of seruice exspecting desiring nothing more then to march vp the hils and to incounter their idolatrous enemies But vpon good consideration this enterprise was staied and some 300. soldiours sent into the same valley where 3. daies before our people had beene suddainly compassed intrapped and slaine by the Spaniards Our soldiours being come to the valley aforesaid found no resistance neither could once see a spaniard but found a smal peece of brasse about a fadome long and two barrels of gunpowder and when our souldiours perceiued that there was no good to bee done forbearing to mount the hils because they had no commission so to do with such thinges as they had they returned into the towne The euening now approching the Generall commanded to carry aboord the ships such goods as they had there found and digged out of the ground which was accordingly done and accomplished among which things were three brasse peeces some bels and other goods Sunday the 18. of Iuly we remained at anchor in the road of the Iland Gomera Munday the 19. of Iuly remaining yet in the Iland Gomera and seeing that the Spaniardes continued in their secret holes and dens of the mountaines wee set fire on the towne and as neere as we could burnt down all places as Cloisters churches hermitages and houses remaining yet in the towne vntill it was noone After that all this was accomplished we the vnited soldiours forsooke the towne and presently the Lord General with al his company went aboord the ships Thus we left the Iland Gomera burning which was neuer before done by any nation The Spaniardes seeing that the soldiours were departed out of the Iland with all speed possible in great heapes came running out of their secret caues and holes to quench the fire like as they of Allegona in the Iland of great Canaria before had done Wednesday the 20. of Iuly we lay stil in the road before Gomera in this time 2. of our soldiours were put into captain Cloiers ship and in lew of them we receiued out of his ship 2. others which were hurt with two Spaniards The summary or briefe declaration of the Admirals departing towardes the West-Indies After that the Generall had left the Ilands he giueth order to the fleete taketh his leaue of all the Captaines and officers in most honorable sort he aduanceth the voyage to the West Indies with his Nauy the rest of the ships returne into the low Countries euery one from whence he came AFter that the Iland of great Canaria was by the vnited soldiours taken and won by force of Armes and the Iland Gomera conquered for sundry reasons they were forsakē after they had caried to their ships such things as they found fired the townes churches cloisters and houses and rased their Castles The Lord Generall commanded all Captaines and officers of the fleete to resorte vnto him aboord his ship The same principals being come accordingly he welcommed them and shewed them al friendship he could thanking them for their good and faithfull endeuours which they had shewed in this seruice which he performed with a singular oration praying Almighty God that he woulde vouchsafe to be his only loadsman merciful defender in all his enterprises to the honor of his name and happy successe of the vnited Netherlandish prouinces After this the lorde Generall againe in most friendly sort and kind speeches perswaded desired all the saide captaines and officers alleadging many reasons and examples to perseuer in their good beginning of true and faithfull seruice for God and for their good Lords and principall magistrates the honorable gentlemen and states of the vnited Netherland to the good liking of their valiant high borne gentleman gouernour General prince Mauritz their principall lorde and commander c. with these and such like matters the daie was spent Wednesday the 21. of Iuly the wind was northerly The lord Generall commanded all the captaines and officers to resort vnto him and in most curteous maner againe the second time tooke his leaue of them all ordaining and appointing in his place as Admirall Generall ouer all those shippes which were to returne home the valiant captaine Ian Gerbrantson desiring and straightly charging them al there present to shew all obedience and duty vnto him as to his owne person and that they should make his minde knowne to all others which had not beene there present After these speeches and leaue taken the Admirall Ian Gerbrantson put out the princes colours in the maine top and the honorable gentleman Peter von der Doest presentlie caused the princes flag also to be spread The Netherlandish fleet diuide themselues into two companies whereof the one returneth homewardes and the other proceedeth for the west Indians and as soone as the sunne was southwest all the ships at one instant waied their anchors hoised their sailes taking leaue nowe the thirde time one of an other in most braue and triumphant sort and in this maner departed the one from the other The lord General with his fleet set this course south southwest with 36. ships and the Admirall Ian Gerbrantson ran east by the wind with 35. ships with intent to returne home Wednesday the 18 of August sixteene ships of our fleet which were sent to returne home being in company together in the latitude of 36. degrees and 10. minutes the wind southwest sailing northeast before it was noone we perceiued 2 strange ships vnder saile comming out of the northwest towards whom we made Two Spanish prizes taken and at afternoone we ouertooke them and made them our prises they were