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that y proposer has also conceived a pretty certain method to garrison not only that, but all y places mentioned, if they are taken without much expense to England, but weh he begs leave to reserve to himself, it being too long to incert here, till he sees how this proposall will be approved of. J. H.

Instructions to our trusty and well-beloved Charles Brown, Esq., Commander-inChief of our ships at Jamaica, given at our Court at Kensington, the 15th day of June, 1739, in the thirteenth of our Reign.

Whereas, several unjust seizures have been made, and depredations carried on in the West Indies by Spanish Guarda Costas, and ships acting under the commission of the King of Spain or his Governors, contrary to the treaties subsisting between us and the crown of Spain and to the Law of Nations, to the great prejudice of the lawfull trade and Commerce of our subjects: and many cruelties and barbarities have been exercised on the persons of such of our subjects whose vessels have been so seized by the said Spanish Guarda Costas: And whereas frequent complaint has been made to the Court of Spain, of these unjust practices, and no satisfaction or redress been procured: and whereas a convention for making reparation to our subjects, for the losses sustained by them, on account of the unjust seizures and captures above mentioned was concluded, and signed at the Pardo by our Minister Plenipotentiary, and the Minister Plenipotentiary of the King of Spain, on the 14th day of January last, N. S., by which convention it was stipulated that the sum of £95,000 should be paid at London within the term of four months, to be reckoned from the day of the exchange of the Ratifications of the said convention, as a balance due on the part of Spain to the crown and subjects of Great Britain: And whereas the said term of four months from the exchange of the Ratifications of the said convention did expire on the 25th day of the month of May last, and the payment of the said sum of £95,000 agreed by the said convention, has not been made according to the stipulation for that purpose, by which means the convention above mentioned has been manifestly violated and broken by the King of Spain, and our sub

jects remain without any satisfaction or reparation for the many great and grievous losses sustained by them, We have therefore seen fit for the vindicating the honour of Our Crown, and for procuring Reparation and satisfaction for our injured subjects, to give you the following orders and instrue

tions.

You are, with the squadron of Our Ships under your command, either together or separate, to commit all sorts of hostilities against the Spaniards, and to annoy them in every place, and in the best manner that you shall be able, and to endeavour to seize and take, by all forcible means possible, all Spanish ships and vessels, as well ships of war as merchant ships, or other vessels that you may meet with, or be able to come up with: And you are to give orders to all the Captains of our several ships under your command accordingly.

You shall procure the best intelligence you can, what Spanish ships, especially of Force, there may be at any time in the Spanish Ports of the Continent, or Islands, or cruizing on their coasts: and particularly concerning the Galleons which are now at Carthagena or Porto Bello: and what strength they have for a convoy. And if you find yourself strong enough, after having left two or three small Frigates for the protection of our Island of Jamaica and the trade of our subjects in those parts, you are with the remainder of your squadron, to proceed and lye of the Cumanos, or on the coast of Cuba, or at whatever station you may judge to be most likely to intercept the said Galleons: and if you shall be able to take them or any of them, you are to bring them together with their effects, to Jamaica, to be there kept without plunder or embezzlement, till our pleasure shall be known concerning them: And you shall do the same with regard to any other Spanish ships or vessels, and their effects, that you or any of your cruizers shall happen to meet with and take. But in case of perishable goods, you may sell them, and reserve the money arising therefrom for our future disposition.

Whereas, it is our intention forthwith to reinforce the squadron under your command, with a sufficient number of ships to make the same superior to any force which the Spaniards can have in those seas, you are to leave, sealed up, with the Governor of Jamaica, an account of the station you shall be in, and of the several dispositions you

You are to transmit constant and particular accounts of your proceedings, and of what intelligence you shall be able to procure of the motions and designs of the Spaniards, to one of our principal Secretaries of State, and to our Commissioners for executing the office of our High Admiral of Great Britain; and you shall observe and follow such orders and instructions as you shall receive from us under our sign manual, or from one of our principal Secretaries of State, or from our Commissioners for executing the office of our High Admiral of Great Britain for the time being. G. R.

VI.

To Lord Harrington.

