long march we were feveral times in want of water, to the great preju dice of the army.

Question 3d.—But why did you draw off again the first time from St. Domingo?

Anficer-We were neceffitated to it for want of water and provisions; for I do think, had we stayed till next day and not have taken the town, we should have loft more than half the army; tor, drawing off that night, the army being fo weak with want and wearinefs, we could hardly draw off, and many doubtlefs were not able to draw off, but were lost.

Question 4th. But how came you to be fo routed again the last time, when you went towards St. Domingo.

Anfwer-Doubtlefs there was a great fault in Jackson, who commanded the forlorn; for that they were fo eafily routed: for this you are to know, that if a forlorn be routed in fuch a place as that was, where but four could march abreaft, and that thofe that are routed turn in upon the body, that muft of neceffity breed a great confufion; and this was our cafe; and moft of thofe men were either no foldiers, or old beaten runaways in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and fo by their running, or endeavouring fo to do, routed thofe who would have ftood if they could; many of which were flain and trod down in that throng, and doubtless it fell upon the worst regiment of all those that went out of England, for that they had the moft of those new raised forces at Barbadoes, many of which were good for little; and indeed this I must say, that of those we carried out of England we found there was but few old foldiers; for I am of that judgment that we had not above one thousand old foldiers in our army.

Question 5th.-Why did you draw off again and not march into St. Domingo ?

Answer-We were not able to do it, our army being then fo weak and no water to be had, and we nothing to carry it with us, were forced to draw off in the most private way that could be, left we should there lofe all.

Question 6th. Why did you not march up again? Anfwer-The general calling a council of officers to advife with, they did unanimously refuse, as judging the army not in capacity fo to do

and

ས་

and the rather for that we were that time about three or four days in which we had no provifions at all from the thips; in which time horses, affes, and dogs, were good food to our poor foldiers, and in which time men fell down apace.

Question 7th.-But why did general Venables fuffer that, being one of the commiffioners?

Anfwer. He could do no more than he could do, it being in the hands of general Penn; and this I remember, that, a little before majorgeneral Haynes was flain, I asked him why the regiment of feamen took place of our regiment, colonel Carter being established in England, who I had heard before took offence at it. His anfwer was, that he defired me to speak no more of it, for that they were forced to comply with them what they could, to get that which was their own, from which I gather, that the fault was in general Penn and not in general Venables. -Thus being again ncceffitated to go on board to get to fome other place, God fo ordering it by the hånd of his providence, as to bring us to Jamaica, where we landed with a fmall portion of victuals for two or three days; having been kept on board at half allowance to no allowance; for in feventeen days we had but three biskets a man, and those the worst I ever faw before or fince to my best remembrance; in which time during the treaty with the Spaniards, and their flying away from us, all other things were hard to come by, for that the Spaniards at their flight drove away their cattle.

Question 8th. But why were not the foldiers fuffered to go abroad to *get what they could?

Anfwer. For that they were commanded, upon pain of death, not to go forth but by order, and that for thefe reafons:-1ft. Because the Spaniards had promised within fo many days to come in and bring what they had.-2d. For that after their flight they did kill divers of our men that did ftraggle abroad, so that it was thought better to fend out in parties, and a commiffioned officer or more to command the party.-3d. Because that those that did ftraggle did do much spoil in gathering fruits not half grown, which doubtlefs was a great caufe of want.

Question 9th. Was any punished according to the rigour of that or der with death ?

Anfwer.-No, but fome were made prifoners, and thofe who were

eminently

eminently guilty, and fome had rid the wooden horfe, and two who were notorious swearers were whipt and burnt through the tongue, for that and other misdemeanors; which was done in the time of general Venables' sickness a little before our coming away.

Question 10th.-But why fhould any be punished for going abroad to get relief?

Anfwer. Their going abroad was not only hurtful to the army, in fpoiling caffava and fruits, but alfo in making the cattle wild; for they were not fo wild but might with eafe be drawn into pens with men on horieback; but our men fhooting at the cattle wounded many, and killing but few, made the cattle wild, and to run further from us, and much harder to come by; for I heard captain Jones's lieutenant fay, in two days being fent to fetch in cattle, he had feen about fourscore wounded cattle in the woods, fome having their guts trailing after them; fo that few were to be feen before we came away in thofe places, where there were thousands to be seen before, which being fuffered mult needs bring scarcity.

Question 11th.-But why did your general come home?

Answer. That one main reafon was, he was generally thought the fit❤ teft man to come home, for he was beft able to give an account of the affairs of the army to his highnefs. Further, he had not his health, and the doctors faid he would die if he did not foon go on fhipboard; alto he came with the consent and, as I conceive, at the defire of the major part of the field officers.

Question 12th.-But how did general Venables carry himself in his place?

