swamtok] EARLY HISTORY OF THE (KEEK INDIANS 221 
Cabrera, the governor of Florida, it appears that, shortly before, 
the Spaniards had undertaken an expedition against the Creek 
Indians and had burned several of their villages. The letter states 
that two of four Apalachee Indians sent among the Apalachicolas 
[i. e., Lower Creeks] as spies had returned the day before. He con- 
tinues as follows: 
They report that they have visited, as I ordered them to do, all the places of said 
province, where they were well received, except at Casista and Caveta. The people 
of these two places had sent them two messengers before they reached the said vil- 
lagee, telling them that they did not want them to come there, because they were 
from Apalache and consequently their enemies. Thus they should not try to go 
there, for they would not have peace. Notwithstanding, the spies resolved to go 
there, risking whatever might happen to them, sending word with the last messenger 
[senl themj that they were not Apalachinos, but Thamas, and that they did not come 
I'm- any other reason than to see their relatives and buy several things, and that there- 
fore they should permit them to come. And the two spies arriving near these two 
places at the time when they [the inhabitants of both villages] were playing ball, 
they remained there until the game was ended without anybody in the meantime com- 
Lng to them, although one of them had relatives there. And when they approached 
( 'asista, the cacique of that village came to meet them before they could enter it, 
and he asked them where they were going. Had he not told them not to come into 
his village? That besides there not being anything to eat in the village, nobody 
would speak to them; that he knew that they were sent for a certain purpose; that 
consequently they were his enemies and should not come to his village. Being 
given a canoe to cross the river, they went to Tasquique, where, as well as in Colome, 
they were very well received and entertained. These people told them that although 
the Christians had burnt their villages they were patient [forbearing], because they 
knew it was their own fault, although it had been mainly the fault of the caciques 
of ( asista and Caveta, who had deceived and involved the rest of them, bringing the 
English in and forcing them to receive them and go into the forests, for which cause 
their village had been burnt down. That if another occasion should arise [that 
the Spaniards should come] they would not flee for they knew now how the Spaniards 
acted . At Caveta they received them the same way as in Casista, giving them to un- 
derstand that although they were sowing, they had no intention of remaining there. 
The said spies say that in those two places there is not a thing done or begun, whereas 
at the other two, i. e. Colome and Tasquique, there are a great many [things] as well 
accomplished as started. 1 
From the text it is impossible to say where the four towns men- 
tioned were located, but the reference to a river combined with our 
later knowledge regarding these Indians indicates the Ocmulgee. 
In 1695 an expedition, composed of 7 Spaniards and 400 Indians, 
marched against the Lower Creeks to seek revenge for injuries in- 
flicted upon them in numerous attacks. They reached the town 
sites of the "Cauetta, Oconi, Casista, and Tiquipache." In one 
they captured about 50 Indians; the others were found burned 
and abandoned. 2 After the Yamasee war the Kasihta settled on the 
1 Serrano y Sanz, Doc. Hist., pp. 193-195; also Lowery MSS. The first writer dates this letter 1606 
instead of 1086. 
1 Serrano y Sanz, Doc. Hist., p. 225. 
