Chap. ilL of the ENGLISH in AMERICA. 
taries made Mr. Clark Governorj whofe Fate was worfe 
ftill than his Predeceffor’s j for the Spaniards^ at that 
Time, being jealous of every new Colony of the En~ 
glijh towards the South, came upon them in Providence^ 
deftroyed all their Stock which they could not, or would 
not, carry oif •, and burnt feveral Houfes that were upon 
the Place. The Inhabitants deferted it^ after this, and 
removed to other Colonies. Mr. Prott, one of Governor 
ClarP^ Succeffors, always afferted, that the Spaniards 
•roafted Mr. Clark on a Spit, after they had killed him ; 
but perhaps that is faid to increafe the Terror of the Story ; 
but it is certain they killed him, and that after this 
invafion the Illand was uninhabited till about the Time of 
the Revolution, when feveral Perfons removed thither from 
Europe and the Continent ^ among whom was Mr. Ehomas 
Bulkley^ who has printed a large Account of his Sufferings 
there, during the arbitrary Government of one Cadwalla- 
der Jones^ whoim the Lords Proprietaries made Governor 
upon this fecond Settlement of Providence in the Year 
1690, where he arrived on the 19th of June \ but his 
Adminiftration proved very unfortunate both for himfelf 
and the Colony, in which there arofe fuch Troubles and 
Diffenfions, that he was once depofed and made Prifoner, 
and again reftored. 
Nicholas Trott, Efq; fucceeded Mr. Jones in his Go- 
vernment, and he built a Fort in the Town of Najfau ; 
notwithftanding which, the famous Pirate Avery^ forced 
the Inhabitants to let him have what Vidtuals he wanted ; 
but fome Time after. Governor Prott put the Ifland of 
Providence into fo good a Condition, that though the 
trench made feveral Attempts, yet they were always 
obliged to retire with Lofs. In 1697 Nicholas Wehh^ Efq; 
was fent to fucceed Mr. Prott^ and he held the Govern- 
ment about three Years *, in which Time thefe Iflands 
were in a better Condition than they have ever been fince ; 
and there was, in his Time, in Providence and the adja- 
cent Iflands, near one thoufand Inhabitants : Some To- 
bacco was planted ; a Sugar Mill fet up, and other Im- 
provements made : But, as we fhall fee hereafter, thefe 
were foon deftroyed. 
lo Mr. JVebb fucceeded Elias Hafcott, Efq; who was 
fo little liked by the Inhabitants, that they took upon 
them to feize him, and put him in Irons ; and, having fent 
him away, aftlimed the^ Liberty of chufing a Governor 
for themfelves, one Elias Lightgood^ Efq; in whofe Time 
the Settlements were deftroyed ; for, in July 1708, the 
Spaniards and French^ from Petit Guaves, landed, fur- 
prized the Fort, took the Governor Prifoner, plundered 
and ftripped the Englijfs^ burnt the Town of Najjau^^ all 
but NiX. Eightgood\ Houfe, together with the Church, 
fpoiled the Fort, and nailed up the Guns ; they carried 
off the Governor, and about half the Blacks, the reft 
faved themfelves in the MTods ; but in October they came 
again, and picked up m.oft of tilC Negroes. Mr. Light - 
good having procured his Liberty, by Exchange or 
Ranfom, came to Carolina^ and going off thence in a 
Veffel, on fome Adventure, was ijever fince heard of. 
The Englijh Inhabitants of the Bahamas-^ after this fecond 
Invafion, thought it in vain to ftay longer j f) they re- 
moved, fome to Carolina^ fome to Virginia^ and fome to 
New England^ and other Places. 
The Proprietors having appointed one Mr. Birch to go 
over Governor to Providence^ who, not having heard of 
the Defertion of the Inhabitants, went thither ; but find- 
ing it a Defart, he did not give himfelf the Trouble to 
open his Commiffion : He remained there two or three 
Months, and was all that while forced to fleep in the 
Woods j after which he returned back, and left the 
Place uninhabited. This and the other Bahama Hands, 
were looked upon to be fo neceffary for the Security of 
our Trade in the W 7? Indies^ that the Parliament of Eng- 
land have not thought them unworthy of their Care, as well 
to liave them cleared of Pirates, as to defend them againft 
both Spaniards and French^ who find their Situation very 
ironvenient to annoy, or befriend, their Commerce. In 
Queen Anne s War both Spaniards and French ^ over-ran 
and plundered the Bahama IJlands twice. Upon which, in 
March 1714, theFIoufe of Lords addreffed her Majefty, 
that the Iftand of Providence might be put in a Pofture of 
VoL, 11 . Numb. LXXXIX, 
Defence. Their Lordfiiips okfefViiig it would be of fatal 
Confequence, if the Bahama Iflands fliould fall into tho 
Hands of an Enemy, they therefore prayed her Majefty 
to take the faid Iflands into her Hands^ and give fuch Order 
for their Security, as in her royal Wifdom Ike fliould think 
fit ; but nothing was done. And for the future Guidance 
of fuch as have if in their Power fo do good Offices 
for our American Colonies, it is not improper to ffemem- 
ber that their Lordfhips, four Years after, took notice of 
that Negledf in an Addrefs to his late Majefty King George ; 
in which they fay there were not any the leaft Means ufed 
in Compliance with that Advice, for fecuring the Bahama 
Iflands, and that then the Pirates had a Lodgment with ai 
Battery on Harbour Ifland j and that the ufiial Retreats 
and general Receptacle for the Pirates, was at Providence. 
Hereupon his Majefty was pleafed to give Diredlions 
for diflodging thefe Pirates, and making Settlements, and 
a Fortification for its Security and Defence. 
Purfuant to this Addrefs, Captain Woods Rogers was 
appointed Governor, the fame Perfon which went with 
the Duke and Duchefs of Briflol to the South-Sea, and 
made a profperous Voyage, eight Years before. He 
failed for Providence in April 1718,, taking with him a 
naval Force for fubduing the Pirates ^ in the mean Time 
Colonel Bennet, Governor of Bermudas, fent a Sloop to 
that Ifland, requiring them to furrender themfelves, purfu- 
ant to the late Proclamation. The Pirates who were then 
on the Ifland, very gladly accepted of the Mercy offered 
them thereby, and promifed to furrender themfelves as 
foon as they could get Paffage to the Englijh Colonies •, 
adding that they did not doubt but their Fellows, who 
were at Sea, would gladly do the fame after their Exam- 
ple. Accordingly Captain Henry Jennings, and fifteen 
others, immediately followed the Sloop to Bermudas, and 
furrendered themfelves ; and Captain Laflie, and Captain 
Nichols, with a good Number of their Pirates, fent 
Word that they would alfo furrender. The abovemen- 
tioned Proclamation was brought hither by Captain Peers, 
in the Phamix Frigate, then lately ftationed at New Forks 
Befides the above. Captain Hernigold, Captain Burges fur- 
rendered, and in the whole, as many of their Men as 
amounted to one hundred and fourteen, which were fol- 
lowed by many more: However, Piracy was not fup- 
preffed, nor did Capt. Rogers anfwer the Expedtations of 
thofe that employed him ; though at his Arrival here he 
feemed very zealous in the Service he was fent for. 
He arrived at Naffau, in Providence, in July lyiSd 
V me, one of the Captains of the Pirates, knowing what 
Errand he came upon, to reduce thofe Robbers by the 
Proclamation, or by Force, cauled French Ship of twenty- 
two Guns, which he had taken, to be fet on fire, intend- 
ing to make ufe of her as a Fire-fhip, to burn the Rofa 
Frigate, which came with Governor Woods Rogers : And, 
indeed, the Rofe would have been in much Danger, had 
Ihe not got off in Time, by cutting her Cables. But 
V atte’s bold and rafli Attempt could not have fecured him ; 
for befides the Rofe, there was at hand the Milford Man 
of War, and another, aboard which was the Governor. 
Thefe were foon after feen Landing in for the Llarbour of 
Naffau, upon which Vane, and about fifty of his Men, 
made off in a Sloop. The Governor fent a Sloop of 
fufficient Force after them, but the Pirates got off-, and 
the Milford, and the other Man of War run aground. 
The 27th of July Mr. Woods Rogers came on Shore, took 
Poffeffion of the Fort, and caufed his Majefty’s Commif- 
fion to be read in the Prefence of the Officers, Soldiers, 
and about three hundred People, whom he found there 
at his Arrival ; which had been aim oft daily exercifed in 
Arms for their Defence, in Cafe of Attack by the Spa-^ 
niards or French. As for the Pirates, they were not in fa 
great Fear of them, moft of them having been themfelves 
of the Fraternity, who had furrendered and made their 
Peace with the Government. Woods Rogers brought with 
him above one hundred Soldiers, and this joint Force 
which was, and might have been ftill farther, recruited, be- 
ing fufficient to fecure the Bahama Iflands, againft any En- 
terprize of the French and Spaniards ; Mr. Rogers let him- 
felf to regulate the Government, and reftore Order in it, 
which had been neglcfted feveral Years paft, 
4 D Of 
