Human relationships are always complex and impossible to accurately characterize in brief statements. We have therefore decided to present descriptions of a few events that took place in order to provide some insights into the nature of Spanish-Apalachee interaction. These will hopefully provoke thought and discussion.

1 - "Each year from Apalachee alone more than three hundred are brought to the fort [in St. Augustine] at the time of the planting of the corn, carrying their food and the merchandise of the soldiers on their shoulders for more than eighty leagues with the result that some on arrival die and those who survive do not return to their homes because the governor and the other officials detain them in the fort so they may serve them and this without paying them a wage..." (Moral 1676 in Hann 1988:140).

2 - "It became customary for many settlers to compel Indian men and women to work for them, often without pay. Juana Caterina de Florencia, the wife of deputy-governor Jacinto Roque Pérez, was one of the worst offenders in this regard, requiring the village of San Luis to furnish six women for the grinding of meal every day without payment, another Indian to bring in a daily pitcher of milk from the country, and other services. She even slapped the face of one hapless chief who failed to bring her the expected fish one Friday" (Hann 1988:143).

3 - "Both Matheo Chuba and Mendoza [Apalachee leaders] were taunted by Matheos [Spanish lieutenant Antonio Matheos] for their clerical ties. Chuba, in his testimony, recalled that in one of his encounters with the lieutenant, Matheos remarked, "You have been very involved in the convent. It would be best that you become sacristan." Mendoza complained that for two years the lieutenant had constantly made fun of him for his work for the church as catechist, acolyte, and language teacher to the friars (Matheos Trans., Phase I, pp. 76).

4 - "After being upbraided by the lieutenant, one of the Indian leaders [Matheo Chuba] was described as having "gone to his lodge and plaza crying, and that the Spaniards who lived around the said plaza, had consoled him"" (Hann 1988:206).

5 - "In one of the most unsettling of these incidents Matheos [Spanish lieutenent Antonio Matheos] clapped into irons two of San Luis's principal leaders, Matheo Chuba and the inija, Bi Bentura, when they asked for permission to go to St. Augustine to complain to the governor about his deputy's conduct. Only those leaders' calming of the agitated Indians who came to ask what they should do and the intercession of some of the Spaniards prevented a possibly serious incident" (Hann 1988:227).

6 - "As the bad treatment has come to his honor's attention, which the adjutant Antonio Matheo, lieutenant of the province of Apalachee, inflicts on its natives and Spanish inhabitants...over more than two and one-half years that he has governed the province, as has been confirmed by the repeated complaints...received by his predecessor, and, in particular, those that the majority of the caciques...presented by their letter as well as those [presented] in person...A result was his honor's predecessors giving the sergeant-major Domingo de Leturiondo a commission to conduct an inquiry...without any remedy having been seen to have been applied for such obviously evil consequences" Gov. Pedro de Aranda y Avellaneda, Auto authorizing inquiry, April 22, 1687 (Matheos Trans., Phase I, pp. 65-67).

7 - The notary Alonso Solana confirmed Gov. Márques Cabrera's appointment of Leturiondo to conduct the said inquiry and that after Leturiondo began with testimony by Matheo Chuba, a leading Indian from Apalachee and Chuba stated that "he and the natives of...Apalachee are very unhappy with the said lieutenant because he mistreated them verbally and by other injuries..." When the governor learned of this statement, he sent for Leturiondo and the notary "and with great annoyance and anger he ordered them to repudiate the said testimony and [stipulated] that the

8 - Testimony at San Luis by ensign Juan Ximénez, May 29, 1687, before Francisco de Fuentes. "It is true that the said adjutant Antonio Matheos...treated its natives badly both in word and deed, giving them blows with a stick...and [berating] them with foul and obscene words with which he was wont to insult them and treat them rudely...employing them in tasks of bringing in lumber. And this said witness has seen and heard the clamor of all the Indian places as well as of this garrison's soldiers about the grievances because of his orders...And that he also made some Indians going to St. Augustine for the planting carry some burdens without paying them what is customary..." (Matheos Trans., Phase I, pp.70-72).

9 - From 1688 letter written by chiefs of Apalachee to the king. "...although we are ignorant persons...we make thought with our heart, that the soul belongs to our creator, God, and our body and the government of it, this belongs to our head, which you are, whom we recognize as our great chief and our noble King...And that just as the plants eat, live, and sustain themselves from the dew that comes

10 - Statement of Bip Bentura, San Luis, principal inija and mandador, May 31, 1687. "...he stated that it is true that the said ynixa [Bip Bentura] has comported himself well with the adjutant Antonio Matheos, obeying him in everything that he has ordered him [to do] and paying attention to him with the respect that is due, desiring to please him in everything. And that on one occasion the lieuenant Antonio Matheos said that everyone was to come out for the preparation of the fields and for the work of the planting and that he had learned that the people did not appear for it and that the said mandador ynixa was to blame and that if the Indians missed the said work in the future, he was going to hang him. And he made the judgment that the lieutentant could say that as he was his superior, but that he was living with his heart somewhat grieved" (Matheos Trans., Phase I, pp. 95-96).

ission San Luis is open to the public Tuesday-Sunday 10-4. Admission is free. For special tour arrangements or information on living history and educational programming, please call (850) 487-3711. Archaeological and historical research staff may be reached at (850) 487-3655.