supposed him to be aboard of our ship, presently went unto the king and
told him that he thought that his pledge, Patrone Norado, was aboard on
the English ship. Whereupon the king presently sent a boat aboard of us,
with three men in her, commanding the said Sonnings to come ashore; and,
not speaking anything as touching the man, he said that he would come
presently in his own boat; but as soon as they were gone he willed us to
warp forth the ship, and said that he would see the knaves hanged before
he would go ashore. And when the king saw that he came not ashore, but
still continued warping away the ship, he straight commanded the gunner
of the bulwark next unto us to shoot three shots without ball. Then we
came all to the said Sonnings, and asked him what the matter was that we
were shot at; he said that it was the janisaries who would have the oil
ashore again, and willed us to make haste away. And after that he had
discharged three shots without ball he commanded all the gunners in the
town to do their endeavour to sink us; but the Turkish gunners could not
once strike us, wherefore the king sent presently to the banio (this
banio is the prison where all the captives lay at night), and promised
that if there were any that could either sink us or else cause us to
come in again, he should have a hundred crowns and his liberty. With
that came forth a Spaniard called Sebastian, which had been an old
servitor in Flanders, and he said that, upon the performance of that
promise, he would undertake either to sink us or to cause us to come in
again, and thereto he would gage his life; and at the first shot he
split our rudder's head in pieces, and the second shot he struck us
under water, and the third shot he shot us through our fore-mast with a
culverin shot, and thus, he having rent both our rudder and mast and
shot us under water, we were enforced to go in again.
This Sebastian for all his diligence herein had neither his liberty nor
a hundred crowns, so promised by the said king; but, after his service
done, was committed again to prison, whereby may appear the regard that
a Turk or infidel hath of his work, although he be able to perform
it--yea, more, though he be a king.
Then our merchants, seeing no remedy, they, together with five of our
company, went ashore; and they then ceased shooting. They shot unto us
in the whole nine-and-thirty shots without the hurt of any man.
And when our merchants came ashore the king commanded presently that
they, with the rest of our company that were with them, should be
chained four and four to a hundred-weight of iron, and when we came in
with the ship there came presently above a hundred Turks aboard of us,
and they searched us and stripped our very clothes from our backs, and
broke open our chests, and made a spoil of all that we had; and the
Christian caitiffs likewise that came aboard of us made spoil of our
goods, and used us as ill as the Turks did.
Then came the guardian Basha, who is the keeper of the king's captives,
to fetch us all ashore; and then I, remembering the miserable estate of
poor distressed captives in the time of their bondage to those infidels,
went to mine own chest, and took out thereof a jar of oil, and filled a
basket full of white ruske, to carry ashore with me. But before I came
to the banio the Turkish boys had taken away almost all my bread, and
the keeper said, "Deliver me the jar of oil, and when thou comest to the
banio thou shalt have it again;" but I never had it of him any more.
But when I came to the banio and saw our merchants and all the rest of
our company in chains, and we all ready to receive the same reward, what
heart is there so hard but would have pitied our cause, hearing or
seeing the lamentable greeting there was betwixt us? All this happened
May 1st, 1584.
And the second day of the same month the king with all his council sat
in judgment upon us. The first that were had forth to be arraigned were
the factors and the masters, and the king asked them wherefore they
came not ashore when he sent for them. And Romaine Sonnings answered
that, though he were a king on shore, and might command there, so was he
as touching those that were under him; and therefore said, if any
offence be, the fault is wholly in myself and in no other. Then
forthwith the king gave judgment that the said Romaine Sonnings should
be hanged over the north-east bulwark, from whence he conveyed the
forenamed Patrone Norado. And then he called for our master, Andrew
Dier, and used few words to him, and so condemned him to be hanged over
the walls of the westernmost bulwarks.
