anyone else, have anything to do with these Christians who are devils and will prove mightier than they; and that they may be assured that as for me, if I have to die, it will be as a brave man."

All of this was immediately reported and declared to the Governor by Johan Ortiz, the interpreter, that Christian who was found in the land, as the history has related.

The Indians that were taken in the manner described were carried and put in a wigwam with their hands tied behind their backs. The Governor went among them to recognize the chiefs, encouraging them in order to induce them to peace and harmony. He had them released that they might be treated better than the common Indians.

One of those chiefs, as they untied him, while the Governor was standing by, threw back his arm and gave the Governor such a tremendous blow that he bathed his teeth in blood and made him spit up much. For this reason they bound the chief and the others to stakes and shot them with arrows. Other Indians did many other deeds which cannot be fully described, as the historian said who was present.

Wherefore, the Governor seeing that the Christians with so few Indians and without arms were so hard pressed, not being less so himself, spoke as follows: "Would to God that those lords of the Council were here to see what it is to serve his majesty in this country!"

It is because the Council does know it (says Historian Oviedo) that they have ordered the tyrannies and cruelties to cease, and that the pacification of the Indians shall be carried on in a better way, in order that God and our Lord and his Imperial Majesty may be better served, and the consciences of the conquerors be more at peace, and the natives of the country no longer maltreated.

Tuesday, September 23, the Governor and his army departed from Napituca and came to the River of the Deer. This name was given to it because there the messengers from Ucachile brought thither some deer, of which there are many fine ones in that land. Across this river they made a bridge of three great pine trees in length and four in breadth. These pines are well proportioned and as tall as the tallest in Spain.

Florida pines typically grow to heights of 60 feet but often approach 100 feet. William Roberts in 1763 reported in his "First Discovery of Florida" that a trader

shipped to the Havana navy yard two topped-off pine masts each 84 feet long.

After the whole army had finished crossing this river, which was on the 25th of this month, they passed through on the same day two small villages and one very large one called Apalu. They came by nightfall to Ucachile.

In all these villages they found the people gone, and some captains went out to forage and brought in many Indians. They left Ucachile on the following Monday, the 29th, and having passed by a high monte they came at nightfall to a pine wood.

MEANING OF MONTE

The word monte in this context puzzles historians. It translates generally to either "small mountain" or "a woods" in the sense of a sizeable, compact, visual protuberance. It is incongruous, however, to speak of a high small mountain, or a high woods, as a notable landmark while coming to a pine woods. There are no mountains in Florida, and forests are so prevalent they are meaningless as bearings. Ranjel certainly had something else in mind.

Elvas describes the artificial earth structure at Ocita as a "monte." Garcilasco, whom we will come to, gives a detailed description of a huge mound at Ocachile which is the same locality here referred to. Hence, it is likely that Ranjel is noting an Indian mound of unusual size -- a novel feature to Spaniards for which they had no exact term. If so, a large mound, or site of a former mound, in north central Florida would be a useful landmark for scholars to consider.

Ranjel continues:

A young fellow named Cadena went back without permission for a (lost) sword, and the Governor was going to have him hanged for both offences, but by the intervention of kind persons he escaped.

Another day, on Tuesday the 30th of September, they came to Agile, subject to Apalache where some women were captured. They are of such stuff that one woman took a young fellow named Herrera, who stayed alone with her and behind his companions, and seized him by his private parts. She had him worn out and at her mercy. Perhaps, if other Christians had not come by who rescued him, the Indian woman would have killed him. He had not wanted to have to do with