The principal voyages of the English Nation to the Isles
of Trinidad, Margarita, Dominica
, Deseada, Monserrate, Guadalupe
, Martinino, and all the rest of the
Antilles
; As likewise to S. Juan de Puerto Rico, to
Hispaniola, Jamaica
and Cuba
: and also to Tierra
Firma, and all along the coast and Islands therof, even
from Cumana
and the Caracos to the neckland of
Dariene, and over it to the Gulfe of S. Michael and the
Isle of Perles in the South sea: and further to Cabeca
Cativa, Nombre de dios, and Venta
de cruzes, to Puerto
Belo, Rio de Chagre, and the Isle of Escudo, along
the maine of Beragua, to the Cape and Gulfe of the
Honduras, to Truxillo, Puerto de Cavallos, and all other
the principall Townes, Islands and harbours of accompt
within the said Gulfe, and up Rio dolce falling into
this Gulfe, above 30. leagues : As also to the Isle of
Cocumel, and to Cape Cotoche, the towne of Campeche
,
and other places upon the land of lucatan; and lower
downe to S. Juan de Ullua, Vera Cruz, Rio de Panuco,
Rio de Palmas, &c. within the Bay of Mexico: and
from thence to the Isles of the Tortugas, the port of
Havana
, the Cape of Florida, and the Gulfe of Bahama
homewards. With the taking, sacking, ransoming, or
burning of most of the principall Cities and townes upon
the coasts of Tierra firma, Nueva Espanna, and all
the foresaid Islands; since the most traiterous burning
of her Majesties ship the Jesus of Lubec and murthering
of her Subjects in the port of S. Juan de Ullua, and
the last generall arrest of her Highnesse people, with
their ships and goods throughout all the dominions of
the King of Spaine in the moneth of June 1585. Besides
the manifold and tyrannicall oppressions of the Inquisition inflicted on our nation upon most light and
frivolous occasions.
The voyage of Sir Thomas Pert, and Sebastian Cabot,
about the eight yeere of King Henry the eight, which
was the yere 1516. to Brasil
, Santo Domingo, and S.
Juan de Puerto rico.
THAT learned and painefull writer Richard Eden in a
certaine Epistle of his to the duke of Northumberland
,
before a worke which he translated out of Munster
in
the yeere 1553, called A treatise of new India
, maketh
mention of a voyage of discoverie undertaken out of
England
by sir Thomas Pert and Sebastian Cabota, about
the 8. yere of King Henry the eight of famous memorie,
imputing the overthrow thereof unto the cowardise and
want of stomack of the said Sir Thomas Pert, in maner
following. If manly courage, saith he, (like unto that
which hath bene seene & proved in your Grace, as well
in forreine realmes, as also in this our countrey) had not
bene wanting in other in these our dayes, at such time
as our soveraigne lord of famous memorie king Henry
the 8. about the same yeere of his raigne, furnished and
sent out certaine shippes under the governance of Sebastian
Cabot yet living and one Sir Thomas Pert, whose faint
heart was the cause that the voyage tooke none effect;
if, I say, such manly courage, whereof wee have spoken,
had not at that time beene wanting, it might happily
have come to passe, that that rich treasurie called Perularia, (which is nowe in
Spaine in the citie of Sivill, and
so named, for that in it is kept the infinite riches brought
thither from the newfoundland of Peru
) might long since
have beene in the tower of London
, to the kings great
honour and wealth of this realme. Hereunto that also
is to bee referred which the worshipfull M. Robert Thorne
wrote to the sayde king Henry the 8. in the yeere 1527.
by doctor Leigh
his ambassadour sent into Spaine to
the Emperour Charles the fift, whose wordes bee these.
Now rest to be discovered the North parts, the which
it seemeth unto me, is onely your highnes charge and
dutie, because the situation of this your realme is thereunto neerest and aptest of all other: and also, for that
already you have taken it in hand. And in mine opinion
it will not seeme well to leave so great and profitable
an enterprise, seeing it may so easily and with so litle
cost, labour and danger be followed and obteined.
