proverbe to bee falsely founded for that it was not to bee vnderstood that for erring it is better but because it is supposed that by hitting a man shall get emulation of the contradictors I encounâ—ered it with another that sayth better to be envied then pittied and well considering that being out of the Harbour if the winde tooke vs contrary to goe to Elizabeth Bay was better then to bee in the Port for a man must of force warpe in and out of it and in the time that the Shippe could be brought foorth into the Channell the winde being good a man might come from Elizabeth Bay to the Port and that there we should haue the wind first being more to the East-wardes and in an open Bay and moreover might set sayle in the night if the wind should rise in the Evening or in the Night whereas in the Port of force we must waite the light of the Day I made my selfe deafe to all murmurings and caused my commaund to be put in execution and doubtlesse it was Gods gracious inspiration as by the event was seene for being gotten into the Channell within an houre the winde came good and we sayled merrily on our Voyage and by the breake of the day wee had the mouth oâ— the Straites open and about foure of the Clocke in the afternoone wee were thwart of Cape Desire which is the westermost part of the Land on the Souther side of the Straites SECT XXXVIII HEre such as haue command may behold the many miseries that befall them not onely by vnexpected Accidents and mischances but also by contradictions and murmurs of their owne people of all calamities the greatest which can befall a man of discretion and valour and as difficult to be overcome for to require reason of the common sort is as the Philosopher sayth To seeke Counsell of a madd man Herein as I sayd before they resemble a stiffe necked Horse who taking the bridle in his teeth carrieth the rider whether he pleaseth so once possessed with any imagination no reason is able to convince them The best remedie I can propound is to wish our Nation in this poynt to be well advised and in especiall all those that follow the Sea ever having before their eyes the auncient Discipline of our Predecessors who in conformitiâ— and obedience to their Chiefes and Commanders haue beene a mirror to all other Nations with patience silence and suffering putting in execution what they haue beene Commanded and thereby gained the blessings due to such vertues and leaving to posteritie perpetuall memories of their glorious Victories A iust recompence for all such as Conquer themselues and subiect their most specious willes to the will of their Superiors SECT XXXIX IN apprehension whereof at land I cannot forbeare the Discipline thereof as at this day and in the dayes of late memory it hath beene practised in the States of Flaunders Fraunce and Brittayne wherâ— as the Spaniards Wallons Switzers and other Nations are daily full of murmurings and mutenies vpon every sleight occasion The like I also wish should be imitated by those who follow the Sea that is that those who are subiect to Command presume no further then to that which belongeth vnto them Qui nescit parere nescit imperare I speake this for that I haue sometimes seene vnexpert and ignorant persons yea vnable to iudge of any poynt appertaining to government or the guide of a Shippe or company of men presuming vpon their fine witts and enamored of their owne concâ—its contradict and dispute against graâ—e wise and experimented Governours many forward fellowes thinking themselues better worthie to command then to be commanded Such persons I advise not to goe but where they may command or els looking before they leapt to consider well vnder whom they place themselues seeing for the most part it is in their choyce to choose a Governour from whom they may expect satisfaction but choyce being once made to resolue with the patient wife in History That that day wherein shee married her selfe to an husband that very day shee had no longer any will more then the will of her husband And so he that by Sea or Land placeth himselfe to serue in any action must make reckoning that the time the iourney endureth he hath no other will nor dispose of himselfe then that of his Commander for in the Governors hand is all power to recompence and reward to punish or forgiue Likewise those who haue charge and Command must sometimes with patience or sufferance overcome their fury and misconceits according to occasions for it is a great poynt of wisedome especially in a generall murmuring where the cause is iust or that as often times it happeneth any probable accident may divert the minds of the discontented and giue hope of remedie or future event may produce Repentance to turne as they say the deafe eare and to winke at that a man seeth As it is saâ—d of Charles the fifth Emperour of Germany and King of Spaine who rounding his Campe one night disguised heard some Souldiers rayle and speake evill of him those which accompanied him were of opinion that he should vse some exemplary punishment vpon them not so sayth he for these now vexed with the miseries they suffer ease their hearts with their tongues but if occasion present it selfe they will not sticke to sacrifice their liues for my safetie A resolution worthy so prudent a Commander and so magnanimous a Prince The like is written of Fabius Maximus the famous Romayne who endured the attribute of Coward with many other infamies rather then he would hazard the safetie of his Countrie by rash and incertaine provocations No lesse worthy of perpetuall memory was the prudent pollicie and government of our English Navie in Anno 1588. by the worthy Earle of Nottingham Lord high Admirall of England who in like case with mature and experimented knowledge patiently withstood the instigations of many Couragious and Noble Captaines who would haue perswaded him to haue laid them aboord but well he foresaw that the enemy had an Armie aboord he none that they exceeded him in number of Shipping and those greater in Bulke stronger built and higher molded so that they who with such advantage fought from aboue might easily distresse all opposition below the slaughter peradventure prooving more fatall then the victory profitable by being overthrowne he might haue hazzarded the Kingdome whereas by the Conquest at most he could haue boasted of nothing but Glorie and an enemie defeated But by sufferance he alwayes advantaged himselfe of winde and tide which was the freedome of our Countrey and securitie of our Navie with the destruction of theirs which in the eye of the ignorant who iudge all things by the externall appearance seemed invincible but truely considered was much inferior to ours in all things of substance as the event prooved for we sunke spoyled and tooke of them many and they diminished
resistance but the bones the blade the Cristall being of substance more solide maketh greater resistance and so the fire with the more fury worketh the more his execution in its obiects As was seene in the Spanish Admirall or Captaine after my imprisonment crossing from Panama to Cape San Francisco a Rayo for so the Spaniards call a thundâ—rclappe brake ouer our shippe killed one in the fore-toppe astoniâ—hed either two or three in the shroudes and split the Mast in strange manner where it entred it could hardly be descerned but where it came forth it draue out a great splinter before it and the man slaine was cleane in a manner without signe or token of hurt although all his bones turned to powder and those who liued and recouered had all their bodies blacke as burnt with fire which plainly declareth and confirmeth that aboue said and may serue to iudge in such occasions of persons hurt with thunder for if they complaine of their bones and haue little signe of the fire their hazard of death is the greater then when the fire hath left greater impressions outward The fire out of a cloude worketh like effect only where it leveleth directly as experience daily teacheth killing those who are opposite hurting those who are neere And only terrifying those who are further distant In like manner the peece of Ordinance hurteth not those which stand aside nor those which stand a slope from his mouth but those alone which stand directly against the true point of his levell though sometimes the winde of the shott ouerthroweth one and the splinâ—ers being accidents mayne and hurt others But principally where the peece doth resemble the thunderclappe as when the shippes are bourded For then although the Artillery be discharged without shott the fury of the fire and his piercing nature is such as it entreth by the seames and all parts of the ships sides and meeting with so fit matter as Pitch Tarre Ocombe and sometimes with powder presently conuerteth all into flames For auoyding whereof as also the danger and damage which may come by pikes and other inventions of fire and if any shippe be oppressed with many shippes at once and subiect by them to be bourded I hold it a good course to strike his fire and mayne yards close to his decke and to fight with sprit-saile and myson and top-sayles loose so shall he be able to hinder them from oppressing him Some haue thought it a good pollicy to launce out some ends of Mastes or yards by the ports or other parts but this is to be vsed in the greater shippes for in the lesser though they be neuer so strong the waight of the bigger will beate out the opposite sides and doe hurt and make great spoyle in the lesser And in bourding ordinarily the lesser shippe hath all the harme which the one shippe can doe vnto the other Here is offered to speake of a point much canvassed amongst Carpenters and Sea Captaines diversly maintained but yet vndetermined that is whether the race or loftie built shippe bee best for the Merchant and those which imploy themselues in trading I am of opinion that the race shippe is most conuenient yet so as that every perfect shippe ought to haue two deckes for the better strengthening of her the better succouring of her people the better preseruing of her Merchandize and victuall and for her greater safetie from sea and stormes But for the Princes shippes and such as are imployed continually in the warres to be built loftie I hold very necessary for many reasons First for Maiestie and terrour of the enemy secondly for harbouring of many men thirdly for accommodating more men to fight fourthly for placing and vsing more Artillery fiftly for better strengthening and securing of the shippe sixtly for ouertopping and subiecting the enemy seuenthly for greater safegard and defence of the ship and company For it is plaine that the ship with three deckes or with two and a halfe shewes more pomp then another of her burthen with a decke and halfe or two deckes and breedeth greater terror to the enemy discouering her selfe to be a more powerfull ship as she is then the other which being indeed a ship of force seemeth to be but a Barke and with her low building hideth her burthen And who doubteth that a decke and a halfe cannot harbour that proportion of men that two deckes and two deckes and a halfe can accommodate to fight Nor carry the Artillery so plentifully nor so commodiously Neither can the ship be so strong with a decke and a halfe as with two deckes nor with two as with three nor carry her Mastes so taunt nor spread so great a clue nor contriue so many fightes to answer one another for defence and offence And the aduantage the one hath of the other experience daily teacheth In the great expedition of eightie eight did not the Elizabeth Ionas the Triumph and the Beare shew greater maiestie then the Arke Royall and the Victorie being of equall burthens did they not cause greater regard in the enemy did they not harbour and accommodate more then men and much better did they not beare more Artillery And if they had come to boord with the Spanish high-charged ships it is not to be doubted but they would haue mustred themselues better then those which could not with their prowesse nor props haue reached to their wastes The strength of the one cannot be compared with the strength of the other but in bourding it goeth not so much in the strength as in weight and greatnesse For the greater ship that bourdeth with the lesser with her Mastes her Yards her Tacklings her Anchors her Ordinance and with her sides bruseth and beateth the lesser to peeces although the lesser be farre stronger according to proportion The Fore-sight of his Maiesties and the Daintie were shippes in their proportions farre more stronger then the Carake which was taken by them and their consorts Anno 92. For she had in a manner no strong building nor binding and the others were strengthened and bound as art was able to affoord and yet both bourding with her were so brused broken and badly handâ—ed as they had like to haue sunke by her side though bourding with aduantage to weather-wards of her But what would haue become of them if she should haue had the wind of them and haue come aboord to windward of them In small time no doubt she would haue beaten them vnder water An. 90. in the fleet vnder the charge of Sr Iohn Hawkins my father coÌ„ming from the South-wards the Hope of his Maiesties gaue chase to a French ship thinking her to be a Spaniard She thought to haue freed her selfe by her sailing and so would not auaile but endured the shooting of many peeces and forced the Hope to lay her abourd of which issued that mischiefe which before I spake off For in a moment the French ship had all her Mastes Yards
entertaine themselues in redressing their owne harmes And so we stood away from them close by as we could which wee should not haue done but prosecuted the occasion and brought our selues close vpon her weather gage and with our great and small shot hindered them from repairing their harmes if we had thus done they had beene forced to cut all by the bourd and it may bee lying a hull or to le-wards of vs with a few shot wee might haue suncke her At the least it would haue declared to our enemies that wee had them in little estimation when able to goe from them we would not and perhaps bin a cause to haue made them to leaue vs. But this occasion was let slip as also that other to fight with them sayling quarter winds or before the winde for having stood off to Sea a day and a night we had scope to fight at our pleasure and no man having sea roome is bound to fight as his enemie will with disadvantage being able otherwise to deale with equalitie contrariwise every man ought to seeke the meanes hee can for his defence and greatest advantage to the annoyance of his contrarie Now wee might with our fore-saile low set haue borne vpp before the winde and the enemie of force must haue done the like if hee would fight with vs or keepe vs company and then should wee haue had the advantage of them For although their Artillery were longer waightier and many more then ours and in truth did pierce with greater violence yet ours being of greater bore and carrying a waightier and greater shot was of more importance and of better effect for sinking and spoyling For the smaller shot passeth through and maketh but his whole and harmeth that which lyeth in his way but the greater shaketh and shivereth all it meeteth and with the splinters or that which it encountreth many times doth more hurt then with his proper circumference as is plainely seene in the battery by land when the Saker the Demy-Colverin the Colverin and demi-Canon being peeces that reach much further point blanke then the Cannon are nothing of like importance for making the breach as is the Cannon for that this shot being ponderous pierceth with difficultie yea worketh better effects tormenting shaking and overthrowing all whereas the others with their violence pierce better and make onely their hole and so hide themselues in the Wooll or Rampire Besides our Ship being yare and good of fleeridge no doubt but we should haue played better with our Ordinance and with more effect then did our enemies which was a great errour being able to fight with lesse disadvantage and yet to fight with the most that could be imagined which I knew not off neither was able to direct though I had knowne it being in a manner senselesse what with my woonds and what with the agony of the surrendry propounded for that I had seldome knowne it spoken of but that it came afterwards to be put in execution The Generall not being able to succour his Vice-admirall except he should vtterly leaue vs gaue them order to shift as well as they could â—or the present and to beare with the next Port and there to repayre their harmes Himselfe presently followed the Chase and in short space fetched vs vp and beganne a fresh to batter vs with his great and small shott The Vice-admirall hauing saued what they could cutt the rest by the bourd and with Fore-sayle and My son came after vs also and before the setting of the Sunne were come vpon our broad side wee bearing all our Sayles and after kept vs company lying vpon our weather quarter and annoying vs what shee could Here I hold it necessary to make mention of two things which were most preiudiciall vnto vs and the principall causes of our perdition the errours and faults of late dayes crept in amongst those who follow the Sea and learned from the Flemings and Easterlings I wish that by our misfortunes others would take warning and procure to redresse them as occasions shall be offered The one is to fight vnarmed where they may fight armed The other is in comming to fight to drinke themselues drunke Yea some are so madd that they mingle Powder with Wine to giue it the greater force imagining that it giueth spirit strength and courage and taketh away all feare and doubt The latter is for the most part true but the former is false and beastly and altogether against reason For though the nature of Wine with moderation is to comfort and reviue the heart and to fortifie and strengthen the spirit yet the immoderate vse thereof worketh quite contrary effects In fights all receipts which adde courage and spirit are of great regard to be allowed and vsed and so is a draught of Wine to be giuen to euery man before he come to action but more then enough is pernicious for exceeding the meane it offendeth and infeebleth the sences converting the strength which should resist the force of the enemy into weakenesse it dulleth and blindeth the vnderstanding and consequently depraueth any man of true valour For that he is disenabled to iudge and apprehend the occasion which may be offered to assault and retyre in time convenient the raynes of reason being put into the hands of passion and disorder For after I was wounded this nimium bred great disorder and inconvenience in our Shippe the pott continually walking infused desperate and foolish hardinesse in many wâ—o blinded with the fume of the liquor considered not of any danger but thus and thus would stand at hazard some in vaine glory vaunting themselues some other rayling vpon the Spaniards another inviting his companion to come and stand by him and not to budge a foote from him which indiscreetly they put in execution and cost the liues of many a good man slaine by our enemies Muskettiers who suffered not a man to shew himselfe but they presently overthrew him with speed and watchfullnesse For prevention of the second errour although I had great preparation of Armours as well of proofe as of light Coâ—â—eletts yet not a man would vse them but esteemed a pott of Wine a better defence then an Armour of proofe Which truely was great madnesse and a lamentable fault worthy to be banished from amongst all reasonable people and well to be weighed by all Commanders For if the Spaniard surpasseth vs in any thing it is in his temperance and suffering and where he hath had the better hand of vs it hath beene for the most part through our owne folly for that we will fight vnarmed with him being armed And although I haue heard many men maintaine that in Shipping Armour is of little profit All men of good vnderstanding will condemne such desperate ignorance For besides that the sleightest Armour secureth the parts of a mans body which it covereth from Pike Sword and all hand weapons it likewise giueth boldnesse and
courage a man Armed giueth a greater and a waightier blow then a man vnarmed he standeth faster and with greater difficultie is to be overthrowne And I neuer read but that the glistering of the Armour hath beene by Authors obserued for that as I imagine his show breedeth terror in his contraries and despayre to himselfe if he be vnarmed And therefore in time of warre such as devote themselues to follow the profession of Armes by Sea or by Land ought to covet nothing more then to be well Armed for as much as it is the second meanes next Gods protection for preseruing and prolonging many mens liues Wherein the Spanish nation deserveth commendation aboue others euery one from the highest to the lowest putting their greatest care in providing faire and good Armes He which cannot come to the price of a Corslet will haue a coate of Mayle a Iackett at least a Buffe-jerkin or a privie Coate And hardly will they be found without it albeit they liue and serue for the most part in extreame hott Countries Whereas I haue knowne many bred in cold Countries in a moment complaine of the waight of their Armes that they smoother them and then cast them off chusing rather to be shott through with a Bullet or lanched through with a Pike or thrust through with a Sword then to endure a little travaile and suffering But let me giue these lazie ones this lesson that he that will goe a warrefare must resolue himselfe to fight and he that putteth on this resolution must be contented to endure both heate and waight first for the safegard of his life and next for subduing of his enemie both which are hazarded and put into great danger if he fight vnarmed with an enemy armed Now for mine owne opinion I am resolved that Armour is more necessary by Sea then by Land yea rather to be excused on the shore then in the Shippe My reason is for that on the shore the Bullet onely hurteth but in the Shippe I haue seene the â—plinters kill and hurt many at once and yet the shorâ— to haue passed without touching any person As in the Galeon in which I came out of the Indies in Anno 1597. in the rode of Tercera when the Queenes Maiesties Shippes vnder the charge of the Earle of Essex chased vs into the rode with the splinters of one shott were slaine maymed and sore hurt at the least a dozen persons the most part whereof had beene excused if they had beene Armed And doubtlesse