both Spaniardes the one was a small Barke and came from Cape de Blanco in 21. degrees loaden for Woluis in the Condate where they dwelled In the same ships was a marchant of Cyuill with 47. men each of their ships hauing two cast peeces and euery man his musket but they made no shewe of defence or offending There was also found laden in the same ships sixty thousand drie hides or skins esteemed to bee worth 6000. duckets as they reported there were also found two bags with mony in the one was 11. hundred single rials and in the other 10. hundred forty single rials with two Buts of traine oile and two barrels of gum Arabique Thursday the 19 day we the abouesaid 16. ships were together beside the two spanish ships 4. ships of war of north Holland 4 ships of Warres of Zeland and one ship of war of the Maze the captain wherof was Antony Leonardson al the rest were victualers The wind west northwest we sailed northeast and by north in 36. degrees and 45. minutes The captaines had beene all aboord the Admirall in councell aduising what were best to bee done in this matter of the Spaniards prises Saturday Sunday the 21. and 22. of August our said fleet of 18. ships kept yet together we found our selues to bee in 39. degrees 6. minuts The sun south and by west the winde blew vp at west north west wee sailed north northeast and north and by east Lysborne was east of vs. Munday the sixt of September the winde westerly we ran east at noone wee sounded the depth was 50. fadome water we found small white shels with needles therein in the hight of 49. degrees 20. minuts the sun southwest wee had sight of Vshant we ran north-northeast and by north Tuesday the 7. of September the sun east south east wee saw England a mighty blustering gale of winde from the south southwest wee sailed north north-northeast The sunne southwest came to lande at Gawstert Afterwarde wee turned and sailed east southeast In the euening it blewe so much winde that wee were forced to strike our maine top mast and we ranne the whole night with two courses by the wind Wednesday the 8. of September the foule weather continued the sunne east and by south we had sight of the I le of Wight north northwest of vs and ranne the whole day east northeast with the fore-saile by the wind as the euening approched we saw Beuersier in the night and second quarter we passed by Douer Tursday the 9. of September as soone as the daie began to appeare it was calme weather and darke the sun southeast we lay still before Newport all the ebbe The wind easterly in the after noone the wind came northwest we set saile againe running al night by the wind with our foresaile Friday the 10. of September 1599. by the break of day wee were before the Maze the sun southwest we arriued by the helpe of Gods mercy and grace before the Brill Since then there is arriued at Texell another ship of war whereof one Cater of Amsterdam was captain the wich was seuered from the fleet in this voiage by tempest and thought to be lost The said captaine met with some prises and in company of two english shippes tooke a Caruell of Aduiso verie richly laden comming out of India and hauing more men then the english shared halfe of the goods with them and so came home this present month of Octob. FINIS
A TRVE REPORT of a voyage made this last Summer by a fleete of 73. shippes sent forth at the command and direction of the states generall of the vnited prouinces to the coast of Spaine and the Canary-Isles And in what sort the said fleet tooke the principall town and two Castles of the Grand Canaria as also an other towne in the Island of Gomera with the successe of part of the saide fleete in their returne homeward Which set saile for Spaine the 25. of May and returned home the 10. of Septemb. 1599. AT LONDON Printed by P. S. for William Aspley dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers head 1599. A true report of a voyage made this last Summer by a fleete of 73. shippes sent forth at the commande and direction of the states generall of the vnited Prouinces to the coast of Spaine and the Canarie-isles TVesday the 25. daie of Maie the wind being Northe and Northeeast we in the fleete of Roterdam being 20. saile of ships the sunne beeing southewest and by west came before Flushing and ankered neere vnto Cleiburch our generall at his comming found the fleetes North Holland and Zeland ready Wednesday the 26. daie wee remained there at anchor Thursday the 27. day of Maie we tooke into our ships by the Generals commandement two gentlemen and foure souldiours Friday the 28. of May 1599. the wind being northerly we waied our anchors and sailed from the Weelings with 73 ships hauing faire weather setting our course west southwest Wee had 3. Admirals in this fleete whereof the chiefe Admirall was the ship of William Derickson Cloper wherein was imbarked the honourable gentleman Peter Van Doest being generall of the fleete This ship was called the Orange carying in her top a flag of Orange colour vnder whose squadron were certaine Zelanders with some south and north Hollanders Ian Geerbrantson caried the white flag vnder whom the Zelanders and ships of the Maze were appointed And Cornelius Gheleinsō of Vlyshing wore in his maine top the blew flag vnder whom were appointed certaine ships of the Maze with some north Hollanders Thus were wee deuided into sundry squadrons but to what ende it was so done it is to me and many others vnknowne Saturday the 29. of Maie hauing sight of Callis the ships lay to the lee ward staied