The voiage made by Sir Richard Greenvile, for Sir Walter
Ralegh, to Virginia
, in the yeere 1585.
THE 9. day of April, in the yeere abovesayd, we departed
from Plymmouth, our Fleete consisting of the number
of seven sailes, to wit, the Tyger, of the burden of seven
score tunnes, a Flie-boat called the Roe-bucke, of the
like burden, the Lyon
of a hundred tunnes or thereabouts,
the Elizabeth, of fiftie tunnes, and the Dorothie, a small
barke: whereunto were also adjoyned for speedy services,
two small pinnesses. The principall Gentlemen of our
companie, were these,
M. Ralph Lane, M. Tomas Candish, M. John Arundell, M. Raymund, M. Stukeley, M.
Bremige, M. Vincent, and M. John Clarke, and divers
others, whereof some were Captaines, and other some
Assistants for counsell, and good directions in the voyage.
The 14. day of Aprill wee fell with Lancerota and
Forteventura,
Isles of the Canaries, and from thence we
continued our course for Dominica
, one of the Antiles of
the West India, wherewith we fell the 7. day of May,
and the 10. day following wee came to an anker at
Cotesa, a little Iland situate neere to the
Iland of S.
John, where we landed, and refreshed our selves all that
day.
The 12. day of May wee came to an anker in the Bay
of Moskito, in the
Iland of S. John, within a Faulcon
shot of the shoare: where our Generall Sir Richard
Greenevil, and the most part of our companie landed,
and began to fortifie very neere to the Sea side: the
river ran by the one side of our forte, and the other two
sides were invironed with woods.
The 13. day we began to build a new pinnesse within
the Fort, with the timber that wee then felled in the
countrey, some part whereof we fet three miles up in
the land, and brought it to our Fort upon trucks, the
Spaniard not daring to make or offer resistance.
The 16. day there appeared unto us out of the woods
eight horsemen of the Spaniards, about a quarter of a
mile from our Fort, staying about halfe an houre in
viewing our forces: but assoone as they saw ten of our
shot marching towards them, they presently retired into
the woods.
The 19. day Master Candish, who had bene separated
from our fleete in a storme in the Bay of Portugall,
arrived at
Cotesa, within the sight of the Tiger: we
thinking him a farre off to have beene either a Spaniard
or Frenchman of warre, thought it good to weigh ankers,
and to goe roome with him, which the Tiger did, and
discerned him at last to be one of our consorts, for joy
of whose comming our ships discharged their ordinance,
and saluted him according to the maner of the Seas.
The 22. day twentie other Spanish horsemen shewed
themselves to us upon the other side of the river: who
being seene, our Generall dispatched 20. footemen towards
them, and two horsmen of ours, mounted upon Spanish
horses, which wee before had taken in the time of our
being on the Iland: they shewed to our men a flagge
of truce, and made signes to have a parle with us:
whereupon two of our men went halfe of the way upon
the sands, and two of theirs came and met them: the
two Spaniards offered very great salutations to our men,
but began according to their Spanish proud humors, to
expostulate with them about their arrivall and fortifying
in their country, who notwithstanding by our mens
discreet answers were so cooled, that (whereas they were
told, that our principall intention was onely to furnish
our selves with water and victuales, and other necessaries,
wherof we stood in neede, which we craved might be
yeelded us with faire and friendly meanes, otherwise our
resolution was to practise force, and to relieve ourselves
by the sworde) the Spaniards in conclusion seeing our
men so resolute, yeelded to our requestes with large
promises of all curtesie, and great favour, and so our
men and theirs departed.
The 23. day our pinnesse was finished, and lanched:
which being done, our Generall with his Captaines and
Gentlemen, marched up into the Countrey about the space
of 4. miles, where in a plaine marsh they stayed expecting
the comming of the Spaniards according to their promise,
to furnish us with victuals: who keeping their olde
custome for perjurie and breach of promise, came not,
whereupon our Generall fired the woods thereabout, and
so retired to our Fort, which the same day was fired
also, and each man came aboord to be ready to set saile
the next morning.
