Running alongst the coast till wee came within few leagues of Arica,
nothing happened unto us of extraordinary noveltie or moment, for we had
the brese favourable, which seldome happeneth in this climate; finding
ourselves in nineteene degrees, wee haled the shore close abourd,
purposing to see if there were any shipping in the road of [Sidenote:
Arica.] Arica. It standeth in a great large bay, in eighteene degrees:
and before you come to it, a league to the southwards of the roade and
towne, is a great round hill, higher then the rest of the land of the
bay, neere about the towne; which wee having discovered, had sight
presently of a small barke, close abourd the shore, becalmed. Manning
our boate, wee tooke her, being loaden with fish, from Moromereno[195];
which is a goodly head-land, very high, and lyeth betwixt twenty-foure
and twenty-five degrees, and whether ordinarily some barkes use to goe a
fishing every yeare.
In her was a Spaniard and sixe Indians. The Spaniard, for that hee was
neere the shore, swam unto the rockes; and though wee offered to returne
him his barke and fish (as was our meaning), yet hee refused to accept
it, and made us answere, that hee durst not, for feare least the
[The severity of Spaine.] justice should punish him. In so
great subjection are the poore unto those who have the administration of
justice in those partes, and in most partes of the kingdomes and
countries subject to Spaine. Insomuch, that to heare the justice to
enter in at their doores, is to them destruction and desolation: for
this cause wee carried her alongst with us.
In this meane while wee had sight of another tall shippe, comming out of
the sea, which wee gave chase unto, but could not fetch upp, beeing too
good of sayle for us. Our small prize and boate standing off unto us,
descryed another shippe, which they chased and tooke also, loaden with
fish, comming from the ilands of Iuan Fernandes.
After wee opened the bay and port of Arica; but seeing it cleane without
shipping, wee haled the coast alongst, and going aboord to visit the
bigger prize, my company saluted me with a volley of small shot. Amongst
them, one musket brake, and carryed away the hand of him that shot it,
through his owne default, which for that I have seene to happen many
times, I thinke it necessary to note in this place, that others may take
warning by his harme.
[Over-charging of artilleries.]
The cause of the muskets breaking, was the charging with two bullets,
the powder being ordayned to carry but the waight of one, and the musket
not to suffer two charges of powder or shott. By this oversight, the
fire is restrayned with the overplus of the waight of shott, and not
being able to force both of them out, breaketh all to peeces, so to find
a way to its owne center.
And I am of opinion, that it is a great errour to prove great ordinance,
or small shot, with double charges of powder or shot; my reason is, for
that ordinarily the mettall is proportioned to the waight of the shot
which the peece is to beare, and the powder correspondent to the waight
of the bullet; and this being graunted, I see no reason why any man
should require to prove his peece with more then is belonging to it of
right: for I have seene many goodly peeces broken with such tryals,
being cleane without hony combes, cracke, flawe, or other perceavable
blemish, which no doubt, with their ordinary allowance, would have
served many yeares. Yea, I have beene certified by men of credit, that
some gunners have taken a glory for breaking many peeces in the tryall;
which is easie to be done by sundry slights and meanes not fitt to bee
published, much lesse to bee exercised, being prejudiciall to the
seller, and chargeable to the conscience of the practiser; therefore it
were good, this excessive tryall by double charges were cleane
abolished.[196] If I should make choyce for my selfe, I would not
willingly, that any peece should come into fort or shippe, under my
charge, which had borne at any time more then his ordinary allowance,
misdoubting, least, through the violence of the double charge, the peece
may be crased within, or so forced, as at another occasion with his
ordinary allowance, he might breake in peeces: how many men so many
mindes: for to others this may seem harsh, for that the contrary custome
hath so long time beene received, and therefore I submit to better
experience, and contradict not but that in a demy culvering, a man may
put two saker or minion shots, or many of smaller waight: and so in a
muskett, two calever shott, or many smaller, so they exceede not the
ordinary waight prescribed by proportion, arte, and experience.[197]
These experiments I hold convenient upon many occasions, yea, and most
necessary; but the vaine custome of double charges, to cause their
peeces thereby to give a better report, I affirme can produce no other
effect but danger, losse, and harme.