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
Guinie many, being of
great height, dropping continually, but not so abundantly
as the other, because the leaves are narrower, and are
like the leaves of a peare tree. About these Ilands are
certaine flitting Ilands, which have beene oftentimes
seene, and when men approched neere them, they
vanished: as the like hath bene of these Ilands nowe
knowen by the report of the inhabitants, which were not
found of long time one after the other: and therefore
it should seeme hee is not yet borne to whom God hath
appoynted the finding of them. In this
Iland of Teneriffe
there is a hill called The Pike, because it is piked, which
is in heigth by their reports twentie leagues, having both
winter and summer abundance of snowe in the top of it:
this Pike may bee scene in a cleere day fiftie leagues
off, but it sheweth as though it were a blacke cloude a
great heigth in the element. I have heard of none to
be compared with this in heigth, but in the Indias I
have scene many, and in my judgement not inferiour to
the Pike, and so the Spaniards write.
The 15. of November at night we departed from
Teneriffe, and the 20. of the same wee had sight of
ten Caravels, that were fishing at sea, with whome we
would have spoken, but they fearing us, fled into a place
of Barbarie, called Cape de las Barbas.
The twentieth, the ships pinnesse with.two men in her,
sayling by the ship, was overthrowen by the oversight
of them that went in her, the winde being so great, that
before they were espied, and the ship had cast about for
them, she was driven half a league to leeward of the
pinnesse, and had lost sight of her, so that there was
small hope of recoverie, had not Gods helpe and the
Captaines deligence bene, who having wel marked which
way the pinnesse was by the Sunne, appointed 24 of
the lustiest rowers in the great boate, to rowe to the
wind-wardes, and so recovered, contrary to all mens
expectations, both the pinnesse and the men sitting upon
the keele of her.
The 25 he came to
Cape Blanco, which is upon the
coast of Africa
, and a place where the Portugals do ride,
that fish there in the moneth of November especially,
and is a very good place of fishing, for Pargoes, Mullet,
and Dogge fish. In this place the Portugals have no
holde for their defence, but have rescue of the Barbarians,
whom they entertaine as their souldiers, for the time of
their being there and for their fishing upon that coast
of Africa
, doe pay a certaine tribute to the king of the
Moores. The people of that part of Africa
are tawnie,
having long haire without any apparell, saving before
their privie members. Their weapons in warres are bowes
and arrowes.
The 26 we departed from S. Avis Baye, within
Cape
Blanco, where we refreshed our selves with fish, and
other necessaries: and the 29 wee came to
Cape Verde,
which lieth in 14 degrees, and a halfe. These people
are all blacke, and are called Negros, without any apparell,
saving before their privities: of stature goodly men, and
well liking by reason of their food, which passeth all
other Guyneans for kine, goats, pullin, rise, fruits, and
fish. Here wee tooke fishes with heads like conies, and
teeth nothing varying, of a jolly thickenesse, but not
past a foote long, and is not to be eaten without flaying
or cutting off his head. To speake somewhat of the
sundry sortes of these Guyneans: the people of Cape
Verde are called Leophares, and counted the goodliest
men of all other, saving the Congoes, which do inhabite
on this side the cape de Buena Esperanca. These Leophares have warres against the Ieloffes, which are
borderers by them: their weapons are bowes and arrowes,
targets, and short daggers, darts also, but varying from
other Negros : for whereas the other use a long dart to
fight with in their hands, they cary five or sixe small
ones a peece, which they cast with. These men also
are more civill then any other, because of their dayly
trafficke with the Frenchmen, and are of nature very
gentle and loving: for while we were there, we tooke
in a Frenchman, who was one of the 19 that going to
Brasile
, in a Barke of Diepe, of 60 tunnes, and being
a sea boord of
Cape Verde, 200 leagues, the plankes of
their Barke with a sea brake out upon them so suddenly,
that much a doe they had to save themselves in their
boats: but by Gods providence, the wind being Westerly,
which is rarely seene there, they got to the shore, to the
Isle Brava, and in great penurie gotte to
Cape Verde,
where they remained sixe weekes, and had meate and
drinke of the same people. The said Frenchman having
forsaken his fellowes, which were three leagues off from
the shore, and wandring with the Negros too and fro,
fortuned to come to the waters side: and communing
with certaine of his countreymen, which were in our ship,
by their perswasions came away with us : but his entertainement amongst them was such, that he desired it
not: but through the importunate request of his Countreymen, consented at the last. Here we stayed but one
night, and part of the day: for the 7 of December wee
came away, in that pretending to have taken Negros
there perforce, the Mynions men gave them there to
understand of our comming, and our pretence, wherefore
they did avoyde the snares we had layd for them.
The 8 of December wee ankered by a small Island called
Alcatrarsa, wherein at our going a shore, we found
nothing but sea-birds, as we call them Ganets, but by
the Portugals, called Alcatrarses, who for that cause gave
the said Island the same name. Herein halfe of our
boates were laden with yong and olde fowle, who not
being used to the sight of men, flew so about us, that
we stroke them downe with poles. In this place the two
shippes riding, the two Barkes, with their boates, went
into an
Island of the Sapies, called La Formio, to see
if they could take any of them, and there landed to the
number of 80 in armour, and espying certaine made to
them, but they fled in such order into the woods, that
it booted them not to follow: so going on their way
forward till they came to a river, which they could not
passe over, they espied on the otherside two men, who
with their bowes and arrowes shot terribly at them.
Whereupon we discharged certaine harquebuzes to them
againe, but the ignorant people wayed it not, because
they knewe not the danger thereof: but used a marveilous
crying in their fight with leaping and turning their tayles,
that it was most strange to see, and gave us great
pleasure to beholde them. At the last, one being hurt
with a harquebuz upon the thigh, looked upon his wound
and wist not howe it came, because hee could not see
the pellet. Here Master Hawkins perceiving no good to
be done amongst them, because we could not finde their
townes, and also not knowing how to goe into Rio
grande, for want of a Pilote, which was the very occasion
of our comming thither: and finding so many sholes,
feared with our great ships to goe in, and therefore
departed on our pretended way to the Idols.
The 10 of December, we had a Northeast winde, with
raine and storme, which weather continuing two dayes
together, was the occasion that the Salomon, and Tygre
loste our companie: for whereas the Jesus, and pinnesse
ankered at one of the Islands called Sambula, the twelfth
day, the Salomon and Tygre came not thither till the 14.
In this Island we stayed certaine daies, going every day
on shore to take the Inhabitants, with burning and spoiling their townes, who before were Sapies, and were
conquered by the Samboses, Inhabitants beyond Sierra
Leona. These Samboses had inhabited there three yeres
before our comming thither, and in so short space have
so planted the ground, that they had great plentie of
Mil, Rise, Rootes, Pompions, Pullin, goates, of small
frye dried, every house full of the Countrey fruite planted
by Gods providence, as Palmito trees, fruites like dates,
and sundry other in no place in all that Countrey so
aboundantly, whereby they lived more deliciously then
other. These inhabitants have diverse of the Sapies,
which they tooke in the warres as their slaves, whome
onely they kept to till the ground, in that they neither
have the knowledge thereof, nor yet will worke themselves, of whome wee tooke many in that place, but of
the Samboses none at all, for they fled into the maine.
