CHAP. I. His Birth and Education; His Losses by the Spa­niard; His making two Voyages into the West-Indies for discovery; His Voyage in 1572. to Nombre de Dios, and surprizing it with only 52 Men, where they had a view of a Pile of Bars of Silver 70 Foot in length, 10 Foot broad, and 12 Foot high.

THis Famous Sea-Captain and our present Heroe, one of the first who put a Sea Girdle, as it were, about the World, was Born near S [...] Tavestock in Devonshire, and had his name given him by Sir Francis Russel after Earl of Bedford, his Godfather; He was brought up in Kent, [Page 2] his Father being a Minister, who for fear of the Six Articles in the Reign of King Henry the Eight, was forced to secure himself in the Hull of a Ship, where he had divers of his younger Sons, having twelve in all, who be­ing most of them Born on the Water, for the greatest part died at Sea, the youngest only dying at home, whose Posterity still inherit what was gallantly, though dangerously gain­ed by our Sir Francis their Elder Brother. Af­ter the death of King Henry, his Father got a place to read Prayers among the Marriners of the Royal Navy, and bound his Son Francis an Apprentice to a Ship-master who traded to France and Holland, with whom he endured much hardship, and was thereby fitted to suffer the Fatigues and labours of the Sea.

His Master dying, bequeathed him his Bark with which he for some time followed his Ma­sters Profession and thereby gained considera­bly; But the Narrow Seas not being Large enough for his aspiring mind, he sold his Bark, and in the years 1565 and 1566 ingaged with Captain Lovel and others in a Voyage to the West-Indies, and received much wrong from the Spaniards at Rio de Hacha; yet the very next year Captain John Hawkins making preparati­ons for a Voyage into those Parts, he accompa­nied him to St. John de Ullua in the Bay of Mexico, where by the treachery of Don Martin Henrique their Viceroy, he not only lost all his [Page 3] goods, but likewise several of his Kinsmen and Friends, himself hardly escaping with his life; This so exasperated the Spirit of Drake, that he vowed the Spaniards should repay him with ad­vantage, and to make good his word, having served for some time in one of Queen Eliza­beths Ships to his great advantage, and finding he could procure no redress from the King of Spain for his losses, though the Queen had sent Letters thither upon that account, it raised such indignation in his Breast that he resolved to use all possible endeavours to recover the da­mages he had sustained; in pursuance whereof he made two several Voyages into America to gain Intelligence, first with two Ships the Dragon and Swan in 1570. and the next year in the Swan alone, whereby having obtained certain notice of the Persons and places he aimed at, he fully resolved on a third Voyage.

Pursuant thereto May 24. 1572. being Whitson Eve, Drake in the Pascha of Plymouth of 70 Tuns, and his brother John Drake in the Swan of 25 Tuns, having in both ships seventy three men and boys all Volunteers, well provided with victuals for a year with all other Ammunition and provision for Men of War, and three handsom Pinnaces taken asun­der, and stowed aboard to be set together upon occasion, they sailed out of the Sound of Ply­mouth bound for Nombre de Dios in the West-Indies. [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page 1] [...] [Page 2] [...] [Page 3] [...] [Page 4] Their passage was so prosperous that June 3. they had sight of the Maderas, and Canary Islands, and made no stay till they came in veiw of Guadalupe, an high Island in the West Indies; Next morning June 29. entring between this place and Dominica, they spied two Canoos a fishing about three Leagues off; then landing on the South of Dominica in one of the Rivers that fall from the Mountain, they staid there three days to refresh their men, and saw divers poor Cottages built with Palmetto Boughs and Branches, but no People appeared, they seeming not to be setled habitations but only used during their fishing. July 1. they sailed thence toward the Continent or Main Land of America, and the first day after saw the high Land of Sancta Martha from whence they directed their course to Port Pheasant, so named by Drake in his former Voyage for the multitude of those Fowls they there met with, being arrived they hardly knew the place again it was so overgrown with Wood and Grass, though the year before they had made many ways and paths therein.

At the entrance into the Bay Admiral Drake intended to have gone ashoar with only a few in his company since he knew that no Spaniards dwelt within thirty five mile of the place, that is at Tolou Eastward, and Nombre de Dios to the West, when rowing toward the shore he saw a smoke in the Woods near the place where he [Page 5] had frequented last year, and therefore taking more strength, with Guns and other weapons, suspecting some Enemy near, he landed, where he found evident marks that Captain John Garret of Plymouth had been lately there, be­ing brought thither by some who were former­ly with Drake in that Voyage, he had left a Plate of Lead fastned to a very great Tree, which four men together could not fathom, on which these words were ingraven, Captain Drake, if you fortune to come to this Port make hast away; For the Spaniards which you had here with you the last year have betray'd this place, and taken away all that you left here; I departed from hence this present 7. of July 1572. Your very Loving Friend John Garret.

The smoke they saw was from a Fire made by Garret at his departure in a great Tree, which had continued burning at least five days before their Arrival; Notwithstanding this warning, Drake resolved to build his Pinnaces in this convenient Port; Which they finished in seven days after their coming upon the Land, by the help of some large Trees grow­ing there which were near forty yards about, being white and as heavy as Brasile Wood; There came now into the same Bay an English Bark of the Isle of Wight, James Rawse Captain, with thirty men, some of whom had been there with Drake the year before; They brought in a Spanish Carvel or Advice-Boat [Page 6] bound for Nombre de Dios, and a Shallop with Oars taken at Cape Blank, and being made ac­quainted with Drakes design, they joined with him therein; July 22. they sailed out of this Harbor for Nombre de Dios, and coming within three days to the Isle of Pinos took two Frigots laden with Plank and Timber from Nombre de Dios; The Negro's aboard informed them of the present State of the Town, and that some Souldiers were dayly expected from the Go­vernor of Panama to defend it against the Sy­merons, a black people who about eighty years past fled from the cruelty of their Masters the Spaniards, and grew since into a Nation under two Kings of their own, one inhabiting West­ward, and the other East in the way from Nombre de Dios to Panama, who had almost surprized the Town six weeks before. Captain Drake resolving not to hurt these Negro's, set them ashoar on the Main Land, that if they would they might join themselves to the Sy­merons their Countreymen, and thereby gain their liberty, or if not, yet the way being long and troublesom by land to Nombre de Dios, they might not give notice to them of his arrival, whom he intended to surprize with the utmost speed and secrecy.

Leaving then his three Ships and the Carvel with Captain Rawse, and putting fifty three men with Targets, Pikes, Fire-Pikes, Muskets, Bowes and Drums into his four Pinnaces, [Page 7] Rawses Shallop making one, he parted from his Company and in five days landed in the Island of Cativaas about 25 Leagues distant, and having mustered and armed his men betimes in the morning, he exhorted them to be vali­ant and couragious, representing to them the greatness of the Booty, the weakness of the Town, and the hope of prevailing, and re­compencing the wrongs he had received, espe­cially since he was accompanied with men of as much resolution as himself, and at such a time as they were very likely to be undiscovered; In the afternoon they again set Sail for Nombre de Dios, and in the Evening reacht the River Fran­cisco, and lay close to the Shore all day to pre­vent discovery from the Watch-houses; In the night they rowed hard till they came into the harbour under the high land, resolving after they were refresht, to attempt the Town next morning by day break; but Captain Drake observing that his men from the report of the Negro's, seem'd to apprehend the danger of this attempt because of the greatness and strength of the Town, to prevent their fears he took the opportunity of the rising of the Moon that night, perswading them that it was the dawn­ing of the day, whereby they came to the Town above an hour sooner than was at first proposed, which was about three in the morn­ing, when it happened that a Ship of sixty Tuns, lately arrived from Spain with Canary [Page 8] Wines and other goods came just into the Bay, having not yet furled her Sails, who espying the Pinnaces so well Manned and Oared, sent a Gandeloe to give notice to the Town, which Drake perceiving got between her and the Town, forcing her to the other side the Bay, so that he landed without the least resistance, find­ing only one Gunner upon the Fort, with six great brass Guns on Carriages, and some whole and Demy Culverin, which they instantly dismounted; The Gunner fled and gave the Town the alarm, who were usually upon their Guard, by reason of the disturbances the Symerons often gave them, as the English now perceived by the cryes of the People, the ring­ing out the great Bell, and Drums beating up and down the Town.

Captain Drake leaving twelve of his men to keep the Pinnaces and secure their retreat, and having strengthened the Fort, went with the rest to view the Town, and especially a Mount where he was the year before informed some Ordnance were designed to have been planted which might scowr round about the Town, but upon his Arrival there was never a Gun, only the place seemed prepared for that pur­pose. He then commanded his brother and John Oxnam with sixteen of his Company to go above the Kings Treasure-house and enter near the East end of the Market-place, himself with the rest designing to march up the broad street with [Page 9] Trumpets sounding and Drums beating to the Market-place, the Fire Pikes being divided be­tween both Companies, which no less affright­ed the Enemy than they gave light to the Eng­lish, who thereby discovered every place as if it had been broad day, the Inhabitants were a­mazed at so strange a sight, imagining them far stronger than they were, by hearing their Drums and Trumpets at several places at once, yet the Souldiers and some of the Townsmen got to­gether in arms at the Market-place, by the Governors house near the Gate of the Town, either to shew their valour in his presence or from thence to make their escape to Panama which was the ready way thither. And to make she of greater numbers of shot, or else from a Custom they had whereby to terrify the Syme­rons, they hung lines with matches lighted cross the end of the Market-place, as if there had been a Company of Musketeirs, whereas there were only two or three, that made these Lines move and dance, who all fled when they perceived themselves discovered; But the Soul­diers and their assistants gave them a hot Volley of Shot, which came full upon them as they marched up the Street, shooting so very low that their Bullets oft grazed on the Sands; The English having discharged their first Volley of Shot and Arrows which were made light on purpose for Service, they came to push a Pike, wherein the Fire-Pikes, Pikes and short Wea­pons [Page 10]

with the butt ends of their Muskets were very serviceable, and made the Spaniards re­treat, when the Captains Brother arriving at the same instant, the Enemy threw down their Arms and fled all out of Town by the afore­said Gate, which was made to secure them a­gainst the Symerons, but served now for a retreat to the flying Spaniards, who being pursued many of the English were wounded by the Weapons of the Enemy that lay cross their way.

Being returned, they made a stand in the midst of the Market-place, Drake sending some [Page 11] from thence to stop the Alarm-Bell which con­tinued Ringing all this while, but the Church being strong built, and firmly Lockt and Bolt­ed they could not get in without firing it, which the Captain absolutely forbid; Mean time two or three Spaniards being taken in the flight, were commanded to direct them to the Governors house, where usually all the Mules who brought the Kings Treasure from Panama were unladen, though the Silver only was kept there, the Gold, Pearl, and Jewels, when entred by the Kings Officer being carried from thence to the Treasury hard by, which was very strongly built of Lime and Stone for se­curing it; Coming to the Governors, they found the great door where the Mules unload just opened, a Candle lighted on the Stairs, and a very fine Spanish Horse ready sadled either for the Governor or some of his Family; By means of this light they saw a vast heap of Silver in the lower Room consisting of Bars of Silver piled up against the Wall se­venty foot in length, ten in breadth, and twelve in height, each Bar between thirty five and forty pound weight. At sight hereof Captain Drake gave strict charge none should touch a Bar of it, but stand upon their guard, the Town being full of people, and there being in the Kings Treasury near the Water-side more Gold and Jewels than the four Pinnaces could carry, which he told them, they should instant­ly [Page 12] attempt to break open, notwithstanding the report the Spaniards gave of the strength there­of.

Returning back to the Market-place news came their Pinnaces were in danger to be seiz­ed by the Souldiers and Townsmen, of which they had intelligence by one Diego a Negro, who during the skirmish came to the Pinnaces and inquired whether they belonged to Cap­tain Drake, and thereupon desired to be taken aboard, which was done though he had several Shot made at him from the shoar; By him they had notice that about eight days before their arrival the King had sent thither an 150 Soul­diers to secure the Town against the Symerons, which was likewise full of other People, this was the rather believed as agreeing with the re­port of the Negro's taken formerly at the Isle of Pinos; Drake therefore sent his Brother and John Oxnam to discover the truth, who found the men aboard the Pinnaces much frighted with the great Troops they saw running about with lighted Matches, and Weapons crying, Que Gente? que gente? Of what Nation are they? What Countreymen are they? who not having been at the conflict at the Market-house, but coming thither from the furthest parts of the Town, (which was as large as Plymouth in England) came many times near them, and finding they were English, discharged their Guns at them and ran away. After this fell a terrible [Page 13] strom of Rain, Thunder and Lightning with so much violence, as usually happens in those Countreys, that before they could shelter them­selves under the Treasure-house some of their Bow-Strings, Match and Powder were wet, which caused much disturbance among them, which Drake perceiving told them, That he had brought them to the mouth of the Treasure of the World, which if they did not now gain, none but themselves were to be blamed; After this the storm, having continued near an hour, ceasing, to prevent the fears of his men, and the prepa­rations of the Enemy, he commanded his Bro­ther with John Oxnam and their company to break open the Treasure-house, and the rest to follow him to the Market-place till they had finished the business they came about; As Drake stept forward his Strength, Sight and Speech failed him, and he began to faint for want of Bloud, which he then perceived had is­sued in great quantity from a wound in his Leg in the first encounter, and which he hitherto had concealed lest he should discourage his Company, or tempt them to forsake him, many having already got considerable booty; He lost so much Bloud filling his very footsteps on the Sands therewith, that his men were much troubled, not thinking it possible he could live after so great an evacuation, giving him there­fore somewhat to drink which recovered his Spirits, they bound up his wound with his Scarf, [Page 14] and perswaded him to go aboard for his recove­ry, which he absolutely refused, doubting whether ever he should have the like opportuni­ty, so that joining force and intreatys together, they carried him into the Pinnace, and the whole Company being imbarqued by break of day July 19. many of their men, besides Drake, being wounded, though only a Trum­petter slain, they resolved to be gone, taking the Spanish Ship of Wines along with them for relieving their Captain and themselves, yet be­fore they got out of the Harbor, the Towns-men remounting one of their great Guns shot at them, but without damage, so that they car­ried off their prize to an Island two Leagues thence called the Isle of Victuals, where they staid two days to cure their wounded men, and refresh themselves in the Gardens they found there, abounding with all sorts of Roots, Fruits, Poultrey, and other Fowls no less strange than delicate.

Soon after their Arrival a Gentleman, who belonged to the Garrison lately sent to the Town came to them, protesting the intent of his coming was only to see and admire the courage of those who with so small forces had made so great and incredible an attempt, that at first they feared they had been French, but perceiving them by their Arrows to be English, their fears were abated, since they were satis­fied that though they took their Treasures, yet [Page 15] they would use no cruelty to their Persons, but though this Gallant pretended his visit was on­ly to honour their Virtues, yet they were after satisfied that he came directly by the Governors command to discover whether their Captain were the same Drake who had been the two last years on their Coasts, whom the Towns-men affirmed they knew very well, and who had always used them kindly, and because ma­ny of the Spaniards were wounded with Ar­rows, he desired to know whether the English had poysoned them, and how they might be cured, lastly what Provisions they wanted, the Go­vernor promising to supply them to the utmost of his power; the Captain though he judg'd this Souldier only a spy, yet treated him civilly, and returned this answer to his demands; That he was the same Drake whom they meant, that it was never his custom to poyson Arrows, that their wounds might be cured with ordinary reme­dies, that the Island they were upon was sufficient to supply all his necessities, and that he only wanted some of that excellent commodity of Gold and Sil­ver which that Countrey yielded for the use of him­self and his Company; He therefore advised the Governor to look about him declaring that by the help of God he was resolved before his departure to reap some of that golden Harvest which they got out of the Earth, and sent into Spain to trouble all the Earth.

To this unexpected answer the Gentleman [Page 16] replyed, Pray Sir may I without offence ask what was the cause of your leaving the Town now, where there was above three hundred and threescore Tun of Silver, ready for the Fleet, and a much greater quantity of Gold lockt up in Chests in the Kings Treasury? The Captain giv­ing him a true account of his unfortunate wound and unwilling retreat aboard, the Spaniard acknowledged they had no less reason in depart­ing than courage in attempting, and that it was more necessary for the Town to provide for their own defence, than to set out any Ships to offend the English; After this he was dismist with gifts from the Captain to make his report to the Governor, protesting he never received so much honour from any Person in his life; the Negro aforementioned confirmed all that the Spaniard related of the vast Treasures in the Town, adding, That they might have Gold and Silver enough if they would make use of the Symerons, and that he would venture with them if the Captain would undertake his protec­tion, since they hated him for betraying several of them into the hands of their Masters, and that he knew they had a great respect for the name and Valour of Captain Drake; Hereupon they resolved to leave that Island as neither safe not healthy, and the next night arrived at the Isle of Pinos or Port Plenty where they had left their Ships, from whence Drake sent his Brother and Elles Hixon to the West-ward to search the Ri­ver [Page 17] Chagro where he had been the year before, and desired a further discovery since it ran Southward within six Leagues of Panama near a little Town called Venta Cruz, whence all the Treasure usually brought by Mules from Pa­nama was shipt down this River into the North Sea, the tyde not running up far into the land, so that it requires three days to go up against the Stream.

When they came to their Ships Aug. 1. Captain Rawse despairing of the hoped-for-suc­cess, and their security on those Coasts being now discovered, was upon his desire freely dis­mist, after the return of the Pinnaces from searching the River Chagro, the rest continuing in the Isle about six days when it was concluded that Drake with his two Ships and three Pin­naces should sayl to Carthagena, which they did in six days, the calms they met with much hindring their speed, attempting nothing by the way neither at Tolou nor elsewhere; Aug. 13. their two Ships archord between the Islands of Caresha and St. Bernards, the Captain bringing the Pinnaces about into the Harbor of Cartha­gena, where at the entrance he found a Ship at anchor with only one old man aboard, who upon demand answered, That the rest of his Company were gone ashoar in a Gondelo that Evening to fight about a Young Lady, and free­ly told them, That two hours before night a Pinnace sailed swiftly by with Oars inquiring [Page 18] whether any French or English, had been lately there, and being answered, none, they bid them look to themselves, and that within an hour after this Pinnace was come to the further side of Car­thagena, many great Guns were discharg'd, whereupon one going to the top Mast espyed se­veral Ships and Vessels coming into the Castle; This report the Captain credited since them­selves had heard the Ordnance, and perceived they were now fully discovered, yet having notice by this old Mariner, that a great Spa­nish Ship newly unladen lay in the next Point, bound next morning for St. Domingo in Hispa­niola, they took him aboard their Pinnace to verify his information, and coming near the said Ship they askt whence they came, the English replyed, from Nombre de Dios, where­upon they abused and railed at them, who dis­regarding their words instantly boarded her, though with some difficulty by reason of her height, she being 240 Tun; Having entred the Deck, the Spaniards perceiving they had taken possession, got all into Hold with their arms, except two youths, when finding no danger from the Enemy, they towed the Ship without the Island into the Sound, just before the Town though out of reach of their great Guns.

Mean while the Town having Intelligence hereof by their Watch, took the alarm, rung out their Bells, and shot off about thirty Ord­nance, and divers Horse and Foot came down [Page 19] to the very Point of the Wood to prevent their going out of the Sound; next morning the English took two Vessels wherein were two who called themselves the Kings Scrivano's, one of Carthagena, the other of Veragua with se­ven Mariners and two Negro's, who came from Nombre de Dios, bound for Carthagena with double Letters of advice to certify them; That Captain Drake had been at Nombre de Dios, and had probably taken and plundred it if he had not been prevented with some blessed shot, and that he being still on the Coast, they should carefully provide for their security; The Cap­tain bringing all his Fleet together, at the ear­nest intreaty of the Scrivano's set them and their Company ashoar, and sailed thence three Leagues off the Town, where they found store of Fish to refresh them, and Drake consider­ing he was now discovered in two of the chief places on the Coast, yet not intending to leave it till he had found the Symerons, and per­formed his Voyage which would require time, and the well manning of his Pinnaces, he re­solved to burn one of his Ships, and make the other a storehouse, thereby to strengthen the Pinnaces, but knowing his Company would hard­ly consent, the Ships being both good saylers and well provided, he resolved to use policy, and sending for Thomas Moon, Carpenter in the Swan, took him into his Cabin, and charg­ed him to conceal for some time, a piece of ser­vice [Page 20] which he must needs do him aboard his own Ship, which was in the middle of the second watch, to go privately down into the Well of the Ship, and boar three holes as near the Keel as possible, laying somewhat against it to prevent the noise of the Water entring in; Moon was astonisht to hear him propose the loss of so good a Ship which was his own, new, strong, and in which he himself had before made two rich and gainful Voyages, alledg­ing, if his Brother, the Master, or any of the Saylors should know of such a fact, they would certainly kill him, but the Captain satisfying him of the necessity of it, and assuring him of secresie, till they should all be glad of it, he undertook and perform'd it accordingly.

Next morning Aug. 15. Drake going early a fishing in his Pinnace, and falling aboard the Swan calls for his Brother to go with him, who rising hastily, replyed, he would instantly fol­low, or attend him if he pleased to stay; The Captain perceiving the business done, would not hasten him, but rowing away, carelesly de­manded of them, why their Ship was so deep in the Water; Upon which his Brother sent to the Steward to know whether there were any Wa­ter in her, or what might be the cause, the Steward stepping hastily down suddenly his usual scuttle was wet up to the wast, and getting up again with much affright, cryed out, The Ship was full of Water; There was no need [Page 21] of hastning them, some went to the Pump, and others to search for the Leak, which the Master observing instantly followed his Brother, certi­fying him of the strange accident befallen them that night, that whereas they had not Pumpt in six weeks before, they had now six foot Wa­ter in hold, and therefore desired to be excused from fishing to search and remedy the Leak, and the Captain offering his assistance his Brother answered, they had men enough aboard, de­siring him to continue his fishing that they might have part thereof for dinner; His Bro­ther returning found the Company had taken much pains, but had freed the Water very lit­tle, yet having much love to the Ship (as Drake foresaw) they used their utmost dili­gence till three in the afternoon, when perceiv­ing that though they had assistance from the Captains Ship, yet they were not able to free above a foot and half of Water, and were very unlikely to find the Leak they were much dis­couraged, and desired Drakes advice how to remedy it, who thereupon perswaded them to take their goods out of her and then set her a fire to prevent her falling into the enemies hands, that himself would Sail in the Pinnace till he could provide some handsom Frigot, and his Brother should be Captain of the Ad­miral together with the Master; This ad­vice seem'd strange at first, yet was instantly put in execution that night, Drake having [Page 22] his desire and men enough now to strengthen his Pinnaces.

The next day Aug. 16. they resolved to seek out a place in the Sound of Darien to leave their Ship at Anchor safe and undiscovered that the Enemy might judge them quite gone from the Coast, and mean while to prosecute their design with the Pinnaces; Drake going with two to the River Grande, and his Brother taking the third to find out the Symerons; In pursuance hereof they in five days privately recovered the Sound, where the Captain im­ployed them to clear a spacious plat of ground from Trees and Bushes to build houses large enough for their lodgings, and one particular­ly for their publick assembling, wherein the Negro well acquainted with the Countrey and Buildings did them much service, the rest of the Company recreating themselves with Shooting at Butts, Bowls, Quaits, Nine-Pins or what they pleased, half of them working one day, and the rest the next, and likewise in providing fresh Victuals of Fish, Fowl, Hogs, Deer, Rabbits and the like, whereof there was great plenty; The Smiths here set up their Forge with all necessaries brought from England, which did them much service. Having continued here fifteen days to silence the noise of their discove­ry, Drake leaving his Ship with his Brother went Sept. 8. with two Pinnaces for the River Grand as was formerly concluded on, and passing [Page 23] by Carthagena out of sight, and coming within two Leagues of the River they landed on the Main Land West-ward, and saw much Cattel, and finding some Indians who kindly demand­ed, What they wanted, they desired fresh Victu­als which the Indians presently furnisht them with, taking what Cattel they needed with so much ease that they seemed to have an abso­lute command over them, whereas these Crea­tures would not suffer the English to come near them, the Captain, as usually before, giving them such things in exchange as much contented them, so that they promised always to supply them with necessaries.

CHAP. II. Captain Drakes proceeding to Rio Grand and Carthagena; His entertaining the Syme­rons, and taking several Spanish Ships, and likewise the Town of Venta Cruz.

HAving received this seasonable refreshment from the Indians, they departed for Rio Grand, and arrived at the mouth thereof next day, where the stream was so violent that they took up fresh Water tho' within half a League from the Sea; from three in the afternoon till dark night they rowed up against the current which was so strong that they got but two [Page 24] Leagues all that time; In the night they moared their Pinnaces to a Tree, there falling a dread­ful Shower of Rain, with such strange and terrible thunder and lightning as much asto­nisht them, though Drake who had before seen the like, assured them it would not continue above three quarters of an hour; After this storm it became very calm, and such a multi­tude of Gnats or Musketoes fell upon them with their troublesom stings that they could not rest all that night, nor defend themselves from them, the best remedy they found was to a­noint themselves with juice of Lemmons. At break of day they proceeded to hale without ceasing, and about three afternoon they spied a Canoo with two Indians fishing in the River, to whom they spake not for fear of discovery, nor the other to them judging them Spaniards; within an hour after they descried several Hou­ses on the other side the River, the Channel whereof was 25 fathom deep, and so broad as one could scarce see from one shore to the other, yet a Spaniard who kept these Houses disco­vering their Pinnaces and thinking them his Countreymen, made a smoak for a Signal to them to turn that way, being desirous to speak with them, they accordingly rowed toward him, and being half way over he waved his hat and long hanging Sleeves to them to come ashoar, but they drawing nearer he perceived his mistake, and fled from his Houses with all [Page 25] speed; The English landing found them to be five in number all full of White Rusk dryed Bacon, Cheese of that Countrey somewhat like that of Holland, but much better tasted, which they send as great Presents into Spain, there were also Sweatmeats, Conserves and a great quantity of Sugar provided for the Fleet in their return to Spain.

They loaded their Pinnaces with this store of Provisions, and by twilight departed, having notice by an Indian Woman in those Houses that the Frigots (usually thirty or more, which transport goods from Spain to Cartha­gena, and thence to those Houses, and so in great Canoo's up to Nova Reyno with great ease the River running many hundred Leagues within the Land and bring back in return the Gold, Silver, Victuals and other Commodities that Kingdom abundantly yeilds) were not yet come from Carthagena, since the first Alarm of the English being in the Countrey; Sept. 10. they went aboard their Pinnaces from these Store-houses, when the Spaniards having brought some Indians from a great Town two Miles off called Villa del Rey had placed them in the bushes by the water side to annoy them with their Arrows, but the English rowed down the stream to the mouth of the River without damage, where having unloaded all their Pro­visions and cleansed their Pinnaces according to their Captains Custom, they took all in again [Page 26] and sailed West-ward. In their return they discovered a Ship, a Bark, and a Frigot, wherein they imagined to have found some Spanish Gold, but when pursued and taken met with nothing of value being bound for Sugar and Hides, so that dismissing her they proceeded. Sept. 10. between Carthagena and Tolou they took six Frigots loaden with live Hogs, Hens and Maiz, which we call Guiny wheat, of whom they got what Intelligence they could of the preparations against them, and their opinion of them, and then discharged four of them and all the men, retaining only two Ships well stored with good provisions.

Three days after they arrived at Port Plenty (where their Captain chose at first to leave his Ship) so called by the Company, because they usually brought thither all the Stores which they took going that way for victualling Car­thagena and Nombre de Dios, and from the Fleets going out and coming from Spain which procured them such abundance of all necessarys, that had they been three thousand Persons their Pinnaces would have sufficiently provided them with Wine, Meal, Rusk, Cassavy bread made of a root called Yucca whose juice is poyson but the substance good and wholesom, dryed Beef, dryed Fish, live Sheep, Hogs and Hens in abun­dance, with vast store of dainty Fish easily taken every day. So that they were forced to build four several Store-houses ten or twenty Leagues [Page 27] asunder both in Islands, and on the Main Land, that so if the Enemy should surprize one they might have another to furnish them till they had finished their desired Voyage, in building which the Negro's were very skilful and speedy. With this Store they not only re­leived themselves and the Symerons while they joined with them, but likewise two French Ships in much distress. In Drakes absence Captain John Drake his Brother who was left here with one Pinnace sailed into the Ocean, and rowing not far from the shoar (by direction of Diego the Moore who freely came to them at Nombre de Dios) he spied certain Symerons with whom he treated so effectually, that at length leaving two English with their Leader, they brought two of theirs aboard the Pinnace, concluding to meet again next day at a River about mid-way between the Cabezas and their Ships which they named the River Diego. These two Symerons being very intelligent men chosen out by their Comman­der declared with much respect to Captain Drake upon their arrival hither; That their Na­tion were very joyful at his coming knowing him an Enemy to the Spaniards not only by his late attempt at Nombre de Dios, but in his for­mer Voyages, and they were therefore ready to assist him in all his designs against his and their inveterate adversarys, to which end their Cap­tain and Company did now attend at the mouth [Page 28] of Rio Diego, expecting what answer should be return'd them, that they would willingly have marched by land even to this very place, had not the way been very long and troublesom with many steep Mountains, deep Rivers, and thick Woods and Bushes, they therefore desired Drake to take some speedy and convenient Order on this behalf. Who comparing the discourse of these Persons with his former Intelligence both from the Negro's and Spaniards together with his Brothers information of their great kindness to him when lately among them, he with the ad­vice of the rest, resolved to go with his brother and the two Symerons that Evening to the said River, ordering the rest of the fleet to follow next morning, his Brother having found out a place thereabout of much safety and convenien­cy, it being a very good and plentiful Coun­trey for above sixty Leagues, and not inha­bited by one Spaniard or any on their behalf, and lying among a great many excellent Islands full of Trees, where though there be Chan­nels, yet they are so full of Rocks and Shoals as makes it very dangerous to enter by night, whereas a Ship may there lye hid among the Trees.

Next day Sept. 14. arriving at the appoin­ted River they found some of the Symerons ac­cording to promise, the rest of them being a mile upward in a Wood by the Rivers side; After they had given them Entertainment, [Page 29] and were satisfied of their fidelity, they took two more into their Pinnaces, leaving two Englishmen with them to go by Land to ano­ther River called Rio Guana to meet another Company of Symerons then in the Mountains; They went that day from Rio Diego in their Pinnaces toward their Ship, which they won­dred did not follow them according to Order. Two days after Sept. 16. they found her in the place where they left her, but very much damaged and indangered by a Tempest in their absence, which having refitted they sent one Pinnace to discover the Channel at the bottom of the Bay to bring their Ship nearer the Land; Sept. 19. they followed and with much wariness sail'd safe into the best Channel; A­bout five Leagues from Cativaas between the Island & the Main, they moared their Ship, the Island being near the Continent flat and full of Trees and Bushes. Sept. 22. the two English men and the Troop of Symerons with twelve others, they met in the Mountains, came in sight of the Ship, on which they were brought aboard to their great joy, hoping now to be quit with their old Spanish Enemies, and the English expecting better success by their assist­ance.

At their first meeting when Drake moved them to inform him how he might be furnisht with Gold and Silver, they plainly answered; That if they had known he had desired that they [Page 30] could have given him enough, but at present were uncapable because the Rivers wherein they had sunk a great quantity which they had taken from the Spaniards, rather to vex their Foes than for any love they had for it, were now so high that they could not get it out of such depths for them, nei­ther could they take any more from their Ene­mies because the Spaniards in these Rainy Months are not used to carry their Treasure by Land. This unexpected answer did not discontent Drake, but rather confirmed their faithfulness, and there­fore the Captain to wear out the five months they designed to spend in those Seas, comman­ded all his great Guns and Ammunition ashoar sending his Pinnaces to the Main Land to fetch over great Trees to make a Fort upon the Island to plant his Ordnance thereon, and for se­curing them against any attempt of the Enemy. The Symerons cut down Palmeto Boughs and Branches, and with strange celerity raised up two Houses large enough for all the Company. The Fort was made Triangular with Timber and Earth, and thirteen foot high.

Having continued here fourteen days Octob. 7. the Captain resolved to go with three Pinnaces to Carthagena, leaving his Brother John Drake to govern those who remained with the Symerons to finish the Fort, and to fetch boards and planks from the prize he left at Cativaas where she was drove ashoar and broken in their absence, but might now be of [Page 31] use to this purpose. That night Captain Drake came to an Island he called the Spurkite Island, because they found store of Birds like Kites, but very delicate meat; Next day Octob. 8. they recovered a large Island where they got great quantity of Fish, especially of a great Shell Fish two foot long, which they called Whelks. Next morning being clear of these Islands and Shoals, they haled off to Sea, and four days after Octob. 14. chased two Frigots ashoar near the Island of St. Bernards, from whence they proceeded to Tolou and landed Octob. 16. near the Town in a Garden, where certain In­dians gave them Bows and Arrows, and pre­sented them with the dainty Fruits and Roots therein, for which they went not unrewarded, hoping to learn intelligence of the Country and Fleets from them. They quickly went hence to Caresha the Island of Carthagena, and with a full gale sailed towards the City, casting an­chor between the Island and the Continent right against the goodly Garden Island, in which the Captain would not suffer them to Land, be­cause he knew the Spaniards sent Souldiers thither when they heard any Men of War were on the Coast, which happened according­ly, for three hours after passing by the Point of the Island they had a Volley of an hundred shot from them, yet not one of their men hurt, that Evening they went to Sea, and next morn­ing, two Leagues off, they took a Bark, and [Page 32] found that her Captain his Wife and the prin­cipal Passengers had forsaken her, and were gone ashoar in their Gundeloe, so that they boarded her without resistance, though very well provided with Swords, Targets, small Shot and Iron Guns; She was about fifty Tun, with ten Marriners, five or six Negro's, great store of Sope and Sweet-meats bound from St. Domingo, to Carthagena, the Captain having left behind him a Silk Ancient with his Arms at his hasty departing.

Next day Octob. 18. they set all the Marri­ners ashoar to seek their Masters, retaining only a young Negro three or four years old, and the Bark, wherein they bore into the mouth of Carthagena Harbor, and there anchored; That afternoon divers Horse came down to the Wood-side in company with the forementioned Scrivano, toward their Bark with a Flag of Truce, desiring security for his coming and going, which being granted he came aboard and gave the Captain many thanks for his re­peated favours, promising to bring him before morning as much provisions as he desired, what danger or punishment soever he incurred there­by. Yet all this was only a trick of the Gover­nors to gain time and strength enough to in­trap them, so that seeing no appearance of this fair pretender by Sun-rising, they put to Sea to the West, and lay at Hull the rest of that day and night. Oct. 20. Afternoon two Frigots [Page 33] bound for Sir Domingo came out of Carthagena, one of fifty and the other of twelve Tun, load­en only with ballast, which they took a League from the Town and came to an Anchor with them with in Shot of the East-Bulwark, she had about thirteen common Marriners, who desiring to be set ashoar, the Captain gave them the great Frigots Gondeloe, and dismist them.

Next morning when they came down to the West Point with a Flag of Truce the Captain rowed ashoar in his Pinnace, whereupon the Spaniards fled, and hid themselves in the Woods pretending fear of the Great Guns, but thereby intending to draw them ashoar in the pursuit, whereupon Drake leapt out on the Sand to defy them and shew that he durst land, though he stayed not long to let them know that though he were not able to conquer them, yet he perfectly understood their designs; The Captain coming again aboard they returned back upon the Sand sending a Youth as from the Governor to know what they designed by staying so long on those Coasts. Drake reply'd; He meant to traffick with them, having Tin, Pewter, Cloth and other Merchandize which he knew they had occasion for; The Youth swum back again with this answer, and instantly re­turn'd with another Message, That the King of Spain had forbidden traffick with any Forreig­ners except for Powder and Shot of which if he had any quantity they would buy it; He replyed, [Page 34] That he was come from his Countrey to exchange his Goods for Gold and Silver, and was unwilling to return without his errand, and that he believed they would have little rest if they did not fairly traffick with him; He gave the Messenger a fine Shirt for a reward and so discharged him, who rowling his Shirt about his head, swum quickly back again. They heard no answer all that day, but kept strict watch; Next morn­ing about break of day they saw two Sails mak­ing toward them, but coming nigh they per­ceived by the many heads peering above board that they were mann'd and set forth from Car­thagena to fight with them, or at least to re­gain the Frigots they had taken, but were pre­vented in both, for leaving John Oxnam with one Pinnace, to entertain those Men of War, Drake hastned in the other to secure the Ships left at Anchor, and caused the Spaniards, (who mean time had gotten aboard in a small Canoo to have towed the Frigots within danger of the Shot) to make all possible hast away, some being forc't to swim a land, leaving their Swords, Targets, Flasks, and Calivers behind, and con­sidering he could not man them, he sunk one, and burnt the other to shew them their secret practices were discovered.

This done Octob. 22. he returned to John Oxnam who mean while lay by the Men of War without offering to fight; When the Cap­tain came up the wind blew so hard that the [Page 35] Pinnaces were forced to give way, which caused the Spaniards to rejoice in hope they fled, but when they came into Harbor and had smooth water, the Pinnaces ingaged the Enemy with advantage, so that after a few Shot exchanged and a storm arising, they fear'd to press nearer, and the storm continuing whereby they doubt­ed of success they retired into the Town, and the English were obliged by the Foul Weather to continue there four days, feeling much cold from the rains and Westerly winds, and very little Shelter in their Pinnaces. The fift day af­ter Octob. 27. a Frigot coming from Sea, see­ing the English make to her, ran ashoar, taking off her Rudder & Sails to prevent being carried away, but coming up to her, they perceived near an hundred Horse and Foot well Armed coming to the Point, with whom they ex­changed some Shot, one of which passed so near a principal Commander among them that they concluded to retreat into the Woods, where they might rescue the Frigot, and suffi­ciently annoy the English, who therefore re­solved to go to Sea again intending to take down their Masts, and ride on the Rocks called Las Serenas two Leagues off at Sea, as they usually did, and were hardly distinguished from the Rocks, but the Waves were so high that they were forced to continue six days in the Harbor to the great disturbance of the Spani­ards who contrived another device against them.

[Page 36]For Nov. 2. They sent forth a great Shal­lop, a Gondeloe, and a Great Canoo, with some Spanish Musketeers, and many Indians with poysoned Arrows, as if to begin a Skir­mish and then to fly, but the English rowing toward them and firing, they instantly landed and retired into the Woods, where an ambush of sixty Muskets lay, beside two Pinnaces and a Frigot very well manned. They boldly as­saulted them, assisted by those out of the Wood who again got aboard the Gondeloe and Canoo, and seeing the English coming up, assured them­selves of success from the Ambuscade, but Drake foreseeing the danger of the attempt, kept out of reach of their Shot from land, and the Enemy freely spent their Powder on them two or three hours, wherein the English had only one man wounded, but saw the Spanish Pinnaces shot through in several places, and the powder of one took fire, whereupon Drake designed to come up and board them, to pre­vent which they rowed speedily to their de­fence in the Wood, being disappointed of assi­stance from their Frigot which the wind would not suffer either to help them or offend their Enemies; Dispairing therefore of any prize in these Parts, and Victuals growing scarce, Drake returned again Nov. 3. to Rio de Grand, and on the Coast in their passage found great store of Victuals; After two days, arriving at the Villages of store where they were before sup­plyed [Page 37] with abundance of Hens, Sheep, Calves, Hogs and the like, they now found nothing left, nor any people to be seen, flying by the Spaniards command into the Mountains, and driving away all their Cattle that they might have no relief from them; Troubled hereat and much of their Victuals being spoyled at Sea, they were revived by the sight of a Frigot from whom they expected relief, but upon boarding perceived she had neither Meat nor Money, being bound for Rio Grand to take in provision upon Bills.

This adding to their grief they lived upon a certain allowance seven or eight days and Sailed toward Sancta Martha in hope of Shipping in the Road, or Fishes on the Rocks, when ar­riving near the Town the Spaniards seeing them Men of War, placed forty Musketeers secretly among the Clifts, who annoyed them so unre­vengedly that they were forct to quit that Har­bor, though indangered by a storm without, and want within, and go to Sea, and the Enemy to give them a farewell made an unlucky Shot from a Culverin between the Pinnaces, while they were consulting how to proceed; Some advised to land in some place East-ward to get Victuals, and rather venture on the kindness of the Countrey people than continue at Sea in such a cold storm and a leaky Pinnace, but Drake resolved to bear up toward Rio de Hacca or Coriazo, hoping there to meet with plenty [Page 38] without resistance either from the Inhabitants or some Prize in the Harbor; The Company in the other Pinnace answered, They would willingly follow him through the World, but they did not think their Pinnace could endure a storm, nor themselves the want of provisions so long, having only one Gammon of Bacon and thirty pound of Bisket for eighteen men; The Captain replyed, They were better provided than him­self, who had but one Gammon of Bacon, and forty pound of Bisket for twenty four men, and therefore hoped they would take their Lot with him and freely depend upon Divine Providence which never fails those that trust therein; Upon this he hoised Sail for Corizao, which the rest perceiving, resolved to follow their Captain, though with sorrowful hearts because of the weakness of their Pinnace.

They had not sailed above three Leagues when a Spanish Ship about ninety Tun appear­ed, which they joyfully expected to be their own, but being haled, she despised their Sum­mons, and gave them a Gun, the Sea went very high so that they could not attempt her, but after a great Shower a Calm ensuing, they pursued and quickly took her, which being laden with Victuals well powdred and dryed, they received as sent them by the mercy of Heaven. Nov. 13. Edward Hixom by the Cap­tains order going, in search of some Harbor along the Coast, discovered a very convenient place [Page 39] twelve Leagues East of Sancta Martha, whi­ther bringing in their new Prize, by promising liberty and all their apparel to the Spaniards to procure them Water and fresh Victuals, they by their means obtained plenty of both from the Indian Inhabitants who went clothed, and were governed by a Spaniard that dwelt in a Town a League off, they stayed all day provid­ing necessaries, for which they satisfied the Indians; At night the Captain called all his men aboard, leaving the Spaniards ashoar, who acknowledged their obligations to be greater to him for giving them Liberty than their da­mage was by losing their Ship.

The sickness which began among them, now appeared by the death of Charles Club their Quartermaster, and a very Skilful Seaman, oc­casioned as they judged by the cold the men had got lately in their Pinnaces, yet the rest of the Company, though ill, recovered their health. Next morning Nov. 15. Drake sent his smal­lest Pinnace the Minion to the Ships at Fort Diego to advise them of his coming, and to pre­pare for their Land-Journey, and if they heard of the Fleets arrival by the Symerons, charging the Pinnace to take in a sufficient quantity of the Wine they had hid in the Sand at St. Ber­nards, in their way. In seven days after Drake ar­rived at St. Bernards, but found only twelve Botajo's of Wine of the great store they had left there, which escaped the strict search of [Page 40] the Enemy who had been there since, by being buried very deep in the ground. Nov. 27. they came to their Ship and received the ill tydings of the death of John Drake the Cap­tains Brother and Richard Allen a young man, both slain at one time in attempting to board a Frigot two days after their departure from them; for in going toward their Fort with Planks for the Platform they saw a Frigot at Sea, which the Company perswaded him to fall upon as a good prize; He replyed, They wanted arms to assault them, and knew not how strong they were, and his Boat was now loaden with Planks, to finish his Brothers Orders; This not satisfying them, and they seeming resolved, Well, said he, if you will needs venture you shall never say I will be hindmost, nor report to my Brother that you lost your Voyage by my Co­wardise.

Making then the best provision possible, and heaving their Planks overboard, they armed themselves with such poor weapons as they had, that is, a broken pointed Sword, an old Carbine, and a rusty Musket. John Drake took the Sword, and made a Shield of his Pillow, Richard Allen had the Carbine, standing in the head of the Pinnace, and Roberts managed the Musket, and so they boarded the Frigot, but found her hung round about with Hides, be­hind which she was full of Pikes and small shot, which they discharged in their faces, and mor­tally [Page 41] wounded John Drake in the belly, and Richard Allen in the head, who yet got off the Pinnace, freed themselves from the Frigot, and hastily recovered the Ship, wherein within an hour these hopeful young men died with much regret of the Company; Having moared their Ships fast, Captain Drake resolved not to go to Sea again, but to conceal himself till the coming of the Spanish Fleet, supplying himself and the Symerons out of his Store-house, besides the dai­ly relief they got of wild Hogs, Pheasants and Guanas out of the Woods, whereby they by God's blessing continued in health till Janua­ry 3. when six of their Company fell sick and died within two or three days, yea they had thirty at a time sick of a Calenture occasioned by the sudden change from cold to heat, or from the salt or brackish water taken in at the mouth of the River by the sloth of the Seamen who would not go further up. Among others Joseph Drake another of the Captain's Brothers died in his Arms of that Disease, who being opened, his Liver was swoln, his Heart as if boyled, and his Guts all fair, the Surgeon that dissected him died four days after, though not of the Calenture, of which he recovered about a month before, but by presumptuously giving himself such a strong Purge, that he never spoke word after taking it, and his Boy who was sick only by tasting it, not recovering his health till he came to England.

[Page 42]The Symerons who were entertained in Sep­tember, and usually repaired to their Ship du­ring their absence, ranged the Country toward Nombre de Dios, and gave Drake particular notice of what happened, now assuring him that the Spanish Fleet was certainly arrived, he sent the Lyon Frigot to discover the truth, since if it were so, all the Ships in the Coun­trey would repair to Nombre de Dios for provi­sions; They in few days after met with a Fri­got laden with Maiz, Hens and Pompions from Tolou which they took, and who assured them the Fleet was come; in her were taken one Woman and twelve Men whereof one was the Scrivano of Tolou; The Captain used them very civilly, securing them from the fury of the Symerons, who much importuned Drake they might have leave to cut their throats in revenge of their many wrongs and injuries received from the Spanish Na­tion, but the Captain adjured them nei­ther to hurt nor affront them while in his charge, and when he resolved to take a Journey by land to Panama, he strictly enjoyn­ed Ellis Hixom to take care of his own Ship and Company, and especially of those Spaniards he had put in the great Prize which was haled ashoar to the Island (called by them Slaughter Island, because so many of their men died there) and which was now used for their own Store house and a Prison for their Enemies; [Page 43] All things thus ordered, and the Captain con­sulting with the Chief of the Symerons,, what Weapons, Provisions and Apparel were conve­nient for this great and long Journey; They ad­vised to carry as many Shoes as possible because of the many Rivers full of Stones and Gra­vel they were to pass;

Preparation of all necessaries made Febr. 3. being Shrove-Tuesday, they began their Journey with most of their Company having already lost, twenty eight men, and leaving only a few sound men with Hixom to secure the Ship and Prisoners, and tend the sick; At his departure Drake gave Hixom strict charge not to credit any Messenger who should come in his name with any token unless he brought his hand-writing, which he knew neither the Spa­niards nor Symerons could counterfeit. They were in all 48 whereof 18 were English and the rest Symerons, who besides their arms, carryed each a great quantity of Victuals, so that the English had nothing to toil them but their Arms in this long Journey, and because they could not carry enough for a full supply, they accord­ing to promise, provided sufficient store with their Arrows by the way; They had each two sorts of Arrows, one to assault the Enemy, and others to kill Victuals, the first are very long and headed with Iron, Wood or Fish-bones, the other have some a head of Iron of a pound and half weight, shaped like the head of a Jave­lin, [Page 44] and sharp as a knife, making so deep a Wound into an Ox, Stag or Wild-Boar as is hardly credible; They have others with less heads some to kill smaller Cattel, and others still less for Birds, and are so well tempered as not to be easily Blunted nor broken, their ab­solute necessity of these Weapons makes them value Iron much above Gold, and whoever has skill to give a true temper to these Arrows is highly valued. They marcht every day from sun-rising till ten in the forenoon, and then again from twelve to four, always reposing near some River either in Houses they found ready, or else such as were quickly erected by the Symerons, who when they came where they designed to rest instantly cut down branches of Palmetto Trees which served for Posts and Rafters, and cover­ing them close with Plaintain and Palmetto leaves they were very well secured from the Rain and Sun; They would speedily erect six of these Houses and made three Fires in each, one at each end and another in the middle, which they so contrived that the smoak never offend­ed, and the place was temperately warm. Near these Rivers they found divers wholesom Fruits as Mammeas, Guyavas, Palmetto's, Pi­nos, Oranges, Lemons: and divers others, which the Symerons perswaded them to eat with mo­deration, except roasted Plantanes Potato's and the like. If in the way they saw any wild Hogs on the Hills or Valleys, the Symerons [Page 45] would usually six at a time, deliver their burthens to their Fellows, and immediately pursue, kill, and bring away as much as they could carry and the time would permit. One day they found an Otter, and went to dressing it; Drake wondring at it, Pedro the Chief Symeron said, Are you a man of War and in want and yet doubt whether this be meat which hath bloud in it? Whereupon the Captain se­cretly chid him that he had not told them of it before.

The third day of their Travels they brought them to a Town of their own, on the side of a Hill near a fine River, encompast with a Ditch eight foot broad, and a Mud-wall ten foot high, to prevent a sudden surprize; It had one long broad Street East and West, and two less crossing it, consisting of about sixty Families, the Houses and Streets being very clean and sweet, and the People lived very civilly and cleanly; When the Symerons came hither, they washed themselves in the River, and changed their Apparel, which was very fine and exactly made, as were likewise their Womens Garments, much like the Spaniards, but not so costly; This Town is 35 Leagues from Nom­bre de Dios and 45 from Parnama, plentifully stored with Cattle, Fowl, Maiz, and divers Fruits. As to their Religion, they have no Priests, only they held the Cross in much re­verence, but by Drakes perswasion they left it, [Page 46] and learnt the Lords Prayer, seeming willing to be instructed in the Worship of God; They keep a constant Guard in four parts three mile off the Town to prevent the mischiefs of the Spaniards who are oft conducted against them by the Symerons themselves, whereby they sometimes prevailed against them when they lived carelesly, but since this having usually no­tice of their coming, they many times surprize the Spaniards and kill them in the Woods like Beasts.

They stayed with the Symerons that night Febr. 7. and the next day till noon, during which they related many strange accidents be­tween them and the Spaniards, and among o­thers; That a gallant Gentleman entertain­ed by the Spanish Governors of the Countrey undertook the last year with an 150 Souldiers to destroy Man, Woman and Child in this Town, being conducted by one of their own who had been taken Prisoner, and bribed with gifts; He accordingly surprized them half an hour before day, whereby most of the men es­caped in the dark, but many Women and Children were murdered or taken; But at Sun-rising, this Gallant their Leader being slain in pursuing another mans Wife, the Sy­merons resumed their Courage, and getting to­gether, fell so furiously on the Spaniards that flying into the Woods without a Guide most of them perisht by Famine, and not above thirty [Page 47] escaped to carry the news to those that sent them. Their King dwelt in a City 16 Leagues South-East of Panama, and was able to raise 17 hundred fighting men; They were very earnest with Captain Drake to stay two or three days, ingaging to double his number of men by that time if he thought good; But he thanking them for their kind offer, resolved to prosecute his Voyage, declaring, He would use no more strength if he might have twenty times as much; Which they judging to proceed not only from kindness but courage, they willingly marched away that afternoon, four of the Sy­merons who best knew the ways going about a mile before and breaking down boughs for di­rection to those that followed, all being en­joyned great silence; after them, twelve went before as a Van-guard, and twelve more in the Reer, the English and the two Symeron Captains marching in the midst; All the way through the Woods was cool and pleasant with the thick and high Trees, so that it was as a­greeable travelling in that hot Countrey as in England in the heat of Summer. They were much incouraged by hearing there was a great Tree about the midway where they might at once discern the North-Sea from whence they came, and the South-Sea whither they were going.

The fourth day after Feb. 17. they came to the top of this desired Hill, which was very [Page 48] high, and lay East and West like a ridge between the two Seas: It was about Ten a Clock in the morning when one of the Chief Symerons taking Drake by the hand, desired him to walk up this famous high Tree wherein they had cut divers steps to ascend almost to the top, where they had made a convenient Arbour for twelve men conveniently to sit, and from whence without difficulty they might plainly discern both the North and South Atlantick Ocean, many of the adjoyning Trees being cut down to clear the prospect, and divers strong Houses built thereabout by the Symerons, who usually pass that way, and inhabit those vast Countreys; Drake having ascended the Tree, and the weather being fair, taking a full view of that Sea of which he had heard such golden reports, he besought God to give him life and leave once to sail an English Ship in those Seas, John Oxnam and the rest of his Company assu­ring him they would assist him therein to the utmost; All satisfied with this pleasing sight they descended, and being refresht, marcht two days further into the Woods, and then came into a Champain Countrey, where the Grass grows so very high, that their Cattel (of which they have abundance) cannot reach it, so that the Inhabitants are forced to burn it thrice a year five or six Miles together, and yet after it is burnt, within three days it again springs like green Corn; such is the fruitfulness [Page 49] of the soil by the equality of the days and nights, and the rich dews falling every morn­ing.

In their three last days march over the Hills they saw Panama five or six times a day and the Ships riding in the road, but being come within a days Journey, the Symerons declaring that the Ladies of Panama used to imploy Hun­ters and Fowlers to take the curious Fowls in that Countrey, by whom they might be disco­vered, Drake caused all his Company to travel out of the ordinary road, with great silence to the Grove agreed on four days before within a League of Panama, where they might lye un­discovered, near the high-way to Nombre de Dios. From hence they sent a Symeron who formerly was a Servant in Panama in such apparel as their Negro's use in War, into the Town, to learn the certain night and hour when the Kings Treasure was laden from the Treasure-house to Nombre de Dios, for they always travel by night from Panama to Venta Cruz because of the heat of the Champain Countrey, but from Venta Cruz to Nombre de Dios they go always with their Treasure by day through the cool fresh Woods, unless the Symerons happily make them sweat for fear, as oft happens, and therefore their Recoes are guarded with Souldiers; The last day Drake took a full View of that fair City, and the large street therein, and by three a Clock [Page 50] came secretly into the Grove along a River then almost dried up, from whence he dispatcht a Spy into the City in the Evening, who quickly returned with intelligence from his Companions there, That the Treasurer of Lima intending to go into Spain in a good Ship of 350 Tun called the Adviso, designed that night to travel with his Daughter and Family to Nom­bre de Dios accompanied with fourteen Mules, eight of them laden with Gold, and one with Jewels, and that there were two other Reco's each of fifty Mules laden with Victuals, and some small quantity of Silver to go this night also; There are twenty-eight of these Recoes (or Company of Mules and People travelling toge­ther) the greatest consisting of 70, the less of 50 Mules unless 10, 20, or 30 more are hired by particular Persons upon their own occa­sions.

Upon this notice they instantly marcht with­in two Leagues of Venta Cruz when two Syme­rons sent before, discovering a Spaniard by the Scent of his Match, asleep, they stopt his mouth, put out his Match, and bound him so strictly as had almost strangled him before they brought him to the Captain, who being examined con­firmed all that the Spy had reported, and that he was a Souldier entertained with others by the Treasurer for guarding the Treasure from Venta Cruz to Nombre de Dios. The Souldier understanding Drake was their Capt. took cou­rage [Page 51] to request him, That he would command the Symerons who extreamly hated the Spani­ards especially the Souldiers, not to do him any mischief, whom he knew they durst not dis­obey, and that since he was a Souldier, and was assured that the Captain would gain that night more Gold, Jewels and Pearls than they all could carry away (if not they should deal with him as they would) he would please if it so happened to bestow as much on him as might suffice for himself and his Mistriss to live upon, as he had heard he had done to divers before, for which he should proclaim his bounty with as great praises as others who had received the like favours had done. Being come to the place appointed Drake with half his men lay a­bout 50 paces off the high-way in the long grass, and John Oxnam with the Capt. of the Symerons and the other half, were placed on the other side the way, but so far behind that the first Compa­ny might take the foremost Mules by the head, and the other the hindmost, they being tyed together, and driven one after another, and espe­cially that if they should use their arms that night they might avoid hurting each other in the dark; Having lain in ambush about an hour they heard the Recoes passing to and fro in the road from Panama to Venta Cruz, they having a great trade when the Fleets are there, the sound of their great Bells wherein they delight being heard a long way in a dark night.

[Page 52] Drake had strictly commanded that none of his men should stir or appear, but let all that came from Venta Cruz pass quietly with their Recoes, as knowing they carried nothing but common Merchandise, yet one Robert Pike having drunk too much Aqua-Vitae without Water forgetting himself, perswaded a Syme­ron to go into the road, and seize on the fore­most Mules, and a Spanish Horse-man riding by with his Page running on his side, Pike unad­visedly started up to see who he was, though the Symeron discreetly endeavoured to pull him down, and lay upon him to prevent further discovery, yet by this the Gentleman taking notice of one all in white, they having put their Shirts over all their Cloths to prevent mistakes in the night, he put Spurs to his Horse both to secure himself, and give notice to others of the danger; Drake observ­ing by the hardness of the ground and stilness of the night that the Gentleman changed his Trot into a Gallop, doubted of the truth, yet had not leisure to examine by whose fault they were discovered, but considering it might be from the danger of the place, alwaies sus­pected by Travellers, he lay still, expecting the Treasurer, who was now within half a League, and had come forward had he not been met with by this Horse-man (as they after understood by the Recoes) who telling him what he had seen and also what he had oft [Page 53] heard of Captain Drake, whom he suspected to be concerned in this business, who having been disappointed of getting any Treasure at Nombre de Dios and other places, he believed was one way or other come by land through the covert of the Woods to this place in hope of better fortune, so that he perswaded him to turn his own Mules richly laden out of the way and let the others pass on, which being only loaden with Victuals, the loss would be less, yet would discover who they were as well as the other.

Thus by the folly and carelesness of one man, and the carefulness of this Traveller they were disappointed of a very rich Booty. The Mules coming up were instantly stopt and seiz'd on, the Driver a very sensible fellow telling Drake how they were discovered, and advising them to shift for themselves unless they were able to oppose the whole power of the City and Coun­trey which before day would certainly come out against them. It much displeased them to be disappointed of their Golden Hopes, and that they could not find above two Horse-load of Silver, but it grieved the Captain much more that he was discovered, and that by one of his own men, but since it was past remedy and time was precious, Pedro Captain of the Sy­merons advised either to return back privately about four Leagues into the Wood, or else to march forward in the high-way to Venta Cruz [Page 54] two Leagues off, and fight their way through their Enemies; Drake concluded on the last course, considering the long weary marches they had taken, chusing rather to encounter his adversarys while they had strength than to be fallen upon by them when wearied, espe­cially having now some Mules to ease them in carrying their baggage. Commanding them all to refresh themselves with the abundant provi­sion they had got, he declared to them all his resolution and the reason of it, particularly asking Pedro whether he would give him his hand not to forsake him, being assured the Sy­merons would follow their Captain, who glad of his design, gave Drake his hand, vowing that in prosecuting it he would rather dye at his foot than to leave him his Enemies.

Having refresht themselves they travelled by the help of the Mules till within a Mile of Venta Cruz, when discharging them, they charged the Mule-keepers not to follow them upon pain of Death; The way is cut through the Woods about twelve foot broad, for two Mules to pass, and the Soil so fruitful that with often cutting the Woods grow as thick as the thickest Hedges in England. In the midst of the Wood a Company of Souldiers who al­ways lay in the Town to defend it against the Symerons came forth to stop them, or if not to retreat to their strength and expect their com­ing, a Convent of Friers with their Leader [Page 55] joining likewise with them Drake understand­ing by the Symerons who marched with much care and silence a small distance before them, that it was time to arm themselves, since by the smell of their Match and their noise they per­ceived the Enemy near; He gave charge that none of his men should shoot till the Spaniards had first discharged a Volley which he thought they would not do without speaking as accord­ingly happened, for being within hearing, a Spanish Captain cried aloud, H [...]a, to which Drake answered, and being demanded, Que gente, of what Countrey, replied, Englishmen; Whereupon the Commander charged him in the name of the King of Spain to yeild themselves, promising upon the Word & Faith of a Gentleman Souldier that upon surrender he would use them very kindly; Drake hereupon drawing nearer to him said, That for the honour of the Queen of England his Mistress he must have Passage that way; And therewith discharged his Pistol, upon which the Spaniards shot off their whole Volley, wherewith though Drake and some of his men were slighty wounded, yet John Harris only was killed, being so severely treated with Hail-shot which they generally use that he could not be recovered; When Drake perceiv­ed their shot to slacken, he gave his usual sig­nal by a Whistle for his men to answer them with their Shot and Arrows, and then fall in upon them, but perceiving them retiring to [Page 56] a place of better strength, the English pursued them, and the Symerons having for fear of the Shot stept aside, when they observ'd them marching forward, came all in again with their Arrows ready in their Bows dancing and sing­ing Yo' Peho', Yo' Peho, after the manner of their own Countrey Wars till they overtook some of the Enemy who had taken their stand as before in a Wood at the Towns-end; The Sy­merons now throughly incouraged, seeing this broke through the thickest of them, forcing them to fly Friers and all, though several of the English were wounded and one Symeron run through with a Pike, who yet had so much courage as to kill him who gave that deadly wound.

