St. Augustine, belonging to the Spaniards. It is generally laid down in our English maps to be 2 deg., 45 min., within the southern bounds of this Province. In the year 1686, one hundred Spaniards, wth Negroes & Indians, landed at Edistoe, (50 miles to the southward of Charles Town,) & broak open the house of Mr. Joseph Moreton, then Governor of the Province, & carried away Mr. Bowell, his Brother-in.law, prisoner, who was found murdered 2 or 3 days after ; they carried away all his money & plate, & 13 slaves, to the value of ₤1500 sterling, & their plunder to St. Augustine. Two of the Slaves made their escape from thence, & returned to their master. Some time after, Govr. Moreton sent to demand his slaves, but the Govr. of St. Augustine answered it was done without his orders, but to this day keeps them, & says he can't deliver them up wthout an ordr. from the King of Spain. About the same time they robbed Mr. Grimball's House, the Sec. of the Province, whilst he attended the Council at Charles Town, & carried away to the value of above ₤1500 sterlg. They also fell upon a settlement of Scotch men at Port Royal, where there was not above 25 men in health to oppose them. The Spaniards burnt down their houses, destroyed & carried away all that they had, because (as the Spands. pretended) they were settled upon their land, and had they at any time a superior force, they would also destroy this Town built upon Ashley & Cooper Rivers. This whole Bay was called formerly St. George's, which they likewise lay claim to. The Inhabitants complained of the wrong done them by the Spaniards to the Lords Proprietors, & humbly prayed them (as I have been truly informed) to represent it to His Maty., but they not hearing from the Lord Proprs., fitted out two vessels with 400 stout men, well armed, & resolved to take St. Augustine. But Jas. Colleton came in that time from Barbadoes with a Commission to be Govr., & threatn'd to hang them if they proceeded, whereupon they went on shore very unwillingly. The Spaniards hearing the English were coming upon them for the damages, they left their Town & Castle, & fled into the woods to secure themselves. The truth is, as I have been credibly informed, there was a design on foot to carry on a Trade with the Spaniards.
I find the Inhabitants greatly alarmed upon the news that the French continue their resolution to make a settling at Messasipi River, from [whence] they may come over land to the head of Ashley River wthout opposition, 'tis not yet known what care the Lord s Proprs intend to takefor their preservation. Some ingenious gentleman of this Province (not
