Cruise Ideas

When the ship dropped the English troops thirty miles short of their target for invasion, Santo Domingo, their situation grew more dangerous as they set off in their deprived state. By the time the English made it to Santo Domingo, they felt it was necessary to take the time to settle in for a week before they struck at the Spanish town. This delay gave the Spaniards time to fortify their defenses. When the battle did take place, it lasted for three days before the English decided to leave before they were all killed.

As the English were leaving Santo Domingo, the crew members were hungry when the English admiral and general set their sights on Jamaica’s main port as a consolation prize because it was not heavily guarded, could be taken easily and should have food stock.

In May of 1655, English arrived in Jamaica and took over the vulnerable Spanish fort, the main town inhabitants were warned immediately, and they moved off into the forest with which they were familiar. The English did not chase after the people for their goods; instead, the English troops settled in again before they made any move against the Spanish inhabitants who were hiding from the English.

The mayor pretended to negotiate for several more days with the English for a surrender, which gave the Spanish women, children, elderly and sick time to leave by boat for Cuba with their livestock, goods and food. In desperation, the English were eating lizards, rats and other undesirable foods by this time because they had ran out of supplies before their arrival at Jamaica.

When the English realized the Spanish ruse for time, they sent out parties to find the Spaniards and for sources of food, which ended in disaster many times because the Spanish men, who stayed, were shooting at the English whenever they left the fort. Despite the danger, the English invaders stayed at the fort. The times were difficult for the English men even when they tried to grow crops because the Spaniards continued to defend what they considered as their territory.

Finally, by January, the general poor diet, disease and enemy fire had reduced the English soldiers to a number of only two and a half thousand men left from the eight thousand who started the journey with Penn and Venables. In January of Penn and Venables decided to cut free and sail back to England while leaving the men to defend the fort.

When Penn and Venables went back to England the following January, Cromwell had them thrown in prison for their efforts. Cromwell was determined that England should hold the fort. Things were just warming up for Port Royal under English rule when soon it would become infamous for the wickedness, which seemed to rule the port city.

Filed under: Destinations