Captain Sampson Returned With His Message In This Sort:--First,
Touching Peace Or Wars, The Governor Said He Knew Of
No wars and that
it lay not in him to make any, he being so mean a subject as he
Was.
And as for the stay of the merchants with their goods, it was the
king's pleasure, but not with intent to endamage any man. And that the
king's counter-commandment was (which had been received in that place
some seven-night before) that English merchants with their goods
should be discharged. For the more verifying whereof, he sent such
merchants as were in the town of our nation, who trafficked those
parts; which being at large declared to our General by them, counsel
was taken what might best be done. And for that the night approached,
it was thought needful to land our forces, which was done in the
shutting up of the day; and having quartered ourselves to our most
advantage, with sufficient guard upon every strait, we thought to rest
ourselves for that night there. The Governor sent us some refreshing,
as bread, wine, oil, apples, grapes, marmalade and such like. About
midnight the weather began to overcast, insomuch that it was thought
meeter to repair aboard, than to make any longer abode on land. And
before we could recover the fleet a great tempest arose, which caused
many of our ships to drive from their anchorhold, and some were forced
to sea in great peril, as the bark Talbot, the bark Hawkins, and the
Speedwell; which Speedwell only was driven into England, the others
recovered us again. The extremity of the storm lasted three days;
which no sooner began to assuage, but Master Carlile, our Lieutenant-
General, was sent with his own ship and three others, as also with the
galley and with divers pinnaces, to see what he might do above Vigo,
where he took many boats and some carvels, diversely laden with things
of small value, but chiefly with household stuff, running into the
high country. And amongst the rest he found one boat laden with the
principal church stuff of the high church of Vigo, where also was
their great cross of silver, of very fair embossed work and double-
gilt all over, having cost them a great mass of money. They complained
to have lost in all kinds of goods above thirty thousand ducats in
this place.
The next day the General with his whole fleet went from up the Isles
of Bayon to a very good harbour above Vigo, where Master Carlile
stayed his coming, as well for the more quiet riding of his ships, as
also for the good commodity of fresh watering which the place there
did afford full well. In the meantime the governor of Galicia had
reared such forces as he might (his numbers by estimate were some 2000
foot and 300 horse), and marched from Bayona to this part of the
country, which lay in sight of our fleet; where, making a stand, he
sent to parley with our General. Which was granted by our General, so
it might be in boats upon the water; and for safety of their persons
there were pledges delivered on both sides. Which done, the governor
of Galicia put himself with two others into our Vice-Admiral's skiff,
the same having been sent to the shore for him, and in like sort our
General went in his own skiff. Where by them it was agreed we should
furnish ourselves with fresh water, to be taken by our own people
quietly on the land, and have all other such necessaries, paying for
the same, as the place would afford.
When all our business was ended we departed, and took our way by the
Islands of Canaria, which are esteemed some 300 leagues from this part
of Spain; and falling purposely with Palma, with intention to have
taken our pleasure of that place, for the full digesting of many
things into order, and the better furnishing our store with such
several good things as it affordeth very abundantly, we were forced by
the vile sea-gate, which at that present fell out, and by the
naughtiness of the landing-place, being but one, and that under the
favour of many platforms well furnished with great ordnance, to depart
with the receipt of many of their cannon-shot, some into our ships and
some besides, some of them being in very deed full cannon high. But
the only or chief mischief was the dangerous sea-surge, which at shore
all alongst plainly threatened the overthrow of as many pinnaces and
boats as for that time should have attempted any landing at all.
Now seeing the expectation of this attempt frustrated by the causes
aforesaid, we thought it meeter to fall with the Isle Ferro, to see if
we could find any better fortune; and coming to the island we landed a
thousand men in a valley under a high mountain, where we stayed some
two or three hours. In which time the inhabitants, accompanied with a
young fellow born in England, who dwelt there with them, came unto us,
shewing their state to be so poor that they were all ready to starve,
which was not untrue; and therefore without anything gotten, we were
all commanded presently to embark, so as that night we put off to sea
south-south-east along towards the coast of Barbary.
Upon Saturday in the morning, being the 13th of November, we fell with
Cape Blank, which is a low land and shallow water, where we catched
store of fish; and doubling the cape, we put into the bay, where we
found certain French ships of war, whom we entertained with great
courtesy, and there left them. This afternoon the whole fleet
assembled, which was a little scattered about their fishing, and put
from thence to the Isles of Cape Verde, sailing till the 16th of the
same month in the morning; on which day we descried the Island of
Santiago.
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