All the Samboses have white teeth as we have, farre
unlike to the Sapies which doe inhabite about Rio grande,
for their teeth are all filed, which they doe for a braverie,
to set out themselves, and doe jagge their flesh, both
legges, armes, and bodies, as workemanlike, as a Jerkinmaker with us pinketh a jerkin. These Sapies be more
civill then the Samboses: for whereas the Samboses live
most by the spoile of their enemies, both in taking their
victuals, and eating them also. The Sapies doe not eate
mans flesh, unlesse in the warre they be driven by necessitie thereunto, which they have not used but by the
example of the Samboses, but live onely with fruites,
and cattell, whereof they have great store. This plentie
is the occasion that the Sapies desire not warre, except
they be therunto provoked by the invasions of the Samboses, whereas the Samboses for want of foode are
inforced thereunto, and therefore are not woont onely to
take them that they kill, but also keepe those that they
take, untill such time as they want meate, and then they
kill them. There is also another occasion that provoketh
the Samboses to warre against the Sapies which is for
covetousnes of their riches. For whereas the Sapies have
an order to burie their dead in certaine places appointed
for that purpose, with their golde about them, the Samboses digge up the ground, to have the same treasure:
for the Samboses have not the like store of golde, that
the Sapies have. In this
Island of Sambula we found
about 50 boates called Almadyes, or Canoas, which are
made of one peece of wood, digged out like a trough
but of a good proportion, being about 8 yards long,
and one in breadth, having a beakhead and a sterne
very proportionably made, and on the out side artifically
carved, and painted red and blewe: they are able to
cary twenty or thirty men, but they are about the coast
able to cary threescore and upward. In these canoas
they rowe standing upright, with an oare somewhat longer
then a man, the ende whereof is made about the breadth
and length of a mans hand, of the largest sort. They
row very swift, and in some of them foure rowers and
one to steere make as much way, as a paire of oares
in the Thames of London.
Their Townes are pretily divided with a maine streete
at the entring in, that goeth thorough their Towne, and
another overthwart street, which maketh their townes
crosse wayes: their houses are built in a ranke very
orderly in the face of the street, and they are made round,
like a dovecote, with stakes set full of Palmito leaves,
in stead of a wall: they are not much more then a
fathome large, and two of heigth, & thatched with Palmito
leaves very close, other some with reede, and over the
roofe thereof, for the better garnishing of the same,
there is a round bundle of reede, pretily contrived like
a louer: in the inner part they make a loft of stickes,
whereupon they lay all their provision of victuals: a
place they reserve at their enterance for the kitchin, and
the place they lie in is devided with certaine mattes
artificially made with the rine of Palmito trees: their
bedsteades are of small staves layd along, and raysed
a foote from the ground, upon which is layde a matte,
and another upon them when they list: for other covering
they have none. In the middle of the towne there is a
house larger and higher then the other, but in forme
alike, adjoyning unto the which there is a place made
of foure good stancions of woode, and a round roofe
over it, the grounde also raised round with claye a foote
high, upon the which floore were strawed many fine mats :
this is the Consultation-house, the like whereof is in all
Townes, as the Portugals affirme: in which place, when
they sitte in Counsell the King or Captaine sitteth in
the midst, and the Elders upon the floore by him: (for
they give reverence to their Elders) and the common
sorte sitte round about them. There they sitte to examine
matters of theft, which if a man be taken with, to steale
but a Portugal
cloth from another, hee is sold to the
Portugals for a slave. They consult also, and take order
what time they shall goe to warres: and as it is certainely
reported by the Portugals, they take order in gathering
of the fruites in the season of the yeere, and also of
Palmito wine, which is gathered by a hole cut in the top
of a tree, and a gourde set for the receiving thereof,
which falleth in by droppes, and yeeldeth fresh wine
againe within a moneth, and this devided part and
portion-like to every man, by the judgement of the Captaine and Elders, every man holdeth himselfe contented:
and this surely I judge to be a very good order: for
otherwise, whereas scarsitie of Palmito is, every man
would have the same, which might breed great strife:
but of such things, as every man doeth plant for himselfe,
the sower thereof reapeth it to his owne use, so that
nothing is common, but that which is unset by mans
hands. In their houses there is more common passage
of Lizardes like Evats, and other greater, of blacke and
blew colour, of neere a foote long, besides their tailes,
then there is with us of Mise in great houses. The Sapies and Samboses also use in their warres bowes, and
arrowes made of reedes, with heads of yron poysoned
with the juyce of a Cucumber, whereof I had many in
my handes. In their battels they have target-men, with
broad wicker targets, and darts with heades at both endes,
of yron, the one in forme of a two edged sworde, a
foote and an halfe long, and at the other ende, the yron
long of the same length made to counterpease it, that
in casting it might flie level, rather then for any other
purpose as I can judge. And when they espie the enemie,
the Captaine to cheere his men, cryeth Hungry, and they
answere Heygre, and with that every man placeth himselfe in order, for about every target man three bowemen
will cover themselves, and shoote as they see advantage:
and when they give the onset, they make such terrible
cryes, that they may bee heard two miles off. For their
beliefe, I can heare of none that they have, but in such
as they themselves imagine to see in their dreames, and
so worshippe the pictures, whereof wee sawe some like
unto devils. In this Island aforesayde wee sojourned unto
the one and twentieth of December, where having taken
certaine Negros, and asmuch of their fruites, rise, and
mill, as we could well cary away, (whereof there was
such store, that wee might have laden one of our Barkes
therewith) wee departed, and at our departure divers of
our men being desirous to goe on shore, to fetch Pompions, which having prooved, they found to bee very good,
certaine of the Tygres men went also, amongst the which
there was a Carpenter, a yong man, who with his fellowes
having fet many, and caryed them downe to their boates,
as they were ready to depart, desired his fellow to tary
while he might goe up to fetch a few which he had
layed by for him selfe, who being more licorous then
circumspect, went up without weapon, and as he went
up alone, possibly being marked of the Negros that were
upon the trees, espying him what hee did, perceaving
him to be alone, and without weapon, dogged him, and
finding him occupyed in binding his Pompions together,
came behinde him, overthrowing him and straight cutte
his throate, as hee afterwardes was found by his fellowes,
who came to the place for him, and there found him
naked.
The two and twentieth the Captaine went into the
River, called Callowsa, with the two Barkes, and the
Johns Pinnesse, and the Salomons boate, leaving at anker
in the Rivers mouth the two shippes, the River being
twenty leagues in, where the Portugals roade: hee came
thither the five and twentieth, and dispatched his businesse, and so returned with two Caravels, loaden with
Negros.
The 27. the Captaine was advertised by the Portugals
of a towne of the Negros called Bymba, being in the
way as they returned, where was not onely great quantitie
of golde, but also that there were not above fortie men,
and an hundred women and children in the Towne, so
that if hee would give the adventure upon the same, hee
might gette an hundreth slaves: with the which tydings
hee being gladde, because the Portugals shoulde not
thinke him to bee of so base a courage, but that hee
durst give them that, and greater attempts: and being
thereunto also the more provoked with the prosperous
successe hee had in other Islands adjacent, where he had
put them all to flight, and taken in one boate twentie
together, determined to stay before the Towne three or
foure houres, to see what hee could doe: and thereupon
prepared his men in armour and weapon together, to the
number of fortie men well appointed, having to their
guides certaine Portugals, in a boat, who brought some
of them to their death: wee landing boat after boat,
and divers of our men scattering themselves, contrary
to the Captaines will, by one or two in a company, for
the hope that they had to finde golde in their houses,
ransacking the same, in the meane time the Negros came
upon them, and hurte many being thus scattered, whereas
if five or sixe had bene together, they had bene able, as
their companions did, to give the overthrow to 40 of
them, and being driven downe to take their boates, were
followed so hardly by a route of Negros, who by that
tooke courage to pursue them to their boates, that not
onely some of them, but others standing on shore, not
looking for any such matter by meanes that the Negros
did flee at the first, and our companie remained in the
towne, were suddenly so set upon that some with great
hurt recovered their boates; othersome not able to recover
the same, tooke the water, and perished by meanes of
the oaze. While this was doing, the Captaine who with
a dosen men, went through the towne, returned, finding
200 Negros at the waters side, shooting at them in the
boates, and cutting them in pieces which were drowned
in the water, at whose comming, they ranne all away:
so he entred his boates, and before he could put off from
the shore, they returned againe, and shot very fiercely
and hurt divers of them. Thus wee returned backe some
what discomforted, although the Captaine in a singular
wise maner caried himselfe, with countenance very cheerefull outwardly, as though hee did litle weigh the death
of his men, nor yet the great hurt of the rest, although
his heart inwardly was broken in pieces for it; done to
this ende, that the Portugals being with him, should not
presume to resist against him, nor take occasion to put
him to further displeasure or hinderance for the death
of our men: having gotten by our going ten Negros,
and lost seven of our best men, whereof M. Field Captaine
of the Salomon, was one, and we had 27 of our men
hurt. In the same houre while this was doing, there
happened at the same instant, a marveilous miracle to
them in the shippes, who road ten leagues to sea-ward,
by many sharkes or Tiburons, who came about the ships:
among which, one was taken by the Jesus, and foure by
the Salomon, and one very sore hurt escaped: and so
it fell out of our men, whereof one of the Jesus men,
and foure of the Salomons were killed, and the fift
having twentie wounds was rescued, and scaped with
much adoe.
