164 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696/7-98.

           Lib. H. D.     within this month I have Received certain Accots from Curaco,

                 St Thomas and Providence that sd ffrench ffleet are past by us

                 and were Safe Arriv'd at Petit Guavers on Hispaniola its

                 said with design to attack the City of St Domingo on that

                 Island by Sea and Land, and if possible to make themselves

                 intire masters of that Island, they having in Ordr thereto kept

                 many hundred Negroes for severall Months past, cutting a

                 path for their fforces to march over Land to the Spanish side

                 of the Island; Others Say, they only design to surprize the

                 Spanish Plate ffleet designed Home from the Indies this year,

                 Their ffleet Consists of x8: men of Warr, 2 Bomb Ketches,

                 some ffire Ships and Tenders, under the Comd of one Monsr

                 Pontee. However I'm well assured they have noe design

                 against any the English Colony's they having not touched at

                 Martinico or any of our other Neighbouring ffrench Islands

                 in their passage by Us, which was about two months since,

                 For about that time a New York Brigantine bound to Nevis

                 fell into their ffleet abt 70 Leagues to the Eastward of this

                 Island.

                   And since yor Sloop Arrived here Yesterday about an hour

                 after from Barbadoes his Mats Ship Coichester, attending this

                 Governmt who gives me Accot That Vice Admll Nevill was

                 arrived there with 14: men of Warr. 4: ffire Ships and Tenders

                 and expected 4 great Dutch men of Warr hourly to Arrive of

                 60: & 70: Guns each part of his ffleet and to whom the New

                 Castle attending Barbadoes and this Colchester is to Joyn to

                 make his Squadron up 20 Compleat Ships of Warr for the

                 line of Battle and who I expect will be here to morrow with

                 sd ffleet a list of whom (all but the Dutch) I inclose you, They

                 are bound as the Adm” writes me himself in Search of the sd

                 monsr Pontee and the ifrench ffieet under his Comand

                 wherever they be to be found in the Indies, and to prevent

                 his Designes, and then Convoy the Spanish Plate ffleet home

                 Their stay will be very short here, knowing how long the

                 Enemy are past by before them. But by this I presume you

                 may depend they have no more design against you, than I am

                 well Satisfyed they have against us. And if they had, you

                 find our gracious master is not unmindful of not only us, but

                 of his Allies in sending a squadron of good Ships qualified

                 to ffrustrate their designs It's farther said that on the Success

              p.     102 of these ffleets, a Peace will ensue, for that the ifrench King

                 was in great hopes of taking the Spanish plate ffleet this

                 Attempt, and which would enable him to hold out the Warr

                 for two or three years longer and of which if he be prevented

                 (as there's not any doubt but he will) the Spaniards in these

                 parts having had timely notice both of his design's and of our

                 Kings assisting him with this ffleet, to prevent him, Then its