vnderstood, that at this time there was warre betwixt England and France.]
we met with two hulks of Dantzick, the one called the Rose, a ship of foure
hundred tunnes, and the other called the Vnicorne, of an hundred and fifty
tunnes, the Master of the Rose was called Nicholas Masse, and the Master of
the Vnicorne Melchior White, both laden at Bourdeaux, and for the most part
with wines. When we came to them, we caused them to hoise foorth their
boats, and to come and speake with vs, and we examined euery one of them
apart, what French mens goods they had in their shippes, and they said they
had none: but by the contrarieties of their tales, and by the suspicion
which we gathered of their false chartar-parties, we perceiued that they
had French mens goods in them: we therefore caused one of them to fetch vp
his bils of lading, and because he denied that he had any, we sent certaine
with him, who caused him to goe to the place where he had hid them, and by
the differences of his billes of lading, and his talke, we gathered, as
before, that they had Frenchmens goods. Whereupon we examined them
straightly, and first the Purser of the Vnicorne, which was the smaller
shippe, confessed that they had two and thirty tunnes and a hogs-head of a
French mans. Then we examined the Master in like case, and he acknowledged
the same to be true. Then we examined also the Master of the great ship,
and he confessed that he had an hundred and eight and twenty tunnes of the
same French mans, and more they would not confesse, but sayd that all the
rest was laden by Peter Lewgues of Hamburg, to be deliuered to one Henry
Summer of Camphire, notwithstanding all their letters were directed to
Hamburg, and written in Dutch without, and within in French.
When they had confessed that they had thus much French mens goods within
their shippes, we conferred together what was best to be done with them.
William Cretton and Edward Selman were of the opinion, that it should be
good either to carry them into Spaine, and there to make sale of the goods,
or els into Ireland, or to returne backe againe into England with them, if
the winde would permit it. But I, waying what charge we had of our Masters,
first by mouth, and afterwards by writing, that for no such matter we
should in any case prolong the time, for feare of losing the voyage, and
considering that the time of the yeere was very farre spent, and the money
that we should make of the wines not very much, in respect of the commodity
which we hoped for by the voyage, perswaded them that to goe into Ireland,
the winde being Easterly as it was, might be an occasion that we should be
locked in there with that winde, and so lose our voyage: and to cary them
into Spaine, seeing they sailed so ill, that hauing all their sailes
abroad, we kept them company onely with our foresailes, and without any
toppe sailes abroad, so that in euery two dayes sailing they would haue
hindered vs more then one; and besides that (the winde being Easterly) we
should not be able to seaze the coast with them: besides all this the losse
of time when we came thither was to be considered, whereupon I thought it
not good to carry them any further.
And as for carying them into England, although the winde had bene good, as
it was not, considering what charge we had of our Masters, to shift vs out
of the way for feare of a stay by reason of the warres, I held it not in
any wise conuenient.
But notwithstanding all this, certeine of our company not being herewith
satisfied went to our Master to know his opinion therein, who made them a
plaine answere, that to cary them into any place, it was not the best way
nor the profit of their Masters. And he tolde them further, that if the
time were prolonged, one moneth longer before they passed the Cape, but a
few men would go the voyage. [Sidenote: The French mens goods seazed in the
time of the warre vpon the losse of Cales.] All these things considered, we
all paused, and determined at the last, that euery man should take out of
the hulks so much as he could well bestow for necessaries, and the next
morning to conclude what should be further done with them. So we tooke out
of them for vs foureteene tunnes and a halfe of wine, and one tunne we put
into the pinnesse.
More we tooke out one hogshead of Aquauitæ.
Sixe cakes of rozzen.
A small halser for ties: and certeine chestnuts.
The Christopher tooke out,
Ten tunnes of wine, and one hogshead.
A quantity of Aquauitæ.
Shall-lines.
Chesnuts.
Sixe double bases with their chambers.
And then men broke vp the hulks chests, and tooke out their compasses, and
running glasses, the sounding leade and line, and candles: and cast some of
their beefe ouer board, and spoiled them so much, that of very pity we gaue
them a compasse, a running glasse, a leade and a line, certaine bread and
candles, but what apparel of theirs we could finde in their ship, we gaue
them againe, and some money also of that which William Crompton tooke for
the ransome of a poore Frenchman, who being then Pilot downe the Riuer of
Bordeux, they were not able to set him a shore againe, by reason of the
foule weather.