The 28 they came to their ships, the Jesus, and the
Salomon, and the 30 departed from thence to Taggarin.
The first of January the two barkes, and both the
boates forsooke the ships, and went into a river called
the Casserroes, and the 6 having dispatched their businesse, the two barkes returned, and came to Taggarin,
where the two ships were at anker. Not two dayes after
the comming of the two ships thither, they put their
water caske a shore, and filled it with water, to season
the same, thinking to have filled it with fresh water afterward: and while their men were some on shore, and
some at their boates, the Negros set upon them in the
boates, and hurt divers of them, and came to the caskes,
and cut of the hoopes of twelve buts, which lost us 4 or
5 dayes time, besides great want we had of the same:
sojourning at
Taggarin, the Swallow went up the river
about her trafficke, where they saw great townes of the
Negros, and Canoas, that had threescore men in a piece:
there they understood by the Portugals, of a great battell
betweene them of Sierra Leona side, and them of Taggarin: they of Sierra Leona, had prepared three hundred
Canoas to invade the other. The time was appointed not
past sixe dayes after our departure from thence, which
we would have seene, to the intent we might have taken
some of them, had it not bene for the death and sickenesse
of our men, which came by the contagiousnes of the
place, which made us to make hast away.
The 18 of Januarie at night, wee departed from Taggarin, being bound for the West Indies, before which
departure certaine of the Salomons men went on shore
to fill water in the night, and as they came on shore
with their boat being ready to leape on land, one of them
espied an Negro
in a white coate, standing upon a rocke,
being ready to have received them when they came on
shore, having in sight of his fellowes also eight or nine,
some in one place leaping out, and some in another,
but they hid themselves streight againe: whereupon our
men doubting they had bene a great companie, and sought
to have taken them at more advantage, as God would,
departed to their ships, not thinking there had bene such
a mischiefe pretended toward them, as then was in deede.
Which the next day we understood of a Portugal
that
came downe to us, who had trafficked with the Negros,
by whom hee understood, that the king of Sierra Leona
had made all the power hee could, to take some of us,
partly for the desire he had to see what kinde of people
we were, that had spoiled his people at the Idols, whereof
he had newes before our comming, and as I judge also,
upon other occasions provoked by the Tangomangos, but
sure we were that the armie was come downe, by meanes
that in the evening wee saw such a monstrous fire, made
by the watring place, that before was not seene, which
fire is the only marke for the Tangomangos to know
where their armie is alwayes. If these men had come
downe in the evening, they had done us great displeasure,
for that wee were on shore filling water: but God, who
worketh all things for the best, would not have it so,
and by him we escaped without danger, his name be
praysed for it.
The 29 of this same moneth we departed with all our
shippes from Sierra Leona, towardes the West Indies,
and for the space of eighteene dayes, we were becalmed,
having nowe and then contrary windes, and some Ternados, amongst the same calme, which happened to us
very ill, beeing but reasonably watered, for so great a
companie of Negros, and our selves, which pinched us
all, and that which was worst, put us in such feare that
many never thought to have reached to the Indies,
without great death of Negros, and of themselves: but
the Almightie God, who never suffereth his elect to
perish, sent us the sixteenth of Februarie, the ordinary
Brise, which is the Northwest winde, which never left
us, till wee came to an
Island of the Canybals, called
Dominica
, where wee arrived the ninth of March, upon
a Saturday: and because it was the most desolate place
in all the Island, we could see no Canybals, but some
of their houses where they dwelled, and as it should
seeme forsooke the place for want of fresh water, for
wee could finde none there but raine water, and such as
fell from the hilles, and remained as a puddle in the dale,
whereof wee filled for our Negros. The Canybals of that
Island, and also others adjacent are the most desperate
warriers that are in the Indies, by the Spaniardes report,
who are never able to conquer them, and they are molested
by them not a little, when they are driven to water
there in any of those Islands: of very late, not two
moneths past, in the said Island, a Caravel being driven
to water, was in the night sette upon by the inhabitants,
who cutte their cable in the halser, whereby they were
driven a shore, and so taken by them, and eaten. The
greene Dragon of Newhaven, whereof was Captaine one
Bontemps, in March also, came to one of those Islands,
called Granada
, and being driven to water, could not doe
the same for the Canybals, who fought with him very
desperatly two dayes. For our part also, if we had not
lighted upon the desertest place in all that Island, wee
could not have missed, but should have bene greatly
troubled by them, by all the Spaniards reports, who make
them devils in respect of me.
The tenth day at night, we departed from thence, and
the fifteenth had sight of nine Islands, called the Testigos :
and the sixteenth of an Island, called Margarita, where
wee were entertayned by the Alcalde, and had both
Beeves and sheepe given us, for the refreshing of our
men: but the
Governour of the Island, would neither
come to speake with our Captaine, neither yet give him
any licence to trafficke: and to displease us the more,
whereas wee had hired a Pilote to have gone with us,
they would not onely not suffer him to goe with us, but
also sent word by a Caravel out of hand, to Santo
Domingo, to the Vice-roy, who doeth represent the kings
person, of our arrivall in those partes, which had like
to have turned us to great displeasure, by the meanes
that the same Vice-roy did send word to Cape de la
Vela, and to other places along the coast, commanding
them that by the vertue of his authoritie, and by the
obedience that they owe to their Prince, no man should
trafficke with us, but should resist us with all the force
they could. In this Island, notwithstanding that wee
were not within foure leagues of the Towne, yet were
they so afraid, that not onely the Governour himselfe, but
also all the inhabitants forsooke their Towne, assembling
all the Indians to them and fled into the mountaines, as
wee were partly certified, and also sawe the experience
our selves, by some of the Indians comming to see us
who by three Spaniards a horsebacke passing hard by
us, went unto the Indians, having every one of them
their bowes, and arrowes, procuring them away, who
before were conversant with us.
Here perceiving no trafficke to be had with them, nor
yet water for the refreshing of our men, we were driven
to depart the twentieth day, and the 2 and twentieth we
came to a place in the maine called Cumana
, whither
the Captaine going in his Pinnisse, spake with certaine
Spaniards, of whom he demanded trafficke, but they made
him answere, they were but souldiers newely come thither,
and were not able to by one Negro
: whereupon hee
asked for a watring place, and they pointed him a place
two leagues off, called Santa Fe, where we found marveilous goodly watering, and commodious for the taking
in thereof: for that the fresh water came into the Sea,
and so our shippes had aboord the shore twentie fathome
water. Neere about this place, inhabited certaine Indians,
who the next day after we came thither, came down to
us, presenting mill and cakes of breade, which they had
made of a kinde of corne called Maiz, in bignesse of a
pease, the eare whereof is much like to a teasell, but a
spanne in length, having thereon a number of granes.
Also they brought down to us Hennes, Potatoes and
Pines, which we bought for beades, pewter whistles,
glasses, knives, and other trifles.
These Potatoes be the most delicate rootes that may
be eaten, and doe farre exceed our passeneps or carets.
Their pines be of the bignes of two fists, the outside
whereof is of the making of a pine-apple, but it is soft
like the rinde of a Cucomber, and the inside eateth like
an apple, but it is more delicious then any sweet apple
sugred. These Indians being of colour tawnie like an
Olive, having every one of them both men and women,
haire all blacke, and no other colour, the women wearing
the same hanging downe to their shoulders, and the men
rounded, and without beards, neither men nor women
suffering any haire to growe in any part of their body,
but dayly pull it off as it groweth. They goe all naked,
the men covering no part of their body but their yard,
upon the which they weare a gourd or piece of cane,
made fast with a thrid about their loynes, leaving the
other parts of their members uncovered, whereof they
take no shame. The women also are uncovered, saving
with a cloth which they weare a hand-breath, wherewith
they cover their privities both before and behind. These
people be very small feeders, for travelling they cary but
two small bottels of gourdes, wherein they put in one
the juice of Sorrell whereof they have great store, and
in the other flowre of their Maiz, which being moist,
they eate, taking sometime of the other. These men
cary every man his bowe and arrowes, whereof some
arrowes are poisoned for warres, which they keepe in a
Cane together, which Cane is of the bignesse of a mans
arme, other some with broad heades of iron wherewith
they stricke fish in the water: the experience whereof
we saw not once nor twise, but dayly for the time we
taried there, for they are so good archers that the
Spaniards for feare thereof arme themselves and their
horses with quilted canvas of two ynches thicke, and leave
no place of their body open to their enemies, saving their
eyes which they may not hide, and yet oftentimes are
they hit in that so small a scantling: their poyson is of
such a force, that a man being stricken therewith dyeth
within foure and twentie howers, as the Spaniards do
affirme, & in my judgement it is like there can be no
stronger poyson as they make it, using thereunto apples
which are very faire and red of colour, but are a strong
poyson, with the which together with venemous Bats,
Vipers, Adders and other serpents, they make a medley,
and therewith anoint the same.
The Indian women delight not when they are yong in
bearing of children, because it maketh them have hanging
breastes which they account to bee great deforming in
them, and upon that occasion while they bee yong, they
destroy their seede, saying, that it is fittest for olde
women. Moreover, when they are delivered of childe,
they goe straight to washe themselves, without making
any further ceremonie for it, not lying in bed as our
women doe. The beds which they have are made of
Gossopine cotton, and wrought artificially of divers
colours, which they cary about with them when they
travell, and making the same fast to two trees, lie therein
they and their women. The people be surely gentle and
tractable, and such as desire to live peaceably, or els
had it bene unpossible for the Spaniards to have conquered
them as they did, and the more to live now peaceably,
they being so many in number, and the Spaniards so
few.
From hence we departed the eight and twentie, and
the next day we passed betweene the maine land, and
the Island called Tortuga, a very lowe Island, in the
yeere of our Lorde God one thousande five hundred sixty
five aforesaide, and sayled along the coast untill the first
of Aprill, at which time the Captaine sayled along in the
Jesus pinnesse to discerne the coast, and saw many
Caribes on shore, and some also in their Canoas, which
made tokens unto him of friendship, and shewed him
golde, meaning thereby that they would trafficke for
wares. Whereupon he stayed to see the maners of them,
and so for two or three trifles they gave such things as
they had about them, and departed: but the Caribes were
very importunate to have them come on shore, which if it
had not bene for want of wares to trafficke with them, he
would not have denyed them, because the Indians which
we saw before were very gentle people, and such as do
no man hurt. But as God would have it, hee wanted that
thing, which if hee had had, would have bene his confusion: for these were no such kinde of people as wee
tooke them to bee, but more devilish a thousand partes
and are eaters and devourers of any man they can catch,
as it was afterwards declared unto us at
Burboroata, by a
Caravel comming out of Spaine with certaine souldiers,
and a Captaine generall sent by the king for those Eastward parts of the Indians, who sayling along in his
pinnesse, as our Captaine did to descry the coast, was
by the Caribes called a shoore with sundry tokens made
to him of friendshippe, and golde shewed as though
they desired trafficke, with the which the Spaniard being
mooved, suspecting no deceite at all, went ashore amongst
them: who was no sooner ashore, but with foure or five
more was taken, the rest of his company being invaded
by them, saved themselves by flight, but they that were
taken, paied their ransome with their lives, and were
presently eaten. And this is their practise to toll with
their golde the ignorant to their snares: they are bloodsuckers both of Spaniards, Indians, and all that light in
their laps, not sparing their owne countreymen if they
can conveniently come by them. Their policie in fight
with the Spaniards is marvellous : for they chuse for their
refuge the mountaines and woodes where the Spaniards
with their horses cannot follow them, and if they fortune
to be met in the plaine where one horseman may overrunne 100. of them, they have a devise of late practised
by them to pitch stakes of wood in the ground, and also
small iron pikes to mischiefe their horses, wherein they
shew themselves politique warriers. They have more
abundance of golde then all the Spaniards have, and live
upon the mountaines where the Mines are in such number,
that the Spaniards have much adoe to get any of them
from them, and yet sometimes by assembling a great
number of them, which happeneth once in two yeeres, they
get a piece from them, which afterwards they keepe sure
ynough.
Thus having escaped the danger of them, wee kept
our course along the coast, and came the third of April
to a Towne called Burboroata, where his ships came to
an ancker, and hee himselfe went a shore to speake with
the Spaniards, to whom hee declared himselfe to be an
Englishman, and came thither to trade with them by the
way of marchandize, and therefore required licence for the
same. Unto whom they made answere, that they were
forbidden by the king to trafique with any forren nation,
upon penaltie to forfeit their goods, therfore they desired
him not to molest them any further, but to depart as he
came, for other comfort he might not looke for at their
handes, because they were subjects and might not goe
beyond the law. But hee replied that his necessitie was
such, as he might not so do: for being in one of the
Queens Armadas of England
, and having many souldiours
in them, hee had neede both of some refreshing for them,
and of victuals, and of money also, without the which hee
coulde not depart, and with much other talke perswaded
them not to feare any dishonest part of his behalfe towards
them, for neither would hee commit any such thing to
the dishonour of his prince, nor yet for his honest reputation and estimation, unlesse hee were too rigorously dealt
withall, which hee hoped not to finde at their handes, in
that it should as well redound to their profite as his owne,
and also hee thought they might doe it without danger,
because their princes were in amitie one with another, and
for our parts wee had free trafique in Spain
and Flanders
,
which are in his dominions, and therefore he knew no
reason why he should not have the like in all his
dominions. To the which the Spaniards made answere,
that it lay not in them to give any licence, for that they
had a governour to whom the government of those parts
was committed, but if they would stay tenne dayes, they
would send to their governour who was threescore leagues
off, and would returne answere within the space appointed,
of his minde.
In the meane time they were contented hee should bring
his ships into harbour, and there they would deliver him
any victuals he would require. Whereupon the fourth
day we went in, where being one day and receiving all
things according to promise, the Captaine advised himselfe, that to remaine there tenne dayes idle, spending
victuals and mens wages, and perhaps in the ende receive
no good answere from the governour, it were meere follie,
and therefore determined to make request to have licence
for the sale of certaine leane and sicke Negros which hee
had in his shippe like to die upon his hands if he kept them
ten dayes, having little or no refreshing for them, whereas
other men having them, they would bee recovered well
ynough. And this request hee was forced to make,
because he had not otherwise wherewith to pay for
victuals & for necessaries which he should take: which
request being put in writing and presented, the officers
and towne-dwellers assembled together, and finding his
request so reasonable, granted him licence for thirtie
Negros, which afterwards they caused the officers to view,
to the intent they should graunt to nothing but that were
very reasonable, for feare of answering thereunto afterwards. This being past, our Captaine according to their
licence, thought to have made sale, but the day past and
none came to buy, who before made shewe that they had
great neede of them, and therefore wist not what to surmise of them, whether they went about to prolong the
time of the Governour his answere because they would
keepe themselves blamelesse, or for any other pollicie
hee knew not, and for that purpose sent them worde,
marveiling what the matter was that none came to buy
them. They answered, because they had granted licence
onely to the poore to buy those Negros of small price,
and their money was not so ready as other mens of more
wealth. More then that, as soone as ever they sawe the
shippes, they conveyed away their money by their wives
that went into the mountaines for feare, & were not yet
returned, & yet asked two dayes to seeke their wives and
fetch their money. Notwithstanding, the next day divers
of them came to cheapen, but could not agree of price,
because they thought the price too high. Whereupon the
Captaine perceiving they went about to bring downe the
price, and meant to buy, and would not confesse if hee
had licence, that he might sell at any reasonable rate,
as they were worth in other places, did send for the
principals of the Towne, and made a shewe hee would
depart, declaring himselfe to be very sory that he had
so much troubled them, and also that he had sent for
the governour to come downe, seeing nowe his pretence
was to depart, whereat they marveiled much, and asked
him what cause mooved him thereunto, seeing by their
working he was in possibilitie to have his licence.