They followed the chase so close that they entred the Town of Venta Cruz, consisting in about fifty Houses, some very fair, with a Go­vernor and other Officers, and many large strong Store-houses for securing the goods brought thither from Nombre de Dios by the River Chagro to be transported by Mules to Panama. In the Houses they found three La­dies lately delivered there of Children though they dwelt at Nombre de Dios, they having long observed, that no Spaniard or white Wo­man could be safely delivered there, their Chil­dren generally dying within two or three days, but if born and brought up in Sancta Cruz till about six year old, and then brought to Nombre [Page 57] de Dios, if they escaped sickness the first or se­cond month, they usually lived as healthily as in any other place; though they say no stranger can continue there long without danger of death or extream sickness. Though these La­dies were much frighted at the approach of the English, yet Drake having strictly charged the Symerons not to hurt any Woman, nor Man unarmed while in his company which they faithfully obeyed, they had no injury offered them, nor any thing taken from them, though they much doubted it, desiring the Captain himself would please to come and secure them, not being satisfied with those he had sent to assure them of his protection, to which Drake complying and repeating his promises they were much comforted thereby.

The English having set necessary Guards as well on the Bridge they went over as at the Towns end where they entred, and was the only passage by land into it, they had liberty to stay there quietly an hour and half, not only refreshing themselves but getting good plun­der, which Drake gave between his men and the Symerons as being cumbersom, and not what he came for. A while before they departed a­bout ten or twelve Horse-men as was thought from Panama, thinking they had been gone because they were so still, came confident­ly into the Town, but finding other en­tertainment than they expected, they rid [Page 58] faster back out of fear than they entred in hope.

CHAP. III. Captain Drake goes back from Panama, and be­tween Rio Francisco and Nombre de Dios he takes a Recoe of fifty Mules each carrying three hundred Pound Weight of Silver, and some Bars and Wedges of Gold, of which they carried off a great quantity and buried fifteen Tun of Silver in the Sands; He comes back to his Ships, and returns safe to England.

HAving ended their business in Venta Cruz, by day-break they marched over the Bridge in the same order as before, being as safe in their own opinions as if secured by a Wall or Fort, no Spaniard daring to follow them, and the Symerons being now much more valiant than before; But Drake considering he had been almost a fortnight from his Ship, a­board which he left many sick, made all possi­ble hast back, without visiting the other Sy­meron Towns, though earnestly intreated by them, and incouraging his men by assuring them that he did not doubt but they would yet be fully recompenced for all their pains before he left that Coast; These discourses seem'd to shorten the way, and their hast caused them to [Page 59] leave the Towns, & march many days with hun­gry stomacks, to the great regret of the Symerons, who if the Captain would have stayed at any place could quickly have kill'd Victuals enough. In their absence the other Symerons had built a little Town three Leagues off the Port where their Ship lay, wherein Drake by their earnest intreaty staid some time, because they said, it was built for his sake and the rather that they might be supplied, with Shoes by the Symerons, who were herein very useful to them; All the men complaining of their feet, and their Cap­tain, though sometime without cause joining in their complaint to make it seem easier to them. These Symerons were extream service­able to them all the time they were with him, and particularly in this Journey, being Guides to direct them, Intelligencers, Purveyors of Victuals, Carpenters to build Houses, and Porters to carry all necessaries with their strong bodies, and when any fainted or were sick, two Symerons would carry him with ease two miles together, and at other times they appear­ed no less valiant than judicious.

From this Town the Captain sent a Syme­ron, Feb. 22. to the Master of the Ship with a Token and Orders, who for three weeks past had kept watch upon the Enemy, and shifted in the Woods for fresh Victual to relieve and recover his men aboard; This Messenger com­ing to the Shoar and calling to the Ship, was [Page 60] soon fetcht aboard, all hoping for good news from their Captain, but when he shewed the Tooth-pick of Gold which he said Drake had sent as a Token to Edward Hixom with charge to meet him at such a River, though he knew it to be the Captains Tooth-pick, yet remem­bring his Caveat at parting, though he seemed not to distrust the Symeron, he stood amazed much doubting lest some misfortune had befal­len him; Which the Symeron perceiving told him, It was night when he came away, so that he could not send a Letter, but yet with the point of a Knife he writ something on the Tooth-pick, which he said was sufficient to give credit to him; The Master looking on it saw writ, By me Francis Drake, wherewith being satisfied, he prepared for the River Tortugos according to the Symerons direction. About three in the Af­ternoon Drake and his men coming down to­ward the River within half an hour the Pin­nace arrived to receive them, and great joy was exprest among them all for their happy meet­ing again; Drake and his Company appeared to the rest (who had lived at rest and in plen­ty) strangely changed both in Countenance and Body, occasioned by their fasting and long Travel, but more for inward grief that they returned without the hoped-for Gold and Trea­sure; The rest who by reason of weakness were left behind at the Indian Town, were next day by another River at the bottom of the Bay all brought aboard again.

[Page 61]All thus return'd from Panama, and the Company well satisfied and revived with hopes of success in the next attempt which Drake re­solved to undertake, who revolving in his mind the intelligence he had received of divers other considerable places thereabout, and particular­ly of Veragua a wealthy Town West-ward, be­tween Nombre de Dios and Nicaragua, where is the richest Mine of fine Gold on the North­side of America, he consulted what was to be done, some were for supplying themselves with Victuals for preserving their health till oppor­tunity offered, which they might easily do, since the Barks and Frigots that carried it were seldom very strong, whereas those that had Treasure were well furnisht with Souldiers and Ammunition; Others were for seizing the Treasure, since that was not to be had but at this time when the Fleets were there, they being already indifferently furnisht with Pro­visions, and the Countrey plentiful enough; The Symerons opinion being askt who knew the particularities of all the Towns they declared, That Senior Pezoro their former Master from whom they fled, dwelt near Veragua in a strong stone house where he had resided above nineteen years, never travelling from home unless once a year to Carthagena or Nombre de Dios when the Fleets came, that he kept an hundred Slaves in the Mines, each being bound to bring in dayly clear gain three Pezoes of Gold for himself, and [Page 62] two for his Women, each Pezo being eight Shil­lings three pence, amounting in the whole to above 200 pound Sterling a day, so that he had heaped together a mighty Mass of Treasure which he kept in several great Chests two Foot deep, three broad and four long, being notwithstanding all his Wealth miserably covetous, and never going a­broad without a Guard of five or six men to de­fend him from danger which he extreamly appre­hended from all Creatures, and if the Captain would undertake the getting this mighty booty, the Symerons ingag'd to conduct them safe through the Woods without entring any dange­rous Havens, but might come on their backs unexpectedly, and though his house being of Stone could not be easily burnt, yet if the Cap­tain would undertake it, they would under­mine, overthrow, or break it open, and make the access to this vast Treasure easie.

Drake hearing their opinions resolved to reconcile both by dividing his Company, send­ing John Oxnam in the Bear Frigot East-ward toward Tolou to seize what Victuals he could, and himself intending West in the Minion to­ward the Cabezas where the Treasure-Barks from Veragua and Nicaragua pass oftnest to the Ships, designing at the same time to gain both Money and Provisions; As to attempting Pe­zoro's House by Land through the Woods, he was loth to over-weary his men by labour whom he intended to refresh and strengthen for the [Page 63] next piece of service; Courteously dismissing therefore those Symerons, who were willing to go to their Wives with such Gifts and Presents as were most acceptable to them, and kindly en­tertaining those willing to stay aboard, the Pin­nace departed, and about the Cabezas they met with a Frigot of Nicaragua wherein was some Gold and a Genoa Pilot, of which Country there are many on those Coasts, they came from Ve­ragua eight days before, and being well treated, gave Drake an account of the Town and Har­bor, and that in a few days another Frigot was coming from thence wherein was above a Million of Gold, the Pilot offering upon con­sideration, To conduct them in safely by night without danger of Sands or Shallows, as perfect­ly knowing the Channel, and without the least discovery, since the Town is five Leagues within the Harbor, and the way by Land far about and difficult through Woods, so that though they should be casually discovered at the Point of the Harbor, yet they might dispatch their business and be gone before the Townsmen could have notice of their coming; He told them further, That at his being there he perceived they had heard of Drakes being on the Coast, which much disturb­ed them; Pezoro the Miser resolving to re­move for his security to the South-Sea, but their fears were so great in general that it excluded Councel and they had no way secured themselves.

Captain Drake considering seriously of this [Page 64] matter, thought once of returning to his Ship for some of Pezoro's former Servants to be confirm­ed in the point, but the Genoa Pilot pressing him to lose no time, he dismist the Spanish Fri­got lightning it only of the Silver to hasten their speed; and then by the advice of this Pi­lot whom he took aboard, he laboured with Sails and Oars to attain the Harbor of Nicara­gua in the night, since they might now gain this Golden Prize, and attempt Pezoro's House afterward; Coming to the mouth of the Har­bor, they heard two great Guns, and two more further within the Bay answering them, which caused the Pilot to suspect they were dis­covered, affirming, This Order was taken since his being there, because the Governor of Panama, had sent notice to all places of Drakes being on the Coast, which caused such terror among them that they hardly slept quietly in their Beds, and there­fore probably kept up this Watch at the charge and for the security of Pezoro the rich Miser; Being thus defeated of their expectation they returned to their Ship, when Oxnam being likewise come back, had only taken one Frigot with ten men whom they set ashoar, great store of Maiz, twenty eight fat Hogs and two hun­dred Hens, of which discharging her, the Captain finding the Vessel new, strong and of a good mould, fitted her up with great Guns and Provisions for a Man of War, having notice by the Spaniards last taken that there were two [Page 65] little Gallies built at Nombre de Dios to convey the Chagro Fleet to and fro, but were not yet lanched, which Fleet he resolved now to at­tempt, and to incourage his men feasted them nobly on Easter-day March, 20. upon that ac­count.

Next day the new Frigot and the Bear sailed toward the Cativaas, and landed about Noon, when observing a Sail making toward the Island they plied them, and perceiving by their confidence they were no Spaniards but English of whom they heard long before, being in much distress they made up to them, and decla­red, Their Captain was named Tetu a French man of Newhaven and a Man of War desirous of relief, humbly beseeching Drake to give them some Water, having nothing aboard but Wine and Cyder, which made his men sick, and that he had been seeking the English five weeks since he heard they were on the Coast; The Captain sent one aboard with present relief, promising them Wa­ter and Victuals at the next Port. Coming to Anchor Tetu sent Captain Drake a Case of Pi­stols, and a fine gilt Scimeter formerly belong­ing to the King of France whom Montgomery hurt in the Eye, and given him by Mounsieur Scroff, Drake requited him with a Chain of Gold and a Tablet which he wore. This Cap­tain brought the news of the great disturbances at Paris at the Marriage of the King of Navar last St. Bartholomew day, with the death of [Page 66] the Admiral of France and many others, so that they thought those Frenchmen most happy that were farthest from France, which was now in a very deplorable condition. He told them what reports there were of Drakes great Riches, and desired to know how he might likewise make a good Voyage.

Though the English had some jealousy of him, yet upon consultation they resolved to take him and twenty of his men to serve with their Capt. half shares, being thereby secured against their numbers, and not damaged by that part of the gain; Tetu had 70 men and they but 31, his Ship was 80 and there's but 20 Tun, and the Pinnace ten. And therefore they hoped for assistance from him in prosecuting their Voyage, and having agreed with him to meet at Rio Francisco, they sent for two Sy­merons aboard to assure the French of this agree­ment. Having in five or six days refresht themselves and the French, who were very thankful for this seasonable relief, leaving, their two Ships in safe Harbor, they manned their Frigot and two Pinnaces (having sunk the Lyon after their return from Panama for want of men) with twenty French and 15 English and Symerons, wherewith they sailed toward Rio Francisco, where the water being shallow they left their Frigot at the Cabezas in charge with Robert Dable charging him to attempt nothing till their return with their [Page 67] Pinnaces, wherewith they now entred Rio Francisco, and landed with the strength afore­mentioned, ordering the Pinnaces to be there again four days after. And being inform'd that the carriages went dayly from Panama to Nombre de Dios through the Woods toward the high-way, they marched as in their former Journey to Panama, it being reckoned five Leagues by Sea between Rio Francisco and Nombre de Dios, but by land they found it a­bove Seven, proceeding on with much si­lence and order to the great wonder of the French Captain, who doubted of ever recover­ing their Pinnaces if the Symerons should leave them, which Drake never suspected, as knowing his will was a Law to them, though they nei­ther regarded nor trusted the French.

Coming within a Mile of the High-way they refresht themselves all night, hearing ma­ny Carpenters working on the Ships, (because of the great heat of the day) at Nombre de Dios, Next morning April 1. 1573. they ex­treamly rejoiced to hear the Mules coming with a great noise of Bells, hoping though they were formerly disappointed they should now have more Gold and Silver than they could car­ry away as accordingly happened, for soon af­ter came three Recoes, one of fifty Mules, and two more of 70 in each Company, every one carrying three hundred pound weight of Sil­ver amounting in all to about thirty Tun, they [Page 68] soon prepared to go into the High-way to hear the Bells, and seized upon the first and last Mules to see what metal they carried; These three Recoes had a Guard of about five and forty Souldiers, fifteen to each, which caused the exchange of some Shot and Arrows at first, wherein the French Captain was sore wounded with Hail-shot in the Belly, and one Symeron slain, but the Souldiers soon retiring for more help, left their Mules, and the English took pains to ease some of them of their burdens, and being weary, contented themselves with as many bars and wedges of Gold as they could well carry away, burying above fifteen Tun of Silver in the Sand and under old Trees. Having in two hours ended their business they prepared to return the same way, when they heard both Horse and Foot coming, who yet never followed them into the Woods, where the French Captain not able to travel further for his wound, reposed himself some time in hope to recover his strength, and one of the French Souldiers being missing, upon search it was found that being over-loaden with Wine and Gold, he had lost himself in the Woods and was taken by the Spaniards that Evening, who upon torture discovered where they had hid their Treasure.

They continued their march all that day and the next to Rio Francisco in hope to meet their Pinnaces, whither being come April [...] [Page 69] looking out to Sea they saw seven Spanish Pin­naces that had been searching all the Coasts thereabout; Upon which they much doubted their own Pinnaces were burnt or taken, since Drake had so strictly charged them to repair hi­ther this afternoon from the Cabezas where they lay, and from whence these Spanish Vessels seem'd now to come. But much Rain falling the night before, with a strong West Wind, inforc't the Spaniards to return home, and the Wind being contrary the English Pinna­ces though with help of Oars could not get above half way that day; Drake much fearing lest having taken his Pinnaces they had by torture compell'd his men to confess where his Frigot and Ships were, and his Company doubting of ever returning to their own Coun­trey, and that their Treasure would be of little use to them; The Captain incouraged them saying, That they should venture no further than himself, and that it was not now a time to fear, but to endeavour to prevent their danger, since if the Enemy had seized their Pinnaces, (which God forbid) yet they must take time to search and examine the Marriners, and time to execute their resolutions thereupon, during which time they might if they pleased get to their Ships, though not possibly by land because of the Hills, Woods and Rivers, yet by Water it is very proba­ble they might; Let us therefore make a Raft with the Trees the River brings down as on pur­pose, [Page 70] since this last storm, and put our selves to Sea, I my self will be one, who will be the rest? John Smith and two Frenchmen who could Swim very well desired to accompany him, and a Symeron, who was earnest with Drake to have marched sixteen days by land, and if their Ships had been lost that he and his Com­pany should always have lived amongst them; Which the Captain refused; Pedro was left behind because he could not row; The Raft was fitted and fast bound, and a sayl made of a Bisket Sack, with an Oar shaped out of a Young Tree for a Rudder to direct their course before the Wind.

At his going away he assured his Company, That if by Gods help he once more safely put a­ [...]ard his Foot in his Frigot, he would certainly get them all into her in spite of all the Spaniards in the Indies; In this manner they put off to Sea sitting always up to the wast in Water, and at every Wave up to the Arm-pits, having sailed upon this Raft about six hours, their Skins being much fretted with the heat of the Sun and the salt Water, they had sight of two Pinnaces coming toward them, whom Drake confidently affirmed to his three Companions were their own, and they were now out of all danger, but the Pinnaces not perceiving the Raft, nor suspecting any such thing, were forced by the Wind and Night to run into shelter be­hind the Point, which the Captain seeing, and [Page 71] judging they would Anchor there, put his Raft ashoar, and ran by land about the Point, where he sound them, who joyfully took them all a­board, for Drake to try their hast, ran with all speed as if pursued by the enemy, which they rather believed by seeing so few with him; Coming aboard, and they asking how his Com­pany did, he coldly answered, Well, which made them fear the worst, to remove which, and free them from doubts, he took out of his bosom a Quoit or Wedge of Gold, and thankt God his Voyage was now made; Telling the French their Captain was left behind much wounded, with two of his Company, which yet should be no damage to them; That night with much pains they got to Rio Francisco, where they took the rest in with their Trea­sure, and made such expedition that by break of day they fayled back to their Frigot and from thence directly to their Ships, where the Captain divided the Gold and Silver by weight into two equal parts between the French and English.

Fourteen days after all things being set in order, and having taken out of the Ship all ne­cessaries for their Frigot, they restored her to the Spaniards whom they had kept aboard all this time, and then sailed with the French Ship to the Cabezas, where Drake agreed with the Symerons that twelve English and sixteen of theirs should make another Adventure to dis­cover [Page 72] the Countrey, and if possible to recover Tetu the French Captain, or at least to bring away the Treasure they had hid in the Sand; John Oxnam, and Thomas Sherwel were the Principal Leaders of the English, who were all set ashoar at Rio Francisco, and no sooner land­ed when a Frenchman who freely remained be­hind with his wounded Captain, having escaped the Spaniards rage came toward the Pinnace, and upon his knees gave God thanks that ever Drake was born who now beyond hope was his deliverer; He declared, That within half an hour after their departure, the Spaniards over­took them seiznig on the Captain and his other Fellow, he only escaping by flight by casting away all his Booty, with a Box of Jewels to fly the faster from his Pursuers, but his Companion taking it up was so overloaded therewiih that he could not escape as he might otherwise have done; That he thought all the Silver they had hid was gone, near two thousand Negroes and Spaniards having been there since to dig and search for it. Notwithstanding this report the men were sent thither, and found the Earth turned up for a mile round about the place, yet for all this nar­row search their labour was not quite lost, re­turning safe with thirteen Bars of Silver and some Wedges of Gold which they imbarqued without hindrance, and speedily return'd to their Frigot with much joy.

It was now high time to think of returning [Page 73] home having had their desired Success, where­upon Drake concluded again to visit Rio Grand in hope of meeting some Vessel loaden with Victuals, wherewith they might make suffici­ent provision to serve them in their Voyage to England. The French who having their Shares, were formerly dismist, being desirous to return to their own Countrey, and Drake as willing to discharge them, forseeing their Ship could not escape the Spaniards if they lay lingring on the Coast, now meeting the English again were loth to leave them, accompanying them as far as St. Bernards and would have gone farther but that they had notice the Fleet was ready to set Sail from Carthagena to Spain. At parting the English passed hard by Cartha­gena in sight of all the Fleet with St. Georges Flag in the main top of their Frigot, and silk streamers and Ancients down to the Water, sail­ing forward with a large wind within two Leagues of the River being all low land and dark night, and a Frigot from Rio Grand pas­sing by about two in the morning they saluted them with their Shot and Arrows, and were answered in the same manner, but soon board­ing them, they set the men ashoar and took the Frigot, which was of twentyfive Tun loaden with Maiz, Hens, Hogs, and some Honey which was very useful for their sick People; Next morning having put the Spaniards a land, in five days they arrived at the Cabezas, [Page 74] where putting their Maiz ashoar, they stayed seven days fitting and providing their two Frigots, plucking their Pinnaces to pieces that the Symerons might have the Iron-work which they much value; Two days before their de­parture Drake desired Pedro, and three of the Chief Symerons to go aboard his two Frigots and take what they liked, so it were not abso­lutely necessary for their Voyage to England, and the Captain presented them with several Silks and Linnen for their Wives; Whilst they were looking in the Trunks, the Cymeter Captain Tetu had given Drake was taken out, which Pedro seeing he valued it above all things in the World, yet doubting to ask it lest the Captain should likewise prize it, he promised Francis Tucker a Wedge of Gold to move him about it, and offered the Captain four Wedges more which he had hidden till ano­ther Voyage; Drake though unwilling to make such an exchange, yet desirous to content him who had deserved so well, gave it him with many kind expressions, who received it with such joy that he affirmed, If he should give his Wife and Children whom he loved dearly in lieu of it he could not sufficiently recompence him, since he would present his King therewith, whom he knew would make him a Great Man for the sake of this very Gift; Yet instead of this unvaluable Jewel he obliged the Captain to accept the four pieces of Gold as a pledge [Page 75] of his thanks and faithfulness to him during life; The Captain received it courteously, but threw it into the common Stock, saying, That if they had not come to this place they should ne­ver have attained such a valuable Commodity, and it was just that those who bore part of the charge with him in setting him to Sea should like­wise enjoy their full proportion of the advantage at his return.

Thus with all manner of kindness they took leave of the Symerons, and sayling by Cape Anthony came to the Havana, where they met with a small Bark with two or three hundred Hides, which was of very much use to them in mending their Pumps and otherwise, which having lightned they gave the Bark as useless to the owners to carry them home, and re­turning to Cape Anthony they landed, refresh­ing themselves with store of Turtles Eggs by day, and taking two hundred and fifty Turtles by night, which being powdered and dryed did them much service. There were at this time belonging to Carthagena, Nombre de Dios, Rio Grand, Sancta Martha, Rio de Hacha, Venta Cruz, Veragua, Nicaragua, the Hondu­ras and Jamaica above two hundred Frigots, some of an hundred and twenty, others of ten or twelve, but the generality of thirty or forty Tun who all traded between Carthagena and Nombre de Dios, most of which during their aboad on those Coasts the English took, and [Page 74] [...] [Page 75] [...] [Page 66] some twice or thrice over, yet never burnt or sunk any unless they were fitted up for Men of War against them, or lay to ensnare them. And of all the Spaniards taken in those Vessels, they never hurt any when in their power, but either presently dismist them, or if retained some time, took as much care of them both for Victuals, and securing them from the fury of the Symerons, as of their own, and the danger of their discovering being over, set them at li­berty. They saw many strange Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Fruits, Trees, and Plants too long to insist on, being now willing to end their Voyage, which they finished by sailing from Cape St. Anthony directly home, even beyond their own expectation, the Captain designing to touch at Newfoundland for water that they much wanted, which the Almighty provided for them by sending great store of Rain-water; So that in twenty three days they passed from Cape Florida to the Isles of Salley; And Arriv­ed at Plymouth on Sunday at Sermon time. Aug. 9. 1573. The news of Drakes return being speedily carried into the Church so much surprized the People with desire and joy to see him, that few or none remained with the Preacher, all running out to observe the blessing of God upon the dangerous labours and endea­vours of Captain Drake.

CHAP. IV. Captain Drake with five Ships undertakes a Voyage round about the Word, in 1577. and in prosecution thereof arrives at Port St. Juli­an, where he discovers a Conspiracy for which a Gentleman of his Company was behead­ed.

CAptain Drake having in his former Voyage had a View, and only a View of the South Atlantick Ocean from the high Tree afore­mentioned, and from that very time being very ambitious of sailing thereon in an English Ship, he retained this Noble resolution within himself for some years, being partly prevented by secret envy at home, and partly by applying himself to the publick service of his Prince and Coun­trey in Ireland under the Earl of Essex, and o­therwhere; But in 1577. having a gracious Commission from his Soveraign, and assisted with divers of his Friends who were Adventurers with him, he fitted up five Ships; 1. The Pellican Admiral of a hundred Tuns, Francis Drake Captain General; 2. The Elizabeth Vice-Ad­miral eighty Tuns, John Winter Captain; 3. The Marigold a Bark of eighty Tun; John Thomas Captain; 4. The Swan a Flyboat [Page 78] of fifty Tuns, John Chester Captain. 5. The Christopher a Pinnace of fifteen Tuns, Thomas Moon Captain. Having mann'd this little Fleet with a hundred and sixty four able men, and furnisht them with all necessary Provisions for so long and dangerous a Voyage, and stowing cer­tain Pinnaces aboard in pieces, to be set up on occasion, as in his former Voyage, yea carry­ing with him several Musicians for delight, and rich furniture of Silver for his Table, and Cook-room, with all sorts of curious Work­manship for Ornament, and to raise admiration of the Civility and Magnificence of his Native Countrey in other Nations where he came.

Thus appointed, they sailed out of Plymouth Sound Novem. 15. 1577. about five in the af­ternoon, and next morning came to the Lizzard, where meeting contrary Winds, they were all compell'd to put into Falmouth. Next day a great storm arose, so that though they were in a good Harbor, yet the Admiral wherein Drake was, and the Marigold were forc't to cut their Main Masts by the board, and oblig'd to return to Plymouth to repair, thirteen days after their departure thence, where having quickly sup­plied all defects they Decem. 13. once more put to Sea with better hopes; Being out of sight of Land, Drake gave some intimation of his design (which he had hitherto concealed) both by the course he saild, and appointing their Randezvouz, if separated by any accident, [Page 79] to be the Isle of Mogadore; Sailing then with a favourable Wind Decem. 25. being Christ­mas day they had sight of Cape Cantin in Bar­bary, and of the high in-land Countrey, in thirty two degrees and thirteen minutes North latitude, and coasting thence Southward about eighteen Leagues, they arrived that day at the Isle of Mogadore, which is under the King of Fesse, and a good Harbor, being about a Mile from the main Land, uninhabited, and a League in circuit, overgrown with shrubs and full of Pigeons, and therefore much fre­quented by Goshawks and other Brids of Prey, with plenty of several sorts of Sea-Fowl; At the South side are three hollow Rocks, under which are great store of very ugly, yet very wholesom Fish; Sending a Boat to sound the Harbor, all their Fleet came in Decemb. 27. and staid about four days, setting up one of their four Pinnaces brought from home in pieces. The Inhabitants of the Countrey soon perceiv­ed them, and made signs on the Shoar to come aboard, to whom the General sent a Boat, wherein two Chief Moors were received, and one of theirs left in exchange till their return; Drake treated them very civilly aboard his Ship, presenting them with what they seem'd most to value, to shew they came in Peace and Friendship to Trade for such Traffick as their Countrey afforded according to their own con­tent, wherewith they seem'd much pleased, [Page 80] promising to return again the next day to ex­change their Goods for others; By their Law they ought to drink no Wine, being Turks in Religion, yet they will drink it very plenti­fully by stealth as it now appeared. Being carri­ed ashoar they freely restored the Person left as a pledge, returning with Camels next day at the hour appointed as if loaden with Goods for Exchange, and calling hastily for a Boat had one sent by the Generals Order before he went from the Island; The Boat coming to a place of Landing among the Rocks, one John Fry, suspecting no treachery, readily stept out of the Boat to be a pledge as the day before, when those on the Shoar instantly seizing him, and others in ambush coming to their assistance, they speedily carried him away, the rest being glad to shift for themselves; The cause of this vio­lence was to inform the King of Fesse whither this Fleet was bound, or come from the King of Portugal, or what Intelligence they could give him; Fry being brought into the Kings presence, and declaring they were Englishmen bound for the Straights under General Drake, he was sent back with a Present to his Captain, and offers of all Kindness and Friendship in that Countrey.

Drake much disturbed at this injury, landed his men in his Pinnace, and marcht pretty far up into the Countrey without resistance, the Moors declining any ingagement with him, so [Page 81] that making provision of Wood, and visiting an old Fort formerly built by the Portugals, but ruined by the King of Fesse, he departed Decemb. 31. toward Cape Blank, so that when Fry came back, he to his great grief found the Fleet gone, yet by the Kings favour he was after sent home in an English Merchants Ship, Meeting with foul weather they were detain­ed sometime, and the third day after fell with Cape de Guerre in 30 degrees, where they took three Spanish Fisher-boats called Caunters, whom they carried to Rio del Oro under the Tropick of Cancer and there took a Carvel; From hence Jan. 15. they sailed to Cape Barbas, where the Marygold took another Carvel, it lyes in 20 degrees 30 minutes, low and sandy, where they first observed the South Stars called the Crosiers 19 degrees 30 mi­nutes above the Horizon; In the Cape they took another Spanish Ship riding at Anchor (all her men but two being fled ashoar in the Boat) whom with all the rest formerly taken they car­ried into the Harbor three Leagues within the Cape.

Here General Drake resolved to stay some time to refresh his men with the plenty of fresh Victuals in this place, and to supply them at Sea, there being great store of Fish easily taken even within the Harbor, and as good as any in the World; During their abode here, the Ge­neral being ashoar was visited by the People of [Page 82] the Countrey, who brought down a Moorish Woman with her little Babe hanging at her dry Breast, being scarce alive her self, and therefore unlike to nourish that, whom they would have sold as a Horse or Cow, which Merchandize Drake not dealing in, they pro­duced Amber-greese and some curious Gums to exchange with the English for fresh water, of which they have great want, and were willing to quench their thirst at any price whatever, and to carry the rest in their Leathern Bags for that purpose. Drake compassionating their unhappiness, gave them freely what water they desired, and fed them with Victuals which they devoured in an inhumane and loathsom manner.

Their Ships washt and trimm'd, and all their Spanish Prizes discharged except one Caunter, for which they gave the Fisherman the Christo­pher one of their own Ships; And a Carvel bound for St. Jago being here freed also, after six days stay they sailed for the Islands of Cape Verde, Jan, 22. where they were obliged to furnish themselves plentifully with water since the General intended to run a long course from thence, even to the Coast of Brasil without touching land; And having the Wind gene­rally North-East Jan. 27. they coasted Bo­navista and next day anchored at the Isle of May in fifteen degrees, high land, and inhabit­ed by the Portugals, where landing and expect­ing [Page 83] to traffick with the Inhabitants for fresh water, they found in the Town near the Shore only a great many ruinous houses and a poor Chappel, but no people, nor Water, though within the Land there is enough. The Springs and Wells here being stopt up and no quantity of water to be found, they marched forward to seek for a supply finding the Soil fruitful and plenty of Fig-trees with fruit thereon, and in the Valleys were little low Cottages with plea­sant Vineyards yeilding excellent Grapes, also Coco Trees, Plantains and other Fruits, some ripe, some rotten, and others blossoming, and this in January, because the Sun never with­draws its heat from them, nor have they ever any great cold or frost. They found good Water in divers places but so far from the Shore they could not convey it to their Ships, the peo­ple refusing any conference with them, secu­ring themselves in the sweet Vallies among the Hills where their Towns were, and suffer­ing them freely to survey the Island, since they were like to receive more damage than profit to offer violence to those who came peace­ably among them. The Island yeilds vast num­bers of Goats and Wild Hens, and Salt made without labour by the flowing of the Sea, and the heat of the Sun, which naturally produ­ceth a great quantity thereof, lying openly upon the Sands for all that come, and where­with the people drive a great trade with the ad­jacent Islands.

