IZAAK WALTON AND HIS FRIENDS 65 



hastily from England in 1654. The two chiefs 

 did not get on well together. The men Venables 

 had to command were a raw rabble, and very 

 different from the men he had had under his 

 command when in Ireland. The expedition was 

 very badly equipped, much "stuff" being wanting. 

 After touching at Barbadoes, the troops landed at 

 Hispaniola, at the mouth of the Nizao, some twenty 

 miles from Santa Domingo, the city and port of the 

 island, without opposition.^ The march there was 

 attended with disaster, chiefly on account of want 

 of water. Venables fell ill, and it was deemed best, 

 after various encounters and many repulses, to 

 withdraw from the island altogether and try for 

 better fortune against Jamaica. This they had, 

 and the island was easily captured. It has ever 

 since remained part of our possessions. Penn was 

 now delighted of the excuse to return to England 

 in order to report on the affairs that had taken 

 place. Venables soon after followed. Cromwell 

 was greatly "discomposed" on hearing of the dis- 

 aster and "shut himself up in his room, brooding 

 over it." He considered that the West Indies, if 

 prosperous, afforded facilities for future attempts 

 on the American continent. On their arrival in 

 England, Penn and Venables were committed to 

 the Tower. " Have you ever read," said Cromwell 



' Lingai-d, in his History of England., Vol. VIII., gives the distance 

 as forty miles. 



E 



