▁well ▁aware ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁happening , ▁because ▁the ▁Governor ▁of ▁San ▁Bart ol om é , ▁Johan ▁N order ling , ▁told ▁them ▁two ▁brig ant ines ▁and ▁a ▁sch oon er ▁- ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁expedition ▁commanded ▁by ▁Duc oud ray ▁Hol stein , ▁consisting ▁of ▁eight ▁to ▁nine ▁ships ▁with ▁four ▁hundred ▁to ▁five ▁hundred ▁men , ▁six ▁thousand ▁rif les ▁and ▁large ▁collection ▁of ▁g ear ▁to ▁attack ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁- ▁had ▁arrived ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁Boston ▁to ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁San ▁Bart ol om é , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁neutral ▁port ▁and ▁a ▁base ▁of ▁operations ▁accessible ▁to ▁all , ▁bound ▁for ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Island ▁of ▁C ura ça o . ▁They ▁preferred ▁to ▁wait ▁for ▁the ▁expedition ▁to ▁take ▁shape ▁and ▁for ▁all ▁the ▁involved ▁vessels ▁to ▁meet ▁in ▁the ▁Ant illes . ▁Another ▁communication ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁reported ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁authorities ▁that ▁some ▁local ▁separ at ists ▁had ▁forward ed ▁the ▁sum ▁of ▁twenty - four ▁thousand ▁pes os ▁to ▁fin ance ▁the ▁costs ▁of ▁this ▁expedition . ▁Furthermore , ▁all ▁this ▁was ▁then ▁confirmed ▁by ▁reports ▁of ▁don ▁Angel ▁Labor de , ▁Commander ▁of ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁Puerto ▁C abel lo ▁in ▁Costa ▁Fir me ; ▁of ▁the ▁Count ▁of ▁L igny , ▁Spanish ▁agent ▁in ▁Sant ó mas ; ▁don ▁Juan ▁Le amy , ▁Spanish ▁Vice - Cons ul ▁in ▁Philadelphia ; ▁and ▁the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁in ▁Madrid . ▁ ▁Dis closure ▁and ▁arr ests ▁in ▁Cur ac ao ▁ ▁In