The Tyger also tooke out of the smaller hulke sixe or seuen tunnes of wine,
one hogshead of Aquauitæ, and certeine rozzen, and two bases he tooke out
of the great hulke.
The first day of February in the morning we all came together againe sauing
W. Crompton who sent vs word mat he was contented to agree to that order
which we should take.
Now Edward Selman was of this opinion, that it was not best to let the
ships depart, but put men into them to cary them into England, which thing
neither we nor our Master would agree vnto, because we thought it not good
to vnman our ships going outward, considering how dangerous the time was:
so that in fine we agreed to let them depart, and giue them the rest of the
wine which they had in their ships of the Frenchmens for the fraight of
that which we had taken, and for their ordinance, rozzen, aquauitæ,
chesnuts, and other things which the company had taken from them. So we
receiued a bill of their handes, that they confessed how much Frenchmens
goods they had, and then we let them depart.
The 10 day we reckoned our selues to be 25 leagues from the Grand Canarie,
and this day about nine of the clocke our pinnesse brake her rudder, so
that we were forced to towe her at the sterne of the Minion, which we were
able to doe, and yet kept company with the rest of our ships. About eleuen
of the clocke this day we had sight of the Grand Canarie.
The 11 day when we came to the Iland we perceiued that it was the Ile of
Tenerif, and then indeed wee had sight of the Grand Canarie, which lieth 12
leagues to the Eastwards of Tenerif: and because the road of Tenerif is
foule ground, and nothing was there to be gotten for the helping of our
pinnesse, hauing the winde long, we agreed to go with the Grand Canarie.
The 12 day we came into the roade of the towne of Canarie, which lieth one
league from the same towne. And after we had shot off diuers pieces of
ordinance to salute the towne and the castle, the gouernour and captiues of
the Iland sent to vs which were the captaines of the ships, requiring vs to
come a shoare.
[Sidenote: Two English Marchants Legiers in the Grand Canary.] And when we
came to them they receiued vs very friendly, offering vs their owne Iennets
to ride to the towne, and what other friendship they could shew vs: and we
went to the towne with two English Marchants which lay there, and remained
in their house that day. The second day following we came aboord to deliuer
our marchandise, and to get our pinnesse mended.
The 14 day came into the road the Spanish fleet which was bound to the
Emperours Indies, which were in number nineteene saile, whereof sixe were
ships of foure hundred and fiue hundred a piece, the rest were of two
hundred, an hundred and fifty, and of an hundred. When they were come to an
ancre they saluted vs with ordinance, and so we did them in like case. And
afterwards the Admirall (who was a knight) sent his pinnesse to desire me
to come to him; and when I came to him he receiued me friendly, and was
desirous to heare somewhat of the state of England and Flanders. And after
he had me a banquet, I departed; and I being gone vnto the boat, hee caused
one of his gentlemen to desire Francisco the Portugall, which was my
interpreter, to require me to furle my flagge, declaring that hee was
Generall of the Emperours fleet. Which thing (being come aboord) Francisco
shewed me: and because I refused to furle it, and kept it foorth still,
certaine of the souldiers in the ships shot diuers harquebush shot about
the ship, and ouer the flagge: and at the same time there came certeine
gentlemen aboord our ship to see her: to whom I sayd, that if they would
not cause those their men to leaue shooting, I would shoot the best
ordinance I had thorow their sides. And when they perceuied that I was
offended, they departed, and caused their men of warre and souldiers to
shoot no more, and afterwards they came to me againe, and tolde me that
they punished their men. That done, I shewed them the ship, and made them
such cheere as I could, which they receiued very thankfully: and the day
following they sent for mee to dine with them, and sent me word that their
General was very sory that any man should require me to furle my flagge,
and that it was without his consent: and therefore he requested me not to
thinke any vngentlenesse to be in him, promising that no man of his should
misdemeane himselfe.
The 17 day we set saile in the road of Grand Canarie, and proceeded on our
voyage.
The 20 in the morning we had sight of the coast of Barbarie, and running
along the shore we had sight of Rio del Oro, which lieth almost vnder the
tropike of Cancer.
The 21 day we found our selues to be in 20 degrees and a halfe, which is
the heigth of Cape Blank.
The 25 we had sight of the land in the bay to the Northward of Cape Verde.
