seuen miles in circuit at the foot fashioned it is vpward like an Hiue and the top therof most commonly to be discerned within and aboue the clouds This Mountaine hath in it by report many great hollow Caues and deepe Vaults and it is credibly reported that oftentimes it breathes out flames and sparkes of fire as doth the Mountaine Aetna Also at the bottome of this Mountain towards the East there is a great Spring of Fresh-water which is seen many times to issue out flakes and stones of fire with great violence and of the number and bignesse of the stones that are throwne out by the force and source of this Spring and what huge workes they make of the multitudes of them they confidently doe tell strange wonders which I will neither affirme nor deny but leaue indifferent to credit as men list Fayall is so called of Faya which in the Portugues signifieth a Beech Tree wherewith that Iland is said to abound But yet I saw there more store of Iuniper and Cedar then of any other Wood or Timber For Aire and Soyle it is as pleasant and fruitfull as any of the other Ilands and in it are some fiue Townes with many pretie Villages and in this Iland there are yet remaining certaine families of the Flemish race Gratiosa is so called of the exceeding fruitfulnesse of the Soyle and pleasant temper of the Ayre Flores of the abundance of Flowers that grow in it Cueruo of the multitude of Rauens and Crowes breeding therein And that Iland doth also breed Horses Saint Maries Saint Georges and Saint Michaels were so called of those Saints names vpon whose dayes they were first discouered for such is the custome of many Nauigators and especially of the Spaniards and Portugues so to call those Landes that they first make by the Saints day and name wherein they are discouered And these three Ilands for temper and fruitfulnesse are suteable with the others But Saint Michael is the greatest of them all Tercera the strongest and Saint Maries the neerest to the Coast of Spaine But now as wee come neerer to our intended purpose for the better vnderstanding thereof I thinke it very necessary and pertinent somewhat to speake of the chiefe Commanders as well by Sea as by Land and also of the number of our Ships and Souldiers together with the proiect and designe of that iourney then vndertaken for the seruice of her late Maiestie and the Honour of our Nation It is therefore to be vnderstood that Robert Deuereux late Earle of Essex Master of the Horse and Ordnance and Knight of the Garter First commanded in chiefe as well Admirall of the Nauie by Sea as Generall of the Armie by Land His Vice-Admirall was the Lord Thomas Howard Knight of the same Order and second Sonne to the last Thomas Duke of Norfolke a Nobleman much honoured and beloued and of great experience in Sea seruice His Reare-Admirall was Sir Walter Raleigh Knight Captaine of her Maiesties Guard Lord Warden of the Stanneries and Lieftenant of Cornwall For the Land seruice his Leiftenant Generall was Sir Charles Blunt Lord Mountioy Knight of the Garter Gouernour of Portsmouth and a man in high fauour with her late Maiestie His Marshall of the Field was Sir Frauncis Vere Knight a great Souldier and Coronell Generall of the English Forces in the Low-Countries The Master of the Ordnance Sir George Carew Knight Leiftenant of the Ordnance of the Kingdome of England His Sergeant Maior Sir Ferdinando Gorges Knight Gouernour of the Forts of Plimouth The Coronell Generall of the Foot Sir Christopher Blunt Knight The Treasurer of the Armie Sir Hugh Biston Knight one of her Maiesties Receiuers Generall in the Principalities of Walles with all other Officers designed to places requisite that were needful by Land or Sea now too long to rehearse And yet of all the Noblemen I will as neere as I can record their names particularly but craue pardon if I faile in the precedencie of their places The Earles of Essex Rutland and Southampton the Lord Howard the Lord Audley the Lord Gray the Lord Mountioy the Lord Rich and the Lord Cromwell But the particular names of all the Land Captains that had charge I could neuer come to the knowledge of much lesse can I marshall them orderly in this discourse And therefore I will passe to the number of the Ships in generall and therein name some particulars of the chiefe and principall Vessells of the Royall Nauie with their Captaines The whole Nauie which was diuided into three Squadrons viz. The Admirall his Squadron The Vice-Admirall his Squadron and the Reare-Admirall his Squadron consisted of 120. sayle or thereabout whereof sixtie were good men of Warre and gallant Ships the rest Victuallers and Ships of Transportation Of her Maiesties owne Ships the number was eighteene or nineteene and these were their names The Merhoneur Admirall whereof Sir Robert Mansfield was Captaine The Due Repulse Vice-Admirall whereof Master Middleton was Captaine The Wast Spite Reare-Admirall whereof my selfe was Captaine The Garland the Earle of Southampton commanded The Defiance wherein the Lord Mountioy was shipped had for Captaine Sir Amias Preston The Saint Mathew to Sir George Carew Master of the Ordnance The Mary Rose to Sir Francis Vere Marshall whose Captaine was M. Iohn Winter The Dread-nought Sir William Brooke was Captaine of The Nonparellia Sir Richard Luson was Captaine of The Bonouenture Sir William Haruey was Captaine of The Antelope Sir Thomas Vauisâ—r was Captain of The Rainbow Sir William Mounson was Captaine of The Swiftsure Sir Gilly Mericke was Captain of The Golden Lion was sent after for a supply The Hope whereof was Captain The Foresight whereof Sir Carew Reignall was Captaine The Saint Andrew whereof Master Marcellus Throckmorton was Captain The Tramontana whereof young Master Fenner was Captain The Moone whereof Sir Edward Michelboorne was Captaine Besides that there were some other of her Maiesties small Pinnaces that attended the Fleet. The residue or the Fleet aforenamed consisted of the best shipping of London and other Port-Townes of the Kingdome with sundry stout Vestells belonging to some Lords and Gentlemen that were Aduenturers in this Voyage There were also added to this Nauie tenne sayle of good men of Warre sent from the States of the Low-Countries to attend her Maiesties Fleet in this seruice vnder the conduct of one Mounsier de Duneincorde well manned and furnished The Land Army besides Saylers that might be afforded and spared vpon occasion of landing consisted of six thousand able men well appointed with ten Peeces of Artillery for the Field and Battery with all necessary Vtensils fit for them The proportion of victuals was for four months at large allowance double apparell both for Souldier's and Mariners In this Armie there went Knights Captaines and Gentlemen voluntaries fiue hundred at the least as gallant parsonages and as brauely furnished as euer the
to seeke the Portugall Christians out and peaceably to put my selfe into their hands Hereupon the Gouernor and his assistants consulted and concluded together that I should be committed to the house of Antonio de Payue there remaine vntill they might write into Portugall to know the Kings pleasure concerning me Within one yeare they receiued answer from Lisbon concerning me that I should be forth comming and that hereafter the King would send further order for my transporting into Portugall But aboue two yeares passed before this order came In which meane space first I spent part of my time in going into the fields as ouerseer of my friends Negros and Sauages in their planting and dressing of their Sugar Canes and in planting of Gingers which grow there exceeding well but is a forbidden trade to be transported out for hindering of other places and in cutting downe of Brasil-wood and in bringing it downe by Riuers vpon rafts vnto the Port where the Ships doe lade it and in seeing them gather their Cotten wooll and picking the seedes out of it and packing the same and in gathering of the long Pepper both white and red After I had spent some yeare and an halfe in this businesse my friend Antonio de Payue hauing a small Barke of his owne which he employed in carrying of wares from Port to Port and for bringing of Sugars to places where Ships should lade vsed me knowing I had bin brought vp to the Sea in these his businesses Our first Voyage was to Ilheos where we left some wares and staied there some moneth then we went to Puerto Seguro and there tooke in some Sugars for Linnen Cloath Bayes Wine and Oyle Then returning home shortly after we were set forth againe in the same Barke to Spirito Sancto and Saint Vincent and the Riuer Ienero where discharging our wares to certaine Factors and receiuing Sugars and Cotten Wooll aboord we returned safely home In my first Voyage one Master Dauid Leake an English Surgeon lost there out of an English Shippe in the Countrie being much sought for because of his skill had passage with vs from Bahia to Spirito Sancto Vpon my returne of my second voyage my good friend Antonio de Payue aduertised me that a Shippe was shortly to arriue there to carry me into Portugall prisoner telling me that he should not be able any longer to helpe me and therefore wished me to looke to my selfe but kindely offered me his helpe to conuay me away whereupon I tooke his Boate and foure of his Negros pretending to goe on fishing to the Sea and so of purpose going much to Leeward of the place I put in to Feruambuc where the Negroes being examined whence we came and for what cause being vtterly ignorant of mine intent answered that they were drawn thither by force of weather and for their Masters sake were well intreated and returned home with the next winde my selfe remaining secretly behinde them Within certaine moneths there came thither a Hulke with eight English men and foureteene Portugals who after some three moneths had laden the same with English and Portugall goods to come for England The English goods belonged to M. Cordal M. Beecher and M. Sadler worshipfull Merchants of the Citie of London which had bin left in the Countrie before by the Merchant Royall Thus passing homeward in our course as far as the Iles of the Açores within sight of the I le of Pike being fiue Portugall Ships in consort we met with Cap. Raymond and Cap. George Drake of Exeter with two English Ships of warre who because the peace betweene England and Spaine was broken the yeare before commanded vs to yeelde our selues to them as their lawfull prises which we did al fiue accordingly without any resistance But by contrary weather we were driuen into Baltimore in Ireland and within a while after we arriued in the narrow Seas in the hauen of Chichister in the end of Nouember 1586. nine yeares and foureteene dayes after my departure out of England with Sir Francis Drake in his Voyage about the World My strange aduentures and long liuing among cruell Sauages being known to the right honorable the Lord Charles Howard Lord high Admirall of England he certified the Queenes Maiesty thereof with speede and brought me to her presence at White-hall where it pleased her to talke with me a long houres space of my trauailes and wonderfull escape and among other things of the manner of M. Dowties execution and afterward bestowed 22. angels on me willing my Lord to haue consideration of me with many gracious words I was dismissed humbly thanking the Almighty for my miraculous preseruation and safe returne into my natiue Countrie To the Reader HEre maâ—st thou read that dismall and fatall voyage of Master Thomas Candish in which he consummated his earthly peregrination In the former voyage of his which amongst our Circumâ—auigations of the Globe we haue presented thee thou findest a perpetuall Sunshine no man euer hauing in neere so little time compassed that huge circumference or taken his choise of so much more wealth then he could bring home or reuisited his natiue soile with greater pompe and triumph The clearest day hath a night nor doth Summer last alway the Sea hath his â—bbing as well as flowing the Aire hath calmes and stormes the Moone â—â—deth sometimes the Suns lustre from vs by her interposition sometimes is her selfe meerely darkened by the Earths shadow And if the Elements Seasons and Heauens two Eyes be subiect to such vicissitâ—des what is this little mâ—lchill of earth this modell of clay this moueable circumference of constant inconstancie immutable mutability this vanishing centre of diuersified vanitie which we call Man that herein also he should not resemble this samplar of the vniuerse as becommeth a littls map to be like that larger Prototype This we see all and feele daily in our selues this in Master Candish here in Sir Francis Drakes before the Seas two darlings there and thence both liuing and dying if dissolution of the body may be called a death where the soule arriueth in heauen the name fils the earth the deedes are presidents to posteritie and England their Countrie hath the glory alone that she hath brought forth two illustrious Captaâ—â—es and Generals which haue fortunately embraced the round waste of their vaste mother without waste of life reputation and substance yea victorious ouer elements and enemies illustrious in wealth and honour they haue comne home like the Sunne in a Summers day seeming greatest neerest his euening home the whole skie entertaining and welcoming him in festiuall scarless and displayed colours of triumph No Nation else hath yeelded one which in all these respects may be matchable Magalianes hath left himselfe odious to his Portugals for offered seruice to the Spaniard and like Phaeton thinking with Phebus his Chariot to compasse the World perished mid-way Midway was
