Catholike had giuen commandement long before in Italy Spaine that a great quantitie of timber should be felled for the building of Ships and had besides made great preparation of things and furniture requisite for such an expedition as namely in founding of brasen Ordâ—ance in storing vp of corn and victuals in training of men to vse warlike weapons in leuying and mustering of Souldiers insomuch that about the beginning of the yeer 1588. he had finished such a mightie Nauie brought it into Lisbon Hauen as neuer the like had before that time sailed vpon the Ocean Sea A very large and particular description of this Nauie was put in print and published by the Spaniards the translated copy whereof in perpâ—tuam râ—i memoriam to incite English thankfulnesse I haue here inserted but abridged Squadron of the Galeons of Portugall THe Galeon S. Martin Captain Generall of the Armie of 1000. tuns carrieth 177. Mariners 3â—0 Souldiers chosen men 50. Peeces of Canon Bullets Powder Lead Cord and all that which is needfull The Galeon S. Iohn Admirall Generall of 1050. tuns carrieth 170. Mariners 231. Souldiers 50. Peeces of Canons and Bullets Powder Lead Cords and that which is necessary The Galeon of S. Marke is of 792. tuns and carrieth 292. Souldiers 117. Mariners and Powder Bullets Lead Match as much as is needfull The Galeon S. Philip of 800. tuns hath 415. Souldiers 117. Mariners 40. Peeces of Artillery and Bullets Powder Lead Match and all that is needfull The Galeon S. Lewes 830. tuns hath 376. men of Warre and 116. Mariners 40. Peeces of Ordnance and Bullets Match Powder and other things as much as is needfull The Galeon of S. Mathew 750. tuns 177. men of Warre 50. Mariners 40. great Peeces and Powder Bullets Lead Match and all other things as much as is needfull The Galeon S. Iames 520. tunnes 300. Souldiers 100. Mariners 30. great Peeces and Bullets Powder Lead Match and all that which is needfull The Galeon of Florence of 961. tuns 300. Souldiers 100. Mariners 52. Peeces of Ordnance and Bullets Powder Lead Match and all the rest as much as is needfull The Galeon S. Christopher 352. tuns 300. men of Warre 90. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Lead Powder Match and all that which they need The Galeon S. Bernard 352. tuns hath 280. Souldiers 100. Mariners 30. Canons and Bullets Powder Lead Match and other necessary things as much as they need The Zabra Augusta of 166. tuns carrieth 55. Souldiers 55. Mariners 13. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and other necessary things as much as they need The Zabra Iulia of 166. tuns 60. Souldiers 50. Mariners with Ordnance Bullets Powder and other necessaries There is in this Squadron 1â— Vessells 10. of them Galeons and two Zabres which are of 7737. tuns there are imbarked in them 3330. Souldiers footmen 1230 mariners which are in sum 4624. men they carry 350. great Peeces and all that which is necessary to the rest as bullets powder match lead c. THe Ship S. Angell the Captaine is of 768. tuns and hath 323. men of War 114. Mariners 30. Canons Bullets Powder Lead Match and all that which is needfull The Gangrin Admirall of 1160. tuns carrieth 300. Souldiers 100. Mariners 36. great Peeces of Canons Bullets Powder Match Lead and all that which is needfull The Vessell of S. Iames 660. tuns hath 250. Souldiers 102. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and other necessary prouisions The Conception of Zubâ—lzu 468. tuns hath 100. men of War and 70. Mariners 20. great Canons and Bullets Powder Lead Match and all other necessary things The Conception de Iâ—aâ—es del Cauo 418. tuns hath 164. men of Warre 70. Mariners 24. great Peeces and Bullets Powder Lead Match and all that which they need The Magdalene of Iohn Frauncis of Ayala 330. tuns carrieth 200. Souldiers 70. Mariners 22. great Peeces and Bullets Powder Lead Match and that which is necessary to the rest The S 〈…〉 p S. Iohn 350. tuns hath 130. men of Warre and 80. Mariners and 24. great Peeces Bâ—llets Powder Lead Match and all that which they need for the rest The Mary of 165. tuns carrieth 180. Souldiers and 100. Mariners 24. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and other necessary things The Manuela of 520. tuns hath 130. Souldiers 54. Mariners 16. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and the rest of their fraught The Ship of S. Mary of Monte-maior of 707. tuns 220. Souldiers 50. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead and Match and other prouisions The Pinnace called the Marie of Aguiare of 70. tuns hath 30. men of War 23. Mariners 10. Peeces of Canon Powder Bullets Lead Match and other necessary things The Pinnace called Isabella of tuns hath 30. Souldiers 23. Mariners 12 Canons Bullets and other necessary things The Pinnace of Michel Susâ— of 96. tuns 30. Souldiers 24. Mariners 12. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all other necessary things The Pinnace of S. Steuen of 78. tuns hath 30. men of Warre 26. Mariners 12. Peeces of Canon Bullets Powder Lead Match and all other necessary things of prouision There is in this Squadron 14. Ships ten of them great and foure Pinnaces which are of 6567. tuns of burden in which Ships bee imbarked 2037. Souldiers 868. Mariners which make in all 2802. and 260. great Peeces of Canon 119000. Bullets 467. Quintals of Powder 140. of Lead 89. of Match THe Galeon S. Christopher Captaine of 70. tuns hath 205. men of Waâ—re and 120. Mariners and 40. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all that which is necessary to the rest The Galeon S. Iohn Baptist of 750. tuns hath 250. Souldiers 140. Mâ—â—â—neâ—s â—0 great Peeces bullets Powder lead Match other necessary things The Galeon S. Peter of 530. tuns 130. men of Warre 140. Mariners and 40. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest needfull The Galeon S. Iohn of 530. tuns 170. Souldiers 120. Mariners and 30. great Peeces Powder Bullets Lead Match and all the rest The Galeon S. Iames the great of 530. tuns 230. Souldiers 132. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all the rest The Galeon S. Philip and S. Iames of 530. tuns 159. Souldiers and 116. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all that is necessary The Galeon of the Ascension of 530. tuns 220. Souldiers 114. Mariners and 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all other necessary things The Galeon of our Lady del Barriâ— of 130. tuns 170. Souldiers 108. Mariners and 30. Canons Bullets Powder Lead and all other necessary furnitures The Galeon of S. Medel and Celedon of 530. tuns 170. Souldiers 110. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest Galeon S. Anne of the Port of 250. tuns 100. men of Warre and 80. Mariners 24. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest The Ship of
our Lord of Vigonia 750. tuns 190. men of Warre and 130. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest The Vessell of the Triniteâ— of 780. tuns 200. Souldiers 12â— Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest The Ship of S. Katherine of 86â— tuns 200. men of Warr 160. Mariners 30. great Peeces and Powder Bullets Match Lead and all the rest The Ship of S. Iohn Baptist of 652. tuns 200. Souldiers 30. Mariners 30. Canons Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest The Pinnace of our Lord Rosary 30. Souldiers 25. Mariners 24. great Peeces Powder Bullets Lead Match and the rest of their prouision There are in this Squadron fourteene Galeons and Ships and two Pinnaces which beare 8714. tuns In these Vessells there are imbarked 2458. Souldiers 1719. Mariners which are in all 4177. and 348. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all that which they need THe Captaine Ship of 1550. tuns carrieth 304. men of War 118. Mariners 50. Canons Powder Bullets and the rest of their prouision The Ship S. Francis the Admirall of 915. tuns 230. Souldiers 60. Mariners 30. Canons Powder Bullets and the rest of their prouision The Galeon S. Iohn Baptist of 810. tuns 250. Souldiers and 40. Mariners 40. great Peeces Powder Bullets Match Lead and the rest The Ship S. Iohn Gargaran of 569. tuns 170. men of War 60. Mariners 20. great Peeces Powder Bullets Match Lead and the rest The Conception of 862. tuns 200. men of War 65. Mariners 25. great Peeces Bullets Powder Match Lead and all the rest The Hulke Duquesa S. Anne of 900. tuns 250. men of War and 80. Mariners 30. great Peeces Powder Bullets Match Lead and all the rest The Trinitie 650. tuns 200. men of Warre 80. Mariners 20. Canons Bullets Powder Lead Match and the rest The Ship S. Mary de Iuncar of 730. tuns 240. men of War 80. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all the rest The Pinnace of the Holy Ghost 40. men of War 33. Mariners 10. Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and Cord and all that which they need There are in this Squadron 11. Ships 10. great and a Pinâ—ace of the burden of 8762. tuns in which are imbarked 2400. Souldiers 800. Mariners and 260. great Peeces THe Ship of S. Anne the Captaine of â—200 tuns of burden hath 300. men of Warre 60. Mariners 50. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead and all the rest The Ship of our Lord of the Rose Admirall of 945. tuns 230. Souldiers 64. Mariners and 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all the rest The Ship S. Sauior of 958. tuns 330. Souldiers 50. Mariners 30. Canons Bullets Powder Lead Match and the rest The Ship of S. Steuen of 936. tuns 200. men of Warre 70. Mariners 30. great Peeces Bullets Powder Lead Match and all the rest The Ship of S. Marthe of 548. tuns 180. men of Warre 70. Mariners 25. great Peeces bullets powder and the rest The ship S. Barbe of 525. tuns 160. Souldiers 50. Mariners 15. Canons bullets powder lead match and all the rest The ship of S. Bonauenture of 369. tuns 170. Souldiers 60. Mariners 15. great Peeces bullets powder lead and the rest The Mary of 291. tuns 120. Souldiers 40. Mariners 15. great Peeces bullets powder lead and the rest The S. Croix 680. tuns 150. Souldiers 40. Mariners 20. great Peeces bullets powder match lead and the rest The Hulke Doucella 500. tuns 160. men of War 40. Mariners 18. great Peeces powder bullets match lead and all the rest The Patax of the Annunciation of 60. tuns 30. men of War 16. Mariners 12. great Peeces bullets powder match lead and all the rest The Patax S. Bernabe is the same burden as the aforenamed The Patax of our Lady of Guadaloupe is of the same burden also The Pinnace of Magdelene is also the same burden There are in this Squadron 14. Ships ten great Ships two Pataches and two Pinnaces of 6991. tuns of burden In which Uessels there are imbarked 2092. men of Warre and 670. Mariners all commeth 2708. THe Regasona the Captaine which is of 1294. tuns hath 350. Souldiers 90. Mariners 35. great Peeces powder bullets lead match and all the rest The Lama the Admirall of 728. tuns 210. Souldiers 80. Mariners 30. great Peeces powder bullets lead match and all the rest The 〈◊〉 S. Mary crowned of 820. tuns 340. men of Warre 90. Mariners 40. great Peeces powder bullets match lead and the rest The S. Iohn of Cicile of 880. tuns 290. men of Warre 70. Mariners 30. Canons and all the rest The Trinitie Valencera of a 1000. tuns 240. Souldiers 90. Mariners 41. great Peeces and all the rest of their furnitures The Annuntiation of 730. tuns 200. Souldiers 90. Mariners 30. great Peeces and all the rest The S. Nicholas Prodaâ—eli of 834. tunnes 280. Souâ—â—ers 84. Mariners 30. great Peeces and all the rest The Iuliâ—â—e of 780. â—uns 330. Souldiers 80. Mariners 36. great Peeces and the rest The Mary Pison of 666. tuns 250. Souldiers 80. Mariners 22. great Peeces and the rest of their need The Trinitie Escala of 900. tunnes 302. Souldiers 25. great Peeces and all the rest of their furniture In which Squadron there â—â—e ten Ships which are of 7705. tuns of burthen and there are imbarked in them 2880. Souldiers 807. Mariners 310. great Peeces with the rest of that they haue THe great Grison the Captaine of 650. tuns 250. Souldiers 60. Mariners 40. great Peeces and the rest The S. Sauior the Admirall of 650. tuns 230. Souldiers 60. Mariners 30. great Peeces and the rest of their prouision The Sea Dog of 200. tuns 80. Souldiers 30. Mariners 10. great Peeces and the rest The White Faulcon the great of 500. tuns 160. men of Warre 40. Mariners 18. great Peeces and all the rest The Blacke Castle of 750. tuns 250. Souldiers 50. Mariners 25. great Peeces and all the rest The Barke of Ambâ—â—g of 600. tuns 250. men of War 50. Mariners 25. Canons and the rest The House of peace the great of the same burthen The S. Peter the great of the same burthen also The Sampson and Peter the small doe beare the same The Barke of Auzâ—que of 450. tuns 210. Souldiers 50. Mariners 26. great Peeces and the rest of their prouision The Falcon the meane White of 300. tuns 80. men of War 30. Mariners 18. great Peeces and all the rest The S. Andrew of 400. tuns 160. Souldiers 40. Mariners 15. great Peeces and the rest of their prouision The Little house of peace of 350. tuns 160. Souldiers 40. Mariners 15. great Peeces and the rest of their prouision The Flying Rauen of 400. tuns 210. Souldiers 40. Mariners 18. great Peeces and the rest of their furniture THe White Doue of 250. tuns 60. Souldiers 30. Mariners 12. great Peeces and the rest The Aduenture S. Barbe fraughted of the same The S. Iames 600. tuns 60.
