Читать книгу The Life of Sir Henry Morgan. With an account of the English settlement of the island of Jamaica онлайн

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Far from projecting an attack upon Jamaica, the people of Havana at that time were actually menaced by famine from the great scarcity of grain and all kinds of provisions. Don Juan de Salamanca, then governor of Cuba, had sought relief from Vera Cruz in Mexico. It was seed-time, and the militia of the city were dispersed in the country employed in tilling the land, when the dismaying ill news was received on November 2 of the capture of Santiago. Although scarcely recovered from a severe illness, Salamanca collected the militia and armed a thousand of them. Forming a relieving force of two hundred regular soldiers and five hundred militiamen, he took command of them, and began the long and trying march overland to the assistance of the invaded province. Arriving ten days later at Trinidad on the south coast, less than half way to Santiago, he learned that the English had sailed away and turned back. At the sight of their ruined dwellings and plantations the people of Santiago had raised an outcry of fury against Morales, whom they unjustly accused of slackness and incompetence. In self-defence he was forced to arrest the sargento-mayor, treasurer, and other officials suspected of fomenting discontent. In the midst of discord and scarcity of food there could be little thought of any offensive against Jamaica.[45]