rather by reason of the continuall constant relations of all those Sauages in Virginia of a Sea and the way to it West they affirming that the heads of all those seuen goodly Riuers the least whereof is greater then the Riuer of Thames and Nauigable aboue an hundred and fiftie miles and not aboue sixe or eight miles one from another which fall all into one great Bay haue their rising out of a ridge of Hils that runnes all along South and North whereby they doubt not but to find a safe easie and good passage to the South Sea part by water and part by Land esteeming it not aboue an hundred and fiftie miles from the head of the Falls where we are now planted the Discouerie whereof will bring forth a most rich Trade to Cathay China Iapan and those other of the East Indies to the inestimable benefit of this Kingdome Moreouer the Letters of Master Iohn Berkley sometimes of Beuerstone Castle in the Countie of Glocester a Gentleman of an Honourable Family likewise certifie that a more fit place for Iron-workes whereof he was made Master and Ouer-seer then in Virginia both for Wood Water Mynes and Stone was not to be found And that by Whitsontide the Company might relye vpon good quantities of Iron made by him which also by Letters from Master George Sandys the third of March last was confirmed with this farther description of the place called The falling Creeke to be so fitting for that purpose as if Nature had applyed her selfe to the wish and direction of the Workman where also were great stones hardly seene else-where in Uirginia laying on the place as though they had beene brought thither to aduance the erection of those Workes The Letters of the French Vignerous or Vine-men procured out of France and sent ouer into Uirginia did likewise assertaine that no Countrey in the World was more proper for Vines Silke Rice O liues and other fruits then Virginia is and that it far excelled their owne Countrie of Languedocke the Vines of diuers sorts being in abundance naturally ouer all the Countrey They scarsly beleeued those fruits to be Grapes till they had opened them and seene their kernels such was their bignesse They are in loue with the Countrey and hauing planted some cuttings of Vines at Michaelmas last in their Letters affirme that these bare Grapes alreadie this Spring to their great wonder as being a thing they suppose not heard off in any other Countrie A taste of Wine made of the wilde Grape they last yeere sent with hope to send a good quantitie this next Vintage and that the Mulbery trees where they abode were in wonderfull abundance and much excelling both in goodnesse and greatnesse those of their owne Countrey of Languedocke and that those Silke-wormes they haue prosper exceeding well and some Silke they hope to send this yeere there wanting nothing to set vp that rich Commoditie but store of hands wherewith England doth abound Of the fruit of which Mulbery trees as of a Plumme there plentifully growing they would make wholsome Drinkes for the Colonie and people there Opachankanough doted on a house which the English had built for him of our fashion hee dwelled therein shewed it to his owne people and strangers with pride keeping his Keyes charily and busying himselfe with locking and vnlocking the doores sometimes a hundred times in a day admiring the strangenesse of that Engine a Locke and Key Hee gaue the English leaue to seate themselues any where on his Riuers where the Natiues are not actually seated and entred into further couenants of amity for reciprocall defence mutuall transportation discouery of mines c. They report also of Copper Peeces presented to Opachank which Copper is gathered at the foote of the Mountaines where they digge a hole in the ground in which they put the oare and make thereon a great fire which causeth it to runne into a masse and become malleable neither haue they any tooles but smooth stones for that purpose This seemed strange to ours which heard the English Copper passeth eleuen fires His Maiesties gracious Letter to the Earle of South-hampton Treasurer and to the Counsell and Company of Virginia here commanding the present setting vp of Silke workes and planting of Vines in Virginia RIght trusty and welbeloued We greete you well whereas We vnderstand that the Soyle in Virginia naturally yreldeth store of excellent Mulberry trees We haue taken into Our Princely consideration the great benefit that maâ— grow to the Aduenturers and Planters by the breede of Silkewormes and setting vp of Silkeworkes in those parts And therefore of Our gracious Inclination to a designe of so much honour and aduantage to the publike We haue thought good as at sundry other times so now more particularly to recommend it to your speciallcare hereby charging and requiring you to take speedy order that our people there vse all possible diligence in breeding Silkewormes and erecting Silke-workes and that they rather bestow their trauell in compassing this rich and solid Commodity then in that of Tobacco which besides much vnnecessary expence brings with it many disorders and inconueniences And for as much as Our seruant Iohn Bonoell hath taken paines in setting downe the true vse of the Silkeworme together with the Art of Silkemaking and of planting Vines and that his experience and abilities may much conduce to the aduancement of this businesse We doe hereby likewise require you to cause his directions both for the said Silkeworkes and Vineyards to be carefully put in practice thorowout our Plantations there that so the worke may goe on cheerefully and receiue no more interruptions nor delayes Giuen vnder Our Signet at our Pallace of Westminster the ninth day of Iuly in the twentieth yeare of our Raigne of England France and Ireland and of Scotland the fiue and fiftieth WINDEBANK To Our right trusty and right welbeloued Cousin and Councellour HENRY Earle of South-hampton Treasurer of our Plantation in Virginia and to Our trusty and welbeloued the Deputy and others of Our said Plantation Virginia The Treasurour Counsell and Company of Virginia to the Gouernour and Counsell of State in Virginia residing AFter our very harty commendations His Sacred Maiesty out of his high wisedome and care of the noble Plantation of Virginia hath beene graciously pleased to direct his Letters to vs here in England thereby commanding vs to aduance the setting vp of Silkworkes and planting of Vineyards as by the Copy herewith sent you may perceiue The intimation of his Maiesties pleasure we conceiue to be a motiue sufficient to induce you to imploy all your indeuors to the setting forward those two Staple Commodities of Silke and Wine which brought to their perfection will infinitely redound to the honour benefit and comfort of the Colony and of this whole Kingdome yet we in discharge of our duties doe againe renew our often and iterated Instructions and inuite you cheerefully to fall vpon
were mustered eightie bands of Dutchmen sixtie of Spaniards six of high Germans and seuen bands of English fugitiues vnder the conduct of Sir William Stanlie an English Knight In the suburbs of Cortreight there were 4000. horsemen together with their horses in a readinesse and at Waten 900. horses with the troupe of the Marquesse del Gâ—â—sto Captaine generall of the horsemen Vnto this famous expedition and presupposed victory many potentates Princes and honorable personages hied themselues out of Spaine the Prince of Melito called the Duke of Pastrana and taken to be the Son of one Ruygomes de Silua but in very deede accompted among the number of King Philips base sons Also the Marquesse of Bargraue one of the sons of Arch-duke Ferdinand and Philippa Welsera Vespasian Gonsaga of the family of Mantua being for chiualâ—y a man of great renowne and heretofore Vice-roy in Spaine Item Iohn Medices base son vnto the Duke of Florence And Amadas of Sauoy the Duke of Sauoy his base son with many others of inferiour degrees At length when as the French King about the end of May signified vnto her Maiestie in plaine tearmes that she should stand vpon her guard because he was now certainly enformed that there was so dangerous an inuasion imminent vpon her Realme that he feared much least all her land and sea-forces would be sufficient to withstand it c. then began the Queenes Maiestie more carefully to gather her forces together and to furnish her own ships of warre and the principall ships of her subiects with souldiers weapons and other necessary prouision The greatest and strongest ships of the whole Nauie she sent vnto Plimmouth vnder the conduct of the right honorable Lord Charles Howard Lord high Admirall of England c. Vnder whom the renowned Knight Sir Francis Drake was appointed Vice-admirall The number of these ships was about an hundreth The lesser ships being 30. or 40. in number and vnder the conduct of the Lord Henry Seimer were commanded to lie betweene Douer and Caleis On land likewise throughout the whole realme souldiers were mustered and trained in all places and were committed vnto the most resolute and faithfull captaines And where as it was commonly giuen out that the Spaniard hauing once vnited himselfe vnto the Duke of Parma ment to inuade by the riuer of Thames there was at Tilburie in Essex ouer-against Grauesend a mighty army encamped and on both sides of the riuer fortifications were erected according to the prescription of Frederike Genebelli an Italian enginier Likewise there were certaine ships brought to make a Bridge though it were very late first Vnto the said Armie came in proper person the Queenes most roiall Maiestie representing Tomyris that Scithian warlike Princesse or rather diuine Pallas her selfe Also there were other such armies leuied in England The principal Recusants least they should stir vp any tumult in the time of the Spanish inuasion were sent to remaine at certain conuenient places as namely in the Isle of Ely and at Wisbich And some of them were sent vnto other places to wit vnto sundry Bishops and Noblemen where they were kept from endangering the state of the common wealth and of her sacred Maiestie who of her most gracious clemency gaue expresse commandement that they should be intreated with all humaniâ—ie and friendship The Prouinces of Holland Zeland c. giuing credit vnto their intelligence out of Spaine made preparation to defend themselues but because the Spanish ships were described vnto them to be so huge they relied partly vpon the shallow and dangerous Seas all along their coasts Wherefore they stood most in doubt of the Duke of Parma his small and flat-bottomed ships Howbeit they had all their ships of warre to the number of nintie and aboue in a readinesse for all assâ—yâ—s the greater part whereof were of a small burthen as being more meete to saile vpon their Riuers and shallow Seas and with these ships they besieged all the hauens in Flanders beginning at the mouth of Scheld or from the towne of Lillo and holding on to Greueling and almost vnto Caleis and fortified all their Sea-townes with strong garrisons Against the Spanish fleets arriuall they had prouided fiue and twenty or thirty good ships committing the gouernment of them vnto Admirall Lonck whom they commanded to ioine himselfe vnto the Lord Henry Seymer lying betweene Douer and Cales And when as the foresaid ships whereof the greater part besieged the hauen of Dunkerke were driuen by tempest into Zeland Iustin of Nassau the Admirall of Zeland supplied that squadron with fiue and thirty ships being of no great burthen but excellently furnished with Guns Mariners and Souldiers in great abundance especially with 1200 braue Musquetiers hauing beene accustomed vnto Sea-fights and being chosen out of all their company for the same purpose and so the said Iustin of Nassau kept such diligent ward in the Station that the Duke of Parma could not issue forth with his Nauie into Sea out of any part of Flanders In the meane while the Shanish Armada set saile out of the hauen of Lisbon vpon the 19. of May An. Dom. 1588. vnder the conduct of the Duke of Medina Sidonia directing their course for the Bay of Corunna alias the Groine in Gallicia where they tooke in souldiers and warlike prouision this port being in Spaine the neerest vnto England As they were sailing along there arose such a mighty tempest that the whole Fleet was dispersed so that when the Duke was returned vnto his company he could not escry aboue eighty ships in all whereunto the residue by little and little ioyned themselues except eight which had their Masts blowne ouer-boord One of the foure Gallies of Portingall escaped very hardly retiring her selfe into the hauen The other three were vpon the coast of Baion in France by the assistance and courage of one Dauid Gwin an English Captine whom the French and Turkish slaues aided in the same enterprise vtterly disabled and vanquished one of the three being first ouercome which conquered the two other with the slaughter of their Gouernour and souldiers and among the rest of Don Diego de Mandrana with sundry others and so those slaues arriued in France with the three Gallies set themselues at libertie The Nauie hauing refreshed themselues at the Groine and receiuing daily commandement from the King to hasten their iournie horsed vp sailes the 11. day of Iuly and so holding on their course till the 19. of the same moneth they came then vnto the mouth of the narrow Seas or English channell From whence striking their sailes in the meane season they dispatched certain of their small ships vnto the Duke of Parma At the same time the Spanish Fleete was escried by an English Pinnace Captaine whereof was Master Thomas Fleming after they had beene aduertised of the Spaniards expedition by their scoutes and espials which hauing ranged along the coast of Spaine were lately
returned home into Plimmoth for a new supply of victuals and other necessaries who considering the foresaid tempest were of opinion that the Nauie being of late dispersed and tossed vp and downe the maine Ocean was by no meanes able to performe their intended Voyage Moreouer the Lord Charles Howard Lord high Admirall of England had receiued Letters from the Court signifying vnto him that her Maiesty was aduertised that the Spanish Fleete would not come forth nor was to be any longer expected for and therefore that vpon her Maiesties commandement hee must send backe foure of her tallest and strongest Ships vnto Chattam The Lord high Admirall of England being thus on the sudden namely vpon the 19. of Iuly about foure of the clocke in the afternoone enformed by the Pinnace of Captaine Fleming aforesaid of the Spaniards approach with all speede and diligence possible hee warped his Ships and caused his Mariners and Souldiers the greater part of whom was absent for the cause aforesaid to come on boord and that with great trouble and difficultie insomuch that the Lord Admirall himselfe was faine to lie without in the road with six Ships onely all that night after the which many others came forth of the hauen The very next day being the 20. of Iuly about high noone was the Spanish Fleet escried by the English which with a South-west winde came sailing along and passed by Plimmouth in which regard according to the iudgement of many skilfull Nauigators they greatly ouershot themselues whereas it had beene more commodious for them to haue staied themselues there considering that the Englishmen being as yet vnprouided greatly relied vpon their owne forces and knew not the estate of the Spanish Nauie Moreouer this was the most conuenient Port of all others where they might with greater security haue beene aduertised of the English forces and how the commons of the land stood affected and might haue stirred vp some mutinie so that hit her they should haue bent all their puissance and from hence the Duke of Parma might more easily haue conueied his Ships But this they were prohibited to doe by the King and his Counsell and were expresly commanded to vnite themselues vnto the souldiers and ships of the said Duke of Parma and so to bring their purpose to effect Which was thought to be the most easie and direct course for that they imagined that the English and Dutch men would be vtterly daunted and dismaied thereat and would each man of them retire vnto his owne Prouâ—â—ce or Port for the defence thereof and transporting the Armie of the Duke vnder the protection of their huge Nauie they might inuade England It is reported that the chiefe commanders in the Nauy and those which were more skilfull in nauigation to wit Iohn Martines de Ricalde Diego Flores de Ualdez and diuers others found fault that they were bound vnto so strict directions and instructions because that in such a case many particular accidents ought to concurre and to be respected at one and the same instant that is to say the opportunitie of the winde weather time tide and ebbe wherein they might faile from Flanders to England Oftentimes also the darknesse and light the situation of places the depths and shoalds were to be considered all which especially depended vpon the conueniency of the windes and were by so much the more dangerous But it seemed that they were enioyned by their Commission to ancre neere vnto or about Caleis whither the Duke of Parma with his ships and all his warlike prouision was to resort and while the English and Spanish great ships were in the midst of their conflict to passe by and to land his souldiers vpon the Downes The Spanish Captiues reported that they were determined first to haue entred the Riuer of Thames thereupon to haue passed with small ships vp to London supposing that they might easily win that rich and flourishing Citie being but meanely fortified and inhabited with Citizens not accustomed to the wars who durst not withstand their first encounter hoping moreouer to finde many rebels against her Maiestie and Popish Catholikes or some fauourers of the Scottish Queene not long before beheaded who might be instruments of sedition Thus often aduertising the Duke of Parma of their approach the 20. of Iuly they passed by Plimmouth which the English pursuing and getting the winde of them gaue them the chase and the encounter and so both Fleetes frankly exchanged their Bullets The day following which was the 21. of Iuly the English Ships approached within Musket shot of the Spanish at what time the Lord Charles Howard most hotly and valiantly discharged his Ordnance vpon the Spanish Vice-admirall The Spaniards then well perceiuing the nimblenesse of the English ships in discharging vpon the enemy on all sides gathered themselues close into the forme of an halfe Moone and slackned their sailes least they should outgoe any of their company And while they were proceeding on in this manner one of their great Galliasses was so furiously battered with shot that the whole Nauie was faine to come vp rounder together for the safegard thereof whereby it came to passe that the principall Galleon of Siuill wherein Don Pedro de Valdez Vasques de Silua Alonzo de Sayas and other Noble men were embarqued falling foule of another ship had her fore-mast broken and by that meanes was not able to keepe way with the Spanish Fleete neither would the said Fleete stay to succour it but lâ—ft the distressed Galeon behinde The Lord Admirall of England when hee saw this Ship of Ualdez and thought she had beene voide of Marriners and Souldiers taking with him as many ships as he could passed by it that hee might not loose sight of the Spanish Fleete that night For Sir Francis Drake who was not withstanding appointed to beare out his Lanterne that night was giuing of chase vnto fiue great Hulkes which had separated themselues from the Spanish Fleete but finding them to be Easterlings hee dismissed them The Lord Admirall all that night following the Spanish Lanterne instead of the English found himselfe in the morning to be in the midst of his enemies Fleete but when he perceiued it he clenly conueied himselfe out of that great danger The day following which was the 22. of Iuly Sir Francis Drake espied Valdez his ship whereunto he sent for his Pinnace and being aduertised that Ualdez himselfe was there and 450. persons with him he sent him word that hee should yeelde himselfe Valdez for his honours fake caused certaine conditions to be propounded vnto Drake who answered Valdez that he was not now at leisure to make any long parle but if he would yeelde himselfe he should finde him friendly and tractable howbeit if he had resolued to die in fight he should proue Drake to be no dastard Vpon which answer Ualdez and his Company vnderstanding that they were fallen into the hands of fortunate Drake being
that as throwes of a grieuous trauell they brought forth a Virgin both Truth to the Church and Queene to the State the one a fruitfull Mother to the soules the other to the wealth honour domesticke peace forraine victories and Nauall glorie of the English Nation This renowned Queene eight and thirty yeeres after vnable to alter that decree of the windes which now seemed themselues and forced Calis to become Spanish would try their windy fidelity in another expedition and prepared a strong Fleet to inuade the Spanish coast The charge whereof she committed to the Lord Robert Earle of Essex and the Lord Charles Howard Lord high Admirall of England who came vnto Plymmouth about the beginning of May 1596. being there accompanied with diuers other noble Peeres as the Earle of Sussex the Lord Thomas Howard the Lord Herbert the Lord Warden Sir Walter Raleigh the Lord Marshall Sir Francis Vere the Lord Burk Don Christopher yong Prince of Portugall yong Count Lodouick of Nassaw and the Admirall of the Hollanders Sir Iohn Vanderfoord besides many other most worthy Knights and Gentlemen of great worth attending vpon this most honorable Action It pleased them there to make their aboade for the time of that moneth aswell for the new furnishing and reuictualing of her Maiesties Royall Nauie as also for the expecting of some other ships which were to come from diuers places of the Realme and were as yet wanting Before their departure from Plymmouth it pleased their Lordships to publish in Print and make knowne to all the world especially to such as it concerned and that both in the Latine French Dutch English and Spanish tongue what were the true iust and vrgent causes that at this time prouoked her Maiestie to vndertake the preparing and setting forth of this so great a Nauie namely the King of Spaines preparations against her who had before whiles hee treated of peace Anno 1588. prepared to inuade her coast and now also to that purpose daily encreased his Nauie If therefore any should furnish the Spaniard with munition and prouisions they should expect what force could doe for all others of whatsoeuer Nation they aduised them to forsake the Spanish and Portugall Ports or to ioyne with the English for their owne security they hauing no quarrell in this designe but against the Spaniard Thus then all things being in a very good order and well appointed the most holy name of our Omnipotent God being most religiously and deuoutly called vpon ' and his blessed and sacred Communion being diuers times most reuerently and publikely celebrated being furnished with one hundred and fiftie good saile of ships or thereabout In the name of the most high and euerliuing God the first day of Iune they embarked themselues weighed Ancre and hoysed vp faile and put to Sea onward their iourney from the Sownds of Plymmouth to shew her Maiesties religious intendments in this exploit I haue thought good to adde here a Prayer made by her selfe as was reported and vsed as it was fitted for that designe MOst Omnipotent maker and guide of all our worlds masse that eâ—ely searchest and fadomest the bottome of all our hearts conceits and in them seest the true originals of all our actions intended thou that by thy foresight doest truely discerne how no malice of reuenge nor quittance of iniurie nor desire of bloudshed nor greedinesse of lucre hath bred the resolution of our nâ—w set out Army but a heedefull care and wary watch that no neglect of fees nor ouer-suretie of harme might breede either danger to vs or glory to them these being the grounds wherewith thou doest enspire the minde we humbly beseech thee with bended knees prosper the worke and with best forewindes guide the iourney speede the victory and make the returne the aduancement of thy glory the triumph of their f 〈…〉 e and surety to the Realme with the least losse of the English bloud To these deuout petitions Lord giue thou thy blessed grant The ninth of the same moneth comming something neere to the North Cape in a manner in the same altitude or not much differing which was about 43. degrees and something more yet bearing so as it was impossible to be descried from the land There it pleased the Lords to call a select Councell which was alwaies done by hanging out of a Flagge of the Armes of England and shooting off a great warning peece Of this select or priuie Counsell were no moe then these The two Lords Generall the Lord Thomas Howard the Lord Warden Sir Walter Raleigh the Lord Marshall Sir Francis Vere Sir George Cary Master of the Ordnance Sir Coniers Clifford and Sir Anthony Ashley Clarke of the said Counsell And when it pleased the Lords Generall to call a common Counsell as of tentimes they did vpon weighty matters best knowne to their honours then they would cause another kinde of Flag to be hanged out which was the red Crosse of S. George and was very easie to be discerned from the other that appertained onely to the select Counsell and so often as this Flag of S. George was hanged out then came all the Masters and Captaines of all the ships whose opinions were to be demanded in such matters as appertained vnto the said select Counsell It was presently concluded that our course in sailing should forthwith be altered and that we should beare more into the West for some purposes to them best knowne At that instant many Letters of instructions were addressed and sent to euery particular Master and Captaine of the Ships What the contents of those Letters of instructions were it was not as yet knowne vnto any neither was it held meete to be enquired or knowne of any of vs. But vnder the titles and superscriptions of euery mans particuler Letter these words were endorsed Open not these Letters on paine of your liues vnlesse wee chance to be scattered by tempest and in that case open them and execute the contents thereof but if by mishap you fall into your enemies hand then in any case cast them into the Sea sealed as they are It should seeme that these Letters did containe in them the principall place and meaning of this entended action which was hitherto by their deepe foresights kept so secret as no man to my knowledge eiâ—her did or could so much as suspect it more then themselues who had the onely managing thereof All this while our ships God be thanked kept in a most excellent good order being deuided into fiue squadrons that is to say The Earle of Essex the Lord Admirall the Lord Thomas Howard the Lord Warden Sir Walter Raleigh and the Admirall of the Hollanders All which squadrons albeit they did euery day separate themselues of purpose by the distance of certaine leagues as well to looke out for such ships as were happily vnder saile as also for the better procuring of Sea-roome yet alwayes commonly either that day or the next day toward euening they
â—arme to the Towne or Castle then borrowing some necessaries There is in the Towne a Church of old and a Frierie not yet finished Their Church hath no windowes nor admitâ—eth light otherwise then by the doores it hath no Chancell but is one vndeuided roome stone seates along the sides and in the one end an Altar with the appurtenants for the people seemeth full of ignorant Superstition many Buls and Pardons being found in diuers houses The Friery is a prettie square with more commodities of fresh water and Gardens then any other place of the Towne euen the Marquesse his house They came that night to the waters side yet thought it better to lodge abroade then aboord though there were Boates to receiue them The next day being Easter day his Lordship hauing something recouered his strength after dinner went ashore to the Companies hauing seene them trained knowing that the enemy watched for aduantage of scatterers saw all his men shipt first and then himselfe tooke Boate. The next day being Munday all the Captaines dined aboord the Admirall and after dinner his Lordship caused his Commission which was exceeding large in many points to be openly reade and Articles of gouernment were giuen for Sea-matters to the Captaine of euery Ship and for seruice by Land to the Captaine of euery company besides which Articles to the Sea Captaines was deliuered a sealed letter which they should open if vpon any accident they lost the Fleete and thereby learne direction where to seeke his Lordship But withall it was expresly articled that in no other case they should aduenture to open it and that if they came into any danger of being taken by the enemy they should not faile to cast the Letter ouer-boord sealed as it was deliuered for in no sort would his Lordship haue his purpose disclosed no not by examination nor torture While his Lordship was coasting neere Teneriffa the breathes rather then windes were so diuers that it was doubled on euery side almost and came so close aboord the shore that we did easily see into Santa Cruz and some other coasting Townes and might discerne the men vpon the hils the rather by coniâ—cture by reason of the eminencie and height thereof among which there is one aboue the rest incomprable generally held to be much higher then the Pyke of the Açores being then couered with Snow when the bottome was as hot as at Midsummer it is in England The Iland though to the Sea a very high land yet is full of many very fruitfull Plaines and Vineyards yeelding to the King yearely by credible mens report 28000. Buts of Canary-Sacke Certaine it is that in common reputation it is held richer not onely then the rest but euen then the grand Canaria it selfe though it seeme not so goodly a champion Countrie for we had that also in very neere kenning And that the King esteemeth it more no man can doubt seeing he keepeth a farre greater Garrison there then in the Canaria Captaine Charles Leigh which hitherto had commanded of the Alcedo on the fourth of May last the Fleete and in his owne Barke called the Blacke Lee runne himselfe alone for the Riuer of Orenoque His Lordship after diuers consultations determined that the Fleete should goe for Dominico His speeches Captaine Slingsbies employment and other particulars are here for breuity omitted An old Portugall Pilot told his Lordship that he had beene in eight and twentie voyages into Brasil but at this time of the yeere onely in one wherein hee saith the windes were so contrarie and they had so many other difficulties that they were forced to put in againe and loose that yeeres voyage so that the windes being in these parts at set times of the yeere themselues also constantly set we might well thinke wee should bee encountred with the same difficulties All this while we held on our course for the West Indies running West and by South and West South-west but bearing still to the Westward both because we are likelier to keepe the fresher gale that way though some were of contrarie opinion and because the later wee entred within the Tropick we should bee the likelier to meet with the Brasil fleet whose course homewards must of necessitie be much to the North. By Wednesday the tenth of May for till then wee met not with any memorable accident seeing to tell of the flocks of flying fishes might iustly seeme triuiall we were come so directly vnder the Sunne that none could see euidently the shadow of a stile set perpendicularly but if there were any it inclined rather to the due South For by obseruation by the Astrolabe the vse of the staffe now fayling we were found to haue passed our Tropick three degrees and a halfe and the Sunnes declination that day was precisely twentie degrees This was more cleerly perceiued at night by taking the height of the Crosier a starre which of all other distinctly to be perceiued neere the Antartick Pole serueth for those Southerly parts as the lesser Beare doth to the Northerly countries It is a long step from the Canaries to the West Indies which first of all wee had in our kenning vpon Sunday being the one and twentieth of May. But to lay if it be but a handfull of peeble stones in this gap Vpon Saturday being the thirteenth of May we had the first gust and it had many followers for few dayes passed without raine When this raine began immediately wee all felt a very noysome sauour it was very sulphurous and lasted so long as the raine did Whether this proceeded of the nature of the water that fell from so neere the Sunne or from the ship being very drie as on land after a great drought there will rise a hot sauour it is not cleerly knowne nor yet determined but that others may the better this obseruation is expressed This sauour was not felt vpon the decks or any where else besides the Cabbin or at least not any where so much The reason whereof may happily bee that the aire being suddenly beaten in and that by narrow passages came the more violently and by consequent the more sensibly into the Cabbin then into other parts of the ship and therefore whatsoeuer qualitie it bore with it it was there the strongliest felt In the following of as great gusts as that which came first there was no such sauour felt the fleet going still farther and farther from the Sunne And which may be most to the purpose not any of them that felt it found any distemper after it onely the sense was much displeased therewithall his Lordship had at this time aken much physick but still rather to preuent sicknesse then for to recouer health for God be thanked his body was very able to obey his minde finding no difference in the world in the working of physick there and in England Nauigators may helpe themselues by his Lordships obseruation That vpon Friday being
as all the Countrie is of a sandie earth it did but crumble into dust The Canoneers therefore were appointed in the morning to beate the other Point neerer the Sea For that so flanked the Gate and the breach alreadie made that without great danger there could not any approch be made and his Lordship was growne exceeding niggardly of the expence of any one mans life This wrought so with them in the Fort that about one a clocke they sent forth a Drum to demand parley His motion was that two of their Captaines might be suffered to speake with two of the English It was granted and they met in a place of the greatest indifferency that could be found so that neither partie should discouer others strength The demands were deliuered in Paper written in Spanish the summe whereof was for themselues they desired that with Colours flying match in their cocks and bullets in their mouth be set beyond the Point at the Bridge to goe whither they would Further they demanded all the prisoners to bee deliuered without ransome and that no mans Negroes and Slaues should be detayned from them His Lordship vtterly refused any such composition but told them because hee tooke no pleasure in sâ—edding Christian bloud hee would deliuer them some Articles which if they liked hee would without more adoe receiue them to mercy Which Articles were these deliuered vnder his Lordships owne hand to the Gouernour A resolution which you may trust to I Am content to giue your selfe and all your people their liues your selfe with your Captaines and Officers to passe with your Armes all the rest of your Souldiers with their Rapiers and Daggers onely You shall all stay here with me till I giue you passage from the Iland which shall bee within thirtie dayes Any one of you which I shall choose shall goe with me into England but shall not stay longer there then one moneth but being well fitted for the purpose shall bee safely sent home into Spaine without ransome It was doubted whether there were any in the Fort that spake English and therefore some were wishing the Articles were translated into Spanish But his Lordship peremptorâ—ly refused to seeke their language but would haue them to finde out his but because it was now growne late he gaue them respite to thinke what they would answere till eight a clocke the next day and promise was giuen on either side that neither should practise to put things out of the state they now were in The next morning rather before then after the time appointed there returned to his Lordship besides the two former Captaines both hee that now was and hee that had beene last Gouernour and withall they brought with them one of good place in his Lordships seruice whom they had taken prisoner while he was viewing a peece of Ordnance that lay neere the Fort. These also required as Captaine Lansois and the Sergeant Major before priuate audience who without much difficultie yeelded vpon the foresaid conditions and farther desired they might haue two Colours left them in lieu hereof they made promise that nothing should be spoyled in the Fort. That day the Gouernour and his Companie dined with his Lordship and after dinner the Gouernour went and brought out his Companies out of the Fort which of all sorts were neere foure hundred and deliuered the keyes to his Lordship who immediately brought in his owne Colours and Sir Iohn Barkleys and placed them vpon the two Points of the Fort. The Spaniards without being pillaged for beside all promises his Lordship suffered them to carry their stuffe away conueyed safely into a strong Castle in the Towne called Fortileza This Fort was taken in vpon Wednesday being the one and twentieth of Iune and vpon Thursday our fleet was commanded to come into the Harbour for all this while it had rid without This Fort is to the Sea-ward very strong and fitted with goodly Ordnance and bestowed for the most aduantage to annoy an enemie that possibly could bee deuised It is held absolutely impossible that any shippe should passe that Point without sinking instantly if the Fort doe not graunt her passage And the riding without the Harbour is very dangerous as wee found by the losse of many Anchors and Cables to the extreme danger of many of the Ships and the finall casting away of one of them The Fort to the landward is not altogether so strong as towards the Sea but yet being victualled able to abide a long siege The Towne consisteth of many large streets the houses are built after the Spanish manner of two stories height onely but very strongly and the roomes are goodly and large with great doores in stead of windowes for receit of aire which for the most part of the day wanteth neuer For about eight in the morning there riseth ordinarily a fresh breese as they call it and bloweth till foure or fiue in the afternoone so that their houses all that while are very coole of all the artificiall day the space from three in the morning till sixe is the most temperate so that then a man may well indure some light clothes vpon him from fixe till the breese rise is very soultering from fiue in the afternoone hottest of all the rest till midnight which timâ— also is held dangerous to be abroad by reason of the Screnaes they call them which are raynie dewes And indeed in the nights the Souldiers which were forced to lie abroad in the fields when they awaked found as much of their bodies as lay vpwards to bee very wet The Towne in circuit is not so bigge as Oxford but very much bigger then all Portesmouth within the fortifications and in sight much fayrer In all this space there is very little lost ground for they haue beene still building insomuch as that within these three yeeres it is augmented one fourth part The Cathedrall Church is not so goodly as any of the Cathedrall Churches in England and yet it is faire and handsome two rowes of proportionable pillars make two allies besides the middle walke and this all along vp to the high Altar It is darker then commonly Countrie Churches in England For the windowes are few and little and those indeed without glasse whereof there is none to be found in all the Towne but couered with Canuas so that the most of the light is receiued by the doores the greatest whereof is iust in the West end to the Seaward so that out of it a man walking in the Church may behold the ships riding in a very faire Harbour The other two doores besides that which is priuate from the Bishops house are on either side a little aboue their Quire For that of all other things is the most singular and differing from the fashion in England that their Quire is in the very lowest and Westermost part of their Church wherein is the Bishops