we haled ouer to the Coast of Tierra firma and arriued first at the I le of Margarita and comming to the Rancheria or fishing of Pearles in the small Iland of Cubagua we found the Gouernour of Cumana there with a company of Souldiers neuerthelesse we made bold to land and in our landing we receiued a great fight wherein diuers of our men on both sides were wounded but in the end I tooke the place with diuers of the stoutest of our Enemies Prisoners and thirteene Periaguaes and Canoes which are Barkes and Boats of the Countrey for ransome of all which I receiued fiue hundred pounds in Pearle This done I proceeded on my iourney sayling directly for Cape dela Vela and there meeting with a Portugall shippe of two hundred and fiftie tuns laden with three hundred and seuentie Negros brought from Congo or Angola and going to Cantagena with little resistance I tooke the same And sayling along with my prize Westward not able to double the Iles called Las Cabeças I was driuen farre downe to the Southward into the Gulfe of Acle in Spanish called Eusenada de Acle where we landed all our Portugals and Negros keeping only the Captaine which afterward paid â—â—e fiue hundred pounds for his owne and their ranâ—omes Within a while after we stood Westward with our shippes and went into the Iles called the Cabeças where I embarked an hundred and fiftie of my men in two small Pinnasses and two fine shallops and went for the Iles de Bastimentos and landing there vpon the said Ilands which are peopled and very fruitfull I tooke sixe or seuen Negroes for guides and so presently with our Pinnasses and Boates entred the mouth of the Riuer of Porto bello the seuenth of Februarie about two of the clocke after midnight the Moone shining very brightly At our first entrance into the Hauen which is aboue twelue score ouer and very deepe at the mouth and farre vpward we were halled by the strong and stately Castle of Saint Philip hauing thirtie fiue great pieces of Brazen Ordnance and fiftie Souldiers in the same to know whence we were wee hauing aboord vs such as could speake Spanish excellent well answered that we were of Cartagena then they commanded vs to anchor which we did accordingly About one houre afterwards with my two shallops which lay close by my Pinnasses and some thirtie of my principall men I went vp the Riuer hauing some of the smaller Fort called the Fort of Saint Iago which is directly ouer against the great Castle of Saint Philip running still on the shoare and crying out on me to stay but neglecting their out-cryes I landed at the first Towne called Triana where the alarme was presently giuen which neuerthelesse I set on fire and marched ouer a little Brooke into the great rich Towne of Porto bello and comming directly vp to the Kings Treasure-house which is very faire and large we found a squadron of souldiers whereof there are two hundred and fiftie alwayes belonging to the Towne and another company of the Inhabitants with two brasse Pieces of field Ordnance well mounted on their carriages which we presently possessed and fiercely set vpon the Souldiers At which alarme Captaine Antonie Fugars and Captaine George Lawriman of Ratcliffe came vp with my two Pinnasses with an hundred and twentie men to my rescue which was very hardly laid vnto At this house at our first comming into the Towne my Lieutenant Samuel Barnet was shot on the side of his head and through his eare and Captaine Giles comming to second him was likewise shot ouer the brest and through his arme In this meane space Pedro Melendes the Gouernour of the Towne had gathered sixtie Souldiers together and was comming toward a certaine bridge to encounter me I hauing not then aboue eight or nine men with mee to withstand them but God did prosper our proceedings mightily For the first two shot that went from vs shot Melendes through his Target and went through both his armes and the other shot hurt the Corporall of the field Whereupon they all retired to the house which they made good vntill it was almost day Against whom I sent Captaine Ward with some Souldiers who entred the house killing diuers of them and wounded Melendes in eight places more himselfe being shot through both his thighes in entring and some of his men hurt but in the end he tooke Melendes Prisoner and became Master of the house My selfe with others went to the Kings house wherein were many of the Souldiers who would not come to any composition but stoutly defended the same against Captaine Giles and our Lieutenant Samuel Barnet who in the end flue diuers of them and hurt many others taking the Kings Scriuano prisoner This fight endured for the space of foure or fiue houres The fight being ended and we being Masters of the Kings Treasure-house and all the Towne and hauing the Gouernour Melendes and the Scriuano with many others of the chiefest my Prisoners except the Alcalde which fled out of the Towne with a chaine of Gold about his necke Such Treasure as was found in the Kings house to the value of some nine or ten thousand Duckets I reserued to my selfe which was nothing to that which wee did expect that being the receite at one time of the yeere of all the Treasure that commeth from Peru and Chile amounting at least to fiue or sixe Millions of Duckets and had I come but seuen dayes sooner I had taken heere an hundred and twentie thousand Duckets which were newly laden in two Frigats for Cartagena The rest of the spoile of the Towne which came to no small value in Money Plate and Merchandize I gaue wholy to my Souldiers which being done I disposed my Corpses du guard in diuers places for keeping the Towne all that day and at the end of the streete leading toward Panama on the South Sea being full of all Artificers we made a barricado where Captaine Giles stood with another Corps du guard being diuers times assaulted by the enemy whom still hee valiantly repulsed and put to the worse Pedro Melendes the chiefe Gouernour of the Towne being my Prisoner in regard that he had valiantly carried himselfe in making resistance vntill he had tenne or eleuen wounds vpon him I did not only at length dismisse without any peny for his ransome but also caused my Chirurgion very carefully to dresse and trimme his wounds vsing him and his farre otherwise then Pedro Melendes his great Vncle vsed Iohn Ribault Landoniere and the French Nation in Florida whom they most cruelly murdered and massacred as many as they could lay any hands vpon Thus being Master for one whole day of the stately and new builded Towne of Porto bello which had two goodly Churches in it fully finished and sixe or seuen faire streets whereof two were full of all necessarie Artificers and of Merchants with three small
tooke it to be neerer the order of the Warres if the other Regiment this day were respected This reason together with request to his honour to remember himselfe to be the Generall and therefore his place should not be so full of danger so farre moued his Lordship that Sir Iohns Regiment had the Point neuerthelesse his Lordshippe would be at the seruice in person Thus the manner of the enterprize being vpon the present resolued on his Lordship put himselfe into his Armour so did all the Commanders and who else had Armours for they looked that the seruice should be hot as indeede it proued By and by the enemies Centinell had discouered the approach of our Companies and they tooke the Alarum It may be well said it was well fought by the Engliâ—h and if it had bin day that euery one might haue seene what he did it is to be thought so many would not haue deserued so much commendation The assault continued aboue two houres during which time the Spaniards were not idle For though the assalants left no way in the world vnattempted yet no way could they finde to enter the Gate The Cawsey which was the ordinarie way of passage was purposely made so rugged that our men to keepe them on their feete made choise to wade in the water besides it Here his Lordship was by the stumbling of him that bore his Target ouerthrowne euen to the danger of drowning for his Armour so ouerburdened him that the Sergiant Maior that by chance was next had much adoe at the first and second time to get him from vnder the water when he was vp he had receiued so much Salt water that it droue him to so great extremity of present sicknesse that he was forced to lye downe in the very place vpon the Cawsey till being somewhat recouered he was able to be led to a place of some more safetie and ease in which place the Bullets made him threatning musicke on euery side His Lordshippe being brought to this little safe place whence yet he would not be remoued till the fight was done Sir Iohn Barkeley led on his Regiment from whom there were not lesse then 3000. English Bullets sent among the Spaniards who had not so many hands as we yet were not much behinde vs in sending these heauy leaden messengers of death For besides fix peece of great Ordnance which were bent and played iust vpon the Cawsey and some pretty store of Musketeers at a port fast by the gate lay there a fowler or a cast peece that did more skathe then all the rest for that at once shot many murthering shot whereupon the peece is also called a murtherer for all this our Soldiers came to the very gate and with Bils some two or three that they had wanting other fitter instruments began to hewe it At their ports and loope holes they were at the push of the Pike and hauing broken their owne with their naked hands tooke their enemies Pikes and perforce brake them But for all this no entrance could be got Sir Iohn Barkeley attempting to discouer if any passage might be found of either side of the gate twice waded so farre that if he could not haue swamme he had bin drowned They that were come to the gate called to their owne Companies that some Pikes should be drawne to them this word was giuen farther then was intended for by and by all the Pikes were called for Then his Lordships colours began to march and to the Cawsey came where hee was very exceeding sicke lying vpon the ground in a place no lesse dangerous then if he had bin vpon the Cawsey a place so perillous that it had bin as safe being at the entry of a breach by assault but the end was it could not then bee taken the tyde came in so fast that what was at our knees before was now come vp to our middles and besides the day began to breake which though some thought would be aduantagious for vs yet certainely it would haue bin the death of many a man their Ordnance being bent to scoure the Cawsey and the ruggednesse which they had made to hinder our approach had made vs forsake it which if the day had once discouered to them they might easily haue bent their Artillery to our much greater losse But God would not haue more bloud shed nor ours as yet to haue our wils The Companies therefore were brought off to the place where we lodged all night before where the Chirurgians were presently to looke to the hurt which were not many and the slaine much fewer all vnder fiftie of both sorts No Commander slaine or hurt but two Lieutenants Lieutenant Cholmley that had serued excellently well and Lieutenant Belings The losse that the enemy had was much like sauing that of the assaults there were some few more slaine from this place our Companies marched to the Sea-side whether his Lordship had appointed victuals to meete them His Lordship hauing giuen the Souldiours some time to refresh themselues in the meane time went himselfe aboord so sicke that in truth he was to be feared with purpose to râ—pose himselfe for that night but his thoughts were so busied and restlesse that within few houres he came ashore againe and presently put in execution a purpose which his Lordshippe had this meane time digested it was to land men at the other Fort. For effecting whereof he gaue direction that one of the Ships should beare in close to the shore though it were as indeede at proued with apparent danger of casting her away But the seruice was to be done whatsoeuer it cost Withall there were in the rocks on the other side ouer against the Fort I meane that which we first came to see but could not come at some fifty Musketeers placed to beate the enemy from their Ordnance meane while there were shipped in Boates Captaine Coach and Captaine Orrell with two hundred Pikes and shot to land on the other side the Fort twixt it and the Town that they hauing made good the place might either make a stand till the rest of the forces were landed if it were thought needefull or else might march and charge the other Fort on that side when our men should assault it on this side This plot tooke very good effect for within an houre that the attempt was giuen partly the Ship and partly the Musketeers had so beaten the Fort that the Boates had good leisure to land whereupon within short space the enemy quitted the place without losse to be spoken of to our Companies for of all ours there were not aboue three hurt and one slain onely the Ship was driuen vpon the rockes and finally cast away Their direction was that the Souldiers should make the place good for there was no doubt of their sufficient strength the Boats were commanded to come backe againe to his Lordship who appointed to
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
is held by the Spaniards may bee perceiued by their imploying him in time of so great necessitie Once it is confessed that hee almost onely was hee that held the rest from present yeelding and who after yeelding which yet they say was without his consent taketh the losse of the Spaniards most of all to heart He seemeth truly to be wise aboue the common pitch of Souldiers which is his profession yet hath he beene heard say and protest by the faith of a Souldier that there is not so rich and good a myne in all the Kings Dominions to the Westward as that of Puerto Rico. Others whose fathers were imployed in the workes report what their dying fathers told them But that which maketh most of all to the purpose is the present preparation which the King is euen now a making for the reuiuing of these workes afresh in Puerto Rico by setting two hundreth Negroes to worke and for that purpose had sent great store of Mattocks and Spades thither there found in his store-house and for what other vse they should haue needed is not well conceiueable Much time was spent in taking order how the Spaniards might be dispatched to Carthagena for thither it was resolued they should bee sent being a place so farre to the leeward of Puerto Rico as that they neither could in haste themselues make any head nor send newes to Spaine to procure the leâ—â—ing of any forces thence and in prouiding victuals for this place and repayring ships that were first to come for England Vpon Thursday being Saint Peters day there was a saile discryed at Sea in the morning and by noone shee was come into the Harbour which with much astonishment shee found turned English The Spaniards had some few dayes before reported that they looked for a ship to bring from the Hauana much of the Souldiers pay that was behinde This held vs for the time in great suspence of hope and doubt whether this might bee shee or no the rather because this seemed to bee of the same bignesse that they had spoken of but when shee was fallen into the trap it was found indeed to bee a very Mouse where we looked for a Mountaine For her lading was a number of poore naked Negroes from Angola to bee sold there Yet was shee a pretie Boat and of her lading likely to bee made of good vse Within few dayes after there was another saile almost taken after the same manner yet perceiuing a greater fleete riding there then shee could hope to finde Spanish shee got her tack aboard and went away lasking so that though the Affection was sent away in chace after her yet shee escaped Vpon Friday being the seuenth of Iuly all things being made readie for their passage the Spaniards were imbarked in a Caruell and in another ship which during the time the ships rode without the Harbour for feare of them whom shee could not passe or enuie that they should receiue good by her ranne her selfe desperately ashoare but shee and most things in her were saued and here shee saued the sending away of a better ship With these two wherein the baser Spaniards were put there were two other ships sent to waft them wherein also went the Gouernour and some few others who deserued some respect And for themselues it was permitted them to come directly home for England The next day being the eighth of Iuly there came to his Lordship two Negroes from the mayne Iland with a flagge of truce and a letter from one Seralta an ancient Commander in that Iland and who vpon a wound receiued in the first fight at the bridge had with-drawne himselfe into the Countrie The effect of his desire was that being in great distresse through feare of the English that daily marched vp and downe the Countrie he desired his Lordship to grant him and his protection to trauell without danger Whereunto his Lordship made this answere to be written and sent him That he must absolutely denie his request but yet if himselfe or