JUNE 18th, 1739.

shall make of the ships under your command, independent companies if necessary, and with a state of the provisions, to be delivered where the ships of war from Great Britain to the commanding officer of such men of may be joined by those on the station of that war as we shall think proper to send to Island. By this means allso, the enemy may those parts. be kept in suspense; for Jamaica is as proper a rendevous for any other [such] attempt as that now intended. And the commanding officer of the fleets may have orders not to open his instructions till he shall have left Jamaica, and shall find himself in a particular latitude prescribed for that purpose. But a proper regard should be had to the hurricane months, and I presume it will not be thought advisable to fall in upon the coast till the rains shall be over, which are common to that part of the continent between the tropics, and continue till towards the end of November. There is no reason to apprehend that the King's troops can meet with any considerable oposition upon their first landing at a place so far distant from any Spanish settlement, inhabited only by Indians who do not acknowledge themselves subjects My Lord :-The situation of the Isthmus to that nation. But, however, it will be of Darien and the consequence of making a highly necessary for the forces to secure lodgement there, I think, have been suffi- themselves as soon as they can, after their ciently shown by my letters to your Lord- landing, which for the first essay may best ship of the 12th inst. What now remains be done by a stockaded fort, materials for is, that in obedience to your commands, I that purpose being allways at hand in these should offer my humble opinion, in what countries, wherein the fleet also may be exmanner and with what force such a lodge-ceedingly assisting to the land forces; and ment should be attempted. indeed, all the conquests we made the last I should go out of my province if I should war upon the coasts of Spain were in great take upon me to name the particular num- measure if not entirely owing to the conduct ber of men of war, transports, victuallers of the fleet. or store ships necessary upon this occasion, or assign the proper places for their rendezvous in case of separatian at sea, and therefore shall content myself with drawing some general outlines only of that designe, leaving the detail to the wisdom and care of those to whom the execution will more properly belong. I apprehend, however, it will not be advisable to attempt the settlement without a naval power equal to that the Spaniards have in those seas, nor with less than two thousand land forces. For great allowances must be made in expeditions to these countries for losses by change of diet and climate; and the success of this affair will entirely depend on the first attempt.

I presume the last rendevous appointed for the fleet in this expedition will be at the Island of Jamaica, where wood, water, refreshments of all kinds, pilots and even a recruit of fresh men may be had from the

And therefore it will be absolutely neces sary that a good correspondence should be maintained between the land and sea officers, but more particularly that the commanders in chief should live in perfect harmony. For which reason men of temper and prudence as well as of valor and experience should be chosen for the expedition. Many great designs have miscarried for the want of this precaution.

The choice of the ground to build a fort upon must be left to the officers who shall command upon this descent. Wherein, however, particular regard shall be had in the first place to the receiving relief from sea, and in y second, to the health of those that shall remain in the country, both which points may be obtained by making two dif ferent lodgements, one near the sea, and the other on the higher grounds; for the hills on the north side of the isthmus are not so far

Utrecht, and have constantly been at the expense of maintaining a regiment there.

distant from the shore but that a communi- | in possession of it ever since the treaty of cation may easily be preserved with them. The Scots had a look-out upon a height about a mile above their settlement, from whence they could discover near twenty or thirty miles round any point of the compass. The upper lodgement may answer that end, and the garrisons may relieve each other for change of air, which will be exceedingly different in the two lodgements, tho' the distance be so small.

This intendant may also be charged with the inspection of all stores of war and provisions, and with the distribution of the Indian cargo, which at the first outset should be a large one, to engage the natives in our interest; and [he] should likewise have a place and vote in all councils held either for civil or military purposes. The two garrisons left in the country should each of them consist of five hundred men. They should be well supplied with military stores, and always have three months' provision in their maga

It will be necessary upon this occasion that some engineers and a large supply of ordnance stores of all kinds should be embarked, that nothing may be wanting for the establishment or defence of the settle-zines. At first, it might not be amiss to

ment.

Though the Indian inhabitants of these parts are certainly the proprietors of the soyle, and it will be infinitely for our interest and security to keep well with 'em, yet to avoid loss of time it will be advisable to build our forts in the first place and purchase the soyle of them afterwards, which may certainly be had at a very moderate rate in exchange for beads, brass rings, knives, hatchets, guns, gunpowder, printed linen, and such other trifles as an Indian cargo generally consists of. This will be the more necessary, because if there are any gold mines in the country, as the Scots were informed, and these were even within two miles of their settlement, the natives only can discover them.

And therefore, though a military force is absolutely necessary, not only for acquiring but also for maintaining of this settlement, yet there should be some mixture of civil magistracy in it, even from its first infancy. Otherway's it will never answer the present ends proposed by it, which are the benefits resulting from trade with the Spaniards as well as ye natives, notwithstanding we are in a state of war with the former.