if these errours had beene foreseene and remedied by vs many of those who were slaine and hurt had beene on foote and we inabled to haue sustained and maintained the fight much better and longer and perhaps at last had freed our selues For if our enemy had come to bourd with vs our close fights were such as we were secure and they open vnto vs. And what with our Cubridge heads one answering the other our hatches vpon bolts our brackes in our Deckes and Gunner roome it was impossible to take vs as long as any competent number of men had remained twentie persons would haue sufficed for defence and for this such Shippes are called Impregnable and are not to be taken but by surrender not to be overcome but with bourding or sinking as in vs by experience was verified and not in vs alone but in the Revenge of the Queenes Maiestie which being compassed round about with all the Armado of Spaine and bourded sundry times by many at once is said to haue sunke three of the Armado by her side And in this conflict having lost all her Mastes and being no other then a logge in the Sea could not bee taken with all their force and pollicie till shee surrendred her selfe by an honourable composition By these presidents let Governours by Sea take speciall care aboue all to preserue their people in imitation of the French who carrie many Souldiers in their shippes of Warre and secure them in their holdes till they come to entring and to proue their forces by the dint of Sword But here the discreete Commaunders are to put difference betwixt those which defend and those which are to offend and betwixt those which assault and those which are assaulted For as I haue sayd no governement whatsoever better requireth a perfect and experimented Commaunder then that of the Sea And so no greater errour can bee committed then to commend such charges to men vnexperimented in this profession A third and last cause of the losse of sundry of our men most worthy of note for all Captaines owners and Carpenters was the race building of our shippe the onely fault shee had and now a dayes held for a principall grace in any shippe but by the experience which I haue had it seemeth for sundry reasons verie preiudiciall for shippes of Warre For in such those which tackle the sayles of force must bee vpon the deckes and are open without shelter or any defence yet here it will be obiected That for this inconvenience wast clothes are provided and for want of them it is vsuall to lace a bonnet or some such shadow for the men worthily may it bee called a shadow and one of the most pernitious customes that can be vsed for this shadow or defence being but of linnen or wollen cloth emboldeneth many who without it would retire to better securitie whereas now thinking themselues vnseene they become more bould then otherwise they would and thereby shot through when they least thinke of it Some Captaines observing this errour haue sought to remedie it in some of his Maiesties shippes not by altering the building but by devising a certaine defence made of foure or fiue inch planckes of fiue foote high and sixe foote broad running vpon wheeles and placed in such partes of the shippe as are most open These they name blenders and made of Elme for the most part for that it shivers not with a shot as Oake and other Timber will doe which are now in vse and service but best it is when the whole side hath one blender and one armour of proofe for defence of those which of force must labour and be a lost This race building first came in by overmuch homing in of our shippes and received for good vnder colour of making our ships thereby the better sea-shippes and of better advantage to hull and trye but in my iudgement it breedeth many inconveniences and is farre from working the effect they pretend by disinabling them for bearing their cage worke correspondent to the proportion and mould of the shippe making them tender sided and vnable to carry sayle in any fresh gaile of winde and diminishing the play of their Artillery and the place for accommodating their people to fight labor or rest And I am none of those who hold opinion that the over-much homing in the more the better is commodious and easier for the shippe and this out of
the experience that I haue learned which with forcible reasons I could proue to be much rather discomodious and worthy to be reformed But withall I hold it not necessary to discourse here of that particulariâ—ie but leaue the consequence to men of vnderstanding and so surcease SECT LXII ALl this second day and the third day and night our Captaine and company susteined the fight notwithstanding the disadvantage where with they fought The enemie being ever to wind-ward and wee to lee-ward their shott much damnifying vs and ours little annoying them for whensoever a man encountreth with his enemie at sea in gayning the weather gage hee is in possibilie to sinke his contrary but his enemie cannot not sinke him and therefore hee which is forced to fight with this disadvantage is to procure by all meanes possible to shoote downe his contraries Masts or Yards and to teare or spoylr his tackling and sayles for which purpose billets of some heavie wood fitted to the great Ordinance are of great importance And so are Arrowes of fire to bee shot out of slur-bowes and cases of small shot ioyned two and two together with peeces of wyer of fiue or six ynches long which also shot out of muskets are of good effect for tearing the sayles or cutting the tackling Some are of opinion that crosse barres and chaine-shot are of moment for the spoyling of Masts and Yards but experience dayly teacheth them not to be of great importance though neere at hand I confesse they worke great execution but the round shott is the onely principall and powerfull meane to breake Mast or Yard And in this our fight the Admirall of the Spaniards had his fore-mast shot through with two round shott some three yardes beneath the head had either of them entred but foure ynches further into the heart of the Mast without all doubt it had freed vs and perhaps put them into our hands The third day in the after-noone which was the 22. of Iune 1594. according to our computation and which I follow in this my discourse our sayles being torne our Mastes all perished our pumpes rent and shot to peeces and our shippe with foureteene short vnder water and seven or eight foote of water in hold many of our men being slaine and the most part of them which remayned sore hurt and in a manner altogether fruiteles and the enemie offering still to receaue vs a buena querra and to giue vs life and libertie and imbarkation for our countrey Our Captaine and those which remayned of our Company were all of opinion that our best course was to surrender our selues before our â—hippe suncke And so by common consent agreed the second time to send a servant of mine Thomas Sanders to signifie vnto mee the estate of our shippe and company And that it was impossible by any other way to expect for hope of deliverance or life but by the miraculous hand of God in vsing his Almighty power or by an honourable surrender which in every mans opinion was thought most convenient So was I desired by him to giue also my consent that the Captaine might capitulate with the Spanish Generall and to compound the best partido he could by surrendring our selues into his hands vpon condition of life and libertie This hee declared vnto me being in a manner voyd of sence and out of hope to liue or recover which considered and the circumstances of his relation I answered as I could that hee might iudge of my state readie every moment to giue vp the Ghost and vnable to discerne in this cause what was convenient except I might see the present state of the shippe And that the honour or dishonour the wel-fare or misery was for â—hem which should be partakers of life At last for that I had satisfaction of his valour and true dealing in all the time hee had served me and in correspondence of it had given him as was notorious charge and credit in many occasions I bound him by the loue and regard hee ought me and by the faith and duty to Almighty God to tell me truely if all were as he had declared Whereunto hee made answere that hee had manifested vnto mee the plaine and naked truth and that hee tooke God to witnesse of the same truth with which receiving satisfaction I forced my selfe what I could to perswade him to annimate his companions and in my name to intreate the Captaine and the rest to persevere in defence of their libertie liues and reputation remitting all to his discretion not doubting but he would be tender of his dutie and zealous of my reputation in preferring his liberty and the liberty of the Company aboue all respects whatsoever As for the welfare hoped by a surrender I was altogether vnlikely to be partaker thereof Death threatning to depriue me of the benefit which the Enemie offered but if God would bee pleased to free vs the ioy and comfort I should receiue might perhaps giue me force and strength to recover health Which answere being delivered to the Captaine hee presently caused a slagge of truce to be put in place of our Ensigne and began to parley of our surrendry with a Spaniard which Don Beltran appointed for that purpose from the poope of the Admirall to offer in his name the conditions before specified with his faithfull promise and oath as the King Generall to take vs a buena querra and to send vs all into our owne Countrey The promise hee accepted and sayd that vnder the same hee yeelded and surrendred himselfe shippe and company Immediately there came vnto me another servant of mine and told me that our Captaine had surrendred himselfe and our shippe which vnderstood I called vnto one Iâ—an Gomes de Pineda a Spanish Pilote which was our prisoner and in all the fight we had kept close in hold and willed him to goe to the Generall Don Beltran de Castro from mee to tell him that if he would giue vs his word and oath as the Generall of the King and some pledge for confirmation to receiue vs a buena querra and to giue vs our liues and libertie and present passage into our owne Countrey that we would surrender our selues and shippe into his handes Otherwise that hee should never enioy of vs nor ours any thing but a resolution every man to dye fighting With this Message I dispatched him and called vnto me all my Company and encouraged them to sacrifice their liues fighting and killing the Enemie if he gaue but a fillip to any of our companions The Spaniards willed vs to hoise out our boate which was shott all to peâ—â—es and so was theirs Seing that hee called to vs to amaine our sayles which wee could not well doe for that they were slung and wee had not men inough to hand them In this parley the Vice-admirall comming vpon our quarter and not knowing of what had past discharged her two chase peeces at vs and hurt
yet found that these courrants keepe any certaine time or run so many dayes or moneths one way as another as doth the course of ebbing and flowing well knowne in all Seas onely neere the shore they haue small force partly because of the reflux which the coast causeth and partly for the ebbing and slowing which more or lesse is generall in most seas When the currant runneth North or South it is easily discovered by augmenting or diminishing the height but how to know the setting of the currant from East to West in the mayne Sea is difficult and as yet I haue not knowne any man or read any Authour that hath prescribed any certaine meane or way to discover it But experience teacheth that in the mayne Sea for the most part it is variable and therefore the best and safest rule to prevent the danger which the vncertainty and ignorance heereof may cause is carefull and continuall watch by day and night and vpon the East and west course ever to bee before the shipp and to vse the meanes possible to know the errour by the rules which newe Authours may teach beating off and on sometimes to the west-wards sometimes to the East-wards with a fayre gale of winde SECT XVI BEing betwixt three or foure degrees of the Equinoctiall line my Company within a fewe dayes began to fall sicke of a disease which Sea-men are wont to call the Scurvey and seemeth to bee a kinde of dropsie and raigneth most in this Climate of any that I haue heard or read of in the World though in all Seas it is wont to helpe and increase the miserie of man it possesseth all those of which it taketh hold with a loathsome sloathfulnesse even to eate they would be content to change their sleepe and rest which is the most pernicious Enemie in this sicknesse that is knowne It bringeth with it a great desire to drinke and causeth a generall swelling of all parts of the body especially of the legs and gums and many times the teeth fall out of the iawes without paine The signes to know this disease in the beginning are divers by the swelling of the gummes by denting of the flesh of the leggs with a mans finger the pit remayning without filling vp in a good space Others show it with their lasinesse Others complaine of the cricke of the backe c. all which are for the most part certaine tokens of infection The cause of this sicknes some attribute to sloath some to conceite and divers men speake diversly that which I haue observed is that our Nation is more subiect vnto it then any other because being bred in a temperate Clymate where the naturall heate restrayned giveth strength to the stomacke sustayning it with meates of good nourishment and that in an wholsome ayre whereas comming into the hot Countries where that naturall heate is dispersed through the whole body which was wont to be proper to the stomacke and the meates for the most part preserved with Salt and its substance thereby diminished and many times corrupted greater force for digestion is now required then in times past but the stomacke â—inding lesse vertue to doe his office in reparting to each member his due proportion in perfection which either giveth it rawe or remayneth with it indigested by his hardnes or cruditie infeebleth the body and maketh it vnlusty and vnfit for any thing for the stomacke being strong though all parts els be weake there is ever a desire to feede and aptnes to performe whatsoever can bee required of a man but though all other members be strong and sound if the Stomacke be opprest or squemish all the body is vnlustie and vnfit for any thing and yeeldeth to nothing so readily as to sloathfulnes which is confirmed by the common answere to all questions As will you eate will you sleepe will you walke will you play The answere is I haue no stomacke which is as much as to say no not willingly thereby confirming that without a sound and whole stomacke nothing can bee well accomplished nor any sustenance well digested The seething of the meate in Salt water helpeth to cause this inâ—irmitie which in long Voyages can hardly be avoyded but if it may be it is to be shunned for the water of the Sea to mans body is very vnwholsome The corruption of the victuals and especially of the bread is very pernicious the vapours and ayre of the Sea also is nothing profitable especially in these hot Countries where are many calmes And were it not for the moving of the Sea by the force of windes tydes and currants it would corrupt all the world The experience I saw in Anno 1590. lying with a Fleete of her Maiesties ships about the Ilands of the Azores almost six moneths the greatest part of the time we were becalmed with which all the Sea became so replenished with severall sorts of gellyes and formes of Serpents Adders and Snakes as seemed wonderfull some greene some blacke some yellow some white some of divers coulours and many of them had life and some there were a yard and halfe and two yards long which had I not seene I could hardly haue beleeved And hereof are witnesses all the Companies of the Ships which were then present so that hardly a man could draw a Buckett of water cleere of some corruption In which Voyage towards the end thereof many of every Ship saving of the Nonpereli which was vnder my charge and had onely one man sicke in all the Voyage fell sicke of this disease and began to die apace but that the speedie passage into our Country was remedie to the crazed and a Preservatiue for those that were not touched The best prevention for this disease in my iudgement is to keepe cleane the Shippe to be sprinkle her ordinarily with Vineger or to burne Tarre and some sweet savours to feed vpon as few salt Meats in the hot Country as may be and especially to shunne all kindes of salt Fish and to reserue them for the cold Climates and not to dresse any meat with salt water nor to suffer the companie to wash their Shirts nor Cloathes in it nor to sleepe in their Cloaths when they are wett For this cause it is necessarily required that provision be made of apparell for the Company that they may haue wherewith to shift themselues Being a common calamitie amongst the ordinary sort of Mariners to spend their thrift on the shore and to bring to Sea no more Cloaths then they haue backes for the bodie of man is not refreshed with any thing more then with shifting cleane Cloaths a great preservatiue of health in hott Countries The second Antidote is to keepe the companie occupied in some bodily exercise of worke of agilitie of pastimes of dauncing of vse of Armes these helpeth much to banish this infirmitie Thirdly In the morning at discharge of the watch to giue
otherwise to vanquish his enemy This imagination so vaine and voyde of ground hath growne from the ignorance of some of our common sort of Marriners and vulgar people which haue beene prisoners in Spaine Who being examined and asked why her Maiesties shippes in occasions bourd not haue answered and enformed That it is the expresse order of her Maiestie and Counsell in no case to hazard her shippes by bourding yea I haue knowne some Captaines of our owne to colour their faint proceedings haue auerred as much which is nothing so For in the houre that her Maiestie or Counsell committeth the charge of any her shippes to any person it is left to his discretion to bourd or not to bourd as the reason of seruice requireth And therefore let no man hereafter pretend ignorance nor for this vanitie leaue to doe his duty or that which is most probable to redound to the honour and seruice of his Prince and Countrey and to the damage of his enemy For in case he excuse himselfe with this allegation it cannot but redound to his condemnation and disreputation And I assure all men that in any reasonable equalitie of shipping we cannot desire greater aduantage then we haue of the Spaniards by bourding The reasons why I hold it not conuenient to discourse in perticular but experience and tract of time with that which I haue seene amongst them hath taught me this knowledge and those who haue seene their discipline and ours cannot but testifie the same SECT LX. AGaine all that which hath beene spoken of the danger of the Artillery in bourding is not to be wrested nor interpreted to cut of vtterly the vse of all Artillery after bourdinâ— but rather I hold nothing more conuenient in shippes of warre then fowlers and great bases in the cage workes and Murderers in the Cobridge heads for that their execution and speedie charging and discharging is of great moment Many I know haue left the vse of them and of sundry other preuentions as of sherehookes stones in their toppes and arming them Pikebolts in their wales and diuers other engines of Antiquitie But vpon what inducement I cannot relate vnlesse it be because they neuer knew their effects and benefit and may no doubt be vsed without the inconueniences before mentioned in great Ordinance As also such may be the occasion that without danger some of the great Artillery may be vsed and that with great effect which is in the discretion of the Commanders and their Gunners as hath beene formerly seene and daily is experimented in the Reuenge of her Maiesties good experâ—ence was made who sunke two of the Spanish Armado lying abourd her SECT LXI IN these bourdings and Skirmishes diuers of our men were slaine and many hurt and my selfe amongst them receiued sixe wounds one of them in the necke very perillous another through the arme perishing the bone and cutting the sinewes close by the Arme-pit the rest not so dangerous The Master of our shippe had one of his eyes his nose and halfe his face shott away Master Henry Courton was slaine on these two I principally relyed for the prosecution of our voyage if God by sickenesse or otherwise should take me away The Spaniards with their great Ordinance lay continually playing vpon vs and now and then parled and inuited vs to surrender our selues a Buena Querra The Captaine of our shippe in whose direction and guide our liues our honour and welfare now remained seeing many of our people wounded and slaine and that few were left to sustaine and maintaine the fight or to resist the entry of the enemy if he should againe board with vs and that our contraries offered vs good pertido came vnto me accompanied with some others and began to relate the state of our shippe and how that many were hurt and slaine and scarce any men appeared to trauerse the Artillery or to oppose themselues for defence if the enemy should bourd with vs againe And how that the Admirall offered vs life and liberty and to receiue vs a Buena querra and to send vs into our owne countrey Saying that if I thought it so meete he and the rest were of opinion that we should put out a flagge of truce and make some good composition The great losse of blood had weakned me much The torment of my wounds newly receiued made me faint and I laboured for life within short space expecting I should giue vp the ghost But this parly pearced through my heart and wounded my soule words failed me wherewith to expresse it and none can conceiue it but he which findeth himselfe in the like agonie yet griefe and rage ministred force and caused me to breake forth into this reprehension and execution following Great is the Crosse which Almightie God hath suffered to come vpon me That assaulted by our professed enemies and by them wounded as you see in body lying gasping for breath those whom I reputed for my friends to fight with me those which I relyed on as my brethren to defend me in all occasions Those whom I haue nourished cherished fostered and loued as my children to succour me helpe me and to sustaine my reputation in all extremities are they who first draw their swords against me are they which wound my heart in giuing me