Attempts of the English upon his Island.
The first and onely Attempters upon this Island since the Spaniards made themselves Masters thereof, have been the English, who in the Year 1592. under the Conduct of Sir Anthony Shirley Landed upon it, & got clear possession thereof, none of the Spaniards that were then upon the Place daring to make the least resistance; but not thinking it worth the keeping, they soon deserted it, and made Sail back again for England: after which they remain’d unmolested for a long time, till in the Year 1654. a Fleet of English was set out for Hispaniola by Cromwell, under the Command of Colonel Venables, with a Design for the taking of St. Domingo; but meeting with ill success in the Enterprize, and being forc’d to quit that Island with loss of Men, and frustration of their hopes, they steer’d their Course for Jamaica, and on the tenth of May in the Year abovesaid, with little opposition possess’d themselves of it. Upon their approach to St. Jago the Inhabitants thereof deserted it, and betook them to the Mountains, gaining time by a pretence of Treaty, to secure their Women and Goods; and oftentimes making Incursions upon the stragling Parties of the English, slew and took many Prisoners by surprize: but being weary of this wild and irregular kind of living, they betake themselves at last to the Isle of Cuba, where many of them, the Grandees especially, were permitted by favour to continue, the rest being by the Vice-Roy commanded back, with promise of speedy and considerable Supplies; by that time this remnant of the Spaniards was near tir’d out with hardship and necessity, some being very much discourag’d and driven to utter despondence of Mind, others destroy’d out-right, part of the long promis’d and expected Supply arrives, the greatest part being to follow soon after; but finding the Islanders so few in number, and in so sickly and necessitous an Estate, they would not joyn with them, but maugre all the Governor’s Perswasions or Commands, retreat to the North part of the Island, and there fortifie at a place call’d Chireras, expecting every day fresh Recruits; which not coming time enough, and their Quarters being discover’d, they were set upon by the English, and most of them either slain or taken Prisoners: not many Moneths after the rest of the Spanish Forces Land, being in all about thirty Companies, with Ordnance and good store of Ammunition; who falling presently to make strong Fortifications at Rio Novo, are nevertheless in a short time utterly defeated by the English: Upon which, and several other ill Successes, despairing to re-gain the Island, they Ship off their Women and the richest of their Goods; and the Negro Slaves grown Masterless, by the general either slaughter or departure of their Patrons, shake off their Obedience to the Spaniards, and constitute a Governor of their own, a Black, yet submit themselves, and own Subjection to the English Government, the Spaniards from Cuba, both by their Perswasions and monethly Contributions, in vain endeavoring to reduce them; onely some few there were that stood out, whom the rest not onely made it their business to discover, but help’d the English to take them, insomuch that at last the Spanish General not having above fifty Men left him, was forc’d to seek for Peace, and offer’d Terms of Accommodation; which the English General would not be drawn to accept of, unless upon Condition that he should deliver up to Justice as many as were left of those that had barbarously murder’d any of our Men, either in time of Treaty, or after Quarter given.
The English in this Island are setled for above a hundred Miles along the Countrey from the Eastward.
Chief Towns.
Their chief Towns are 1. St. Jago, (built by the Spaniards, as afore mention’d) which lieth six Miles within the Land, North-West from the Harbor of Cagway. Here the English have built a small Fort.
2. Passage, a small Town, built also by the English six Miles from St. Jago, for the convenience of going to Cagway, consisting of about fifty Houses and a Fort, whence cross this Harbor, about three Leagues distant is the Town of 3. Cagway, seated on the Extream end of the Point, containing in it above six hundred Houses, all built by the English, besides the Governor’s Palace, and the Houses where the Stores for the Army are kept.
This is counted the most healthful Place in all the Island, and the very Scale of Trade, where all Merchants, Strangers, and Sailors reside.
Here, upon the utmost Angle of the Point towards the Sea, is a round Tower, built of Lime and Stone; about which is rais’d a strong and regular Fort, containing sixty pieces of Ordnance.
Port Royal.
This Town is now call’d Port Royal, and is thought to contain about sixteen thousand Inhabitants.