(seq. 194)

East Florida

May. took Possession for his King, who at that time was Charles
the 9th. and built a Fort upon River May in Latitude 32, 07 which
he called Caroline.
11th. Philip the 2d being informed of it gave a Comission for
the Government of Florida to Pedro Melendez, with Orders to
drive away the French, recognize and survey the Coast, and remit a
Plan of it for the Director of his Subjects, who should navigate that
Coast; in consequence of which Melendez evacuated in 1563 (a)
Fort Caroline; and garrisoned it with Spaniards, which (as his
principal) Order being executed, he now proceeded to the Survey of
the Coast, without which he would not have been able to pitch upon
the most suitable Place for settling the Seat of his Government, doubtless
he chose it ascentrical as possible between the Havannah and Fort
Caroline, of course his Surveys would have brought him to Ayes
(now Hills borough) Inlet nearest, but the Entrance being double
barred with very little Water upon the Bars Channels, nor high
Land to settle within, he of course was obliged (no better Inlet being
to the Southward of it) to chuse the nearest to the North, Mushitoe
Inlet was the first, its Bar well provided with Water, but no Land to
command the Inlet, except what will be overflowed at every Spring
Tide, Melendez therefore was obliged to pitch upon the next
Northern Inlet, which he called St Augustin, although its Bar was
not much better stocked with Water than that of the Muskitoe's, ye
the Land which commanded the Road of the Inlet, and also the
open Sea had to its N.E. the River Talomeko, which separated
it from the Sea Coast forming the north side of the Road; also by
Matance Creek, which cuts from the Main Anastasia Island
to its S.E. to the West a Rivulet (he called St. Sebastian) which
made the Main to a small Peninsula, of which with little Ex=
=pence, and in a short time by a Fortification Line carreid across
from St Sebastian's Rivulet to Taloneks River may incompass
a Spot of Land to secure and accommodate 1000 Men if Occasion
of course Melendez gave St. Augustin the Preference which evidentally
appears

(a) the Expiration of the first & beginning of the second Spanish Epoche determining a half
Century spent with Effects of averice, signalized on the Continent of Florida.