The Migration from Surinam to Jamaica. 151 



carry, it is said, Sir John Yeamans [governor of Carolina] to Surinam to 

 transplant the English to Port Royal [in Carolina] ;" but there is no evi- 

 dence that Yeamans ever went to Surinam. 



In the summer of 1670 Commissioners were appointed to settle with 

 the Dutch as to the removal of the remaining settlers at Surinam. They 

 were Major James Banister, who had succeeded in getting free from his 

 imprisonment iu Holland, Captain Francis Yates, Thomas Santer, Lieu- 

 tenant Henry Masey, Captain James Maxwell, Lieutenant Tobias 

 Bateman, Captain Christopher Eendar, Henry Ayler, Richard Colvill and 

 John Ranger. Banister, Yates or Ayler had to be one of the three which 

 made a quorum. 



It was contemplated that the immigrants would settle at Barbados 

 or St. Kitts, or any other of the Leeward Islands or Jamaica, but in some 

 of the draft instructions reference to Jamaica was omitted. The Commis- 

 sioners were instructed to use their best endeavours to arrive as speedily 

 as possible at Surinam ; to deliver to the Governor the States' letters, 

 acquaint him with the tenor of His Majesty's Commission, and agree to a 

 place of meeting for settling all things. They were to insist upon 

 receiving leave to send on shore Major Banister or some other well acquaint- 

 ed with the planters, to let them know that none of the planters, his 

 Majesty's subjects, who shall within one year transplant themselves to any 

 of his Majesty's Colonies shall be liable for any debts confiscated to the 

 Dutch by virtue of the Articles made by Colonel William Byam ; and that 

 his Majesty had written to the Governor of the Caribbeans aud Jamaica to 

 apportion ground, and furnish them with provisions and other neces- 

 saries. They were to endeavour to delay the publication of the 10 days' 

 liberty to enter names, so that time might be gained fully to inform the 

 planters what course had been taken for their encouragement to remove 

 from Surinam. They were to press for punctual payment of debts from 

 the Dutch to the English, and to prevent any artifice for the detention of 

 the English ; but they were not to insist upon any demands so as to 

 make a breach. If the ships could not receive all, they were to en- 

 deavour to hire others. If the departure was hindered by the Governor, 

 they were to send one or both of the ships to England with an account 

 of proceedings. 



As soon as the ships were laden and freed from Surinam they were 

 to sail for the Leeward Islands or Jamaica, and land passengers. Finally 

 they were to send an account to the King, and discharge or otherwise 

 dispose of the empty ships and to inform his Majesty whether the Articles 

 of Surrender made by Colonel Byam had been punctually observed. 



William Byam, governor of Antigua, to whom the Surinam grapes 

 had, not unnaturally, a sour appearance, wrote to Lord Willoughby, 

 apparently in 1670, pointing out that the Dutch were unfortunate in 

 their colonies, and that if the English withdrew, it would be a &ad 



