all very well to say the place belonged to the
Indians, but the very fact of its vicinity to the great trading centre
and channel of communication with the Pacific coast should have made him
anticipate trouble. Even if he argued that the buccaneers were
practically unmolested along the Mosquito shore, he must also have known
that their position was by no means secure, and even had this been the
case, that it would have afforded to argument in favour of his project.

To be successful he must also have had the support of the English
Government, but unfortunately this was denied. Jealousy and envy between
the two countries led to representations adverse to the scheme being
made to King William, with the result that the Company was
discountenanced, and that most of the promised subscriptions outside of
Scotland were withdrawn. Then came dissensions among the leaders
themselves, and this lost them half the amount from their own county.
Yet with all that Paterson was undaunted, and, notwithstanding the
diminished funds at command, he still resolved to go on.

On the 26th of July, 1698, twelve hundred men in five ships sailed for a
place near the entrance of the Gulf of Darien, a hundred miles to the
east of Porto Bello. It was afterwards stated that the vessels were
rotten and ill-found, although gaily decked with flags on the day of
departure, which hid some of their deficiencies. The provision supply
was bad, and, to crown all, the captains were coarse, brutal, and
ignorant, continually quarrelling with each other. Through envy,
Paterson had been prevented from having any voice in the arrangements,
and although he went with the expedition, he entered the ship as
ignorant of her equipment as any other passenger. But he evidently had
his doubts, for he asked for an inspection of the stores, only to have
his request treated with contempt.

On the 27th of October the fleet came to anchor in a fair sandy bay
three leagues west of the Gulf of Darien, now known as the Port
D'Escoces. It was an excellent harbour surrounded by high mountains,
and capable of holding a thousand sail in security from wind and
tempest. The settlers named the district Caledonia, and considered it to
be fertile and even healthy. They commenced at once to erect a fort, to
which they gave the name of St. Andrews, and a cluster of houses for the
town of New Edinburgh. These labours gave them little time for planting,
and it naturally followed that they ha