We take pleasure in presenting to our readers information connected with St. Augustine never before published. It is composed largely of reports and letters to the King of Spain, much of it written by Pedro Menendez himself, and contains decrees and letters from the King to the Governor, Generals and Officers having charge of the Florida Provinces. It has been buried for over three centuries, in Seville, Spain. It is reliable, having been written in old Spanish and guarded with care. It contains

A. D. 1565. Royal Decree of King Philip II in regard to the further discovery and settlement of Florida—Officers appointed—Number of men to go in the Armada—Captains and men to be paid in advance, to increase diligence in service—Reports from the Armada after leaving—Pedro Menendez reports that the English and French have already settled here—Necessity of the Spaniards taking entire control of the country—Letter from the King to Pedro Menendez in regard to English and French settlers. To our off

A. D. 1565. Menendez reports that his army escapes from being made prisoners by the French on account of a tornado—The Council agree to make a land attack, the river being too much swollen for their transports—The Spaniards surprise and take Fort Matanzas without the loss of a single man, killing over two hundred Frenchmen and capturing Laudonnier—The Indians enchanted with the Lutherans—Shipwrecked Frenchmen found on the coast—With their hands tied behind them they are stabbed in the back by th

A. D. 1583-1596-1598. Report of Fernando Miranda, agent to the King—Complains of Governor—Espionage over vessels—Gives account of the work of the negroes—Haste makes it necessary to employ soldiers in repairing the Fort for which they were paid—Partial failure of crops increases the cost of living—Report of Bartolome De Arguellas giving account of rebellious Indians—Some of those captured were sent to Havana to be executed, others to be imprisoned—Casiques render obedience to the Governor who as

A. D. 1598. Extract from an official report made by Gonzalo Menendez Canso, Governor and Captain General of the Provinces of Florida, concerning the murder of six priests of the San Franciscan Order by the Indians—Lieutenant Eciga sent to see if any of the priests are still living—Ascertains that there is one, but is refused permission to see him—After much persuasion and many threats Friar Fray Francisco is delivered—Makes statement as to death of the others, but is forbidden by the canons of t

A. D. 1600. Letter from Father Francisco Parga to the King, as one of eleven monks sent out by his Majesty to spread the Gospel—Eighty churches in different Missions—Complaint of lazy Indians—Avarice of the Governor causes dissatisfaction and suffering among the garrison and impedes the work—Unnecessary war with Indians—People desire the Governors removal—Fray Baltazar Lopez has labored for twelve years converting many Indians, among them the Casique, Don Juan, who stands highly among his people

A. D. 1605-1608. Minutes of a Bull to be presented to the Holy See, asking concession of graces and powers for Catholic residents in Florida—Minorcan families brought a Priest and Monk with them, and wish privileges and new license granted—Instructions as to duties on wine—Priests and Monks of Tasco use municipal monies for their own interests—Advises change in office of Treasurer of the Royal chest—Loss of vessels carrying papers for his Majesty—People of the Kingdom gratified at favor shown by

A. D. 1622-1640. Report of Antonio Benavides to his Majesty—Endeavored to execute order of the King to establish friendly relations with the English of the Carolinas—Sent Don Francisco Menendez together with other Officers—The Mission a failure owing to the English not having instruction from London—Find that the English have built fort on Spanish territory—Requested its removal in order to avoid trouble between the two nations—The English Governor refused—Matter fully laid before his Majesty—Re

A. D. 1655-1657. An anonymous letter to his Majesty recounts the death of Governor Benito Ruid Salazer by a contagious sickness during the absence of the Sergeant Major—The office is held by two others pro tem.—They also died suddenly after serving a short term—Certain officials of the Garrison who are related meet at night and elect as Governor Don Pedro Ruitinez—Who intimidates the people and squanders the money sent for their support—The Treasurer a partner in the illegality, and the Judge re

A. D. 1662-1670. Report of Alonzo Aranqui y Cortez concerning the auditing of the accounts and condition of the Royal Treasury—Reports the finding of a large hill supposed to be a silver mine—Report of Juan Cebadilla to his Majesty—The Governor not to keep the keys of the Royal chest—The administration to be adopted with the negroes—Too much harshness shown the Royal employees—Francisco Guerra y Vega reports a Captain of the Garrison for indecency and offense to his superiors, for which same he

A. D. 1671-1673. ’Tis the judgment of the Court that Pedro Menendez received the title of Governor of Florida by right of conquest, Captain-General and Commander of the Fleet by appointment of the King, Don Felipe, the Second, as well as other positions of trust because of his valor and faithful service and that these titles shall be given to his legitimate heirs and for which same the Don Gabriel Menendez Tarres y Aviles doth petition and it is the judgment of this Court that said titles shall

