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Charles II. Naval Expeditions, &c. of the English, Book iff

have them in his Eye* at or before theTime he is reading my Relation howthey were observed* I have thought itmost agreable* and hope it will be*found so* to place them in the Notes.

Penne’s Instructions, which I havenot any where found* were probably nomore* than to protect the Troops intheir Passage* to add some of his Sea-men to them when there should be Oc-casion, and otherwise to asiist them,when put on Shoar ; To conduct themfrom one Place to another, and to seizeor destroy any Shipping of the Enemy*which he might meet with* or find atthose Places. Besides* both Penne andVenables were joined in Commission withother Persons* without whose Advice,and Concurrence* or that of some ofthem* at least, they were not to under-take any Thing of Moment* in thewhole Course of the Expedition.

When Venables, who had been veryserviceable to the Protector, in the Re-duction of Ireland, was first pitch’d up-on to command the Troops designed onthis Expedition, he made it his Request*that he might be furnished with Arms*Ammunition and all Things necessaryfor a Design of this Nature ; For that ci-ther wise very great Disappointmentsmight happen* should he not carrythem with him from hence ; Since theycould not possibly be found abroad. Healso made it his Request, that he mightnot be cramp’d with Commissions* orInstructions to other Persons; For hethen knew* that Oliver intended to fendCommissioners, with large Power to in-spect into* advise and controul the Ac-

tions of those who were to be principal-ly employed in this Expedition j Buthow little Regard was had to what hethus desired* will appear in the ensuingRelation, as also how he was contradict-ed and flighted* by those in chief Au-thority.

The Squadron commanded by Gene-ral Penne, consisted of about thirtyMen of War* being ordered to rendez-vous at Portsmouth, there the Land-Forces*which consisted of several Thou-sands* or (as the Author of the Britijh.Empire in America fays) two Thousandold Cavaliers* and as many of Oliversstanding Army, besides Volunteers* andnecessitated Persons, were likewise or-dered to embark: But* when the Timecame, Complaints were made to Ve~sables, of Disorders and Discontents a-mong the People, and more particularlyabout theBadnefs of the Provisions. Thisbeing, by his Means, made known toGeneral Desborow, he, by very harsh.Expressions signified hisDifcontent there-at,and particularly charged Venables witha Design of frustrating the intended Ex-pedition* by being the Author of Re-ports which were raise. Penne, on the ci-ther Hand, endeavoured to justify him-self, and to Ihew that he intended no o-therwise* than for the publick Good:And there was a shrewd Suspicion* thatDesborow' s Dissatisfaction herein arosefrom his being concerned with those,who had the Management of victuallingthe Navy.

After Venables had attended nearfour Months, without any positive As-surance* whether the Government was

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« aforesaid, agreed and directed- And we have« thought fit to leave unto your Discretion, by“ the Advice aforesaid, what Numbers of Men« fhail be raised, as also the Manner and Means« of doing thereof; Because you may not, at“ that Distance, be tied up by any Instructions,“ which may not suit .with, and be agreeable to« such Accidents, as may happen and fall out up-« on that Place, but maybe at Liberty to proceed" upon the Design, either without any Addition“ of Forces, in the Islands and Plantations afore-" said, or with a less or greater Addition, asyou“ shall find the Nature of the Service to require,-c And you have also Power and Authority, from<c Time to Time, by your Warrant, to cause-c such other Supplies of Men to be levied, in«c any of the said Islands, for the aforesaid Ser--c v i CCj as you, with the Advice aforesaid, shall" find’necessary.

III. “ The Design in general is to gain anlnte-« rest in that Part of the Wefi-Itulies, in thePos-« session of th zSpaniards, for the effecting where-

" of, we shall not ty you up to a Method, by“ any particular Instructions, but only commu-" nicate what hath been under our Consideration.“ Two or three Ways have been thought of to“ that Purpose.

i. " The first is, to land on some of the I-“ stands, and particularly Hifpaniela , and St." John’s Island, one or both; But the first if“ that hath no considerable Place in the South“ Part thereof, but the City of St .Domingo, and“ that not being considerably fortified, may pro-" Possessed without much Difficulty ;

" h t cfl bomg done and fortified, that whole I-“ Hand will be brought under Obedience. The“ chief Place of St. John’s Island is Puerto Ricco ," a £o the gaining of these Islands, or either of" them, will, as we conceive, amongst many o-" thers, have these Advantages.

(i.) “ Many English will come thither from" other Parts, and so those Places become Ma-" gazines, of Men and Provisions, for carrying" vu the Design, upon the main Land.

(2.) " They