584- 



A M E %^I C J. 



Chap. Vlf. 



The Dutch 

 Fleet fct out 



of "February, Anno 1646, with the Lord Schonenburgh, a Member of the States the 

 Councellor Goch, and Treafurer Beaumond, Men very well experienced in Governing 

 t<* *'*!«<• of Coun treys : To thefe were added the eminent Merchants of ' Amfterdam, Haeks 

 and TroYire, to keep the Weft-India Companies Accounts, and Le Her emiet for their 

 Secretary. Sigifmond Schufpe bore the chief Command over the Militia, and the 

 Admiral Bankert over the Fleet, which fuffer'd the grcateft hardfhip imaginable . 

 for being driven by tempeftuous Winds into thtVo^ns, two of them driving from 

 their Anchors were caft away on the Flats. The Fleet getting out again, was once 

 more fore'd by a Storm to put in at the Ifle of Wight ^ from whence by reafon of con- 

 tinual Gufts they could not ftir in nine Weeks time.. During this tedious waiting 

 for a fair Wind, the Brafde Frigat, valued at 20000 /. was fplic in pieces againft a 

 Rock of the Ifland, and of three hundred Men thirty onely were fav'd. A Pink 

 which came in two Moneths from %ectffa> brought alio fad tydings to the Fleet' 

 Vi<. That the Town was in fuch a Condition, that without doubt the Fleet would 

 come too late to their affiftance : whereupon they making the more hafte, endea* 

 vor'd, not without great trouble, to weigh Anchor again, whilcft the Wind rofe 

 higher and higher,and the Waves going very hollow,drove the Ships down towards 

 Portland Coaft, full of Rocks, to which they were Co near, that they faw a Scotch* 

 man fplit in pieces againft them . and had not the Wind come about, and abated of 

 its fury, the Fleet had undoubtedly perifh'd. No fooner was this Dangerpaft, but 

 another fuccceded . for the Soldiers in the Admirals Ship complaining of the fmall 

 allowance they had of Cheefe, Brandy,and Tobacco, had made themfelves Matters 

 of the Store-room, and threatned to kill the Lords Goch and ( Beaumond . but they, 

 affifted with Men from the other Ships, who came in at the Cabbin Windows fo 

 order'd the Mutineers,. that they ask'd forgivenefs, which for many Reafons was 

 granted, onely they were diftributed by feven in a Ship throughout the whole 

 Fleet. After a great Conteft between Goch and Beaumond about carrying the Flag 

 which could not be decided, Goch was left by the reft of the Fleet, who Steer'd an- 

 other Courfe, and getting near the Line, lay becalm'd fix days 5 in which time he 

 loft very many of his Men by a ftrange kind of Scorbute which rag'd amongft them • 

 at laft Sailing along the Promontory of St. Auguftine, he came to an Anchor before 

 ^eciffa, which he found in the greateft Exigency imaginable, infomuch that it was 

 refolv'd upon, the next day to furrender the Place up to the Tortuguefe, on promife 

 of Quarter onely : which Refolucion none opposed more thaathe Jews - for the 

 tortuguefe fwore that they would burn them alive, if ever they became Mafters of 

 fyciffa, which made them refolve to die with the Sword in their Hands, and fell 

 their Lives at a dear rate. Six Weeks after Gocbs Arrival, the remaining part of the 

 Fleet, efcapingmany dreadful Storms, in which, befides the two that were loft in 

 the 2>o*w,they loft five Ships and five hundred Men, arriv'd alio at %eciff a . where 

 the Commiffioners appointed Officers todiftributeto every one their certain allow- 

 ance of Visuals. The prime Councellor Schonenburgh alio decided the Difference 

 between Beaumond and Goch, as alfo between Haeks and TroVtre, about their Places 

 in the Aflembly, Vi&. that they fliould fit above one another by Turns. The old 

 Governors, Hamel, Baft, and Bulkftraet, were blam'd by every one.for the decay of 

 Brafile . and being fent to Holland, were received with frowning Looks, and rail'd 

 againft in Pamphlets as faithlefs Pcrfons, who fought jiothin a but their own ad- 

 vantage, and were threatned to be call'd to an Account. It was alfo laid to their 

 charge, that they had not given a true Account of the State and Condition of Brafde. 

 that the State was much more decay'd than they had made known , by which means 

 the prefent Power prov'd too weak to do any thing to the Enemy. 



Amongft 



