Editing Darien scheme (section)

==Second expedition (1699)==
[[File:New Caledonia in Darien.jpg|thumb|245x245px|The Bay of Caledonia, west of the [[Gulf of Darién]]. New Edinburgh is on the isthmus on the right.]]

Word of the first expedition did not reach Scotland in time to prevent a second voyage of more than 1000 people.

After the perilous route round the north of Scotland taken by the previous ships, William Paterson wrote to the Directors; "For God's sake, .. be sure to send the next fleet from the Clyde, for the passage north about is worse than the whole voyage to the Indies." A new company flagship, ''The Rising Sun'', boasting 38 cannon, was supported by ''The Duke of Hamilton'', the ''Hope of Bo'ness'', and a smaller vessel, the ''Hope''.{{sfn|Prebble|2000|pp=123, 224}}

The expedition had the blessing of the Church of Scotland who had appointed [[Alexander Shields]] as the senior of the four ministers (including Archibald Stobo and Francis Borland).

The second expedition arrived in Caledonia Bay on 30 November 1699 and found Thomas Drummond's New York sloops already there. Some men were sent ashore to rebuild the huts, which caused others to complain that they had come to join a settlement, not build one.<ref name="ReferenceB">Prebble, ''Darien: The Scottish Dream''</ref>

Morale was low and little progress was made. Drummond insisted there could be no discussion, and the fort must be rebuilt as a Spanish attack would surely come soon.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

Drummond clashed with the merchant James Byres, who maintained that the Counsellors of the first expedition had now lost that status and had Drummond arrested. Initially bellicose, Byres began to send away all those he suspected of being offensively minded&nbsp;– or of being allegiant to Drummond. He outraged a [[kirk]] minister by claiming it would be unlawful to resist the Spanish by force of arms, as all war was unchristian. Byres then deserted the colony in a sloop.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

The colonists sank into apathy until the arrival of Alexander Campbell of Fonab, sent by the company to organise a defence. He provided the resolute leadership which had been lacking and took the initiative by driving the Spanish from their [[stockade]] at Toubacanti in January 1700. However, Fonab was wounded in the daring frontal attack and then became incapacitated with a fever.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

The Spanish force&nbsp;– who were also suffering serious losses from fever&nbsp;– closed in on Fort St Andrew and besieged it for a month. Disease was still the main cause of death at this time. The Spanish commander Juan Pimienta called for the Scots to surrender and avoid a final assault, warning that if they did not, [[no quarter]] would be given.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

After negotiations, the Scots were allowed to leave with their guns, and the colony was abandoned for the last time. Only a handful of those from the second expedition returned to Scotland.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Of the total 2500 settlers that set off, just a few hundred survived.<ref>''The Week'', "How Scottish Independence Vanished&thinsp;..."</ref><ref name=LittleBBC>Little, "The Caribbean colony&thinsp;..."</ref>