ROBERT VENABLES. V 



ance of victuals and brandy on their fish-days ; when 

 the land-men had for four days in the week, but half 

 their proportions, the other three fish-days, only bread 

 and water. 



In this condition they left Barbadoes, March the 

 last, 1655. By the way they touched at St. Christo- 

 pher's, whence they took aboard a regiment of soldiers, 

 who had been raised in that island ; among whom they 

 were pleased to find two Englishmen, Cox and Bounty, 

 who had then lately come from Hispaniola, where the 

 former had lived twelve years, and served as a gunner 

 in the castle of St. Domingo. 



Now when they were far out at sea, a dormant 

 commission, not before discovered, was broken up, 

 whereby two others, Winslow and Butler, were joined 

 in commission, and equally empowered, with the two 

 generals Venables and Penn; and nothing was to be 

 done without their joint advice and orders: yea, when 

 on shore, Venables, (though he had by his own com- 

 mission a command of all the land-forces in chief,) yet 

 he was by this commission restrained from acting any 

 thing without the concurrence of the commissioners, 

 or such one, or more, of them as was present with him. 

 A great debate now arose between these Commissioners 

 about dividing the lion's skin, before he was caught, 

 which occasioned much heat among them, and gave 

 great dissatisfaction to the soldiers. There was a clause 

 in this joint commission, that all prizes and booties got 

 by sea or land should be at the disposal of the commis- 

 sioners, for the advance of the present service and de- 