For this purpose some person perfectly versed in the Spanish trade and language should be employed in the nature of an Intendant or Inspector, who may be a proper check upon the licentiousness of the soldiers; may inspect their musters, and be enabled to give protection as well to the natives as to such civil inhabitants as shall be disposed to settle in the country, either for trade or planting. The want of such a provision in Nova Scotia has been one principal cause why we have no civil inhabitants in that province, (besides the French,) though we have been

leave them sufficient subsistence for twice that time, and constant care should be taken to victual and recruit 'em.

The soldiers should be allowed to carry their wives with 'em, and those that have none should be encouraged to marry with the natives, or else this colony, like that of the first Romans, (till they got wives from the Sabines,) Populus utrius generationis.

The policy of intermarrying with the natives has been of great advantage to the French in their settlements on the North Continent of America; and we owe our title to some of the islands to the amours of one of our Governors with an Indian woman; particularly that of Santa Lucia, to a bastard of St Thomas Warner.

According to the description the Scots have given of the harbor where they settled, it is one of the best, the largest, and most capable of being fortified of any yet discovered in those parts. This is a likely circumstance; for it will be necessary [that] the fleet should remain there till the troops are safely lodged and fortified, and [that] a competent number of ships should attend this station during the course of the war.

If it should be our fortune to succeed in the settlement, it is not to be doubted but great numbers of people would soon flock to it from all parts of his Majesty's dominions, and then further regulations will be necessary for the cultivating, enlarging and improving this new acquisition.

But at this time I shall offer your Lordship no considerations of that sort, having for the present determined to confine myself to such particulars only as relate more immediately to the acquiring and defending of a settlement upon the Isthmus of Darien: and

therefore shall conclude this letter with assuring your Lordship that, &c.

[Backed, "Letter to Lord Harrington, 18th June, 1739, about the settlement at Darien.

"For the Right Honorable Sir Charles Wager."]

VII.

Extract from a paper endorsed on the back, Sir Charles Wager's paper."

*

to attack the French, though the treasure may be on board them, (for which they must go to Portobel and return to Cartagen.) Cartagen may be attempted the more easily when they are gone, or the expedition to Panama may be pursued: or if the Flota now at Cadiz should get away, they may be destroyed at Vera Cruz.

[Bears date on the back, Nov. 6, 1739.]

VIII.

BURFORD, in Port Royall harbor,
Jamaica, 1740.

Sir:-I am favored with your excellency's

It is also proposed to send the same number of ships to the South See to distress the Spaniards in that part of the world, by taking their ships and all their * *letter of the 22d Oct., with the enclosed in[word illegible] many of which are very formations taken before you in council the rich, especially those which carry the treasure same day, of the large French squadron arfrom Lima to Panama. Many places on rived at Martinique, and the great armament that coast are weak and defenceless, not hav- they were preparing for some secret expediing known war except by a few privateers tion. or pyrates, who have formerly done them great damage.

There is also a probability of persuading the Vice Roy and people of Peru to revolt from the Spanish government and make themselves independent of it, especially if a number of troops can be conveyed thither by way of Panama. 1,000 is thought to be sufficient; and 1,000 or more to be left at Panama, to which place they may march over land from Portobel on the river Chagre, from whence it is not above two days' march to Panama, which [can] be easily taken, as it is believed, with 2,000 men.

An expedition against Cartagen will requre about six ships of the line of battle to be joined to those with Vernon. It will require 4,000 soldiers properly commanded, which number must have at least 6,000 tons of transportation with a sufficient quantity of all sorts of ordnance stores proper for a siege, and such an enterprise.

The strength of Cartagen shall be particularly shown in a day or two.

If the expedition against Cartagen should by any accident miscarry, or that the place should be taken and kept, two thousand men will probably be thought sufficient for a garrison there; and the rest may be sent to Portobel and Panama as above mentioned. If the Spaniards should send a strong squadron to Cartagen, to join those of Spain for the protection and security of the galleon in their passage home, so that it may not be thought advisable to make an attempt on Cartagen while they are there, nor

The arrival of the squadron I had received advice of, and concluded they were designed as auxiliaries to the Spaniards, for to secure the safe carrying home of the Golden Fleece.

But your obliging intelligence of their drawing every fifth man for a secret expedition, I cannot tell what to judge of; but from our weakness in our Leeward Islands, I cannot but be in pain for them, and do not imagine they will think of attacking you that lie so far to windward of them, and besides difficulty of access have so numerous a militia.

