by whom it was conducted. The soldiers were
the refuse of the whole army: the forces enlisted in the West
Indies were the most profligate of mankind: Pen and Venables were of
incompatible tempers: the troops were not furnished with arms fit for
such an expedition: their provisions were defective both in quantity and
quality: all hopes of pillage, the best incentive to valor among such
men, were refused the soldiers and seamen: no directions or intelligence
were given to conduct the officers in then enterprise: and at the same
time they were tied down to follow the advice of commissioners, who
disconcerted them in all their projects.[***]

* Clarendon.

* Vita de Berwici, p. 124

** Burchet's Naval History. See also Carte's Collection,
vol. ii. p. 46, 47. Thurloe, vol. iii. p. 505.

It was agreed by the admiral and general to attempt St. Domingo, the
only place of strength in the Island of Hispaniola. On the approach of
the English, the Spaniards in a fright deserted their houses, and fled
into the woods. Contrary to the opinion of Venables, the soldiers were
disembarked without guides ten leagues distant from the town. They
wandered four days through the woods without provisions, and was still
more intolerable in that sultry climate, without water. The Spaniards
recovered spirit, and attacked them. The English, discouraged with the
bad conduct of their officers and scarcely alive from hunger, thirst,
and fatigue, were unable to resist. An inconsiderable number of the
enemy put the whole army to rout, killed six hundred of them, and chased
the rest on board their vessels.

The English commanders, in order to atone as much as possible for
this unprosperous attempt, bent their course to Jamaica, which was
surrendered to them without a blow. Pen and Venables returned to
England, and were both of them sent to the Tower by the protector, who,
though commonly master of his fiery temper, was thrown into a violent
passion at this disappointment. He had made a conquest of greater
importance than he was himself at that time aware of; yet was it much
inferior to the vast projects which he had formed. He gave orders,
however, to support it by men and money; and that island has ever since
remained in the hands of the English; the chief acquisition which they
owe to the enterprising spirit of Cromwell.

{1656.} As soon as the news of this expedition, which was an
unwarrantable violation of treaty, arrived in