any of his Nation or any dwelling with him or them would within eight dayes come vnto him to Puerto Rico he should by the vertue of that his Letter bee protected from being taken or spoyled by any of his Souldiers and this hee willed him to signifie to them neere about him that they might giue notice of the same throughout the whole Iland And further his Lordship promised that to as many as would come that they should both come safely and if they so would should bee imbarked and sent away as the Gouernour with the rest of the Spaniards were alreadie His Lordships honorable resolution and intendment was not to come so farre from home to take onely or spoile some place in this other world and then run home againe but hee had determined by the leaue of God to keepe Puerto Rico if it pleased God to giue it into his hands That was the place he meant to carry whatsoeuer it might cost him being the very key of the West Indies which locketh and shutteth all the gold and siluer in the Continent of America and Brasilia He knew that Saint Domingo might with much lesse losse bee taken and would bring much greater profit for the present in regard whereof and of the desire hee had his Aduenturers should become gayners his thoughts sometime tooke that way but finally they stayed at Puerto Rico and there setled themselues As this was his resolution before hee had it so was it also after he had it and then not onely his but euery man of worth or spirit saw such reason in his Lordships designments that some thought themselues not so graciously dealt withall that they were passed ouer when others were named to stay But God had otherwise disposed For within a while that his Lordship had beene in Puerto Rico many of our men fell sicke and at the very first not very many dyed The Spanish as well as the English were both sicke and dyed of the sicknesse as besides Seralta was seene in diuers others O hâ—rs suspected their bodily labours to haue procured it and both seeme to haue concurred In Iuly and August is their Winter so called for their great raines at those times which to bodies alreadie rarified by the heat of the Sunne then ouer them and yet rather where vehement exercise hath more opened the pores whereby inward heat is exhaled must needes be very dangerous It was an extreme loosenesse of the body which within few dayes would grow into a flux of bloud sometimes in the beginning accompanyed with a hot Ague but alwayes in the end attended by an extreme debillitie and waste of spirits so that some two dayes before death the armes and legs of the sicke would be wonderfull cold And that was held for a certaine signe of neere departure This sicknesse vsually within few dayes for it was very extreme to the number of sixtie eightie and an hundred stooles
labour among the people were separated from them that were fit for warre that euery one might be put to seruice agreeable vnto him The Citie therefore began to be built there and a wall of earth to be raised about it to to the heigth of a Speare or Iauelin and in the Citie a firme and strong house for our Generall The wall of the Citie was three foot broad But that which was built to day the next day fell downe againe For the people wanting food liued in great scarcitie so that many died of famine nor could the Horses satisfie them There was not plentie enough of Dormice or other-Mice or Serpents or other wild beasts to asswage this lamentable famine and vnspeakable pouertie Not so much as shooes and other Leather could auoid this rage of deuouring It fell out also at that time that three Spaniards hauing stolne a Horse did priuily eate him Which as soone as it was discouered they were grieuously tormented and questioned touching the fact and when they confessed it they were condemned to the Gallowes When they were hanged three other Spaniards consorted themselues together who the same night going to the Gallowes cut off the legges of them that were hanged and cut out pieces of flesh from their bodies that in their Cottages they might asswage vntollerable hunger by eating thereof A certaine Spaniard through exceeding hunger eate his owne brother who died in the Citie of Buenas Aeres 10. When therefore our Generall Don Petro Mendoza saw that the people could no longer be sustained and preserued in this place he presently commandeth foure small Barkes which they call Brigantines or small men of warre and are carried with Oares to bee made readie whereof euerie one will hold fortie men there were also three other lesse called Potten These seuen little Vessels therefore being made readie and dispatched our Generall commanded the company to be mustered and George Luchsam with 350. readie and able men to saile vp the Riuer and seek out the Indians that we might get prouision of victuals and food But the Indians vnderstanding before of our presence burnt their prouision of victuall and whatsoeuer was good to eat together with their Villages and runne away But wee in the meane season got no food and for euerie daies allowance vnto euerie man one ounce and an halfe of bread was distributed whereby it came to passe that in this journie the halfe part of our Souldiers perished through famine Wee therefore of necessitie returned to the said Towne where our Generall was who greatly wondred that so small a number of people should returne seeing we were no more then fiue moneths absent and he demanded of our Captaine George Luchsam to declare vnto him what hee had done in this journie who signified that they who were wanting died of famine because the Indians had consumed all the food with fire and after run away themselues 11. All these things falling out thus as I haue said yet we continued together in the Towne of Buenas Aeres a whole moneth in great want expecting while the furniture of our shippes should be finished In the meane whâ—le in the yeere 1535. the Indians inuade vs and our Citie of Buenas Aeres with the strength of twentie three thousand men and in their Armie there were foure distinct Nations to wit Cariendes Bartennis Lechuruas and Tiembus The purpose and principall intension of all these was to kill vs all But praise and glorie bee to God who saued the greatest part of vs safe from destruction For together with the Captaines and Ancients and other Souldiers there were not aboue thirtie men of ours slaine When therefore they first came to our Citie of Buenas Aeres some of them ranne furiously to assault it others cast fierie Darts vpon our houses all which except our Generals house which only was couered with Tile were only thatched and by that meanes all our Citie together with all the houses was consumed with the flames euen from the foundation The Weapons or Darts of these Indians are made of Reed which when they are cast or shot out take fire in the point They haue a kind of wood also whereof they make their Darts which if they bee fired before they be cast are not quenched but set houses couered with Thatch on fire and so those that touch or joyne together burne together In this fight these Indians burnt vs also foure great shippes which were halfe a league distant from vs on the water But the Souldiers who were in these ships when they saw that mightie tumult of the Indians betooke themselues to flight from these foure shippes into three others which rode not farre from these and were furnished with Ordnance They therefore when they saw the foure ships burne began to defend themselues and eagerly to assault the Indians and let flee the bullets which caused them to leaue the assault and depart giuing rest vnto the Christians All this was done on the Feast of Saint Iohn the Euangelist In the yeere 1535. 12. All these things being past and done all the people went into the ships and our Generall Don Petro Mendoza made Iohn Eyollus his Deputie creating him Lieutenant Generall deliuering ouer vnto him the whole gouernment of all as also of the people He taking a view of the company of two thousand fiue hundred men which came from Spaine together in ships hee found only fiue hundred and sixtie aliue all the rest were dead whom for the most part the intollerable famine had consumed After this our Lieutenant Iohn Eyollus commandeth eight little Barkes which they call Brigantines and Pott speedily to be built And of fiue hundred and sixtie which remained aliue hee tooke vnto him foure hundred men leauing the other one hundred and sixtie to take charge of the foure great ships ouer whom hee set Iohn Romero the chiefe commander leauing prouision for a whole yeere so that foure ounces of bread were distributed to euery man for his daily allowance 13. After this our Lieutenant Iohn Eyollus with his foure hundred Souldiers which hee had with him among whom also Petro Mendoza our Generall was saileth vp the Riuer of Parana in the Brigantines and Potts furnished for this purpose vntill wee came vnto the Indians which was peâ—formed in the space of two moneths from our comming forth of the Citie of Buenas Aeres so that wee were now eightie foure leagues distant from our said burnt Citie When therefore we were not aboue foure leagues from these people which they call Tiembus but wee called them Bona speransa and they vnderstood of our comming before about foure hundred men of them came peaceably vnto vs in their Boats which they call Canoas in euery one of the which Canoas sixteene person sate When therefore we met together in the Riuer our Generall gaue the Captaine of these Indians of Tiembus whom they call Zchara Wassu a shirt a red
Cap a Hatchet and certaine other things Which presents beeing receiued the said Zchara Wassu brought vs into their Towne setting before vs fish and flesh plentifully and sufficient food so that we were exceeding well contented For if this Voyage of ours had continued yet but ten daies longer we should all haue died with famine as euen now in this Voyage of foure hundred men who came together in the ships fiftie were dead These people of Tiembus weare on either nostrill a blue starre artificially made of a white and blue stone they are large men and of a tall stature but the women aswell young as old are very deformed with torne faces and alwaies bloudie from the Nauell to the knees they are couered with Cotton-cloth the rest is naked This people hath no other meate saue fish and flesh nor euer liued with any other thing The strength of this Nation is thought to be fifâ—eene thousand men or more The Skiffes or Boates which they vse are made of a Tree eightie foote long and three broad which as the Fishermens Boats of Germanie are rowed with Oares saue that their Oares are not bound with Iron 14. We abode foure whole yeeres in the foresaid Village or Towne but our Generall or Admirall Petro Mendoza by reason of his extreame and continuall sicknesse in that hee was able neither to stirre hand nor foote and had spent in this iourney of his owne about fortie thousand Ducates of ready money would no longer stay with vs in this Towne but returneth in two Brigantines to Buenos Aeres to the foure greater Shippes and there taking two of them and fiftie Souldiers he intended to returne into Spaine but scarce halfe the iourney performed the hand of almightie God so smote him that he miserably died But before his departure he certainly promised vs that he would doe his best as soone as he or the Ships returned into Spaine that two other Shippes should be sent backe to the Riuer of Plate which by his will he had so ordained and was faithfully also performed furnished with Souldiers prouision of victuals Merchandise and other things necessary for such a voyage 15. The name of the Commander of these two Shippes was Alfonso Gabrero who also brought with him two hundred Spaniards and prouision for two yeares He arriued at the Towne of Buenas Aeres in the yeare 1539. where we left the other two Shippes when wee departed together with one hundred and sixtie men They presently sent away a Shippe into Spaine prouided for this purpose for so the Counsell of the Emperours Maiestie commanded and deliuered orderly and at large to the said Counsell the state and condition of these Countries and people and other circumstances After this our Generall Iohn Eyollas consulting with Alfonso Gabrero Martino Don Eyollas and the rest of the Captaines iudgeth it to be most conuenient to muster the Souldiers which being done together with ours and those who came first from Spaine fiue hundred and fiftie men were found of these they choose vnto them foure hundred men leauing one hundred and fiftie in Tiembus 16. By this order of the Captains we saile vp the riuer Parana with these foure hundred men shipped in eight Brigantines seeking another Riuer whereof we were told called Parabol at the which the Carios dwell for these were reported to abound with Turkish graine and roots of the which they make wine and also fish and flesh and Sheepe as bigge as Mules and Harts Hogges Estridges Hennes and Geese Departing therefore from the Hauen of Bona Speranza with our eight Brigantines sailing foure leagues the first day we came to a Nation called Curenda which liue with flesh and fish This Iland is 12000. strong of men fit for warre and hath great store of Canoes This Nation is like the former Tiembus with little stones hanging dangling in their noses The men also are of a tall stature but the women as well yong as old deformed with rugged and bloudy faces And are no otherwise apparelled then they of Tiembus to wit couered with a Cotten cloath from the nauell to the knees as is before said These Indians haue great plenty of other skinnes These men did liberally communicate vnto vs of their pouerty or of that little they had Fish Flesh Skinnes to whom contrariwise wee gaue Glasses Beades Looking-glasses Combes Kniues and Fish-hookes and abode with them two dayes They gaue vs also two men of Carios who were their captiues to be our Guides and Interpreters 17. Sailing further hence we came to another Nation called Gulgaisi which is able to bring 40000. men for warre into the field This Nation also hath two stones at their nose it was thirty leagues distant from the Island Curenda and they and the inhabitants of Tiembus haue the same language They dwell vpon a Lake sixe leagues long and foure broaâ— situate on the left side of the Riuer Parana We staied here foure daies and these men imparted to vs of their pouertie and we did the like to them proceeding further thence for the whole space of eighteene daies we light on no men but afterward we came to a Riuer flowing into the Countrie it selfe In that Country we found a great number of men come together which they call Macuerendas These haue nothing to eate saue fish and a little flesh and are 18000. strong of warlike men and haue a great number of Boates. These men after their manner intertained vs courteously enough they dwell on the other side of the Riuer Parana towards the right hand haue a differing tongue from the former and are tall men and of a good proportion but their women also are very deformed They are distant from those whom they call Gulgaisi sixtie foure leagues While we remained idell among these people foure daies we found an huge monstrous Serpent fiue and twenty foote long lying on the land not farre from the shoare which was as bigge as a man of a blacke colour spotted with a deepe yellow This Serpent we killed with a Gunne which when the Indians saw they wondered thereat with great astonishment for they themselues had neuer seene any so great before This Serpent as the Indians themselues said had done much hurt vnto them for when they washed themselues in the water the Serpents finding men there wound their tailes about them and hauing drawne them vnder water deuoured them so that the Indians knew not oftentimes what became of many of them Idiligently measured the length and thicknesse of this Serpent which the Indians cutting in peeces euery one carried part home vnto their houses and being sod and roasted did after eate thereof 18. From hence sailing further vp the Riuer of Parana in foure daies iourney we came to a Nation called Zemais Saluaisco The men of this Countrie are of a short stature and of a grosse body They liue with nothing else saue fish flesh and hony Both men