To the which he replied, that it was not onely a licence
that he sought, but profit, which he perceived was not
there to bee had, and therefore would seeke further, and
withall shewed him his writings what he payed for his
Negros, declaring also the great charge he was at in his
shipping, and mens wages, and therefore to countervaile
his charges, hee must sell his Negros for a greater price
then they offered. So they doubting his departure, put
him in comfort to sell better there then in any other place.
And if it fell out that he had no licence that he should not
loose his labour in tarying, for they would buy without
licence. Whereupon, the Captaine being put in comfort,
promised them to stay, so that hee might make sale of his
leane Negros, which they granted unto. And the next day
did sell some of them, who having bought and payed for
them, thinking to have had a discharge of the Customer,
for the custome of the Negros, being the Kings duetie,
they gave it away to the poore for Gods sake, and did
refuse to give the discharge in writing, and the poore not
trusting their wordes, for feare, least hereafter it might
bee demaunded of them, did refraine from buying any
more, so that nothing else was done untill the Governours
comming downe, which was the fourteenth day, and then
the Captaine made petition, declaring that hee was come
thither in a shippe of the Queenes Majesties of England
,
being bound to Guinie, and thither driven by winde and
weather, so that being come thither, hee had neede of
sundry necessaries for the reparation of the said Navie,
and also great need of money for the paiment of his
Souldiours, unto whom hee had promised paiment, and
therefore although hee would, yet would not they depart
without it, & for that purpose he requested licence for the
sale of certaine of his Negros, declaring that although
they were forbidden to trafique with strangers, yet for that
there was a great amitie betweene their princes, and that
the thing perteined to our Queenes highnesse, he thought
hee might doe their prince great service, and that it would
bee well taken at his hands, to doe it in this cause. The
which allegations with divers others put in request, were
presented unto the Governour, who sitting in counsell for
that matter, granted unto his request for licence. But yet
there fell out another thing which was the abating of the
kings Custome, being upon every slave 30. duckets, which
would not be granted unto.
Whereupon the Captaine perceiving that they would
neither come neere his price hee looked for by a great
deale, nor yet would abate the Kings Custome of that
they offered, so that either he must be a great looser by
his wares, or els compell the officers to abate the same
kings Custome which was too unreasonable, for to a
higher price hee coulde not bring the buyers: Therefore
the sixteenth of April hee prepared one hundred men well
armed with bowes, arrowes, harquebuzes and pikes, with
the which hee marched to the townewards, and being
perceived by the Governour, he straight with all expedition
sent messengers to knowe his request, desiring him to
march no further forward untill he had answere againe,
which incontinent he should have. So our Captaine
declaring how unreasonable a thing the Kings Custome
was, requested to have the same abated, and to pay seven
and a halfe per centum, which is the ordinarie Custome
for wares through his dominions there, and unto this if
they would not graunt, hee would displease them. And
this word being caried to the Governour, answere was
returned that all things should bee to his content, and
thereupon hee determined to depart, but the souldiers and
Mariners finding so little credite in their promises,
demanded gages for the performance of the premisses, or
els they would not depart. And thus they being constrained to send gages, wee departed, beginning our
trafique, and ending the same without disturbance.
Thus having made trafique in the harborough untill
the 28. our Captaine with his ships intended to goe out of
the roade, and purposed to make shew of his departure,
because nowe the common sort having imployed their
money, the rich men were come to towne, who made no
shew that they were come to buy, so that they went about
to bring downe the price, and by this pollicie the Captaine
knew they would be made the more eager, for feare least
we departed, and they should goe without any at all.
The nine and twentie wee being at ancker without the
road, a French ship called the Greene Dragon of Newhaven, whereof was Captaine one Bon Temps came in,
who saluted us after the maner of the Sea, with certaine
pieces of Ordinance, and we resaluted him with the like
againe: with whom having communication, he declared
that hee had bene at the Mine in
Guinie, and was beaten
off by the Portugals gallies, and inforced to come thither
to make sale of such wares as he had: and further
that the like was happened unto the Minion: besides
the Captaine Davie Carlet and a Marchant, with a dozen
Mariners betrayed by the Negros at their first arrivall
thither, and remayning prisoners with the Portugals; and
besides other misadventures of the losse of their men,
happened through the great lacke of fresh water, with
great doubts of bringing home the ships: which was most
sorrowfull for us to understand.
Thus having ended our trafique here the 4. of May,
we departed, leaving the Frenchman behinde us, the night
before the which the Caribes, whereof I have made mention before, being to the number of 200. came in their
Canoas to Burboroata, intending by night to have burned
the towne, and taken the Spaniards, who being more
vigilant because of our being there, then their custome
was, perceiving them comming, raised the towne, who in
a moment being a horsebacke, by meanes their custome is
for all doubts to keepe their horses ready sadled, in the
night set upon them, & tooke one, but the rest making
shift for themselves, escaped away. But this one, because
he was their guide, and was the occasion that divers times
they had made invasion upon them, had for his traveile
a stake thrust through his fundament, and so out at his
necke.
The sixt of May aforesaide, wee came to an yland
called Curacao
, where wee had thought to have anckered,
but could not find ground, and having let fal an ancker
with two cables, were faine to weigh it againe: and the
seventh sayling along the coast to seeke an harborow,
and finding none, wee came to an ancker where we rode
open in the Sea. In this place we had trafique for hides,
and found great refreshing both of beefe, mutton and
lambes, whereof there was such plentie, that saving the
skinnes, we had the flesh given us for nothing, the plentie
whereof was so abundant, that the worst in the ship
thought scorne not onely of mutton, but also of sodden
lambe, which they disdained to eate unrosted.
The increase of cattell in this yland is marvellous, which
from a doozen of each sort brought thither by the governour, in 25. yeres he had a hundreth thousand at the least,
& of other cattel was able to kill without spoile of the
increase 1500. yeerely, which hee killeth for the skinnes,
and of the flesh saveth onely the tongues, the rest hee
leaveth to the foule to devoure. And this I am able to
affirme, not onely upon the Governours owne report, who
was the first that brought the increase thither, which so
remaineth unto this day, but also by that I saw my selfe
in one field, where an hundred oxen lay one by another
all whole, saving the skinne and tongue taken away.
And it is not so marveilous a thing why they doe thus cast
away the flesh in all the ylands of the West Indies, seeing
the land is great, and more then they are able to inhabite,
the people fewe, having delicate fruites and meates ynough
besides to feede upon, which they rather desire, and the
increase which passeth mans reason to beleeve, when they
come to a great number: for in S. Domingo an yland
called by the finders thereof Hispaniola, is so great quantitie of cattell, and such increase therof, that notwithstanding the daily killing of them for their hides, it is not
possible to asswage the number of them, but they are
devoured by wilde dogs, whose number is such by suffering them first to range the woods and mountaines, that
they eate and destroy 60000. a yeere, and yet small lacke
found of them. And no marveile, for the said yland is
almost as bigge as all England
, and being the first place
that was founde of all the Indies, and of long time
inhabited before the rest, it ought therefore of reason to
be most populous: and to this houre the Viceroy and
counsell royall abideth there as in the chiefest place of all
the Indies, to prescribe orders to the rest for the kings
behalfe, yet have they but one Citie and 13. villages in
all the same yland, whereby the spoile of them in respect
of the increase is nothing.