[Sidenote: Cape verde. Foure Ilands.] The 26 I tooke Francisco and Francis
Castelin with me, and went into the pinnesse, and so went to the Tyger
which was neerer the shore then the other ships, and went aboord her, and
with her and the other ships we ranne West and by South, and West
southwest, vntill about foure of the clocke, at which time we were hard
aboord the Cape, and then we ran in Southwest, and beyond the Cape about
foure leagues we found a faire Iland, and besides that two or three Ilands,
which were of very high rocks being full of diuers sorts of sea foule, and
of pigeons, with other sorts of land-foules, and so many, that the whole
Iland was couered with the dung thereof, and seemed so white as if the
whole Iland had bene of chalke; and within those Ilands was a very faire
bay, and hard aboord the rocks eighteene fadom water, and faire ground.
[Sidenote: A great trade of the Frenchmen at Cape verde.] And when we
perceiued the bay, and vnderstanding that the Frenchmen had a great trade
there, which we were desirous to know, we came to an ancre with the Tyger.
And after that the Minion and the Christopher ancred in like case: then we
caused the pinnesse to runne beyond another Cape of land, to see if there
were any place to trade in there.
It being neere night I took our cocke and the Tygers skiffe, and went to
the Iland, where we got certaine foules like vnto Gannards: and then I came
aboord againe and tooke two of the Gannards which we had taken, and caried
them to the captaine of the Christopher, and when I had talked with him I
found him not willing to tary there, neither was I desirous to spend any
long time there, but onely to attempt what was to be done. The Master of
the Christopher told me he would not tary, being not bound for that place.
[Sidenote: A faire Iland where the French trade.] The 27 the Captaine of
the Tyger and Edward Selman came to me, and Iohn Makeworth from the
Christopher, and then we agreed to take the pinnessse, and to come along
the shore, because that where we rid no Negros came to vs, and the night
before our pinnesse brought vs word that there was a very faire Iland. And
when I came beyond the point I found it so, and withall a goodly bay, and
we saw vpon the maine certaine Negros which waued vs on shore, and then we
came to an ancre with the pinnesse, and went a shore with our cocke, and
they shewed vs where their trade was, and that they had Elephants teeth,
muske, and hides, and offered vs to fetch downe their Captaine, if we would
send a man with them, and they would leaue a pledge for him: then we asked
him when any ship had bene there; and some of them sayd not in eight
moneths, others, in sixe moneths, and others in foure and that they were
Frenchmen.
Then we perceuing, the Christopher not willing to tary, departed from them,
and set saile with the pinnesse and went aboord the Tyger.
The 10 day of March we fell with the coast of Guinea, fiue leagues to the
Eastward of Cape de Monte, beside a riuer called Rio das Palmas.
The 11 we went to the shore, and found one man that could speake some
Portuguise, who tolde vs that there were three French ships passed by; one
of them two moneths past, and the other one moneth past. At this place I
receiued nineteene Elephants teeth, and two ounces and halfe a quarter of
golde.
The 12 we set saile to go to the riuer de Sestos.
The 13 at night we fell with the same riuer.
The 14 day we sent in our boats to take water, and rommaged our shippes,
and deliuered such wares to the Christopher and Tyger, as they had need of.
The 15 we came together, and agreed to send the Tyger to another riuer to
take in her water, and to see what she could do for graines.
After that we tooke marchandise with vs, and went into the riuer, and there
we found a Negro which was borne in Lisbone, left there by a ship of
Portugal which was burned the last yere at this riuer in fighting with
three Frenchmen: and he told vs further, that two moneths past there were
three Frenchmen at this place; and sixe weeks past there were two French
ships at the riuer: and fifteene dayes past there was one. All which ships
were gone towards the Mina. This day we tooke but few graines.
The 19 day considering that the Frenchman were gone before vs, and that by
reason of the vnholesome aires of this place foureteene of our men in the
Minion were fallen sicke, we determined to depart, and with all speed to go
to the Mina.
The 21. wee came to the riuer de Potos, where some of our boats went in for
water, and I went in with our cocke, and tooke 12 small Elephants teeth.
The 23. day, after we had taken as many teeth as we could get, about nine
of the clocke we set saile to go towards the Mina.
The 31 we came to Hanta, and made sale of certaine Manillios.
