id, however, unwilling to see the place entirely
ruined, as in all probability it would be restored at the peace,
despatched an order to the prince to capitulate; and he obtained very
honourable terms, after having made a glorious defence for nine weeks;
in consideration of which he was appointed viceroy of the province.
France was no sooner in possession of this important place, than the
Spaniards became as eager for peace as they had been before averse to a
negotiation.

EXPEDITION OF ADMIRAL NEVIL TO THE WEST INDIES.

Their impatience was not a little inflamed by the success of Pointis in
America, where he took Carthagena, in which he found a booty amounting
to eight millions of crowns. Having ruined the fortifications of the
place, and received advice that an English squadron under admiral Nevil
had arrived in the West Indies, with a design to attack him in his
return, he bore away for the straits of Bahama. On the twenty-second day
of May he fell in with the English fleet, and one of his fly-boats was
taken; but such was his dexterity, or good fortune, that he escaped
after having been pursued five days, during which the English and Dutch
rear-admirals sprang their fore-top-masts and received other damage, so
that they could not proceed. Then Nevil steered to Carthagena, which
he found quite abandoned by the inhabitants, who after the departure
of Pointis had been rifled a second time by the buccaneers, on pretence
that they had been defrauded of their share of the plunder. This was
really the case; they had in a great measure contributed to the success
of Pointis, and were very ill rewarded. In a few days the English
admiral discovered eight sail of their ships, two of which were forced
on the shore and destroyed, two taken and the rest escaped. Then he
directed his course to Jamaica, and by the advice of the governor, sir
William Beeston, detached rear-admiral Meeze with some ships and forces
to attack Petit-Guavas, which he accordingly surprised, burned, and
reduced to ashes. After this small expedition, Nevil proceeded to the
Havannah on purpose to take the galleons under his convoy for Europe,
according to the instructions he had received from the king; but the
governor of the place, and the general of the plate-fleet, suspecting
such an offer, would neither suffer him to enter the harbour, nor put
the galleons under his protection. He now sailed through the gulf of
Folrida to Virginia, where he died of