Then fell our other factor, named Richard Skegs, upon his knees before
the king, and said, "I beseech your highness either to pardon our master
or else suffer me to die for him, for he is ignorant of this cause." And
then the people of that country, favouring the said Rickard Skegs,
besought the king to pardon them both. So then the king spake these
words: "Behold, for thy sake I pardon the master." Then presently the
Turks shouted and cried, saying, "Away with the master from the presence
of the king." And then he came into the banio where we were, and told us
what had happened, and we all rejoiced at the good hap of Master Skegs,
that he was saved, and our master for his sake.
But afterwards our joy was turned to double sorrow, for in the meantime
the king's mind was altered: for that one of his council had advised him
that, unless the master died also, by the law they could not confiscate
the ship nor goods, neither make captive any of the men. Whereupon the
king sent for our master again, and gave him another judgment after his
pardon for one cause, which was that he should be hanged.
And when that Romaine Sonnings saw no remedy but that he should die, he
protested to turn Turk, hoping thereby to have saved his life. Then said
the Turk, "If thou wilt turn Turk, speak the words that thereunto
belong;" and he did so. Then said they unto him, "Now thou shalt die in
the faith of a Turk;" and so he did, as the Turks reported that were at
his execution; and the forenamed Patrone Narado, whereas before he had
liberty and did nothing, he then was condemned slave perpetual, except
there were payment made of the foresaid sum of money.
Then the king condemed all of us, who were in number five-and-twenty, of
which two were hanged (as you have heard) and one died the first day we
came on shore by the visitation of Almighty God, and the other
three-and-twenty he condemned slaves perpetually unto the Great Turk,
and the ship and goods were confiscated to the use of the Great Turk;
then we all fell down upon our knees, giving God thanks for this
sorrowful visitation and giving ourselves wholly to the almighty power
of God, unto whom all secrets are known, that He of His goodness would
vouchsafe to look upon us.
Every five men had allowance but five aspers of bread in a day, which is
but twopence English, and our lodging was to lie on the bare boards,
with a very simple cape to cover us. We were also forcibly and most
violently shaven, head and beard, and within three days after, I and
five more of my fellows, together with fourscore Italians and Spaniards,
were sent forth in a galiot to take a Greek carmosel, which came into
Arabia to steal negroes, and went out of Tripolis unto that place which
was two hundred and forty leagues thence; but we were chained three and
three to an oar, and we rowed naked above the girdle, and the boatswain
of the galley walked abaft the mast, and his mate afore the mast, and
each of them a whip in their hands, and when their devilish choler rose
they would strike the Christians for no cause: and they allowed us but
half a pound of bread a man in a day, without any other kind of
sustenance, water excepted. And when we came to the place where we saw
the carmosel, we were not suffered to have neither needle, bodkin,
knife, or any other instrument about us, nor at any other time in the
night, upon pain of one hundred bastinadoes: we were then also cruelly
manacled, in such sort that we could not put our hands the length of one
foot asunder the one from the other, and every night they searched our
chains three times, to see if they were fast riveted. We continued the
fight with the carmosel there hours, and then we took it, and lost but
two of our men in that fight; but there were slain of the Greeks five,
and fourteen were cruelly hurt; and they that were found were presently
made slaves and chained to the oars, and within fifteen days after we
returned again into Tripolis, and then we were put to all manner of
slavery. I was put to hew stones, and others to carry stones, and some
to draw the cart with earth, and some to make mortar, and some to draw
stones (for at that time the Turks builded a church); and thus we were
put to all kinds of slavery that was to be done.
Now, the king had eighteen captives, which three times a week went to
fetch wood thirty miles from the town, and on a time he appointed me for
one of the eighteen, and we departed at eight of the clock in the night;
and upon the way, at midnight, or thereabouts, as I was riding upon my
camel, I fell asleep, and the guide and all the rest rode away from me,
not thinking but I had been among them. When I awoke, and finding myself
alone, I durst not call nor holloa, for fear lest the wild Moors should
hear me--because they hold this opinion, that in killing a Christian
they do God good service--and musing with myself what were best for me
to do: if I should return back to Tripolis without any wood or company I
should be most miserably used; therefore, of the two evils, rather I had
to go forth to the losing of my life than to turn back and trust to
their mercy, fearing to be used as before I had seen others. For,
understanding by some of my company before how Tripolis and the said
wood did lie one off another, by the North Star I went forth at
adventure, and, as God would have it, I came right to the place where
they were, even about an hour before day. There altogether we rested,
and gave our camels provender, and as soon as the day appeared we rode
all into the wood; and I, seeing no wood there but a stick here and a
stick there, about the bigness of a man's arm, growing in the sand, it
caused me to marvel how so many camels should be loaded in that place.
