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May it pleafe your excellency,

THE army are in great want of provifions, as alfo of match and gunpowder, and that if you pleafe to order a fudden march it is neceifary the foldiers be fupplied with bifcuit, at least fuch of them as thall be drawn forth for any fervice. I defire your excellency will please to inform general Penn of the general complaint of officers and toldiers, of the feamen's refufal to carry them on board to fetch thor goods. If he would pleate to appoint any certain day when officers and ordiers fhould come to receive their goods, and that boots may attend that butiness, and to make but one trouble of it. We want our hoes, mittocks, &c.

May 29, 1655.

Your most humble fervant,

RICHARD FORTESCUE.

ACCORDING to your order, I fent four hundred men, commanded by major Bamford, with fixty horte, to fetch up the provifions and ammunition which general Penn promised thould be landed early this morning, whereby we might have been enabled to march, according to your order, towards the enemy, who still remain refractory, as appears by the enclosed; but, contrary to expectation, one of my officers returned from the seaside, and affures me there were no provifions landed when we came away. Sir, the foldiers have not had any provifions almott forty-eight hours, but one bifcuit a man fince we came hither; by reafon whereof they grow very weak and are much enfeebled. I have enquired concerning the ways and paffages leading to the place where the enemy are encamped, which is from hence eight leagues, and I am aflured there is but one way and none other near it; much of it is through favannahs, part through a mountain, water fome part at the end of two leagues, fome part half a league, according to the enclosed

relation.

May, 1655.

UPON receipt of your letter, I fummoned the field officers, and with their advice drew out two parties, one of a thousand four hundred, to

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march by land, and another of fix hundred, to be tranfported by fea, and have appointed officers to command them; but, when I fent commiffary Daniel to take an account of the provifions fent laft night by the party, being thirty bags of caffava, he certifieth, under his hand, and will aver before you, that the whole weight is not two thoufand pounds, as appeareth per the particular inclosed; which is judged too fmall a proportion not only for the army but the party commanded out. I have therefore fent Mr. Daniel, with the advice of the officers, to inform you of our condition; and that we conceive there was a great mistake in those that fent the provifions on fhore, who alledged there was fix thoufand weight, and demanded a receipt accordingly; but Mr. Bamford refufed to give them a receipt for fo much weight, becaufe all the bags were broken, and much of the bread embezzled. The truth is, the army are generally in a very weak condition for want of provifions. The party I fent down yesterday to the feafide could have brought treble the quantity that was fent. If we might know how much thould be landed, we would fend parties accordingly. I do, with the officers advice, reprefent the army's condition to you. We want medicines for the chirurgeons,

May, 1655.

Here followeth the teftimony of lieutenant-colonel Ward:

He affirms that, being on board the Matthias on Saturday the eighth of June, 1655, enquiring of captain Kirby, commander of the faid veffel, the faid captain Kirby faid, that he received a check of general Penn for revealing what flores he had in his fhip, with this faying,-You can have no ftores on board you, but you must be babling.

PHIL. WARD.

MEMORANDUM-There were in the fhip's cabin, when this was fpoken, captain Pegg, lieutenant-colonel Buthell, fick in bed, Mr. Garviner, and commillary Pain.

So that all may fee how the promifes of general Defbrow were made good to us, who affured us, that what was on board fhould be for the landmen as well as the feamen, and alfo what civilities we might expect from the feamen, to afford us relief out of their own ftores, who concealed and withheld our own from us.

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Their wants and fufferings were the caufe, I fuppofe, which moved the officers to defire my return for England, to reprefent them to his highnefs, but I was never permitted to speak; only Mr. Secretary Thurloe writ to me, when in the tower, to fend him the officers humble confiderations, which were directed to his highnefs; which I did, but never heard more. And now, being on board, I fhall take leave of Jamaica, and fail for England to difcharge my truft to the ftate and army, in reprefenting the condition of thofe parts, and what might most advance the fervice, and which way was moft probable the defign may be carried on; which I did in the tower. I had a moft comfortable and fweet paffage homeward, and, when I came northward, gathered ftrength exceedingly, my weaknefs confidered. We landed fafely at Plymouth, September the tenth, 1655, having not felt one ftorm;-but that was to follow at land. So foon as I came to Portsmouth, I writ to his highnefs as followeth:

