een, the best man of Tortuga, that has two frigates
at sea, has promised to bring in both."[247]

In so far as the buccaneers affected the mutual relations of England and
Spain, it after all could make little difference whether commissions
were issued in Jamaica or not, for the plundering and burning continued,
and the harassed Spanish-Americans, only too prone to call the rogues
English of whatever origin they might really be, continued to curse and
hate the English nation and make cruel reprisals whenever possible.
Moreover, every expedition into Spanish territory, finding the Spaniards
very weak and very rich, gave new incentive to such endeavour. While
Modyford had been standing now on one foot, now on the other, uncertain
whether to repulse the buccaneers or not, secretly anxious to welcome
them, but fearing the authorities at home, the corsairs themselves had
entirely ignored him. The privateers whom Modyford had invited to
rendezvous in Bluefield's Bay in November 1665 had chosen Captain
Mansfield as their admiral, and in the middle of January sailed from the
south cays of Cuba for Curacao. In the meantime, however, because they
had been refused provisions which, according to Modyford's account, they
sought to buy from the Spaniards in Cuba, they had marched forty-two
miles into the island, and on the strength of Portuguese commissions
which they held against the Spaniards, had plundered and burnt the town
of Sancti Spiritus, routed a body of 200 horse, carried some prisoners
to the coast, and for their ransom extorted 300 head of cattle.[248] The
rich and easy profits to be got by plundering the Spaniards were almost
too much for the loyalty of the men, and Modyford, hearing of many
defections from their ranks, had despatched Captain Beeston on 10th
November to divert them, if possible, from Sancti Spiritus, and confirm
them in their designs against Curacao.[249] The officers of the
expedition, indeed, sent to the governor a letter expressing their zeal
for the enterprise; but the men still held off, and the fleet, in
consequence, eventually broke up. Two vessels departed for Tortuga, and
four others, joined by two French rovers, sailed under Mansfield to
attempt the recapture of Providence Island, which, since 1641, had been
garrisoned by the Spaniards and used as a penal settlement.[250] Being
resolved, as Mansfield afterwards told the governor of Jamaica, never to
see Modyford's face until he had done some ser