▁Spanish ▁fleet ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁ships ▁was ▁w reck ed ▁off ▁Ab aco . ▁Also , ▁English ▁and ▁French ▁pir ates ▁and ▁fre eb oot ers ▁had ▁begun ▁pre ying ▁on ▁Spanish ▁vessels ▁north ▁of ▁Cuba . ▁A ▁Spanish ▁ordin ance ▁of ▁ 1 5 6 1 ▁forb ade ▁any ▁merchant ▁ship ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁without ▁an ▁esc ort . ▁O wn ership ▁of ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁passed ▁back ▁and ▁forth ▁between ▁Spain ▁and ▁Great ▁Britain ▁for ▁ 1 5 0 ▁years , ▁until ▁British ▁ownership ▁was ▁established ▁by ▁treat y ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 3 , ▁when ▁Great ▁Britain ▁c eded ▁East ▁Florida ▁to ▁Spain , ▁receiving ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁in ▁return . ▁ ▁British ▁colonial ▁era ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 7 8 3 , ▁a ▁call ▁for ▁those ▁wish ing ▁to ▁help ▁sett le ▁Ab aco ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Gazette ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁About ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁Lo yal ists ▁left ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Ab aco ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 7 8 3 . ▁The ▁Lo yal ists ▁settled ▁on ▁a ▁small ▁sand y ▁har bor ▁about ▁ 6 ▁le agues ▁north ▁of ▁Marsh ▁Har bour ▁near ▁modern - day ▁Tre asure ▁C ay . ▁They ▁planned ▁and ▁built ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Car leton , ▁named ▁after ▁Sir ▁Guy ▁Car leton . ▁Dis put es ▁over ▁food ▁distribution ▁and ▁having ▁been ▁mis led ▁about ▁the ▁resources ▁available , ▁led ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁sett