That it be ordered what boats fhall take the foldiers in, according as lot and command fhall require.

BY MYSELF AND THE FIELD OFFICERS OF THE ARMY, ON BOARD THE SWIFTSURE, APRIL 10, 1655,

Refolved,

THAT, in cafe the furge of the sea go high, and the fort and trench be defended, the army land to the leeward behind the fecond point.

That, after the army is landed, a regiment be ordered to the east of the city, provided general Penn engage to fupply them with all neceffaries The regiment is colonel Buller's by lot.

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE

SEVERAL COLONELS ABOUT LANDING IN PURSUANCE OF THE FOREGOING VOTES.

ift. THAT the regiments which land first at the River Hine, (if we land there, and that the ditch at the landing be defended and within thot,) then they are to advance against the enemy, and to pafs the fame; but if it be out of hot and not defended, then to ftand ftill till all be landed; but if at the more wefterly, then to draw up and stand till all be landed.

2d. In cafe we find no oppofition then none to march away, but all in feniority as their due.

3d. The fignal a piece of white cloth or paper upon the left arm.

4th. That the word be religion.

5th. In cafe the enemy oppofe, each man is at landing to advance to relieve where there is moft neceffity.

These things, thus ordered, Mr. Winflow came and told me that genc

ral

He was

pon which I

ral Penn had fent Cox forth; and that he feeing a veffi 1 bearing away from the reft of the fleet, afked who he was an I what he went about. anfwered it was Cox, and that the general had fent him. went to general Penn and afked for captain Cox (who with one Mr. Bounty had been taken in at St. Chriftopher's as guides, both of them being lately come from Hifpaniola, where Cox had ferved many years a gunner in the cafile of St. Domingo): General Penn told me he had fent him forth to gain intelligence. I asked further, if he would return to be our guide when we landed? he anfwered he would, for he had orders fo to do. I replied it was well if he did. I then began to put the regiments that were to land with myfelf in readinefs for landing, delivered out my forementioned inftructions to the feveral colonels; and the next day, when I took leave of general Penn and Mr. Winflow, they gave me orders to prohibit plundering, which I told them I would do by publishing the order accordingly. I then alked for Cox, whom the feanien they fay faw a few hours before returning to us: general Penn told me he was before me on board the vice-admiral whither I was then going. I asked for Fearnes and Bounty, that one of them might ftay with the fleet when Cox left them to march with us by land, he faid they must stay with him to bring the fleet (which any thallop might have done) to an anchor: I replied one of them was fufficient; for that we might want two: but he would not part with either of them. When I came aboard the vice-admiral I was difcourfing with fome officers about what we were to do, and prefently enquired of the vice-admiral whether we were yet fallen into the River Hine: he replied he knew not. I then asked for Cox, he said he was not on board nor returned back that he knew of, fince the general tent him; and that he had no guide but one Sabada, a Dutchman, nor any guide nor order for landing at Hine River. I told him it was the place we defigned to land at, and that we would attempt that place before we went to the leeward point. He faid he durft not venture the fleet without a pilot in a strange and dangerous place. I defired him to fend for Feares or Bounty, or return with the fleet to general Penn; he faid he could not, the wind was against us, and that we must go to the leeward point. I then protefted my diffatisfaction at thefe pallages, and fo by force was carried to the weft point, which occafioned a long and tedious march, forty miles or thereabouts, in a woody country we knew not, and without any guide fave Heaven, the land burnt up with a drought, fo that our horfes and men, the fun being in our faces, fell down for thirft; but if any had the leaft liquor poured into him he recovered, otherwife died immediately;

mediately; our very feet fcorched through our fhoes with the fand and gravel, there being no grafs fave in favanna's, and the heats in the torrid zone at the higheft, the nights cold and much dews, which with eating oranges for thirft, wanting water, made our men after their former bad and thort diet more apt to the flux; and in this condition we marched four days to come to the place we thould and might have landed at the first day, and have prevented all this trouble, ficknefs, and the enemy's fummoning in 'the whole country to oppofe us; and, to add to our mifery, many of our men (who thought to have three days provifions) were by fome feamen put on fhore, by whofe fault I know not, with only one day's victuals, fo that we were ready to fink down with extreme faintnefs. At this place we made a fignal, and defired to pafs over the river. By the votes of the council of war before mentioned, colonel Buller was to land to the east of the city; I gave him order also not to attempt ag inft it, the haven being betwixt him and the city, till the army appeared on the other fide; left, if he were repulfed in fo dangerous an attempt, it might heighten the enemy's refolves. But, in cafe he could not. land to the east, then to obferve the commiffioners orders till he joined with the army. No place being found to land him to the caft of the city, he was landed at Hine River the day we came to it, with order not to ftir from thence till we came to him; but he disobeyed that order, and marched away with Cox, our only land guide, who returned to general Penn in our abfence; which caufed us to march ten or twelve miles about, not knowing the ford; to fait two days longer, which almoft destroyed our weak and fainting men, and brought along with it fo many inconveniences as blafted all our refolves; he fuffering his men to ftraggle, it caufed the enemy to lay an ambuih for him, as himfelf confeffed, into which he fell, and neceffity forcing our retreat it encouraged the enemy; all which is evidenced, though death hath prevented me of many witneffes, yet the enfuing letter, which was fent ime from a colonel in the army, dated from Jamaica, the 14th of March, 1665, and declares both our refolves as to running the fleet into the haven and Buller's words and actions as is now mentioned:

Honourable Sir,

WHEREAS Ihear they accufe you for chufing to land at point Nizarfe, I knew it was not your choice, and all men will believe it when they confider what little command you had of the fleet; and I remember well you were

fo far from wishing well to a long march that you defired to have landed at the very city itfelf; but it was affirmed at the debate that there was a chain laying across the mouth of the harbour, to hinder paffage, which was affirmed by fo eminent a perfon that none of the pilots would contradict it, whilst they were in the cabin, though I can depofe that afterwards one of them, who had not long fince been there, did affirm to me there neither was, nor did he believe there could be, any fuch thing.

What the fufferings of the army were in your march I cannot know, otherwife than by relation and by the experience of my own and colonel Buller's men in a much thorter way, which was but from Hine River to the two new plantations, which could not be above fix miles, and yet brought our men to that extremity for want of water that I never heard the like complaint as was the next morning amongft them; a condition we fell into through the forwardnefs of colonel Buller to march from Hine River, where we landed, and were appointed to expect the army, or that metfage you were to fend to the rear-admiral for provifions, he himself confcffing both in his letter to general Penn and Mr. Winflow on board, and likewife to the officers of that party, that he had no orders to march. I likewise knew that a party was fent forth by him next morning, commanded by his major Bland, and guided by Cox, to difcover the fort of St. Hicronimo, andto get fome intelligence of your march with the reft of the army. He there ftayed fo long at the meeting of the ways, which was about halî' a mile from the fort, as colonel Buller wondered at it. I thereupon offered to march with a small party, to know what was the occafion of their ítay; and, as I remember Bland told me they were ordered there to remain to expect the army to come up, which he was confident would not be long, if the news was true which was brought to his colonel upon the march the day before, by a foldier who itayed behind at Hine Bay; which was, he faw a man come to the river fide with two colours upon a pike.. I afked him how far the fort was from where he and his party ftayed: he faid it was hard by, and that a little within the woods I might plainly fee it; which I defired to do, and took Coxe the guide with me; who led me by a fmall path about mufket-fhot through the wood to a piece of fallen ground, which lay next adjoining to the fort, and about a quarter of a mile distant from it. Having feen the fort and having Bland's anfwer, I returned with it to colonel Buller, the party ftill remaining there till the army's coming up; but as it feems to me that free and often looking on the lost had caused those men to be discovered, and thence brought that ambufcade

ambuscade forth, in whose hands your honour had like to have fallen; for I have heard colonel Buller fay he did believe that ambuth was laid for his men and not for the army.

: This letter was writ to me from colonel Richard Moldipe, in answer to one of mine when I petitioned and expected to be called to give an account of all my tranfactions.

THIS FOLLOWING CERTIFICATE WAS WRIT BY MR. HENRY CARY,

SECRETARY TO HIS HIGHNESSES COMMISSIONERS.

I, underwritten, teflify that being prefent in the great cabin on board the Parago, I heard general Venables afk of vice-admiral Goodfon whether they were yet fallen in with the River Hine (or words to that purpofe) that they might try to land there; whereupon the vice-admiral replied, that they had overfhot it as they thought; whereat the general wondering, and faying that it was refolved to land there if they could, he further added that he had no orders to flop there. This difcourfe happened on the 13th of April, 1655, which I am ready to confirm by oath, if need require.

HENRY CARY,

I mentioned before the commiffioners order to me, which as foon as we landed, according as they required, I published that order against all plundering, and that whatfoever was gotten thould be brought into a publick flock, and acquainted the officers with the commiffioners order, which followeth:

By the commiffioners appointed by his highnefs for ordering and managing the affairs in America, we, taking into our ferious confideration upon our near appraach to the city of Domingo, a place that we have refolved to make the first attempt upon, in order to the prefent expedition in the Weft-Indies, conceive it a juft and mcct thing that fome more than oi dinary encouragement bé given to the army, and the rather because if God shall picaje to put it intɔ̃ our hands, we may not admit of plunder, for that his highners intends to plant à colony of English there; and therefore do declare if the faid city of Domingo