[Page 84]Sailing hence Jan. 30. they passed next day by the Isle of St. Jago ten Leagues West of May in the same latitude, inhabited both by Moores and Portuguess, occasioned by the cruel­ty of the Portugals toward the slaves which was so intollerable that many fled from their Masters to the hilly parts of the Island, and their number increasing by the escapes they dayly made, grew at length so formida­ble that they are now a terror to their Op­pressors from whom they receive dayly inju­ries either in their Goods or Cattel, and have lost a great part of that large and fruitful Isle which is a relief to all Ships bound for Brasil, Guinea or the East-Indies, being also of great strength were it not for the cause aforesaid, which hath much abated the pride of the Por­tugals, who under pretence of Trade and Friendship excluded the first Planters thereof both from Government, Liberty, and almost Life. South-west of this Isle they took a Por­tugal Ship loaden with Wine, store of Linnen and Woollen Cloth, and other Goods bound for Brasile with many Merchants and Gentle­men aboard; As they went hence three Towns in sight of them shot off two great Guns into the Sea, either for joy of their departure, or to shew they were provided to entertain them, and were answered with one from the Fleet. South-west about twelve Leagues hence yet for its height not seeming above three, lies Fogo a [Page 85] burning Island or Fiery Furnace, wherein rises a steep Hill thought at least eighteen English Miles high, belching out great and dreadful Flames of Fire from the top, almost every quar­ter of an hour, that in the night it gives light like the Moon, and seems to reach the very Heavens; It throws out great Stones, which falling into the Sea are used as Pumice Stones; The rest of the Island is peopled with Portugals who live happily therein.

Two Leagues hence lyes another Sweet and Pleasant Island called Brava, the Trees always green, and is almost planted all over with Trees, and Fruits, as Figs, Coco's, Plantains, Oranges, Lemmons, Cotton, and the like, with Streams of fresh water running into the Sea and easily taken up by Boats and Pinnaces, but there is no Road nor Anchoring for Ships, no ground being to be found by the longest Line, so that the Sea is thought as deep as Fogo is high; They found only one Hermit inhabiting this Island, nor saw any House but his, who delighted so much in solitariness that he fled from them, leaving behind the Relicks of his Worship, that is a Cross, a Crucifix, an Altar with another above it, and certain Images of Wood of rude Workmanship. They here discharg'd the Por­tugals taken near St. Jago, giving them a new Pinnace built at Mogadore instead of their old Ship, with Victuals and Provision.

Furnisht with fresh Water at Cape Verde, [Page 86] Feb. 2. they derected their course toward the Streights of Magellane to go through into the South Sea, sailing sixty three days without sight of Land, passing the Equinoctial Line, Feb. 17. and fell with the Coast of Brasil April 5. During which long passage on the vast Ocean, having nothing but Sea below and Hea­ven above, they saw and experienced the goodness of Divine Providence in making am­ple Provision for all their wants, and though they oft met with contrary Winds, and Storms, unwelcom calms and burning heats in this Torrid Zone, with the terrors of dreadful Thunder and Lightning, yet they could not but take notice that not having been throughly furnished with Water since they came from England till they arrived at the River of Plate long after, yet for 17 days together their necessities were constantly supplyed by Rain-Water, neither was their Fleet (now six in number) ever disperst, nor lost company except the Portugal Prize for one day only, which yet much discouraged them, having the great­est part of their drink aboard her, and was therefore found again with much joy since her miscarriage might have defeated the whole Voyage. Among many strange Creatures they particularly observed the Flying Fish, as big as a Pilchard, whose Fins are as long as his Body, and serve for wings when he is chased by the Boneto or great Mackrell (whom the Dol­phin [Page 87] likewise pursues) for when weary of Swiming, be lifts up himself above Water and Flyes pretty high, falling sometimes into Ves­sels that Sail by; The Fins are so curiously placed as might serve for a longer and higher flight, did not their dryness after ten or twelve strokes hinder their motion, and force them into the Water to moisten them; Their increase is won­derful, their young ones lying upon the Wa­ter in the Sun as dust on the Earth, where when no bigger than a wheat Straw they im­ploy themselves both to fly and swim, and were they not so numerous would soon be de­stroyed by their many Enemies, for by flying into the Air to escape one, they oft meet death from another adversary, the Spurkite a ravenous Fowl who feeding on Fish, seizeth on them in their flight, and makes great destruc­tion among them; There is another sort called the Cuttle Fish whose Bones are us'd by Gold­smiths, a multitude falling oft at once into their Ships amongst their men.

Sailing thus with as much pleasure as if in a Garden, in beholding the excellent works of the Eternal God in the Seas, April, 5. they fell on the Coast of Brasil in 31 degrees of South-Latitude, and being discried by the Inhabitants, they saw great Fires in divers places which they understood were made for Sa­crifices to the Devil, wherein they use many Ceremonies and Conjurations by casting up [Page 88] great heaps of Sand, that if any Ships stay on their Coasts, their Evil Spirits may destroy them, whereof the Portugals had experience by losing several Ships; Magellane in his Voyage re­ports, they pray to nothing but are absolutely barbarous, but it seems they are much altered since his time, falling from natural Creatures to make Gods of Devils, yet it may be they being then a free people had no occasion to practise this wickedness, but being now in miserable sla­very to the Portugals as to Body, Goods, Wives and Children, and forc't by their cruel­ties into the barren parts or their Countrey, chusing rather to starve or linger out a wretch­ed life there than endure such intollerable Bon­dage, they may now use these practices with the Devil to be reveng'd of their Oppressors, and to prevent their further entrance into their Countrey, and judging the English to be some of their Enemies they used the same Inchant­ments against them, yet without effect, for though they had great storms on these Coasts, they received no damage, only April 7. a vio­lent Tempest and South-wind directly against them, separated one of their Ships for a while from the rest of the Fleet.

Keeping on their course South, April 14. they passed by Cape St. Mary in 35 de­grees near the River of Plate, and came to an Anchor in a place which their General named Cape Joy, because here the Christopher that was [Page 89] separated came to them again; He always took special care to keep his Fleet as much as possible together, to be well furnished with fresh water, and to refresh his men as oft as he could; And therefore at Cape Verde he gave publick notice that the next Randezvouz (if disperst,) and place of watering should be the River of Plate, and accordingly they here joined and were sup­plied with all conveniencies, the Air of this Countrey being Pleasant and Temperate, and the Soil fruitful, stored with plenty of large and mighty Deer. April 16. they sailed twelve Leagues farther to a more commodious Harbor, especially against the South-Winds, where they killed divers Seals or Sea-wolves (so called by the Spaniards,) which came to the Rocks in great numbers, they were good meat, and a seasonable supply for the future; April 20 they sailed further up the River, and rode in fresh-water, but staid not because of the danger of the Winds and Rocks, and hav­ing spent a fortnight there to their great refresh­ment, April 27. they went to Sea again, and that very night the Swan their Fly-boat lost Company, and soon after by another Storm the Caunter was missing; To prevent which for the future the General resolved to diminish the number of his Ships, that they might the better keep Company, and have more supplies of Provision and Men, especially since it was now Winter in these parts, and these Seas subject to [Page 90] terrible Tempests, and therefore sought out a convenient Harbor for this purpose. May 12. they Anchored in a place not very commodious which yet he called Cape Hope, but seeming to promise good Harborage, Drake who never trusted any but his own Eyes in dangers, went next day in a Boat into the Bay, and being near the Shore one of the Inhabitants appeared seem­ing to sing and dance very pleasantly to the noise of a Rattle he had in his hand, earnestly expecting their landing; Upon which there instantly rose so thick a Mist and Fog, with such an extraordinary Storm, that Drake being three Leagues from his Ship thought best to re­turn and not venture to Land, but the Fog much increasing he could not see where his Ship lay, and was thereby in much danger, when Captain Thomas gallantly Adventured into the Bay and finding him out, joyfully received him into his Ship, where they rid safely; But those that lay without were so furiously assaulted by the Tempest, that to secure themselves they were forced to go off to Sea, the Caunter for­merly lost now coming in to them. Next day May 14. 1578. the weather being calm, and the Fleet out of sight, General Drake now in the Marygold went ashoar, and made Fires to direct them to come together again into the Road, whereby at last they all returned, ex­cept the Swan lost long before, and the Portu­gal Prize the Mary, who was not found a great while after.

[Page 91]In this place the people flying up into the Countrey for fear of them, they found in Houses built near the Rocks to that purpose at least fifty dried Ostriches and much other Fowl drying, which they dry here and after carry to their dwellings; The Ostriches Thighs were as big as a common Leg of Mutton, they cannot fly but run so swift that they can neither be over­taken nor shot at; They found the tools wherewith the Natives take them, and among others a large plume of Feathers at the end of a Staff, the fore-part like the Head, Neck and Body of an Ostrich spreading very broad, be­hind which they go Stalking, and drive them into some Neck of Land near the Sea where spreading song and strong Nets, they have Dogs that seize on them. The Countrey seems very pleasant and fruitful, and at their return that way, the English became familiarly acquainted with the People, who much rejoiced at their friendship, and that they had not harmed them. But the place not being convenient for pro­viding Wood, Water and the like, they de­parted thence May 15. and Sailing South-West fell into a very useful Bay where they staid fifteen days; From hence the General sent Captain Winter in the Elizabeth South­ward to seek for the two Ships that were want­ing, himself going North upon the same account who happily met with the Swan the same day, and bringing her into harbor being unloaden [Page 92] she was broken up, and made fire-wood, the Iron-work and other necessaries being saved, but could hear no news of the other.

After some stay here, being ashoar in an Island nigh the Main Land, and from whence at low water they might go over a foot, the In­habitants appeared, leaping, dancing, holding up their hands, and making out-cryes after their manner, but it being then high water the Ge­neral sent them by a Boat some Knives, Bells, Bugles, and other things he thought would please them; Upon which getting together on a Hill half a Mile from the Shoar, two of their Company came down swiftly though with a great grace such as they use in time of Wars, but drawing nigh they made a stand, upon which the English tying the things to a Staff, stuck it in the ground that they might see it, and retired a reasonable distance; Being depart­ed, they came and took the things leaving in­stead thereof such Feathers as they wore on their heads, a bone carved like a tooth-pick six in­ches long and neatly burnished; Where­upon the General with divers Gentlemen went over to them, they still remaining on the Hill placed in a rank one of them running from one end to the other East and West, with his hands over his head, and his body inclining toward the rising and setting Sun, and at every third turn he erected himself, vaulting in the Air a­gainst the middle of the rank toward the [Page 93] Moon, signifying (as they thought) That they called the Sun and Moon (whom they wor­ship as Gods) to witness they meant nothing to­ward them but peace; But perceiving the English came apace forward they seemed fearful, to prevent which the General and his Company retired, which so confirmed them they were no enemies that divers came down after them without fear, and traded with them, but would receive nothing from them till it was first cast on the ground, the word they used for exchange was Zussus, and Toyt to throw it on the ground, if they disliked any thing they cryed Coroh Coroh, with ratling in their throat, their goods were Arrows made of Reeds, Feathers, and the Bones aforemen­tioned. They go naked except only a Furr about their Shoulders when they sit or lye in the Gold, but at other times it is a girdle about their Loyns; Their Hair is very long, which to prevent trouble thy knit up with a Roll of Ostrich Feathers, and serves them for a Quiver for their Arrows, and a Store­house for what they carry about them; Those of Quality wear a large plain Feather on each side their heads seeming afar off like Horns, so that a head thus trim'd upon a naked body resembles a Devil with horns.

Their chief bravery consists in painting their Bodys with divers Colours, with such works as they fancy; Some wash their faces [Page 94] with Sulphur or the like, others paint their whole Bodys Black, leaving only their necks round about White, and shew like Ladys with black Gowns and naked Necks; Some paint one Shoulder black and another white, and likewise their Legs, setting white Moons on the black part, and black on the white, being the marks of the Gods they adore; By this continual painting the pores of their Bodys are so closed they never feel any cold, they are strong, comely, swift, and active, and are much to be lamented that being of tractable natures, and in an excellent soyl they are ignorant of the wor­ship of the true God, for though they never knew any Christians before, yet they soon be­came so familiar, that they seem'd rather wil­ling to serve and do them all good Offices than offer any injury. The General bestowing a Cap off his head on one of their Chiefs, he going at a distance suddenly pierced his Leg deeply with an Arrow, so that the Bloud stream­ing out, he thereby signifi'd his unfained love to him, and was as a Covenant of peace between them, they were about fifty persons who thus frequented their company; In the South part of this Bay is a River of fresh Water, and several Islands full of Seals, Birds and Fowls, sufficient to maintain a multitude of people, of which they killed some with Shot and Staves, and took many Birds with their hands, they light­ing upon their Heads and Shouldiers; They [Page 95] saw no Boat or Canoo used by the Natives to come to these Isles, their own provision seem­ed to be Raw Flesh and Fish, they finding pieces of Seals all Bloudy which they had gnawn with their teeth like Dogs; They are all armed with a Bow an Ell long, and Arrows of Reeds headed with Flints very exactly. This Bay they named Seal Bay for the plenty of them found here, killing two hundred in an hours time.

Sufficiently provided with all necessaries they sailed hence June 12. South-ward, and anchor­ed two days in a little Bay, where they dis­charged and laid up the Caunter or Christopher, and June 14. arrived at another Bay in fifty degrees twenty minutes South-Latitude and within one degree of the mouth of the Streights, through which lay their desired Pas­sage to the South Sea. Here the General turn­ed his Course Northerly in hope of finding his Ship and Friends lost in the great storm, since if they should pass the Streights without them, both might be much discomforted. So that June 18. putting again to Sea with hearty prayers to God for Success, they ran back to­ward the Line, and the next night near Port St. Julian had sight of their Ship, and the day after the whole Fleet entred joyfully into that Port to refit and refresh this Ship and the wea­ried men; St. Julian is in 49 degrees, 30 minutes being a very convenient Har­bor, [Page 96] having many Islands within it; Coming now to an Anchor, and all things made safe, the General, with his Brother and five others, (ac­cording to his usual care and diligence on such occasions) rowed further into the Bay in a Boat to find out some convenient place for fresh Water and Provisions during their stay, and were no sooner landed when two of the Natives visited them, called by Magellane Pen­tagoures for their huge Stature and Strength, who seem'd much to rejoice at their Arrival, familiarly receiving whatever the General gave them, and much pleased to see Oliver the Master-Gunner shoot an English Arrow, try­ing to out-shoot him, but came nothing near him; Soon after another arrived who seem'd angry at the Civility of his fellows, and strove earnestly to make them become enemies, which General Drake not suspecting used them as be­fore, when Mr. Winter thinking also to shoot an Arrow, that he who came last might see it, the string of his Bow broke, which being before their terror, did now incourage them to con­trive treachery against them, not imagining their Guns and Swords were Weapons of War, and therefore as they were quietly returning to their Boat these Villains suddainly discharged their Arrows at their backs, aiming chiefly at him who had the Bow, and not suffering him to string it again by wounding him in the Shouldier, who turning about was shot with [Page 97] an Arrow through the Lungs, yet fell not, but the Gummer being ready to shoot off his Musket which took not fire, was slain outright. In this extremity their expert General gave or­der that no man should keep any certain ground, but shifting places and defending themselves with their Targets should approach these Monsters, and break all the Arrows shot at them, knowing when they were spent they should subdue them at pleasure, with this wise course, and by shooting off the peice the Gun­ner could not fire, the General killed the Au­thor of the quarrel who slew the Gunner; for the Musket being charged with a Bullet and Hail Shot tore out his Belly and Guts with much torment, as it seemed by his roaring which was so Horrid and Hideous as if ten Bulls had bellowed at once; This so discourag­ed his Companions, that though divers others appeared out of the Woods to assist them, yet they were glad to fly and suffer the English quietly to depart, which they the rather did, because of Mr. Oliver who was wounded, and whom the General dearly loved, and would rather have saved then slain an hundred ene­mies, but being past recovery he died two days after he was brought aboard. Next day the General in his Boat well armed, went again ashour to bring off the Gunners body which they found lying where it was left, only stript of its upper Garment, with an English Arrow [Page 98] struck in his right Eye; Both the dead Bodys were laid in one grave, with such decency and reverence as becomes the Tabernacles of im­mortal Souls, and such ceremonies as Souldiers in time of War deserve.

Magellane was not altogether deceived in calling them Giants, since they differ so much from other men in stature, strength and the hideousness of their voice, yet are they not so Monstrous as the Spaniards reported, some English men being full as tall as any they saw, but not imagining any English would ever come there, it incouraged them boldly to write such untruths; Their name Pentagones or five Cubits, that is seven foot and an half, giving their true height, yet many not so large; But certainly the Cruelties used against them have made them more Monstrous in their Man­ners than Bodys, which being told from Father to Son, has created such an inve­terate hatred in them against Strangers, that up­on all occasions they seek revenge upon them; Yet they seemed to repent the wrong offered the English, suffering them to continue there peace­ably two months after, & may cause them to be kinder to others that happen into their Countrey.

To this mischief from Infidels another grea­ter and of far worse consequence was like to have fallen out among themselves had not Di­vine providence timely discovered and prevent­ed it, whereby the innocent bloud of their [Page 99] General, and his most faithful Friends might have been treacherously shed, and the whole Action thereby overthrown. The design was laid before their coming from England, and of which General Drake had a full account in his Garden at Plymouth, but he could never be­lieve that a Person whom he so dearly affected, and had so extreamly obliged would contrive any evil against him, and therefore continued his favours to this suspected Person, yea in­creased them so as to make him his most inti­mate and bosom Friend, giving him the se­cond place in his Company in his presence, and leaving him the conduct of his whole af­fairs in his absence, imparting to him all his se­crets, and allowing him free liberty in all rea­sonable things, yea bearing with his many weaknesses and infirmities, scorning that any private injury should break that firm friend­ship he had contracted with him, and was therefore offended with those who from duty discovered his dayly contrivances to destroy the whole Enterprize; But the General being at length convinc't of his falshood, and that lenity would do no good, since the heat of his ambi­tion could not be allayed but by the murther and bloud of his Captain and Companions, his practices growing dayly more dangerous, he resolved to question him before it was too late; Therefore first securing him, he called all the Commanders and Gentlemen of his Company [Page 100] together, to whom he gave an account of the good parts in this Gentleman, and of the bro­therly tenderness he had always shewed toward him ever since his first acquaintance; And then delivered them the Letters he had received from several Persons who much doubted his fidelity, and that not only at Sea but at Plymouth, not only by bare words, but writings under the Gentlemans own hand, yea several unworthy actions committed by him tending to the over­throw of the Voyage in hand, and the Murder­ing the Generals Person. For all which so many full and evident proofs were produced that the Gentleman himself struck with remorse for his inconsiderate and unkind dealings freely ac­knowledged himself worthy of death, yea of many deaths, since he had not only designed the ruin of the Action, but of the principal Actor likewise, not of a Stranger or Enemy to him, but of a true and real freind, and therefore openly besought the whole Assembly who had power to administer Justice, to prevent him from being his own Executioner, by condemn­ing him to a deserved death.

This discourse raised admiration and astonish­ment in all present, especially in his nearest Friends and dearest Acquaintance, but none was so much affected as the General himself, who unable to conceal his tender affection, withdrew, requiring them when they had throughly heard and considered the whole mat­ter [Page 101] to give such Judgment as they would be answerable for to their Prince, but especially to Almighty God the righteous Judg of all the Earth; Whereupon all of them, being 40 of the principal Persons in the whole Fleet, after they had maturely discust the business, and freely heard what any of his friends could al­leage on his behalf, gave this sentence under their Hands and Seals, That this Gentleman had deserved Death, and that it did by no means consist with their safety to let him live, remit­ting the manner and circumstances thereof to the General himself.

This Tribunal was held in one of the Islands in the Port of St. Julian, which was after in me­mory hereof called The Island of True Justice and Jugdment. After this verdict was given to the General, to whom the Queen had com­mitted the Sword of Justice for the safety of himself and company with this expression, We do account that he which strikes at thee Drake, striketh at us; He called the guilty Person, to whom was read the aforesaid verdict which he acknowledged most just, none giving a more severe sentence against him than himself, the General then proposed to him this threefold Choice; Whether he would be executed in this Island; Or be set ashoar on the Main Land; Or else return into England and answer his crimes before the Queen and her Council; He gave hamble thanks to the General for this undeser­ved [Page 102] clemency, and desired time till next day to consider what to chuse, which granted, on the morrow he gave this result, That though in his heart he had conceived so great a sin, and for which he was now justly condemn'd, yet his chiefest care and concern was to dye a Christian, that whatever became of his mortal Body he might remain assured of an eternal inheritance in a far better life; That if he were set a land among Infidels, he much doubted whether he should be able to continue stedfast in the Faith considering his own frailty, and the great contagion of leud custom; And therefore he earnestly in­treated the General, That he would have a special regard to his Soul, and not indanger it among Heathenish and Savage Infidels; That if he should return to England he must have a Ship, with Men and Victuals, to conduct it, and if he had these, yet he thought none would willingly accompany him with so sad and base a Message, and leave such honourable service as they were now in; But if he could find such who would be perswaded to go back with him, yet the very shame of his return would be grievous, yea worse than death to him, since he should dye so often, and be so long a dying; He therefore protested; That freely and with all his heart he imbrac'd the Generals first proposal of being exe­cuted there, desiring only the favour that they might receive the Holy Communion together once before his death, and that he might dye the death of a Gentleman.

[Page 103]Though divers perswaded him to chuse any of the other waies, yet he was resolute in his determination, and his two last requests being granted he received the Communion from Mr. Francis Fletcher Preacher to the Fleet, the Ge­neral himself communicating with this con­demned penitent Gentleman, who gave great assurance of a contrite and repenting heart, seeming more angry with his own act than any else; After this the General and he dined to­gether as cheerfully and soberly as ever in their lives, comforting one another, and drinking each to other as if going some Journey; Dinner ended and all being prepared by him who acted as Provost Marshal, he appeared very se­riously, and kneeling down, at once prepared his Neck for the Axe and his Spirit for Heaven without disturbance, as having already digest­ed the whole Tragedy in his own mind, desi­ring the Spectators to pray for him, and bidding him do his Office without fear or favour; Hav­ing thus by his Worthy demeanour at his death fully obliterated all the faults of his life, he left to the rest a lamentable example of a Worthy Gentleman, who in striving to rise before his time lost himself, & is a monument to Posterity of the common fate of such ambitious minds; And one thing very remarkable may be added, That 58 years before, another Gen­tleman imployed in the like Service, and enter­tained into great Trust was executed in the [Page 104] very same place, for the English found a Gibbet on the Main Land made of a Spruce Mast fallen down, with mens Bones underneath which they judged to be that erected by Magellane in 1520. for executing John Carthagena, Co­sen to the Bishop of Burgos, who by the King of Spains Order was joined in Commission with Magellane and made his Vice-Admiral; As they digged a Grave in the Island to bury this Gentleman they found a great grind-stone broken in the middle, which they set in the ground one part at the head, and the other at the feet, whereon they graved the name of the Person there buried, the time of their departure, and their Generals name in Latin for a Memo­rial to those that should come thither after.

CHAP. V. General Drake in pursuance of his Voyage round the World, passeth through the Streigths of Magellane into the South Sea where he meets with a terrible Tempest for 52 days together, and loses company of two of his Ships; Being left alone he proceeds toward the Coast of Peru, and gets a Prodigious quantity of Gold and Silver and Jewels.

THis Tragedy thus ended, the General broke up the Mary the Portugal Prize being leaky and troublesom, leaving her Ribbs and Keel on the Island, where for two months [Page 105] they pitched their Tents, and having wooded, watred, and trimm'd their Ships which were now reduced to three (besides the Pinna­ces) to keep the easier together, and to be bet­ter provided and mann'd upon all occasions, Aug. 17. they sailed out of this Port, and with much hope directed their course for the Streights, South-West. Aug. 20. they fell with a Cape nigh the entrance, called by the Spaniards Cape Virgin Maria, appearing like Cape Vincent in Portugal with steep Cliffs and black Stars, against which the Sea beating, seems like the Spouting of Whales; Here the General caused his Fleet to strike their topsails in honour of the Queen, and to acknowledge her absolute right in this New Discovery; Changing also the name of his Ship from the Pellican to the Golden Hind, in remembrance of his honourable Friend Sir Chr. Hatton, when after a Sermon and Prayers for the Queen and the whole Realm of England, they entred the Streights having sight of Land on both sides, which at length grew very narrow with many windings, after which they seemed to come out of a River two Leagues broad into a large and open Sea, and the night following saw a burn­ing Island much like Fogo in height, and flaming without intermission. It was formerly thought that the current in this Streight ran al­ways one way, but they found the ebb and floud and the water rising five fathoms upright as on other Coasts.

[Page 106] Aug. 24. being Bartholomew day they fell with three Islands lying triangular, one very large and fruitful, where the weather being calm the General and some of his Company went ashoar and took possession thereof in the Queens name, calling it Elizabeth Island; And though the other two were not so large, yet they were very useful to them for the great store of strange Birds found there, they could not fly but ran so fast as sometimes to escape, somewhat less than a Goose, short and thick, without Feathers, but only had matted Down, with Bills like Crows; They lay their eggs and breed their young in the ground like Rab­bits, and live on what they catch in the Sea, being very swift Swimmers both to get their prey, and secure themselves from others; They came thither in such vast numbers that they killed three thousand in one day, and are wholsom food, they named one of these Islands Bartholomew according to the day, and the other St. George in honour of England, wherein they found the body of a man almost rotten. From hence to the entrance of the South-Sea the passage is very crooked, so that they oft met with contrary Winds, being many times forc't to alter their course, and though (as Magellane saith) there be many good Harbors, and store of fresh Water, yet they had need be well furnished with Cables and Anchors to find ground in them; The Land on both sides is [Page 107] very high and mountainous, having on the North and West the Continent of America, and on the South and East nothing but Islands, among which lye innumerable passages into the South Sea. The Mountains rise into the Air with vast lofty Spires invironed with Clouds & Snow, which still increaseth their height, the Sun hav­ing little power to diminish them so that they may be reckoned among the Wonders of the World; Yet there are many low fruitful Valleys full of Grass and Heards of very strange crea­tures feeding therein; The Trees are almost al­ways Green, the Air temperate, the Water pleasant, and the Soil agreeable to any Grain of our Countrey, and indeed wanting nothing to make it an happy Region but the Peoples knowing and worshiping the true God; They made Fires as they passed in divers places.

Drawing nigh the entrance of the South Sea they had such shuttings up North-ward, and such open passages to the South, that lying at anchor under an Island, the General went in a Boat to make further discovery, and having found a convenient way toward the North, in their return they met a Canoo with divers Persons in her, she was made of the Barks of Trees with a Prow and Stern standing up, and bending inward like an half Moon, of excel­lent Shape and Workmanship, and built with so much judgment and Art that she seemed fit [Page 108] for the pleasure of a Prince rather than the use of such a rude and barbarous People, the seams were not closed nor caulked but only sticht with thongs of Seal Skin so very close that they re­ceived little or no water. The People are of a well set mean Stature, delighting much in painting their faces like the other, and had a House within the Island built with Poles and covered with Skins of Beasts, wherein there was fire, water and such Victuals as they can get, as Seals, Mussels and the like, the Vessels wherein they keep their Water and Drink are of Wood like their Canoos and very neat, which they cut with Knives made of huge Mussel Shells (the Fish being good savoury meat) which after they have broken off the thin edge they grind and temper so hard upon Stones that it will easily cut the hardest Wood, and whereof they make Fisgigs to kill Fish with admirable dexterity.

Sept. 6. They left these troublesom Islands and entred the South Sea or Maredel Zur, the General designing to have gone ashoar at the Cape, and after a Sermon to have left a perpe­tual Monument of the Queen (which he had prepared) thereon, but they could find no an­choring, neither would the wind permit them to stay; They found the Streight was in a­bout 53 degrees, a hundred and fifty Leagues long and 10 broad at the entrance, after not above a League, and then larger again, and [Page 109] at the end no Streight at all but only Islands; The General perceiving that the cold Winter had impaired some of his men, resolved to have hastned toward the Line and the warm Sun, but it pleased God to disappoint him; For Sept. 7. the second day after their entrance into this Peacable, but to them now Furious Sea, a terrible Tempest arose with such vio­lence that they had little hope of escaping, and though Sept, 15. the Moon was eclipsed in Aries and 3 parts darkened which might seem to promise some change of Weather, yet it brought them no relief, but they continued in a miserable condition full 52 days together, and these furious and extraordinary flaws continu­ing or rather increasing, caused the sorrowful Separation of Captain John Thomas in the Marygold from the Fleet Sept. 30. at night, whom they never met again though they still hoped to have found them on the Coasts of Peru toward the Equinoctial the randezvouz appointed by the General, she being well provi­ded with necessaries, and an able Captain with skilful and sufficient Marriners. From Sept. 7. when the storm began, to Octob. 7. they could not possibly recover Land, being driven to 37 degrees of South Latitude, when entring with a sorry Sail into an Harbor somewhat North­ward of that Cape of America aforenamed, in hope to enjoy some quiet till the storm was end­ed, they were again assaulted with so cruel a [Page 110] flaw, that the Admiral with the fury thereof left her Anchor behind, and in departing lost sight of the Elizabeth their Vice-Admiral, ei­ther through negligence, or the earnestness of some within her to be eased of these troubles and at home again, as they after understood. For the very next day Octob. 8. recovering the mouth of the Streights again, they returned the same way, and coasting Brasile, arrived in England June 2. the year following; So that now the Admirals Ship might well have retain­ed her former name, being like a Pellican alone in this Wilderness of Waters; And though the General diligently sought the rest of his Fleet, yet he could not gain the least Intelligence of them.

From this Bay of parting Friends, they were forcibly driven back to 55 degrees, and ran in among the Islands aforementioned on the South of America, where the passage was very large, and continued here quietly two days, finding divers wholsom Herbs and fresh Water, where­by the men, before weak and impaired, began to recover, especially by drinking of an Herb like Penny-leaf, which gently purging, much refresht their wearied sickly Bodys; But the Winds then again returned to their former fury, it seeming as if the Bowels of the Earth had been set at liberty, and all the Clouds under Heaven summoned together into one place, the Seas, by nature heavy, being now rouled up from the [Page 111] depths of the Rocks like a Parchment, and carried aloft into the Air like Snow by the vio­lence of the Winds to the tops of those lofty Mountains, their Anchors (like false Friends) forsaking their hold-fast, and seeming to hide themselves and shrink to the Bottom to avoid the horror of this woful Tempest, leaving the distressed Ship and Men to the uncertain roul­ing Seas which tossed them even like a Tennis-Ball; In this extremity it signified nothing to let fall more Anchors, since the depth was so immensurable that five hundred fathom would reach no ground, so that the inveterate and con­tinual rage of the Sea, the impossibility of an­choring, or of spreading a Sail, the dangerous Rocks and Shelves, the difficulty of continuing there, the inevitable peril of getting out, in short the woful calamitys wherewith they were incompassed on every side, afforded them very little hope of escaping utter destruction had not Divine providence supported their sinking Spirits, it seeming as likely that the Mountains should have been rent in sunder from the Top to the Bottom and thrown head-long into the Sea by these prodigious Winds, as that the help of all the men in the World could have saved any of their lives. Yet that God of mercy who delivered Jonah out of the Whales Belly, whom not only Winds and Seas but even Devils themselves and the powers of Hell obey, who hearkens to the Prayers and Tears [Page 112] of all that sincerely call upon him in distress, even he lookt down and delivered them, so that except the fear and astonishment at their dan­ger they received no damage in any thing that belonged to them, in such a dreadful Tempest, as the like is not recorded in any History since Noahs Floud.

The Storm being somewhat allayed, they ran in again among those Islands from whence they were lately driven, not far from their former an­choring, hoping now at length for some peace and security there, especially since they saw the Natives going from one Island to another in their Canoo's, both Men, Women, and Young Infants hanging at their Mothers backs, to get a livelyhood by trading with chains of certain Shells and other trifles; Having had a breathing-time here for three days only, which they imployed in providing what they wanted though with much trouble and danger from the tempest not quite stilled, when behold it again recovered its former rage with much more vio­lence, driving them from their Anchors, and assaulting them in all Quarters at once, and at length chasing them to the utmost Land toward the South Pole, even to 56 degrees, beyond which no Continent nor Island is to be seen, but the Atlantick Ocean and South Sea meet freely and openly. Some have imagined these Islands were Main Land and called them Terra Incognita or, The Unknown World, wherein [Page 113] were many strange Monsters, which they now saw to be altogether false, as likewise the com­mon opinion of the impossibility of returning out of the South into the West Ocean because of the strong Currents and Winds, since they met with neither, but were oft in danger of being driven back, as well as in going forward, and many times were forced to alter their course losing more sometimes in one afternoon than they could recover again in an whole day with a reasonable gale, and since the narrowness of the Passage is reckoned the cause of this swift current, they now observed that the Passages through were innumerable, and Southward of these Islands there is a large and main Sea.

Coming to the utmost part of these Islands Oct. 28. the Storm ceased, and all their ca­lamities except the absence of their Friends were forgotten; As if God had secretly intended they should make this discovery, and did then stay his hand and refresh his Servants; In these Southerly parts the night in the latter end of October was but two hours long; There are few of these Islands but are inhabited and live after the same manner as those aforenamed; The General gave one name to them all calling them Elizabethides; After two days Oct. 30. they Sailed North-West along the Coasts of Peru, hasting to the height of 30 degrees being the place appointed for the Fleet to reassemble, and to seek for them in the mean time. In this [Page 114] course they next day met with two Islands stored with Birds of which they made plentiful provision from whence Nov. 1. they steered North-West as formerly, but soon found the mistake of the Maps in describing the Latitude of those Coasts; This part of Peru to Lima 12 Degrees South, is Mountainous and barren without either Water or Wood except in some few places inhabited by the Spaniards, and not hearing of their Ships they Anchored Nov. 15. at a great Island called Mucho by the Spaniards for its largeness, very fruitful of Sheep and other Cattle, stored with Maiz, Potatoes and other Roots, and thought to be wonderful rich in Gold, wanting nothing fit for the use of man. The Inhabitants are those Indians who by the horrid severities of the Spaniards have been driven from the Continent to secure and fortifie themselves here; With this People General Drake thought fit to Traffick for fresh Victuals and Water, and therefore that very night some of the Company going ashore, they very cour­teously came and brought the best Victuals and Provisions they had, presenting the General with two very fat Sheep, who returned them many necessary things, assuring them that he came only to exchange such Goods with them as he wanted and they could well spare, and chiefly such as they had already brought them, except fresh water which they desired them to bring; whereat they seemed very well pleased [Page 115] and extream joyful at their coming, promising to direct them where to have fresh water next morning, and that they would bring any thing else they wanted.

Next morning early, the General having prepared all things ready for Traffick, and Ves­sels to bring the water, set two of his men ashore to go to the watering place, assigned the night before, who passed quietly half the way, but were then violently assaulted and slain by these treacherous people, and in hope to sur­prize the General with the rest, about five hundred of them prepared for mischief, lay in ambush behind the Rocks, who suddenly fal­ling on them, the Rocks being very dangerous for Boats, and the passage very open to the Sea, they wounded every man of the Company with their Arrows, Drake himself being shot in the Face under his right Eye very deep, and in his Head to the great indangering of his Life; The rest there being nine Persons in the Boat were grievously wounded, and the Chief Sur­geon being dead, and his Mate absent in the Vice-Admiral, none but a Boy being left, their case was very desperate, yet by the help of God and the assistance of the rest they all escaped. The cause of this injury from these Islanders proceeded from their hatred to the Spa­niards for their cruelties toward them, and some of the English using the Spanish word aqua in requiring water, they supposed them of that [Page 116] Nation, and therefore used this outrage toward them; The General left the revenge of this wrong to Heaven, wishing only they might be sensible whom they had abused, not an Enemy but those who would rather have defended them from the injuries of the Spaniards, and sailed thence that Afternoon, approaching now the place appointed for meeting the rest of their Ships, and to find a conveniency for reposing their wounded men, and supplying them with necessaries, and at length Novem. 30. they fell in with a place called Philips Bay in about 32 degrees, and instantly sent out a Boat for dis­covery, who after diligent search could find no appearance of relief, discovering only the heads of wild Beasts but no sign of any Inhabitant thereabout.

Yet in their return they perceived an Indian Fishing in a Canoe within the Bay whom they brought aboard the General, he was a proper comely Person clothed in a white Garment reaching almost to his Knees, his Arms and Head were bare, his Hair very long, but without a Beard, as most Indians are, seeming to be of a mild temper, apprehensive to learn every thing, and very thankful for what the General bestow­ed on him, and discovering in his carriage the harmless disposition of the Natives, and how unjustly they have been abused by the Spani­ards; After he had been kindly treated, and furnisht with what they had, giving what he [Page 117] thought convenient in exchange, he was freely dismist in their Boat, with his own Canoo made of Reeds, and when landed, desired the En­glish to stay till his return, who being met by two or three of his Friends, shewed them the Gifts he had received, wherewith they were so pleased, that in a few hours he with several others, whereof one seemed of Quality, came and brought them Hens, Eggs, and a fat Hog, all which they sent in a Canoo to their Boat then at some distance from shore, and to assure them of their faithful meaning the Captain hav­ing sent back his Horse, resolv'd to commit him­self to their fidelity of these strangers and to go with them alone to their General. By whom they understood that there was no relief to be had here, but offered to be there Pilot to a good Harbor Southward, where by way of traffick they might have fresh Water and all other con­veniencies; This offer was readily accepted by the General, the place described being near that where he had appointed his Fleet to ran­dezvouz; Omitting therefore their design of Hunting and Killing some of the Buffolo, they by the conduct of this New Indian Pilot came Decem. 5. into the desired Port.

This Harbor is called by the Spaniards Val­pevizo, and the Town adjoining is St. James of Chinly, in 35 degrees 40 minutes, where though they heard nothing of their Ships, yet were fully supplyed with all necessarys in abun­dance, [Page 118] and amongst others they found in the Town divers Store-houses of Chily Wines, and a Ship in the Harbor called The Grand Captain of the South and Admiral to the Islands of Solomon loaden with the same liquors, toge­ther with a quantity of fine Gold of Baldivia, and a great Crucifix of Gold beset with Eme­ralds; They spent some time in refreshing themselves and easing this Ship of so heavy a burthen, and being sufficiently stored with Wine, Bread, Bacon and the like for a long season, Decem. 8. they sailed back again to­ward the Equinoctial Line, with their Indian Pilot whom the General bountifully rewarded, and landed at the place he desired. Having thus supplyed their wants, their next care was to regain if possible the company of their Ships so long separated from them, to which the General applyed his utmost endeavour, and since it was inconvenient to search every Creek and Harbor with their little Boat, which might happen to fall into the Spaniards hands who would shew them no mercy, he therefore sought out some safe Harbor to erect a Pinnace, wherein with­out indangering their Ship they might leave no place unsought to find out their Countrymen again.

Hereupon Decem. 19. they entred a Bay South of the Town of Cyppo inhabited by Spa­niards in 29 degrees, where having landed fourteen men to search for a conveniency, they [Page 119] were discovered by the Town, who instantly sent out three hundred Spaniards on Horse back against them, and about 200 Indians running all naked and in miserable slavery, like Dogs at their heels, but the English perceiving their danger escaped first to a Rock in the Sea, and from thence to their Boat, where they were received and conveyed out of the reach of the Spaniards fury, without hurt to any but on­ly one John Minevy who careless of his safety, would not be perswaded to save himself, but resolved singly to defy and terrify three hun­dred men, or else dye on the place, which ac­cordingly happened, for being quickly slain, his [...]ad Body was drawn by the Indians from the Rock to the shoar, and there valiantly be­headed by the Spaniards, his right hand cut off and his heart pluckt out, which they carried away in their sight causing the Indians to shoot his Body full of Arrows made the same day of green Wood, and so left it to be devoured of beasts, had not the English again gone ashoar and buried it; This sufficiently discovers the barbarity of the Spaniards and their continual dread of a forreign invasion, or to have their throats cut by the wretched unfortunate Natives whom they never suffer to keep any arms but just for present service, as appears by their Ar­rows made that very day, and the report of o­thers who knew it to be true; Yea they think themselves very kind if they do not dayly [Page 120] whip these Wretches with Cords only for plea­sure, or drop scalding Bacon on their naked Bodys which is the least torture they usually in­flict upon these unhappy Indians.

This not being the place they looked for, nor the entertainment they desired, Decem. 20. they fell into a more convenient Harbor North of Cyppo in 27 degrees 55 minutes South latitude, where they staid some time to trim their Ship and build their Pinnace, yet still reflecting on the absence of their Friends, General Drake having fitted all to his mind, and leaving his Ship at anchor in the Bay, resolved to go in the Pinnace himself with some choice men, toward the South if possible to find them out, but after one days Sail the Wind forced him back again; Within this Bay they had store of Fish like a Gurnet, and never met with the like except at Cape Blank on the Coast of Bar­bary, the Gentlemen with four or five Hooks and Lines taking in two or three hours four hundred of them. Having dispatcht their busi­ness here, Jan. 22. they came to an Island in the Province of Mormorena, where they found Indians in Canoos who undertook to bring them to a watering place, upon which the General according to his use to strangers treated them nobly and came where they directed, and hav­ing travelled a long way on the land, they in­deed found fresh Water but hardly so much [...] they had drunk Wine in their Passage thither.

[Page 121]Sailing along continually in search of fresh Water, they came to a place called Tarapaca, and landing lighted on a Souldier asleep, who had lying by him thirteen Bars of Silver, weigh­ing about four thousand Spanish Duccats, they would not willingly have disturb'd him, but since they did him that injury, they freed him of this charge which might otherwise have kept him waking, leaving him if he pleased to take another nap more securely; Continuing still their search for Water they again landed not far thence, and met with a Spaniard and an Indian Boy driving eight Lambs or Peruvian Sheep each carrying two leather bags with fifty pound weight of refined Silver, and not in­during to see a Spanish Gentleman turn Carrier, they without asking offered him their Service and became his Drovers, only they mist his way, for almost as soon as he parted from them they came into their Boats. Beyond this lye certain Indian Towns from whence many peo­ple came in Boats made of Seals Skins and blown full of Wind which rows swiftly and carries a great Burthen; These seeing their Ship, brought store of divers sorts of Fish to traffick with them for Knives, Stones, Glasses and the like, men of sixty or seventy years old being as fond of them as if they had purchased Jewels of great value. They appeared a plain innocent people, and resorted to them in great numbers in that short time.

[Page 122]Near this in 22 degrees 30 minutes lay Marmorena, and another great Indian Town govern'd by two Spaniards, whom desiring to deal with, Jan. 22. they Anchored there, and found them inclined to exchange some goods they wanted more out of fear than love, and among others some such Sheep as carried the Bags of Silver aforementioned, they are as large as an ordinary Cow, and three Men and a Boy sate on one of their backs at once, their feet not touching the ground by a foot, nor the Beast complaining of its burden, their Necks are like Camels, but their Heads as other Sheep, and are of great use to the Spani­ards, their Wooll is very fine and their flesh good meat, they supply the want of Horses and carry heavy burdens over the mountains 300 Leagues at once, where no other beast can travel so well; In this place and so up through the Province of Cusco the common earth being any where taken up, every hundred pound weight thereof when refined, yields twenty five Shillings of pure Silver at a Crown an Ounce. The next place likely to hear news of their Ships was the Port of Arica in 20 degrees there being no harbor in a long way before, where they arrived Feb. 7. The Town stands in the most fruitful soil on those Coasts in the mouth of a pleasant Valley abounding with all things, having a constant trade for shipping both from Lima, and other places in Peru, and [Page 123] inhabited by Spaniards; In two Barks here, they found above 40 Bars of Silver as large as a Brickbat each weighing twenty Pound, which burden having taken upon themselves they sailed to Chowley Feb. 9. And in their way to Lima met with another Bark of Ari­quipa, who had begun to load some Gold and Silver, but upon notice of their coming from Arica by land, it was again unladen; Yet they took a Bark full of Linnen, which they judg'd useful for them.

Feb. 15. they came to Lima, and found thirty Ships in the harbor seventeen of them being the best in the South-Sea, all ready pro­vided, yet they had the courage to fall into the midst of them where they anchored all night, and had they been revengeful could have done the Spaniards more mischief in a few hours than they could have again recovered in many years; But their chief care was to find out their own Company rather than to recompence their cruelty, and though they had no news of them here, yet they had notice of what much elevated them, and seem'd to recompence all their labour, namely that here was a Ship of one Michael Angelo's wherein were fifteen hun­dred Bars of Silver, with Silks and Linnen, and a Chest full of Royals of Plate, which they quickly took possession of. Here they had some news from Europe and particularly of the death of some great Persons since their departure, as [Page 124] the King of Portugal, and both the Kings of Fesse and Morocco killed all three in one battle in one day in Barbary, the death of the King of France and the Pope, and which was more welcom, they had intelligence of a rich Ship gone out of the Haven Feb. 2. loaden with Gold and Silver for Panama. Therefore next Morning Feb. 16. they Sailed when the Wind served, and then towed their Ship toward Panama hastening if possible to get sight of this Gallant Ship the Caca­fogo the glory of the South-Sea gone from Lima fourteen days before; They fell with Cape Francisco March. 1. passing the Line the day before, and about noon discovered a Sail ahead of them, and having once spoke with her they lay still in the same place six days to re­cover breath being almost spent with their hasty pursuit, and to recal what advantage they had made since their coming from Lima. They had notice of this great Prize several times, once by a ship taken between Lima and Paita; Again by another ship laden with Wines taken in the Port of Paita, by a third loaden with tackle, and implements for Ships, with eighty pound weight in Gold from Guia­quil, and lastly by Gabriel Alvarez whom they met with near the Line, by all whose re­lations, they found this Ship to be really the Rich Cacafogo, though before they left her a Boy of their own named her the Cacaplata; [Page 125] They found in her some fruit, Sugar, Meal and other provisions, but especially that which was the cause of her slow sailing, namely a certain quantity of Jewels and Precious stone, thir­teen Chests of Riyals of Plate, fourscore pound Weight of Gold, Twenty six Tun of unco­vered Silver, two very large Silver gilt drinking Bowls, and other like trifles valued at about three hundred and sixty thousand Pezoes; They gave the Master a little Linnen and some other things in exchange for these goods, and after six days bid him farewel; He hast­ning somewhat lighter, Panama and they go­ing off to Sea to consider whither to steer next.

And now considering they were come one degree North of the Line, to the entrance of the Bay of Panama, and that there was little hope their lost Ships should be before them since they could get no notice of them in so long a course and with the strictest search and inquiry, and that the time of the year drew on wherein their General if ever must prosecute his design of discovering a Passage about the North parts of America from the South-Sea into our own Ocean, which would be service­able to his Countrey for the future, and them­selves might have a much nearer Passage home; They therefore concluded to find out a convenient place for triming their Ship, and getting Wood, Water and other provisions aboard, and then to hasten for discovering this [Page 126] Passage through which they might return with Joy to their much desired homes; Sailing there­fore March 7. toward the Isle of Cainos, they arrived there the 16. setling themselves in a fresh River between that and the Continent for finishing their affairs, where there happened a terrible Earthquake, which was so violent that the Ship and Pinnace though near an English Mile from the shoar trembled and shook as if on dry land; They found here Fish, Wood, and fresh Water (besides Alegators and Monkeys) with many other necessaries that they wanted; In their passage hither they took one Ship more, which was the last they met with on all these Coasts, laden with Linnen, China silk and China dishes, and a Falcon curiously wrought in Gold, with a great Emerauld in the breast thereof.

From hence March 25. 1579. they resol­ved to sail the nearest course the Wind would permit without touching any where in a long way, passing by Port Papagaia; The Port of the Vale of the most Rich and Excellent Balms of Jericho, Quantapico and divers others, as also certain Gulphs hereabout, which continually send forth such violent winds as much indanger the Spanish Ships if they go too near. But hav­ing notice that they should oft have calms and contrary winds near the Coast, and that if they run off to Sea to avoid them, they could not then meet with Land again when they would; [Page 127] the General thought fit to increase their Provi­sions, and therefore at the next Harbor called Guatulco, inhabited by Spaniards, they by trading supplyed themselves with Bread and other necessaries, and then departed from the Coast of America, yet not forgetting to take along with them a pot of about a Bushel full of Ryals of Plate, that they found in the Town, with a Chain of Gold and other Jewels which they intreated a Spaniard who was flying away with them to leave behind. Next day April 16. they went directly to Sea, sailing five hundred Leagues in Longitude to get a Wind, and by June 3. got fourteen hundred Leagues, com­ing into 42 degrees North Latitude, where they felt an extream alteration from heat to cold, which much impaired their healths, made the Ropes of their Ships stiff, and the Rain was turned into Hail, so that they seemed rather in the Frozen Zone than so near the Sun, and sail­ing 2 degrees further the cold increased so se­verely that their hands were benum'd, and they durst hardly bring them from under their Gar­ments to feed themselves; Neither could they impute this to the tenderness of their Bodies, coming out of those very hot Countreys, since their meat almost as soon as from the Fire was frozen, and their tackle so stiff, that six men were hardly able to perform what was usually done by three, which very much discouraged them, but General Drake comforting and per­swading [Page 128] them to trust in Gods Providence who never fails his Children, and that they should now quit themselves like men, and en­dure this short trouble and extremity with pati­ence, since they were sure thereby to obtain speedy comfort and glory; By such motives as these he put new life into them, so that every man was armed with a resolution to see the ut­most Discovery could be made that way.

The Land in that part of America bearing further West than they imagined, they were nearer to it than they were aware, and yet the cold still increased. June 5. they were driven by the winds toward the Shore which they then first descried, and Anchored in a Bay much exposed to the winds and flaws, and when they ceased, there instantly followed thick stinking Fogs, which nothing but the wind could re­move, and that was always violent. So that not able to stay here nor go further Northward for the cold and wind which was full against them, getting to Sea they were forcibly carried Southward from 48 to 38 degrees, where they found the Land low and plain, with some few Hills covered with Snow; June 17. they came to a convenient Harbor and continued there till July 23. During which though in the height of Summer yet they had constant nipping cold (neither for 14 days could they see the Sun for the fogginess of the Air) which had such influence not only upon their Bodies [Page 129] who came out of the heat, but on the Inhabi­tants themselves though accustomed thereto, who yet came shivering to them in their warm Furs crouding close together to receive heat of each other, the Trees being without Leaves, and the ground without Grass even in June and July, the poor Birds and Fowls not dare­ing to rise from their Nests (as they oft found) after they had laid their first Egg, till they were hatcht, and had got some strength, but had this advantage, that their Bodies being exceed­ing hot perfects their young sooner than in other places; Though the real cause of this extremity is uncertain, yet it is judged to pro­ceed from the large Continent of America and Asia near together Northward of this place, from whose high Mountains always covered with Snow, the Northwest Winds which usu­ally blow on these Coasts bring this almost in­sufferable sharpness, which the Sun in his great­est heat is not able to dissolve, from whence the Earth is so barren, and the Snow lyes at their doors almost in the midst of Summer, but is never off their Hills, from whence proceeds those stinking Fogs through which the Sun cannot pierce, nor draw the vapors higher into the Air, except the fierce winds do sometimes scatter them, and when gone, the Fogs return as before; Some Seamen aboard who had been in Greenland, affirmed they never felt such cold in the end of Summer as now in these two [Page 130] hot months, from whence it may be supposed, there is no passage through these Northern Seas, or if there be it is unnavigable for the Ice and Cold met with therein; Neither in all their sailing on these Coasts to 48 degrees could they find the Land bend in the least toward the East, but running always Northwest as if it directly met with Asia, and even then when they had a Wind to carry them through, if any such passage had been, yet they had a smooth Sea and ordinary Tides, which could not have happened had there been a Streight, as they concluded there was none.

CHAP. VI. General Drake having gained immense Treasures in Gold, Silver and Jewels, lands at a place named by him Nova Albion, where the Indi­ans Crown him King of their Countrey; From hence he sails homeward by the Molucco Islands, and the Cape of Good Hope, and having thus surroundred the World, returns joyfully to England about two years and ten months from their first setting forth; Queen Elizabeth comes aboard his Ship at Deptford and Knights him.

NExt day after their coming to Anchor in the Harbor aforementioned, the Natives of the Countrey discovering them, sent a Man to them in a Canoo with all expedition, who began to speak to them at a great distance, but [Page 131] approaching nearer made a long Solemn Orati­on with many signs and gestures after their manner, moving his hands, and turning his head, and after he had ended, with great shew of respect and submission return'd again to shoar; He repeated the Ceremony a second and third time, bringing with him a bunch of Feathers like those of a black Crow, neatly placed on a string and gathered into a round bundle, exactly cut and equal in length, which (as they understood afterward) was a special Badg worn upon the head of the Guard of the Kings Person; He brought also a little Basket made of Rushes, full of an Herb called Tabah, which tyed to a short Rod he cast into their Boat. The General intended instantly to have recompenced him, but could not perswade him to receive any thing except a Hat thrown out of the Ship into the water, refusing any thing else though it were upon a board thrust off to him, and so presently return'd; After this their Boat could row no way but they would follow it, seeming to adore them as Gods.

June 21. Their Ship being leaky came nearer the shoar to Land their Goods, but to prevent any surprize, the General sent his men ashore first with all necessaries for making Tents and a Fort for securing their purchase; Which the Natives observing came down hastily in great numbers with such weapons as they had as if angry, but without the least thought of [Page 132] Hostility, for approaching them they stood as men ravished with admiration at the sight of such things as they had never before heard nor seen, seeming rather to reverence them as Dei­ties than to design War against them as Mortal Men, which they discovered every day more clearly during their whole time of staying a­mong them. Being directed by signs to lay down their Bows and Arrows they immediately obeyed as well as all the rest who came conti­nually to them, so that in a little while there were a great company of Men and Women. To confirm this peace which they seemed so willing to agree to, the General and his men treated them very courteously, bestowing on them freely what might cover their nakedness, and making them sensible they were not Gods but Men, and had themselves need of Garments to cover their shame, and perswading them to put on Cloths, eating and drinking in their pre­sence, to satisfie them, that being Men they could not live without it, yet all would not prevail to perswade them they were not Gods; In recompence of Shirts, Linnen-cloth and the like bestowed on them, they gave the General and his Company Feathers, Cawls of Net­work, Quivers for Arrows made of Fawn-skins and the Skins of those Beasts their Women wore on their Bodies.

Being at length fully contented with view­ing them, they return'd with joy to their [Page 133] Houses, which are dug round within the Earth, and have from the surface of the ground poles of Wood set up and joined together at the top like a spired Steeple, which being covered with Earth, no Water can enter, and are very warm, the door being also the Chimney to let out the Smoak, which are made slopous like the Scuttle of a Ship; Their Beds are on the hard Ground strowed with Rushes with a fire in the midst round which they lye on, and the roof being low round and close gives a very great reflexion of heat to their Bodys; The men ge­nerally go naked, but the Women combing out Bulrushes make therewith a loose Garment which tyed round their middle, hangs down about their hipps, and hides what nature would have concealed; They wear likewise about their Shoulders a Deers-Skin with the Hair thereon, they are very obedient and ser­viceable to their Husbands, doing nothing with­out their command or consent. Returning to their Houses, they made a lamentable howling and crying, which the English though three quarters of a Mile distant heard with wonder, the Women especially extending their voices with doleful shreiks.

Notwithstanding this seeming submission and respect, the General having experienc't the trea­chery of other Infidels, provided against any al­teration of their minds, setting up Tents, and intrenching themselves with Stone-walls; which [Page 134] done, they grew more secure. Two days after this first Company were gone, a great multi­tude of others, invited by their report, came to visit them, who as the other, brought Feathers and Bags of Tabah for Presents, or rather for Sacrifices, believing they were Gods; Coming to the top of the Hill, at the bottom whereof they had built their Fort, they made a stand, where their Chief Speaker wearied himself and them with a long Oration, using such violent gestures, and so strong a voice, and speaking so fast that he was quite out of breath; Having done, all the rest bowed their Bodys very slow­ly and reverently to the ground, crying Oh, as consenting to all had been said, then leaving their Bows with their Women and Children behind, they came down with their Presents in such an awful posture as if they had indeed ap­peared before a Deity, thinking themselves hap­py to be near General Drake, and especially when he accepted what they so willingly offer­ed, getting as nigh him as possible, imagining they approached a God.

Mean time the Women, as if frantick, used unnatural violence to themselves, shreiking dreadfully, and tearing their Cheeks with their Nails till the Bloud streamed down their Breasts, rending their Garments from the upper parts of their Bodys, and holding their Hands above their Heads, thereby to expose their Breasts to danger, they furiously threw themselves on the [Page 135] ground, not regarding whether it were wet or dry, but dasht their naked Bodys against Stones, Hills, Wood, Bushes, Bryers, or whatever lay in their way, which cruelty they repeated (yea some Women with Child) 15 or 16 times to­gether till their strength failed them thereby, which was more grievous to the English to see, than to themselves to suffer. This Bloudy Sa­crifice ended, the General and his Company fell to prayers, and by lifting up their Hands and Eyes to Heaven, signified that their God, whom they ought to Worship, was above in the Heavens, whom they humbly besought if it were his pleasure, to open their Blind Eyes that they might come to the knowledg of Jesus Christ; While the English were at Prayers, singing of Psalms, and reading some Chapters in the Bible they sate very attentive, and at the end of every pause cryed out with one voice, Oh! seeming to rejoice therein; Yea delight­ed so in their singing Psalms, that after when­ever they resorted to them, they desired this Gnaah, or that they should sing. At their de­parture they returned all that the General had given them, thinking themselves sufficiently happy in having free access to them.

Three days after June 26. the news having spread it self farther into the Countrey another greater number of People were assembled, and among them their King himself, a man of a comely presence and stature, attended with a [Page 136] Guard of an hundred tall stout men, having sent two Ambassadors before to tell the Gene­ral their Hioh or King was coming, one of them in delivering his Message spake low, which the other repeated Verbatim with a loud voice, wherein they continued about half an hour, which ended they by signs desired some present to their King to assure him of coming in peace, which the General willingly granted, & they joyfully went back to their Hioh; While after their King with all his Train appeared in as much pomp as he could, some loudly crying and singing before him, as they came nearer they seemed more grave in their Actions; In the front before him marcht a tall man of a good countenance carrying the Scepter or Mace Royal, of black Wood about a yard and half long, upon which hung two Crowns one less than the other with three very long Chains oft doubled, and a bag of the herb Tabah, the Crowns were of knitwork wrought curiously with feathers of divers Colours, and of a good fashion, the Chains seemed of Bone, the Links being small, thin, and finely burnisht, the number of Links in one Chain was almost innumerable, and worn by very few, who are stinted to the number, some 10, 12, or 20, and as they exceed in Chains are thereby ac­counted more honourable. Next the Scepter-Bearer came the King himself with his Guard about him, having on his head a knitwork [Page 137] Cawl wrought somewhat like a Crown, and on his Shoulders a Coat of Rabbits-Skins reaching to his Waste; The Coats, of his Guard were of the same shape but other Skins, having Cawls with Feathers, covered with a down growing on a herb exceeding any other down for fine­ness, and not to be used by any but those about the Kings Person, who are also permit­ted to wear a plume of Feathers on their heads in sign of honour, and the Seeds of this herb are used only in Sacrifice to their Gods. Af­ter them followed the common people almost naked, whose long hair tyed up in a bunch be­hind, was stuck with plumes of Feathers, but in the fore part only one Feather like an Horn according to their own fancy, their faces were all painted, some White, others Black or other Colours, every man bringing something in his Hand for a Present; The Reer of their Com­pany consisted in Women and Children, each Woman carrying a basket or two with bags of Tabah, a Root called Petah, (whereof they make bread and eat it either Raw or Baked) broyled Fishes like Pilchards, the Seeds and Down aforementioned, and such other things; Their Baskets are made of Rushes like a deep Boat, and so well wrought as to hold Water, they hang peices of Pearl shells, and sometimes Links of these Chains on the brims, to signify they were only used in the Worship of their Gods, they are wrought with matted Down of red Feathers into various forms.

[Page 138]General Drake caused his men to be on their Guard whatever might happen, and going into his Fort made the greatest shew possible of war­like preparations (as he usually did) so that had they been real enemies they might be thereby discouraged from attempting any thing against them. Approaching nearer, and joining closer together, they gave them a general Sa­lutation, and after silence he who carried the Scepter prompted by another assign'd by the King, repeated loudly what the other spake low, their Oration lasting half an hour, at the close whereof they uttered a common Amen, in approbation thereof; Then the King with the whole number of Men and Women (the little Children only remaining behind) came farther in the same Order down to the foot of the Hill near the Fort; When the Scepter-bearer with a composed countenance began a Song, and as it were a dance and was followed by the King and all the rest, but the Women, who were silent; They came near in their dance, and the General perceiving their honest simplicity, let them enter freely within their Bulwark, where continuing a while singing and dancing the Women following with their bowls in their hands, their bodies being bruised, and their Faces, Breasts, and other parts torn and spotted with Bloud; Being tired with this exercise they by signs desired the General to sit down, to whom their King and others seemed to make [Page 139] supplications that he would be the King and Governor of their Countrey to whom they were most willing to resign the Government of themselves and their Posterity, and more fully to declare their meaning, the King with all the rest unanimously singing a Song, joyfully set the Crown on his head, inriching his neck with Chains, offering him many other things, and honouring him with the title of Hioh, concluding with a Song and Dance of triumph that they were not only visited by Gods, (which they still judged them) but that the great god was become their King and Patron, and they now the happiest people in the World.

