Puerto Rico was just beginning to recover from the prostration in which the last invasion had left it, when on the morning of the 24th of September, 1625, the guard on San Felipe del Morro announced 8 ships to windward of the port.

Juan de Haro, the governor, who had assumed the command only a few months before, mounted to an outlook to observe them, and was informed that more ships could be seen some distance down the coast.  He sent out horsemen, and they returned about 8 o’clock at night with the news that they had counted 17 ships in all.

Alarm-bells were now rung and some cannon fired from the forts to call the inhabitants together.  They were directed to the plaza, where arms and ammunition were distributed.  During the night the whole city was astir preparing for events, under the direction of the governor.

Next morning the whole fleet was a short distance to windward.  Lest a landing should be attempted at the Boqueron or at Goat’s Creek, the two most likely places, the governor ordered a cannon to be planted at each and trenches to be dug.  In the meantime, the people, who had promptly answered the call to arms, and the garrison were formed into companies on the plaza and received orders to occupy the forts, marching first along the shore, where the enemy could see them, so as to make a great show of numbers.

The artillery in the fort was in bad condition.  The gun-carriages were old and rotten.  Some of the pieces had been loaded four years before and were dismounted at the first firing.  One of them burst on the sixth or seventh day, killing the gunners and severely wounding the governor, who personally superintended the defense.

In the afternoon of the day of their arrival the Hollanders came down under full sail “with as much confidence,” says the chronicler, “as if they were entering a port in their own country.”

That night the fort was provisioned as well as the scanty resources of the island permitted.  The defenders numbered 330, and the food supply collected would not enable them to stand a long siege.  The supply consisted of 120 loads of casabe bread, 46 bushels of maize, 130 jars or jugs of olive oil, 10 barrels of biscuit, 300 island cheeses, 1 cask of flour, 30 pitchers of wine, 200 fowls, and 150 small boxes of preserved fruit (membrillo).

Fortunately during the night 50 head of cattle and 20 horses were driven in from the surrounding country.

From the 26th to the 29th the enemy busied himself landing troops, digging trenches, and planting 6 pieces of cannon on a height called “the Calvary.”  Then he began firing at the fort, which replied, doing considerable damage.

At 9 o’clock on the morning of the 30th, a drummer under a flag of truce presented himself before the castle with a letter addressed to the governor.  It was couched in the following terms: