamps, and its waters were brownish from iron and copper deposits, and the children did not prosper. Once the children were weaned, they became ill and turned the color of copper, and they got worse and worse until they died, and all the Christians were pale and ill. The town was a league from the sea, and in between there was nothing but swamps, making it hard to bring provisions to the village, which was founded in 1509. This republic or village remained there for around twelve years, until it was later moved to where it currently is, a small town built right on the bay where carracks used to unload; however, the village, where it is currently established, is really health, although the truth is that needful things are difficult to find, such as good water, firewood, and grass for the horses and to cover the roofs of houses; because most people acquire these and other things by sea, with canoes and boats.