The General observing them so freely to offer all this to him, was unwilling to disob­lige them since he was necessitated to continue there some time, and to require relief in many things from them, not knowing what advan­tage it might in time bring to his own Coun­trey; Therefore in the name and for the use of Queen Elizabeth he took the Scepter, Crown and Dignity of that Land upon him, wishing that the Riches and Treasures thereof, wherein the upper parts abound, might be as easily transported hither, as he had obtained the So­veraignty thereof from a people who have plenty and are of a very loving and tractable nature, seeming ready to imbrace Christianity if it could be preached and made known to them; [Page 140] These Ceremonies over the common people leaving the King and his Guard mingled them­selves among them, strictly surveying every man and enclosing the youngest, offered Sacrifi­ces to them with lamentable shreiks and weep­ing, tearing the fl [...]sh from off their faces with their Nails, and this not the Women only, but old Men likewise were as violent in roaring and crying as they. The English much grieved at the power of Satan over them, shewed all kind of dislike hereto, by lifting their hands and eyes toward Heaven, but they were so mad on their Idolatry that though held from rending them­selves, yet when at liberty were as violent as before, till those they adored were conveyed in­to their Tents, whom yet as men distracted they raged for again. Their madness a little qualified, they complained to them of their griefs and diseases, as old Aches, Shrunk Sinews, cankered Sores, Ulcers, and Wounds lately re­ceived wherewith divers were afflicted, and mournfully desired cure from them, making signs that if they did but blow upon them or touch their maladies they should be healed. In pity to them, and to show they were but men, they used common Ointment and Plaisters for their relief, beseeching God to enlighten their minds.

During their stay here they usually brought Sacrifices every third day till they clearly un­derstood the English were displeased, where­upon [Page 141] their zeal abated; Yet they continually resorted to them with such eagerness that they oft forgot to provide sustenance for themselves, so that the General whom they counted their Father was forc't to give them Victuals as Muscles, Seals and the like, wherewith they were extreamly pleased, and since they would not accept of Sacrifices, they hating ingrati­tude, forced what they had upon them in re­compence, though never so useful to themselves; They are very ingenious and free from Guile or Treachery; Their Bows and Arrows (which are their only Weapons and almost all their wealth) they use very Skilfully yet without much execution they being fitter for Children than Men, though they are usually so strong that one of them could easily carry that a mile together without pain which two or three Englishmen there could hardly bear; They run very swift and long, and seldom go any other pace; If they saw a Fish so near the shore as to reach the place without swimming they seldom mist it.

Having finished their Affairs the General and some of his Company made a Journey up into the Countrey to observe their manner of living, with the Nature and Commodities of the Countrey; They found their Houses such as you have heard, and many being fixt in one place made divers Villages; The Inland was far different from the Sea shore, it being a [Page 142] very fruitful Soil, furnished with all necessaries and stored with large fat Deer, whereof they saw thousands in an Heard, with Rabbits of a strange kind, having tails like Rats and feet like a Mole, with a natural bag under their chin, wherein after they have filled their belly abroad, they put the rest for relieving their young or themselves, when they are willing to stay at home; They eat their bodies, but pre­serve their Skins, of which the Royal garments of their King are made; This Countrey Gene­ral Drake called Nova Albion, both because it had white Cliffs toward the Sea, and that its name might have some likeness to England, which was formerly so called. Before they went hence the General caused a Monument to be erected, signifying that the English had been there, and asserting the right of Queen Elizabeth and her Successors to that Kingdom, all ingraven in a Plate of Brass, and nail'd to a great firm Post, with the time of their Arrival, the Queens name, and the free resignation of the Countrey by the King and People into her hands, like­wise her Picture and Arms, and underneath the Generals Arms.

The Spaniards had never any commerce nor ever set foot in this Countrey, their utmost Acquisitions being many degrees Southward thereof; and now the time of their departure being at hand the joy of the Natives was drowned in extream sorrow, pouring out wo­ful [Page 143] complaints and grievous sighs and tears for their leaving them; yet since they could not have their presence, they (supposing them in­deed to be Gods) thought it their duty to in­treat them to be mindful of them in their ab­sence, declaring by signs that they hoped here­after to see them again, and before the English were aware set fire to a Sacrifice which they of­fered to them, burning therein a Chain and a bunch of Feathers; The General endeavoured by all means to hinder their proceedings but could not prevail, till they fell to Prayers and Singing of Psalms, when allured thereby, for­getting getting their folly, and leaving their Sacrifice unconsumed and the fire to go out, imitating the English in all their actions they lift up their Hands and Eyes to Heaven as they did July 23. They took a sorrowful leave of them, but loth to part with them, they went to the tops of the Hills to keep sight of them as long as possible, making fires before, behind, and on each side of them, wherein they supposed Sacrifices were offered to their happy Voyage. A little with­out their Harbor lye certain Isles, c [...]lled by them the Islands of St. James, wherein were plenty of Seals and Fowls, and landing in one of them next day, they supplyed themselves with competent Provision for some time.

The General now finding the extremity of the cold increase, the Sun being gone further, and the Winds constantly blowing Northerly, [Page 144] giving no hope of finding a Passage through those Northern Seas, He resolved with the ge­neral approbation of all, to lose no more time, but Sail directly to the Molucco Islands; And having a sight of nothing but Sea and Sky for sixty eight days together, they continued their course through the Main Ocean till Sept. 30. when they spied certain Islands about eight de­grees North of the Line, from whence there came instantly a great number of Canoo's, hav­ing in some four, in others six, 14 or 15 men, bringing Coco's Potatoes, Fish, and several fruits to sell; Their Canoo's are made of one Tree hollowed within very artificially, and as smooth as glass all over with a very curious prow and stern hung full of white glittering shells; On each side were two peices of Timber about a yard and half long, at the ends where­of a great Cane was fastened to prevent them from overturning. The People had the lower parts of their Ears cut round, and hanging very low on their cheeks wherein they put things of a reasonable weight, the Nails of some of their Fingers were at least an inch long, and their Teeth as black as Ink, occasioned by eating an herb with a powder they always carry with them to that purpose; The first company of Canoo's coming up to their Ship which Sailed slow for want of Wind, seemed very fair dea­lers, and exchang'd some goods with them very orderly, making signs for them to come nearer [Page 145] the shoar, but designing treacherously to seize both Men and Ship. These gone, others pre­sently came, who if they got any thing into their Hands would neither return it nor give any thing for it, counting all their own which they once handled, impudently expecting more, but would give back nothing; Upon which the English refusing to trade with them as Cheats, they were so inraged that having Stones in their Canoo they let fly a great many at them. The General scorning to re­venge this injury, yet to shew them he was able, caused a great Gun to be discharged which had the desired effect, for they instantly leapt out of their Canoo's into the Water, and diving under the Keel of their Boats, staid there till the Ship was gone a good distance from them, and then nimbly recovering their Canoo's hast­ned to the Shoar.

However new Companys of them still resor­ted to the Ship, and since violence would not prevail, pretended now to traffick honestly, yet stole whatever they could meet with; One pluckt a Dagger and Knives from their mens Girdle, which being again demanded, [...] en­deavoured to catch at more, neither could they be rid of this ungracious Company till they made some feel the smart of it, and so they left this place which they named The Island of Theives; Octob. 3. they got clear of these Rocks, and Sailed without sight of Land till [Page 146] the 16. falling then with four Islands in 7 de­grees 5 Minutes North Latitude Oct. 22. they Anchored and Watered on the biggest called Mindanao, where they met with two Canoo's who would have talked with them but the Wind prevented it; Oct. 25. they passed by the Isles of Talao, Teda, Ceylon, Salan, and Suaro so named to them by an Indian, and Novem. 3. arrived at the Molucco's as they desired, They are four high spired Islands cal­led Terenate, Tydore, Matchan and Batchan, all very fruitfull especially of Cloves where­with they were cheaply furnisht; Easterly lyes a very great Island called Gillola. They de­signed for Tydore, but coming Novem. 4. near an Island belonging to the King of Terenate his Vice-Roy came off to their Ship in a Canoo, and without fear went boldly aboard, who saluting their General earnestly intreated him to go to Terenate, assuring him his King would be very joyful to see and accommodate him, to whom that very night he would give notice of them, with whom if he once dealt he should find him a King of his word, whereas the Por­tugals of Tydore were altogether false and trea­cherous, whom if they first visited, their King would not treat with them, accounting the Portugals their mortal Enemies.

With these perswasions the General was in­duced to go to Terenate, and anchored there very early next Morning, and presently sent a [Page 147] Menssenger to the King with a Velvet Cloak for a present to assure him they came in peace, desiring nothing but Victuals which he was destitute of by his long Voyage, and to ex­change some Merchandizes with him, which he did require with the more assurance being invited to come hither by the Vice-Roy of Mu­tier who promised them all necessary provisions; They found the Vice-Roy had been with the King, and represented to him to what a mighty Prince and Kingdom they belonged, from whom by way of Traffick they might for the future obtain great advantages, and whereby the Portugals their Enemies would be much discouraged; Whereat the King was so much moved, that before the Messenger got half way he had sent the Vice-Roy with di­vers of his Nobility and Councellors to the Ge­neral, offering them a supply of all they wanted, and declaring the willingness of their King to enter into friendship and amity with so renown­ed a Prince as theirs was, and if she pleased to ac­cept of it, he would prohibit all other Nations from trading on his Island (especially the Por­tugals from whom he got nothing but by the Sword) and reserve it wholly for traffick with the English; In token whereof he had now sent his Signet to the General, and would very suddenly come himself with his Brethren in his Boats and Canoos to make him a visit, and to bring his Ship into safe Harbor.

[Page 148]While they were delivering this Message to them, their own Messenger arrived at Court, who being met by divers Noble Persons, was with much Solemnity brought into the Kings presence, by whom he was very graciously received, and having delivered his Errand and Present to him, he seemed to blame himself that he had not already attended their General, who came so far and from so mighty a Monarch, and therefore instantly made ready to come with his Councellors; His appearance was very great and strange, as if he designed to give extra­ordinary Honour to their Prince; Before him went three large Canoo's filled with his Nobili­ty all in white Lawn or cloth of Calecut, with a Canopy over their Heads of fine thin Matts supported with a frame of Reeds; Every one sate according to his dignity, and the grey Heads of many discovered that the King used the advice of grave Councellors in mana­ging his Affairs; There were also divers come­dy young men under the same Canopy, but of an inferior rank, the rest were Souldiers standing in exact order round about, on the outside of whom sate three Rowers in Galleries on each side all along the Canoo, three or four yards from it, one being orderly built lower than the other; In every of which Galleries was an equal number of Banks whereon sate Rowers there being about 80 in one Canoo; In the forepart of each Canoo were two men, one [Page 149] holding a Tabret and the other a peice of Brass, whereon they both struck at once with due distance between each stroke, by the sound whereof they directed the Rowers to keep time with their Oars, and the Rowers ending their stroke with a song, warned the others to strike again, and so they went very swiftly; Every Canoo had a small Gun about a yard long mounted on a Stock set upright; and every man except the Rowers was furnisht with Sword, Dagger, and Target, and some had Lances, Muskets, Bows, Arrows and many Darts.

These Canoos coming orderly near the Ship, rowed round about them one after ano­ther, bowing their bodies with much reverence as they passed by even to the very ground, and putting their own Messenger again aboard, signified that their King was at hand, having sent them before to conduct their Ship into a better Road, desiring them to throw out a Cable whereby they might tow the Ship to the place assigned by the King; Who soon ap­proached with six grave ancient men in his Canoo, who together with the King, did all at once render them such respect as was unex­pected from them; He was tall, very corpulent and of a Princely presence, and so highly honoured by his Subjects that neither the Vice Roy of Mutir nor any of his Nobility durs speak to him but on their Knees, nor rise a gain till he commanded. The General extream­ly [Page 150] pleased with this Royal visit, received them in the best manner he could, expressing his joy by the thundring of his great Guns mixt with store of small Shot, sounding of Trumpets and other Musick both small and loud, wherewith the King was so delighted that requesting their Musick to come into the Boat, he joined his Canoo thereto and was towed an hour to­gether with the Boat at the Stern of the Ship, the General likewise sending him such further Presents as might requite what favours he had already received, and confirm that friendship begun between them.

The King seeming even ravished in this Musical Paradise, his Brother named Moro ac­companied with many gallant followers gave the same respects to them as before, and then fell astern till they came to an anchor, the Gene­ral presenting him also with what exceedingly pleased him; Being at Anchor, the King askt par­don that he must be gone, and taking his leave, promised to come aboard them the next day, and mean time would send them what provisi­ons they wanted, and accordingly that night and next morning they purchased what was to be had by way of Traffick, namely a quantity of Rice, Hens, Sugar Canes, liquid Sugar, and a fruit named Figo, (the same the Spaniards call Plantains) Cocoes, and a sort of meal called Sago made of the tops of certain Trees, and tasts like sowr curds, but melts away like Sugar [Page 151] whereof they make a kind of Cake, which will hold good 10 years, of which they made good provision and of some few Cloves, lest their Ship should be too much annoyed there­with.

At the time appointed the General having prepared all things ready, expected the King, but he failed both in time and promise, sending his brother to excuse him, and to desire him to come ashoar himself, offering to stay there for securing his safe return; The General upon consideration of his breaking his word, would by no means trust himself in his power, espe­cially hearing some suspicious words from his Brother, but keeping the Vice-Roy aboard, sent some of his Gentlemen to Court with the Kings Brother, and a special Message to the King himself; Coming near the Castle they were received by another brother of the Kings and other great Persons, by whom they were conducted to a large fair House wherein were above a thousand People, the Chief being placed round about the Room according to their Qua­lity and the rest staying without; The House was four square covered over with cloth of di­vers colours upon frames of Reeds, open at sides, with seats round about it, being the Coun­cil Room; At the side next the Castle was a Chair of State, with a very long rich Canopy over it, the floor being covered 10 or 12 paces about with Cloth of Arras; There were al­ready [Page 152] placed sixty ancient sober Personages, all said to be of his Privy Council, and at the fur­ther end a great Company of handsom young men well clothed, without on the right hand stood four old greyheaded comely men clothed in red to the ground like Turks, called Romans and Strangers who were constantly resident there to continue Commerce with this People, there were also two Turkish, and one Italian Residents, and likewise one Spaniard who hav­ing assisted the King in recovering the Island from the Portugals served him now as a Souldier.

After half an hours waiting the King came from the Castle, attended with eight or ten grave Senators, a rich Canopy (adorn'd in the midst with Embossings of Gold) being held over him, and guarded with twelve Lances the points turned downward; Their men (accom­panied with Moro the Kings Brother) arose to meet him who welcomed and entertained them very graciously; His Voice was low and his Speech sober, of a Princely deportment and a Moor by Nation; His attire was after the fashion of the Countrey, but much costlier; From the wast to the ground he had a garment all of rich Cloth of Gold, his Legs were bare, and his Shoes of red Cordivant; His head had a wreath about an Inch and half broad of plated Gold somewhat like a Crown and very sumptuous; He had about his Neck a Chain of Pure Gold double, and wore on his left hand [Page 153] a Diamond, a Ruby, an Emerauld, and a Turkois Stone, being four fair and perfect Jewels, on his right he had one Ring with a large Turkois, and another with several Dia­monds of smaller size very artificially composed. Sitting thus in his Chair of State with a Page on his right hand refreshing him with a Fan richly imbroidered and beset with Saphires, the place being very hot both with the Sun, and the multitude there present; After a while the Englishmen having delivered their Message, and received an answer, they were by the Kings special command conducted safe back again by one of his chief Councellors. The Castle did not appear very strong, there being only two great Guns to defend it and those at present unserviceable, having got these & all other furniture of War from the Portugals, who formerly inhabited the Island and built this Castle, but tyrannizing over the people, and not content with what they enjoyed, except they could have secured themselves by destroy­ing all the Bloud Royal, they cruelly murthered the Father of this present King, intending to do the like by all his Sons, which so inraged the People that they were forc't to escape for their lives leaving their goods and all their Ammuni­tion behind them, and absolutely to forsake the Island.

The present King with his brethren pursued the Portugals so close that being quite driven [Page 154] thence they were glad to keep footing in Tidore, and for four years last past he had been so suc­cessful in his military affairs that he was Lord of an hundred Islands thereabout, and resolved now to attempt the recovery of Tidore it self from the Portugals; The People are Moors, whose Religion chiefly consists in certain Su­perstitious observations of the New Moons, and fasting strictly at some seasons, of which they had experience in the Vice-Roy and his attendants, who lay aboard almost all the time they were there, and would neither eat, nor drink so much as water while the fasting day lasted, but would eat three times very largely in the night. The Isle of Terenate is in 27 degrees North Latitude; While they staid in the Harbor here (besides the Natives) ther [...] came aboard their Ship a very compleat Gentleman well attended, with an Interpreter, t [...] view their Ship and discourse with their Gen [...] ral, clothed much after the English fashion, an [...] in his carriage very well accomplished; H [...] told them that himself was but a stranger [...] these Islands, being born in the Province [...] Pagia in China, that his name was Pausaos [...] the Family of Homber out of which there [...] eleven Emperors reigned successively for t [...] hundred years past, and that King Boxog w [...] by the death of his Elder Brother with a [...] from a Horse, was right Heir to all Chin [...] [...] the twelfth of this race, being 22 years of [...] [Page 155] and his Mother living, having a Wife and one Son by her, beloved and highly honoured of all his Subjects, reigning in great peace and without apprehension of invasion from his Neighbours: But it was not this Gentlemans fortune to partake of the happiness of his King and Countrey as he desired; For (as he told them) being accused of a Capital Crime whereof though free, yet not able to make his innocency evi­dently appear, and knowing the severe Justice of China, if he should be found guilty by his Judges, he humbly desired the King would please to remit his Trial to the Judgment and Providence of God by permitting him to travel, on condition that if he did not return with such remarkable Intelligence as his Majesty had never heard, and was worth observation and for the advantage of China, he would forever live in Banishment, or else suffer Death for presuming to come into his own Countrey, be­ing assured that the God of Heaven would clear his innocency. The King granted his suit, and he had been now three years abroad, and came then from Tydore (where he had resi­ded two Months) to see the English General of whom he had heard very strange things, and from whom he hoped for such Intelligence as might further his return into his own Countrey, beseeching him to relate the occasion and man­ner of his coming so far as England thither, and what accidents happen'd to him by the way. [Page 156] The General fully satisfied his request, and this stranger heard his discourse with much at­tention and delight, and having a retentive memory, he so firmly imprinted these Relations in his mind that with great reverence he gave God thanks, who had brought him to the no­tice of such admirable occurrences; and then ear­nestly intreated the General to visit his Country before he went farther West, since it would be the most pleasant, honourable, and profitable Voyage he could make, whereby he should carry home an account of one of the ancientest and richest Kingdoms in the World; And here­upon he magnified the greatness and number of their Provinces, the stateliness and riches of their Citys, with the multitude of men, and abun­dance of all manner of provisions, and Amuni­tion of War, especially of the number of great Guns in Quinzai their cheif City, much easier managed than ours, and so exact as to hit a Shilling, which he said they invented above two thousand years ago; With many other things which the General might better observe with his Eyes than he could relate, and that the Wind would serve very shortly to carry them thither, and did not doubt, but it would much advance his Honour with the King to bring such a stranger along with him; But all his Arguments having no prevalence on the General, he with grief departed, though very glad of the Intelligence he had learned.

[Page 157]Provided with all necessarys the place afford­ed, they Sailed thence Novem. 9. in search of a convenient Harbor to trim and repair their Ship, especially while the calms continued, in pursu­ance whereof Novem. 14. they arrived at a small Island in 1 degree 40 Minutes South of the Celebes, which they thought safest be­cause uninhabited, and anchoring found all ne­cessarys but fresh Water, which they fetcht from another Island farther South; Here they staid twenty six days, pitching their Tents and intrenching themselves the best they could to prevent any disturbance from the Natives of a great Island West of this; Having secured them­selves and goods, they set up their Forge to make Iron work, and their Sea-cole being spent were forced to use Char-coal; The whole Isle is overgrown with very great high Trees and Woods, the leaves like Broom in England, among which appeared in the night a vast Swarm of Flyes like Glow-Worms, which seem­ed as if a Candle had been lighted on every Twig, and the whole had been the Starry Heavens; There were also an innumerable company of Bats or Rere-Mice as big as a Hen, who fly very swift but short, and hang on the Trees with their Heads downwards; Likewise they met with a great quantity of Crayfish so large that one would dine four hungry men, be­ing very healthful and restorative, and a seasona­ble relief to them; They seem to live always on [Page 158] Land, breeding in the Earth like Rabbits, and under the Roots of huge Trees in great Compa­nies together, and upon pursuit clime up the Trees to secure themselves, whither those that would catch them must climb after; They called this Crab Island.

Having trimmed their Ship, and recovered their health and strength by the excellent plenty of all kind of refreshments in this place, they only expected the Brize or Trade wind which blows only one way for some Months together, and getting in fresh Water and Wood the day before, Decem. 12. they set sail Westward, and in two days had sight of the Islands of Ce­lebes, but were in so much danger from the Shoals and Sands that they beat about till Jan. 9. When supposing they had attained a free passage the Land turning visibly West­ward, and the Wind reasonable fair, failing with a full gale without suspition, in the first Watch of the night, their Ship suddenly fell upon a desperate Shoal, and was in all proba­bility on the point of perishing in a moment, without saving the Lives of any, or the Goods they had ventured such Perils to attain; All now judging it more necessary to prepare for another World than imploy their thoughts a­bout any thing in this; Yet after hearty pray­ers to God for Deliverance, the General ear­nestly exhorting them to take serious care of their Souls, and to contemplate on the joys of [Page 159] another Life; and not to be wanting to them­selves, he incouraged them by his own exam­ple to ply the Pump and free the Ship from Water, and finding their leaks did not increase, it gave them some hope that the Bulk was sound, which they attributed alone to the mer­cy of God, since no strength of Iron or Wood, could possibly have endured such a violent shock as their Ship suffered if the extraordinary Providence of Heaven had not intervened; Their hope was next to get good ground and anchor-hold, and the General himself undertook to Sound, but could find no bottom a Boats length from the Ship, so that their growing hopes were hereby quite dasht again, though this disappointment was concealed from the ge­nerality of the men in the Ship, the General still cheering them up with the best incourage­ments he could think of.

The Ship being so fastened that she could not stir, it seemed very probable that they must either remain on the place with her, or else com­mit themselves to some miserable place of re­fuge, which was a very hard choice, and threatened them with a lingring death; The Ship seemed to declare to them that she ex­pected every minute to be destroyed by the Winds and Seas, so that if they should escape out of her they were like to lead a miserable life among wild Beasts or People it may be more barbarous than they, in intollerable Bondage [Page 160] both of Body and Mind; And if the Ship should still continue undestroyed, yet her Pro­visions could not last many days, and there was no possibility of recruiting, so that Famine might cause them to eat the very Flesh from their own Arms, which was terrible to consi­der; The hope of escaping by leaving her seemed yet more improbable, the Boat not be­ing capable of carrying above twenty Persons at once, and they were in all fifty eight; The nearest Land was six Leagues thence, and the Wind directly against them; and the first who had Landed (while they were fetching the rest) would certainly have fallen into the hand of the Enemy, and gradually all the rest; But if they should escape death, yet the woful Captivity into which they must fall, and be thereby deprived of the true Worship of God, and continually grieved with the horrible Im­pieties and devilish Idolatries of the Natives would make death more elegible than life.

The night being spent in these melancholy thoughts, they rejoyced to see the morning, and it being then almost full Sea, after humble thanks to the Almighty for preserving them thus long, and hearty prayers and tears for a blessing upon their endeavours they again tryed to find anchor-hold, but found this second at­tempt as fruitless as the former, so that it seemed impossible their Ship should be ever delivered by any policy or power of man, unless God [Page 161] himself should miraculously appear for their safety, to whose omnipotent power and all-suffi­ciency they all concluded to refer themselves, having a Sermon preached to them, and receiv­ing the Holy Communion together; After this blessed repast, not to be wanting in any lawful means for preserving themselves they concluded to unload the Ship, which they had hitherto for­born, wherein they were so willingly ingaged, that they seemed to despise what was necessary for their defence, yea for sustaining their lives, throwing not only their Ammunition, but their meal for bread into the Sea, being assured that if it pleased the Lord of Heaven to save them, he would fight for them against their Enemies, and not suffer them to perish for want of bread; And at length it was God alone that delivered them, for having continued in this miserable condition firmly fixt in the cleft of a Rock, they found that at low Water it was not above six foot deep on the star-board side, though at a little distance there was no bottom to be found; The Wind during the whole time blew some­what stiff directly against their broad side, and thereby forcibly kept their Ship upright; In the beginning of the Tyde while the water was lowest it pleased God to calm the Wind, where­by their Vessel which required 13 foot water to make her swim, and had not then above seven on one side, and wanting the Wind which had been her prop hitherto on the other, she fell [Page 162] a heeling toward the deep water, and there­by freed her keel, and filled their hearts with joy.

This Shoal is three or four Leagues in length in two degrees South Latitude, the day of their deliverance was Jan. 10. and was the greatest danger they met with in their whole Voyage, though not the last as by the sequel appears; For a month after they were in continual fear of these Shoals and Islands, among which they were tost, and which lye in vast numbers round the South of the Celebes. Jan. 12. not being able to bear their Sails for fear of Tempests and Sands, they anchored upon a Shoal, and two days after on an Island, where they staid a day Wooding and Watering; After which they met with foul weather, Westerly Winds and dangerous Shoals for many days, so that being weary of this Coast they sailed for Timor; But could not so easily clear themselves of the Cele­bes (which lye in five degrees South Latitude) for Jan. 20. being forced toward a small Island not far thence, and sending their Boat a good distance before to search out a place where to Anchor, there suddenly rose a most violent Storm out of the Southwest, driving them among the perilous and hidden Shoals, so that they again counted themselves lost, or that they must spend their days among Infidels, if they should escape with their lives, but that God who had hitherto preserved them, was pleased once again to deli­ver [Page 163] them by unexpectedly stilling the tempest, whereby both their Men and Boat were likewise restored to them. Getting off hence as well as they could, they continued their course till Jan. 26. when they were again assaulted with a very strong West Wind so that they could use no Sail till the end of that month.

Feb. 1. they saw a very high Land which seemed well inhabited, and would fain have got to it to procure some relief, but the wea­ther being so bad that they could discover no Harbor they were fearful of venturing too near the shoar. Two days after they saw another little Island but could not reach it; Feb. 6. they had sight of 6 Islands, one East, and the other 5 Westward of [...]em, at the largest of which they Anchored, Watered and Wooded next day; Going thence Feb. 8. two Canoo's came up and talked with them, alluring and con­ducting them to their Town not far off named Barativa in 7 degrees 13 Minutes South La­titude. The People are Gentiles or Heathens, very comely of body and civil, just, and cour­teous to strangers, seeming very glad of their coming, and readily releiving their wants with whatever their Countrey afforded; The men go naked except their Heads and Secrets, every one having some thing hanging at their Ears, the Women are clothed from the Wast to the Feet, wearing abundance of Bracelets (some nine and more) upon their naked arms made of [Page 164] horn of brass, the lightest weighing near two Ounces; They much value Linnen cloth, to make Rolls for their Heads, and Girdles about their middles, and delight in Stones and the like trifles; Their Island is rich in Gold, Sil­ver, Copper, Tin and Sulphur, which they work very artificially into divers forms and shapes; They have plenty of Nutmegs, Gin­ger, long Pepper, Lemmons, Cucumbers, Coco's, Figo's, Sagu, and several other Fruits, whereof they provided themselves of one like a Bay berry but pleasant in tast, and being boyld is very soft and nourishing meat; They continued here two days, not having found more com­fort and refreshment in all their Voyage (ex­cept at Terenate) as in this place.

Feb. 12. Coming to the height of eight degrees four minutes, they spied a green Island to the South, and soon after two more that way, with a large one toward the North, appearing well inhabited, but they had no occasion to vi­sit them, and therefore past them by, together with several others; Feb. 18. they Anchored under a little Island, but found nothing but Wood and two Turtles; After which they Sailed on Westward without stay or any thing observable till March 9. when they spied Land, and Anchored that night; Next Morning they bore farther North and came to an Anchor the second time near the shoar; March. 11. they took in Water, and sending their Boat [Page 165] again ashoar, they traded with the People, and coming nearer the Town, the General sent his man ashoar, next day to present the King with some Silks, and Cloth both Wool­len and Linnen, which he thankfully received, returning Rice, Cocoes, Hens, and other Pro­visions in recompence; They found it to be Java Island in 7 degrees 30 minutes South Latitude; March. 13. the General with many of his Gentlemen went ashoar, and presented the King with their Musick, by whom they were very generously entertained; They shewed him the English Military Disci­pline training their Pikes and Muskets before him; They were treated according to their desire, and at length dismist with a promise to have more Victuals sent them; In this Island there is one Principal, but many petty Kings whom they call Raja's, that live in much friend­ship with each other; March. 14. they re­ceived Victuals from two of them, and next day three of these Kings came aboard in Person to visit the General, and to view their Ship and Amunition, being much pleased with their entertainment, and what they saw.

After they had been with them, and related what they found, Raja Donan the Chief Mo­narch of the whole Isle came aboard them next day, bringing Victuals for their relief; And few days past but one or other of them came, whom the General treated with the best cheer he could [Page 166] make, and shewed them all the rarities of their Ship, with their great Guns, Arms and all the furniture thereto belonging, and how they were used; Never failing to give them Musick, wherewith they were equally filled with delight and admiration; March 1. Raja Donan com­ing again aboard, in requital of theirs presented the General with his Countrey Musick, which though strange, yet seemed very pleasant; The same day he sent an Ox to the Water side, which he was willing to exchange for divers sorts of costly Silks which he much esteemed; Their Kings as well as the People are kind, true, and exact in their dealings, they traffickt with them for Hens, Goats, Cocoes, Plantanes and other Provisions whereof they offered them such plenty that if there had been occasion, they might have laden their Ship with them.