three sonnes a hundreth thousand Duckets insomuch that the youngest of them being in Spaine vpon the dispatch of some businesse which his father had left vnsettled was there thought of state so good that a Marquesse thought his daughter well bestowed vpon him in marriage But see how nothing will last where God with his preseruing blessing doth not keepe things together For at this day scarce is there any remainder left of all his riches and this now most poore though great Lady not being able to proportion her selfe to the lownesse of her fortune and besides vexed with her husbands ill conditions hath by authoritie left him and hauing entered religious profession is at this present in a Nunnerie in Saint Domingo I haue beene very inquisitiue of the best obseruers and most able to judge among ours that haue vpon occasion trauailed into the inparts of the Iland They doe agreeingly tell me first that their wayes are very myrie or rather dirtie as proceeding of mold rather then grauell or sand now the prouerbe in England is that that Countrie is best for the Byder that is most cumbersome to the Rider Secondly the grasse and herbage they meet withall euerywhere is very proud and high though somewhat course which argueth a lustinesse and strength of fatnesse in the soile and which wanteth onely store of mouthes to ouer-come that luxuriant pride and to bring it to the finenesse which we most commend in England which is made most probable by that which in the third place they report of their experience that the soile is a black mold vnderlaid within some two foot with a laire of reddish clay which is one of the most infallible marks by which our English Grasiers know their battle and feeding grounds The whole Iland is delightfully and pleasurably diuersified with Hills and Vallies Among the Hills there is one eminent aboue the rest called the Loquilla commended with the greatest plentie and riches of mynes And yet none of the Riuers that I can heare of haue their heads from thence which perhaps may bee the reason why it aboue the rest is lesse wasted For they say that in the other Hills also there are veines found of whose pouertie no man needeth to complaine This Hill which they call Loquilla is placed Easterly aboue Luisa The Vallies are much wooddy but in very many places interlaced with gâ—odly large Playnes and spacious Lawnes The woods are not onely vnderlings as in the lesser Iland for the most part they are but timber trees of goodly talnesse and stature fit for the building of ships and of euery part of them For not to speake of a ship which wee our selues found here a building towards the burthen of a hundreth the great Bougonia a ship of a thousand hauing lost her Masts at Sea had them all made here of the timber of this Iland her mayne Mast being of two trees onely and being there and all other wayes fitted for Spaine was euen vpon the point of putting forth of this Harbour when Sir Francis Drake and Sir Iohn Hawkins came hither with an honorable intent to take her and the foure Millions which shee brought hither from the Hauana For this ship was the Admirall of the fleet which that yeere went from Tierra firma and being taken with a storme at Sea and hauing lost her Masts with much adoe recouered this Harbour and here was againe fitted But the Queenes Nauie vpon aduertisement of this accident came so just in the nick that they were forced to sinke her in the Harbour and that with so great haste that the passengers had not time to fetch their clothes but lading and victuals and all was lost Some of the ribs of this great Beast we found here but the marrow and sweetnesse of her was gone for shee brought in her foure millions and a halfe of treasure for the wafting whereof those Frigats which Sir Francis burned in this Harbour were purposely sent For while Sir Francis was watering at Guadalupe some of his fleet discouered the passage of these Frigats by Dominica which good newes as truly they were very good assured Sir Francis as he openly told the fleet that the treasure was not yet gone from Saint Iohn de Puerto Rico for as much as he assured himselfe that these ships were going to fetch it home The Playnes and Lawnes of the mayne Iland â—re graced with much varietie of many kindes of fruit for besides the great Countries of ground where their Heards roame with such vncontrolled licence as that they grow almost wilde the champaine which they haue chosen to place their Stancies and Ingenios vpon are richly laden with Ginger and Sugar-cane Their Ingenios are commonly vpon some Riuer or neere some moore-marrish and waterish places for in places of that qualitie doe their Sugar-canes prosper best And besides there is much vse of water for their Mills and other works though most commonly their Mills goe with the strength of men and horses as I vnderstand like our Horse-mills in England which if I had seene my selfe I should haue beene better able and conseqâ—ently more willing to haue reported to you the manner and cunning of the same They that haue beene eye-witnesses doe with great wonder and commendation speake of them Their Stansias are more inwardly placed in the Countrie and yet a conuenient neerenesse to some Riuer is desired for more conuenient carriage of their Ginger to Puerto Rico whence they vent their commodities into other Countries which I take to bee some part of the cause why more follow Ginger then Sugar workes because their Stansias doe not need such choise of place and therefore the poorer may more easily come by them which yet also more easily they set vpon because much needeth not to set vpon the commoditie of Ginger I haue heretofore said in generall that Sugar and Ginger are the greatest knowne commodities of this Iland A third commoditie of the Iland besides Ginger and Sugar I did before note to bee Hides Whereof without contradiction there is very great store I haue beene told by the Spaniard that that same Chereno whose Countrie is neere to the Laguada of the quite contrarie side to Cape Roxo is generally reported to feede to the number of twelue thousand head of Cattle Wherevpon we may easily coniecture how infinite the number of Cattell in this Iland is seeing in the Westerly end thereof which is held farre worse for feeding then the Easterly neere Saint Iohns head there is so incredible abundance Once it is generally spoken and beleeued that by reason of this ouer-flowing of Beeues it is lawfull for any man to kill what he needeth for his vse if onely hee bee so honest as to bring the skins to the proper owners Now these Hides must rise to a huge summe of riches considering that their Cattell are farre larger then any Countrie that I know in England doth yeeld
the East for they are as well found in the West and no way inferiour to those of the East Indies Other fish besides Seales and Crabbes like Shrimpes and one Whale with two or three Porpusses we saw not in all the Seraits Heere wee made also a suruay of our victuals and opening certaine Barrels of Oatten meale wee found a great part of some of them as also of our Pipes and Fat 's of bread eaten and consumed by the Rats doubtlesse a fift part my company did not eate so much as these deuoured as we found daily in comming to spend any of our prouisions When I came to the Sea it was not suspected that I had a Rat in my ship but with the bread in Caske which wee transported out of the Hawke and the going to and againe of our Boats vnto our prize though wee had diuers Cats and vsed other preuentions in a small time they multiplyed in such a manner is incredible It is one of the generall calamities of all long Voyages and would bee carefully preuented as much as may be For besides that which they consume of the best victuals they eate the sayles and neither packe nor chest is free from their surprizes I haue knowne them to make a hole in a Pipe of water and seying the Pumpe haue put all in feare doubting lest some leak had bin sprung vpon the ship Moreouer I haue heard credible persons report that ships haue beene put in danger by them to be sunke by a hole made in the bulge All which is easily remedied at the first but if once they be somewhat increased with difficultie they are to be destroied And although I propounded a reward for euery Rat which was taken and sought meanes by poison and other inuentions to consume them yet their increase being so ordinary and many wee were not able to cleare our selues from them At the end of fourteene dayes one euening being calme and a goodly cleare in the Easter-boord I willed our Anchor to be weyed and determined to goe into the Channell being gotten into the Channell within an houre the wind came good and we failed merrily on our Voyage and by the breake of the day we had the mouth of the Straits open and about foure of the clock in the afternoone we were thwart of Cape Desire which is the Westermost part of the Land on the Souther side of the Straits §. IIII. Entrance into the South Sea discouery of the South parts of the Straits to bee but Ilands by Sir FRANCIS DRAKE which the Hollanders ascribe to MAIRE and SCHOVTEN Of the Iland Mocha and the parts adioyning FRom Cape Desire some foure leagues Northwest lie foure Ilands which are very small and the middlemost of them is of the fashion of a Sugar-loafe Wee were no sooner cleere of Cape Desire and his ledge of Rockes which lie a great way off into the Sea but the wind tooke vs contrary by the North-west and so wee stood off into the Sea two dayes and two nights to the Westwards In all the Straits it ebbeth and floweth more or lesse and in many places it hieth very little water but in some Bayes where are great Indraughts it higheth eight or ten foot and doubtlesse further in more If a man be furnished with wood and water and the winde good hee may keepe the Mayne Sea and goe round about the Straits to the Southwards and it is the shorter way for besides the experience which we made that all the South part of the Straits is but Ilands many times hauing the Sea open I remember that Sir Francis Dâ—â—ke told mee that hauing shot the Straits a storme tooke him first at North-west and â—â—â—er vered about to the South-west which continued with him many dayes with that â—xtremitie that he could not open any sayle and that at the end of the storme he found himselfe in fiftie degrees which was sufficient testimony and proofe that he was beaten round about the Straits for the least height of the Straits is in fiftie two degrees and fiftie minutes in which stand the two entrances or mouthes And moreouer hee said that standing about when the winde changed hee was not well able to double the Southermost Iland and so anchored vnder the lee of it and going ashoare carried a Compasse with him and seeking out the Southermost part of the Iland cast himselfe downe vpon the vttermost point groueling and so reached out his bodie ouer it Presently he imbarked and then recounted vnto his people that he had beene vpon the Southermost knowne Land in the World and more further to the Southwards vpon it then any of them yea or any man as yet knowne These testimonies may suffice for this truth vnto all but such as are incredulous and will beleeue nothing but what they see for my part I am of opinion that the Straite is nauigable all the yeere long although the best time bee in Nouember December and Ianuary and then the windes more fauourable which other times are variable as in all narrow Seas Being some fiftie leagues a Sea-boord the Straits the winde vering to the West-wards wee cast about to the Northwards and lying the Coast along shaped our course for the Iland Mocha About the fifteenth of Aprill we were thwart of Baldiuia which was then in the hands of the Spaniards but since the Indians in Anno 1599. dispossessed them of it and the Conception which are two of the most principall places they had in that Kingdome and both Ports Baldiuia had its name of a Spanish Captaine so called whom afterwards the Indians tooke Prisoner and it is said they required of him the reason why hee came to molest them and to take their Countrey from them hauing no title nor right thereunto he answered to get Gold which the barbarous vnderstanding caused Gold to bee molten and powred downe his throate saying Gold was thy thy desire glut thee with it It standeth in forty degrees hath a pleasant Riuer and Nauigable for a Ship of good burthen may goe as high vp as the Citie and is a goodly Wood Countrey Heere our Beefe began to take end and was then as good as the day wee departed from England it was preserued in Pickell which though it bee more chargeable yet the profit payeth the charge in that it is made durable contrary to the opinion of many which hold it impossible that Beefe should be kept good passing the Equinoctiall Line And of our Porke I eate in the house of Don Beltran de Castro in Lyma neere foure yeeres olde very good preserued after the same manner notwithstanding it had lost his Pickle long before Some degrees before a man come to Baldiuia to the Southwards as Spaniards haue told mee lyeth the Iland Chule not easily to be discerned from the Mayne for he that passeth by it cannot but thinke it to bee the Mayne It is said to bee inhabited by the Spaniards but badly