The 15. of the foresaid moneth wee departed from
Curacao
, being not a little to the rejoycing of our Captaine and us, that wee had there ended our trafique:
but notwithstanding our sweete meate, wee had sower
sauce, for by reason of our riding so open at sea, what
with blastes whereby our anckers being a ground, three
at once came home, and also with contrary windes blowing, whereby for feare of the shore we were faine to
hale off to have anker-hold, sometimes a whole day and
a night we turned up and downe; and this happened
not once, but halfe a dozen times in the space of our
being there.
The 16. wee passed by an yland called Aruba
, and the
17. at night anckered sixe houres at the West ende of
Cabo
de la vela, and in the morning being the 18. weighed
againe, keeping our course, in the which time the Captaine sailing by the shore in the pinnesse, came to the
Rancheria, a place where the Spaniards use to fish for
pearles, and there spoke with a Spaniard, who tolde him
how far off he was from Rio de la Hacha, which because
he would not overshoot, he ankered that night againe,
& the 19. came thither; where having talke with the
kings treasurer of the Indies resident there, he declared
his quiet trafique in
Burboroata, & shewed a certificate
of the same, made by the governour thereof, & therefore
he desired to have the like there also: but the treasurer
made answere that they were forbidden by the Viceroy
and councill of S. Domingo, who having intelligence of
our being on the coast, did sende expresse commission
to resist us, with all the force they could, insomuch that
they durst not trafique with us in no case, alleaging that
if they did, they should loose all that they did trafique
for, besides their bodies at the magistrates commaundement. Our Captaine replied, that hee was in an Armada
of the Queenes Majesties of England, and sent about
other her affaires, but driven besides his pretended
voyage, was inforced by contrary windes to come into
those parts, where he hoped to finde such friendship as
hee should doe in
Spaine, to the contrary whereof hee
knewe no reason, in that there was amitie betwixt their
princes. But seeing they would contrary to all reason
go about to withstand his trafique, he would it should
not be said by him, that having the force he hath, to
be driven from his trafique perforce, but he would rather
put it in adventure to try whether he or they should
have the better, and therefore willed them to determine
either to give him licence to trade, or else to stand to
their owne harmes: So upon this it was determined hee
should have licence to trade, but they would give him
such a price as was the one halfe lesse then he had sold
for before, and thus they sent word they would do, and
none otherwise, and if it liked him not, he might do
what he would, for they were not determined to deale
otherwise with him. Whereupon, the captaine waying
their unconscionable request, wrote to them a letter, that
they dealt too rigorously with him, to go about to cut
his throte in the price of his commodities, which were
so reasonably rated, as they could not by a great deale
have the like at any other mans handes. But seeing they
had sent him this to his supper, hee would in the morning
bring them as good a breakefast. And therefore in the
morning being the 21. of May, hee shot off a whole
Culvering to summon the towne, and preparing one
hundred men in armour, went a shore, having in his
great boate two Faulcons of brasse, and in the other
boates double bases in their noses, which being perceived
by the Townesmen, they incontinent in battell aray with
their drumme and ensigne displayed, marched from the
Towne to the sands, of footemen to the number of an
hundred and fiftie, making great bragges with their cries,
and weaving us a shore, whereby they made a semblance
to have fought with us in deed. But our Captaine perceiving them so bragge, commanded the two Faulcons
to be discharged at them, which put them in no small
feare to see, (as they afterward declared) such great
pieces in a boate. At every shot they fell flat to the
ground, and as wee approched neere unto them, they
broke their aray, and dispersed themselves so much for
feare of the Ordinance, that at last they went all away
with their ensigne. The horsemen also being about
thirtie, made as brave a shew as might be, coursing up
and downe with their horses, their brave white leather
Targets in the one hand, and their javelings in the other,
as though they would have received us at our landing.
But when wee landed, they gave ground, and consulted
what they should doe, for little they thought wee would
have landed so boldly: and therefore as the Captaine
was putting his men in aray, and marched forward to
have encountred with them, they sent a messenger on
horsebacke with a flagge of truce to the Captaine, who
declared that the Treasurer marveiled what he meant to
doe to come a shore in that order, in consideration that
they had granted to every reasonable request that he
did demaund: but the Captaine not well contented with
this messenger, marched forwards. The messenger
prayed him to stay his men, and saide, if hee would
come apart from his men, the Treasurer would come and
speake with him, whereunto hee did agree to commune
together. The Captaine onely with his armour without
weapon, and the Treasurer on horsebacke with his javeling, was afraide to come neere him for feare of his
armour, which he said was worse then his weapon, and
so keeping aloofe communing together, granted in fine
to all his requests. Which being declared by the Captaine to the company, they desired to have pledges for
the performance of all things, doubting that otherwise
when they had made themselves stronger, they would
have bene at defiance with us: and seeing that now
they might have what they would request, they judged
it to be more wisedome to be in assurance then to be
forced to make any more labours about it. So upon
this, gages were sent, and we made our trafique quietly
with them. In the mean time while we stayed here, wee
watered a good breadth off from the shore, where by
the strength of the fresh water running into the Sea,
the salt water was made fresh. In this River we saw
many Crocodils of sundry bignesses, but some as bigge
as a boate, with 4. feete, a long broad mouth, and a
long taile, whose skinne is so hard, that a sword wil
not pierce it. His nature is to live out of the water as
a frogge doth, but he is a great devourer, and spareth
neither fish, which is his common food, nor beastes, nor
men, if hee take them, as the proofe thereof was knowen
by a Negro, who as hee was filling water in the River
was by one of them caried cleane away, and never seene
after. His nature is ever when hee would have his prey,
to cry and sobbe like a Christian body, to provoke them
to come to him, and then hee snatcheth at them, and
thereupon came this proverbe that is applied unto women
when they weepe, Lachrymae Crocodili, the meaning
whereof is, that as the Crocodile when hee crieth, goeth
then about most to deceive, so doeth a woman most
commonly when she weepeth. Of these the Master of
the Jesus watched one, and by the banks side stroke
him with a pike of a bill in the side, and after three or
foure times turning in sight, hee sunke downe, and was
not afterward seene. In the time of our being in the
Rivers Guinie, wee sawe many of a monstrous bignesse,
amongst the which the captaine being in one of the
Barks comming downe the same, shot a Faulcon at one,
which very narowly hee missed, and with a feare hee
plunged into the water, making a streame like the way
of a boate.