The wood was juniper; we needed no axe nor edged tool to cut it, but
plucked it up by strength of hands, roots and all, which a man might
easily do, and so gathered together a little at one place, and so at
another, and laded our camels, and came home about seven of the clock
that night following; because I fell lame and my camel was tired, I left
my wood in the way.
This king had a son which was a ruler in an island called Gerbi,
whereunto arrived an English ship called the _Green Dragon_, of the
which was master one M. Blonket, who, having a very unhappy boy on that
ship, and understanding that whosoever would turn Turk should be well
entertained of the king's son, this boy did run ashore and voluntarily
turned Turk. Shortly after the king's son came to Tripolis to visit his
father, and seeing our company, he greatly fancied Richard Burges, our
purser, and James Smith. They were both young men, therefore he was very
desirious to have them to turn Turks; but they would not yield to his
desire, saying, "We are your father's slaves and as slaves we will serve
him." Then his father the king sent for them, and asked them if they
would turn Turks; and they said: "If it please your Highness, Christians
we were born and so we will remain, and beseech the king that they might
not be enforced thereunto." The king had there before in his house a son
of a yeoman of our queen's guard, whom the king's son had enforced to
turn Turk; his name was John Nelson. Him the king caused to be brought
to these young men, and then said unto them, "Will you not bear this,
your countryman, company, and be Turk as he is?" and they said that they
would not yield thereunto during life. But it fell out that, within a
month after, the king's son went home to Gerbi again, being five score
miles from Tripolis, and carried our two foresaid young men with him,
which were Richard Burges and James Smith. And after their departure
from us they sent us a letter, signifying that there was no violence
showed unto them as yet; yet within three days after they were violently
used, for that the king's son demanded of them again if that they would
turn Turk. Then answered Richard Burges: "A Christian I am, and so I
will remain." Then the king's son very angrily said unto him, "By
Mahomet thou shalt presently be made Turk!" Then called he for his men
and commanded them to make him Turk; and they did so, and circumcised
him, and would have had him speak the words that thereunto belonged; but
he answered them stoutly that he would not, and although they had put on
him the habit of a Turk, yet said he, "A Christian I was born, and so I
will remain, though you force me to do otherwise."
And then he called for the other, and commanded him to be made Turk
perforce also; but he was very strong, for it was so much as eight of
the king's son's men could do to hold him. So in the end they
circumcised him and made him Turk. Now, to pass over a little, and so to
show the manner of our deliverance out of that miserable captivity.
In May aforesaid, shortly after our apprehension, I wrote a letter into
England unto my father, dwelling in Evistoke in Devonshire, signifying
unto him the whole estate of our calamities, and I wrote also to
Constantinople to the English ambassador, both which letters were
faithfully delivered. But when my father had received my letter, and
understood the truth of our mishap, and the occasion thereof, and what
had happened to the offenders, he certified the Right Honourable the
Earl of Bedford thereof, who in short space acquainted Her Highness with
the whole cause thereof; and Her Majesty, like a most merciful princess
tendering her subjects, presently took order for our deliverance.
Whereupon the Right Worshipful Sir Edward Osborne, knight, directed his
letters with all speed to the English ambassador in Constantinople to
procure our delivery, and he obtained the Great Turk's commission, and
sent it forthwith to Tripolis by one Master Edward Barton, together with
a justice of the Great Turk's and one soldier, and another Turk and a
Greek, which was his interpreter, which could speak beside Greek,
Turkish, Italian, Spanish and English. And when they came to Tripolis
they were well entertained, and the first night they did lie in a
captain's house in the town. All our company that were in Tripolis came
that night for joy to Master Barton and the other commissioners to see
them. Then Master Barton said unto us, "Welcome, my good countrymen,"
and lovingly entertained us: and at our departure from him he gave us
two shillings, and said, "Serve God, for to-morrow I hope you shall be
as free as ever you were." We all gave him thanks and so departed.