[Sidenote: They descrie fiue saile of the Portugals.] The first Aprill we
had sight of fiue saile of Portugals, wherevpon we set saile and went off
to sea to get the winde of them, which wee should haue had if the winde had
kept his ordinary course, which is all the day at the Southwest, and
West-southwest: but this day with a flaw it kept all the day at the East,
and East-southeast, so that the Portugals had the winde of vs, and came
roome with the Tyger and vs untill night, and brought themselues all saue
one, which sailed not so well as the rest, within shot of vs: then it fell
calme, and the winde came vp to the Southwest, howbeit it was neere night,
and the Christopher, by meanes of her boat, was about foure leagues to the
leewards of vs. We tacked and ranne into the weather of the Admirall, and
three more of his company, and when we were neere him we spake to him, but
he would not answere. [Sidenote: The fight.] Then we cast about and lay in
the weather of him; and casting about he shot at vs, and then wee shot at
him, and shot him foure or fiue times thorow. They shot diuers times thorow
our sailes, but hurt no man. The Tyger and the pinnesse, because it was
night, kept out their sailes, and would not meddle with them. After we had
thus fought together 2 houres or more, and would not lay him aboord because
it was night, we left shooting one at the other, and kept still the weather
of them. Then the Tyger and the pinnesse kept about and came to vs, and
afterwards being neere the shore, we three kept about and lay to the sea,
and shot off a piece to giue warning to the Christopher.
This night about 12 of the clocke, being very litle winde, and the Master
of the Tyger asleepe, by the ill worke of his men the ship fel aboord of
vs, and with her sheare-hooks cut our maine-saile, and her boat being
betwixt vs was broken and suncke, with certaine marchandise in her, and the
ships wales were broken with her outleger: yet in the ende we cleared her
without any more hurt, but she was in hazzard to be broken downe to the
water.
The second day we had sight of the Christopher, and were neere vnto her, so
that I tooke our boat and went to her. And when I came thither, they shewed
me, that after the Portugals had left vs, they went all roome with him, and
about twelue a clocke at night met him, and shot at him, and hee at them,
and they shot him thorow the sailes in diuers places, and did no other
great hurt. And when we had vnderstood that they had bene with him as well
as with vs, we agreed altogether to seeke them (if wee might finde them)
and keepe a weather our places of traffique.
The third day we ran all day to the Southwestwards to seeke the Portugals,
but could haue no sight of them, and halled into the shore.
The fourth day, when we had sight of land, we found that the current had
set vs thirty leagues to the Eastwards of our reckoning, which we woondered
at: for the first land we made was Lagua. Then I caused our boat to be
manned, and the Christophers also, and went to the shore and tooke our
Negro with vs. And on shore we learned that there were foure French ships
vpon the coast: one at Perinnen, which is six leagues to the Westward of
Laguoa: another at Weamba, which is foure leagues to the Eastward of
Laguoa; a third at Perecow, which is foure leagues to the Eastward of
Weamba: and the fourth at Egrand, which is foure leagues to the Eastward of
Perecow.
When we had intelligence of these newes we agreed to go to the Eastwards
with the Frenchmen to put them from their traffique, and shot off two or
three pieces in our boats to cause the ships to way: and hauing bene about
one houre vnder saile, we had sight of one of the French men vnder saile,
halling off from Weamba to whome we gaue chase, and agreed in the night for
feare of ouershooting them, that the Minion should first come to ancre, and
after that about three houres, the Tyger and the Christopher to beare along
all night.
The 5. day we found three of the French ships at ancre: one called La foye
de Honfleur, a ship of 220 tunnes, another called the Ventereuse or small
Roebarge of Honfleur, of 100 tunnes, both appertaining to Shawdet of
Honfleur, the third was called the Mulet de Batuille a ship of 120 tunnes,
and this ship belonged to certaine Marchants of Roan.
[Sidenote: the English boord the Frenchmen.] When we came to them, we
determined to lay the Admiral aboord, the Christopher the Viceadmirall, and
the Tyger the smallest: but when we came nere them they wayed, and the
Christopher being the headmost and the weathermost man, went roome with the
Admirall: the Roebarge went so fast that wee could not fetch her. The first
that we came to was the Mullet, and her wee layed aboord, and our men
entred and tooke her, which ship was the richest except the Admirall: for
the Admirall had taken about 80 pound of golde, and Roeberge had taken but
22 pound: and all this we learned of the Frenchmen, who knew it very well:
for they were all in consort together, and had bene vpon the coast of Mina
two moneths and odde dayes: howbeit the Roebarge had bene there before them
with another ship of Diepe, and a carauel, which had beaten all the coast,
and were departed one moneth before our arriuing there, and they three had
taken about 700 pound of golde.
Assoone as we had layed the ship aboord, and left certaine men in her to
keepe her, we set saile and gaue chase to the other two ships, and chased
them all day and night, and the next day vntill three a clocke in the
afternoone, but we could not fetch them: and therefore seeing that we
brought our selues very farre to leeward of our place, we left the chase,
and kept about againe to go with the shore.
The 7 day I sent for the captaine, marchants and Masters of the other
ships, and when they came we weighed the golde which we had from the
Frenchmen, which weighed fifty pound and fiue ounces of golde: this done we
agreed to put men out of euery ship into the prise to keepe her.
The 12 day we came to the further place of the Mina called Egrand, and
being come to an ancre, discharged all the marchants goods out of the
prise, and would haue sold the ship with the victuals to the Frenchmen, but
because she was leake they would not take her, but desired vs to saue their
liues in taking them into our owne ships: then we agreed to take out the
victuals and sinke the ship, and diuide the men among our ships.
The 15 at night we made an end of discharging the prise, and diuided all
the Frenchmen except foure which were sicke and not able to helpe
themselues; which foure both the Christopher and the Tyger refused to take,
leauing them in their ship alone in the night, so that about midnight I was
forced to fetch them into our ship.
The 15 of April, moouing our company for the voyage to Benin, the most part
of them all refused it.
The 16, seeing the vnwillingnesse of the company to goe thither, we
determined to spend as much time vpon the coast as we could, to the end we
might make our voyage, and agreed to leaue the Minion here at Egrand, the
Tyger to go to Pericow which is foure leagues off, and the Christopher to
goe to Weamba, which is ten leagues to the weatherward of this place: and
if any of them both should haue sight of more sailes then they thought good
to meddle withall to come roome with their fellowes; to wit, first the
Christopher to come with the Tyger, and then both they to come with vs.
We remained in this place called Egrand, vntill the last day of April, in
which time many of our men fell sicke: and sixe of them died. And here we
could haue no traffique with the Negros but three or foure dayes in the
weeke, and all the rest of the weeke they would not come at vs.
The 3 of May not hauing the pinnesse sent vs with cloth from the other
ships, as they promised, we solde French cloth, and gaue but three yards
thereof to euery fuffe.
The 5 day the Negros departed, and told vs they would come to vs againe
within foure dayes, which we determined there to tary, although we had
diuers of our men sicke.
The 8 day, all our cloth in the Minion being sold, I called the company
together, to know whether they would tary the sale of the cloth taken in
the prise at this place or no: they answered, that in respect of the death
of some of their men, and the present sicknesse of twentie more, they would
not tary, but repaire to the other ships, of whom they had heard nothing
since the 27 of April: and yet they had our pinnesse with them, onely to
cary newes from one to another.
The 9 day we determined to depart hence to our fellowes, to see what they
had done, and to attempt what was to be done at the towne of Don Iohn.
The 10 day in the morning we sat saile to seeke the Christopher and the
Tyger.
The ll day the Captaine of the Christopher came to vs, and told vs that
they could finde small doings at the places where they had bene.
The 12 William Crompton and I in our small pinnesse went to the Tyger and
the Christopher at Perenine.
The 13 we sent away the Tyger to Egrand, because we found nothing to doe at
Perenine, worth the tarying for.
The 14 our great pinnesse came to vs, and presently we put cloth into her,
and sent her backe to Weamba, where she had bene before, and had taken
there ten pound of golde.
The 15 the Minion came to vs, and the next day we went a shore with our
boats, and tooke but one ounce of golde.
The 19 day hauing set saile we came to an ancre before Mowre, and there we
tarried two dayes, but tooke not an ounce of golde.
The 21 we came to an ancre before Don Iohns towne.
[Sidenote: the great towne of Don Iohn.] The 22 we manned our boats and
went to shore, but the Negros would not come at vs; then the Captaine of
the Christopher and I tooke a skiffe and eight men with vs, and went and
talked with the Negros, and they sayd that they would send a man to the
great towne, where Don Iohn himselfe lay, to aduertise him of our comming.
The 23 we went ashore againe, and the Negros tolde vs that this day the
marchants of Don Iohn would come downe: so we tarried there vntill night,
and no man would come to vs: but diuers of the Negros made vs signes to
depart.