Anfwer. He did in my judgment carry himself like a godly, valiant, discreet, general, expofing himself to the greatest danger, and tharing with us in our wants; and one that did in his place endeavour the fuppreffing of fin and the promotion of godlinefs, and one that I conceive would have done it more had he fit inttruments for his help in that kind which I conceive was much wanting.

DANIEL How.

Here alfo followeth fome abftracts of a letter from Mr. John Daniel, of our affairs, to his brother colonel William Daniel, governor of

Sta

St. Johnfton's in Scotland; from whence I received the particulars following:

Jamaica, June 13, 1655,

WEDNESDAY and Thursday we hovered off Hifpaniola in councils, and concluded the certain poffeffion thereof without blows, (fharing the lioning loving skin) with fuch affurances as I believe much difpleased our gracious God, that hitherto had brought us fafe: and by commiffioner Winflow (always irrefiftable) affirmative death was ordered for any foldier to plunder or diminish the leaft; which, being proclaimed at the landing, proved fatal to the army. One regiment of feamen joined with us. Our best councils advised to run into the town and harbour of St. Domingo fuddenly, before knowledge of our approach, and that had certainly carried our bufinefs. The feamen no fooner hearing the proclama tion against plunder, laid down their arms, and fo moft of the army by that example, though much fweetness was used by the general; but no cordial could mitigate that poifon : Yet, feeming cheerful, they marched that day, Sunday, and Monday, through rough woods, fome favannas, and rich valleys. A plentiful ifland but very fcarcely watered, which with the heat and hard marching parched all with drought. Monday the feventeenth of April colonel Buller's regiment, with five hundred of colonel Holdipe's, landed in a bay fafe, near a fort were fir Francis Drake landed, about ten miles from the town of St. Domingo; and approaching that fort, the enemy quitted the fame, leaving two great guns difmounted, and the walls they endeavoured to difmantle as the time would give them leave, which made colonel Buller purfue his march towards the town, through the narrow paffes of the woods, and by a guide was misled to fome plantations vacant and waterlefs near a ftrong fort, within three miles of the town. No fooner was colonel Buller marched from Drake's landing place, call, or view, but the general with the main army, after thirty miles tedious and weary march, came hungry, thirsty, and tired; and, being informed by a meffage from the rear-admiral who rode there to secure that fort or landing-place and watering, that colonel Buller was marched to the town, and the tide being come into the paffes of the river (forded by colonel Buller) which the army could not then find fordable. The general immediately marched, along the river to a fugar work, lodging that night upon a favanna without water, feven F 2 miles

miles from colonel Buller; and the next day, the eighteenth, we marched, and met with colonel Buller near the ftrong fort in the town road, where the enemy had ambufcades, and lined the woods; fell into our forlorn, killed adjutant-general Walters and captain Jennings, commander of the reformades, captain Cates of the fea regiment, captain Cox of the firelocks, the general's fecretary Mr. Temple, and the commiffioners fub-secretary Mr. Murford, who all with the general expected no fuch falutes; yet, by God's providence and mercy, his excellency was miraculously preferved. The army then enraged, beat the enemy, took their ground, and recovered all the bodies, and had not extremity of thirst, hunger, weakness, and night, refifted, would have that night entered the town; but, neceffity has no law, all impatiently cried water, and some fainted, which regretfully caufed a retreat at ten o'clock at night, and no known water, nearer than Drake's landing-place. With a ftrong rear-guard to preferve the faint and fick men, we came Wednesday to the faid river and fort, to our fhipping, and refreshed our weary Limbs and fainting fpirits in confultations until Tuesday the twenty-fifth of April. The fea general all this while hovering before the town five leagues off the fort (where Mr. Winflow being) no confultations, could come to action without his and general Penn's ftamp; which made our noble and unwearied general to have fo many dangerous patlages in little brigantines to windward, for their confenting advice, which, every time differing, caused fo much delay, embarraffed our foldiers, encouraged our enemy, and gave time for all poffible refiftance to encreate their numbers, effect their councils, and espy our weakness. We having no intelligence or knowledge of the country, our chief guide, captain Cox, flain, feeding on the worst of falt beef, unwatered, with all the mouldy broken dirty fweepings of the fhip's bifket, which the falte ftewards could give us, allowing us no brandy or comfortable liquor, caufed fuch immode rate defire of water, which that river (coming from a copper mine) afforded rather to encreafe than quench thirft; and the rain nightly pour ing with fogs and dews along the river, so foaked our bodies with fluxes, none efcaping that violence, that our refreshment proved a weakening inftead of a fupport. However, another march was refolved, a fmail mortar-piece borrowed at Barbadoes, with ten fhells, and two fmall drakes, and fome blunderbuffes, got afhore, a very little proportion of brandy allowed to cheer our men, of which a good fpoon might have held one's thare, then highly fluxing; no harness nor horfes to draw, but all drawn by fome foldiers, mattocks and fpades carried by others, which with their calabatho