▁council ▁(" de ▁her en ▁XIX "). ▁The ▁W IC ▁had ▁lost ▁its ▁base ▁in ▁the ▁Ant illes ▁when ▁a ▁ ▁Spanish ▁fleet ▁had ▁destroyed ▁its ▁settlement ▁on ▁Sint ▁Ma arten ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁The ▁council ▁now ▁planned ▁a ▁base ▁in ▁C ura ça o ▁and ▁B ona ire , ▁L esser ▁Ant illes ▁under ▁Spanish ▁rule ▁of ▁Province ▁of ▁Venezuela , ▁both ▁for ▁the ▁salt ▁p ans ▁( large ▁quantities ▁of ▁salt ▁were ▁needed ▁to ▁preserve ▁fish ), ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁location ▁off ▁the ▁South ▁American ▁main land . ▁The ▁natural ▁har bor ▁of ▁St ▁Anna ▁Bay ▁on ▁C ura ça o ▁was ▁the ▁perfect ▁location ▁for ▁this . ▁On ▁April ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 6 3 4 ▁they ▁assigned ▁Van ▁Wal be e ck ▁to ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁taking ▁it ▁from ▁the ▁Spanish , ▁who ▁had ▁colon ized ▁the ▁island ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 5 2 0 s . ▁ ▁On ▁ 4 ▁May ▁ 1 6 3 4 , ▁he ▁depart ed ▁from ▁Holland ▁with ▁four ▁ships , ▁carrying ▁ 1 8 0 ▁sail ors ▁and ▁ 2 5 0 ▁soldiers , ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁H ug uen ot ▁mer cen ary ▁Pierre ▁Le ▁Grand ▁ ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁served ▁the ▁Dutch ▁in ▁Brazil . ▁The ▁small ▁fleet ▁arrived ▁at ▁C ura ça o ▁on ▁July ▁ 6 , ▁but ▁through ▁ad verse ▁curr ents ▁and ▁wind s ▁could ▁not ▁enter ▁the ▁bay . ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 9 , ▁after ▁being