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which were yet so bad that I fuppofe Tom Tinker, or Tom a Bedlam, in England marches with better weapons. Upon our arrival there, I found all men's arms unfixed, our gunfmith's tools were in the ftore thips, and were denied to be fent with us, fo that our want of fmith's tools, and making of half pikes, hindered us from fixing our arms and the officers from exercifing their men, except a very little bcfore we came from thence. We were ordered to take up provifions there, and charge bills of exchange at home, but I fuppofe it was known to others, though not to me, that no provifions were to be gotten there, for fo I found by experience, and the rates much higher than what they were in England, for what I bought myself; fo that thefe, with fome other reafons, caufed Mr. Winflow, one of the commiffioners, to fay to divers of the officers that we were betrayed, and if it had been in the late king's reign he would have declared fo. Notwithstanding all thefe difficulties I continued forward and chearful until fuch time I heard the feamen talk of going home, which raised fome doubts among the officers that they intended to leave us (which was promifed in England they thould not before another flect came) and then we faw we muit perish. Another fell in the rear of this, was that, upon our coming from Barbadoes, the feamen had their allowance, and our landmen were reduced to half (by what or der I know not) and that given them but four days in the week and the other three fith days. The feamen had their victuals with brandy, and the landmen had only bread (and that most beaftly rotten) and water, which brought them fo low that at landing they fell down, and fome of them into the water, as the rear-admiral obferved; and the vice-admiral marching along with us with a regiment of feamen, fecing our men's weakness, faid, that the fortnight's weakening at fea with bad provifions would not be recovered with two month's good diet at land; and, though the officers complained of their bad bread, it was anfwered the bread was bought by the commiffioners at Barbadoes, and must be spent,which it might have been without prejudice, if delivered out for one day in the week to all feamen and landmen. And here I muft query, whether the bad bread in the fleet was not given the landmen upon this pretence? It is true the provifions were bad, fo that they were refufed by the fleet in England, and therefore fent by the victuallers of the navy to Barbadoes to be fold; which we were forced to buy rather than ftarve, being our own ftores came not to us, preferring bad food before none. We left Barbadoes the latt of March, and by the way dispatched fome business at St. Chriftopher's, where we took in a regiment foot; and then when we came from St. Chriftopher's muttered on

board

board, and, finding great want of arms, we once more defired a fupply from the fleet, who had above a thoufand two hundred pikes to fpare, and a large quantity of lances, but were refufed by general Penn the loan of one pike or lance (though the lances were put on board for the army to kill cows,) fo that we were conftrained to ufe half pikes, thorter by two foot than the enemy's, which gave them great advantage against us. Our next bufinefs (which lafted long and was interwoven with other debates,) was a claufe in the commiffioners inftructions from his highness, that they fhould difpofe of all preys and booties got by fea or land towards the carrying on of the prefent fervice and defign; which, when it came into agitation, I told the commiffioners I conceived it was to be understood of thips and their lading, or of large quantities of treafure in towns or forts; for if, as they understood, it were to be intended of all forts of pillage, it was not poffible to be put in execution; befides I did fear it would difguft the army and turn them against me, and if I loft the officers aftections I conceived it would utterly difable me to ferve his highnefs; for this was fo contrary to what had been practifed in England, as I doubted it would be impoffible to fatisfy them, and how to bring them from pay and plunder (both which they had in England) to have neither pay nor plunder, without the propounding fome fit medium, I thought it was impoffible. The thing was propounded to the officers, and a fortnight's pay propounded to them in lieu of their pillage of Santa Domingo. The offi cers being in arrears, and many of them coming in hopes of pillage into a country where they conceived gold as plentiful as ftones, demanded three months; I with entreaty drew them to accept of fix weeks pay, and in this time of difpute I drew up a declaration that did fatisfy the officers, and the commiffioners did fo far approve of it as that they gave order to have it drawn fair; for each regiment one, that they might fubfcribe it. The order follows:

T

By the commiffioners appointed by his highnets for managing the affairs of America with the confent of the officers: Whereas it hath been the practice of the belt commanders and beft ordered armies that ever have been, not only to make strict laws, but execute the fame with like strict severity upon fuch officers and foldiers as fhould pillage or plunder without licence, or conceal what they had fo pillaged, and not bring it to the public ftore or ftock; in regard many armies have been thereby ruined and destroyed when they have had the victory in poffeffion, yet by that only fault have given the