May it pleafe your highness,

I DOUBT not but general Penn hath informed your highness of the weak. cond tion he left me in, out of which all that faw me judged it was impoffi ble for me ever to recover; even the phyficians defpaired, except change of air did, though it was doubted I could not live to be put on board; yet, death being certain if I ftayed, it was refolved to adventure me; in regard I could but die. The extreme wants of your forces in the Indies were alfo recommended to me (by the officers) to reprefent to your highnefs; but, as my great weakness difabled me to travel by land, I am at prefent incapacitated to discharge that truft, unlefs it fhall please the Lord to give more ftrength or bring me about by fea. And, in the interim, that your highnefs may be blefied with profperous fuccefs in all your pious defigns, and be temporally and eternally happy, is, and shall be, the prayer of,

Your highneffes most humble and faithful servant,

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Honoured Sir,

To MR. SECRETARY THURLOE.

I DO perfuade myself that you have had a report by general Penn's fleet of my death, which was most probable, my returning being def paired of by all men, even the phyficians; and change of air was the last of remedies, all others failing; though it was thought by moft I fhould never fee the fea. Yet being I could but die, it was refolved to adventure me, though I was a mere fkeleton, and had at times been in a raving condition about three weeks, and continued fo about a week after I came on fhipboard; and yet continue but skin and bones, and fo weak that I cannot ride or scarce fit, except very easy, and therefore not able to travel by land, but muft come about up Thames. Though my heart longs to inform his highnefs of the ftate of his affairs in the Weft Indies, and indeed hafte is extremely necellary. If the Lord bring me fafe to London, I fhall tully inform you of all, which I dare not commit to paper, being constrained to make use of another's hand, for which your pardon is earnestly defired by

Your very humble fervant,

RICHARD VENABLES.

My Lord,

TO THE LORD LAMBERT,

MY death being reported by moft, and the impoffibility of my reco very believed by all general Penn's fleet, I perfuade myfelf hath by them come to your ears, fo that you would rather fuppofe the certain news of my death had now been brought you, than that I am in the land of the living and fo near you; indeed all men, even the physicians, defpaired of my life, the air being fo much my enemy; and therefore it was refolved that I fhould go to fea, though moft (and not the leaft judicious) thought I should never come on board alive; yet being I could but die, it was refolved to adventure me, though I was but a mere fkeleton, and had at times been in a raving condition about three weeks, and continued

fo a week after I came on board, and I yet continue but skin and bones, and fo weak that I cannot ride, or fcarce fit, but very eafy, and therefore not able to travel by land to London, but muft come about up Thames, though my heart longs to inform his highness of the state of his affairs in the Weft; but indeed hafte is extremely neceffary. If the Lord bring me alive to London, I fhall fully inform you of all, which I dare not commit to paper, being constrained to make use of another's band, for which your pardon is earnestly defired by,

My lord, your lordfhip's moft humble fervant,

RICHARD VENABLES.

The like was writ to colonel Sydenham and general Desbrow.

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: But, though I preffed fo earneftly to come to London by fea, yet was denied, though fo weak that I had like to have died on-board before I came to land. However, being commmanded to come away, I got a coach and one to fupport me in it, and fo came to London; and the fame day went to fecretary Thurloe, to acquaint him that I defired to wait upon his highnefs, who appointed me to attend the next morning to that end, which I did; and was at laft called in before his highnets. and the council, who demanded of me who fent for me: I anfwered, the army had defired me to come, to reprefent to his highnefs the state of his affairs there, and their extreme wants.-He then demanded of me if I had ever read of any general that had left his army, not being com manded back: I replied, I fuppofed hiftory would clear it, though my memory, difcompofed by ficknefs, could not at prefent call it to mind; but at last named the earl of Effex. He replied, a fad example! and asked me if I had any thing else to say in my defence: I replied, I did not expect to be called to an account for this thing, and fo was not prepared to answer; and humbly craved refpite for a few days, that I might perufe my papers, and confider the thing fully, and I would then give him a full anfwer.-He denied me that most just liberty, which a heathen denied not to Paul, to have time and place to defend himself. I humbly begged it again, and was denied it; and this added, that I must then. fpeak, or what I had spoke would be looked upon as all I could fay. I then replied, I had the army's vote, which I then produced, and defired it might be read; but was denied, and was told colonel Buller was the army's '

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