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fiderable fettlement here, but which was already- 

 reduced to a very low eftate, when in 1704 it was 

 entirely deftroyed by the Englifh of Carolina, ac- 

 companied with a great number of Alibamou Indi- 

 ans. The Spanifh garrifon, confiding of thirty- 

 two men, were made prifoners of war *, but the 

 Indians burnt feventeen of them, amongft whom, 

 were three Francifcan friars ; and of feven thou- 

 fand Apalaches which were in this canton, and who 

 had almoft all embraced the chriftian religion, 

 there now remain only four hundred at St. Mark, 

 who retired hither from the coaft of the Maubile, 

 where moft of the nation now dwell. 



The forefts and meadows near the fort are full 

 of buffaloes and horfes, which the Spaniards fuffer 

 to run about wild, and fend out Indians to catch 

 them with noofes as they want them. Thele 

 Indians are likewife Apalaches, who had probably 

 retired to a diftance during the irruption of the 

 Englifh, and who came back after thefe were gone 

 away. Moreover, this bay is precifely the fame 

 that GarcilafTo de la Vega calls, in his hiftory of 

 Florida, the port of AutL The fort is built on a 

 fmall eminence furrounded with marfhes, and a 

 little above the confluence of the two rivers, one of 

 which comes from the north- eaft, and the other 

 from the north-weft. Thefe are narrow and full 

 of alligators, but for all that well flocked with 

 fifh. 



Two leagues higher, on the river of the north- 

 weft, ftands a village of the Apalaches, and ano- 

 ther a league and an half from the firft, within the 

 land. This nation, formerly exceeding numerous, 

 and which, divided into feveral cantons, occu- 

 pied a vaft extent of country, is now reduced to 

 Z 2 • , a very 