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enemy opportunity to wreft the fame out of their hands, as the French at Garighan and the Venetians at Tacobul; alfo, becaufe the men that actually performed the fervice of the day lye flain, wounded, or have the enemy ftill before them, fo that without imminent ruin they cannot feek after spoil; but perfons, whofe deferts merited little or nothing in the fervice of the day, carry away the profit of the whole fuccefs, to the fingular difcouragement of brave refobutions, who ufually get nothing but blows; the injustice of which caufed David to make it a military law Samuel I. 30th chapter and 24th verfe, to give equal fhare to every perfon of the army though not prefent in the action; and though the equity of the thing carry enough with it to justify the proceedings of antiquity against fo great an evil, the diforder being of fo dangerons a confequence, and contrary to reafon and religion, that a few perfons (who are ufually the leaft deferving,) fhould carry away the whole reward of the victory and fuccefs purchased by the blood and hazard of all: Wherefore, it is his highneffes fpecial commands to us, that we should rectify fo great a diforder crept fo far into modern armies, and that a juft account be taken of the pillage and booties, to the end that an equal diftribution may be made thereof to all perfons; according to every man's quality and merit: It is therefore hereby ordered that no perfons of what degree or quality foever do prefume to pillage without licence, or to conceal, detain, or keep, to his own private ufe or profit, any arms, money, plate, jewels, or goods whatsoever, upon pain of forfeiture of his intereft in the whole pay or pillage, and likewife to fuffer the pain of death for the faid offence. And it is hereby further ordered and declared, that officers fhall be chofen by mutual confent, and fworn to receive and difpofe of all pillage and booties, according to every man's place, quality, and defert; and the faid officers fhall take an oath to execute the faid place jufily and truly, and the distribution fhall be made by the advice of persons chofen by the officers and foldiers, according to each man's quality and merit.

Given under our hands this

day of
RICHARD VENABLES,
WILLIAM PENN.

But when all things were made ready, the commiffioners (general Penn and myfelf excepted) refufed to fign the order, which gave the officers great offence; who, to fatisfy the commiffioners, had feveral of them agreed to fign the enfuing declaration, in cafe the commiffioners would have figned the foregoing order:

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Whereas we have received an order from his highneffes commiffioners for managing the affairs of America, declaring his highnesses inftructions to them, and thereby requiring an exact account from them of all prizes and booties taken by fea or land, that fo every officer and foldier may receive an equal share, according to their feveral qualities, places, and deferts, and for the carrying on of the publick service; and being convinced by the reasons alledged in the fame of the injuflice, dangerous inconveniences, and the unreafonableness, of that too frequent and unreformed diforder, that a few (and thofe ufually that perform leaf of the fervice) fhould engrofs to themselves what is purchased by the blood and hazard of all the forces, we do wholly ap prove of the order, and alfo engage for ourselves that we will not violate the fame; but endeavour to cause all under our feveral charges and commands to give obedience to the faid command, and to bring all of enders again the faid law and order to punishment; and shall, after our refpective pay is difcharged, acquiefce in the difpofing and ifuing forth of the remainder by the faid commiffioners, either as rewards to deferving perfons, or for neceflaries to carry on the fervice, and, if neceffity require, to lend our pay to provide the faid neceffaries as the commiffimers hall appoint; and, if the Lord fhall bless us with so high fucceffes, in returning the overplus to eajė the burthens of our dear native country, for whofe fake next to the glory of God this defign is undertaken..

So that had not pertinacity and weakness blinded the commiffioners they would have got the difpofal of all into their own hands, only by yielding fo far as to give difcontented perfons (whom by force they could not compel) a few fair words; which I fuppofe no wife man would have refufed, when fo much inconvenience must follow the denial. But I myfelf, being as well a commiffioner, was put to great ftrait, being wholly a ftranger to the army, which occafioned Mr. Winflow to think that it would cause the army to difguft me, and fo make me uncapable of doing any fervice, having loft the hearts of the officers; for feveral of them charged me with neglect to them in fiding with the commiffioners to take away their privileges; for being wont to have pillage when they took any place by ftorm in England, and fo had both pay and pillage; and now being in a ftrange country, where they had no pay, to be denied pillage, much exafperated their fpirits, having no confidence in me: for I had neither of ficer nor foldiers that had experienced my faithfulness to them, as they were all strangers to me, and I to them. I was neceffitated to entreat the officers to entrust me, affuring them I would endeavour their advan

tage

tage, and that for my own particular I should disclaim any thing of right or advantage, and wholly endeavour theirs; and fo intreated them to accept of fix weeks pay from the commiffioners, if God fhould give them the place, which they confented to at my request. I moved the commiffioners to join with me to affure it to the foldiers; but it was denied me; and then I was forced to make a new requeft to the foldiers, that they fhould venture their lives as I fhould do mine, and truft God for the reward, which they affented to: but withal many of them declared they would never ftrike a ftroke more where there fhould be com miffioners to controul the foldiers, but would return for England with fpeed; and thus the bufinefs about dividing the bear's skin before killed was laid afide and let fleep for a time, but it will wake much more fierce than formerly; for, if it were dilatisfaction at firft, it would prove mutiny, when ripe. In conclufion, myself and officers with fome of the commiffioners propounded and infitted to run the fleet into the harbour of St. Domingo; yet the fleet oppofed, and would not, pretending a boom; though Cox, our guide, who but a little before came thence, denied it; fo that their denial and refufal constrained us upon a refolution to land at the River Hine; and, hearing there was a fort and a trench, we voted to try to force them; and to that end paffed the votes following:

THE

AT A COUNCIL OF WAR HELD ON BOARD THE SWIFTSURE, 7TH OF APRIL, 1655, WHERE MYSELF AND THE COLONELS OF

THE SEVERAL REGIMENTS WERE PRESENT.

Refolved,

THAT the army land at the River Hine.

That the regiments caft lots who fhall land first.

That two or three be landed at once.

That the feconds to each regiment be appointed.

That the fhips in which each regiment is tranfported be ordered to fail very near in company, for the better ordering the feveral regiments

landing.

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