vp into mine enemies hands whence proceedeth this ingratitude whence this faintnesse of heart whence this madnesse is the cause you fight for vniust is the honour and loue of your Prince and Countrey buried in the dust your sweete liues are they become loathsome vnto you will you exchange your liberty for thraldome will you consent to see that which you haue sweat for and procured with so great labour and aduenture at the dispose of your enemies can you content your selues to suffer my blood spilt before your eyes and my life bereft me in your presence with the blood and liues of your deere brethren to be vnreuenged is not an honourable death to be preferred before a miserable and slauish life The one susteining the honour of our nation of our predecessours and of our societie the other ignominious to our selues and reproachfull to our nation Can you be perswaded that the enemy will performe his promise with you that neuer leaueth to breake it with others when he thinketh it advantagious and know you not that with him all is conuenient that is profitable Hold they not this for a maxime that nulla fides est seruanda cum hereticis In which number they accompt vs to be Haue you forgotten their faith violated with my father in St. Iohn de Vlua the conditions and capitulations being firmed by the Viceroy and twelue Hostages all principall personages giuen for the more securitie of either party to other Haue you forgotten their promise broken with Iohn Vibao and his company in Florida hauing conditioned to giue them shipping and victuals to carry them into their Countrey immediately after they had deliuered their
weapons and armes had they not their throates cut haue you forgotten how they dealt with Iohn Oxtiam and his Company in this Sea yeeldeth vpon composition and how after a long imprisonment and many miseries being carryed from Panama to Lyma and there hanged with all his Company as Pyrates by the Iustice And can you forget how dayly they abuse our noble natures which being voyde of malice measure all by sinceritie but to our losse for that when we come to demand performance they stoppe our mouthes Either with laying the inquisition vpon vs or with deliuering vs into the hands of the ordinary Iustice or of the Kings ministers And then vrged with their promises they shrinke vp to the shoulders and say That they haue now no further power ouer vs They sorrow in their hearts to see their promise is not accomplished but now they cannot doe vs any good office but to pray to God for vs and to entreat the ministers in our behalfe Came we into the South-sea to put out flagges of truce And left we our pleasant England with all her contentments with intention or purpose to avayle our selues of white ragges and by banners of peace to deliuer our selues for slaues into our enemies hands or to range the world with the English to take the law from them whom by our swords prowesse and valour we haue alwaies heretofore bin accustomed to purchase honour riches and reputation If these motiues be not sufficient to perswade you then I present before your eyes your wiues and children your parents and friends your noble and sweete countrey your gracious Soueraigne of all which accompt your selues for euer depriued if this proposition should be put in execution But for all these and for the loue and respect you owe me and for al besides that you esteeme and hold deare in this world and for him that made vs and all the world banish out of your imagination such vaine and base thoughts and according to your woonted resolution prosecute the defence of your shippe your liues and libertie with the liues and libertie of your companions who by their wounds and hurts are disabled and depriued of all other defence and helpe saue that which lyeth in your discretions and prowesse And you Captaine of whom I made choise amongst many to be my principall assistant and the person to accomplish my dutie if extraordinary casualtie should disable me to performe and prosecute our voyage Tender your obligation and now in the occasion giue testimony and make proofe of your constancie and valour according to the opinion and confidence I haue euer hâ—ld of you Whereunto he made answere my good Generall I hope you haue made experience of my resolution which shall be euer to put in execution what you shall be pleased to command me and my actions shall giue testimonie of the obligation wherein I stand bound vnto you What I haue done hath not proceeded from faintnesse of heart nor from a will to see imaginations put in execution for besides the losse of our reputation liberty and what good else we can hope for I know the Spaniard too too well and the manner of his proceedings in discharge of promises but only to giue satisfaction to the rest of the Company which importuned me to mooue this point I condiscended to that which now I am ashamed of and grieue at because I see it disliking to you And here I vowe to fight it out till life or lymmes fayle me Bee you pleased to recommend vs to Almightie God and to take comfort in him whom I hope will giue vs victory and restore you to health and strength for all our comforts and the happy accomplishing and finishing of our voyage to his glory I replyed this is that which beseemeth you this sorteth to the opinion I euer held of you and this will gaine you with God and man a iust reward And you the rest my deere companions and friends who euer haue made a demonstration of desire to accomplish your duties remember that when we first discryed our enemy you shewed to haue a longing to prooue your valours against him Now that the occasion is offered lay hold of the fore-locke For if once shee turne her backe make sure accompt neuer after to see her face againe and as true English men and followers of the steppes of our forefathers in vertue and valour sell your bloods and liues deerely that Spaine may euer record it with sadnesse and griefe And those which surviue reioyce in the purchase of so noble a victory with so small meanes against so powerfull an enemy Hereunto they made answer that as hitherto they had beene conformable to all the vndertakings which I had commanded or counselled so they would continue in the selfe same dutie and obedience to the last breath vowing either to remaine Conquerours and Free-men or else to sell their liues at that price which their enemies should not willingly consent to buy them at And with this resolution both Captaine and company tooke their leaue of me euery one particularly and the greater part with teares and and imbracings though we were forthwith to depart the world and neuer see one the other againe but in heauen promising to cast all forepassed imaginations into oblivion and never more to speake of surrendry In accomplishment of this promise and determination they persevered in sustaining the fight all this night with the day and night following and the third day after In which time the Enemie never left vs day nor night beating continually vpon vs with his great and small shott Saving that every morning an hower before breake of day hee edged a little from vs to breath and to remedie such defects as were amisse as also to consult what they should doe the day and night following This time of interdiction we imployed in repayring our sayles and tacklings in stopping our leakes in fishing and wolling our mastes and yards in mending our pumpes and in fitting and providing our selues for the day to come though this was but little space for so many workes yet gaue it great reliefe and comfort vnto vs and made vs better able to endure the defence for otherwise our shippe must of force haue suncke before our surrendry having many shot vnder water and our pumpes shot to peeces every day In all this space not any man of either part tooke rest or sleepe and little sustenance besides bread and wine In the second dayes fight the Vice-admirall comming vpon our quarter William Blanch one of our Masters mates with a luckie hand made a shot vnto her with one of our sterne peeces it caried away his maine Mast close by the decke wherewith the Admirall beare vp to her to see what harme shee had received and to giue her such succour as shee was able to spare which we seeing were in good hope that they would haue now left to molest vs any longer having wherewithall to