Now while we were here, whether it were of a feare
that the Spaniards doubted wee would have done them
some harme before we departed, or for any treason that
they intended towards us, I am not able to say; but
then came thither a Captaine from some of the other
townes, with a dozen souldiers upon a time when our
Captaine and the treasurer cleared al things betweene
them, and were in a communication of a debt of the
governors of Burboroata, which was to be payd by the
said treasurer, who would not answer the same by any
meanes. Whereupon certaine words of displeasure passed
betwixt the Captaine and him, and parting the one from
the other, the treasurer possibly doubting that our Captaine would perforce have sought the same, did immediately command his men to armes, both horsemen and
footemen : but because the Captaine was in the River on
the backe side of the Towne with his other boates, and
all his men unarmed and without weapons, it was to be
judged he ment him little good, having that advantage
of him, that comming upon the sudden, hee might have
mischieved many of his men: but the Captaine having
understanding thereof, not trusting to their gentlenesse,
if they might have the advantage, departed aboord his
ships, and at night returned againe, and demanded
amongst other talke, what they ment by assembling their
men in that order, & they answered, that their Captaine
being come to towne did muster his men according to
his accustomed maner. But it is to be judged to bee a
cloake, in that comming for that purpose hee might have
done it sooner, but the trueth is, they were not of force
untill then, whereby to enterprise any matter against us,
by meanes of pikes and harquebuzes, whereof they have
want, and were now furnished by our Captaine, and also
3. Faulcons, which having got in other places, they had
secretly conveyed thither, which made them the bolder,
and also for that they saw now a convenient place to do
such a feat, and time also serving thereunto, by the meanes
that our men were not onely unarmed and unprovided,
as at no time before the like, but also were occupied
in hewing of wood, and least thinking of any harme:
these were occasions to provoke them thereunto. And
I suppose they went about to bring it to effect, in that
I with another gentleman being in the towne, thinking
of no harme towards us, and seeing men assembling in
armour to the treasurers house, whereof I marveiled,
and revoking to minde the former talke betweene the
Captaine and him, and the unreadinesse of our men, of
whom advantage might have bene taken, departed out
of the Towne immediatly to give knowledge thereof, but
before we came to our men by a flight-shot, two horse
men riding a gallop were come neere us, being sent,
as wee did gesse, to stay us least wee should cary newes
to our Captaine, but seeing us so neere our men they
stayed their horses, comming together, and suffring us
to passe, belike because wee were so neere, that if they
had gone about the same, they had bene espied by some
of our men which then immediatly would have departed,
whereby they should have bene frustrate of their pretence: and so the two horsemen ridde about the bushes
to espie what we did, and seeing us gone, to the intent
they might shadow their comming downe in post, whereof
suspition might bee had, fained a simple excuse in asking
whether he could sell any wine, but that seemed so
simple to the Captaine, that standing in doubt of their
courtesie, he returned in the morning with his three boats,
appointed with Bases in their noses, and his men with
weapons accordingly, where as before he caried none:
and thus dissembling all injuries conceived of both parts,
the Captaine went ashore, leaving pledges in the boates
for himselfe, and cleared all things betweene the treasurer
and him, saving for the governers debt, which the one
by no meanes would answere, and the other, because it
was not his due debt, woulde not molest him for it, but
was content to remit it untill another time, and therefore
departed, causing the two Barkes which rode neere the
shore to weigh and go under saile, which was done
because that our Captaine demanding a testimoniall of
his good behaviour there, could not have the same untill
hee were under saile ready to depart: and therefore at
night he went for the same againe, & received it at the
treasurers hand, of whom very courteously he tooke his
leave and departed, shooting off the bases of his boat
for his farewell, and the townesmen also shot off foure
Faulcons and 30. harquebuzes, and this was the first time
that he knew of the conveyance of their Faulcons.
The 31. of May wee departed, keeping our course to
Hispaniola, and the fourth of June wee had sight of an
yland, which wee made to be Jamaica
, marveiling that
by the vehement course of the Seas we should be driven
so farre to leeward: for setting our course to the West
end of Hispaniola we fel with the middle of Jamaica
,
notwithstanding that to al mens sight it shewed a headland, but they were all deceived by the clouds that lay
upon the land two dayes together, in such sort that we
thought it to be the head land of the said yland. And
a Spaniard being in the ship, who was a Marchant, and
inhabitant in Jamaica
, having occasion to go to Guinie,
and being by treason taken of the Negros, & afterwards
bought by the Tangomangos, was by our Captaine
brought from thence, and had his passage to go into
his countrey, who perceiving the land, made as though
he knew every place thereof, and pointed to certaine
places which he named to be such a place, and such a
mans ground, and that behinde such a point was the
harborow, but in the ende he pointed so from one point
to another, that we were a leeboord of all places, and
found our selves at the West end of Jamaica
before we
were aware of it, and being once to leeward, there was
no getting up againe, so that by trusting of the Spaniards
knowledge, our Captaine sought not to speake with any
of the inhabitants, which if he had not made himselfe
sure of, he would have done as his custome was in other
places: but this man was a plague not onely to our
Captaine, who made him loose by overshooting the place
2000. pounds by hides, which hee might have gotten,
but also to himselfe, who being three yeeres out of his
Countrey, and in great misery in
Guinie, both among
the Negros and Tangomangos, and in hope to come to
his wife and friendes, as he made sure accompt, in that
at his going into the pinnesse, when he went to shore
he put on his new clothes, and for joy flung away his
old, could not afterwards finde any habitation, neither
there nor in all Cuba
, which we sailed all along, but it
fell out ever by one occasion or other, that wee were
put beside the same, so that he was faine to be brought
into England
, and it happened to him as it did to a duke
of Samaria
, when the Israelites were besieged, and were
in great misery with hunger, & being tolde by the Prophet
Elizaeus, that a bushell of flower should be sold for a
sickle, would not beleeve him, but thought it unpossible:
and for that cause Elizaeus prophesied hee should see the
same done, but hee should not eate thereof: so this man
being absent three yeeres, and not ever thinking to have
seene his owne Countrey, did see the same, went upon
it, and yet was it not his fortune to come to it, or to
any habitation, whereby to remaine with his friends
according to his desire.
Thus having sailed along the coast two dayes, we
departed the seventh of June, being made to beleeve by
the Spaniard that it was not Jamaica
, but rather Hispaniola, of which opinion the Captaine also was, because
that which hee made Jamaica
seemed to be but a piece
of the land, and thereby tooke it rather to be Hispaniola,
by the lying of the coast, and also for that being ignorant
of the force of the current, he could not beleeve he was
so farre driven to leeward, and therfore setting his course
to Jamaica
, and after certaine dayes not finding the same,
perceived then certainly that the yland which he was at
before was Jamaica
, and that the cloudes did deceive
him, whereof he marvelled not a little: and this mistaking of the place came to as ill a passe as the overshooting of Jamaica
: for by this did he also overpasse
a place in Cuba
, called Santa Cruz, where, as he was
informed, was great store of hides to be had: & thus
being disappointed of two of his portes, where he thought
to have raised great profite by his trafique, and also
to have found great refreshing of victuals and water for
his men, hee was now disappointed greatly, and such
want he had of fresh water, that he was forced to seeke
the shore to obteine the same, which he had sight of
after certaine dayes overpassed with stormes and contrary
windes, but yet not of the maine of Cuba
, but of certaine
ylands in number two hundred, whereof the most part
were desolate of inhabitants: by the which ylands the
Captaine passing in his pinnesse, could finde no fresh
water untill hee came to an yland bigger then all the
rest, called the yle of Pinas, where wee anckered with
our ships the 16. of June, and found water, which
although it were neither so toothsome as running water,
by the meanes it is standing, and but the water of raine,
and also being neere the Sea was brackish, yet did wee
not refuse it, but were more glad thereof, as the time
then required, then wee should have bene another time
with fine Conduit water. Thus being reasonably watered
we were desirous to depart, because the place was not
very convenient for such ships of charge as they were,
because there were many shoales to leeward, which also
lay open to the sea for any wind that should blow: and
therfore the captaine made the more haste away, which
was not unneedfull : for little sooner were their anckers
weyed, and foresaile set, but there arose such a storme,
that they had not much to spare for doubling out of
the shoales: for one of the barks not being fully ready
as the rest, was faine for haste to cut the cable in the
hawse, and loose both ancker and cable to save her selfe.
Thus the 17. of June, we departed and on the 20. wee
fell with the West end of Cuba
, called
Cape S. Antony,
where for the space of three dayes wee doubled along,
till wee came beyond the shoales, which are 20. leagues
beyond S. Anthony. And the ordinary Brise taking us,
which is the Northeast winde, put us the 24. from the
shoare, and therefore we went to the Northwest to fetch
wind, and also to the coast of Florida
to have the helpe
of the current, which was judged to have set to the
Eastward : so the 29. wee found our selves in 27. degrees,
and in the soundings of Florida
, where we kept our
selves the space of foure dayes, sailing along the coast
as neere as we could, in tenne or twelve fadome water,
having all the while no sight of land.
