i 62 The Discoveries and Settlements Book I. 
The Squadron commanded by General Penn, being 
ordered to rendezvous at Portfmouth, where the Land 
Forces were to embark. Complaints were made to Vena- 
bles of Diforders and Difcontents among the People, and 
more particularly about the Badrtefs of the Provifions ; 
which, by his Means, being made known to General 
Defborrow, he, by very harfh Expreflions, fignified his 
Difeontent thereat ; and particularly charged Venables with 
a Defign of fruftrating the intended Expedition, by 
being the Author of Reports which were falle ; while he, 
on the other hand, endeavoured to juftify himfelf, and to 
lliew that he intended no otherwife than for the public 
Good ; and there was a fhrewd Sufpicion that Dejhor- 
row’s DilTatisfadlion herein arofe, from his being con- 
cerned with thofe who had the Management of vidualing 
the Navy. After Venables had attended near four Months 
without any politive Affurance whether the Government 
was determined to go on with the Defign or not, al- 
though it was publickly difeourfed of, and the Spaniards 
had thereby not only the Knowledge thereof, but Oppor- 
tunities of providing for their Defence •, he was fome 
time after fent to, and direded to hold himfelf in a 
Readinefs to proceed ; and though he then requefted that 
the Draughts which were to be made out of the Regi- 
ments, might be Men, in all refpeds, fitting for the in- 
tended Service, yet the Colonels were permitted to pick 
and cull them as they pleafed, infomuch that moft of 
them were raw and altogether undifeiplined, and amongft 
them many Irijh Papifts ; nor had not half of them Arms 
in any Degree ferviceable : And fo far were the Council 
from permitting him to ftay till better could be furnifhed 
in their Room, that they fent him pofitive Orders to leave 
the Town next Day, upon pain of Imprifonment. 
Before he came to Portfmouth many of the Troops 
were embarked, and the reft fhipping off with the ut- 
moft Hafte, fo that he had no Opportunity of viewing, 
much lefs of exercifing, them on Shore *, and thereby in- 
forming himfelf of their Condition, with refped to their 
Abilities or otherwife ; and although he was promifed 
that the Store-fhip, with Arms and other Neceffaries, 
fhould join him at Spithead, he was at laft told that no 
Delay muft be made in ftaying for her, but that he 
might expedt her coming to him at Barhadoes. He was 
likewife affured that he fhould carry out with him, at 
leaft, ten Months Provifions for ten thoufand Men, but 
the moft Part thereof was fent back to London, to be 
fhipped off there, under pretence that there was not fufficient 
Room for the fame in the Ships at Portfmouth, although 
the Officers in the Fleet found Paffage in them for no in- 
confiderable Quantities of Goods, with which they de- 
figned to traffic when they arrived at the aforefaidifland. 
The Forces being embarked, and the Wind prefenting 
fair, the Squadron failed, and arrived at Barhadoes on 
the 29th Day of January, 1654; foon after which. Ge- 
neral Venables wrote to the Protedlor, the Lord Prefident 
of the Council Laurence, the Lord Lambeth, and feveral 
others, letting them know in what a miferable Condition 
the Army was, and how deftitute they were, not only 
of Provifions, but Arms and other Neceffaries, proper 
for carrying on the intended Defign ; infomuch that 
they were conftrained to make the hardeft Shifts to fup- 
ply them with the fmall Quantities, either of one or the 
other, that could be had in thefe Parts. The firft thing 
that was done after the Fleet’s Arrival at Barhadoes, was 
the feizing fuch Dutch Ships and Veffels as were found 
there, and General Penn appointed a Nephew of his to 
take an Account of their Cargoes, and all things belong- 
ing to them, without admitting any Cheque on him as 
General Venables defired and infilled on, that fo no Em- 
bezzlements might be made. 
The 1 8th of March Venables thought it neceffary to 
hold a Council of War of the Land Officers, to confider 
of the State of the Army ; and it was refolved to make 
thefe Propofitions to Penn, among feveral others, wz. 
I ft. That as the Officers of the Army had refolved not 
to defert the Fleet, he with his Officers would recipro- 
cally refolve not to leave the Army, at leaft not till fuch 
time as their expedled Supplies arrived from England. 