hundred men of the Carios but of the enemies almost innumerable were slaine for there was so great a multitude of them that they spread almost a whole league in length But the Carios sending a messenger to the towne where we were earnestly entreated our Generall that they would come with some supply of Souldiers to helpe them for the Maigenos had so beset them round in a wood that they could neither goe forward nor returne backe againe Which when our Generall vnderstood he presently commandeth the Horses to be made ready and to send away and dispatch one hundred and fiftie Christians but of the Carios assembled a thousand men leauing the rest of the Souldiers in the tents to guard them that wee being absent the Maigenos our enemies might inuade them We went forth therefore with this force to wit the said horse one hundred and fiftie Christians and one thousand Carios to helpe the Carios our friends But so soone as the Maigenos perceiued our comming remouing their tents they committed themselues to flight and albeit we pursued them with as much speede as wee could yet could we neuer ouer take them Returning therefore to our tents we abode there three daies for we had found in this towne of the Maiegenos great plentie of foode and other things Hauing trauailed a continuall iourney of thirteene daies that is to say in our iudgement and theirs who are skilfull in the celestiall motions two and fiftie leagues we came to a Nation whose people are called Carcokies and hauing trauailed further the space of nine daies we came into a certaine little Countrie sixe leagues long and broad which was all so thicke ouerspread with excellent Salt as if it had â—owed Salt in great abundance and this Salt is not corrupted winter nor summer We rested two daies in this Salt Countrie going forward at length after foure daies iourney we came to the foresaid Nation Carcokies But when we were yet foure leagues from their towne our Generall sent fiftie Christians fiftie Carios to prouide vs lodgings Hauing entred the towne we found such an innumerable multitude of men gathered together as in all this iourney we had not seene the like wherefore being very pensiue and carefull aboue measure sending a messenger presently backe vnto our Generall who taking his iourney the very same euening came vnto vs betweene three and foure of the clocke in the morning But the Carcokies supposing there had bin no more men there then we whom they had seene before had now promised themselues the victorie But when they vnderstood that our Generall followed vs with a greater force they were very sad and sorrowfull and performed all friendly offices and kindenesse vnto vs for they could doe none other seeing they were afraid of their wiues children and their towne They brought vs therefore flesh of Deere Geese Hens Sheepe Estridges Conies and whatsoeuer else of this kinde of Venison and also of Birds they had also Turkish Come Wheate Rise and certaine Rootes of all which things there was great plentie in this Countrie The men of this Countrie weare a blew stone in their lippes as broad as a Dye Their weapons are Darts the staues of Speares and round Targets made ef the skins of the Indian Sheepe called Amidas Their women haue a little hole in their lips in the which they put Christall either of a greene or blew colour they haue garments of Cotten like to a shirt but without sleeues they are beautifull enough they doe nothing else but spinne and order things appertaining to the houshold for tillage of the ground and other things necessarie for the maintenance of the familie are looked vnto by the men 48. When we had gone three daies iourney from this towne we came to a certaine Riuer called Machcasies a league and a halfe broad and when we saw not how we might passe safely ouer without danger at length we found out this meanes that for euery two persons wee should make a Boate of twigs and timber whereon being carried downe the Riuer they might come to the other side of the banke but in this passage foure of our men were drowned This Riuer hath most sauourie Fish Many Tygars also are found about these places and this Riuer is but foure leagues onely distant from the towne Machcasies The Inhabitants comming forth to meete vs entertained vs curteously speaking to vs in the Spanish tongue whereat being astonished and sore afraid at the first wee demanded of them to what Lord they were subiect and who was their supreame Gouernour They therefore answered vs and our Captaine that they were subiect to a certaine Noble man in Spaine whose name was Petro Ausuetes Entring into this Towne we found certaine men and women and little Infants also swarming with very little vermin like our fleas These little vermin if they lay hold of the toes of the feete or any other part of the body they gnaw and enter alwaies more and more deepely in and at length become wormes such as are found in our filberds yet if it be done in time this mischiefe may be preuented that it shall not hurt but if deferring the cure it be neglected at length by eating and gnawing it consumeth and corrupteth whole toes From the often named Citie of the Assumption of Mary to this Towne are numbered according to the account of the Astronomers three hundred seuentie two leagues And when we had staied there about twentie daies a Letter was brought vs from a Citie of the Kingdome of Peru called Lima where the Viceroy or Lieutenant of Caesars Maiestie who at that time was Liecutiatus Lagasca had an house The Letter contained that our Generall Martin Don Fiottas should goe no further forward vpon paine of death but abiding in the Towne Machcasies should expect his further commandement But after this our Generall sent away foure persons to the Gonernor to Peru. These foure persons iournying sixe weekes in Peru came first to that Nation called Potasi next to another called Rueskem The third Nation to which they came was called Plata and the fourth which was the Metropolis or the chiefe Citie was called Lima. 49. This also is worthie of obseruation That the Countrie of Machcasies is so fruitfull that we neither found not saw any like it in fruitfulnesse in all this our Iourney For if an Indian going forth into the Wood make an hole or a cleft in the first tree that commeth to hand smiting an Hatchet into it fiue or sixe measures of so pure Honie flowe out as if it were sweete Wine or Muskadell The Bees that make this Honie are without stings and are very small This Honie being eaten with Bread or mingled with other food yeeldeth pleasant meate They make also Drinke thereof or Wine of the same taste that Muskadell hath but sweeter Our Generall Eyollas so wrought with the people that wee could stay no longer here
the Citie of Mexico by reason of their shipping although not in so great quantitie as they carry for Lisbone not for that they of Mexico either want shipping or abilitie but because the Spaniards would conquer it with the Sword as he hath done other Lands and not by the way of Traffique as the Portugall doth the principall Port from whence this Merchandize doth come is called Aguatorke in the Coast of China on the North side After the Conquest of this Kingdome of Mexico the order how the Spaniard did diuide this Land was this The principall Cities they refined to the King of Spaine and to the Generall of this Conquest who was renowmed Ferdinando Curtis they assigned vnto him a great Valley or as we call it a low Land betweene two Mountaines which was called Cornouake by which Valley he had the name of Marquesse of the Ualley where there were great Townes in which some affirme to be about 400000. fire houses whereby the rent was to him better worth then three hundred thousand Duckets by the yeere These Rents were confirmed to him and his for euer The other part of the Land that remayned was parted among the rest of the Captaines and Souldiers which were at this Conquest some had a hundred thousand Duckets by yeare and other fortie thousand Duckets and some fiftie thousand Duckets and hee that had least had ten thousand Duckets by the yeare so that now there are very few which haue this Rent for that they are most of them dead so that great part of the said Rents are fallen into the Kings hand wherefore there are many insurrections against the King which cost many a mans life And now to proceed farther along the Coast which is a Land full of great Mountains and very hot with much raine for which cause it is a very vnholsome Countrey where breedeth all noisome wormes and beasts therefore there are very few Indians dwelling there and no Spaniards so that the Countrey is almost desolate The first Land that is inhabited by the Spaniards along the Coast is called Veragua this is the most richest Land of Gold then all the rest of the Indies therefore it is inhabited with Spaniards In this place the people are alwayes sicke and it raineth continually and the Land yeeldeth no fruit so that all their sustenance commeth from other places all which necessities the Spaniards suffer with great patience for the couetousnesse of the Gold the which Gold they get out of the Riuers with the helpe of a number of Negroes I doe verily beleeue that if this Land were now the ancient Romanes or else the Egyptians they would surely make a channell from the end of this Riuer de Carinas which issueth from the Lake of Nicaragua to the South Sea for that there is no more but foure leagues betweene the Sea and the Riuer so that there they might Trade to the Moluccas and to the Coast of China so would it be sooner and easier done then the long and troublesome Voyages of the Portugals and sooner made then to goe through the Straits of Magellan which is almost vnpossible to passe thorow From this Land of Veragua vnto the Iland of Margereta the Coast along is called the firme Land not for that the other places are not of the firme Land but because it was the first firme Land that the Spaniards did conquer after they had past the Ilands This Land is very hot and hath much raine and for this cause is very vnhealthfull and the most vilest place of all the rest is called Nombre de Dios which is the first place inhabited after you haue passed Veragua There may be in Nombre de Dios about foure hundred houses and hath a very good Port for shipping The cause why the Spaniards inhabited here in this place was for that it should bee the way by Land to the South Sea and for the Trade of Peru that is from hence vnto the Citie of Panama eighteene leagues And Panama standeth on the Coast of the South Sea To this Towne of Nombre de Dios doth come all Spanish shipping and there discharge them then put they the goods into small Barkes that goe vp a Riuer to a house which is called The house of Crosses where the small Barkes doe discharge the goods againe And then they put it on Mules so to carrie it to Panama which is seuen leagues from This house of Crosses all which they doe with much labour and great charge because the Land hath great store of raine and full of Mountaines and very vnhealthfull therefore they often want victuals for the victuals they haue come from Peru and Noua Hispania This Towne of Nombre de dios since they haue had the traffike out of Spaine are growne maruellous rich and very well inhabited but in short time the people left the Towne sauing onely the Merchants because of the vnhealthfulnesse thereof The King of Spaine hearing of the affaires of Drake and Oxenham sent out of Spaine three hundred Souldiers which should make warre against those Negros that had aided the Englishmen which were slaues vnto the Spaniards but runne away from their Masters and ioyned with the Englishmen thinking that way to be reuenged of the Spaniards crueltie But when these three hundred Souldiers were arriued in the Countrie at their first comming they tooke many of the Negros and did on them great iustice according to their faults committed but afterwards the Souldiers were a long time before they could get one Negro Which newes being sent vnto the King by his Captaines as also how the Countrie was full of Mountaines and Riuers and very vnhealthfull insomuch that his Souldiers died he did write to his Captaines to make agreement with those Negros to the end the Countrie might bee in quiet And the Negros inhabited two places where the Spaniards willed them so was the Kings pardon proclaimed to all those Negros from the time that they fled from their Masters into the Mountaines vnto that present day on condition that all those Negros that did runne from their Masters that day forward they should be bound to bring them dead or aliue but if they brought them not that then they should pay for them and to make all quiet in the Mountaines and on these conditions all things were concluded and agreed vpon So the Negros dwell in great Townes where they haue Spaniards for their Teachers and a Spaniard for their Iudge and with this they hold themselues very well contented and are obedient vnto their Rulers The King of Spaine hearing that Englishmen as well as Frenchmen haue vsed that Coast hee caused two Gallies to be made and well appointed to keepe the Coast the first yeere that they were made they tooke sixe or seuen French shippes and after this was knowne there vsed few Englishmen or French men of warre to come on the Coast vntill this yeere 1586. that the
their Daggers as also they sloe all the Captains friends and they made a great crie saying Liue the King liue the King wherwith all the Campe was in an vprore Then Lope de Agira made vnto the Souldiers a long Oration got them all to consent with him some by force some because they durst not say to the contrarie and others with their good will in the end they all agreed vnto his determined purpose So they made the gentleman their head and Lope de Agire was made Captaine this done and because the people should the better hold their opinion hee did as great a villanie as euer any Spaniard did for hee made an Altar on which hee and all the Souldiers did denie their seruice vnto the King of Spaine and so as people without a King they chose the said Don Fernando to be their King and did vnto him homage These matters being finished they agreed among themselues which should be the best way for them to goe to Peru for they could not goe vp the Riuer from whence they came for the great currant and also if they should goe thorough the land they should be very weake for want of Horsemen therefore they determined to goe downe the Riuer Then said this Lope de Agire that they would carry nothing with them but the Pinnaces and Souldiers which should fight and that it were best to leaue behinde them all the Indians that they brought from Peru with the women and sicke men vnto which their Generall Don Fernando would not agree for that he knew that when they were gone the people of the Countrie would kill them all Lope de Agire hearing this and longing to be chiefe Gouernour himselfe ouer all and taking vnto him thirtie of his owne Countrie men of his own disposition he sodainly killed Don Fernando whom not twentie daies before hee had sworne to obey But now by his subtile working and being withall eloquent in his talke he caused the people to make himselfe Gouernour and made the people beleeue that all these cruelties were done to saue themselues but the tyrannie of this man did not end here he was of the Countrie of Bisca a land ioyning vnto France therefore I rather beleeue that he was a Frenchman then a Spaniard for that in the heart of a Spaniard there is not so much crueltie as this man had Now he being ready to goe his way he determined not to carrie with him any Gentleman or other of high degree and therefore hee slew all those which hee did know to be of high degree or Gentlemen and then departed onely with the common Souldiers and left behinde him all the Spanish women and sicke men with all other creatures If I should rehearse all the cruell murders of this wicked man one by one I should be ouer much tedious vnto you onely I say in as few words as I may that this man proceeded downe the Riuer and had with him onely foure hundred men but before he passed this Riuer and came to Margareta he had no more left but two hundred and thirtie men for the rest hee had done to death and left ashore among the people of the Countrie he vsed this tirannie because hee alwaies stood in feare of his life for that if he had seene but two Souldiers talke together hee thought that he had alwaies consulted on his death and therefore hee vsed the order aboue said now he neuer went any way but that they had in his companie thirtie Biscains of his owne will and minde for to execute his cruell desire As these Souldiers with their Captaine came downe the Riuer they saw many Canoas with Gold in them going to and fro and people on both sides the Riuer where in their passage many times they landed and got good store of Gold and victuals Now did they see also that which Oryllana had reported which was that there were Amazones women that fight in the warre with Bowes and Arrowes but these women fight to helpe their husbands and not by them selues as Orillana reported from the company of men there were of these women in diuers parts of the Riuer and saw the Spaniards fight with their husbands and came and helped them and shewed themselues more valiant then their husbands and therefore is named the Riuer of the Amazones the Spaniards intent onely was to passe downe the Riuer and therefore neuer sought to know the Countrie within the land yet tooke they good store of Gold and put it into one of the Pinnaces where he went himselfe which Pinnace at the mouth of the Riuer was cast away but he himselfe escaped because as yet he had not made an end of his bloudie minde But comming to the Iland of Margareta the Gouernour thereof thought he had beene one of the Kings Captaines receiued him with Pinnaces and brought to him good store of victuals but he put him to death presently and landed on the Ilands and tooke it and two Shippes that were in the Ilands and tooke perforce one hundred and fiftie men to goe with him and others that went willingly with good store of victuals and many Horses and then returned to the maine land saying that with his small force hee would subdue the whole Indies thinking that all the old Souldiers and poore people in seeing of him would all turne to his side and take his part and so hee went deceiued in his owne conceit for he had not gone two dayes Iourney vp in the Land when the Captaine of new Granado came against him with a power of men but Lope de Agire hoping that the other Souldiers would haue come all vnto him whereby his strength might bee the more but hee was deceiued for his owne men left him and tooke the Kings Captaines part Now seeing himselfe destitute of his Souldiers and voide of all helpe he then shewed himselfe more cruell then did the tyrant Nero for this man killed his owne daughter being but sixteene yeeres of age which he brought with him from Peru for that she should not be made the bed of Villains nor be called the daughter of a Traitor these words he vsed vnto her after he had giuen her her deaths wound but before hee could finish this cruell deed the Souldiers came vpon him and cuchim in pieces yet his daughter did die of her wound in that place and thus you haue heard the euill end of this cruell man for hee was the cause likewise that the King would neuer suffer to haue this Riuer discouered so that the riches resteth to this day vnknowne that is in this Riuer Now hauing ended with this Riuer of Marannon all the Coast between this Riuer and the Riuer of Plate is called the Coast of Brasill taking the name of the wood in the Countrie which is called Brasill wood for there is great store of it Brasill was first found by Pedro Arnales Cabrall in the second time that
Sword to make frayes and now want nothing to liue like a Christian but a Concubine which I meane to bring home shortly I once reproued an Indian for dicing and blasphemie Wee saith he learned these examples of your selues And the Indians which are so lewd are such vsually as haue beene brought vp by some Spaniards which studie nothing else These for the most part are the Miracles which the Spaniards haue done amongst the Indians Many other Indians being demanded whether they bee Christians answere they are because the Bishop hath crossed and blessed them they haue built a Church set vp there our Ladies Image and gotten a Bell. I asked one whether he were a Christian What said he would you haue me bee a Bishops seruant ten or twelue yeeres and keepe his Mule Others asked thereof say that a Priest washed their heads foure or fiue times c. Hee reciteth the Letter of Didacus Lopez de Zunega and other passages of Spaniards vices In the third Booke Benzo relateth the Acts of the Spaniards in Peru. Francis Pizarro Diego Almagro and Fernand Luques a Priest enter into a league of Triumuirate for the Southerne Discoueries and therein to share equally both the care charge and gaine They procure ships and conuenient prouisions and with two hundred and twentie Souldiers Pizarro and Almagro in the yeere 1526. one a little after the other set sayle for Panama Pizarro hauing sayled three hundred miles goeth on land and is repelled by the Indians himselfe wounded and many slaine Hereupon he returneth to Panama Almagro went vp a Riuer in another Region and was kindly entertayned and brought thence three thousand Duckets of Gold with which in his returne he came neere to the place where Pizarro had receiued his bad entertainment and himselfe in fight with them lost one of his eyes and many of his Souldiers Being comne to Panama with those showes of Gold they redintegrate their designes and with two hundred Souldiers and many Indian slaues setting sayle landed in another place where they also were beaten backe to their ships and many slaine Thence they went to the I le Gorgon a small and desart Iland sixe leagues from the Continent The Golden hopes would not permit them to giue ouer that which this strength could not enable them to winne and therefore Almagro is sent to Panama to reinforce and encrease their numbers Hee returned with eightie fiue Spaniards and found Pizarro and the rest almost starued Being refreshed they set sayle and againe landing were repelled with the losse of some Souldiers and went to a desart Iland which they called Cock-Iland for the shape of the Cape or Promontorie Almagro againe returneth to Panama for more Souldiers to bee reuenged on these Indians Most of the Spaniards cursing their couetousnesse would haue returned with him but were not permitted no not to write to their friends which yet some closely did complayning of the Countrie the leaders and their designes Pedro de los Rios was then newly Gouernour at Panama and hearing hereof presently sent one to Cocke-Iland to Pizarro that hee should not detayne any there against his will whereupon they all saue fourteene departed These liued on fish till Almagro came who also could bring no supply by reason of the ill rumour At last they agreed to sayle by the shoare and search if any riches there presented themselues They sayled fiue hundred miles and came to Chira a Prouince of Peru and there going on shoare tooke some cattell and Indians to learne the Spanish Tongue Then returning to Tumbez when no Spaniard had so much courage Peter of Candie a Greeke borne in Candie aduentured to goe on shoare which he did armed with a two-hand Sword This spectacle of a bearded man was no little wonder to the Natiues The Gouernour vsed him kindly leading him into the Fortresse wherein was a Temple to the Sunne full of stupendious riches At the gate hee found certaine beasts like Lions and two Tigres but harmlesse And when the Gouernour would haue giuen him at his departure certaine pieces of Gold hee seemed to contemne them vtterly so to dissemble the true cause of his comming Then comming aboord he related what hee had seene and they with ioy returned to Panama Hereupon Pizarro is sent to Spaine by Almagro and Luquez to obtaine of Cesar the conquest of that Prouince for which purpose they borrowed 1500. Duckets He notwithstanding makes the sute in his owne name and accordingly obtayning commission returned with his brethren Fernandez Gonzales Iohn Pizarri and Martin de Alcantara Hence grew a quarrell his partners esteeming him perfidious till Gama compounded the matter twixt him and Almagro Luques being excluded and therefore afterwards surnamed The Foole that Almagro should employ his wealth and therefore participate in the honours swearing each to other and taking the Sacrament thereupon Thus Pizarro went from Panama with 150. Souldiers and many Horses leauing Almagro shortly to follow Hee came to Colonchia thence to the Iland Puna where hee was well entertained till rapes and robberies made the Natiues take Armes which was to their greater losse the Spaniards getting the victorie Thence Pizarro went to the Continent of Tumbez fiftie miles distant Where the Natiues refused his friendship and sought to oppose him but he by night entred the Riuer and being guided by vnpassable wayes made a great slaughter of them spoyled the Citie and robbed the Sunnes Temple Atabaliba King of Peru was then at Cassiamalca who hearing that a strange bearded People had robbed his Subiects sent to Pizarro threatning him if he continued thus or there Pizarro answered that hee was sent by his Emperour to succour those which desired his friendship nor might he safely returne to him except hee had first seene his Royall person and declared to him things good both for his body and soule Thus hee trauels thorow Chira and by the Lords in the way is sued to for friendship which hated Atabaliba Meeting with a nauigable Riuer he layd the foundation of a Colonie there called Saint Michaels and shared the spoyles amongst his followers Atabaliba derided their paucitie and sends to them if they loued their liues to be gone But he proceeded to Cassiamalca and thence sent messengers to the King then two miles off to signifie his desire of acquaintance Fernand Pizarro told him that hee was brother to the Leader who was sent from the Pope and Cesar to desire his friendship and therefore desired audience hauing some speciall matters to deliuer to him after which hee would bee gone The King answered hee would first haue him depart his confines The night following they prepared themselues for fight The next day the King was in Pompe carried on mens shoulders guarded with fiue and twentie thousand Indians Friar Uincent de valle viridi a Dominican carrying in the one hand a Crosse in the other a Breuiarie went to
wilde beast which when he hath killed he is aduanced to some honour and dignitie whereby he excelleth others which are not Knights Among the things belonging to policie this is one which they doe obserue that they adopt other mens children for their owne but this adoption into another familie hath very seuere and dangerous ceremonies for they thrust a sticke into their mouthes into the bottome of their throates wherewith they are almost choaked if it fall out well they vomit vp all the meate in their stomacke and so they passe ouer into the right of another man Whatsoeuer time remaineth from labour and trauaile they spend in a play which is like to Dice but consisteth of diuers signes They play with exceeding great moderation and patience of minde being most cunning in this kinde of sport no oath is heard among them nor any contentions or brabling word though they loose their apparell and all that they haue and goe home naked as sometime it falleth out When they be sicke if the disease be sore and dangerous they digge a place for their buriall and sometimes it standeth fiue or sixe dayes open which custome was very profitable to a certaine woman for when I came into a certaine Village and saw the ground digged very deeply knowing what the matter was I came vnto her lying on her Couch and sicke and hauing instructed her in the Catechisme which I had written in the vulgar Tongue in the principles of Christian Religion I baptised her but she recouered Now the cause why they open the places of their burials is this That presently they may couer the bodie or ashes of him that is dead for somtimes they burne the bodies with all the house and household stuffe They sprinkle the Sepulchre with a certaine dust whereof they make a drinke and bring meate with them and after they haue wept ouer the Graue they make themselues drunke the Kinsfolke of the dead making a Feast for them that doe assist them And these be their Funerals The Vicar of the Church of Culiacan which is fortie two leagues from Cinoloa where the foresaid Fathers liue in his Letters sent to a certaine friend writeth after this manner In Cinaloa the Fathers labour painfully in the Lord in conuerting the Indians vnto the Faith so fruitfully and happily that we all hold it for a Miracle Neither can it be beleeued both with what celeritie they haue learned and speak the tongue of that Countrie and with what facilitie and contentment The Inhabitants come to bee baptized and desire to bee instructed in the Articles of our faith Doubtlesse it is the worke of God wherefore the Diuine Maiestie doth fauour and promote the same A Letter written from Valladolid by LVDOVICVS TRIBALDVS TOLETVS to Master RICHARD HAKLVYT translated out of Latine touching IVAN de ONATE his Discoueries in new Mexico fiue hundred leagues to the North from the old Mexico WHen you shall see the English returned home out of our Spaine and can finde no Letters sent vnto you from vs perhaps and that worthily you will accuse vs of breach of our friendship and also as little mindfull of our promise Yet we as free from this fault salute you most willingly For it is not long since we arriued here that is to say in this Court a little after the departure of your Countrimen into England Yet we made our iournie by Sea and by Land indifferent pleasantly and according to our desire After we had rested our selues a small while we desired nothing more then to visit Andrew Garsia Cespedes a man for many respects linked vnto vs in most straight bands of friendship He greatly reioyced of your good will toward him And shewed me a certaine briefe yet very perspicuous Relation of things atchieued by Don Iuan de Onate among the Indians of New Mexico For therein is written that he departed from old Mexico in the yeere 1599. with an Armie and carriages of fiue thousand men in which number boyes women youngmen and Souldiers are included He carried also great store of victuals with him flockes of Sheepe and Goates Herds of Oxen and all things necessarie for life also Horses and Armour and other things which in these kind of Expeditions ought to be prouided Therefore hauing trauelled through diuers Countries fiue hundred leagues hee found diuers Nations by the way noble for their builded Townes and reasonable ciuill manners All which he receiued into the friendship of the King of Spaine and they openly testified the same by publike instruments and giuing of their faith And when with his company he came vnto a Towne very strong by situation of the place built vpon a most high and mightie Rocke and was freely receiued by the Inhabitants giuing their right hands to each other they courteously supplied them with all things necessarie for their reliefe and promised within a while after that they would furnish them with more sufficient to make a very long iournie When Onate had waited for this thing at the day appointed hee sent his Nephew by his sister with a few Souldiers who entring the Towne came into the Market place where almost all the multitude of the Townesmen were assembled together Now while hee with his company was busie in buying of things suddenly the Traitours from all parts rushed vpon him and his fellowes vnawares and by most wicked treason cut off the Captaines head and sixe others the rest being wounded hardly escaped by flight from so great a multitude that assaulted them yet some of the enemies were slaine and thrust through When speedily the fame hereof came to Onate taking with him a choice number of Souldiers in a great furie he came vnto the Towne besiged it and after a long fight by maine force he tooke the same slue most part tooke the rest burnt the Towne and razed it to the ground that no tokens might remaine of so great a wickednesse committed against him The Townes name was Acoma and none of our men was slaine in the siege thereof After this he easily proceeded forward on his iournie as he did before till he came to a mightie great Citie he inforced this City with the villages adioyning to sweare obedience to the King of Spaine not altogether vnwilling yet feared by the example and ruine of the towne that was destroyed From hence he came to a greater Citie which likewise after hee had obtained it by great friendship he sent certain men from thence to search out the oxen of Cibola long since known by the report of one to wit of Vasquez de Coronado whether they were such indeed or no. Who when they had found a great multitude of these oxen and would compasse them about and force them into certaine inclosures or toiles their enterprize preuailed but a little they are so wild and so swift Yet after they had killed many of them bringing store of them with them as though they