The next day, in the morning very early, the king having intelligence of
their coming, sent word to the keeper that none of the Englishmen
(meaning our company) should go to work. Then he sent for Master Barton
and the other commissioners, and demanded of the said Master Barton his
message. The justice answered that the Great Turk, his sovereign, had
sent them unto him, signifying that he was informed that a certain
English ship, called the _Jesus_, was by him the said king confiscated
about twelve months since, and now my said sovereign hath here sent his
especial commission by us unto you for the deliverance of the said ship
and goods, and also the free liberty and deliverance of the Englishmen
of the said ship whom you have taken and kept in captivity. And further,
the same justice said, I am authorised by my said sovereign the Great
Turk to see it done; and therefore I command you, by the virtue of this
commission, presently to make restitution of the premises or the value
thereof. And so did the justice deliver unto the king the Great Turk's
commission to the effect aforesaid, which commission the king with all
obedience received; and after the perusing of the same, he forthwith
commanded all the English captives to be brought before him, and then
willed the keeper to strike off all our irons. Which done, the king
said, "You Englishmen, for that you did offend the laws of this place,
by the same laws therefore some of your company were condemned to die,
as you know, and you to be perpetual captives during your lives;
notwithstanding, seeing it hath pleased my sovereign lord the Great Turk
to pardon your said offences, and to give you your freedom and liberty,
behold, here I make delivery of you unto this English gentleman." So he
delivered us all that were there, being thirteen in number, to Master
Barton, who required also those two young men which the king's son had
taken with him. Then the king answered that it was against their law to
deliver them, for that they were turned Turks; and, touching the ship
and goods, the king said that he had sold her, but would make
restitution of the value, and as much of the goods as came unto his
hands. And so the king arose and went to dinner, and commanded a Jew to
go with Master Barton and the other commissioners to show them their
lodgings, which was a house provided and appointed them by the said
king. And because I had the Italian and Spanish tongues, by which there
most traffic in that country is, Master Barton made me his caterer, to
buy his victuals for him and his company, and he delivered me money
needful for the same. Thus were we set at liberty April 28th, 1585.
A TRUE REPORT OF A WORTHY FIGHT,
PERFORMED IN THE VOYAGE FROM TURKEY BY FIVE SHIPS OF LONDON,
AGAINST ELEVEN GALLEYS AND TWO FRIGATES OF THE KING OF SPAIN'S,
AT PANTALAREA, WITHIN THE STRAITS, ANNO 1586. WRITTEN BY PHILIP
JONES.
The merchants of London, being of the incorporation for the Turkey
trade, having received intelligences and advertisements from time to
time that the King of Spain, grudging at the prosperity of this kingdom,
had not only of late arrested all English ships, bodies, and goods in
Spain, but also, maligning the quiet traffic which they used, to and in
the dominions and provinces under the obedience of the Great Turk, had
given orders to the captains of his galleys in the Levant to hinder the
passage of all English ships, and to endeavour by their best means to
intercept, take, and spoil them, their persons and goods; they hereupon
thought it their best course to set out their fleet for Turkey in such
strength and ability for their defence that the purpose of their Spanish
enemy might the better be prevented, and the voyage accomplished with
greater security to the men and ships. For which cause, five tall and
stout ships appertaining to London, and intending only a merchant's
voyage, were provided and furnished with all things belonging to the
seas, the names whereof were these:--1. The _Royal Merchant_, a very
brave and good ship, and of great report. 2. The _Toby_. 3. The _Edward
Bonaventure_. 4. The _William and John_. 5. The _Susan_.
