[Wast and losse of men.]
The sicknesse having wasted more then the one halfe of my people, we
determined to take out the victualls of the _Hawke_, and to burne her;
which wee put in execution. And being occupied in this worke, we saw a
shippe turning to windwards, to succour her selfe of the ilands;[124]
but having discryed us, put off to sea-wards.
Two dayes after, the wind changing, we saw her againe running alongst
the coast, and the _Daintie_ not being in case to goe after her, for
many reasons, we manned the _Fancie_, and sent her after her; who about
the setting of the sunne fetched her up, and spake with her; when
finding her to be a great fly-boat, of at least three or foure hundreth
tunnes, with eighteen peeces of artillery, would have returned, but the
wind freshing in, put her to leewards; and standing in to succour her
selfe of the land, had sight of another small barke, which after a short
chase shee tooke, but had nothing of moment in her, for that she had bin
upon the great sholes of Abreoios,[125] in eighteen degrees, and there
throwne all they had by the board, to save their lives.
This and the other chase were the cause that the _Fancie_ could not beat
it up in many dayes: but before we had put all in a readinesse, the wind
changing, shee came unto us, and made relation of that which had past;
and how they had given the small barke to the Portingalls, and brought
with them onely her pilot, and a marchant called Pedro de Escalante of
Potosi.