Were Spaniards and French to join in any favorite expedition, I doubt not but this Island would be first in their view. But I think we have here force enough for the defensive; tho' I cannot but be greatly surprised in this criticall juncture not to have heard from England since the 4th July. But I have been prepared for such disappointment, having been before without hearing from them from September was twelve month, to May last.

Coll Gooch with the forces raised in Virginia and Philadelphia is arrived here, and we may reasonably expect every day those coming from New York, with Coll Blaheney; and if Lord Cathcart be coming, you must soonest hear of him to windward.

I lament their not letting his lordship sail in the spring of the year, when alone easterly winds were to be depended on for getting out of our channell. Had they come then we might have been masters of Carthegena

J

No.

and the Galleons. But that fatall commission | of war, said our Linguist (by whom Mr. has occasioned a meloncholly change of the Knowles and I stood on the gangway, scene, and we must rely on God's good telling him what to say, Mr. Knowles providence for a happy issue. With many mean dictating to him.) And we &re thanks to you, sir, and the gentlemen of the French men of war, and what would you Councill for the seasonable intelligence, I am have? We must speak with you, said we: Your Excellencies' most They then asked if war was declared? not when we left Europe, we told them. Then what would you have? You know we are at war with Spain, and it is our duty to know what every ship is we meet, so pry send your boat on board. We have no bost, said they. Then we will send ours, which words were no sooner spoken but two shot came between our mainmast and foremast

Ob' humble servant, E. VERNON. P. S.-Our advices here [say] that the Spanish squadron is gone for Porto Bello, and one of the French squadrons for Carthegena; so I hope you are in no danger

from them.

On his Majesty's service.

To his Excellency JAMES DOTTIN, Esq., at from one of the French ships that Lord Aɩ

Barbadoes.

IX.

[Endorsed on the back, "28th Jan., 1740. Relation of an encounter with four French ships off of Hispaniola."]

My Lord Duke:-I took the liberty to write to you from Barbadoes, which I hope your Grace has received; nothing of moment has happened since, excepting a conflict between six of our men of war and four French. Jan. the 7th, the Admiral made a signal for the Prince Frederick, Lord Auberry; the Oxford, Lord Augustus Fitzroy; two 70 gun ships; the York, Capt. Coates; the Rippon, Capt. Tolly; the Dunkirk, Capt. Cooper, and the Weymouth, Capt. Knowles, to chase; the four last ships are of sixty guns, and the French ships were two of sixty guns and two of fifty.

We were about six leagues south of Hispaniola when we began to chase. About one the Weymouth fired a gun for them to bring too, but they kept on their course; about three we fired another gun for the same purpose, but they did not mind us, but seeing we were determined to speak with them they hoisted their colours. We came up with them between ten and eleven at night. Lord Aubery being commanding officer, Mr. Knowles asked if his Lordship had any particular commands for him. He bid him speak with the first ship he could, and himself would speak with the headmost, he told him. When we came within half pistol shot, we hailed one of the French ships, and asked what they were. To which question they made no answer, but asked who we were. English men

berry had come up with, as we were talking to our French ship.

The French ship my Lord haled would give no answer, on which my Lord ordered a shot to be fired ahead of him; that not

having the effect that he desired, he fired a shot into him, and then began the battle. We all ran to our quarters and gave three broadsides into the ship we had been talkir g with. They returned the compliment and then sheer'd off. The Dunkirk likewise gave this same ship a broadside. They were very well manned with small arms which they handled very briskly, and if it had not been dark I believe we should have been vay much galled by them, for we were within thirty yards of each other when we began to fire.

After an hour's engagement or thereabouts, Mr. Knowles went on board the Frederick, and advised my Lord to desist till the morning; for he said that he feared we were in a bad cause. My Lord agreed to it, but Mi. Knowles had no sooner got on board his own ship, and ordered her to be tow'd round, but my Lord was obliged to continue the fight in his own defence, being attacked; and the Oxford coming up, ran between three of the French ships which fell on him. But his Lordship cleared himself very weli. and continued firing with the Frederick, till past four in the morning. We never lifted up a port after Mr. Knowles came from Leid Aubery, but received several shot. We h: d two men killed and five wounded, but not dangerous. In the morning we saw the Erench ships near a mile from us in good orde: for to renew the fight with their signalout for that purpose. The six Captains mot on the Frederick and agreed to send a boat

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