1676 Twenty years after the sinking of the Maravillas another salvage effort was made by Martin de Melgar of Havana. Melgar came to the Keys and with gifts of hatchets, knives, cloth, wine, and other articles for the caciques. At Matecumbe he dealt with a cacique named Rodrigo and at the Bocas (Bacas?) the cacique was Don Joseph. The names of the people hired at the Keys were Manuel Mariquin, Antonio Sanchez, Andres, Domingo, Augustine, Sebastian, Francisco, Pedro, Salvador, Martin, and Joseph.
The salvage went well until May 19th, when enroute to get water at Fabrica Island, Bahamas, two English sloops from Ciguatte (Eleuthera) discovered the salvors. The English were some 30 men total, and fired upon the Spanish and Indians. They were pirates, and through a circuitous route Martin de Melgar got away from them and arrived safely at Havana after being detained in the Keys for reasons not given.
1677 Martin de Melgar again sailed to the site of the Maravillas, after first sailing to the Keys in his ship La Machanga. From Cayo de Huesos (the Key of Bones - Key West) two Indians were recruited, then Melgar sailed up the Keys for others, with stops at Punta de Caguamas en Bahia Onda (Sea Turtle Point in Deep Bay), Cayo de Bacas (the Key of Cows - now written Key Vaca), and Cayo de Matecumbe.
Much treasure was recovered from the wreck, including over 1,000 worn pesos, which Melgar gave to the Indians to encourage them and secure their services in the future, he wrote. 1678 Perhaps encouraged by the news of the recent successful salvage of the 22-year-old Maravillas wreck, Havana Capt. Diego de Florencia and/or his contractor, Isidro de Mayorga, came to the Keys in the ship Nuestra Senora del Rosario y San Francisco to search for the Atocha, lost 56 years before! The Spanish went to Bahia Honda Key and recruited divers. They stayed there for 2 days and could not find more, so went to the pueblo at Cayo de Pinero staying 9 days and getting 9 divers. They also went to the Keys of the other coast (probably the Gulf islands on the west coast - Carlos) in search of divers. The Spanish also went to Boca Grande (Large Mouth), near Key West, but it is unclear if they spoke with any Indian people there. One of the Indians they hired was nicknamed the mulatto, another was named Juan.
This confirms what Calderon had written three years before: that there was a village on Bahia Honda, and another one on Pinero (Pine - now named Big Pine Key).
In a ship sailing past Cape Florida Edward Barlow saw, slightly to the north of the cape, several smokes and fires that the Ingeans did make, as we passed by the land, but we saw none of the country people, which are reported to be cannibals or man-eaters; for it is reported that ships have been cast away, and the men, escaping ashore there, have been destroyed in that manner by them Ingeans.
1679 Martin de Melgar was at the Maravillas wrecksite again with 25 divers, presumably Indians from the Florida Keys. Due to the threat of French pirates in the area he was accompanied by a warship. The French arrived at the Spaniards wrecksite and there was a battle at sea, the Spanish chasing the French pirates, until a cannon exploded and ignited nearby powder. Martin de Melgar and 35 others were killed in the explosion.
The French returned to the wrecksite and, like all the Spaniards before Melgar, worked the Indians mercilessly, for two months, after marooning non-essential Spaniards on a cay 30 miles away. Finally, the pirates left, now very familiar with the diving talents of the Florida Keys Indians.
Wanting to convert the Indians on the mainland and the coast facing Havana, the Governor of Florida first sent a party to explore the territory of Cacique Carlos.
1681 This year the pirates of the Caribbean and Bahamas met at Key West - over 200 ruthless white men and their ships were at the island home of the Cuchiagaros people.
1682 The Governor of Jamaica, Sir Thomas Lynch, wrote to Robert Clarke, Governor of the Bahamas, complaining of the activities of the men under him. It is known that your islands are peopled by men who are intent rather on pillaging Spanish wrecks than [on] planting, that they carry on their work by Indians kidnapped or entrapped on the coast of Florida. (Which statement explains why the pirates met at the Keys!)
The pirates attacked a Spanish ship from St. Augustine at Matecumbe. The Spaniards aboard fled to land, but, with the exception of five who hid in the woods, were captured by the pirates. There is no mention by the five (who later testified in St. Augustine) of any Indian people at Matecumbe. This indicates that the Indians had temporarily fled the Keys due to the kidnappings.
1683 There was still another pirate confab at Key West this year, preparatory to an attack on St. Augustine.
1687 Governor Andres de Munibe in Havana dispatched ships to the Caveza de los martires for information from the Indians, if they had seen the quicksilver ships that had been expected to be at the Dry Tortugas. The concern was that the enemy (pirates) had seized the ships.
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