The 29. day wee set saile from Saint Johns, being
many of us stung before upon shoare with the Muskitos :
but the same night wee tooke a Spanish Frigat, which
was forsaken by the Spaniards upon the sight of us, and
the next day in the morning very early we tooke another
Frigat, with good and rich fraight, and divers Spaniards
of account in her, which afterwards wee ransomed for
good round summes, and landed them in S. Johns.
The 26. day our
Lieutenant Master Ralph Lane went
in one of the Frigats which we had taken, to Roxo bay
upon the Southwest side of Saint Johns, to fetch salt,
being thither conducted by a Spanish Pilot: as soone
as hee arrived there, hee landed with his men to the
number of 20. and intrenched himselfe upon the sandes
immediatly, compassing one of their salte hils within the
trench: who being seene of the Spaniards, there came
downe towardes him two or three troopes of horsemen
and footmen, who gave him the looking, and gazing on,
but durst not come neere him to offer any resistance, so
that
Master Lane maugre their troopes, caryed their salte
aboord and laded his Frigat, and so returned againe to
our fleete the 29. day, which road at S. Germans Bay.
The same day we all departed, and the next day arrived
in the
Iland of Hispaniola.
June.
THE 1. day of June we anchored at Isabella, on the
North side of Hispaniola.
The 3. day of June, the Governour of Isabella, and
Captaine of the Port de Plata, being certified by the
reports of sundry Spaniards, who had beene well intertained aboord our shippes by our Generall, that in our
fleete were many brave and gallant Gentlemen, who
greatly desired to see the Governour aforesayd, he thereupon sent gentle commendations to our Generall, promising within few dayes to come to him in person, which
he perfourmed accordingly.
The 5. day the aforesayd Governour accompanied with
a lusty Fryer, and twenty other Spaniards, with their
servants, and Negroes, came downe to the Sea side,
where our ships road at anker, who being seene, our
Generall manned immediatly the most part of his boates
with the chiefe men of our Fleete, every man appointed,
and furnished in the best sort: at the landing of our
Generall, the Spanish governour received him very
courteously, and the Spanish Gentlemen saluted our
English Gentlemen, and their inferiour sort did also
salute our Souldiers and Sea men, liking our men, and
likewise their qualities, although at the first they seemed
to stand in feare of us, and of so many of our boates,
whereof they desired that all might not land their men,
yet in the end, the courtesies that passed on both sides
were so great, that all feare and mistrust on the Spaniards
part was abandoned.
In the meane time while our English Generall and the
Spanish Governour discoursed betwixt them of divers
matters, as of the state of the Countrey, the multitude
of the Townes and people, and the commodities of the
Iland, our men provided two banquetting houses covered
with greene boughes, the one for the Gentlemen, the
other for the servaunts, and a sumptuous banquet was
brought in served by us all in plate, with the sound of
trumpets, and consort of musicke, wherwith the Spaniards
were more then delighted. Which banquet being ended,
the Spaniardes in recompence of our courtesie, caused
a great heard of white buls, and kyne to be brought
together from the mountaines, and appoynted for every
Gentleman and Captaine that would ride, a horse ready
sadled, and then singled out three of the best of them
to bee hunted by horsemen after their maner, so that the
pastime grewe very pleasant for the space of three houres,
wherein all three of the beasts were killed, whereof one
tooke the Sea, and there was slaine with a musket.
After this sport, many rare presents and gifts were given
and bestowed on both parts, and the next day wee played
the Marchants in bargaining with them by way of trucke
and exchange of divers of their commodities, as horses,
mares, kine, buls, goates, swine, sheepe, bull-hides,
sugar, ginger, pearle, tabacco, and such like commodities
of the Iland.