A. D. 1675. Letters to the King from the Governor, Pablo Ita Salazer—The oath administered in the tower of the old Fort, which is tumbling down—The Garrison in want of supplies and ammunition—No warehouses—Exposed to the fatalities of the weather—The Fort in danger from pirates—Necessary to use Spanish daggers for the land side protection—More money badly needed to finish the works—Importance of the Castle to the Garrison—A pentagonal form recommended—A hundred men needed to guard the Castle—The

A. D. 1675. An effort to be made to dislodge the English from Santa Elena—Orders to complete the Castle—Appalache considered the best Province for settlement—Families from Yucatan for settlers, also the Carrabies—Supplies sent from New Spain—Barracks to be made in the Fort for the soldiers—Money sent to finish the new Castle, also supplies for the soldiers—The neighbors to assist in building the new Castle—Repairs on the bulwarks at Guale—Increase of troops ordered for St. Augustine—A Fortress o

A. D. 1680-1685. Letter from Pablo Ita Salazer to his Majesty—Indians of the Province of Guale ally themselves with the English and together with over three hundred men make war against the Spaniards of the Island of St. Catherine—Surprising and killing the sentinels, only one of whom escaped to warn the Garrison—The people gather in the convent of a Friar and defend themselves from daylight until four o’clock, when aid from this Garrison reached them—The enemy retires—Natives of the Island grea

A. D. 1689-1698. Letter of the Governor and Captain-General of Florida, Don Diego Quiroba y Losada, to his Majesty—Giving an account of a custom obtaining in the Garrison which he deems dangerous to its safety—That is, the ringing of the church bells at midnight, when the Host is taken out to administer communion to the dying until the same is returned, oftentimes lasting hours, which same drowns the fire of the sentinel across the river, who is to fire as many times as there are vessels sighted

A. D. 1708-1723. Letter from Francisco Carcoles y Martinez to his Majesty reports all possible measures taken to prevent the enemy from destroying this Province—The Indians, aided by the English who supply them with guns, ammunition, knives and pistols, come from the Indian villages bordering the Carolinas and carry off each day certain persons—Families and Christians taken off to be sold into slavery—More than ten thousand up to the present have disappeared—A treaty urged with the English of th

A. D. 1736-1739. In a letter to his Majesty Governor Señor Montiano says it is reported that Don Diego Oglethorpe has said openly “that should he receive orders from his Government to fix the boundary limits between the Spanish possessions and the Carolinas he would so delay the execution that there should never be a sign of these limits”—Montiano thinks it would be wise for such a gentleman to be removed as it can never be possible to discuss questions of importance with him—In A. D. 1738 the s

A. D. 1741-1743. Conduct of the Christians worse than the heathen—Soldiers guarded while they are cutting timber to repair the Fort—The Castle in a tumble-down condition—The Garrison to be maintained for the propagation of the Holy Gospel, and to shelter the workers of the Apostolic faith—A paper of representation to his Majesty concerning the properties belonging to the Treasurer, Don Francisco Menendez, deceased, left by will to the Royal Treasury—The pressing need of the Infantry of this Garr

A. D. 1770-1771. A letter of resolution to his Majesty in respect to a letter of appeal made to the Governor and the Bishop of Havana asking for patent and Holy oil to administer baptism and extreme unction to the Catholic families taken from the Island of Minorca by the English—These families bringing with them one Don Pedro Campos, Doctor of Sacred Theology, as a Parish Priest, and Don Bartolome Casanovas, of the St. Augustine order, Vicar—These same claiming to have received their appointment

A. D. 1771. The opinion of the Judge, after having examined the different letters from the Bishops and those in authority connected therewith and after making thorough investigation into this matter concerning the granting of the patent and graces asked for by these Priests of the Minorcan families of the English colony of Florida—The Bishop of Cuba for the Council to Dr. Don Pedro Campos and the Rev. Father Bartolome Casanovas, extends to these Priests the title of Parish Priest and Vicar—Also

A. D. 1773. Proceedings of the Council upon information obtained from his Majesty’s Minister at the Court of Rome concerning the appeal made by the Parish Priest and Vicar of the Catholic families established in the English territory of Florida—The matter contained in the different Bishops’ letters, also the letters of the Priest and Vicar asking for patent and further privileges rehearsed—A report of the condition of the said Minorcan families who are dissatisfied with the lack of spiritual com