These five departing from the coast of England in the month of November,
1585, kept together as one fleet till they came as high as the Isle of
Sicily, within the Levant. And there, according to the order and
direction of the voyage, each ship began to take leave of the rest, and
to separate himself, setting his course for the particular port
whereunto he was bound--one for Tripolis in Syria, another for
Constantinople, the chief city of the Turk's empire, situated upon the
coast of Roumelia called of old Thracia, and the rest to those places
whereunto they were privately appointed. But before they divided
themselves, they altogether consulted of and about a certain and special
place for their meeting again after the landing of their goods at their
several ports. And in conclusion, the general agreement was to meet at
Zante, an island near to the main continent of the west part of Morea,
well known to all the pilots, and thought to be the fittest place for
their rendezvous; concerning which meeting it was also covenanted on
each side and promised that whatsoever ship of these five should first
arrive at Zante, should there stay and expect the coming of the rest of
the fleet for the space of twenty days. This being done, each man made
his best haste, according as wind and weather would serve him, to fulfil
his course and to despatch his business; and no need was there to
admonish or encourage any man, seeing no time was ill-spent nor
opportunity omitted on any side in the performance of each man's duty,
according to his place.
It fell out that the _Toby_, which was bound for Constantinople, had
made such good speed, and gotten such good weather, that she first of
all the rest came back to the appointed place of Zante, and not
forgetting the former conclusion, did there cast anchor, attending the
arrival of the rest of the fleet, which accordingly (their business
first performed) failed not to keep promise. The first next after the
_Toby_ was the _Royal Merchant_, which, together with the _William and
John_, came from Tripolis in Syria, and arrived in Zante within the
compass of the aforesaid time limited. These ships, in token of the joy
on all parts conceived for their happy meeting, spared not the
discharging of their ordnance, the sounding of drums and trumpets, the
spreading of ensigns, with other warlike and joyful behaviours,
expressing by these outward signs the inward gladness of their minds,
being all as ready to join together in mutual consent to resist the
cruel enemy, as now in sporting manner they made mirth and pastime among
themselves. These three had not been long in the haven but the _Edward
Bonaventure_, together with the _Susan_ her consort, were come from
Venice with their lading, the sight of whom increased the joy of the
rest, and they, no less glad of the presence of the others, saluted them
in most friendly and kind sort, according to the manner of the seas.
In this port of Zante the news was fresh and current of two several
armies and fleets, provided by the King of Spain, and lying in wait to
intercept them: the one consisting of thirty strong galleys, so well
appointed in all respects for the war that no necessary thing wanted;
and this fleet hovered about the Straits of Gibraltar. The other army
had in it twenty galleys, whereof some were of Sicily and some of the
Island of Malta, under the charge and government of John Andreas Dorea,
a captain of name serving the King of Spain. These two divers and strong
fleets waited and attended in the seas for none but the English ships,
and no doubt made their account and sure reckoning that not a ship
should escape their fury. And the opinion also of the inhabitants of the
Isle of Zante was, that in respect of the number of galleys in both
these armies having received such straight commandment from the king,
our ships and men being but few and little in comparison of them, it was
a thing in human reason impossible that we should pass either without
spoiling, if we resisted, or without composition at the least, and
acknowledgment of duty to the Spanish king.
But it was neither the report of the attendance of these armies, nor the
opinions of the people, nor anything else, that could daunt or dismay
the courage of our men, who, grounding themselves upon the goodness of
their cause, and the promise of God to be delivered from such as without
reason sought their destruction, carried resolute minds notwithstanding
all impediments to adventure through the seas, and to finish their
navigation maugre the beards of the Spanish soldiers. But lest they
should seem too careless and too secure of their estate, and by laying
the whole and entire, burden of their safety upon God's Providence,
should foolishly presume altogether of His help, and neglect the means
which was put into their hands, they failed not to enter into counsel
among themselves, and to deliberate advisedly for their best defence.
And in the end, with general consent, the _Royal Merchant_ was appointed
admiral of the fleet, and the _Toby_ vice-admiral, by whose orders the
rest promised to be directed; and each ship vowed not to break from
another whatsoever extremity should fall out, but to stand to it to the
death, for the honour of their country and the frustrating of the hope
of the ambitious and proud enemy.