Though hitherto your grace have made thereof a proofe,
& found not the commoditie thereby as you trusted, at
this time it shalbe none impediment: for there may be
now provided remedies for things then lacked, and the
inconveniences and lets remooved, that then were cause
your graces desire tooke no full effect: which is, the
courses to be changed, and to follow the aforesayd new
courses. And concerning the mariners, ships, and provision, an order may be devised and taken meete and
convenient, much better then hitherto: by reason whereof,
& by Gods grace, no doubt your purpose shall take effect.
And whereas in the aforesayd wordes M. Robert Thorne
sayth, that he would have the old courses to bee changed,
and the newe courses (to the North) to be followed: It
may plainely be gathered, that the former voyage, whereof
twise or thrise he maketh mention, wherein it is like
that sir Thomas Pert and Sebastian Cabot were set foorth
by the king, was made towarde Brasill and the South
parts. Moreover it seemeth that Gon salvo de Oviedo
, a
famous Spanish writer, alludeth unto the sayde voyage
in the beginning of the 13. chapter of the 19. booke of
his generall and natural historie of the West Indies,
agreeing very well with the time about which Richard
Eden writeth that the foresaid voyage was begun. The
authors wordes are these, as I finde them translated into
Italian by that excellent and famous man Baptista
Ramusius. That in the yeere 1517. an English Rover
under the colour of travelling to discover, came with a
great shippe unto the parts of Brasill on the coast of the
firme land, and from thence he crossed over unto this
Iland of Hispaniola, and arrived neere unto the mouth
of the haven of this citie of S. Domingo, and sent his
shipboate full of men on shoare, and demaunded leave
to enter into this haven, saying that hee came with
marchandise to traffique. But at that very instant the
governour of the castle Francis de Tapia caused a tire
of ordinance to be shot from the castle at the ship, for
she bare in directly with the haven. When the Englishmen sawe this, they withdrew themselves out, and those
that were in the shipboate, got themselves with all speede
on shipboord. And in trueth the warden of the castle
committed an oversight: for if the shippe had entred into
the haven the men thereof could not have come on lande
without leave both of the citie and of the castle. Therefore the people of the ship seeing how they were received,
sayled toward the
Iland of S. John, and entring into the
port of S. Germaine, the English men parled with those
of the towne, requiring victuals and things needefull to
furnish their ship, and complained of the inhabitants of
the city of S. Domingo, saying that they came not to
doe any harme, but to trade and traffique for their money
and merchandise. In this place they had certaine victuals,
and for recompence they gave and paid them with certain
vessell of wrought tinne and other things. And afterward they departed toward Europe
, where it is thought
they arrived not: for wee never heard any more newes
of them. Thus farre proceedeth Gonsalvo de Oviedo,
who though it please him to call the captain of this great
English ship a rover, yet it appeareth by the Englishmens
owne words, that they came to discover, and by their
traffique for pewter vessell and other wares at the towne
of S. Germaine in the
Iland of S. John de puerto rico,
it cannot bee denied but that they were furnished with
wares for honest traffique and exchange. But whosoever
is conversant in reading the Portugall and Spanish writers
of the East and West Indies, shall commonly finde that
they account all other nations for pirats, rovers and
theeves, which visite any heathen coast that they have
once sayled by or looked on. Howbeit their passionate
and ambitious reckoning ought not to bee prejudiciall
to other mens chargeable and painefull enterprises and
honourable travels in discoverie.
A briefe note concerning a voyage of one Thomas Tison
an English man, made before the yeere 1526. to the
West Indies, & of his abode there in maner of a secret
factor for some English marchants, which under hand
had trade thither in those dayes : taken out of an olde
ligier-booke of M. Nicolas Thorne the elder, a worshipfull marchant of Bristol
.