«dly, That it fhould be propofed to the Commiffioners, 
that a fit Quantity of Shipping might be taken up for 
tranfporting the Forces. 3dly, That they might not 
proceed on Service with lefs than twenty Tons of Ball, 
and that they might likewife be furnifhed from the Fleet 
with two hundred Fire-arms, fix hundred Pikes, befides 
Piftols, Carbines, and two hundred Half-Pikes. To this 
Venables received no fatisfadtory Anfwer from Penn, and 
the Stores not arriving from England, he again defired to 
know from him what Arms, Shot, Match, and other 
Neceffaries he could furnifh from the Fleet ; General 
Dejborrow having affured him, when in England, that 
the Commiffioners had Power to difpofe of what might 
be on board the Ships, to the neceffary Ufe of the Army \ 
but to this Penn returned him an Anfwer, that fifteen 
ffiot a Man, and a few Tons of Match, was all he 
could fpare •, befides which, he at length prevailed with 
him to add thereunto a few Half and Charter Pikes, 
which gave Occafion to one of the Commiffioners to 
let fall fome Words, as if he doubted they were betrayed, 
Befides all thefe Difappointments, and the Badnefs of the 
Provifions fent from England, yet even of them the Sol- 
diers were put to fhort Allowance, while the Seamen were 
at whole, which occafioned no little Difeontent, and ren- 
dered them very fickly and weak ; and as the Commiff 
fioners were empowered and required to difpofe of all 
Prizes and Booty taken towards defraying the Charge 
of the Expedition, and only a Fortnight’s Pay was of- 
fered to the Officers and Soldiers in lieu of whatever 
Booty fhould be taken at St. Domingo (whither they were 
firft defigned from Barhadoes) it very much increafed the 
DiffatisfaOlion of the Army •, for moft of the Officers, 
when they fet forwards on the Expedition, were in hopes 
pf bettering themfelves very confiderably. At length 
General Venables prevailed with the Officers and Men to 
accept of fix Weeks Pay inftead of their Plunder •, and 
thereupon himfelf and Penn iffued out Orders, reftrain- 
ing all Perfons from pillaging without Orders, or from 
concealing the fame on pain of Death, and Forfeiture of 
their Pay. But although the Officers were willing to 
fubmit to this, yet the Commiffioners refufed to 5 gn it, 
infomuch that the Soldiers publickly declared they would 
return to England, and never more ftrike Stroke where 
there were Commiffioners who fhould have Power to 
controul the Army. 
The Fleet being now In a Readinefs to fail. General 
Venables, with fome of the Commiffioners, and the Offi- 
cers of the Army, propofed that they might proceed to 
the Harbour of St. Domingo (but for what Reafon it doth 
not appear, unlefs it was for want of experienced Pi- 
lots). That was refufed, and a Refolution taken to land the 
Troops at the River Hind that fo they might endea- 
vour to force the Fort and Trench. It was alfo refolved 
among the Land Officers, ift. That the Regiments 
fhould call Lots which of them fhould go on Shore firft. 
2dly, That two or three Regiments fhould be landed at 
once, ^dly. That the Seconds to each Regiment fhould 
be appointed qthly. That the Ships wherein the Re- 
giments were, fhould keep near each other, for their 
more regular landing. And it was farther determined, 
that if the Surges of the Sea ran high, and that the 
Enemy were prepared to defend the Fort and Trench, 
the Army fhould be landed behind the fecond Point to 
Leeward, and that, when on Shore, one Regiment fhould 
be ordered to march Eaftward of the City, provided 
General Penn would engage to furnifli the Army with 
all Neceffaries. 
Lots having been call as aforefaid, it fell to Colonel 
BulkPs Regiment to land firft, and there was one Cox 
who had lived in thofe Parts many Years, was to have 
been their Guide, but he had been fent of fome Errand 
by Penn, fo that he was at this time abfent ; and Vice- 
Admiral Goodfon declaring that he neither had Orders to 
go into Hind River, nor Pilots to condudl the Ship there- 
into; the Army were conftrained to land at the Weft 
Point (which Venables protefted againft) and by that 
means were expofed to a tedious March of forty Miles, 
through a thick woody Country, without any Guide, in- 
fomuch that both Horfe and Men, by the Fatigue and 
Extremity of Heat, fell down with Thirft, and were mife- 