most of other Countries hauing beene experienced by implyments in discoueries and trauailes from his childehood and by opinion of others of good iudgement in our Ship Here are more good Harbours for Ships of all burthens then all England can afoord And farre more secure from all windes and weathers then any in England Scotland Ireland France Spaine or any other part hitherto discouered whereof we haue receiued any relation for besides without the Riuer in the channell and Sounds about the Ilands adioyning to the Mouth thereof no better riding can be desired for an infinite number of ships the Riuer it selfe as it runneth vp into the Maine very nigh fortie miles towards the great Mountaines beareth in breadth a mile sometimes three quarters and halfe a mile is the narrowest where you shall neuer haue vnder foure or fiue fathom water hard by the Shoare but six seuen eight nine and ten fathom at a low water And on both sides euery halfe mile verie gallant Coues some able to containe almost a hundred Sayle where the ground is excellent soft oaze with a tough clay vnder for Anker hold and where Ships may lye without either Anker or Cable onely mored to the Shoare with a Hazur It floweth by their iudgement sixteene or eighteene foote at a high water Here are made by nature most excellent places as Dockes to graue and Carine Ships of all burthens secured from all windes which is such a necessary incomparable benefit that in few places in England or in any other parts of Christendome Art with great charges can make the like It yeeldeth plentie of Salmons and other fishes of great bignesse and assuredly great probabilitie of better things therein to be found seeing about the Ilands wee had such certaine hope of Pearle and Oare Besides all these commodities innatiue to this Riuer the bordering Land is a most rich neighbour trending all along on both sides in an equall Plaine neither Mountainous nor Rockie but verged with a greene bordure of grasse doth make tender vnto the beholder of her pleasant fertility if by clensing away the woods shee were conuerted into Medow The Wood it beareth is no shrubbish fit onely for fewell but good tall Firre Spruce Birds Beech and Oake which in many places is not so thicke but may with small labour be made feeding ground being plentifull like the outward Ilands with fresh water which streameth downe in many places As we passed with a gentle winde vp with our Ship in this Riuer Any man may conceiue with what admiration wee all consented in ioy many who had beene trauellers in sundry Countries and in the most famous Riuers yet affirmed them not comparable to this they now beheld Some that were with Sir Walter Raleigh in his Voyage to Guiana in the Discouery of the Riuer Orienoque which eccoed fame to the worlds eares gaue reasons why it was not to be compared with this which wanteth the dangers of many Shoalds and broken grounds wherewith that was encombred Others preferred it farre before that notable Riuer in the West Indias called Rio Grande some before the Riuers of Burduna Orleance and Brest in France Naunce and the Riuer of Rhoane which although they be great and goodly Riuers yet it is no detraction from them to be accounted inferiour to this which not onely yeeldeth all the aforesaid pleasant profits but also appeared infallibly to vs free from all imagined inconueniences I will not preferre it before our Riuer of Thames because it is Natale solum Englands richest treasure but wee all did wish those excellent Harbours good Deepes in a continuall conuenient breadth and small tide gates to be as well therein for our Countrie good as wee found them here beyond our hopes in certaine for those to whom it shall please God to grant this Land for habitation which if it had with the other inseperable adherent Commodities here to be found then I would boldly affirme it to be the most rich beautifull large and secure harbouring Riuer that the world affordeth for if man should wish or Art inuent a Riuer subiect to all conueniencies and free from all dangers here they may take a view in a Plat-forme framed by Nature who in her perfection farre exceedeth all Arts inuention Wednesday the twelfth of Iune our Captaine manned his Shallop with seuenteene men and ran vp to the Codde of the Riuer where we landed leauing six to keepe the Shallop till our returne Ten of vs with our Shot and some armed with a Boy to carry Powder and Match marched vp into the Countrie towards the Mountaines which we descried at our first falling with the Land and were continually in our view Vnto some of them the Riuer brought vs so neere as we iudged our selues when we landed to haue beene within a league of them but we found them not hauing marched well nigh foure miles vp in the Maine and passed three great hils wherefore because the weather was parching hot and our men in their Armour not able to trauell farre and returne to our Pinnasse that night we resolued not to passe any further being all very weary of so tedious and laboursome a trauell In this march we passed ouer very good ground pleasant and fertile fit for pasture hauing but little wood and that Oake like stands left in our Pastures in England good and great fit timber for any vse some small Birch Hazell and Brake which might in small time be clensed with few men and made good errable Land but as it is now will feede Cattell of all kindes with Fodder enough for Summer and Winter The soyle is good bearing sundry Hearbes Grasse and Stawberries in many places are low thickets like our Copisses of small Wood And it doth all resemble a stately Parke wherein appeare some old trees with high withered tops and other flourishing with liuing greene boughes till we came to the Hils vpon which doe grow exceeding tall streight and excellent great timber of sundry kindes mast for Ships of foure hundred tunnes and at the bottome of euery hill a little run of fresh water but the furthest and last we came vnto ran with a great streame able a driue a small Mill. Wee might see in some places where Deere and Hares had beene and by the rooting of ground we supposed wilde Hogs had ranged there but we could descry no Beast because our noise still chased them from vs. We were no sooner come aboord our Pinnasse returning towards our Ship but wee espied a Canoa comming from the further part of the Cod of the Riuer Eastward which hasted to vs wherein with two others was he whom we accounted chiefe of his Company and his comming was very earnestly importuning to haue one of our men to goe lye with their Bashabe or Captaine as they now tearmed him who was there ashoare as they signed and then the next morning he would come to
zeale by her to aduance Christianitie I was present when my Honorable Reuerend Patron the L. Bishop of London Doctor King entertained her with festiuall state and pompe beyond what I haue seene in his great hospitalitie afforded to other Ladies At her returne towards Uirginia she came at Grauesend to her end and graue hauing giuen great demonstration of her Christian sinceritie as the first fruits of Virginian conuersion leauing here a godly memory and the hopes of her resurrection her soule aspiring to see and enioy presently in heauen what here shee had ioyed to heare and beleeue of her beloued Sauiour Not such was Tomocomo but a blasphemer of what he knew not and preferring his God to ours because he taught them by his owne so appearing to weare their Deuill-lock at the left eare hee acquainted mee with the manner of that his appearance and beleeued that this Okee or Deuil had taught them their husbandry c. Powhatan was at this time of their comming gone Southwards for feare as some thought least Opachancanough his brother should ioyne with the English against him His age was not so great as some haue reported they reckoning euery Spring and Autumne for distinct yeeres Tomocomo was as wise in computation of his sailing reckoning each night when hee expected they should haue anchored by the shoare as another day Hee is said also to haue set vp with notches on a stick the numbers of men being sent to see and signifie the truth of the multitudes reported to his Master But his arithmetike soone failed and wonder did no lesse amaze him at the sight of so much Corne and Trees in his comming from Plimmouth to London the Uirginians imagining that defect thereof here had brought vs thither But let vs returne to Captaine Smiths Relations The new Gouernour applied himselfe to the readiest way of gaine in planting Tobacco and though Sir Tho. Dale had caused much Corne to be planted yet the new supplies easing them of that superfluitie hee sent to the Chickahaminies for the tribute Corne which Sir Thomas Dale and Captaine Argall had conditioned with them but receiued a bad answere Whereupon hee gathered a hundred men and twelue of them were slaine twelue others captiued and returned to Iames Towne with three Boats laden with corne of which one hasting to bring the newes was ouerset and eleuen men together with the goods drowned Captaine Spelman by his language did them good seruice This together with the league which they had with Opachankanough enemy to the former put them so in feare that ours followed their labours quietly and other Nations also brought them prouisions and would hunt for them Captaine Yeardly is taxed for suffering two of his Sauages to vse the Peece in their game and therein to grow expert a thing reported to haue beene practised by some others Yet whiles hee staied in the gouernment they liued quietly with the Sauages but grudges grew amongst themselues A. 1617. Captaine Yeardly returned for England after the arriuall of Captaine Argall sent thither to be deputie Gouernour Captaine Argall was sent in the George and with Capt. Hamor his Vice-Admirall in May 1617. arriued at Iames Towne where hee found things in much disorder which hee sought to redresse Their cattell were now well encreased and both of their owne growing and from the Sauages they had store of Corne A. 1618. happened a great drought and such a cruell storme of haile that it did much hurt to their Corne and Tobacco The Magazine that came in the George being fiue moneths in her passage proued badly conditioned To supply them the Company furnished and set forth in Aprill a Ship of two hundred and fiftie tunnes with two hundred people The Lord De-la-war went therein and at the Iland of Saint Michael was honourably feasted Departing from thence they were long troubled with contrary windes in which time many fell sicke thirtie died one of which was that honourable Lord of noble memory The rest refreshed themselues on that Coast of New England with Fish Fowle Wood and Water and after sixteene weekes spent at Sea arriued in Virginia The Ship called the Treasurer not long after came thither with fortie Passengers before the other Ship was gone They now had vsed the Plow and reaped good Corne and they writ for more Plow-haruesse to be sent them Richard Killingbeck with foure others going to trade secretly with the people of Chickahaminias either for reuenge of some before slaine in Captaine Yerdlyes expedition or for couetousnesse of their goods were assaulted by the Sauages one of which had a Peece furnished and therewith shot Killingbeck dead the rest also were all slaine stripped and spoyled Other murthers also were done by other Sauages which Opachankanough excused by ignorance and for the former hee sent a basket of earth in token of the gift and possession of that Towne where they dwelt to Captaine Argal desiring him not to reuenge the fault of a few which for feare of reuenge were fled to the Woods on their innocent neighbours Sam. Arg. Io. Rolfe Master Rolfe writ Iune 15. 1618. that Powhatan died in Aprill before Itopatan his second brother succeeded who with Opachanckanough had confirmed the league with the Colony May 11. happened at Iames Towne in the night a terrible storme which lasted about halfe an houre and poured downe hailestones eight or nine inches about A. 1619. Sir Edwin Sands being chosen Treasurer Captaine Yerdley was knighted and sent Gouernour into Virginia A little Pinnace had arriued some twelue dayes before him in which Captaine Argall returned leauing in his place Captaine Nathaniel Powel As for their digusts giuen the Company in their apprehension by Captaine Argall I am not fully informed or lust to bee the Informer Sir George Yerdly arriuing Aprill 18. filled the Colony with ioyfull hopes of better successe at his arriuall and I freely acknowledge the Treasurers great study and care was worthy had God so pleased of better enents then by vnexpected accidents haue since happened Captaine West Captaine Powel Master Pory Master Rolfe Master Wickam Master Macock were added to the Councell A Pinnace of Captaine Bargraue another of Captaine Lawnes and a third of Master Euans and the Marget of Bristol arriued Some scandalous Letters which laid a false imputation on the Countrey caused enquiry to bee made where by men of best experience was found that an industrious man not otherwise imployed may well husband foure Acres of Corne and one thousand Plants of Tobacco of which many to haue much neglect the goodnesse in suffering too many leaues to grow on one stalhe and many Tobaccomongers in England are said to sell the best of it in other names calling all their trash Virginian and so at once rob both England and Virginia Iune 25. the Triall came in with Corne and Cattell The Gouernour and Counsell caused Burgesses to be chosen in all places
