ertook on his own account. England was not at war in February,
1639, but war had long existed between Spain and the Netherlands, and
the depredations carried out from Providence were sure ultimately to
provoke Spanish reprisals. It was moreover almost an accepted maxim
that there was "No peace beyond the Line", _i.e._, west of the prime
meridian and south of the Tropic of Cancer.]

[_February_] 13. Wee hadd an alarme this morneinge, and in regard that
the sayle that wee made came to an Anchor close without our Rocks
called the Breakers, wee sone found that she was a stranger and in
perill: wherupon I sent out two shalopes well manned and followed
myself in the thirde: and by the waye wee mett with her bote being
only a Canow in which all of her men wer come off from her and left
her alone; But wee tooke two of her men backe with us to the shypp;
and sent two of my Botes to bring her into the Harbour;[2] the which
was done: Wee founde her to be a Spanish Frigate, taken by a man of
Warre of Flushinge off of Cuba. she was laden with mantega de
Porco,[3] Hides and tallowe; their resolution was to have carried her
to St. Christophers,[4] and ther to have sold her Goods, but being not
able to fetch itt, she was forced to beare up for our Iland; and but
for us had wracked upon our rocks; shee was manned with eight men; and
the man of warre that tooke her haveinge dispatched her as he thought
for St. Christophers, remained upon the Coast of Hispaniola to looke
out for more purchase:[5] and in the meantime, little knows what is
become of his Prize.

[Footnote 2: The harbor, and the town of New Westminster, were on the
northwest side of the island. There is a map in Newton, opp. p. 12.]

[Footnote 3: Lard.]

[Footnote 4: St. Christopher's was at this time occupied jointly by
the English and the French.]

[Footnote 5: In the old sense of prey or plunder.]

14. I dined at Captain Morgan's. After dinner the Councell of Warre
wer assembled at my house; wher some propositions wer considered off
touchinge the new come Dutche; as alsoe about some redresses in
respect of wronngs pretended to be offred by our Pillageinge seamen.

15. I was att Warwicke Fort[6] this morneinge, wher I called a
Counsell of warre; and the new come in Dutche presented a coppy of
their Commission signed by the Prince of Orange and the Dutche West
India Company. After dinner being newly returned home, wee hadd an
alarme, upon the discovery of a sayle; an