for the rereward The Lord generall shot off a peece and afterward hung out the princes flag in signe that the captains shold come aboord him presently al the captains entred into their boates rowed aboord the General at which time were two pinnaces sent out of the fleet whereof one was the Generals Pinnace but vnto what place they sailed wee were altogether ignorant And when the boates rowed from the Generall some of them went aboord the victualers and tooke out of them certaine fire workes The sunne southwest the Generall discharged another peece of ordinance and put out the Princes flag wherevpon presently the captaines went aboord him and when our captaine returned he had in his hande a letter closed vp which hee brought from the Generall and wee imagined that euery captaine had receiued the like and then wee sailed altogether toward the higth of Blacknesse where wee anchored which caused vs greatly to wonder seeing we had so faire a wind but we perceiued afterwards that this was done to the ende we should there abide the comming of the great new ship of Amsterdam for the soldiours which were appointed for her were all with vs in a ship of our company Sunday the 30. of Maie where lying at anchor al that night the next morning we set saile altogether hauing the winde at north east wee set our course west north west the weather being faire The same morning our captain read vnto vs those very articles which before had bin read vnto vs in the prince Mauritz his Court and afterwards we altogether and with one accord were sworne to the keeping of them At noone wee were neere vnto Beuersier hauing a fine gale out of the east north east the euening was calme the formost shippes slacked their sailes attending the comming in of the hindermost Wednesday the ninth of Iune by the breake of daie we were hard vnder the coast of Spaine neere to Viuero the winde being westerly we sailed north west and by north and north northwest the sunne southwest and by west we were ouer against the cape Ortegael we sailed north west and by north to fetch the wind we were in 44. degrees 20. minuts at twilight we had the foresaid Cape of vs about 5. miles south west and by west Thursday the 10. of Iune the winde being at east south east wee directed our course towardes the shore and might certainly discerne that it was the coast of Ortegall Ortegall we bore in west southwest directly with the land and ordered all thinges as if we presently should haue had battell and about noone wee had sight of the Groyne namely the tower which standeth neere the Groine Friday the 11. of Iune at the breake of day the winde being at north east and by east sixe of our ships sailed forwarde south southwest meaning to enter the Groine and there to learne how al things stood The sunne being southeast Cape Prior was east from vs wee bare south presently after we spied two boates comming out of Veroll to learn what ships we were the rather because that the day before they had seene our fleete at sea we sailed by the wind and lay in the wind to stay for their comming The one doubting vs woulde not come neere vs the other boat also durst not approch neere vs wee called to one of the Spaniardes saying wee came from Hamborch laden with cordage other goods desiring and praying him to let vs haue a Pilot to bring vs into the Groine wherewith the boate came aboord vs so that by our great haste and policie we got one Spaniard the other which remained in the boate would not come into our ship but presently thrust off their boate making all possible speede to get from vs. Hauing nowe gotten this Spaniarde hee was presently deliuered into the handes of the Generall who confessed that there were about 4000. souldiours come into the towne with certaine horsemen 36. waggons with money and 300. pipes of wine to furnish the Spanish fleet that he lay the night past in the Groine and was the kings seruant The sun south south west we came with our whole fleete before the Groyne The whole fleet commeth before the Groine where wee found the great newe ship of Amsterdam vnder the Towne At 12. 13. and 10. fadome we cast anchor so that wee might behold much people both on the shoare vpon the wals of the town From the castle town both they shot mightily with their great ordinance into our fleet so that there were aboue 200. cannon shot discharged wherewith some of our ships were hit but not one man lost
and little hurt done otherwise There lay an other castle east ward from the towne which shot also most terribly but altogether vncertainly for we know not that they touched any one ship more then Moy Lambert which was greatly to bee wondered at seeing our fleete lay so thicke together and so neere vnder the castle There laie hard vnder the castle 12. great Gallions with some french ships which also nowe and then shot among our fleete but they lay so neere the walles that wee could do them no harme at all The Lord Generall worthy of al praise wisely bethinking himselfe caused all his captaines and counsell to come aboorde him that they might together conferre vpon this busines and what meanes might best bee found to inuade the towne and the enemy but they concluded not to meddle with the land there seeing the enemy was there strong vpon his guard and that 5. weekes past both from Amsterdam by a French man they had knowledge of our cōming by reason of the calme wee were constrained to towe out our ships with the boates in dispite of al their shot thus we parted from the Groyne without profit or effecting of