hee determined to depart from Quito and to goe seeke the Captaine Iohn de Ampudia leauing thereto moe then two hundred of Footmen and Horsemen amongst whom were a great many Inhabitants of the Citie of Quito Unto those Inhabitants the Captaine gaue licence to carrie with them the Cacikes that were escheated them in sharing with as many Indians as they would That which they did and Alfonso Sanches Nuita carried forth with him his Cacike with moe then an hundred Indians besides and in like manner Peter Cibo and his Cousin and they led out more then an hundred and fifty with their wiues and sundry also sped out their children because that in a manner euery one died for hunger Also Moran Inhabitant of Popayan carried out moe then two hundred persons And the like did all the rest Citizens and Souldiers euery one after his abilitie the Souldiers crauing that they might haue licence giuen them to captiue those Indians men and women which they carried forth the which was granted them vntill the death of the said captiues and those deceased to take as many more When they departed out of the Prouince of Quito they carried out moe then sixe thousand Indians men and women and of all those there neuer returned home into their Countrie twenty persons For they died all through the great and excessiue trauell which they made them indure in those broyling Countries contrary to their nature It happened at that time that one Altonso Sanches whom the said Captaine sent for Chieftaine ouer a certaine number of men into a Prouince there met with a good company of women and young boyes laden with victuals who stayed waiting for them without mouing from the place to giue them of that which they had and hauing so done the Captaine commanded that they should be put to the sharpe of the sword It came to passe also that at the time that the said Captaine came into the Prouince of Lili to a Towne called Palo neere vnto the great Riuer where hee found the Captaine Iohn de Ampudia which was gone before to discouer and pacifie the Countrie the said Ampudia kept a Citie by him prouided of a Garrison in the name of his Maiestie and of the Marques Francis of Pizarro and had set ouer them for Gouernours ordinary one Petre Solano of Quennoues and eight Counsellours and all the rest of the Countrie was in peace and shared out amongst them And as hee knew that the said Captaine was in the said Riuer hee came to see him with a great number of the Inhabitants of the Countrie and peacefull Indians laden with victuals and fruits Shortly after also all the neighbour Indians came to see him bringing him food There were the Indians of Xamundi and of Palo and of Soliman and of Bolo Now because that they brought no Mahis which he would haue he sent a great number of Spaniards with their Indians to goe search for Mahis commanding them to bring some where soeuer they found any So went they to Bolo and to Palo and found the Indians men and women in their houses in peace and the said Spaniards with those that were with them tooke them and robbed their Mahis their Gold and Couerings and all that they had and bound many Wherefore they seeing that the Captaine kept no Faith with them all the Countrie arose and reuolted from the Spanish whereof ensued great damage and God and the Kings Maiestie offended and by this meanes the Countrey remayned dispeopled for that the Olomas and the Manipos their enemies which are Mountaine people and warlike descended daily to take and robbe them when they perceiued the Citie and places of their abode left destitute And amongst them hee who was the stronger did eate vp his fellow for all died for famine This done the Captaine came to the Citie of Ampudia where he was receiued for Generall From this place they goe to a Citie called Tukilicui from whence the Cacike of the place yeelded forth incontinent in peace a number of Indians going before him The Captaine demanded Gold of him and of his Indians The Cacike told him that hee had but a small deale and that which he had should be giuen him and immediatly all beganne to giue him all that they had Whereupon the said Captaine gaue vnto euery of them a ticket with the name of the said Indian for a testimoniall that he had giuen him Gold affirming that hee which should haue neuer a ticket should be cast to the Dogges to bee deuoured because he gaue him no Gold Whereupon the Indians for feare that they were put in gaue him all the Gold that they were able and those which had none fled into the Mountaines and other Townes for feare to bee slaine By reason whereof perished a great number of the natiue Inhabitants of the Countrie And shortly after the said Captaine commanded the Cacike to send two Indians to another Citie named Dagna to will them that they should come in peace and bring him Gold in abundance And comming to another Citie hee sent that night many Spaniards to take the Indians and namely of Tulilicui So as they brought the next morrow aboue an hundred persons and all those which could beare burdens they tooke them for themselues and for their Souldiers and put them to the chaine whereof they died all And the said Captaine gaue the little children vnto the said Cacike Tulilicui that hee should eate them and in truth the skinnes of those children are kept in the house of the said Cacike Tulilicui full of ashes and so departed hee from thence without an Interpreter and went towards the Prouinces of Castile where hee ioyned himselfe vnto the Captaine Iohn de Ampudia who had sent him to discouer another way doing both of them great outrages and much mischiefe vnto the Inhabitants of the Countrie where they became And the said Iohn de Ampudia came to a Citie the Cacike and Lord whereof called Bitacur had caused to make certaine Duches to defend himselfe and there fell into the same two Horses the one of Antonie Rodondos the other of Marc Marqueâ—â—s That of Marcos Marquis died the other not For which cause the said Ampudia commanded to take all the Indians men and women that might be and thereupon tooke and layed together more then an hundred persons whom they cast aliue into those Ditches and slue them and brent withall more then an hundred houses in the said Citie And in that manner met in a great Citie where without summoning the Indians being at peace and without any spokesman to goe betweene them they slue with their Speares a great number of them making on them mortall warre And as it is said soone after they were met the said Ampudia told the Captaine what he had done in Bitaco and how he cast so many into the Ditches and the said Captaine answered that it was well done and that he for his part had done as much
he came whereupon the Gouernor of Tercera did him great honor and betweene them it was concluded perceiuing the weaknesse of their Ships and the danger of the Englishmen that they would send the Ships empty with Soldiers to conuey them either to Siuil or Lisbone where they could first arriue with aduise vnto his Maiesty of all that had past and that he would giue order to fetch the Siluer with good and safe conuoy Wherepuon the said Aluaro Flores staied there vnder colour of keeping the Siluer but specially because of his disease and for that they were afraid of the Englishmen This Aluaro Flores had alone for his owne part aboue fifty thousand Ducats in Pearles which he shewed vnto vs and sought to sell them or barter them with vs for Spices or bils of exchange The said two Ships set saile with three or foure hundred men as well Soldiers as others that came with them and not one man saued Tke Vice-admirall cut downe her Mast and ranne the Ship on ground out of India and being at Sea had a storme wherewith the Admirall burst and sunke in thâ— Sea hard by Sentuual where it burst in peeces some of the men sauing themselues by swimming that brought the newes but the rest were drowned In the same moneth there came two great ships out of the Spanish Indies and being within halfe a mile of the Road of Tercera they met with an English shippe that after they had fought long together tooke them both About seuen or eight moneths before there had beene an English ship in Tercera that vnder the name of a Frenchman came to traffique in the Iland there to lade wood and being discouered was both ship and goods confiscated to the Kings vse and all the men kept prisoners yet went they vp and downe the streets to get their liuings by labouring like slaues being in deed as safe in that Iland as if they had beene in prison But in the end vpon a Sunday all the Sailers went downe behind the Hils called Bresill where they found a Fisher-boat whereinto they got and rowed into the Sea to the Earle of Cumberlands ship which to their great fortune chanced at that time to come by the Iland and anchored with his ships about halfe a mile from the Road of Angra hard by two small Ilands which lye about a Bases shot from the Iland and are full of Goats Buckes and Sheepe belonging to the Inhabitants of the Iland of Tercera Those Saylers knew it well and thereupon they rowed vnto them with their Boats and lying at Anchor that day they fetched as many Goats and Sheepe as they had neede of which those of the Towne and of the Iland well saw and beheld yet durst not once go forth so there remayned no more on Land but the Master and the Merchant of the said English ship This Master had a Brother in Law dwelling in England who hauing newes of his brothers imprisonment in Tercera got licence of the Queene of England to set forth a ship therewith to see if he could recouer his losses of the Spaniards by taking some of them and so to redeeme his brother that lay prisoner in Tercera and he it was that tooke the two Spanish shippes before the Towne The Master of the ship aforesaid standing on the shore by me and looking vpon them for he was my great acquaintance the shipss being taken that were worth three hundred thousand Duckets he sent all the men on Land sauing only two of the principall Gentlemen which he kept aboord thereby to ransome his brother and sent the Pilot of one of the Indian ships that were taken with a Letter to the Gouernour of Tercera wherein he wrote that hee should deliuer him his brother and he would send the two Gentlemen on Land if not he would saile with them into England as indeed he did because the Gouernour would not doe it saying that the Gentleman might make that suite to the King of Spaine him selfe This Spanish Pilot we bid to supper with vs and the Englishmen likewise where hee shewed vs all the manner of their fight much commending the order and manner of the Englishmens fighting as also for their courteous vsing of him but in the end the English Pilot likewise stole away in a French ship without paying any ransome as yet In the moneth of Ianuary 1590 there arriued one ship alone in Tercera that came from the Spanish Indies and brought newes that there was a fleet of a hundred ships which put out from the Firme Land of the Spanish Indies and by a storme were driuen vpon the Coast called Florida where they were all cast away she hauing only escaped wherein there were great riches and many men lost as it may well be thought so that they made their account that of two hundred and twentie ships that for certaine were knowne to haue put out of Noua Spaigna Santo Domingo Hauana Capo verde Brasilia Guinea c. In the yeere 1989. to sayle for Spaine in Portugall there were not aboue fourteene or fifteene of them arriued there in safetie all the rest being either drowned burst or taken In the same Moneth of Ianuary there arriued in Tercera fifteen or sixteene ships that came from Siuilia which were most Flie-boats of the low Countries and some Brittons that were arrested in Spaine these came full of Souldiers and well appointed with munition to lade the siluer that lay in Tercera and to fetch Aluares de Flores by the Kings commandement into Spaine And because that time of the yeere there is alwayes stormes about those Ilands therefore they durst not enter into the Road of Tercera for that as then it blew so great a storme that some of their ships that had anchored were forced to cut downe their Masts and were in danger to bee lost and among the rest a ship of Biscay ranne against the Land and was stricken in pieces but all the men saued themselues The other ships were forced to keepe the Sea and separate themselues one from the other where winde and weather would driue them vntill the fifteenth of March for that in all that time they could not haue one day of faire weather to anchor in whereby they indured much miserie cursing both the siluer and the Iland This storme being past they chanced to meete with small English ship of about fortie tunnes in bignesse which by reason of the great wind could not beare all her sailes so they set vpon her and tooke her and with the English flagge in their Admirals sterne they came as proudly into the Hauen as if they had conquered all the Realme of England but as the Admirall that bare the English flagge vpon her sterne was entring into the Road there came by chance two English ships by the Iland that paid her so well for her paines that they were forced to cry Misericordia and without all doubt had taken her if she had beene but a mile further
Iland we saw a Whale chased by a Thresher and a Sword-fish they fought for the space of two houres we might see the Thresher with his flayle layon the monstrous blowes which was strange to behold in the end these two fishes brought the Whale to her end The sixe and twentieth day we had sight of Marâ—galanta and the next day wee sailed with a slacke saile alongst the I le of Guadalupa where we went ashore and found a Bath which was so hot that no man was able to stand long by it our Admirall Captaine Newport caused a piece of Porke to be put in it which boyled it so in the space of halfe an houre as no fire could mend it Then we went aboord and sailed by many Ilands as Mounserot and an Iland called Saint Christopher both vnhabited about about two a clocke in the afternoone wee anchored at the I le of Meuis There the Captaine landed all his men being well fitted with Muskets and other conuenient Armes marched a mile into the Woods being commanded to stand vpon their guard fearing the treacherie of the Indians which is an ordinary vse amongst them and all other Sauages on this I le we came to a Bath standing in a Valley betwixt two Hils where wee bathed our selues and found it to be of the nature of the Bathes in England some places hot and some colder and men may refresh themselues as they please finding this place to be so conuenient for our men to auoid diseases which will breed in so long a Voyage wee incamped our selues on this Ile sixe dayes and spent none of our ships victuall by reason our men some went a hunting some a fouling and some a fishing where we got great store of Conies sundry kinds of fowles and great plentie of fish We kept Centinels and Courts de gard at euery Captaines quarter fearing wee should be assaulted by the Indians that were on the other side of the Iland wee saw none nor were molested by any but some few we saw as we were a hunting on the Iland They would not come to vs by any meanes but ranne swiftly through the Woods to the Mountaine tops so we lost the sight of them whereupon we made all the haste wee could to our quarter thinking there had beene a great ambush of Indians there abouts We past into the thickest of the Woods where we had almost lost our selues we had not gone aboue halfe a mile amongst the thicke but we came into a most pleasant Garden being a hundred paces square on euery side hauing many Cotton-trees growing in it with abundance of Cotton-wooll and many Guiacum trees wee saw the goodliest tall trees growing so thicke about the Garden as though they had beene set by Art which made vs maruell very much to see it The third day wee set saile from Meuis the fourth day we sailed along by Castutia and by Saba This day we anchored at the I le of Virgines in an excellent Bay able to harbour a hundred Ships if this Bay stood in England it would be a great profit and commoditie to the Land On this Iland wee caught great store of Fresh-fish and abundance of Sea Tortoises which serued all our Fleet three daies which were in number eight score persons We also killed great store of wilde Fowle wee cut the Barkes of certaine Trees which tasted much like Cinnamon and very hot in the mouth This Iland in some places hath very good gâ—â—â—nd straight and tall Timber But the greatest discommoditie that wee haue seene on this Isand is that it hath no Fresh-water which makes the place void of any Inhabitants Vpon the sixt day we set saile and passed by Becam and by Saint Iohn deportorico The seuenth day we arriued at Mona where wee watered which we stood in great need of seeing that our water did smell so vildly that none of our men was able to indure it Whilst some of the Saylers were a filling the Caskes with water the Captaine and the rest of the Gentlemen and other Soldiers marched vp in the I le sixe myles thinking to find some other prouision to maintaine our victualling as wee marched we killed two wild Bores and saw a huge wild Bull his hornes was an ell betweene the two tops Wee also killed Guanas in fashion of a Serpent and specklâ—d like a Toade vnder the belly These wayes that wee went being so trouble some and vilde going vpon the sharpe Rockes that many of our men fainted in the march but by good fortune wee lost none but one Edward Brookes Gentleman whose fat melted within him by the great heate and drought of the Countrey we were not able to relieue him nor our selues so he died in that great extreamitie The ninth day in the afternoone we went off with our Boat to the I le of Moneta some three leagues from Mona where we had a terrible landing and a troublesome getting vp to the top of the Mountaine or I le being a high firme Rocke step with many terrible sharpe stones After wee got to the top of the I le we found it to bee a fertill and a plaine ground full of goodly grasse and abundance of Fowles of all kindes they flew ouer our heads as thicke as drops of Hale besides they made such a noise that wee were not able to heare one another speake Furthermore wee were not able to set our feet on the ground but either on Fowles or Egges which lay so thicke in the grasse Wee laded two Boats full in the space of three houres to our great refreshing The tenth day we set saile and disimboged out of the West Indies and bare our course Northerly The fourteenth day we passed the Tropicke of Cancer The one and twentieth day about fiue a clocke at night there began a vehement tempest which lasted all the night with winds raine and thunders in a terrible manner Wee were forced to lie at Hull that night because we thought wee had beene neerer land then wee were The next morning being the two and twentieth day wee sounded and the three and twentieth and foure and twenteth day but we could find no ground The fiue and twentieth day we sounded and had no ground at an hundred fathom The six and twentieth day of Aprill about foure a clocke in the morning wee descried the Land of Virginia the same day wee entred into the Bay of Chesupioc directly without any let or hinderance there wee landed and discouered a little way but wee could find nothing worth the speaking of but faire meddowes and goodly tall Trees with such Fresh-waters running through the woods as I was almost rauished at the first sight thereof At night when wee were going aboard there came the Sauages creeping vpon all foure from the Hills like Beares with their Bowes in their mouthes charged vs very desperately in the faces hurt Captaine Gabrill Archer in both his hands
