92 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 73 
merely the Indian name of the St. Simons mission. The San Felipe 
mission must have been a comparatively new one; it evidently had 
nothing to do with the former Fort Felipe at St. Helena, which had 
been long abandoned. 
An entirely different view of this Indian movement is given in a 
letter from the King of Spain, dated September 9, 1688, from which 
it appears that the chiefs and natives of Guale had asked to be 
settled where they could enjoy more quiet and had chosen the 
islands of San Pedro, Santa Maria, and San Juan. It was, however, 
decided to assign them the last two of these, and instead of San 
Pedro a third nearer St. Augustine, called Santa Cruz. 1 
An interesting glimpse of these missions is furnished us by the 
Quaker Dickenson in 1699, when he and his companions who had 
been shipwrecked on the southeast coast of Florida passed north 
from St. Augustine on their way to Carolina. He says: 
Taking our departure from Augustine [Sept. 29] we had about 2 or 3 leagues to an 
Indian town called St. a Cruce, where, being landed, we were directed to the Indian 
warehouse [town house]. It was built round, having 16 squares, 2 and on each square a 
cabin 3 built and painted, which would hold two people, the house being about 50 feet 
diameter; and in the middle of the top was a square opening about 1 5 feet. This house 
was very clean; and fires being ready made nigh our cabin, the Spanish captain made 
choice of cabins for him and his soldiers and appointed us our cabins. In this town 
they have a friar and a large house to worship in, with three bells; and the Indians 
go as constantly to their devotions at all times and seasons, as any of the Spaniards. 
Night being come and the time of their devotion over, the friar came in, and many of 
the Indians, both men and women, and they had a dance according to their way and 
custom. We had plenty of Casseena drink, and such victuals as the Indians had pro- 
vided for us, some bringing corn boiled, others pease; some one thing, some another; 
of all which we made a good supper, and slept till morning. 
This morning early [Sept. 30] we left this town, having about 2 leagues to go with the 
canoes, and then we were to travel by land; but a cart was provided to carry our provi- 
sions and necessaries, in which those that could not travel were carried. We had about 
5 leagues to a sentinel's house, where we lay all night, and next morning travelled 
along the sea shore about 4 leagues to an inlet. Here we waited for canoes to come for 
us, to carry us about 2 miles to an Indian town called St. Wan's [San Juan's], being on 
an island. We went through a skirt of wood into the plantations, for a mile. In the 
middle of this island is the town, St. Wan's, a large town and many people; they have 
a friar and worship house. The people are very industrious, having plenty of hogs, 
fowls, and large crops of corn, as we could tell by their corn houses. The Indians 
brought us victuals as at the last town, and we lay in their warehouse, which was 
larger than at the other town. 
This morning [Oct. 2] the Indians brought us victuals for breakfast, and the friar 
gave my wife some loaves of bread made of Indian corn which was somewhat ex- 
traordinary; also a parcel of fowls. 
About 10 o'clock in the forenoon we left St. Wan's walking about a mile to the 
sound; here were canoes and Indians ready to transport us to the next town. We did 
1 Brooks, MSS. Miss Brooks has given the name of this king as Philip IV, but he was long dead and 
Charles II was on the throne. For the location of these islands see p. 51 and plate 1. 
2 This term seems to be applied to the spaces between the vertical wall timbers. 
» Old name for a bed raised on posts close to the wall of an Indian house. 
