In Guale the governor faced still another problem. Here the issue concerned the request of the Guale Indians living on San Juan Island to move inland to a new village. Unhappily situated on their island setting, the Guales wanted to make a new life for themselves in a town in the interior nearer Saint Augustine. Zuniga was reluctant to grant this request. San Juan commanded the mouth of the Saint John’s River, and removal of the Indians would weaken colonial defenses. Yet he still made an attempt at a compromise. He agreed to allow a majority of the natives to move into the hinterland if a few would remain on the island. [Note 8: gov to king 6/22/1701] The Guales were unreceptive to the plan. They did not wish to divide their village and refused to acquiesce to the governor’s proposal. But because of the English invasion, a showdown never occurred. (Tepaske GSF)