Early English Colonies in Trinidad. 393 



Captain General of Trinidad. He then ordered the 

 Governor of Porto Rico to send 70 to 80 soldiers to 

 Trinidad, that with them, and the men of the country 

 that Don Diego might be able to bring together, he 

 might extirpate the Dutch from every point of the island 

 on which they had taken footing.* 



31. On the 14th of 06tober, 1637, while DON DlEGO 

 Escobar, the Governor, was in Guiana, the Dutch : with 

 great numbers of Arrawacks, Caribs, Tivitivas, and Ne- 

 pongos : came to Trinidad in 20 vessels. Entering by the 

 Caroni, they took prisoner the watchman stationed at 

 its mouth. Three quarters of an hour before day-break, 

 the invaders attacked the town of San Jose de Urufia. 

 They burnt and plundered the principal houses. They 

 burnt the Church. The 28 or 30 Spaniards at the 

 settlement made the best resistance they could, without 

 success, One Spaniard, JUAN Gallardo, was killed ; 

 Captain SANTIAGO and others were wounded. The 

 Dutch threatened to return. As they were going away, 

 an Indian was captured from them by the Spaniards. 

 This man, named ANDRES, had formerly served Captain 

 Christobal de Vera of Guiana. Andres told the 

 Trinidad Spaniards that the Dutch were in great num- 

 bers "in the three Colonies" of Amacuro, Essequibo 

 and-Berbice, where they were in league with the Caribs 

 and Arrawacks. Every year, two, three and four ships 



* Blue Book, Venezuela No, j. (1896). p. 210. Don Diego was a 

 relative of Count Gondomar, the Spanish Ambassador. When the 

 latter learned of the attack upon San Thome, he waited upon King 

 James. Exclaiming Pirates ! Pirates ! Pirates ! and saying nought else, 

 Count Gondomar quitted the Royal presence 



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