EAST-FLORIDA 239 



banana plants, but it was always found that most of 

 the winters (in temperature quite as uncertain as 

 throughout the rest of America) were too severe for 

 them. 



In war-times Augustin was an advantageous and 

 safe port for the English privateers to slip into; here 

 they could with all ease lurk for the rich Spanish ships 

 coming from the Havannah through the Gulf of 

 Florida. In peace-times many little vessels are busy 

 looking out stranded ships along this dangerous coast, 

 as is the custom also of the inhabitants of the Bahama 

 islands. They have on board skilful divers, through 

 whose efforts considerable treasure in silver and other 

 commercial wares is fetched up not seldom from 

 sunken vessels. Of what is saved in this way from 

 wrecks, -$ must be given in to the Governor. If one 

 living soul is found on board the unlucky vessel, all 

 that is saved falls to the actual owner, and only a cer- 

 tain portion, called ' salvage,' is paid these people. 

 Should there be none alive, the finders appropriate 

 everything, less the Governor's tithe, which is estima- 

 ted by themi on the total value in no very definite 

 fashion. 



The Spanish cannot promise themselves any great 

 advantage in receiving back the two Floridas. As 

 formerly, the neighboring Indians, the Musquitoes, 

 Cherokees, especially the Lower Creeks, who live on 

 the Apalichicola and Flint rivers and are the most 

 numerous of this region, will continue their im- 

 placable enemies, confining them quite to the garrison, 

 so that in all likelihood the settlement of the country, 

 now well begun, will be abandoned, and Augustin as 

 before will have none but soldiers and monks for in- 



