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Content Enable editor Use plain text Code entry From Mose in Secondary Literature by Amy (The following letter was translated from another manuscript copy of the Archives of St Augustine; & not having been included in the first, is not placed in proper order) (198 May 13th 1740 Sir On the 9th inst. [instant] there went out from this port the bilander of Marcos de Torres, and ours under the command of Don Domingo de la Cruz; the first to pursue her voyage to your place, and the second destined for the Colony of Guarico, carrying six thousand dollars to buy flour and other provisions for the subsistence of this place, and at the begining [beginning] of the night a soldier came here from the watch-tower of the bar of Matanzaswith the sad news that Pedro de Echeverriamaster of the bilander of the said Marcos de Torreshad come to that place, stating that on the morning of the 10th our bilander was sailing two or three leagues beyond the bar of Mosquitosvery close to a frigate which seemed to carry 40 canons [cannons]; and that the frigate being on the land side began to fire and the bilander to defend herself bravely; and having captured her, she gave chace [chase] to the bilander of Marcosuntil they forced him to run her aground this side of the said bar. On the 10th I sent you, by the bar of Matanzas, the schooner of Bartme. [Bartalome] de Espinosa, and in her the 2nd lieutenant Don Joseph de Rivaswith a note for you, the duplicate of which accompanies this, showing to you the distress we are in from the want of provisions; and with this new fatal success of the enemy I find myself obliged to declare to you that we are in the extremest misery, without means of subsistence and blockaded by sea; for off this bar are a frigate and a packetboat, which have shown themselves on the 11th & 12th and another frigate is stationed of [off] the Cape Carnaveralon this coast; and thus it is certain that no small vessels you may send me can come here; under these circumstances we have agreed in a council of war to send you a schooner with this news; because with the knowledge of the extreme condition to which we have come, you will be pleased to send us succor by the greatest quantity of provisions possible in vessels of sufficient force to resist the three vessls [vessels] on this coast, for no other method of remedying it presents itself, and consequently an irreparable desolation will be spread over this place. I must inform you that this is the last news that I can send to you of the lamentable condition in which we are, for we fear that the Englishwill attack us by sea, and I assure you that I have no other force to defend this bar and that of Matanzasthan the two schooners, and the barge that has [deleted: been] left us not being sufficient to guard against an attack of the small vessels of the enemy that may be stationed among the keys, we have sent one of the six schooners to carry this melancholy news to you. From the authentic account sent from Apalacheyou will learn, that to keep in our side the Indians, or at least to make them remain neutral, nothing is so influential as a shop furnished with an abundance of all necessaries, and with a knowledge of these two subjects I supplicate you to do me the favor, with your great zeal in the service of the king, to despatch the most effective means for the important object to remedy both these pressing wants in the shortest time possible; because in its present condition this place depends solely on your aid for its preservation, as being without provisions it is impossible for us to preserve our lives. I avoid making hyperboles or exaggerations to you of the trouble in which we are, for knowing the quantity of provisions here and [added: the] the people that compose this population surpass 2400 you will understand, with your great discretion, the urgent necessity we have to be succored [succored] with the greatest possible despatch. P.S. I had forgot to say to you that from a courier I sent [deleted: from] to Apalachethe 13 of April I learn the condition of the Ucheesand that he had hard work to come here by the 10th of this month on account of the number of Indians friendly to the English, who had overrun the whole country; he brought the news that Pablo Rodriguezwho came with provisions to this fort was chased by an Englishbilander near Key West(Cayo [added: de] Huesos[added: Cayo de Huesos, key of bones, so called from the number of human bones found on it by the first Spanishdiscoveries. It is said that two tribes of Indians chose this island to settle an old feud by battle, and their remains thus gave a name to the island- it is now called by the EnglishKey West, and by the Spanish, still, Cayo Huesoor bone key.]) which run ashore, and not being able to follow, Pablo Rodriguezsent a piragua with 12 men and among them some Indians against whom they defended themselves with their two swivels and one firelock, and he escaped from them, although wounded in the breast by a ball; to fulfill my duty, I inform you that unless we occupy this coast it will be by chance that succor will come from Apalache- Manuel de Montianoto J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes.

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