The Dutch faced their first serious attacks in 1665 when Major John Scott was sent by the Governor of Lord Willoughby, to invade the settlements in the Pomeroon.

[citation needed] By 1672, Fort Kyk Over Al was described as a "two-storeyed brick structure approximately 20m x 20m, complete with a powder magazine inside the wall".

[1] The occupation of Kyk-Over-Al by the English did not last long, for the Dutch Commandeur of Berbice, Matthys Bergenaar, was able to march overland with a group of soldiers and recapture it.

[citation needed] Thus, Essequibo reverted to the Dutch, Abraham Crijnssen, who had earlier captured Suriname from the English, arrived as Commandeur.

In December 1712, Pomeroon was attacked again by a combined force of French and Spanish buccaneers, but Blake and his men were able to drive them away.