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V-i 



Chap. XIII. AMEBIC 



prevails upon to fee Sail, with a promife that the Ships with the Arms fliould 

 immediately follow him to the Barbados, where he was to flay till their arrival ; 

 fo on CbriJlmM'diy they fet Sail, and about the fourteenth of February arriv'd at Bar* 

 baios with three thoufand Men, and a Company of Reformado's, which there 

 were doubled, and thcn,and not till then, it was told them, That the reafon of their 

 fo fudden going away, was becaufe there was a Plot forming in England for refto* 

 ring the King, and that they were not thought fit to be left there at the Head of 

 their Regiments, to be tempted with the advantage of joyning with any luch Party. 

 At Barbado's they ftaid till they had almoft undone that Place by eating up their Pro- 

 vifions,the Planters there feldom preparing more than they have occafion to fpend 

 in their Houfes, and for their Servants (having better and more profitable Employ- 

 ments upon their Hands) and the Soldiers not being content wirh fuch Provifions 

 as their Servants would be well plcas'd with, lb that they were in danger of ftar- 

 vingthe Ifland and themfelves too : Thereupon a Council of War was call'd, and 

 the neceffity of leaving that Ifland declar'd, and Orders iflird out to fet Sail for 

 Hifpaniola, where they might make fuch Attempt as their Condition would allow, 

 wanting Arms and other NecelTaries • when they came within five or fix Leagues 

 of Htfyaniola the Fleet lay by, and a Council of War was call'd by the Commiflio- 

 ners (for fuch they had who were never Soldiers) with fome few Officers of the 

 Army, where it was refolv'd to attempt San Domingo, and an Order made, That in 

 cafe it betaken, no Soldier fhould offer to Plunder, but that fatisfa&ion in lieu 

 thereof fliould be given by the Commiflioners ; the Officers of the Army in vain 

 oppofingand proteftingagainft it, which occafion'd the Soldiers to fay, That the 

 Commiflioners fliould take the Tjown themfelves, for they would not ; Lots were 

 there drawn by the feveral Colonels who fliould firft Land, which fell upon the 

 Black Regiment, who had no Arms but Half-pikes of eight Foot long, made of 

 Cabbage-Tree in the Barbados - And Orders were then given out to the feveral 

 Colonels to Land at the River Hind, within two Leagues of San Domingo ; fo they 

 fteer'd their Courfe thither, as was thought,by Night, but the next Morning found 

 themfelves twenty Leagues at leaft from the place of Rendezvouz, though one Re* 

 giment Landed there,who durft not attempt the Town for want of Orders,though 

 doubtlefs they might have taken it, had they not ftaid in expectation of the General 

 and the reft of the Fleet ; but when they were thus call Leeward of the Town, 

 they muft Land their Men, who no fooner went on Shore, but the Order againft 

 Plundering was read, and the Soldiers in a Mutiny to whom it was read, which 

 made the reft forbear to read it, judging it no time now to difoblige them, who 

 had in their Officers opinion too juft a caufe of difcontent : However this was 

 made known to the reft, and difcours'd as they march'd, That they had not thought 

 to be under a Committee here, but they would make them weary of their Em- 

 ployment ere they had done: And this indeed was enough, befides the faintnefs 

 and unufual Heat of the Countrey, to difanimate Men of good Rcfolutions, efpe- 

 cially the ordinary Soldiers, whofe hopes of Plunder is the.chiefeft prop to their 

 Courage, and exe&ed Gain the fpurr to their Valour. After they had Landed their 

 JMen, next Morning early they march'd towards San Domingo ; but before Noon 

 the Heat and Drought which they felt made them fenfible of their firft Errour and 

 Inadvertency, in coming (torn England without their NecelTaries $ for through want 

 of Bottles, which were left behind, and came not till three Moneths afterwards, 

 the Men fell down dead in the High- ways, everyone fainting ?ndlanguifhing, and 

 crying out for Water : fliprtly after they met with a Field of Oranges, which was 

 no unwelcome fight, with which they ftpr'd themfelyes p but v erc they had march'd 



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