Though these Visits and Entertainments were some hindrance to them, yet having at length washt and trim'd their Ship, and freed her from a kind of Shell Fish sticking fast, wherewith she was overgrown in this large Voyage, and much hindred her Sailing, they took their leaves and departed from Java, March 26. sail­ing West South West directly for the Cape of Good Hope, or Bon Esperance, and continued without seeing any thing but Air and Water till May 21. when they had sight of the Main Land of Africa, very high in some places un­der 31 degrees and an half Latitude; They [Page 167] coasted along till June 15. when having very fair Weather and the Wind at South East, they past the said Cape so near that they could easily have shot to Land; July 15. they saw Rio de Cesto, and many Negroes fishing in their Boats, two of which came very near them, but would neither talk nor deal with them; July 22. they came to Sierra Leona on the Coasts of Gui­nea, and spent two days in Watering at the mouth of the River Tagoine, finding plenty of Oysters and Lemmons which much refresht them; Aug. 15. they found themselves un­der the Tropick of Cancer, having the Wind North East, and being 50 Leagues off the near­est Land. Aug. 22. they were in the height of the Canaries, and upon Monday Sept. 26. 1580. (according to the computation of those in England, though by passing so many different Climates they counted it to be Sunday, having lost one day) they with joyful Minds and thank­ful Hearts to the Almighty, arrived safely at Ply­mouth, from whence they had set forth two years ten months, and a few days before, which they spent in seeing the Wonders of the Lord in the Deep, in discovering many admirable things, in performing several strange Adventures, in es­caping many dangers, and overcoming many difficulties in their incompassing this Earthly Globe, and sailing round the World as hath been now related.

A while after he brought up his Ship to Deptford, where he Feasted Queen Elizabeth aboard who Knighted and much honoured him for this Service, he being the first who had ac­complished so vast a design, for though Ferdi­nando Magellane had already discovered those Streights which still bear his name, yet he lived not to come home, being slain at the Molucco Islands in endeavouring to reduce the Natives to the obedience of their New Master the King of Spain. Drake is said after this Voyage to have given for his Device, the Globe of the World with this Motto, Tu primus circumdedisti me; Thou dost first incompass me round. His Ship wherein he performed this fa­mous Action was laid up at Deptford, where it continued several years, and was hold in great admiration by many who came to see it, but being afterward decayed by time, and at length broken up, a Chair was made of the planks there­of and presented to the University Library of [Page 169] Oxford by John Davies of Deptford Esquire. Up­on which Chair a renowned Poet of this King­dom thus descants.

Upon the Poets sitting and drinking in the Chair made of the Relicks of Sir Francis Drakes Ship.

CHAP. VII. The Voyage of Sir Francis Drake into the West-Indies in 1585. accompanied with Captain Christopher Carliel, Captain Martin Frobisher, Captain Francis Knollis, and many other Captains and Gentlemen; With their taking the Towns of St. Jago, St. Domingo, Carthagena, and St. Augustine.

THis Worthy Knight having performed that unpa­rallel'd Exploit of incompassing the World, ob­tained so much reputation thereby that every man thought himself happy who was ingaged with this For­tunate Commander; Having therefore only enjoyed some short breathing since his last great Adventure, he for the service of his Prince and Country provided a Navy of twenty five Ships and Pinnaces, aboard which were two Thousand three hundred Mariners and Soul­diers with their respective Captains and other Officers both for Land and Sea service; He Imbarqued at Ply­mouth Sept. 12. 1585. himself being General, and Mr. Christopher Carliel Lieutenant-General, Captain Mar­tin Frobisher Vice-Admiral, and Captain Francis Knollis [Page 172] Rere-Admiral; Having dispatched all necessary Affairs, they sailed thence directing their course for Spain, and spied divers sails near the shore, the weather being calm; The Vice-Admiral was sent with the Pinnaces to dis­cover who they were, upon whose approach most of them left their Ships being Frenchmen laden with Salt and homeward bound; Amongst these small Ships the Ge­neral took one, which had no man in her, and detained her for his service, resolving to satisfie the Owner, as accordingly he did at his return; He called this Bark the Drake, and dismist the rest being eight or nine in number; soon after they met with another French Ship laden with Fish from Newfoundland, whom the General would not suffer to be medled with; Next day they descried another tall Ship of twelve hundred Tun whom they chased and took, finding her to be of St. Sebastian in Spain, loaden with poor Jack, which being lawful prize, they distributed the Fish into the other Ships, and was very serviceable during their whole Voyage.

Two days after they put in within the Isles of Bayon in Spain, where part of the Fleet had no sooner Anchored but the General commanded all the Pinnaces and Ship Boats to be well mann'd, and provided with Arms for present service, and putting himself in his Galley well fur­nished, they Rowed toward the City of Bayon with de­sign to surprize it; When advancing half way an Eng­lish Merchant was sent from the Governor to know what strange Fleet they were, who coming to the General, af­ter some brief discourse, he ordered Captain Sampson to go along with the Merchant to the Governour, and desire him to resolve two Points. 1. Whether there were any Wars between Spain and England and if not, then. 2. For what reason the English Merchants Goods were seized and arrested. The General in the mean time thought fit not to stay for an answer, but to Sail up within shot of the City, to be ready for any sudden assault upon occasion, before it was dark; Captain Sampson returned soon after with this Reply. That the Governour said, he knew of no Wars, and that the power of Peace and War did not lye in so mean a [Page 173] subject as himself, and as for detaining the Merchants Goods, it was done by the Kings command without the least design of in­dammaging any, and that about seven days since he had sent a countermand, whereby they were now discharged; To verify which he sent all these English Merchants in Town aboard, who affirmed the Truth thereof; Upon which after consultation it was resolved, That since it was late they would Land their men, and quarter ashoar that night, taking all necessary care to secure themselves; Which done, the Governor sent them Bread, Wine, Oyl, Ap­ples, Grapes, Marmalade and other refreshments; About midnight the Weather being overcast, they thought it safest to repair aboard; But before they could reco­ver the Fleet a great Tempest arose, driving divers Ships from their Anchors; And particularly the Speed-Well which was carried into England, the rest being again recovered; This Storm continued three days, after which Mr. Carlile was sent with his own Ship, three others, the Galley and divers Pinnaces to Vigo where they took many Boats and Carvels laden with several in­considerable things, especially Houshold-Stuff going into the high Countrey, and one with Church Ornaments for the Cathedral of Vigo wherein they found a great Cross of Silver imbossed and double gilt over, of a considera­ble value, and the Owners complained they lost here a­bove thirty thousand Duckets.

Next day General Drake and the whole Fleet sailed from the Isles of Bayon to a very good Harbor above Vi­go, where L. General Carliel attended his coming, for the conveniency of fresh Water; Mean time the Governor of Gallicia having mustered up two thousand Foot, and three hundred Horse, marched with them from Bayon to this place, and lay in sight of the Fleet from whence he sent to the General to desire a parlee, which he agreed to so it were by Boats in the Water, and pledges being given on each side for security of their Persons, the Governor and two more came into the Vice-Admirals Skiff which was fear ashoar to them and the General met them in his own, where it wa [...] [Page 174] concluded, That the English should have free liberty to come a­land and furnish themselves with fresh Water, and all other ne­cessarys paying the usual value for the same. Having dispatcht all business here, they proceeded toward the Canary Islands about three hundred Leagues from this part of Spain, designing for the Isle of Palma to furnish themselves with store of provisions which that place abundantly affords, and to have refresht themselves with the plea­sures thereof, but were prevented by the bad entrance into it, which was secured with very many great Guns, some of which shot into their Ships, and likewise by the dangerous Seas and Waves toward the Shoar, which threatned the destruction of many Boats and Pinnaces.

Frustrated of their design here, they fell with the Isle of Ferro in hope of better success, and landed a thousand men in a Valley under an high Mountain, where they staid about three hours, when the Inhabitants accompa­nied by a young Fellow born in England, came to them, and complained they were so poor as even ready to starve, which they believed was true, and therefore with­out getting any thing, were all again commanded to im­bark, and that night they put off toward the Coast of Barbary; Saturday Nov. 13. They sell with Cape Blank a low land and shallow water where they catcht store of Fish, and doubl [...]ng the Cape fell into the Bay, they found divers French Ships of War, whom they treated kindly and left there, sailing thence to the Isles of Cape Verde, and Nov. 16. Anchored their whole Fleet between a Town called Plaie and St. Jago both on that Island, putting above a thousand men ashoar under L. General Carlile; The place where they landed was stony and troublesom, and therefore with much industry they marched farther up till they came to a pleasant plain about two miles from the Town of St. Jago, where the L. General having put his men in order, resolved to attempt nothing till next morning since he had no Guide to the place; In the morning half an hour before Sun-rising he divided his Army into three parts, and by day light advanced in good order toward the Wall of the Town, but found no Ene­my [Page 175] to resist, whereupon Captain Sampson and Captain Bar­ton, each with thirty Musketeirs were commanded to go down into the Town, which was in a Valley under them, and from whence they might plainly view it all over; After whom was sent the great Ensign having nothing in it but the plain English Cross which was ordered to be placed in the Fort toward the Sea, that the Fleet might see St. Georges Cross Triumphant in the Enemies Fortress; Being arrived there all the Inhabitants were fled, where­upon all the Ordnance about the Town, being above 50 ready charged, were ordered to be shot off in honour of Queen Elizabeths coming to the Crown that day being Nov. 17. according to the Custom in England, which were answered by the great Guns from the Fleet, who now approached so near that this thundring noise con­tinued a great while together. Mean while the L, General continued with the greatest part of his forces on the top of the Hill till the Town was quartered out for lodging his whole Army, which being done and every Captain setled in his own Quarters in the Evening they placed such sufficient Guards about the Town, as they had no cause to fear an Enemy; Here they staid 14 days taking such spoils as the place yielded, as Wine, Oyl, Meal, Vinegar, Olives and the like, but no Treasure, nor any thing else of value; The City of St. Jago is of a Triangular form, having two rocky Moun­tains on the East and West-side which seem to hang over it, on the top whereof were built certain Fortifications to secure it; From thence to the South-side of the Town is the main Sea, and on the North the Valley lying be­tween those Mountains wherein the City stands, the distance being very narrow between them. Through the midst of the Valley runs a small Rivolet of fresh Water, which makes a Pond or Pool near the Sea-side where their Ships took in water with much conveniency; At the Towns-end the Valley growing larger is converted into Gardens and Orchards, replenished with Lemons, Oranges, Sugar-Canes, Coco-Nuts, Plantains, Potatoes, Cucumbers, Onyons, Garlick, and divers other Fruits, Herbs and Trees.

[Page 176]During their stay here, a Portugal came to the West Fort with a Flag of Truce, to whom were sent the Cap­tains Sampson and Goring, who first askt, What Nation they were, they said, Englishmen; He then inquired, Whether there were Wars between England and Spain, Who answer­ed, They knew not but if he would go to their General he would resolve him of all doubts; Offering him safe conduct, who refused as not being sent by the Governor; They then told him, That if the Governor desired the benefit of his people and Countrey he would do best to come and present himself to their Noble and merciful General Sir Francis Drake from whom he might be assured of favour both for himself and the Inhabitants, otherwise within three daies they should march over the land and destroy all places and people with Fire and Sword; With this answer he departed, promising to return next day, but they never heard of him more; Nov. 24. The Gene­ral, L. General and six hundred men marched to­ward a Village 12 mile within the Land called Sancto Do­mingo, inhabited by the Governor, the Bishop and other Persons of Quality, they arrived there about eight in the morning, but all the people were fled to the Mountains, where they staid some time to see if any would appear; Being refresht, the General ordered them to march back again, in their retreat the Enemy appeared both Horse and Foot, but not so strong as to ingage them, but let them pass by with only gazing at them, so that toward night they arrived safe back to St. Jago.

Nov. 26. They again prepared to imbark their Army, some being sent in the mean time to the Town of Play or Praie to search for Ammunition which a Prisoner taken the day before promised to discover, but when they came there, either he could or would not do it but searching all likely places, they found one Brass, and another Iron great Gun; In the Afternoon the General and his whole Fleet anchored at Plaie, and coming ashore command­ed the Town to be burnt, and themselves to repair in­stantly aboard, which being quickly dispatcht they all imbarked that night, and put off to Sea Southwest. All the time they were at St. Jago neither the Governor [Page 177] who was a Portugal, nor the Bishop whose Authority is great there, nor any of the People ever came (though they expected they would) to desire them to spare their Provisions, or forbear ruining their Town, which they judged proceeded from their guilt of the treachery and Cruelty used toward Mr. William Hawkins of Ply­mouth, with whom about five years before, they broke their Faith, and Murthered many of his men, but since they came not at them, the English left written in seve­ral places especially at the Spittle-house, (which was or­dered to be spared from the Fire) the indignation they had against them, not only for not appearing, but for their Barbarous usage of the Body of one of their Boys, whom they had taken stragling, and having beheaded him and taken out his Heart, had in a brutish manner scattered the rest of his Limbs about the place; In re­venge of which Savage and Inhumane Villany, they burnt all the Houses they found in the Country as well as the Town of St. Jago.

From hence they sailed directly toward the West-In­dies, but had not been many days at Sea, when above three hundred of their men died, though till seven or eight days after their coming from St. Jago they had not lost one man in the whole Fleet; They were seiz­ed with an extream burning continual Ague, and some spots like those of the Plague appeared upon some of the dead, those few who escaped with life were much de­cayed in their understanding a long time after. In eigh­teen days they reached from St. Jago to Dominica, be­ing the first Island they fell with, inhabited by barba­rous People going all naked, and painting themselves red, the men are personable and strong, but hold little correspondence with the Spaniards, having then two of that Nation Prisoners, and seem a very treacherous peo­ple though they were very serviceable to them during their short stay, helping their men to bring fresh water on their bare Shoulders from the River to their Boats, and fetching them great store of Tobacco and Cassavy Bread from their Houses; and in requital received li­beral [Page 178] rewards of Glass, coloured Beads, and other things which the English found at St. Jago, wherewith they seemed much pleased, and appeared sorrowful at their departure.

From hence they went Westward to the Isle of St. Christophers, where they spent some days of Christmas to refresh their sick and cleanse their Ships, but found no people there; It was here concluded to proceed next to the great Island of Hispaniola, incited thereto with the fame of the rich City of St. Domingo, being the most confiderable place on those Coasts, and to further their purpose, they by the way took a small Frigot bound thi­ther, and having examined the men, found the Haven was barred, and the Castle upon the shore well fortified with Artillery, so that there was no convenient landing place within ten English miles of the City, to which the Pilot ingaged to bring them; this being resolved on, next morning early at the said place about ten miles West of that famous City, the Forces who were im­barqued into Pinnaces, Boats, and other small Barks appointed for this service, landed under Lieutenant General Carleil, and about eight a Clock began to march, approaching the Town toward noon, where they were met by about an hundred Gentlemen of Quality on Horseback, but the small shot played so smartly upon them that they were obliged to retire, and suffer them to proceed to the two Gates of the Town next the Sea, which were guarded with Soldiers and great Guns, with some Companies of small shot planted in Ambuscade on the High-way; The English divided their Army con­sisting in about twelve hundred men into two parts to assault both the Gates at once, the L. General publickly declaring to Captain Powel that with Gods help he would go on till both Parties met in the Market-place of St. Domingo.

Upon their approach, the Ordnance were fired upon them which killed one man near the L. General, who not in the least dismayed, incouraged his men to march on briskly and prevent them from charging again; [Page 179] which they prosecuted with so much vigor, that not­withstanding the Ambuscades, they valiantly entered the City Gates, putting all the Spaniards to flight, and forthwith repaired to the Market-place, which was a very fair square before the great Church, whither Cap­tain Powel according to agreement soon after came; where they secured themselves that night, and about mid-night those in the Castle finding the English busie at the Gates, abandoned it, some being taken Prisoners and others escaping by Boats to the other side the Ha­ven. At this time General Drake sent a Negro Boy with a white Flag, and a Message to the Spaniards according to their own usage, who unhappily meeting with some of the Officers belonging to the Spanish Galley then in Possession of the English, one of them was so inraged that he thrust the poor Boy through the Body with an Horsemans staff, who had yet strength enough to return and give the General an account of this Barbarous Act, after which he fell down dead in his presence, whereat the General was so inraged that he ordered three Spa­nish Prisoners to be carried to the same place and hanged, sending them word, That till the Person who had murdered their Messenger was delivered up to condign punishment, he would hang two Spanish Prisoners every day till they were all dispatcht; Upon which the next day the Captain of the Kings Galley brought the Offender to the Towns-end, offering to deliver him into their hands, but they desired that he might be executed by the Spaniards themselves in their presence, thinking it the more honourable re­venge, and so Execution was accordingly done upon him.

In this place (as formerly at St. Jago) one of their own Company an Irish man was executed for Murther­ing his Corporal. In this time many Proposals were of­fered by the Commissioners to save their City, which not taking effect, the English for several Mornings toge­ther endeavoured to fire the high strong Stone-houses, but with little success, though two hundred Mariners were imployed every day to perform it, so that at length [Page 180] wearied with firing, and upon divers other accounts, they were content to accept of twenty five Thousand Duckets, (each five Shillings six Pence in value) as a ransom for the rest of the Town; Among other re­markables in St. Domingo, it is observable that in the Hall of the Kings House there are the Arms of Spain painted in a large Scutcheon, under which is placed a Globe of the whole World, with a Horse as it were leaping on it, and a scrole out of his mouth, wherein was written, Non sufficit Orbis, the World sufficeth not; which sufficiently discovers the unbounded Ambition of the Spanish Monarchy, and the Commissioners being desired by the General to explain the meaning of it, shook their heads and smiled, seeming ashamed of it, since they were told, That if the Queen of England would prosecute the War vigorously against them, they would find it enough to preserve what they had got, and not think of gaining more from others, as by the loss of this famous Town did suffi­ciently appear; They found no great Riches in it, which was occasioned by the Cruelty used by the Spaniards to the Natives of Hispaniola, which though almost as large as England, the People were utterly destroyed in a few years by their Tyranny, so that for want of men the Mines of Gold and Silver in this Island are wholly given over, and they are now forced to use only Copper Mo­ney, of which they found a great quantity; Their chief Trade consists in Sugar and Ginger which grow there, and in Ox & Cow Hides who breed in infinite numbers in this wast Countrey; They have also store of strong Wines, sweet Oils, Vinegar, Olives, Wheat-meal and other Provisions; with Silks, and Woollen, and Lin­nen Cloth brought from Spain, which were a great re­lief to them; They met with but little Plate, because they use Porcellane Dishes for Meat, and Glasses to drink in.

Leaving St. Domingo they sailed along the Coast of the Continent, and at length came in sight of Carthagena built so near the Sea that they approched within Mus­ket shot thereof; The mouth of the Harbor was within [Page 181] three Miles West of the Town, into which they entred about four in the afternoon without the least resistance; In the evening they landed toward the Harbors mouth under their L. General Cartile, marching silently by the Shore till within two Mile of the Town, when they were met with about an hundred Horsemen, who taking the Alarm upon the first Volley of the English shot, retired back to the Town; At which instant some great Guns being discharged they understood that according to a­grement the night before, their Vice-Admiral and o­ther Captains had in divers Pinnaces and Boats attempt­ed the little Fort at the entrance of the Haven, but to little purpose since it was very strong, and the narrow entrance chain'd over, only it gave an Alarm to the other side of the Haven a mile and half from the place where they were; The English Troops now marching within half a Mile of the Town, the passage grew narrow, being not above 50 paces broad having the Main Sea on one side and the Haven on the other, and was fortified quite over with a Stone Wall and a Ditch behind with flank­ings all along, a way only being left unwalled for Horse or Carriages to pass through, which yet was Barricado'd with Barrels fill'd with Earth all along; It had six great Guns which were discharged on their Front at their ap­proach; There were likewise two great Gallies brought near the Shoar planted with eleven peices of Ordnance which shot cross the way; With three or four hundred small shot, and upon the Land, three hundred Muskets and Pikes more for guarding this Streight.

The English coming on, the Spaniards being in readi­ness spared not for small and great shot, but the I. Gene­ral-taking the advantage of the darkness of the morning before Sun-rise, approached by the Sea Shoar according to his express direction the night before, where the Wa­ter being sowewhat fallen, most of their shot was in vain; The English were forbid shooting till they came to the Wall, and coming to the Barricado of Wine Butts, they instantly fell on, throwing down the Barrels, and falling in briskly both with their Swords and Pikes [Page 182] even at their very faces, after their Muskets had given their first Volley; So that the Spaniards were driven from the place, and pursued into the Town without giving them any breathing time till the English got to the Market place, though they sometimes made head to pre­vent it; And were forced to leave them possession of the Town, flying into the Countrey to their Wives and Families whom they had sent away before. They had raised handsome Barricadoes of Earth at every Streets end intrenched about, in entring which some small re­sistance was made, but they were all soon disperst, few being either wounded or slain; They had planted many Indians with Bows in places of advantage, their Arrows being Poysoned to such a height that if they did but break the Skin, the wound was usually mortal, they slew some English herewith, and with Spikes a foot and half long fastened in the ground and Impoysoned, of which they had planted a vast number in the common way, but they marching by the Sea Shore happily escaped the greatest part of them; They took Alonzo Bravo the Chief Commander of the Barricadoe Prisoner, and ha­ving utterly routed the rest, continued in the Town six weeks, the Mortality aforementioned still continuing a­mong them called by the Spaniards a Calenture, and imputed by them to the Air of the twilight called La Se­rena which they affirm mortally infects all who are then abroad except the natural Indians of the Countrey, and that those who were on the Watch were hereby subject to this infection.

The inconvenience of this sickness hindred them from prosecuting their design of going to Nombre de Dios, and so over-land to Panama in hope of gaining sufficient Treasure to recompence their tedious Travels, which being found impracticable, they were resolved to return home without attempting further that way: One day while they were there, the Centinel placed upon the Church Steeple discovered two small Barks at Sea, where­upon several Captains and Sea-men got aboard two small Pinnaces in hope to seize them before they got nigh the [Page 113] Shoar, or had notice from Land of their being in the Town, but notwithstanding their utmost diligence the Spaniards had given them a sign, so that upon the ap­proach of the Pinnaces they ran ashoar and hid them­selves in the Bushes among other Spaniards who had gi­ven them notice of their danger; The English seeing the Barks empty, rashly went aboard, and standing openly on the Deck, were suddenly shot at by a Company of Spaniards out of the Hedges, whereby Captain Varney was slain on the place, and Captain Moon died a few days af­ter, four or five more being hurt; So that not having Men enough to fight ashoar, most of them being Sea­men unarmed, since they hoped to have taken the Barks with their great Guns, they were forced to return with­out effecting any thing, though they might easily have taken them, had they reacht them before they came so nigh the Shoar.

During their stay here (as formerly at St. Domingo) several kindnesses passed between them and the Town, as feast­ing, visiting and the like; Among others the Governour of Carthagena, with the Bishop and several other Gentle­men came to see the General; They had burnt some part of the City before they could make the Spaniards agree about ransoming it, but at last they con­cluded to give the English one hundred and ten thousand Duckets (each five shillings six pence sterling) to spare the rest; So that though not half so big as St. Domingo, yet they payed a far greater Ransom, as being of far more importance for its excellent Harbor, and scituation for the Trade of Nombre de Dios, and inhabited with far richer Merchants; The other being chiefly filled with Lawyers and Gentlemen, it being the highest Court of Law and Justice for all those Islands and the Continent also; Their having notice of the coming of the English twenty days before from St. Domingo, caused them to be so well fortified and prepared, and had carried away all their Treasure and rich goods; Upon paying the Sum agreed they left the Town, but drew some of their Soul­diers into the Priory or Abbey a quarter of a Mile be­low [Page 184] near the Harbor, walled with Stone; telling the Spa­niards, That this was yet their own, and not comprehended in the Composition lately made; who being sensible of this defect, offered to contract for securing that and the Block-house likewise; agreeing to pay a thousand Crowns for the Abbey, but pleaded they were not able to give so much for the other having done their utmost, whereup­on the English undermined the Block-house, and blew it up with Gunpowder.

Mean while the whole Fleet fell down to the mouth of the Harbor, furnishing themselves with fresh Water from a great Well in an Island there by, which is very pleasant, abounding with Orange Trees, and several other choice fruits, set in such exact order for Walks, that the whole Isle, being about three Miles round, is all made into Gardens and Orchards; After six weeks aboad at Carthagena they put to Sea March 31. 1586. and two days after a great Ship taken at St. Domingo, and called by them, The New-years Gift, laden with great Guns, Hides and other plunder, sprung a great Leak, and in the night lost Company of the Fleet; Being miss'd next morning the General doubting some misfortune, sent and found her out, but in great extremity, all her Men being tyred with pumping and the Talbot Bark, who happily stayed with her was ready to take out her Men and leave her; Whereupon they all returned to Carthagena, staying there eight or ten days longer to unload her, and dispose her Men and Goods in another Ship, and then going once more to Sea, directed their Course toward Cape St. An­thony, being the East part of Cuba, where they arrived April 27. and parting thence toward the Havana, after 14 days they were forced back again, and being in much want of Water, found a sufficient supply of Rain-water (newly fallen as they judged) in the Pits and Marshy ground near the Sea side, the General being as diligent as the meanest in making necessary provision here as well as elsewhere, and was much assisted in his Affairs by the prudent Councels and performances of L. General Car­lile. Three days being spent in watering the Fleet, they [Page 185] departed a second time for Cape St. Anthony May 13. and sailing along in sight of the Coast of Florida, May 28. they perceived a place like a Beacon on the Shoar, about 30 degrees North Latitude; upon which manning their Pinnaces, and coming near, they landed and marched up along the River side, General Drake himself command­ing them, and perceived a Fort newly built by the Spa­niards on the other side the River over against them, and about a Mile above was a little Town or Village of Wooden Houses without Walls; They presently prepa­red their great Guns to batter down the Fort, and the first shot struck through their Ensign, as they heard by a Frenchman who came to them from the Enemy; Another shot struck the foot of the Fort, which was all of massy Timber like Masts of Ships; It was resolved that night to pass the River with four Companys and assault it, but the L. General going in a Skiff with six Captains more well armed to make discovery, the Spaniards thinking their whole Force had been come, took the Alarm, and pre­sently forsook the Fort after having discharged a few Peices.

The L. General being returned without knowing they were gone; Immediately a French Piper who had been their Prisoner, came Piping to them in a little Boat, and being called by the Guard, told them before he went ashoar what he was, & that the Spaniards were gone from the Fort, offering either to put himself into their hands or to return back and direct those that would go, to the Fort; Whereupon the General L. General and some Captains in their Skiffs, accompanied with three Pinna­ces furnisht with Souldiers, went over toward the Fort; At their approach some of the Enemy bolder than the rest staying behind, shot two pieces of Ordnance at them, but they went ashoar, and entred the place with­out finding any man there. When day appeared they saw it was built all of Timber, the Walls being only whole bodies of Trees placed close together like pales, not having yet made a ditch, nor furnished it, so that they had no reason to keep it being so subject both to fire and [Page 186] assaults; The platform for their Guns was the bodies of long Pine-trees whereof they have plenty, laid Cross each other, and filled up with Earth; They found there 14 Great Brass Guns, and a Chest lockt, wherein was about two thousand pound sterling thought to be the Kings for payment of the Souldiers who were about 150 men; The Fort thus won, (which they called St. Johns Fort) they designed to go to the Town by land but were prevented by the Rivers and broken ground, therefore imbarking again they Sailed thither upon the River called as well as the Town St. Augustine; Coming toward Land, some Spaniards appeared and gave them a few Shot but presently withdrew, and in their flight the Sergeant Major finding a Horse ready Sadled and Bridled, mounted him and followed the Chase before the rest, when suddenly from behind a Bush he was shot through the head, wherewith falling, two or three Spa­niards more came in and stabbed him with their Swords and Daggers into the body in three or four places before any could come near to rescue him, whose death was much lamented.

They understood that in this Town of St. Augustine the King maintained an 150 Souldiers, and at St. Helena 12 Leagues farther North 150 more, only to secure those Coasts from being inhabited by other Nations; The Governor was the Marquess Pedro Melender, who had command of both places, and yet ran away from them with the first; They here resolved to attempt St. Helena, and to find out the English inhabiting Virginia, and June 9. Observing a very great Fire ashoar the General sent his Skiff to the place and found some English sent thither by Sir Walter Rawleigh the year before, and one coming aboard gave them directions where to find a good Harbor; The General sent hence a Letter to Sir Ralph Lane Governor of the English in Virginia, who was then at his Fort about six Leagues from the Road in an Island called Roanoac, from whence he sent them supplies of all they wanted, and next day Mr. Lane and some of his Company came aboard, and the General with consent [Page 187] of his Captains made him two Proposals; Either to leave a Ship, Pinnace or certain Boats with sufficient Masters, Marriners and a months provision, to stay and make discovery of the Countrey and the Coasts, and likewise so much Victuals as might suffice to bring them all home being 103 Persons, if they thought fit afterward; Or else if they judged they had already made sufficient discovery and desired to return into England he would give them passage; But they being willing to stay, thankfully accepted his first offer, and the Ship was ac­cordingly received into their charge by some of Mr. Lanes Company whom he put aboard her, but before they had received the Provisions allotted them, there rose a very dangerous storm which lasted three days and drove many of their Ships from their Anchors, and some were forced to Sea, among which the Ship appointed for Mr. Lane was forced so far to avoid the Coast that they never saw her again till they came to England, many of their Pinnaces and small Boats being lost in the Tem­pest.

Notwithstanding this, the General offered Mr. Lane another Ship, but not much fit for their purpose, as not be­ing able to be brought into Harbor, nor the General not thinking fit to spare so much provisions as he intended at first; So that upon consultation among themselves Mr. Lane and the rest of his Company desired the Gene­ral under their hands to give them passage for England, which being granted, and the rest of the English sent for out of the Countrey and Shipt, they left that Coast June 18. and arrived safely at Plymouth July 28. following; The Purchase of this Voyage was valued at threescore thousand Pound, whereof those who went the Voyage were to have twenty thousand, amounting to about six pounds to the meanest man, and the other forty was paid to the Adventurers; They lost about 750 men, whereof eight were Captains, four Lieutenants, and eight Gen­tlemen; They got about 240 Great Guns, where­of above 200 were Brass, and so happily ended their Voyage.

CHAP. VIII. Sir Francis Drake is made Vice-Admiral of England, in the Spanish Invasion in 1588. And performs many Worthy Actions, taking Don Pedro de Valdez a Principal Sea Commander, Prisoner; The pretended Invincible Arma­do is utterly defeated and overthrown.

HEroick Spirits are seldom long at rest being ambiti­ous to be always imploy'd in glorious Actions and Atchievments) as appears in the Person of our Worthy Commander Sir Francis Drake, who having adventured so many Perils and Dangers in incompassing the World with so great advantages to himself, might in reason have been thought willing to spend the remainder of his days in the quiet enjoyment of his acquired Honour and Riches; But when the Service of his Countrey called him forth, no man was more ready to obey his Prince in the defence thereof against a Forreign Invasion, as ap­pears by his magnanimous Exploits in 1588.

