Cayes, Coral, Tourism and Ethnicity in Belize Page: 28
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Pasiencia, Patience Point (de Cotilla, 1753) and Placentia. While names are not a reliable
indicator of settlement patterns, we could assert that different groups used this peninsula
as a refuge during times of bad weather. Placencia lies adjacent to Placencia Caye and
this small mangrove island acts as natural protection from rough seas during times of
turbulent weather. This natural harbor is still utilized today by boats sailing up and down
the Central American coastline. During periods of rough seas and bad weather it is not
unusual to see as many as fifteen sailboats or more anchored snuggly between Placencia
Caye and the peninsula.
Winzerling (1946) suggests that the Puritans of the Providence Company who
occupied the island of Providence off the coast of Honduras may have settled Placencia.
The Puritans first established themselves on the island of Providence, but they found the
soil worthless for agriculture. In 1631 they moved to the island of Tortuga and found it
was too exposed for an attack from the Spanish. Eventually they established themselves
on the Cockscomb Coast, now the Stann Creek District of Belize, where they were safe
from attack by the Spanish and the soil was fertile. Little evidence supports his claim at
present, however archaeological evidence indicates that permanent settlement was
established in the early 1800's (MacKinnon, 1989). Archaeological evidence does not
suggest that Placencia was a Puritan settlement however because of the name of Point
Patience we could infer that the Puritans were aware of this peninsula and the availability
of its natural harbor in times of bad weather.
Because little documented evidence for the origin of Placencia exists, I
interviewed older members of the village to learn the village history (See Figure 1).
According to one of the oldest members of the village, the physical appearance was once28
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Key, Carol. Cayes, Coral, Tourism and Ethnicity in Belize, dissertation, August 2002; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3239/m1/33/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .