In 1745, however, the Uchizes made a seemingly sincere request that the trading post be re-established in Apalache. Whether they longed for Saldivia’s heady liquor or whether the English were becoming less liberal with their presents is not clear, but the Indians were pressing the governor for a new store and promised him their allegiance if it were re-established. Soldiers in Apalache, probably eager for the benefits that a trading post might bring, pointed out that the English gifts were the only reason the Uchizes were not on the Spanish side. Late in 1745, therefore, Montiano yielded to this plea and to the king’s order by setting up a trading post in Apalache with a few meager items he could spare from his warehouses in Saint Augustine. This new store was a miserable failure. With little to offer the Indians in return for their furs or their friendship, the tienda was ineffective in inducing better relations with the natives. In fact, the garrison in Apalache had so little it could hardly survive. In February, 1746... (Tepaske GSF)