Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	fall_v	fire_v	let_v	7,124	5	6.8599	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28809	A briefe discovery or description of the most famous island of Madagascar or St. Laurence in Asia neare unto East-India with relation of the healthfulnesse, pleasure, fertility and wealth of that conntrey [sic] ... also the condition of the natives ... also the excellent meanes and accommodation to fit the planters there ... / by R.B. and Francis Lloyd, merchants.	Boothby, Richard.; Lloyd, Francis.	1647 (1647)	Wing B3744; ESTC R31625	68,433	85

the winde and tide being short of Surrat twenty leagues and in the interim fitting our ships for fight which did weary and tire our men and the two frigots aforesaid keeping us company with out shot of our Ordinance between the shore our ships about twelve of the clock we spied the Portugals great Armado containing seven great Galloons and twenty foure saile of Frigots so soon as they had espied us they all weighed anchor setting saile toward us and we making to them within three leagues one of another and making of their colours very plaine one Admirall two vice-Admirals a reare Admirall and three other great Galoons with twenty foure Frigots we did suppose and conclude that the Portugals had another fleete and had taken Swallow hole or roade where we lade unlade our ships because they had two vice Admirals which was a great pollicy of the Portugals and sending one of our men up into the main top gallant top espied seven ships riding in swallow road we all concluded that the Portugals had taken the road otherwise if they had been our friends they would come out and helpe us which said seven ships as we heard the next yeare was six saile of Dutch ships and the ship Ionah which the Portugals had challenged to fight with so that the Dutch thought themselves too weak to fight with the Portugals But Captain Kerredge then being President at Surrat he would have come out with the Ionah alone to helpe us but that he was perswaded to the contrary by the English and Dutch so we tacked about for to get sea roome and about two a clock the ship Palsgrave Dolphin and Lyon met the Portugals great fleete all the sailes of their ships crost with red crosses they shot at us as though they had been mad after they had discharged their Ordinance our men stood up played about them like brave gallant Souldiers giving the enemy three broad sides for their one and about foure a clock we shot downe the Admirals maine top mast at which all our men gave a great shout and about twelve a clock at night two of their galloons clapt our reare Admirall aboard throwing wilde fire into her that the ship was all of a light fire and we doing our best to relieve her and being in that great distresse the Master caused an anchor to be let fall whereupon the two galloons brake off their grabnels from the ship Lyon by reason that the tide doth run so strong that the Portugals and we did drive to sea and did continue in fight all that night and the next day and the next night and all the next day and night so that we did maule them that most of their masts and yards were shot off and in the morning they were almost out of shot of us we edging to them I made a shot at the Admirall but he would not answer us any more we had spent halfe our ammunition which we carryed out for the reliefe of our ships which we had in India for we did fight three daies and nights our ordinance went off so fast as small shot that you could hardly see the skie for fire and smoak The Natives of India did see the light of our powder in the skie and did heare the report of our ordinance and also Captaine Weddall in the great Iames comming from Bantam on the coast of India who did likewise meet peices of masts yards timber and dead men swimming on the water and we were at that time about sixty leagues at sea and yet they heard and saw the light of our ordnance so the Portugals was glad to leave us and went for Goa and we steered our course for the Island of Sacatora for to stop our leakes and to mend our ships being very much battered shot and torne that we had not a yard square canvas in all our sailes but that there was a hole shot thorow but all this time we did not know what was become of the ship Lyon which was our reare Admirall till the next yeare that after the Portugals galoons broke their grabnels from the ship Lyon could not come to her any more because the tide would not suffer them and the ship Lyon riding at anchor that in an houres time both we and the Portugals fleete had lost sight of her in the meane time the ship Lyons company put out their fire and throwing many deadmen overboard whereof the Captaine was one and fitting their ship for to steere their course for Persia because they all supposed the Portugals had another fleete at swollow road because they met us with two vize Admirals the Portugals well knowing that the Ship Lyon what case she was in sending foure Frygots after her into the Gulgh of Persia and these foure saile of frygots went to Muskat for more helpe to surprize the ship Lyon and in the meane time the ship Lyon arived over against Gombroon and had unladed all their goods and merchandize and left it in the costody of Thomas Ioyce being pursers mate of her and the next day after the Portugals came with twelve frigots and galleys and did set upon the ship Lyon and after halfe a daies fight all the frigots and gallyes laid the Lyon aboard and did enter her with many men and they blowed them up the Portugals did enter them againe severall times so that they were forced to blow up all their deckes with many hundred of the Portugals and seeing they could doe no good in entring the Lyon then they fired her with wilde fire that the mast did burne so much that coales fell down on the decke our stout gallant English men endeavoured still to put out the fire and to put the Portugals off which lay round about her our men throwing fire balls and pots of powder into them yet could doe no good for our men could not use their Ordinance if they opened a port hole the Portugals did let fly a hundred small shot in so that our men could not rowse out a peice for to doe any execution so that our brave Englishmen were put to their shifts either to surrender or to burne or else to blew themselves up so Mr. Iohnson who went out Pursur of her was by the ships company chosen Captaine of her after the other was slaine in fight with us so with unanimous consent rather then to yeeld to the Portugals upon any quarter saying amongst themselves never any English ship was taken or surrendred to the Portugals So one gallant Englishman who was both Purser and Captaine of the ship Lyon seeing no hope or recovery for to put out the fire the ship being much burned that coales of fire fell downe on the decke from the top of the mast our English was contented to die with their brave Commander They all concluded and in the first place they all commended their soules into the hands of the Almighty their Creator and in the second place all agreed

