atement, he was further tortured
and threatened with death. "What did you think when you found yourself
in the hands of those barbarians?" asked a Member of the House; to which
the captain replied, "I recommended my soul to God and my cause to my
country." The severed ear he exhibited in Parliament as he had done
elsewhere whenever he told the story.

It was then stated that the losses from Spanish depredations by
plundering and the taking of fifty-two vessels, since 1728, amounted to
L340,000. In every case the masters and crews were brutally treated, and
in some cases murdered. The English demand for compensation was met by
the reply that the king had ordered inquiries to be made, and that if
any of his subjects were found guilty they would be punished according
to their deserts; also that orders would be given to conform exactly to
the treaties. It was, however, claimed that the treaty of 1667 did not
contain any clause bearing on the navigation and commerce of the Indies,
and that the English had been wrong in supposing they had a right to
sail and trade there; they were only permitted to sail to their own
islands and plantations, and were therefore subject to confiscation if
they changed their course to make for the Spanish possessions without
necessity. There were then in Havana fifteen British vessels which had
been detained on one pretext or another, and about the same time the
_Success_ from London to Virginia was captured off Montserrat, and her
captain and crew set adrift in an open boat to find their way ashore as
best they could.

In January, 1739, a convention between Great Britain and Spain was
arranged, under which the latter agreed to pay L95,000 on account of
these demands, less the value of certain vessels which they agreed to
restore. This did not satisfy the West India merchants, and they
petitioned against it. The indemnity was to be paid on the 10th of July,
but that date having passed without a settlement, Great Britain issued
letters of marque and ordered all Spanish vessels in her waters to be
seized. Spain commenced reprisals the following month, and war was
actually declared by Great Britain on the 19th of October. The
declaration stated that for several years past unjust seizures and
depredations had been carried on, and great cruelties exercised. The
British colours had been ignominiously insulted, against the laws of
nations and solemn treaties, and Spain had lately ordered British
subje