The Astronomers of that Age foretold long before that this should prove a Wonderful year, and the Climacterick of the World, which was in some measure accomplished in that admirable deliverance of England from the Spa­nish Invasion. The design was no less than the Conquest of England, and reducing it to the obedience of that King, for which many Religious Pretences were used be­sides politick ones, as the Queens supporting the King of Spains Rebels in the Netherlands, surprizing and plundring several Towns both in Spain and America, with divers other allegations; So that an Invasion being fully con­cluded on by that Court, a great and (as they termed it) Invincible Navy was with vast charge prepared to effect this mighty Design, consisting of no less than one hun­dred and thirty Ships, containing fifty seven thousand eight hundred and eighty Tun, wherein were eight hundred forty five Marriners, nineteen thousand [Page 189] two hundred and ninety five Souldiers, and two thou­sand eighty eight Gally Slaves, and well furnished with all sorts of Ammunition, having two hundred twenty thousand great Shot; Four thousand two hundred kin­tals of Powder, every Kintal containing an hundred Weight, a thousand Kintals of Lead for Bullets; Twelve hundred Kintals of Match, seven thousand Muskets, ten thousand Halberts, with store of murthering Peices, dou­ble Canon and Field pieces for the Camp when they should have landed; They had also store of furniture for Carriages, Mules and Horses; So that they were suffi­ciently provided both for Sea and Land; Together with Bread, Bisket and Wine for six months, and six thousand Kintals of Bacon, three thousand of Cheese, be­sides other Flesh, Rice, Beans, Pease, Oyl and Vinegar, with twelve thousand Pipes of fresh Water; They had also store of Torches, Lamps, and Lanthorns, with Can­vas and lead to stop leaks, in short the Army was thirty two thousand men and cost the K. of Spain thirty two thousand Duccats every day.

The General of this potent Army was the Duke of Medina Sidonia; And the Prince of Parma built many Ships and flat botomed Boats in the Netherlands by order from the King of Spain, each Boat big enough to carry 30 Horse with Bridges fitted to ship and unship them; He made the Rivers deeper from Antwerp to Gaunt and Bruges, loaded 300 small Boats with Ammunition and Victuals, laid 300 flat bottom'd Boats more in Newport Haven, besides 37 Ships of War at Dunkirk; He pre­pared Piles headed with Iron to stop up the mouths of the Rivers; At Graveling he provided twenty thousand empty Casks with Cords and other furniture to make floating Bridges to stop up the Havens with an infinite number of Faggots; He shipt abundance of Saddles, Bridles and other furniture for Horse, and Horses for Carriage with Ordnance and other Provisions for War; Near Newport lay four thousand Italian and Walloon Soul­diers: At Dyxmeud he mustered twelve thousand Ne­therlanders, Spaniards and High Dutch; At Conick four [Page 190] thousand, and at Watene nine hundred Horse.

The Queen of England having notice of these wonder­ful Preparations, after solemn Fasting and Prayers to God for deliverance from her Mighty Adversarys provi­ded with all diligence as strong a Fleet as she could, with all things necessary for defence, and having a discerning judgment of mens abilities, she assigned the fittest to every office; Committing the Command of her Navy to Charles Howard of Effingham Lord High Admiral of Eng­land, and constituting the renowned Sir Francis Drake her Vice Admiral, whom she sent to the West parts of England; And for guarding the Narrow Seas the Lord Seymor was appointed to lye on the Coasts of the Low-Countreys with 40 Ships to watch the Prince of Parma; She then ordered the Militia of the Kingdom to be rais­ed and mustered under the Earl of Leicester, twenty thousand whereof were disposed for the Guard of the Southern Coasts; Besides whom she had two Armys more one of a thousand Horse and twenty thousand foot incamped at Tilbury near the Thames mouth, where the Enemy certainly designed to come; The other of thirty four thousand Foot and two thousand Horse under the Lord Hunsdon, for a Guard to the Queens Person; She likewise fortified and manned all the places which were commodious for the Enemy to land at as Milford Haven, Falmouth, Plymouth, Portland, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, the open Coast of Kent called the Downs, the Thames mouth, Harwich, Yarmouth, Hull, and other places, with command that the Trained Bands throughout the Coast shires should be ready to prevent the Enemies Landing, but if they should Land, then to destroy all the Coun­trey therebout, that the Enemy might have nothing wherewith to subsist but what they brought with them, that they should amuse them with continual Alarms, but not venture a Battle till they had sufficient Force to en­gage them.

Yet amidst these Provisions for War on both sides, the Spaniards pretended still to Peace, and by the Prince of Parma a Treaty was proposed to that purpose, and [Page 191] Commissioners on each Party met in Tents near Ostend which was then in the hands of the English; The Queen demanded, That there might an absolute suspension of Arms, and a present Truce, since she much suspected the Spaniards un­usual preparations; That for the security of England that great Army of Forreign Souldiers might be drawn out of the Low Countreys; That the Money she had lent the States, and which the King of Spain promised to restore, might be paid; That the Netherlands might enjoy their ancient rights and Priviledges, and not be governed by a stranger, but, a Native Prince; That they might have freedom in Religion, and lastly that the Articles of Pacification of Gaunt, and the rest might be observed; Which things being granted, she would upon rea­sonable Terms deliver up those Towns in the Netherlands now in her possession, and make it appear that she had hitherto kept them not for her own advantage but the necessary defence of those Countreys. To this the Spaniards replyed, That as to their preparations at Sea they assured them it no way concerned Eng­land; That the King would not send away his Souldiers till the Netherlands had absolutely submitted to him; That their Privilidges did no way concern the Queen, neither ought she to prescribe Law to a King; That as to Religion he would only allow the same freedom as to the other Citys that had sub­mitted to him; And as for the Money expended about the Towns, the King of Spain might as well demand of her the Millions he had expended in the Low Countrey War since she had sup­ported and protected the Revolters;

Soon after Dr. Dale one of the Commissioners was sent to expostulate mildly with the D. of Parma about some Libels published against her, who denied his having any knowledg thereof, protesting That he had so much respect for the Q. of England, that he honoured her in the highest de­gree, and had perswaded the King to condescend to this Treaty of Peace, which would be more advantagious to the Englsh than themselves; For (said he) if the Spaniards be overcome they will soon recover their loss; But if you be defeated your Kingdom is utterly undone and all lost; To which Dale re­plyed; Our Queen is sufficiently provided to defend her King­dom, and your own wisdom will satisfy you that a Kingdom [Page 192] cannot be lost with the fortune of one Battell, since the K. of Spain after so long a War is not able to recover his ancient inhe­ritance in the Netherlands; Be it so (said the Prince) these things are in the hand of God.

It is recorded that when the Commissioners first met about the Treaty one of the Spaniards asked in what lan­guage they should Treat, another thinking to affront the English said, We were best treat in French since your Mistress is Queen of France, To which Dr. Dale smartly replyed, Nay then pray let it be in Hebrew, for your Master calls himself King of Jerusalem.

After the Commissioners had long debated matters without concluding any thing till at length the Spanish Fleet came in view of England and the thundring of the great Guns was heard from Sea; the English Commissioners were thereby much startled having no hostages for their safe return, but they received a safe conduct from the Prince of Parma, (who in the mean time had drawn down all his Forces to the Sea-coast) and so they were conducted to the Borders near Callice; And thus this Treaty was utterly ineffectual, begun by Q. Elizabeth as was thought to divert the coming of the Spanish Fleet, & continued by them to surprize the English unprovided.

May 29. 1588. This Invincible Armado so named by the Spaniards, (which was preparing full five years,) sail­ed out of the River Tayo toward the Groin in Gallizia the designed Rendevouz as nearest England, but a sudden Tempest drove the Admiral the Duke of Medina back again, and eight of his Ships being dispersed on the Seas had their Masts blown over board, and three Portu­gal Gallies were driven on the Coast of Bayon in Spain, where by the valour of David Gwin with the assistance of other French and Turkish slaves they were delivered into the hands of the French, by killing the Spaniards aboard, among whom Don Diego de Mondrana was one. About this time the English Admiral and Vice-Admiral Drake having in all about an hundred Ships, whereof 15 were Victual­lers, and nine Gentlemen Volunteers of Devonshire, upon certain notice that the Spanish Fleet was ready to Sail, [Page 193] resolved to go and fight them by the way, but meeting with this storm they were forced back again to recruit, only some of their Scouts discovered some dispersed Spa­nish Ships, who before they could reach them veered about to the Groin to the rest of the Fleet.

The Spanish Navy being new rigged and supplyed, July 11. with much assurance they entred the Brittish Channel, where casting Anchor they sent dispatches to the Prince of Parma of their Arrival. July 20. about Noon this dreadful Fleet was descried by the English with much surprize; They appeared like lofty Towers in form of an half Moon, the horns whereof stretched above seven Mile wide, (the Ocean seeming to groan under them) sailing slowly toward Plymouth; July 21. the Lord Admiral sending a Pinnace called the Defiance before, to denounce War by discharging her Ordnance, himself followed in the Ark-Royal, and fell with much fury upon one of the Spanish Ships; Vice-Admiral Drake, Hawkins and Frobisher coming up soon after, and play­ing violently upon the hindmost Squadron of the Ene­my commanded by Rechalde, who endeavoured to keep his Ships from flying, but being himself made at length unserviceable, they were all forc't to secure themselves in the Main Fleet.

The D. of Medina having rallied his Navy disperst by the English, kept on his intended course toward Callice, finding much inconvenience in his large high Ships, as not able to defend themselves against the brisk Attacks of the small English Frigots, who for two hours main­tained a very hot fight with them; In this first days en­counter two great Spanish Ships were disabled; and falling into a Roundel, the strongest walling in the rest, they made a flying retreat to Callice; yet in the hurry a great Gallion commanded by Don Pedro de Valdez, be­ing much battered, fell foul on another Ship, and was so disabled that she was left by the rest, and the Lord Admiral, night coming on, supposing she had neither Souldiers nor Mariners aboard passed by her; July 22. Sir Francis Drake espied her and sent forth a Pinnace to [Page 194] command her to yield, otherwise his Bullets would force her, Valdez to assert his credit and pretend to valour, re­turned, That they were four hundred and fifty strong, that he himself was Don Pedro, and stood much upon his honour; and thereupon propounded several conditions upon which he was willing to yield; But the Vice-Admiral replyed, That he had no leisure to parley, but if he thought fit instantly to yield he might, if not he should soon find that Drake was no Coward; Pedro hearing it was Drake whose name was so terrible to the Spaniards, presently yielded, and with 46 of his Attendants came aboard Sir Francis his Ship, where giving him the Solemn Spanish Congee, he protested, That they were all resolved to have died fighting had they not fallen into his hands whose Felicity and Valour was so great that Mars the God of War, and Neptune the God of the Sea seemed to wait upon all his attempts, and whose noble and generous car­riage toward the vanquished had been oft experienced by his Foes; Sir Francis to requite these Spanish Complements with real English kindness, set him at his own Table and lodged him in his own Cabin, sending the rest of his Company to Plymouth; Drakes Souldiers were well re­compenced with the plunder of this Ship, wherein they found fifty five Thousand Ducats of Gold which they merrily shared amongst them; The same day the Ship of Vice-Admiral De Oquondo fell on fire, and the upper part only being burnt, fell into the hands of the English, and was brought with the scorcht Spaniards into Plymouth. July 23. They came just against Portland, when the English falling upon them with the utmost violence, a very sharp fight ensued, wherein besides other remark­able damages sustained by the Enemy a great Venetian Ship with some other smaller Vessels were taken, and the Adversary was again forced into a Roundel to secure their weak and battered Ships; The Spanish shot gene­rally flew over the English without hurt, only Cock an Englishman died with honour in the midst of his Enemies in a little Ship of his own.

July 24. An encounter happened between four great Galliasses with Oars, and some English who galled the [Page 195] Spaniards severely with their Chain-shot wherewith they cut their Tackle to their great detriment; But the En­glish wanting Powder which they had spent so freely, the L Admiral sent some small Ships for supply, and in the mean time after Consultation it was resolved, that the Fleet should be divided into four Squadrons, and com­manded by four able Captains, whereof the L. Admiral in the Ark-Royal was Chief, Sir Francis Drake in the Re­venge the second; Captain Hawkins the third, and Capt. Frobisher the fourth. July 25. being St. James's day the Spaniards came as far as the Isle of Wight, where they were again assaulted by the English, discharging their broad sides at each other not above an hundred and twenty yards asunder, and after a long Ingagement the great Spanish Wooden Castles were so sorely battered, that they were again forced into their former posture for their security; July 26. the L. Admiral to incourage his gal­lant Captains, knighted the Lord Howard and Sheffeild, Roger Townsend, John Hawkins, Martin Frobisher & others; After which it was resolved not to assail the Enemy any more till they came into the Channel between Callice and Dover, where the L. Seymour, and Sir Will. Winter waited for their approach, who in a short time sailing forward were so far from affrighting the English with the name of Invincible, that several brave young Gentlemen at their own charges hired Ships to defend their Countrey, and joyned the Fleet in great numbers.

July 27. The Spanish Navy came over against Dover, anchoring before Callice, intending to joyn the Prince of Parma's Forces at Dunkirk; The English followed so near, that they were within Musket-shot, and being now all joyned consisted of 140 Sail, all able nimble Ships; Yet not above 15 of them sustained the brunt of the day. From hence the D. of Medina sent to the Prince of Par­ma to hasten his Succours, who did his utmost to per­form his desire, he himself having his thoughts fixed up­on wearing the English Crown, as some false Prophet had foretold him; but his flat-bottom'd Boats for the Channel were leaky, his provisions were unready, and [Page 196] his Mariners deserted him; There were likewise several Nolland and Zealand Men of War watching before the Havens of Dunkirk and Newport, so well provided, that though he was a very experienced Commander he durst not put to Sea unless he should willingly destroy himself and his Men.

But the felicity of Q. Elizabeth's Fortune prevented his diligence, and the credulous hope of the Spaniards; For by her command next day after they had cast Anchor, the L. Admiral filled eight of his worst Ships with Wild­fire, Pitch, Rosin, Brimstone, and other combustible matter, and charged their great Guns with Bullets, Stones, Chains, and the like Instruments of Death, and all the Men being taken out, Sunday July 28. at two in the morn­ing they were let drive with the Wind and Tyde (un­der the guidance of C. Young and Prowse) amongst the Spanish Fleet; When the Pilots returning, and the Trains taking fire, they received such a dreadful Thunder-clap in that dead time of the night by these Fire-ships, that they were extremely affrighted and amazed, doubting their whole Fleet would have been fired, and to avoid the danger, cut their Cables asunder, and hoising Sail, drove at random into the Sea, in which horrible confu­sion one great Galliass fell upon another, and running aground was set upon by the English and taken, being manned with four hundred Souldiers, three hundred Slaves, and having in her fifty thousand Duckets of the Spanish Kings Treasure, which all fell into the hands of the Engilsh as a reward for their Valour.

July 29. After this miserable disaster wherein many of their Ships were driven into the Northern Ocean, and others on the Coasts of Flanders, the Spaniards ranging themselves in the best order they could, approached over against Graveling, but were again prevented by the Eng­lish from getting any supply from Dunkirk, and in the mean time Sir Francis Drake, and several other Captains played continually upon them, and tore many of their Ships so dreadfully, that the Water entred on all sides; And some flying for relief toward Ostend were again shot [Page 197] through and through by the Zealanders. In this Battel the Spaniards lost one great Gallion, and four other great Ships, two whereof were taken by the Hollanders; The Spaniards finding worse welcom to England than they ex­pected, were now willing to get close together, not seek­ing to offend their Enemies, but defend themselves; and to prevent the Prince of Parma's assistance, the Holland Fleet consisting of 35 Ships, furnished with able Mari­ners, and twelve hundred old Souldiers, was ordered to stop up the Flemish Havens, and hinder his coming forth. July 31. betimes in the morning the Northwest wind blew hard, & the Spanish Fleet endeavoured there­by to recover the Channel again, but were driven to­ward Zealand, whereupon the English who had hitherto followed them very close gave over the chase, because they judged them near their utter ruine, since they must needs run a ground upon those sands and shallows, but the wind suddenly turning West, they got clear of them, and that evening calling a Council, they resolved to return into Spain by the Northern Ocean, since they wanted many necessaries especially great shot, and their ships were miserably torn, and there was no hope of the Prince of Parma's coming out with his Fleet.

In pursuance whereof having now got Sea Room for their huge Bodied Bulks, they spread their Sails, and made away as fast as Wind and Water would carry them, more fearing the small Fleet and Forces of the English, than valuing the Honour of their Commanders, or their Invincible Armado; They directed their course Northward, and the English Admiral followed them lest they should put into Scotland, but they passed by, and though it was generally thought they would have re­turned, yet they at length betook themselves to an abso­lute flight, and leaving Scotland on the West, Sailed to­ward the Coast of Norway, unadvisedly venturing their sha­ken and battered bottoms in those black and dangerous Seas; The Prince of Parma was much blamed as if out of favour to Q. Elizabeth he had wilfully neglected this opportunity, who (to satisfy the Spaniards) punished [Page 198] some of the Purveyors, yet secretly scoffing at the Spa­niards insolency, who boasted that they carried assured Victory wheresoever they went, and that the English never durst look them in the face.

The Duke of Medina Sailing round Scotland and Ireland, at last arrived safely in Spain, where for his welcome he was deposed from all authority, forbid to come to Court, and commanded to live private; The rest of the Ships being about 40, fell nearer the Coast of Ire­land, where many of them perished, and among others a great Galliass and two other Venetian Ships of gleat burden, besides 38 more with most of the Spaniards in them, such as got off were driven by a strong West Wind into the English Channel and were taken by the English, others by the Rochellers in France, and some ar­rived at Newhaven in Normandy, so that of one hundred thirty four Ships that Sailed out of Lisbon only 53 return­ed into Spain; Of the four Galliasses of Naples but one; Of the four Gallions of Portugal but one; Of the 91 Great Hulks from divers Provinces only 33 returned, 58 being lost. In short they lost in this Voyage 81 Ships, thirteen thousand five hundred Souldiers, and above two thousand taken Prisoners in England, Ireland and the Low Countreys; To concluded there was no Noble or Honourable Family in all Spain which in this expedition lost not a Son, Brother, or Kinsman; And thus this Armando which had been so many years in preparing with vast expences was in one month many times assaulted, and at length wholly defeated with the slaughter of so many of their men not one hundred of the English being want­ing, nor one small Ship taken or lost but only that of Cooks; And having traversed round all Brittain by Scot­land the Orcades and Ireland, most grievously tossed and very much distressed and wasted by Storms, wrecks and all kind of miserys, at length the remainder came lamely home with perpetual shame and dishonour, and to the Everlasting honour of the English name, who by the bles­sing of Heaven upon the courage and conduct of the Q. and her valiant Commanders (among whom our r [...] nowned [Page 199] Sir Francis Drake deserves a principal place of Honour) obtained so Glorious and remarkable a delive­rance. Some Poems were writ in those times on this notable occasion of which I shall only give a tast.

Thus in English.

CHAP: IX. Sir Francis Drakes last Voyage to the West Indies in 1595. (accompanied with Sir John Hawkins, Sir Tho. Bas­kerfeild and Sir Nicholas Clifford and others,) with his Death, Burial and Epithaph.

AS this valiant and heroick Worthy had for many years faithfully served his Prince, and Countrey so he died in this honourable imployment, and wa [...] buried in that Vast Ocean wherein he had spent the greatest part of his life; The last Voyage he made was to the West Indies in 1595. himself and Sir John Hawkins being Generals, Sir Thomas Baskerfield and Sir Nicholas Clifford Lieutenant Generals, with ten other Worthy Captains and divers Gentlemen who imbarquing at Plymouth, [Page 200] Aug. 28. sailed toward the Grand Canaries, and Sept. 6. in the height of the Northern Cape overtook a French Man of War, and a Rocheller from Newfoundland whom they quietly let pass, and after that two Biskayners bound for Barbary; Sept. 9. they spied a Ship of Wey­mouth, who coming to their General went with them to the Canaries; Soon after they discovered 20 French Men of War, who chased but could not reach them; Sept. 19. they met one of the Earl of Cumberlands Fri­gots, who told them the King's Men of War were going homeward. Sept. 25. they discovered two Islands in 28 degrees, one called Hanseroth, and the other Forteventu­ra, inhabited only by Savage people, and 10 Leagues distant from Grand Canary; In the Port whereof Sept. 26. they imbarqued in Boats and Pinnaces, endeavouring to land with all speed, but the Enemy having notice of their coming, had intrenched themselves in the landing-place, and upon their approach plyed them so fast with great and small shot both from the Castle and Town, that they were constrained with the loss of some Men to retire to their Ships, the Spaniards being near 400 strong.

The same day they sailed thence to a place North­west from the Town of S. John de Luz, where was for­merly a famous River running from the Rocks, but now over-grown, where they watered; The people of this Island are barbarous and Moutaineers, and Capt. Grim­stone with four more were very much wounded and torn by Dogs kept for that purpose, and some others that stragled into the Countrey slain; It yeilds much Wine, Wheat and other Grain, with store of Rabbits, Par­tridges and Tresses which have a Juice like Milk, but rank poison; It hath many large high Rocks in it, and 20 Leagues distant is the Isle of Teneriff, the Pyke whereof is of a vast height. Sept. 28. they sailed hence directly West, toward the West-Indies, and Octob. 25. the Hope and Adventure Frigots fell foul of one another by the darkness of the night, and a great Tempest of Hail and Rain, so that they were forced to cut down the Missen Mast of the Adventure, and throw it in­to [Page 201] the Sea. October 27. They had fight of the Isle of Martinico inhabited by Cannibals or Man-Eaters, they were thirty days Sailing from the Canarys to this Island, from thence they went to the Isle of Dominica 12 English Miles thence and stored with Tobacco, the peo­ple are not altogether so rude, but would give them To­bacco for Knives and such other commodities, they use Bows and Arrows made of reed and headed with a sharp peice of Brasile Wood, their hair is very long and cut round the Shoulders; Oct. 30. they reacht another Isle called Guadalowpa ten Leagues from Dominica, and went into a River thereof many of which Issue out of the Mountains on the West side into the Sea; it is wholly un­inhabited and a meer Wilderness, wherein are many wild Beasts and Serpents of Monstrous Shapes; From hence they Sailed toward Rio de la Hacha, and Novem. 7. discried three Islands between Guadalowpa and S. John de Porto Rico, and next day the General landed his Men [...] one of their Ports, that every Captain might know his own Souldiers; These Islands belong to Virginia and are many in number but are without Inhabitants, having divers fair Harbors wherein a thousand Ships may ride at Anchor, and full of very high Mountains.

Nov. 12. They arrived at Porto Rico, and anchored within four miles of the Town under a great Fort, from whence they oft received many furious shots; The same day that worthy and vigilant Commander, Sir John Hawkins dyed there, and Sir Nicholas Clifford Captain Stratford, and Mr. Brute Brown were wounded with a Cannon Bullet from the Fort, all at once as they sate at Supper with Sir Thomas Baskerfield, and Sir Francis Drake, who had the stool struck from under him as he was drinking, and yet received no further damage; The same night Sir Nicholas Clifford dyed of his wound, and that night they went and anchored against the Town; Next day Nov. 13. the General calling a Council, it was ordered that about nine next night some Muskets, Gun­ners and Fireworks should be imbarqued in their Pin­naces and Boats; And accordingly 500 men went into [Page 203] the Harbor to burn the five Spanish Men of War that lay there, one being 400 Tun, the rest less; In this great ship were planted store of great Guns, which together with abundance of small shot plaid furiously on the English, who yet fought with so much gallantry, that they burnt, slew and drowned all the men in the great Ship, wherein there were an hundred and sixty Ord­nance, besides small shot, losing only the little Francis who being taken sometime before gave notice of their ap­proach and much frustrated their design; By the Pri­soners, taken, the English understood that there was three Millions of Treasure in the Town, belonging to the King of Spain, which these five Men of War came to carry away, and the General hearing that his men were Prisoners there, sent the Governor word to use them well, as he expected the like to the Spaniards their Prisoners; They had notice there were 300 Souldiers in the Town, which stands in a very small Island, having the Sea on one side and a great River on the other, built in a valley, with a strong Fort to defend it, and seems very large. Nov. 15. Sir John Hawkins, and Sir Nicholas Clifford were thrown overboard, and the same day they spied a Spanish Car­vel, which they instantly pursued, but being perceived by the Castle of Porto Rico, they shot off a warning piece to them not to approach, who thereupon ran themselves ashoar, and the men fled to the Mountains so that they could not come at them; Nov. 16. they departed from Porto Rico, where though they got no great profit, yet it was a most valiant attempt, and worthy to be recorded.

Being imbarqued, they saild with all speed to St. John Jermans Bay 36 Leagues from Porto Rico, and landed some Souldiers to guard the Carpenters while they built the Pinnaces, not far from which is an House called an Ingenio for making Sugars, inhabited by Spaniards; The same day Mr. Brute Brown dyed, and Nov. 23. a Court Marshal was held to question John Stanley for some mis­demeanors, next day Sir Thomas Baskerfield took two Ne­groes of this Island; Nov. 24. the Ship called John Trelawny of Plymouth was burnt in this Bay, and they sailed to [Page 202] another Island called Crusao, and arrived there the 29. going thence to a Town called Rio De la Hacha on the Main Continent. Dec. 2. all the Souldiers being put into Boats and Pinnaces, about one a Clock in the Night, they entered the Town, the people being fled into the Country at their approach, leaving only ten or twelve Souldiers who gave them a volley of shot; Two of whom

were taken Prisoners, the rest making their escape; They found niether victuals nor any thing else of va­lue in the Town, the Spaniards, having carried all away into the Woods, a week before upon notice of their coming. Dec. 3. the Spaniards came to treat about ran­soming the Town, and next day brought some Pearl, but much less in value than they had compounded for, whereupon Sir Francis Drake observing their falshood ordered the Town to be burnt; The Governour came again the day after with many fair pretences, but they [Page 204] found it was only to delay time till they had given notice to other places to secure themselves; Dec. 16. they took more Prisoners and found some of their goods, which they carryed to their Ships, and when the Gene­ral saw they would come to no fair agreement, he com­manded to burn all places wherever they came, and ac­cordingly the day before their departure they left this Town on a light fire, except a New Religious House unfinished, and another whither they use to bring all the Kings Treasure and Merchandize, and of which the English found a considerable quantity, with some Pearl which they brought to their General. This Country yields store of Oxen, Goats, Sheep, Horses, Asses, Pellicans and other Fowls, and great plenty of grass. The Inhabi­tants are Indians and Negroes being a wild savage People, except those miserable wretches who are slaves to the Spaniards. About ten Leagues from this Town is a very high Mountain alwaies covered with Snow.

Decem. 19. They came to another Town called Sancta Martha, which they entred, and found the People all fled to the Woods and Mountains, but following them, they took some Treasure and other things of value, and made the Deputy Governor of the Town prisoner, and departed leaving it on fire, being informed by the Spa­niards that they were within 3 Leagues of a Golden Mine. Decem. 25. They sailed toward Nomore de Dios, and two days after anchored before the Town, where Arnold Baskerfield their Serjeant Major died; They land­ed a Mile from the Town, and marching toward them, the Enemy gave them only one Volley of shot, and then fled into the Woods whither they had carried all their goods before, leaving nothing but what was the Soldiers which lay in the great Fort, wherein were only three great Guns, one whereof broke with a shot, and some of the Souldi­ers were taken prisoners; The King of Spain usually sends all his Trea­sure by Boat; from Panama to this place; They found in the Woods some Oyl, Wine, Vinegar, Meal and Linnen-cloth; The General having Intelligence of the Governors going toward Panama, sent Sir Tho. Baskerfield with 600 men to surprize him; The way was extream dangerous to travel in both from the Enemy, water and [Page 205] rocks, so that they went in much peril of their lives; In their march they saw abundance of Monkeys and Apes, and could hear the roar­ing of Lyons; Panama is oh the South Sea 18 Leagues from Nom­bre de Dios; After they had marched half way they could go no fur­ther being prevented by a Fort built on the top of a Rock which they must of necessity pass through, and was so narrow that only one man could pass at a time, so that their men were slain as fast as they ascended up, and there being no other way they were constrained to retire with the loss of some of their best Souldiers, and with much trouble at this great disappointment; Coming back to Nombre de Dios, and finding it almost all consumed with fire, they hasted to their Ships; In this march a pair of shoos were sold for thir­ty Shillings, and a Bisket Cake for ten Shillings, so great was their want both of Clothing and Victuals. The night before the English

had burnt the great House wherein the Kings Treasure use to lye, and 2 Leagues thence a Town inhabited by Negroes was burnt, who gave them a Volley of shot, and so ran away leaving the Town afire.

Jan. 5. They departed hence for Scoday, and took a Spanish Frigot coming from the Islands, wherein were four Spaniards and three Negroes, but nothing of value, she was sent from Nombre de [Page 206] Dios to give notice to the other Towns to secure themselves; The same day General Drake commanded his sick men to be carryed ashoar for refreshment, and built four Pinnaces and took in fresh Water; This Island of Scoday is a mere wilderness without Inhabi­tants, but full of wild Beasts, as Bears, Allegators or Crocodiles, like a Serpent, and Guanoes like a Snake with four legs and a long tail having many prickles on his back; They live on Trees like Squir­rels, and the Alligators in the Water but prey oft on the Land, his flesh his sweet like musk, and in his Bladder musk is found, he is as big as a mans thigh, and they eat many of them. Jan. 22. they departed from Scoday to an Island near Nombre de Dios, and two daies after came to Porta Bella, where the same day they ar­rived, our famous Hero Sir Francis Drake departed this Life, his death being supposed to be much hastned by his unsucces [...]fulness in this voyage; his great Spirit alwaies accustomed to victory and suc­cess, not being able to bear the least check of fortune, which oc­casioned such Melancholy thoughts as were thought to be a chief cause of his end.

His Death was exceedingly lamented by all the Company who lookt upon him to be the Life and Soul of their enterprizes and un­dertakings; And of whose admirable valour, wisdom, care, and tenderness they had found such large and constant experience; His interment was after this manner; His Body being put into a Coffin of Lead, was let down into the Sea, the Trumpets in a doleful manner ecchoing out their Lamentations for so great a loss, and all the Cannon in the Fleet were discharged according to the custom of all Sea Funeral Obsequies.

After this sad Fate, they continued here some while, and in ten daies arrived at Carthagena, and Feb. 31. espied the Isles of Pin [...]s; March 1. Sir Thomas Baskerfield having now the sole command of the Fleet, they chased twenty sail of the Kings Men of War, and fought with them three hours, firing several of their Ships, the rest flying away; next day they sailed to Cape Anthony, and soon after descried the Cape of Florida, and Marc [...] 9. passed by the Bermu­da's; April 8. 1586. they came to the Isles of Florie inhabited by Portugals where they staid, watred and traffickt for victuals, wherewith being well refresht, they in short time arrived safe in England. And thus having brought our renowned Knight through so many Dangers and Adventures to his watry grave, we will take our leave of him, with this short Epitaph, write upon him many years since.