The 7. day we departed with great good will from the
Spaniards from the
Iland of Hispaniola: but the wiser
sort doe impute this great shew of friendship, and
courtesie used towards us by the Spaniards rather to the
force that wee were of, and the vigilancie, and watchfulnesse that was amongst us, then to any heartie good
will, or sure friendly intertainement: for doubtlesse if
they had bene stronger then wee, wee might have looked
for no better curtesie at their handes, then Master John
Haukins received at Saint John de Ullua, or John Oxnam
neere the streights of Dariene, and divers others of our
Countrymen in other places.
The 8. day we ankred at a small Iland to take Seales,
which in that place wee understood to have bene in great
quantitie, where the Generall and certaine others with
him in the pinnesse were in very great danger to have
beene all cast away, but by the helpe of God they escaped
the hasard, and returned aboord the Admirall in safetie.
The 9. day we arrived and landed in the
Ile of Caycos,
in which Iland we searched for salte-pondes, upon the
advertisment and information of a Portugall: who in
deede abused our Generall and us, deserving a halter for
his hire, if it had so pleased us.
The 12. we ankered at
Guanima, and landed.
The 15. and 16. we ankered and landed at
Cyguateo.
The 20. we fell with the maine of Florida
.
The 23. we were in great danger of a wracke on a
breach called the
Cape of Feare.
The 24. we came to anker in a harbour, where wee
caught in one tyde so much fish as would have yeelded
us twentie pounds in London
: this was our first landing
in Florida
.
The 26. we came to anker at
Wocokon.
The 29. wee weighed anker to bring the Tyger into
the harbour, where through the unskilfulnesse of the
Master whose name was Fernando, the Admirall strooke
on ground, and sunke.
The 3. we sent word of our arriving at
Wococon, to
Wingina at Roanoak
.
The 6. M. John Arundel was sent to the maine, and
Manteo with him: and Captaine Aubry and Captaine
Boniten the same day were sent to Croatoan, where they
found two of our men left there with 30. other by Captaine
Reymond, some 20. dayes before.
The 8. Captaine Aubry and Captaine Boniten returned,
with two of our men found by them, to us at
Wocokon.
The 11. day the Generall accompanied in his Tilt boate
with Master John Arundell, Master Stukeley, and divers
other Gentlemen,
Master Lane, Master Candish, Master
Hariot, and twentie others in the new pinnesse, Captaine
Amadas, Captaine Clarke, with ten others in a shipboat,
Francis Brooke, and John White in another ship-boate,
passed over the water from Wococon to the maine land
victualled for eight dayes, in which voyage we first discovered the townes of Pomejok, Aquascogoc and Secotan
,
and also the great lake called by the Savages Paquipe,
with divers other places, and so returned with that
discovery to our Fleete.
The 12. we came to the
Towne of Pomeiok.
The 13. we passed by water to Aquascogok.
The 15. we came to Secotan
, and were well entertained
there of the Savages.
The 16. wee returned thence, and one of our boates
with the Admirall was sent to Aquascogok, to demaund
a silver cup which one of the Savages had stollen from
us, and not receiving it according to his promise, wee
burnt, and spoyled their corne, and Towne, all the people
being fled.
The 18. we returned from the discovery of Secotan
,
and the same day came aboord our Fleete ryding at
Wococon.
The 21. our Fleete ankering at
Wococon, we wayed
anker for Hatoraske.
The 27. our Fleete ankered at Hatorask, and there we
rested.
The 29. Grangino brother to king Wingina came aboord
the Admirall, and Manteo with him.
The 2. the Admirall was sent to Weapomeiok.
The 5. M. John Arundell was sent for England
.
The 25. our Generall wayed anker, and set saile for
England
.
About the 31. he tooke a Spanish ship of 300 tunne
richly loaden, boording her with a boate made with boards
of chests, which fell asunder, and sunke at the ships side,
assoone as ever he and his men were out of it.
The 10. of September, by foule weather the Generall
then shipped in the prize, lost sight of the Tyger.
The 6. the Tyger fell with the Landes end, and the
same day came to anker at Falmouth
.
The 18. the General came with the prize to Plymmouth,
and was courteously received by divers of his worshipfull
friends.
