The Introdudion. IXxxVii 
rocky and barren, and this fruitful and rich in Soil, and eafily to 
be clear’d, and of a very rich Mould, well water’d with Rivers, 
and Springs to be had for digging a few Feet deep. They had 
planted Caffada, Yams, Patatas, Indian-Corn, and other Provifions 
with fome few Sugar Canes. Since this the Anglifh have again poffel- 
fed this Ifland, and I am told have now Captain Sharp, formerly an 
Englifh Commander in the South Seas, for their Commander. The Go- 
vernor of Anguilla had beat fome Spaniards off with the lofs of fome 
of their Men, with the help of only fifty Soldiers, and had defir’d 
leave of the Governour of the Windward Iflands to fettle ic again. 
The Spaniards in this Attempt were thought to have had Bear a Pirat 
with them, and to be fent out by the Governour of Santo Domingo. 
The Spaniards are very barbarous to all Nations in thefe parts where 
they are fuperior. They think they have the only right to the We/t- 
Indies, and it was a long time ere they would hear of any Treaty 
with European Nations. ‘This was the firft rife of the Privateers, Bu- 
caniers or Freebooters, who confifted of all Nations except Spaniards, 
from whom they often took great Riches, and as eafily parted with 
them to the people of their own Nations. 
A Matter of a Sloop from Anguilla, related to me that this Bear a 
notorious Englifh Pirat, under a Spanifh Commiffion, had made a 
defcent on that Mfland, and barbaronfly handled threefcore Families 
of Englifh which lived : in it fuch treatment is very ordinary in thefe 
parts of the world where the Inhabitants are not able to defend them- 
felves, and {mall Iflands often on this account change Matters, “This 
ifland is reckoned amongft the Caribe or Leeward Mlands, and is under 
the Government of their Captain General orGovernor. . 
Some Turtlers being at the South Cayos off of Guba, had been robb’d 
by a Periagua, fent by the Governor of Hlavana ; they were ftripr, 
and the Spaniards talk’d of putting them all into one Sloop, and 
burning them in it. The Turtle-fifhery there, and at the Caymanes 
were thought by Sir Henry Morgan co be ours by right, feeing it could 
be prov'd by feveral at Jamaica, that thofe were in the Poffeffion of 
the Englifh atthe time when the Treaty between Spain and England 
concerning the We/t-Indies was ended at Madrid. The fame is co be 
faid of the Turtle-fifhing ac the Ifland Vaches, off of Fl'/paniola, pre- 
tended to by the French of the (land Tortugas. This Iland Tortugas 
or Tortue, lies a little off the North-Welt fide of Hifpaniola. Ic was 
planted by the French fome years ago, and from chat {mall Ifland 
they have {pread themfelves over a great part of the North-fide of 
that large Iland, where they have a Governor ftiled Gouverneur des 
Cotes de St. Domingue. They have pretended lately to a right to the 
fle des Vaches or Afh. : 
There 