very Ordnance and Houses might they haue preuailed but to haue beene but idle for those Sauage fruites they would haue imparted all to the Sauages especially for one basket of Corne they heard of to bee at Powhatans fiftie miles from our Fort though hee brought neere halfe of it to satisfie their humours yet to haue had the other halfe they would haue sold their soules though not sufficient to haue kept them a Weeke thousands were their exclamations suggestions and deuises to force him to those base Inuentions to haue made it an occasion to abandon the Countrey Want perforce constrayned him to indure their exclayming follies till hee found out the Author one Dyer a most craftie Knaue and his ancient maligner whome hee worthily punished and with the rest hee argued the case in this manner Fellow Souldiers I did little thinke any so false to report or so many so simple to bee perswaded that I either intend to starue you or that Powhatan at this present hath Corne for himselfe much lesse for you or that I would not haue it if I knew where it were to be had Neither did I thinke any so malicious as now I see a great many yet it shall not so much passionate mee but I will doe my best for my worst maligner But dreame no longer of this vaine hope from Powhatan nor that I will longer forbeare to force you from your idlenesse and punish you if you raile you cannot denie but that by the hazard of my life many a time I haue saued yours when might your owne wills haue preuailed you would haue starued and will doe still whether I will or no. But I protest by that God that made me since necessitie hath not power to force you to gather for your selues those fruits the Earth doth yeeld you shall not only gather for your selues but for those that are sicke as yet I neuer had more from the store then the worst of you and all my English extraordinary prouision that I haue you shall see me deuide among the sicke And this Sauage trash you so scornfully repine at being put in your mouthes your stomacks can digest it and therefore I will take a course you shall prouide it The sicke shall not starue but equally share of all our labours and euery one that gathereth not euery day as much I doe the next day shall be set beyond the Riuer and for euer be banished from the Fort and liue there or starue This order many murmured was very cruell but it caused the most part so well bestirre themselues that of two hundred men except they were drowned there died not past seuen or eight As for Captaine Winne and Master Ley they died ere this want happened and the rest died not for want of such as preserued the rest Many were billitted among the Sauages whereby we knew all their passages fields and habitations how to gather and vse their fruits as well as themselues So well those poore Sauages vsed vs that were thus Billited as diuers of the Souldiers ranne away to search Kemps our old prisoner Glad was this Sauage to haue such an occasion to testifie his loue for insteed of entertayning them and such things as they had stolne with all the great offers and promises they made them to reuenge their iniuries vpon Captaine Smith First hee made himselfe sport in shewing his Countrimen by them how hee was vsed feeding them with this Law Who would not worke must not eate till they were neere starued continually threatning to beate them to death neither could they get from him till perforce he brought them to our Captaine that so we contented him and punished them as many others that intended also to haue followed them were rather contented to labour at home then aduenture to liue idle among the Sauages of whom there was more hope to make better Christians and good subiects then the one halfe of those that counterfeited themselues both For so affraid were all those Kings and the better sort of their people to displease vs that some of the baser sort that wee haue extreamely hurt and punished for their villanies would hire vs that wee should not tell it to their Kings or Countrimen who would also repunish them and yet returne them to Iames Towne to content the President by that testimonie of their loues Master Sicklemore well returned from Chawonock but found little hope and lesse certaintie of them which had beene left by Sir Walter Rawley So that Nathaniell Powell and Anas Todkill were also by the Quiyough quohanocks conducted to the Mangoages to search them there But nothing could we learne but they were all dead This honest proper good promise-keeping King of all the rest did euer best affect vs and though to his false Gods hee was yet very zealous yet he would confesst our God as much exceeded his as our Guns did his Bow and Arrowes often sending our President many Presents to pray to his God for rain or his corn would perish for his Gods were angrie all this time To reclaime the Dutchmen and one Bentley another Fugitiue we imployed one William Volda a Switzer by birth with pardons and promises to regain them Little we then suspected this double villanie of any villany who plainly taught vs in the most trust was the greatest Treason For this wicked Hypocrite by the seeming hate hee bore to the lewd condition of his cursed Countrimen hauing this opportunitie by his imployment to regaine them conueighed them euery thing they desired to effect their proiect to destroy the Colonie With much deuotion they expected the Spaniard to whom they intended to haue done good seruice But to begin with the first opportunitie they seeing necessitie thus inforced vs to disperse our selues importuned Powhatan to lend them but his forces and they would not only destroy our Hogges fire our Towne and betray our Pinnasse but bring to his seruice and subiection the most part of our companies With this plot they had acquainted many discontents and many were agreed to their deuillish practise But one Thomas Douese and Thomas Mallard whose Christian hearts much relenting at such an vnchristian act voluntarily reuealed it to Captaine Smith who did his best it might be concealed perswading Douese and Mallard to proceed in the confederacie only to bring the irreclamable Dutchmen and inconstant Sauages in such a manner amongst his Ambuscadoes as hee had prepared as not many of them should euer haue returned from out our Peninsula But this brute comming to the eares of the impatient multitude they so importuned the President to cut off those Dutchmen as amongst many that offered to cut their throats before the face of Powhatan Master Wiffin and Iefra Abbot were sent to stabbe or shoote them but these Dutchmen made such excuses accusing Uolday whom they supposed had reuealed their proiect as Abbot would not yet Wiffin would perceiuing it but deceit The King vnderstanding
Souldiers 40. Mariners 19. great Peeces and all the rest S. Gabriel of the Port of 280. tuns 50. Souldiers 25. Mariners 9. great Peeces and the rest of their furniture The Esay is fraughted of the same There are in this Squadron 23. Hulkes which are of 10271. tuns in the which are imbarked 3221. men of Warre 708. Mariners 410. great peeces and their necessary prouision The Captaine of our Lord of Pilier of Zaragosse of 300. tunnes 120. Souldiers 50. Mariners 12. great Peeces and their furniture The English Charity of 180. tuns 80. Souldiers 36. Mariners 12. great Peeces and the rest The Scottish S. Andrew of 150. tuns 51. Souldiers 30. Mariners 12. great Peeces and their furniture The Patache of the Crucifix 150. tuns 50. Souldiers 30. Mariners 8. great Peeces and their furniture Our Lord of the Hauen fraught alike The Conception of Carassa and our Lord of Begoua and the Conception de Capitillo and S. Hioros being of the burthen of 60. or 70. tuns 50. Souldiers 30. Mariners 8. great Peeces a Peece and their furniture Our Lady of grace the Conception of Frauncys Lastero our Lady of Guadalupe S. Frauncys the Holy Spirit our Lady of Frenesda all fraughted alike The Zabra of the Trinitie the Zabra of our Lady Castre S. Andrew the Conception of Zomartiba S. Clere S. Iohn of Carassa and the Assumption all fraughted alike There are in this Squadron 22. Pataches and Zabres which are of the burthen of 113. tuns in the which there are imbarked 479. Souldiers 574. Mariners and therâ— is 193. great Peeces and all their furniture THe Galeace the Captaine called S. Lawrence hath 270. Souldiers 130. Mariners 300. Slaues 50. Peeces of Canon and their furniture The Galeace Patrone 180. Souldiers 112. Mariners 300. Slaues 50. great Peeces and their furniture The Galeace Gâ—rone 170. Souldiers 120. Mariners 300. Slaues 50. great Peeces The Galeace Neapolitaine 124. Souldiers 115. Mariners 300. Slaues 50. great Peeces and the rest of their necessary fraught There are in these foure Galeaces 873. Souldiers 468. Mariners 200. great Peeces 1200. Slaues and the rest of their furniture The Gally Captaine 110. Souldiers 106. Mariners 306. Slaues and fiftie great Peeces and other necessaries The Gally Princesse the Gally Diana the Gally Vacaâ—a are the like In the aboue named Galeaces there are 1200. Slaues and in the foure gallies 888. which is in all 2088. Moreouer they carry powder for their need if it be offered to doe battery 600. Quintals So that there are in the said Army 130. Ships of 57868. tuns 19295. Souldiers and 8450. Mariners 2088. Slaues and 2630. great Peeces of Brasse of all sorts among which there are Coleurines and de my Coleurines and Canons to the Stone and other necessaries for their fraught In the Booke follow the names of the Aduenturers also of such as in the Army were entertained for pay such also as were imbarked for the seruice of the Canon for the Hospitall the Râ—giments and Companies in pay the Officers c. which for breuitie Iâ—â—it The Galeons were sixtie foure in number being of an huge bignesse and verie stately built being of marueilous force also and so high that they resembled great Castles most fit 〈◊〉 defend themselues and to withstand any assault but in giuing any other Ships the encounter farre inferiour vnto the English and Dutch Ships which can with great dexteritie weild turne themselues at all ass 〈…〉 The vpper worke of the said Galeons was of thicknesse and strength sufficient to beare off Musket-shot The lower worke and the timbers thereof were out of measure strong being framed for plankes and ribs foure or fiue foot in thicknesse insomuch that no bullets could pierce them but such as were discharged hard at hand which afterward proued true for a great number of bullets were found to sticke fast within the massie substance of those thicke plankes Great and well pitched Cables were twined about the masts of their Ships to strengthen them against the battery of shot The Galliasses were of such bignesse that they contained within them Chambers Chappels Turrets Pulpits and other commodities of great houses The Galliasses were rowed with great Oares there being in each of them 300. slaues for the same purpose and were able to â—ot great seruice with the force of their Ordnance All these together with the residue 〈◊〉 were furnished and beautified with Trumpets Streamers Banners warlike Ensignes and other such like ornaments Their Pieces of Brasen Ordnance were 1600. and of 〈◊〉 1000. The Bullets there to belonging were 120. thousand Item of Gunpowder 5600. quintals Of Match 1200. quintals Of Muskets and Kalâ—â—uers 7000. Of Halberts and Partisans 10000. Moreouer they had great store of Canons double Canons Culuerings and field-pieces for land seruice Likewise they were prouided of all instruments necessary on Land to conueigh and transport their furniture from place to place as namely of Carbs Wheeles Wagons c. Also they had Spades Mattocks and Baskets to set pioners on worke They had in like sort great store of Mules and Horses and whatsoeuer else was requisite for a Land-armie They were so well stored of Biscuit that for the space of halfe a yeere they might allow each person in the whole Fleete halfe a quintall euery moneth whereof the whole 〈◊〉 amounteth vnto an hundreth thousand quintals Likewise of Wine they had 147. thousand Pipes sufficient also for halfe a yeeres expedition Of Bacon 6500. quintals Of Cheese three thousand quintals Besides Fish Rice Beanes Pease Oyle Vinegar c. Moreouer they had 12000. Pipes of fresh water and all other necessarie prouision as namely Candies Lanternes Lampes Saâ—les Hempe Oxe-hides and Lead to stop holes that should be made with the batterie of Gunâ—hot To be short they brought all things expedient either for a Fleete by Sea or for an Aâ—â—ie by land This Name as Diego Pimentelli afterward confessed was esteemed by the King himselfe to containe 32000. persons and to cost him euery day 30. thousand Ducates There were in the said Nauie fiue Terzaes of Spaniards which Terzaes the Frenchmen call Regiments vnder the command of fiue Gouernours tearmed by the Spaniards Masters of the field and amongst the rest there were many old and expert Souldiers chosen out of the Garrisons of Sicilie Naples and Terçera Their Captaines or Colonels were Diego Pimentelli Don Francisco de Toledo Don Alonzo de Lucon Don Nicolas de Isla Don Augustin de Mexia who had each of them two and thirty Companies vnder their conduct Besides the which Companies there were many bands also of Castilians and Portugals euery one of which had their peculiar Gouernours Captaines Officers Colours and weapons It was not lawfull for any man vnder grieuous penaltie to carry any woman or harlots in the Fleete for which cause the women hired certaine Ships wherein they sailed after the Nauie some of the which being driuen by tempest arriued vpon
Oquendo and the Enemies tooke the chiefe Ship of Don Pedro de Valdez which being entangled with others vnder his charge was left without Tackle and so neere the Enemies that shee could not be succoured by others With this our Fleet seeing that the Enemy in euery point did flye from giuing battell they sailed with some calme weather and the Enemies after them shooting alwayes at the Rearward vntill the seuenth that our Fleet ancored in the Road of S. Iohn betwixt Calleis and Bollin nine leagues from Dunkerk and the Enemies did the like the neerest they could to England The night being approached the Enemies got vp their Ankers to get wind and not to suffer our Ships to goe out of the Road to Sea because they had trimmed eight Ships of fire which with the current of the water should haue put themselues amongst our Ships to haue burnt them But my Lord the Duke foreseeing the danger preuented them with commandement that the Ships that were neerest should cut their Cables and take vp the others with a readinesse vncredible and with this the Enemies pretence was hindered and so got the Sea most brauely and with good fortune that if hee had not done it our Army should haue beene in an euill case for in the very place where we left there was shot off by them out of those fiery Ships such Fires and other Engines that were sufficient to burne the Sea much more Ships which are made of Wood and Pitch In this departure the Captaine of the Galeasses had a great mischance for getting vp her Anker a Cable fell foule of her Helme that shee could not follow the rest which caused one of her sides to lie so high that her Ordnance could not play and so twentie fiue Pinnaces came and battared her and with all this if the Mariners Souldiers and Rowers that were in her had not cast themselues into the Sea it is holden for certaine that Don Hugo de Moncada had defended her as he did vntill she came into Calleis where at the entrance thereof he was killed of two Caliuer shot the people on shoare defended the Galeasse and all that was in her and deliuered the same to our Soueraigne Lord the Kings Ministers At this time the Duke had a very franke wind and the like had the Queenes Fleet and so they both passed by the sight of Dunkerke insomuch as they on Land knew the Gallion S. Martin and others that went fighting with the English Army and in this order they went till the twelfth Afterwards they write that their came into Calleis a Ship which saith that the twelfth day they did see the two Fleets together in fight another which came afterwards said he had seene some Ships spoyled and torne and from them they threw out their baggage which they saued in Boats which argueth they were Ships of the Enemies for that our men had no place to saue themselues