depth after them and bring them up in one hand their Cannowes or boats are made of one piece of timber long and narrow like a hogs trough upon the upper part whereof they fasten two sticks a crosse their boats half a yard or more from each end about two yards long or longer and upon each side to meet with the ends of these staves or sticks they fasten two more which stay up their boats from overturning and doe so leake that they sit in water and continually ladeth out water and one or two more sit therein with little paddles not much bigger then shittle cockbattle-dores to row with all They make little use of labour or manufactures and those of small value I have seen a carpenter for so I may term him making a Cannow or a boat of a piece of timber like a hogs trough as aforesaid having no better a toole then a little axe such as children or youth may play withall the Iron or bit thereof not above two inches bread which must needs make long labour I have also seen a Smith at work to make dart heads in a strange manner having no other toole that I could see but only a stone for the anvill and an other for his hammer and for his bellowes two hollow canes about three quarters of a yard long and about the thicknesse and roundnesse of a mans legge or thigh which being placed together close to a little fire with small holes to let the winde out at the bottome they had to drive the winde out two staves like churme staves wrapt about halfe the length of the staves at the bottome with a sheepes or goats skin the wool side outward like a spunge as gunners at sea use to wipe their guns and make them cleane which being lifted up and pressed downe againe forces out the winde as aforesaid And also as I remember I saw one weaving as if it had been our poore people or beggers in England sitting in high wayes weaving course tape so he weaved narrow striped stuffes of cotton yearn about a quarter of a yard broad which I suppose they sew two or three breadths together to make coverings for the better sort of people their shame or nakednesse Where they have their materialls is uncertaine whether gotten in the Country or brought unto them by Portugalls or other Nations what other food they have besides F●esh and Fish as Corne Rice and other sorts of Craine is doubtfull yet there we saw some of them have some small quantities of Rice and Grauanees so called in India which are a kinde of smaller sort of Beans and of much use for diet in India and in the English house at Surrat they eat them being young buttered instead of green Pease but are not so pleasant as our pease when they grow old or at the worst I have also seen some at one time knawing and suck green Sugar-canes which is a certainty that Sugar-canes grow there and perhaps quantity of Sugar may be made thereof and no doubt but vines are in the Country for I have seen some wilde Vines growing upon the rockie hills in Augustine Bay some of our people have said that they have heard it from the Portugals that the Country doth afford Pepper and other Spices which our English also doe assume who have been far within the land failing some dayes journey in a large navigable River where they met as they reported many people offering them cattell for a halfe or one forth part the price we paid for them at Augustine Bay and having shewed the Natives Pepper Cloves Mace and Nutmegs they made shew to them of store in that Country certaine daies journey or nights sleepes distant by winking and putting their heads under their hands and pulling them back againe they report also of large plaine pastures and medowes replenished with cattell of all sorts Beeves Sheepe and Goats feeding thereon and without all question the Country lying in or near the same degree of Lattitude or distance form the Line as India doth produce the same fruits as Coco-nuts Plantans Musk-millions and other pleasant Millions as great as our English Pumpeons and also the Toddy trees which produce as good liquors as white wine and sugar with which in regard of the cheapnesse thereof in India our English Dutch Marriners drink so much of it as to be often drunk or foxed therewith The Country extends it self in length from about II halfe degrees south lat to 26 degrees In which large extent it comprehends many famous Countries that lie either under the Line or under or neer both Tropicks and so by consequence must in likelyhood or rather assured probability participate of the fertillity pleasure and wealth of them all if not antecede transcend and superabound them all being indeed the paradice of the World especially being once inhabited with Christians or civill people skilfull in Agriculture and manufactures and all sorts of Mecannick labourers and handicrafts In further commendation thereof I will make bold I hope without offence to extoll it as Moses did the land of Canaan i'ts a good land a Land in the which Rivers of waters and Fountaines spring out of vallies and Mountaines a Land of Wheat and Barley of Vineyards of Fig-trees and Pomgranets a Land of Oile Olive and Honey a Land wherein thou shalt eat without scarcity neither shalt lack any thing therein a Land whose stones are Iron and out of whose Mountains thou shalt dig Brasse CHAP. V. The Idolatrous worship of God or the Devill the Natives addicted to theft and robbery A project of the Bishops deposed to plant at Madagascar Madagascar sauegard rasbly attained unto THus in truth without dissimulation have I shewed what my memory doth at present call to minde having lost or given away such briefe notes or papers which I had taken at my being there yet one thing more I call to minde which I may not forget touching their manner of Idolatry or devilish Worship and Sacrifice which some of our people conceives was rather to the Devil not to hurt them then to God but I am not altogether of their opinion but rather think the contrary by their feasting and rejoycing a little before our departure as a kind of thanksgiving to their Idol God or Gods for the benefit they accrewed by the trading they had with us and praying for our prosperity and often return as some were opinionated the circumstance I will declare as brief as I can and as my memory doth best serve me one morning the Salvages killed an Oxe and I doe not remember that I did see or heare that during our abode there that they killed many other and a post about eight or nine foot high was set up near their booths upon which the head and hornes of the Bullock were placed and the post all daubed with the blood thereof the Oxe cut out and divided among the better sort of them and eaten halfe raw and