My first attempt at night photography was taken at Matanzas Inlet, Florida in 2006.  It was on a full moon, and I decided to experiment with tungsten slide film.  After doing some reading, estimating exposure and taking careful notes, I come out with these shots of the concrete pilings at the mouth of the Matanzas River off A1A.

A brief history of the Matanzas Inlet is below.

Moonlit Matanzas
Image # 059

Midnight at Matanzas Inlet
Image # 058

Images taken on Fujichrome T64 II, Mamiya RZ67 Pro II, 65mm L-A lens

How Mantanzas Inlet got its’ name

Matanzas Inlet has always been a favorite of fishermen and beach goers to the area.  This beautiful stretch of beach is also rich in history.  Fort Matanzas was constructed at the mouth of the inlet to protect St. Augustine from attack to the south.  Matanzas Inlet also has a very bloody history that many people may not know about.  The name “Matanzas” comes from an event that had happened here in 1565.

The word “Matanza” means “slaughter or butchery” in Spanish.

In 1565, Spain claimed the state of Florida as it’s territory.  The French also wanted to stake her claim in the new world and established a fort along the St. Johns River in present day Jacksonville and called it Fort Caroline.  King Philip II of Spain was angered when he learned of the establishment built on land claimed by the Spanish crown.  Fort Caroline was a threat to the Spanish fleet as they sailed to Spain with their cargo.

In May of 1565, Jean Ribault set sail from France with 600 men to resupply Fort Caroline.   Spanish General Pedro Menéndez de Aviles also sailed in May and arrived in August with more than 800 men, shortly after Ribault reached Fort Caroline.  After a brief chase at sea, the Spanish settled south to an Timucuan Indian village called Seloy.  The Spanish settled the area and called it “Saint Augustine”.

On September 10, Ribault and his men attempted to attack the new village of St. Augustine but his ships were pushed to the south in a hurricane where they wrecked near present day Daytona Beach.  Since most of the men from Fort Caroline were at sea with Ribault, Menéndez overrun Fort Caroline, killing nearly all the men and captured the women and children, sending them to Havana.

Menéndez learned from the local Timucuan Indians that there were a part of white men just south of St. Augustine.  He marched with 70 men to the inlet where 127 shipwrecked Frenchmen were trying to get back to Fort Caroline.  With a captured Frenchman translator, Menéndez described how Fort Caroline had been captured and urged the French to surrender.  Having lost most of their weapons and food in the shipwreck, the French surrendered.  Menéndez demanded that they give up their protestant faith and accept Catholicism or die.  Most refused, and 111 defenseless Frenchmen were killed.

Two weeks later, more French survivors were captured at the inlet including Jean Ribault.  This time 134 Frenchmen refused to give up their faith and were also killed.  From that point in history the inlet was named Matanzas.

Matanzas Inlet
Image # 061