nor there were none of them arriued into Flanders which was their place of returne OUt of England was aduise giuen that on the thirteenth arriued fifteene of the Queenes Ships and they said that the Galleon S. Martin wherin my Lord the Duke is whom God preserue had encountred with Drake and had grappled his Ship and captiued his Person and other Noble Englishmen and taken other fifteene Ships beside others that were distressed and the Duke with his Fleet followed his way iâ— Scotland because the wind was not come about With these newes his Maiesty resteth very much contented and caused them to be sent to the Empresse by the hands of Francisco Ydiaquez his Secretary of Estate Imprinted in Seuill in the House of Cosmo de Lara Printer of Bookes by licence of the Counte of Orgaz Assistant in Seuill CHAP. XII A Discourse of the Portugall Voyage A. 1589. Sir IOHN NORRIS and Sir FRANCIS DRAKE Generalls written as is thought by Colonell ANTONIE WINGFIELD imployed in the same Voyage formerly published by his friend to whom it was written and here abbreuiated HAuing determinately purposed to put on this habite of a Souldier I grew doubtfull whether to employ my time in the warres of the Low-countries which are in auxiliarie manner maintained by her Maiestie or to follow the fortune of this voyage which was an aduenture of her and many honourable personages in reuenge of vnsupportable wrongs offered vnto the estate of our Countrey by the Castilian King in arguing whereof I finde that by how much the Challenger is reputed before the Defendant by so much is the iourney to bee preferred before those defensiue Warres For had the Duke of Parma his turne beene to defend as it was his good fortune to inuade from whence could haue proceeded that glorious honour which these late warres haue laid vpon him or what could haue beene said more of him then of a Respondent though neuer so valiant in a priuate Duell Euen that he hath done no more then by his honour he was tied vnto For the gaine of one Towne or any small defeat giueth more renowme to the Assailant then the defence of a Countrey or the withstanding of twentie encounters can yeeld any man who is bound by his place to guard the same whereof as well the particulars of our age especially in the Spaniard as the reports of former Histories may assure vs which haue still layed the fame of all warres vpon the Inuader And doe not ours in these dayes liue obscured in Flanders either not hauing where withall to manage any warre or not putting on Armes but to defend themselues when the enemy shall procure them Whereas in this short time of our Aduenture we haue won a Town by Escalade battered and assaulted another ouerthrowne a mightie Princes power in the Field landed our Army in three seuerall places of his Kingdome marched seuen dayes in the heart of his Country lyen three nights in the Suburbs of his principall Citie beaten his forces into the Gates thereof and possessed two of his frontier Forts as shall in discourse thereof more particularly appeare But our Army which hath not cost her Maiestie much aboue the third part of one yeeres expences in the Low-countries hath already spoyled a great part of the prouision hee had made at the Groine of all sorts for a new voyage into England burnt three of his Ships whereof one was the second in the last yeeres expedition called S. Iuan de Colorado taken from him aboue 150. Peeces of good artillery cut off more then 60. Hulkes and 20. French Ships well manned fit and ready to serue him for men of warre against vs laden for his store with Corne Victualls Masts Cables and other merchandizes slaine and taken the principall men of Warre hee had in Galitia made Don Pedro Enriques de Gusman Conde de Fuentes Generall of his forces in Portugall shamefully run at Peniche laid along of his best Commander in Lisbon wherefore I directly conclude that this proceeding is the most safe
water it was not able to bee held and therefore vpon the discouery of our Boates they of the high Towne should make a signall by fire from thence that all the low Towne might make their retreat thither but they whether troubled with the sudden terror we brought vpon them or forgetting their decree omitted the fire which made them guard that place till we were entred on euery side Then the Towne being entred in three seuerall places with an huge cry the Inhabitants betooke them to the high Towne which they might with lesse perill doe for that ours being strangers there knew not the way to cut them off The rest that were not put to the sword in fâ—rie fled to the Rocks in the Iland others hid themselues in Chambers and Sellers which were euery day found in great numbers Amongst those Don Iuun de Luna a man of very good commandement hauing hidden himselfe in a house did the next morning yeeld himselfe There was also taken that night a Commissarie of victuals called Iuan de Vera who confessed that there were in the Groine at our entrie fiue hundred Souldiers being in seuen Companies which returned very weake as appeareth by the small numbers of them from the iourney of England The rest falling into the hands of the common Souldiers bad their throats cut to the number of fiue hundred as I coniecture first and last after wee had entred the Towne and in the entry thereof there was found euerie Seller full of Wine whereon our men by inordinate drinking both grew themselues for the present senslesse of the danger of the shot of the Town which hurt many of them being drunk and tooke the first ground of their sicknesse for of such was our first and chiefest mortalitie There was also abundant store of Victualls Salt and all kind of prouision for shipping and the warre which was confessed by the said Commissary of Victualls taken there to be the beginning of a Magasin of all sorts of prouision for a new Voyage into England whereby you may coniecture what the spoile thereof hath aduantaged vs and preiudiced the King of Spaine The next morning about eight of the clocke the enemies abandoned their Ships And hauing ouercharched the Artillery of the Gallion left her on fire which burnt in terrible sort two daies together the fire and ouercharging of the Peeces being so great as of fiftie that were in her there were not aboue sixteene taken out whole the rest with ouercharge of the powder being broken and molten with heat of the fire were taken out in broken pieces into diuers Ships The same day was the Cloister of the South side of the Towne entred by vs which ioyned verie neere to the wall of the Town out of the chambers and other places whereof we beat into the same with our Musketiers The next day in the afternoone there came downe some two thousand men gathered together out of the Countrey euen to the gates of the Towne as resolutely led by what spirit I know not as though they would haue entred the same but at the first defence made by ours that had the guard there wherein were slaine about eighteene of theirs they tooke them to their heeles in the same disorder they made their approach and with greater speed then ours were able to follow notwithstanding wee followed after them more then a mile The second day Colonell Huntley was sent into the Countrey with three or foure hundred men who brought home very great store of Kine and Sheepe for our reliefe The third day in the night the Generall had in purpose to take a long Munition-house builded vpon their wall opening towardes vs which would haue giuen great aduantage against them but they knowing the commodity thereof for vs burnt it in the beginning of the euening which put him to a new councell for he had likewise brought some Artillery to that side of the Town During this time there happened a very great fire in the lower end of the Towne which had it not bin by the care of the Generals heedily seene vnto and the fury thereof preuented by pulling downe many houses which were most in danger as next vnto them had burnt all the prouisions we found there to our wonderfull hinderance The fourth day were planted vnder the guard of the Cloisters two Demy-canons and two Coluerings against the Towne defended or gabbioned with a crosse wall thorow which our battery lay the first and second tire whereof shooke all the wall down so as all the Ordnance lay open to the Enemy by reason wherof some of the Canoniers were shot and some slaine The Lieutenant also of the Ordnance M. Spencer was slaine fast by Sir Edward Norris Master thereof whose valour being accompanied with an honourable care of defending that trust committed vnto him neuer left that place till he receiued direction from the Generall his brother to cease the battery which he presently did leauing a guard vpon the same for that day and in the night following made so good defence for the place of the battery as after there were very few or none annoyed therein That day Captaine Goodwin had in commandement from the Generall that when the assault should be giuen to the Towne he should make a proffer of an Escalade on the other side where he held his guard but he mistaking the signall that would haue beene giuen attempted the same long before the assault and was shot in the mouth The same day the Generall hauing planted his Ordnance ready to batter caused the Towne to be summoned in which summons they of the Towne shot at our Drum immediately after that there was one hanged ouer the wall and a parle desired wherein they gaue vs to vnderstand that the man hanged was hee that shot at the Drum before wherein they all intreated to haue faire wars with promise of the same on their parts The rest of the parle was spent in talking of Don Iuan de Luna and some other prisoners and somewhat of the rendring of the Towne but not much for they listned not greatly thereunto Generall Norris hauing by his skilfull view of the Towne which is almost all seated vpon a Rocke found one place thereof mineable did presently set workemen in hand withall who after three daies labour and the seuenth after we were entred the base Towne had bedded their Powder but indeed not farre enough into the wall Against which time the breach made by the Canon being thought assaultable and Companies appointed as well to enter the same as that which was expected should be blowne vp by the Mine namely to that of the Canon Captaine Richard Wingfield and Captaine Philpot who led the Generalls Foot-company with whom also Captaine Yorke went whose principall commandement was ouer the Horse-men And to that of the Mine Captaine Iohn Sampson and Captaine Anthony Wingfield Lieutenant Colonell to the Master of the Ordnance with certaine selected
before day in a storme the Ship was driuen vpon the lee shoare within Beachy in Sussex and not being able to double that head-land in the endeauouring wherof all the Sayles being by violence of weather rent from the yards to auoid running vpon the Rockes they came to an anchor euery Billow ouerwashing the Ships head that neither by pumping nor lading out of the water they were able to free her and the men in her so tired with labour as no hope of safetie was left The last remedy was to cut all the Masts and Tackle ouerbooâ—d which lightened the Ship and by that meanes shee was preserued After thirtie houres of this extreame perill the storme ceased and so by Gods fauour with a Iury Mast which was made of the Boat Mast and the Boat Sayle hauing no Mast nor anchor left but one he arriued vpon Allhollenday in the Downes beyond all expectation of the Masters and Mariners who made no other reckoning then to be lost And these were the accidents that separated Sir George Carew from the Fleet in the huge stormes on Bartholmew day in the Bay of Alchasher as aforesaid In which storme the Saint Andrew at that time spent her mayne top Mast and lost vs for three or foure dayes but all the rest of the Fleet except our Ships which carried the Low-Country Souldiers kept together in the Bay And so many as came to vs after at the Rocke were beaten also from the Admiral in that Bay and so were many other Ships which found vs after at the Rocke to the number of thirty and odde sayle Whereupon a rumour was afterward raised that the Reare-Admirall was gone away with thirty sayle from the Fleet to the ouerthrow of the intended seruice Our Admirall still bare in with the Land the most part of the Fleet followed the same course The next day we made the high Land of Portugall and within some three houres after Cape Prior where our Admirall with diuers other of the Fleet did beare in so close aboord the shore as that all the Country ouer began to kindle fires The which manner of discouering our selues as I do remember was much noted by diuers good Souldiers as well by Sea as Land for indeed it was reputed no great policie nor discretion in vs to run in so close aboard the shoare if we had any secret or sudden exploit to performe on that Coast as it was pretended For that Brauado of ours did but giue them more warning to prouide for themselues and to preuent vs. And I haue obserued that those brauing humours haue of late yeeres been the hindrance and losse of many good fortunes as well in Sir Francis Drake his two last Voyages to the Indies and Sir Iohn Norris in his to Lisbon by staying at the Groyne as also in others c. Towards the euening we put roome againe from the Coast and beat vp and downe in the Bay to free vs from thence expecting a wind where with to double the North Cape which within two or three dayes wee had and so passed along within ten leagues of the Coast by Ferrall the Groyne and Cape Bealim and so weathered the North Cape And as the Fleet together was passing along towards the South almost as farre as the Iles of Bayon our Ship the Wastspite being then a middest them all on the seuen and twentieth of August broke her mayne Yard in sunder in the very middest by the Parrell Whereupon we presently discharged a Peece of Ordnance and made our misfortune knowne to our Admirall who himselfe spake with vs and also at that time had a great leake broken out vpon his owne Ship And there by his order and permission we were willed to repaire our mayne Yard the best wee could and vntill it were finished in that birth to goe on with our Fore-sayle towardes the Rocke before the winde whiles hee with the Fleet would in towardes the Coast and so wee there to ply vp and downe about the height of the Rocke vntill his Lordship came vnto vs or during the dayes limited in the generall instructions and thence to passe onwards to the South Cape and there to remaine according to the said directions And yet wee did not for two dayes after depart though to our great disease for wee wallowed in the trough of the Sea and rowled so extreamely as that wee had like to haue lost our mayne Mast also After this order giuen wee presently tooke aduice the best wee could and set our hands together for the repayring and finishing of our mayne Yard being broken in the Parrell a very euill place to amend wherein that night wee could doe little good more then to free the Sayles and Tackle from it Notwithstanding the very next morning the Admirall sent a commandement to vs that wee should presently attend him with all speed for that hee meant to put in with the Land The which wee were altogether vnable to performe our mayne Yard being in sunder and impossible it was so suddenly in one night to repayre it and without it wee were not able to worke vpon a wind as all Mariners know hauing but our Fore-sayle and Mizen and the winde almost of the Land so as it had beene but an idle labour for the more we striued the faster wee fell off Besides if wee could haue layd the Land with that sayle it had beene a madnesse to put our selues vpon the Enemies Coast in that estate for if the wind had then changed to the West we wanting all our mayne Sayles must haue yeelded or perished So as in regard of this necessitie we did for two daies as aforesaid ply vp and down vntill wee had repaired our Yard and fitted our sayles vnto it being now fiue foot shorter then it was before Whilest wee were thus distressed on our Enemies Coast Sir William Brooke Captaine of the Dread-nought came vnto vs and tarried with vs out of his owne charitie and friendly disposition for there were no directions that wee heard of giuen to any to accompany vs in that distresse Onely the Vice-Admirall of his owne noble care very kindly and honourably hayled vs and offered what comfort and helpe hee could giue vs some others afterwards did the like But we hauing yeelded due thankes to the Vice-Admirall for such his noble care and curtesie desired no more company but wished all others of our Squadron to repaire vnto the Admirall contenting our selues with Sir William Brooke in the Dread-naught and two or three other small men of our owne Squadron which of their owne accord followed vs. Neither did we in all this time intreat the company of any one Ship more to stay with vs albeit the contrary was very falsly suggested and reported in a strange manner of phrase which was that the Reare-Admirall vpon the breaking of his Mayne-yard willed all his Squadron and those that loued him to keepe him company and not