h ships reported in that region.
Encountering none, he stood for the Main, and landed on 4th May with
about 450 men at Rio de la Hacha. The story of the exploit is merely a
repetition of what happened at Santa Marta. The people had sight of the
English fleet six hours before it could drop anchor, and fled from the
town to the hills and surrounding woods. Only twelve men were left
behind to hold the fort, which the English stormed and took within half
an hour. Four large brass cannon were carried to the ships and the fort
partly demolished. The Spaniards pretended to parley for the ransom of
their town, but when after a day's delay they gave no sign of complying
with the admiral's demands, he burned the place on 8th May and sailed
away.[141] Goodson called again at Santa Marta on the 11th to get water,
and on the 14th stood before Cartagena to view the harbour. Leaving
three vessels to ply there, he returned to Jamaica, bringing back with
him only two small prizes, one laden with wine, the other with cocoa.

The seamen of the fleet, however, were restless and eager for further
enterprises of this nature, and Goodson by the middle of June had
fourteen of his vessels lying off the Cuban coast near Cape S. Antonio
in wait for the galleons or the Flota, both of which fleets were then
expected at Havana. His ambition to repeat the achievement of Piet Heyn
was fated never to be realised. The fleet of Terra-Firma, he soon
learned, had sailed into Havana on 15th May, and on 13th June, three
days before his arrival on that coast, had departed for Spain.[142]
Meanwhile, one of his own vessels, the "Arms of Holland," was blown up,
with the loss of all on board but three men and the captain, and two
other ships were disabled. Five of the fleet returned to England on 23rd
August, and with the rest Goodson remained on the Cuban coast until the
end of the month, watching in vain for the fleet from Vera Cruz which
never sailed.[143]

Colonel Edward Doyley, the officer who so promptly defeated the attempts
of the Spaniards in 1657-58 to re-conquer Jamaica, was now governor of
the island. He had sailed with the expedition to the West Indies as
lieutenant-colonel in the regiment of General Venables, and on the death
of Major-General Fortescue in November 1655 had been chosen by
Cromwell's commissioners in Jamaica as commander-in-chief of the land
forces. In May 1656 he was superseded by Robert Sedgwick, but the latter
died within a few da