The Migration ftom Surinam to Jamaica. 161 



When they cleared from Surinam they were to sail for Barbados, St. 

 Kitts, Jamaica or other of the Leeward Islands as the settlers might 

 desire. 



The fleet sailed on the 6th April, 1675. The Commissioners went 

 out well armed with all necessary papers. They reached Surinam on the 

 3rd of June, and on the 4th delivered their letters to the Governor " who 

 received them civilly." By the 9th the Hunter and the hired ships 

 arrived. 



The Advice boat had arrived on March 28th. Those English w h 

 were then at Surinam all wanted to go to Jamaica, and the Commission 

 thought that they would be worth four times the number of people from 

 Europe by reason of their seasoued constitutions, and their great 

 experience in planting " most having been at it these twenty years." The 

 Governor was not willing to let the Jews go, "believing it would be an 

 immediate destruction to the place." He was also loath to spare the 

 Indians. The difficulties placed in the way of those Jews who wished to 

 go with their English co-settlers to Jamaica, have been specially dealt 

 with in a paper by Dr. J. H. Hollander, entitled " Documents relating 

 to the Attempted Departure of the Jews from Surinam in 1675 " in the 

 " Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society " in 1897. He 

 points out how the Dutch government, though it denied the privilges of 

 British subjects to the Jews, even though born and long resident on 

 English soil, was ready enough to insist that Jews resident in Surinam 

 were British subjects when advantage lay that way. For example in 

 February, the King, on a petition from Aaron de Silva and Isaac 

 Peiriera ordered that they might go to Jamaica with the goods and 

 servants in any foreign built ship, and that the Governor should 

 receive them with equal favour as if they had come in an Eng:ish built 

 ship, and return to them their slaves brought over by Cranfield. But the 

 States-General denied that the Jews were British subjects, and refused 

 them permission to leave. 



Besides these, the Jews principally concerned were Jacob Pen. a, 

 David Perara, Isaac de Prado, Isaac de Mera, Isaac Gouia, Gabriell 

 Antonijus, Moses Baruch and Benjamin Perara, with a total of 322 slaves 

 between them. 



At Surinam, Cranfield reported there were but 130 Dutch inhabitants 

 besides the garrison, who, with the merchants in the town, consisted of 

 about 140 more. 



In four days " all matters were brought to a final determination at 

 the General Court, according to oquity." The English were rather 

 creditors than debtors. A debt of Rowland Simpson's to Andrew 

 Clifford for £240, and one of Francis Watson to his brother-in-law 

 Matthew Hide for 21,733 lbs. of sugar were the only debts unsatisfied 

 due to his Majesty's subjects who removed. It was found necessary to 

 employ all the ships. The Commissioners took leave of the Governor on 

 12th August, 1675. The settlers presented a petition (signed by Edward 

 Saul and 28 others) to be taken straight to Jamaica. 



