The Buccaneers in the West Indies in the XVII CenturyHaring, Clarence Henry
History
The Buccaneers in the West Indies in the XVII Century
Haring, Clarence Henry
Buccaneers; West Indies -- History
To satisfactorily explain at Madrid these two presumptuous assaults upon
Spanish territory in America was an embarrassing problem for the English
Government, especially as Myngs' men imprisoned at Seville and Cadiz
were said to have produced commissions to justify their actions.[177]
The Spanish king instructed his resident in London to demand whether
Charles accepted responsibility for the attack upon St. Jago, and the
proceedings of English cases in the Spanish courts arising from the
depredations of Galician corsairs were indefinitely suspended.[178]
When, however, there followed upon this, in May 1663, the news of the
sack and burning of Campeache, it stirred up the greatest excitement in
Madrid.[179] Orders and, what was rarer in Spain, money were immediately
sent to Cadiz to the Duke of Albuquerque to hasten the work on the royal
Armada for despatch to the Indies; and efforts were made to resuscitate
the defunct Armada de Barlovento, a small fleet which had formerly been
used to catch interlopers and protect the coasts of Terra-Firma. In one
way the capture of Campeache had touched Spain in her most vulnerable
spot. The Mexican Flota, which was scheduled to sail from Havana in June
1663, refused to stir from its retreat at Vera Cruz until the galleons
from Porto Bello came to convoy it. The arrival of the American treasure
in Spain was thus delayed for two months, and the bankrupt government
put to sore straits for money.
The activity of the Spaniards, however, was merely a blind to hide their
own impotence, and their clamours were eventually satisfied by the King
of England's writing to Deputy-Governor Lyttleton a letter forbidding
all such undertakings for the future. The text of the letter is as
follows: "Understanding with what jealousy and offence the Spaniards
look upon our island of Jamaica, and how disposed they are to make some
attempt upon it, and knowing how disabled it will remain in its own
defence if encouragement be given to such undertakings as have lately
been set on foot, and are yet pursued, and which divert the inhabitants
from that industry which alone can render the island considerable, the
king signifies his dislike of all such undertakings, and commands that
no such be pursued for the future, but that they unitedly apply
themselves to the improvement of the plantation and keeping the force in
proper condition."[180] The original draft of the letter was much milder
in tone, and betrays the real attitude of Charles II. toward these
half-piratical enterprises: "His Majesty has heard of the success of the
undertaking upon Cuba, in which he cannot choose but please himself in
the vigour and resolution wherein it was performed ... but because His
Majesty cannot foresee any utility likely to arise thereby ... he has
thought fit hereby to command him to give no encouragement to such
undertakings unless they may be performed by the frigates or men-of-war
attending that place without any addition from the soldiers or
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