IT appeareth out of a certaine note or letter of remembrance, in the custodie of mee Richard Hakluyt, written
1526. by master Nicolas Thorne the elder, a principall
marchant of Bristol
, unto his friend and factour Thomas
Midnall, and his servant William Ballard at that time
remaining at S. Lucar in
Andaluzia: that before the
sayd yeere one Thomas Tison an Englishman had found
the way to the West Indies, and was there resident:
unto whom the aforesayd M. Nicolas Thorne sent armour
and other commodities specified in the letter aforesayd.
This Thomas Tison (so farre as I can conjecture) may
seeme to have bene some secret factour for M. Thorne
and other English marchants in those remote partes;
whereby it is probable that some of our marchants had
a kinde of trade to the West Indies even in those ancient
times and before also: neither doe I see any reason why
the Spaniards should debarre us from it at this present.
The first voyage of the right worshipfull and valiant
knight sir John Hawkins, sometimes treasurer of her
Majesties navie Roial, made to the West Indies 1562.
MASTER JOHN HAUKINS having made divers voyages to
the
Iles of the Canaries, and there by his good and
upright dealing being growen in love and favour with
the people, informed himselfe amongst them by diligent
inquisition, of the state of the West India, whereof hee
had received some knowledge by the instructions of his
father, but increased the same by the advertisments and
reports of that people. And being amongst other particulars assured, that Negros were very good marchandise
in Hispaniola, and that store of Negros might easily bee
had upon the coast of Guinea, resolved with himselfe to
make triall thereof, and communicated that devise with
his worshipful friendes of London
: namely with Sir
Lionell Ducket, sir Thomas Lodge, M. Gunson his father
in law, sir William Winter, M. Bromfield, and others.
All which persons liked so well of his intention, that they
became liberall contributers and adventurers in the action.
For which purpose there were three good ships immediatly
provided: The one called the Salomon of the burthen
of 120. tunne, wherein M. Haukins himselfe went as
Generall: The second the Swallow of 100. tunnes, wherein
went for Captaine M. Thomas Hampton: and the third
the Jonas a barke of 40. tunnes, wherein the Master
supplied the Captaines roome: in which small fleete M.
Hawkins tooke with him not above 100. men for feare
of sicknesse and other inconveniences, whereunto men
in long voyages are commonly subject.
With this companie he put off and departed from the
coast of England
in the moneth of October 1562. and
in his course touched first at Teneriffe
, where hee received
friendly intertainement. From thence he passed to Sierra
Leona, upon the coast of Guinea, which place by the
people of the countrey is called Tagarin, where he stayed
some good time, and got into his possession, partly by
the sworde, and partly by other meanes, to the number
of 300. Negros at the least, besides other merchandises
which that countrey yeeldeth. With this praye hee sayled
over the
Ocean sea unto the
Iland of Hispaniola, and
arrived first at the port of Isabella: and there hee had
reasonable utterance of his English commodities, as also
of some part of his Negros, trusting the Spaniards no
further, then that by his owne strength he was able still
to master them. From the port of Isabella he went to
Puerto de Plata, where he made like sales, standing
alwaies upon his guard: from thence also hee sayled to
Monte Christi another port on the North side of Hispaniola, and the last place of his touching, where he had
peaceable traffique, and made vent of the whole number
of his Negros : for which he received in those 3. places
by way of exchange such quantitie of merchandise, that
hee did not onely lade his owne 3. shippes with hides,
ginger, sugars, and some quantitie of pearles, but he
fraighted also two other hulkes with hides and other
like commodities, which hee sent into Spaine. And thus
leaving the Iland, he returned and disemboqued, passing
out by the
Ilands of the Caycos, without further entring
into the bay of Mexico
, in this his first voyage to the
West India. And so with prosperous successe and much
gaine to himselfe and the aforesayde adventurers, he
came home, and arrived in the moneth of September 1563.
The voyage made by M. John Hawkins Esquire, and
afterward knight, Captaine of the Jesus of Lubek, one
of her Majesties shippes, and Generall of the Salomon,
and other two barkes going in his companie, to the
coast of Guinea, and the Indies of Nova Hispania,
begun in An. Dom. 1564.
