▁joined ▁by ▁a ▁fifth ▁ship ▁and ▁approaching ▁from ▁the ▁north ▁west , ▁the ▁fleet ▁could ▁enter ▁the ▁bay ▁and ▁captured ▁the ▁island ▁from ▁Spain ▁with ▁little ▁resistance ▁and ▁without ▁loss ▁of ▁life ▁on ▁either ▁side . ▁Van ▁Wal be e ck ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁di ary , ▁as ▁trans cribed ▁by ▁Johannes ▁de ▁La et ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁lost , ▁that ▁the ▁ 3 2 ▁Spanish ▁and ▁under ▁ 5 0 0 ▁remaining ▁( or ▁re int rodu ced ) ▁local ▁A raw aks ▁inhabitants ▁just ▁with d rew ▁to ▁the ▁West ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁after ▁poison ing ▁their ▁well s ▁and ▁burning ▁their ▁villages . ▁On ▁August ▁ 2 1 ▁the ▁Spanish ▁commander , ▁L ope ▁L ope z ▁de ▁Mor la , ▁signed ▁the ▁surrender . ▁The ▁Dutch ▁deport ed ▁the ▁Sp ani ards ▁and ▁most ▁West ▁Indians ▁to ▁the ▁Venez uel an ▁port ▁of ▁Cor o , ▁keeping ▁about ▁sevent y - five ▁of ▁the ▁latter ▁as ▁labor ers . ▁Thus , ▁Van ▁Wal be e ck ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁director / g overn or ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁Ant illes . ▁The ▁first ▁task ▁was ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁fort ification ▁at ▁the ▁natural ▁har bor , ▁renamed ▁" Sch otte gat " ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch , ▁which ▁pent ag onal ▁structure ▁Fort ▁Amsterdam ▁was ▁finished ▁in ▁ 1 6 3 5 , ▁following ▁standard ▁Dutch ▁military ▁engineering ▁practice . ▁During ▁his ▁three ▁years ▁as ▁governor , ▁the ▁beg inn ings ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Wille m stad ▁were ▁built