we haue found to be almost needelesse Our great Ram-Goate was missing fifteene dayes in October and came home well againe and is yet well with vs. If the industry of men and presence of domesticall Cattle were applied to the good of this Countrey of New-found-land there would shortly arise iust cause of contentment to the inhabitants thereof Many of our Masters and Sea-faring men seeing our safetie and hearing what a milde winter we had and that no Ice had bin seene fleeting in any of the Bayes of this Countrey all this yeare notwithstanding that then met one hundred and fifty leagues off in the Sea great store of Ilands of Ice doe begin to be in loue with the Countrey and doe talke of comming to take land here to inhabit falling in the reckoning aswell of the commoditie that they may make by the banke fishing as by the husbandry of the Land besides the ordinary fishing At the Greene Bay where some of our Company were a fishing in Nouember they report there is great store of good grounds without woods and there is a thousand acres together which they say may be moâ—ed this yere There is great store of Deere whereof they saw some diuers times and twice they came within shot of them and the Greyhound who is lustie had a course but could not get vpon them But neerer vnto Cape Razo Reuonse and Trepasse there is great quantitie of open ground and Stagges It is most likely that all the Sackes will be departed out of England before the returne of this our Barke which shall not make any matter because I am now of opinion that nothing should be sent hither before the returne of the Ships from fishing For as concerning sending of Cattle it will be best that it be deferred vntill the next Spring And concerning Victuals in regard of the quantity we haue of it remaining of old together with that that is come now as with the dry fish that here we may be stored with I am in good hope there will not want any to last till this time twelue moneths And according to the victuals which shall be found at the end of the fishing the number of persons that shall remaine here all the next winter shall be fitted that there shall not want notwithstanding about Alhollantide or the beginning of December a Ship may be sent such a one as our Fleming was with Salt from Rochel for at any time of the winter Ships may as well goe and come hither as when they doe especially before Ianuary This Summer I purpose to see most places betweene Cape Rase Placentia and Bona vista and at the returne of the fishing Ships to entertaine a fit number of men to maintaine here the winter and to set ouer them and to take the care of all things here with your patience one Master William Colton a discreete yong man and my brother Philip Guy who haue wintered with me and haue promised me to vndertake this charge vntill my returne the next Spring or till it shall be otherwise disposed of by you and then together with such of the company as are willing to goe home and such others as are not fit longer to be entertained here I intend to take passage in the fishing Ships and so returne home And then betweene that and the Spring to be present to giue you more ample satisfaction in all things and to take such further resolution as the importance of the enterprise shall require wherein you shall finde me alwayes as ready as euer I haue bin to proceeds and goe forward God willing And because at my comming home it will be time enough for mee to lay before you mine opinion touching what is to be vndertaken the next yeare I will forbeare now to write of it because you should be the sooner aduertised of our welfare and because such of the Company as are sent home both for their owne good and that the vnprofitable expence of victuals and wages might coase I haue laden little or nothing backe that the said Company might the better be at ease in the hold Onely there is sent three hogsheads of Charcoles where Numero 1o. is they are of Burch no. 2o. is of Pine and Spruce no. 3o. is of Firre being the lightest wood yet it maketh good Coles and is vsed by our Smith I send them because you shall see the goodnesse of each kinde of Cole Also I send you an Hogshead of the Skinnes and Furres of such Beasts as haue bin taken here the particulers whereof appeare in the Bill of lading While I was writing I had newes of the Vineyard the Ship which you send to fishing to haue bin in company with another Ship that is arriued on this side of the Banke and that the Master intended to goe to Farillon or Fer-land God send her in safety So praying God for the prosperity of your Worships and the whole Company with hope that his diuine Maiestie which hath giuen vs so good a beginning will alwayes blesse our proceedings my dutie most humbly remembred I take my leaue Dated in Cupers Coue the sixteenth of May 1611. I haue also a Iournall of the winde and weather from the latter end of August 1611. till Iune 1612. written by Master William Colston and deliuered to Master Iohn Guy Gouernour of the English Colony in Newfoundland at his returne from England thither Iune the seuenth 1612. By which it appeareth that the weather was somewhat more intemperate then it had beene the yeare before but not intolerable nor perhaps so bad as we haue it sometims in England Their Dogges killed a Wolfe Otters Sables c. Captaine Easton a Pirat was troublesome to the English and terrible to the French there of whom I haue added this Letter for the Diarie of the weather and occurrents each day would be very tedious To Master IOHN SLANY Treasurer and others of the Councell and Company of the New-found-land Plantation the twenty nine of Iuly 1612. RIght Worshipfull by my last of the seuenteenth of Iune I wrote you of the estate then of all matters here by the Holland Ship which I hope is long since safely arriued together with Master Colston who hath I doubt not made by word of mouth full relation of all matters Because the proceedings of one Captaine Peter Easton a Pirate and his company since are most fit to be knowne before I touch our Plantation businesse you shall vnderstand what they haue bin vnto this time vntill the seuenteenth of this present the said Captaine Easton remained in Harbor de Grace there trimming and repairing his Shipping and commanding not onely the Carpenters of each Ship to doe his businesse but hath taken victuals munition and necessaries from euery Ship together with about one hundred men out of the Bay to man his Ships being now in number six He purposed to haue before he goeth as is said cut of the land fiue hundred men while he remained there
drawing little water and ouercharged with mightie Ordnance in a furious high wrought Sea And now also others found and felt the mischiefe of weake built Vessells and of rotten Tackle For this extreamitie of weather was so great as that wee were all one after another forced backe againe some into Plimouth and diuers into other Harbours on that Coast so extreamely shaken and beaten as that the Admirall was in danger to haue foundred in the Sea hauing many leaks broken out vpon him and his mid-ship beame shiuered in sunder And yet as wee vnderstood after some three or foure of the formost of our Fleet whereof the Earle of Southampton in the Garland was said to be one did recouer â—ight of the North-Cape but yet forced to returne againe to Plimouth And many of our Gentlemen and Knights with this boysterous and bitter entertainment on the Seas returned extreame weake and lay dangerously sicke long after Insomuch that some of them dyed thereof at Plimouth and were there honourably buried by the Generall Some also were so much weakened and distempered as that they were not able to recouer strength to put to the Seas againe as Sir Ferdinando Gorges our Sergeant Maior in whose place our Generall did appoint Sir Anthony Sherly and Sir Carew Reignalls Captaine of the Foresight so seuerely weakned with Seas sicknesse as that his charge was deliuered ouer to Sir Alexander Ratcliffe a very forward and gallant young Gentleman who not long after was slaine in the Warres of Ireland with Sir Conniers Clifford Gouernour of Connaugh And amongst others in the beginning of this bitter storme our Treasurer Sir Hugh Biston was also so extreamely afflicted with Sea sicknesse and in so great hazard of life as that out of the Wastspite wherein he was shipped he was imbarked into a Caruell of our traine to returne for England seeing his weake body vnable to vndergoe the resolution of his mind And I thinke this losing of our Treasurer in the beginning was an ominous presage of the losse of the infinite Treasures which afterward so vnluckily past by and escaped vs. Wee being thus with contrary winds and extreamitie of weather beaten backe into seuerall Hauens and yet at last meeting at Plimouth except some few Ships of transportation that were driuen vpon the Coasts of France Wales and Ireland with some of our Bands of Souldiers we fell to repairing of our Ships and to amend those inperfections which the Seas and stormes had discouered But withall were inforced to abate a great part of the first proportion of our Armie as well through the defects of the Admirall his Ships and others as also for the waste and expence which wee had made of our drinke and victuals by the leaking of the Caske and by the abundance of Salt-water which was taken in during the storme to the wetting and spoyling of many of our prouisions Besides that much of our beare aboard those Victuallers that followed our Fleet with diuers other prouisions was very vile and vnsauoury of it selfe by the great abuse of the Victuallers and London Brewers as well for the carelesse brewing as for the vnseasonable stinking Caske which they deliuer a fault much vsed among them and too much tolerated considering the infinite raâ—e and gaines they make of selling Thames water beyond all good order and proportion But as God would at that instant when wee had discharged our Ships of that vnseruiceable poisonous drinke there came very happily into Plimouth for a supply a tall prize laden with Spanish Canary Wines which was distributed amongst the Fleet to make Beuerage And in this sort vsing all industry and diligence for the setting afâ—ote of our storme-beaten Nauie wee so fitted our selues againe within eight or ten dayes as that wee were readie for a new fortune But yet this violent and dangerous tempest had so cooled and battered the courages of a great many of our voung Gentlemen who seeing that the boysterous winds and mercilesse Seas had neither affinitie with London delicacie nor Court brauery as that discharging their high Plumes and imbroydered Cassockes they secretly retired themselues home forgetting either to bid their friends farewell or to take leaue of their Generall And here by the way a little to digresse I thinke it not amisse iustly to reprehend and taxe our Nation for their vnproper and vaine manner of going to the Warres and especially those that had neuer seene seruice For bee hee poore or rich when hee first prepares to goe to serue hee will take more care and be at more cost to prouide himselfe of a roysting Feather and a â—lynckant Coat then to bee furnished either of fit Armes or of necessary clothing to keepe out wet and cold whereby they come both to the Sea and Field seruice rather like Maskers then Souldiers as men apter to bring spoyles for the Enemy then to conquer or win honour from him And yet at the last the wanting of their needfull habiliments in times of extreamitie doth make them truly to finde their owne errour and superfluous vanitie in those idle and fruitlesse toyes whereof I could wish a reformation as well for the bettering of our seruice as also for abating such needlesse expences Such were the garish troupes and gilded Armies of Darius abounding in pompe and delicacy whose millions of effeminate Persians were euer dispersed and defeated by handfulls of the poore and hardie Macedonians So were the steele edged Souldiers of that renowned Hanniball metamorphosed into Cowardise and Sloth after they had once relished the pride and delicacies of Capua for their conquests euer after declined So was also that famous M. Anthonius ouerthrowne and vanquished when he left the strict martiall discipline of his owne victorious Countrey and fashioned his Forces according to the brauery and luxury of Egypt to obserue the humour of Cleopatra who had vtterly corrupted and weakned the courage both of him and his legions with vanities excesse and idlenesse And such in our dayes were the glorious glistring French troupes led by the Duke of Ioyeuse being for the most part compounded of the gallant Courtiers and dancing Minions of Henry the Third French King of that name but beaten and ouerthrowne at the Battell of Couttras by the valiant King of Nauarr and an handfull of his poore Hugonotes as they then termed them Farre otherwise was the wont and manner of those worthy Romans that by their wisdome and valour made themselues famous and Lords ouer the World whose glorious examples wee doe more willingly read then follow They going a warfare departed Rome in obedience and strictnesse of Martiall discipline in sâ—briâ—tie of diet and attire fitted with Armes like men that knew that Iron and Steele were mastring mettalls ouer Gold and Siluer and hauing atchieued and performed their enterprises returned then home in triumph in glory and in pride shining in the spoyles and riches of their vanquished Enemies and adorned