MASTER JOHN HAWKINS with the Jesus of Lubek, a shippe
of 700. and the Salomon a shippe of 140. the Tiger a
barke of 50. and the Swallow of 30. tunnes, being all
well furnished with men to the number of one hundreth
threescore and tenne, as also with ordinance and victuall
requisite for such a voyage, departed out of Plymmouth
the 18. day of October, in the yeere of our Lord 1564.
with a prosperous winde: at which departing, in cutting
the foresaile, a marvellous misfortune happened to one
of the officers in the shippe, who by the pullie of the
sheat was slaine out of hand, being a sorrowfull beginning
to them all. And after their setting out ten leagues to
the sea, he met the same day with the Minion a ship of
the Queenes Majestie, whereof was Captaine David Carlet,
and also her consort the John Baptist of London, being
bounde to Guinea also, who hailed one the other after
the custome of the sea with certaine pieces of ordinance
for joy of their meeting: which done, the Minion departed
from him to seeke her other consort the Merlin of London,
which was a sterne out of sight, leaving in M. Hawkins
companie the John Baptist her other consort.
Thus sayling forwards on their way with a prosperous
winde untill the 21. of the same moneth, at that time
a great storme arose, the winde being at Northeast about
nine a clocke in the night, and continued so 23. houres
together, in which storme M. Hawkins lost the companie of the John Baptist aforesayd, and of his pinnesse
called the Swallow, his other 3. shippes being sore beaten
with a storme. The 23. day the Swallow to his no small
rejoycing, came to him againe in the night, 10. leagues
to the Northward of
Cape Finister, he having put roomer,
not being able to double the Cape, in that there rose a
contrary winde at Southwest. The 25. the wind continuing contrary, hee put into a place in Galicia
, called
Ferroll, where hee remained five dayes, and appointed
all the Masters of his shippes an order for the keeping
of good companie in this manner: The small shippes to
bee alwayes ahead and aweather of the Jesus, and to
speake twise a day with the Jesus at least: if in the
day the Ensigne bee over the poope of the Jesus, or in
the night two lights, then shall all the shippes speake
with her: If there bee three lights aboord the Jesus, then
doeth she cast about: If the weather bee extreme, that
the small shippes cannot keepe companie with the Jesus,
then all to keepe companie with the Salomon, and foorthwith to repaire to the
Iland of Teneriffe, to the Northward
of the road of Sirroes; If any happen to any misfortune
then to shew two lights, and to shoote off a piece of
ordinance. If any lose companie, and come in sight
againe, to make three yawes, and strike the Myson three
times: Serve God daily, love one another, preserve your
victuals, beware of fire, and keepe good companie.
The 26. day the Minion came in also where hee was,
for the rejoycing whereof hee gave them certaine pieces
of ordinance, after the courtesie of the sea for their
welcome: but the Minions men had no mirth, because
of their consort the Merline, whome at their departure
from Master Hawkins upon the coast of England
they
went to seeke, and having met with her, kept companie
two dayes together, and at last by misfortune of fire
(through the negligence of one of their gunners) the
powder in the gunners roome was set on fire, which with
the first blast strooke out her poope, and therewithall lost
three men, besides many sore burned (which escaped by
the brigandine being at her sterne) and immediatly, to
the great losse of the owners, and most horrible sight
to the beholders, she sunke before their eyes.
The 20. day of the moneth M. Hawkins with his consorts and companie of the Minion, having nowe both the
brigandines at her sterne, wayed anker, and set saile
on their voyage, having a prosperous winde thereunto.