The fift of July we had sight of certeine Islands of
sand, called the Tortugas (which is lowe land) where the
captaine went in with his pinnesse, and found such a
number of birds, that in halfe an houre he laded her
with them; and if they had beene ten boats more, they
might have done the like. These Islands beare the name
of Tortoises, because of the number of them, which there
do breed, whose nature is to live both in the water and
upon land also, but breed onely upon the shore, in making
a great pit wherein they lay egges, to the number of
three or foure hundred, and covering them with sand,
they are hatched by the heat of the Sunne; and by this
meanes commeth the great increase. Of these we tooke
very great ones, which have both backe and belly all of
bone, of the thicknes of an inch: the fish whereof we
proved, eating much like veale; and finding a number
of egges in them, tasted also of them, but they did eat
very sweetly. Heere wee ankered sixe houres, and then
a faire gale of winde springing, we weyed anker, and
made saile toward Cuba
, whither we came the sixt day,
and weathered as farre as the Table, being a hill so
called, because of the forme thereof: here we lay off
and on all night, to keepe that we had gotten to windward, intending to have watered in the morning, if we
could have done it, or els if the winde had come larger,
to have plied to wind-ward to Havana
, which is an
harborow whereunto all the fleet of the Spanyards come,
and doe there tary to have one the company of another.
This hill we thinking to have beene the Table, made
account (as it was indeed) that Havana
was but eight
leagues to wind-ward, but by the perswasion of a French
man, who made the captaine beleeve he knew the Table
very well, and had beene at Havana
, sayd that it was
not the Table, and that the Table was much higher, and
neerer to the sea side, and that there was no plaine
ground to the Eastward, nor hilles to the Westward,
but all was contrary, and that behinde the hilles to the
Westward was Havana
. To which persuasion credit
being given by some, and they not of the woorst, the
captaine was persuaded to goe to leeward, and so sailed
along the seventh and eight dayes, finding no habitation,
nor no other Table; and then perceiving his folly to give
eare to such praters, was not a little sory, both because
he did consider what time he should spend yer he could
get so far to wind-ward againe, which would have bene,
with the weathering which we had, ten or twelve dayes
worke, & what it would have bene longer he knew not,
and (that which was woorst) he had not above a dayes
water and therfore knew not what shift to make: but
in fine, because the want was such, that his men could
not live with it, he determined to seeke water, and to
goe further to leeward, to a place (as it is set in the card)
called Rio de los puercos, which he was in doubt of, both
whether it were inhabited, & whether there were water
or not, and whether for the shoalds he might have such
accesse with his ships, that he might conveniently take
in the same. And while we were in these troubles, and
kept our way to the place aforesayd, almighty God our
guide (who would not suffer us to run into any further
danger, which we had bene like to have incurred, if we
had ranged the coast of Florida
along as we did before,
which is so dangerous (by reports) that no ship escapeth
which commeth thither, (as the Spanyards have very
wel proved the same) sent us the eight day at night a
faire Westerly winde, whereupon the captaine and company consulted, determining not to refuse Gods gift, but
every man was contented to pinch his owne bellie, whatsoever had happened; and taking the sayd winde, the
ninth day of July got to the Table, and sailing the same
night, unawares overshot Havana
; at which place wee
thought to have watered: but the next day, not knowing
that wee had overshot the same, sailed along the coast,
seeking it, and the eleventh day in the morning, by
certeine knowen marks, we understood that we had overshot it 20 leagues: in which coast ranging, we found
no convenient watering place, whereby there was no
remedy but to disemboque, and to water upon the coast
of Florida
: for, to go further to the Eastward, we could
not for the shoalds, which are very dangerous; and
because the current shooteth to the Northeast, we doubted
by the force thereof to be set upon them, and therefore
durst not approch them: so making but reasonable way
the day aforesayd, and all the night, the twelfth day in
the morning we fell with the Islands upon the cape of
Florida
, which we could scant double by the meanes that
fearing the shoalds to the Eastwards, and doubting the
current comming out of the West, which was not of
that force we made account of; for we felt little or none
till we fell with the cape, and then felt such a current,
that bearing all sailes against the same, yet were driven
backe againe a great pace: the experience whereof we
had by the Jesus pinnesse, and the Salomons boat, which
were sent the same day in the afternoone, whiles the
ships were becalmed, to see if they could finde any water
upon the Islands aforesaid; who spent a great part of
the day in rowing thither, being further off then they
deemed it to be, and in the meane time a faire gale of
winde springing at sea, the ships departed, making a
signe to them to come away, who although they saw
them depart, because they were so neere the shore, would
not lose all the labour they had taken, but determined
to keepe their way, and see if there were any water to
be had, making no account but to finde the shippes well
enough: but they spent so much time in filling the water
which they had found, that the night was come before
they could make an end. And having lost the sight of
the ships, they rowed what they could, but were wholly
ignorant which way they should seeke them againe; as
indeed there was a more doubt then they knew of: for
when they departed, the shippes were in no current; and
sailing but a mile further, they found one so strong, that
bearing all sailes, it could not prevaile against the same,
but were driven backe: whereupon the captaine sent the
Salomon, with the other two barks, to beare neere the
shore all night, because the current was lesse there a
great deale, and to beare light, with shooting off a piece
now and then, to the intent the boats might better know
how to come to them.
The Jesus also bare a light in her toppe gallant, and
shot off a piece also now and then, but the night passed,
and the morning was come, being the thirteenth day, and
no newes could be heard of them, but the ships and
barkes ceased not to looke still for them, yet they thought
it was all in vaine, by the meanes they heard not of them
all the night past; and therefore determined to tary no
longer, seeking for them till noone, and if they heard
no newes, then they would depart to the Jesus, who
perforce (by the vehemency of the current) was caried
almost out of sight; but as God would have it, now
time being come, and they having tacked about in the
pinnesses top, had sight of them, and tooke them up:
they in the boats, being to the number of one and twenty,
having sight of the ships, and seeing them tacking about;
whereas before at the first sight of them they did greatly
rejoyce, were now in a greater perplexitie then ever they
were: for by this they thought themselves utterly forsaken, whereas before they were in some hope to have
found them. Truly God wrought marvellously for them,
for they themselves having no victuals but water, and
being sore oppressed with hunger, were not of opinion
to bestow any further time in seeking the shippes then
that present noone time; so that if they had not at that
instant espied them, they had gone to the shore to have
made provision for victuals, and with such things as
they could have gotten, either to have gone for that
part of Florida
where the French men were planted (which
would have bene very hard for them to have done,
because they wanted victuals to bring them thither, being
an hundred and twenty leagues off) or els to have
remained amongst the Floridians; at whose hands they
were put in comfort by a French man, who was with
them, that had remained in Florida
at the first finding
thereof, a whole yeere together, to receive victuals
sufficient, and gentle entertainment, if need were, for a
yeere or two, untill which time God might have provided
for them. But how contrary this would have fallen out
to their expectations, it is hard to judge, seeing those
people of the cape of Florida
are of more savage and
fierce nature, and more valiant then any of the rest;
which the Spanyards well prooved, who being five
hundred men, who intended there to land, returned few
or none of them, but were inforced to forsake the same:
and of their cruelty mention is made in the booke of the
Decades, of a frier, who taking upon him to persuade
the people to subjection, was by them taken, and his
skin cruelly pulled over his eares, and his flesh eaten.
In these Islands they being a shore, found a dead
man, dried in a maner whole, with other heads and
bodies of men: so that these sorts of men are eaters
of the flesh of men, aswel as the Canibals. But to
returne to our purpose.
The foureteenth day the shippe and barks came to the
Jesus, bringing them newes of the recovery of the men,
which was not a little to the rejoycing of the captaine, and
the whole company: and so then altogether they kept on
their way along the coast of Florida
, and the fifteenth day
come to an anker, and so from sixe and twenty degrees
to thirty degrees and a halfe, where the French men
abode, ranging all the coast along, seeking for fresh
water, ankering every night, because we would overshoot
no place of fresh water, and in the day time the captaine
in the ships pinnesse sailed along the shore, went into
every creeke, speaking with divers of the Floridians,
because hee would understand where the French men
inhabited; and not finding them in eight and twent