the manuer and fashion of great Estates and Commaunders in the â—ars to giue out and pretend many things that indeed they intend not as well to make their names the more famous and terrible as also many times to amaze the world with false Alarums thereby either to hold their true purposes the more secret or at least to giue them the better speed and passage by diuerting the Enemyes A custome neither new nor vsuall and therefore not repeated as any extraordinary obseruation Iâ— this sort all things being ordered and repaired and our Generall returned with full Commission and resolution to proceed his Lordship in stead of the Merehoneur which was so weakened and disabled as that shee could not goe forth againe this iourney shipped himselfe in the Dewrepulse which was Vice-Admirall and our Vice-Admirall tooke vnto himselfe the Lyon in liew of the other And on Wednesday being the seuenteenth of August 1597. a little before sunne setting wee wayed our Ancors and set sayle but with much labour got out of Plimouth Road being forced to vse our Two-boates to set vs cleere of the Harbour the winde being somewhat slacke and scant Notwithstanding afterwards a sea-boord wee finding the weather more faâ—ourable held our course for the North cape and the three and twentieth of August wee fell athwart the Bay of Alchasher and at last bare full in with it The which course the Master of our Ship called Broadebant much disliked thinking it very inconuenient and perillous for so great a Fleet so wilfully to be imbayed vpon an Enemies Coast but yet followed the Generalls course The foure and twentieth of the same moneth being Bartholmew day wee met a soule storme in that Bay most extreamly violent for the time but lasted not aboue fiue or sixe houres In which storme the S. Matthew whereof Sir George Carew Master of the Ordnance was Captaine two houres before day falling into an head Sea hauing her Spright-sayle out brake ouer-boord her Bolt-spright and Fore-mast close to the Partners which for the Ships safetie was cut from her side In the Fore-top foure Mariners were drowned keeping their watch there and the fall of the Masts broke two Ancors and carried the third into the Sea vpon which disaster according to the manner of the Sea some Ordnance was discharged and many Lanternes hanged vpon the shrowdes to giue notice of her distresse in the night But after day light the Garland whereof the Earle of Southampton was Captaine drew neere to her succour who beholding with griefe the miserable estate that this Ship was in and likely to bee worse for that her Mayne Mast with the Ships rowling had loosened it selfe in the Partners and in danger to breake in the step which if it had done it would presently haue sunke her The Earle though hee was not able to take all the men out of her into his owne Ship being in number about seuen hundred persons yet hee was desirous and carefull to preserue as many as hee might And to that end sent his Pinnace to Sir George Carew praying him and as many as hee would select of his Company to come vnto him which noble offer of his Lordship the Master of the Ordnance as hee had reason thanfully receiued but hauing a more tender care of the losse of his Honour then of the hazard of his life would not forsake the Ship but made election rather to run the fortune of the rest of his company then to prouide for the particular safetie of himselfe and some other Captaines and Gentleman of good qualitie whereof hee had store This answere being returned the Earle was yet vnsatisfied and being desirous to saue as many as his Ship could well receiue and especially those of the better sort sent his Pinnace to the Saint Matthew againe perswading them not wilfully to lose themselues But the Captaine perseuered in his former resolution and when some gallant men of his company would gladly haue taken the Earles offer and haue left their consorts to their fortune Sir George Carew would in no wise suffer a man to depart because it should bee no discomfort to the rest but openly protested that both hee they and the Ship would altogether runne on fortune Whereupon the Earle seeing that his staying longer with the Saint Matthew could in no sort giue her men reliefe and fearing by staying too long to be farre ingaged in the Bay of Alchasher and to loose his Admirall followed the Fleet. These braue resolutions haue beene also vsed heretofore oftentimes by such as haue commanded in the Royall Ships and sometimes by the Admiralls themselues And it is well knowne to many Sea-men liuing at this day that Edward Earle of Lincolne High Admirall of England a valiant man and worthy Gentleman in the time of Queene Elizabeth being in seruice on the Narrow Seas with her Royall Nauie chanced in a tempest to fall with his Ship athwart a sand whereby shee was in great danger to bee bulged and lost whereupon the Captaine and Master of the Ship perswaded him in that extreamitie and danger to take the benefit of his Pinnace and saue himselfe aboord the next of the Fleet. But the Earle according to his honourable mind openly vowed and protested that no danger should cause him to leaue his company in distresse that for his loue had followed him to the Seas Besides said hee I honour the Queene my Mistresse so much to bring her word that I haue saued my selfe and lost her Ship and therefore let vs do our best to saue altogether for at this banquet wee will all drinke of one cup. Whereâ—n as hee gaue himselfe great glory and reputation so it seemed that fortune fauoured his vertue and courage for in the end with diligence and labour beyond all hope the Ship came safe off These extreamities and hazards on the Sea bring to my minde an accident worthy the relating and a piece of seruice not vnprofitable for Sea-men in like cases to bee obserued and this it is In the Queenes raigne about the time that the Pope and the King of Spaine sent forces into Ireland to ayd the Earle of Desmond who then rebelled in Munster there was sent to the Seas a Fleet of her Maiesties Ships whereof Sir Iohn Parrot was Admirall in the Reuenge and Sir William Gorges my Father in the Dread-naught Vice-Admirall who when they had performed their seruice on the Coast of Ireland and other places in their returne homewards the Vice-Admirall chanced to take an English Priate whose name was Deriuall a very valiant and skilfull Mariner This Deriuall the Admirall tooke aboord his owne Ship and kept him prisoner in the Bilbowes But so it fortuned that a great storme arising in the Narrow Seas the Fleet was scattered and Sir Iohn Parrats Shippe ranne vpon a Sand where a good time shee did dangerously beate hauing strucken all his Sayles and with euery Billow was like to bee
approached the time of the yeere that brings with it violent stormes and extreame foule weather to those Ilands In regard whereof as also for that opportunitie was now past of doing any more good to our selues or damage to our Enemies vpon the meeting of the whole Fleet before Villa Franca a generall commandement was giuen that all sorts should with all speed repaire aboord their owne Ships for the Wind and Seas began to rise too high to ride there any longer And now our last worke was to prouide for our returning againe into England And therupon all the hast and preparation that could bee was made with the helpe of the small Pinnaces and Boates to conuey all our troupes aboord Wherein the best sort of Commanders spared no paines nor trauaile and especially our Generall himselfe who in his owne person was twice in very great danger of tumbing into the Seas about the imbarking of the Souldiers in ouercharging his own Boat with those vnruely people amongst whom at such times it is hard to keep any order or moderation And much trouble there was considering the rough weather and how the Seas rowled to get all our Land men aboord Besides our Ships began to find more tickle ryding in that wild Road then wee should haue done eight dayes before at Gratiosa where wee lost the Indian Fleet by tarrying one night But now at our departure from Villa Franca for a farewell the Spaniards and Portugues presented vs with a braue skirmish which being throughly answered the Generall there did make certaine Knights Our Army being thus brought aboord and many sicke men amongst them by reason of their lauish diet ashoare where they more weakened themselues then the Enemy This Towne also was left intire neither fired not demolished But vpon what considerations I know not vnlesse out of gratitude for the hospitalitie Oade Corne and Salt which it had alreadie yeelded or else out of a prouident regard to leaue them in case to bee able to entertaine vs another time or rather for some pettie ransome to some particular persons that were more capable then our Generall in vouchsafing to take any benefit whatsoeuer For sure I am that some reason there was if I could light on it wherein the Oademongers and Corne Merchants might doe well to helpe mee for they I thinke can ayme neerest to the marke The ninth of October 1597. wee set saile from Villa Franca for England with a faire leading winde for three or foure dayes together and then it grew scanter and scanter and at last starke nought and flat in our teeths with such great stormes foule weather and exceeding high grown Seas as that many of our Fleet were much puzzeled in the nights in falling foule one of another Insomuch that the Mary Rose by meere carelesness of the Master and his Mates had like to haue stemmed the Wastspite if wee had not beene very carefull and diligent to auoid the sudden and emminent danger which yet wee escaped so narrowly as that the Mary Rose with her Beake head tore away all the Gallery on the Lardboord side of the Wastspite This storme on a sudden separated all the Fleet and wee in the Wastspite after this shocke had sundry dangerous leakes breake out vpon vs in such sort as that much to doe wee had by pumping and all other meanes to keepe her aboue water being a very new ship but withall the weakest built Vessell that euer swam in the Seas of her burden and carrying such great store of huge Ordnance as shee did most of the which wee were inforced to strike downe into hold to ease her labouring sides that hourely were like to flye asunder Besides all this wee were in so great want of Fresh-water and drinke as that I offered to giue to one of the Victuallers of the Fleet sixe Chests of Sugar for sixe Hogsheads of Fresh-water and yet could not haue it at any hand Insomuch as wee were faine to begin to set our great Stills on worke to prouide for the worst the best wee could For if the storme had longer held in that violence wee might haue taken the choice whether we would haue beene drenched in the Salt-water or choaked aboord our Ship for want of fresh For with the extreamitie of this Northeasterly storme we were put back cleane from our course and coast into no little despaire And as wee in the Wastspite so were all the rest of the Fleet as I after learned dispersed a sunder insomuch that scarcesly two ships in all the Nauie kept company together But at last it pleased God to send vs more faire and fit windes wherewith wee brought our selues againe into our due course and within three or foure dayes wee began to meet with one another stragling and ranging in the Seas And after that wee in the Wastspight chanced also to descry our Generall by his mayne Flag as farre as wee could ken wayted on onely with two little Barkes who sixe or seuen dayes before was attended with fourescore sayle of good Ships A true type of this worlds inconstant pompe which the winde and Seas did faithfully teach vs not to build too much vpon And I would our noble Generall for his owne sake and better fortune had made that good obseruation thereof When wee had thus met our Generall land had hayled and saluted one another with all the ioy that might bee wee conferred of our course and began to consult thereof with the aduise of our Masters and Pylots Wherein ours in the Wast-spight somewhat varyed from the opinion of the Generals Nauigatours but yet we submitted our selues and our skill to the wisedome and authoritie of his Ship whose Directions wee were to follow And withall wee made knowne vnto his Lordship our great leakes and scarsitie of Drinke who told vs very Honourably that we should want no helpe that hee could yeeld vs and therefore he straightly charged vs to keepe his course and to follow his Light which wee did obserue though our Master was very vnwilling thereunto assuring himselfe that our Generals Master was mistaken and besides his course by too much crediting the perswasions and Art of one Iohn Dauis a great Nauigator reputed who at that time fayled much of his Pilotage and coniecture for the Sleeue to the no little hazard of the whole Fleet as afterwards was seene During this forenamed Storme sundry Birds came flying into our Ships when wee were two hundred leagues from our owne Coast. First there fell into vs an Owle then a Tassell and a Falcon one of the which wee tooke and brought into England then at the last a Done lighted on our Maine-yard which we all liked well and tooke it as a presage of faire weather towards and so thankes bee to God it succeeded presently after two dayes After wee had thus met with our Generall and being well aduanced on our way for the Sleeue and as we coniectured not farre from