they haue ever vsed since the beginning of the Warre without making further Inquisition Then if hee were rich or poore to see if hee were able to giue a ransome in this also they are not very curious But if this spanish shippe should fall a thwart his Kings Armado or Gallies I make no doubt but they would hang the Captaine and his Companie for Pirates My reason is for that by a speciall law it is enacted that no man in the kingdomes of Spaine may arme any shippe and goe in warre-fare without the Kings speciall licence and commission vpon paine to be reputed a Pirate and to bee chastised with the punishment due to Corsarios In England the case is different for the warre once proclaimed every man may arme that will and hath wherewith which maketh for our greater exemption from being comprehended within the number of Pirates Wiâ—h these and other like Arguments to this purpose to avoid tediousnes I omitt I convinced all those whom I heard to harpe vpon this string which was of no small importance for our good entreatie and motiues for many to further and favour the accomplishment of the promise lately made vnto vs. SECT LXV ONe day after dinner as was the ordinary custome The Generall his Captaines and the better sort of his followers being assembled in the Cabbin of the Poope in conference an eager contention arose amongst them touching the capitulation of Buena Querra and the purport thereof Some sayd that onely life and good entreatie of â—he prisoners was to be comprehended therein Others enlarged and restrained it according to their humors and experience In 〈◊〉 opinion was required and what I had seene and knowne touching that point wherein I pawsed a little and suspecting the woâ—st feared that it might bee a baite layd to catch me withall and so excused my selfe saying that where so many experimented souldiers were ioyned together my young iudgement was little to be respected whereunto the Generall replyed That knowledge was not alwayes incident to yeares though reason requireth that the Aged should bee the wisest but an Art acquired by action and management of affaires And therefore they would be but certified what I had seene and what my iudgement was in this point vnto which seeing I could not well excuse my selfe I condiscended and calling my wits together holding it better to shoote out my boult by yeelding vnto reason although I might erre then to stand obstinate my will being at warre with my consent and fearing my deniall might be taken for discourtesie which peradventure might also purchase me mislike with those who seemed to wish me comfort and restitution I submitted to better iudgement the reformation of the present Assembly saying Syr vnder the capitulation of Buena querra or fayre warres I haue ever vnderstood and so it hath beene observed in these as also in former times that preservation of life and good entreatie of the prisoner haue beene comprehended and further by no meanes to be vrged to any thing contrary to his conscience as touching his Religion nor to be seduced or menaced from the allegeance due to his Prince and Countrey but rather to ransome him for his moneths pay And this is that which I haue knowne practised in our times in geneâ—all amongst all civill and noble Nations But the English haue enlarged it one point more towards the Spaniards rendred a Buena querra in these warres haue ever delivered them which haue beene taken vpon such compositions without ransome but the covetousnes of our Age hath brought in many abuses and excluded the principall Officers from partaking of the benefit of this priviledge in leaving them to the discretion of the Victor beeing many times poorer then the common Souldiers their qualities considered whereby they are commonly put to more then the ordinary ransome and not being able of themselues to accomplish it are forgotten of their Princes and sometimes suffer long imprysonment which they should not With this Don Beltran sayd This ambiguitie you haue well resolved And like a worthie Gentleman with great courtesie and liberalitie added Let not the last point trouble you but bee of good comfort for I heere giue you my word anew that your ransome if any shall bee thought due shall be but a cople of Grey-hoâ—â—dâ— for mee and other two for my Brother the Conde de Lemes Anâ— this I sweare to you by the habit of Alcantera Provided alwayes that the King my Master leave you to my dispose as of right you belong vnto me For amongst the Spaniards in their Armadoes if there bee an absolute Generall the tenth of all is due to him and he is to take choise of the best where in other Countries it is by lot that the Generalls tenth is given And if they be but two shippes he doth the like and being but one shee is of right the Generalls This I hardly believed vntill I saw a Letter in which the King willed his Vice-roy to giue Don Beltran thankes for our shippe and Artillerie which he had given to his Maiestie I yeelded to the Generall most heartie thankes for his great favour wherewith hee bound mee ever to seeke how to serue him and deserue it SECT LXVI IN this discourse Generall Michaell Angell demanded for what purpose served the little short Arrowes which wee had in our shippe and those in so great quantitie I satisfied them that they were for our Muskets They are not as yet in vse amongst the Spaniards yet of singular effect and execution as our enemies confessed for the vpper worke of their shippes being Muskets proofe in all places they passed through both sides with facilitie and wrought extraordinary disasters which caused admiration to see themselues wounded with small short where they thought themselues secure and by no meanes could find where they entred nor come to the sight of any of the shott Hereof they proved to profit themselues after but for that they wanted the tâ—â—pâ—ings which are first to be driven home before the arrow be put in as then vnderstood not the secret they reiected them as vncertaine and therefore not to be vsed but of all the shot vsed now a dayes for the annoying of an Enemie in â—ight by Sea few are of greater moment for many respects which I hold not convenient to treate of in Publique SECT LXVII A Little to the South-wards of the Iland of Pearle betwixt seven and eight degrees is the great River of Saint Buena Ventura It falleth into the South Sea with three mouthes the head of which is but a little distant from the North Sea In Anno 1575. or 1576. one Iohn Oxman of Plymouth going into the west Indies ioyned with the Symarons These are fugitiue Negroes and for the bad intreatie which their Masters had given them were then retyred into the mountaines and lived vpon the spoyle of such Spaniards as they could master and could never be brought