The fourth of November they had sight of the
Iland
of Madera, and the sixt day of Teneriffe, which they
thought to have beene the Canarie, in that they supposed
themselves to have beene to the Eastward of Teneriffe,
and were not: but the Minion being three or foure
leagues ahead of us, kept on her course to Teneriffe,
having better sight thereof then the other had, and by
that meanes they parted companie. For M. Hawkins
and his companie went more to the West, upon which
course having sayled a while, hee espied another Iland,
which hee thought to bee Teneriffe, and being not able
by meanes of the fogge upon the hils, to discerne the
same, nor yet to fetch it by night, went roomer untill
the morning, being the seventh of November, which as
yet hee could not discerne, but sayled along the coast
the space of two houres, to perceive some certaine marke
of Teneriffe, and found no likelyhood thereof at all,
accompting that to bee, as it was in deede, the
Ile of
Palmes: and so sayling forwards, espied another Iland
called Gomera
, and also Teneriffe, with the which hee
made, and sayling all night, came in the morning the
next day to the port of Adecia, where he found his pinnesse which had departed from him the sixt of the moneth,
being in the weather of him, and espying the pike of
Teneriffe all a high, bare thither. At his arrivall somewhat before hee came to anker, hee hoysed out his shippes
pinnesse rowing a shoare, intending to have sent one
with a letter to Peter de ponte, one of the governours
of the Iland, who dwelt a league from the shoare: but
as hee pretended to have landed, suddenly there appeared
upon the two points of the roade, men levelling of bases
and harguebuzes to them, with divers others to the
number of fourescore, with halberds, pikes, swordes and
targets, which happened so contrary to his expectation,
that it did greatly amaze him, and the more, because
hee was nowe in their danger, not knowing well howe
to avoyde it without some mischiefe. Wherefore hee
determined to call to them for the better appeasing of
the matter, declaring his name, and professing himselfe
to bee an especiall friend to Peter de ponte, and that
he had sundry things for him which he greatly desired.
And in the meane time, while hee was thus talking with
them, whereby hee made them to holde their hands, hee
willed the marriners to rowe away, so that at last he
gat out of their danger: and then asking for Peter de
ponte, one of his sonnes being Sennor Nicolas de Ponte,
came forth, whom hee perceiving, desired to put his men
aside, and hee himselfe would leape a shoare and commune with him, which they did: so that after communication had betweene them of sundry things, and of the
feare they both had, master Hawkins desired to have
certaine necessaries provided for him. In the meane
space, while these things were providing, hee trimmed
the maine mast of the Jesus which in the storme aforesayd was sprung: here he sojourned 7. dayes, refreshing
himselfe and his men. In the which time Peter de ponte
dwelling at S. Cruz, a citie 20. leagues off, came to him,
and gave him as gentle intertainment as if he had bene
his owne brother. To speake somewhat of these Ilands,
being called in olde time Insulae fortunatae, by the meanes
of the flourishing thereof, the fruitfulnesse of them doeth
surely exceede farre all other that I have heard of: for
they make wine better then any in
Spaine, they have
grapes of such bignesse, that they may bee compared to
damsons, and in taste inferiour to none: for sugar,
suckets, raisins of the Sunne, and many other fruits,
abundance: for rosine & raw silke, there is great store,
they want neither corne, pullets, cattell, nor yet wilde
foule: they have many Camels also, which being young,
are eaten of the people for victuals, and being olde, they
are used for caryage of necessaries: whose propertie is
as hee is taught to kneele at the taking of his loade,
and unlading againe: his nature is to ingender backward
contrary to other beastes: of understanding very good,
but of shape very deformed, with a little bellie, long
misshapen legges, and feete very broad of flesh, without
a hoofe, all whole, saving the great toe, a backe bearing
up like a molehill, a large and thin necke, with a little
head, with a bunch of hard flesh, which nature hath
given him in his breast to leane upon. This beast liveth
hardly, and is contented with strawe and stubble, but
of force strong, being well able to carrie 500. weight.
In one of these Ilands called Fierro, there is by the
reports of the inhabitants, a certaine tree that raineth
continually, by the dropping whereof the inhabitants and
cattell are satisfied with water, for other water have they
none in all the Iland. And it raineth in such abundance,
that it were incredible unto a man to beleeve such a
vertue to bee in a tree, but it is knowen to be a divine
matter, and a thing ordeined by God, at whose power
therein wee ought not to marvell, seeing he did by his
providence as we read in the Scriptures, when the children
of Israel
were going into the land of promise, feede them
with Manna from heaven, for the space of 40. yeeres. Of
the trees aforesaid wee saw in