any thing leauing the Papists of Groyne as wee founde them From thence the winde being at south southwest wee bent our course towarde Cape Saint Vincent meaning to goe to Saint Lucars hoping to fal vpon them at vnawares and ere they looked for vs. Saturday the 12. of Iune hauing got a fine gale we ran along the coast of Galicia at noone wee were before the Iland of Cesarian and set our course towards Cape Finister Sunday the 13. of Iune the lorde Generall gaue sharpe commandement by his letters forbidding al men aboorde the ships to vse any play with tables cards or dice either for money or for pastime or vpon credit Munday the 14. of Iune the wind blew so harde out of the North that wee could not beare our top-sailes with our forecourse which sailed south the sunne was southward we had Port a Porte of vs being in 41 degrees and 20. minuts Tuesday the 15. of Iune as soone as day appeared we had sight of Cape Roxent and then we sailed making small way staying for the comming together of the fleete the wind as before we sailed south southwest and were in 36. degrees Wednesday the 16. of Iune towardes the euening we had sight of two strange ships eastward of our fleete certain of our ships made towards them and tooke them the one was an english man of war the other was a Spanish barke with three missens at his comming before the Generall he said he had already sent 2. prises into Englande and woulde now with this prise returne home for his victuals were almost spent Thursday the 17. of Iune it was very still and calme weather Friday the 18. of Iune the wind being at north north-northeast we sailed south southwest The Lord Generall caused all the Captaines with the Pilots to come aboord him demanding of them which of them was best acquainted in the Iles of Canaria and further by what meanes they might conquer and force the said Ilands and land their people And abut noone the captaines were chosen and appointed which shoulde commande on lande The Generall gaue out newe ensignes to the number of 9. or 10. according to the number of the ships The lord Generall appointed to each new captaine an Ancient bearer a Lieutenant and other officers with 130. souldiours and mariners and instructions howeuery one of them should gouerne himself on the land Saturday the 19. of Iune the Generall commanded that the captaines should deliuer out victuals but twice a day to wit 6. and 6. to a messe for 6. men 5. cans of beere of Roterdams measure euery day 5. pounde of breade and no more a cheese of 6. l. euery weeke one pound of butter weekely likewise pease beanes or Otemeale twise a day according to the order Captaine Harman and captaine Pijc had each of them commission to commande on the land as captaines ouer two companies of saylers each company containing 130. men Harman Thunesson was appointed Ancient to captaine Henricke Pijc and de Blomme Ancient to captaine Hendricke Hertmā The ancients were deliuered the same day The 20. 21. 22. daies wee sailed south southwest the wind being northerly Wednesday the 23. of Iune the wind was north north-northeast The Generall commaunded all the captaines both for the sea and land to come aboord him where it was ordained and determined how the battell should be ordered after they were landed According to the altitude we found our selues to be 36 miles from great Canaria Thursday the 24. of Iune we ranne our foresaid course The sun being west northwest we sawe the land east and by south off vs wee sailed east and by south and with great labour and diligence bore all that might with the land Friday the 25. of Iune we continued our course to the land for our assured knowledge thereof and perceiued it to be Lancerot we saw also a small land which lay between both called Allegrania and also the Iland Forteuētura which is 24. miles great afterward we sailed southwest along the coast of Forteuentura which is a lande that hath very high hils The sun southwest we were past the Iland Forteuētura and were sailed out of sight thereof running as yet southwest about ii a clocke in the afternoone wee had sight of the Iland of great Canaria for a while wee kept our way but when the Generall was assured that it was the grand Canaria The whole Netherlandish fleet commeth before the Island town of Grand Canaria wee all tooke in our sailes and lay to the lee ward and so remained vntill it was past midnight then wee set faile againe and made to the lande our course westwarde Saturday the 26. of Iune in the morning the whole fleet sailed west directly to the land the winde north and by east and made all thinges ready to land being now neere the shore the whole fleete let fall their anchors harde by the great castle which lieth north northwest from the town from whence they began to shoot mightily against the ships The lord Generall and the vize Admirall with the other ships that had the greatest ordenance anchored close vnder the castle for a certain time they plied each other with their great shot the Generals main mast and his missen mast were shot thorow and his vize Admirall namely the great new ship of Amsterdam was shot thorow 6. or 7. times so that some of the souldiours and maryners also were slaine before they entered their long boates to rowe to the shore But the ships for their parts had so well bestowed their shot on the castle that they of the castle began to faint wherby they discharged not so thicke and often as before Our men rowed to the land in the long boates euery one full of soldiours the ships which could not