Thus In The End, On The 8th Day Of October, We Came To
The Land In The Bottom Of The
Same bay of Mexico, in twenty-three
degrees and a half, where we hoped to have found habitations of the
Spaniards, relief of victuals, and place for the repair of our ship,
which was so sore beaten with shot from our enemies, and bruised with
shooting of our own ordnance, that our weary and weak arms were scarce
able to defend and keep out the water. But all things happened to the
contrary, for we found neither people, victual, nor haven of relief,
but a place where, having fair weather, with some peril we might land a
boat. Our people, being forced with hunger, desired to be set aland,
whereunto I concluded.
And such as were willing to land I put apart, and such as were desirous
to go homewards I put apart, so that they were indifferently parted, a
hundred of one side and a hundred of the other side. These hundred men
we set on land with all diligence, in this little place aforesaid,
which being landed, we determined there to refresh our water, and so
with our little remain of victuals to take the sea.
The next day, having on land with me fifty of our hundred men that
remained, for the speedier preparing of our water aboard, there arose
an extreme storm, so that in three days we could by no means repair our
ships. The ship also was in such peril that every hour we looked for
shipwreck.
But yet God again had mercy on us, and sent fair weather. We got
aboard our water, and departed the 16th day of October, after which day
we had fair and prosperous weather till the 16th day of November, which
day, God be praised, we were clear from the coast of the Indians and
out of the channel and gulf of Bahama, which is between the cape of
Florida and the islands of Cuba. After this, growing near to the cold
country, our men, being oppressed with famine, died continually, and
they that were left grew into such weakness that we were scarcely able
to manoeuvre our ship, and the wind being always ill for us to recover
England, determined to go to Galicia, in Spain, with intent there to
relieve our company and other extreme wants. And being arrived the
last day of December, in a place near unto Vigo, called Pontevedra, our
men, with excess of fresh meat, grew into miserable diseases, and died
a great part of them. This matter was borne out as long as it might
be, but in the end, although there was none of our men suffered to go
on land, yet by access of the Spaniards our feebleness was known to
them. Whereupon they ceased not to seek by all means to betray us, but
with all speed possible we departed to Vigo, where we had some help of
certain English ships, and twelve fresh men, wherewith we repaired our
wants as we might, and departing the 30th day of January, 1568, arrived
in Mount's Bay in Cornwall the 25th of the same month, praised be God
therefore.
If all the misery and troublesome affairs of this sorrowful voyage
should be perfectly and thoroughly written, there should need a painful
man with his pen, and as great time as he had that wrote the "Lives and
Deaths of the Martyrs."
JOHN HAWKINS.
- - -
A DISCOURSE WRITTEN BY ONE MILES PHILLIPS, ENGLISHMAN, ONE OF THE
COMPANY PUT ASHORE IN THE WEST INDIES BY MASTER JOHN HAWKINS IN THE
YEAR 1568, CONTAINING MANY SPECIAL THINGS OF THAT COUNTRY AND OF THE
SPANISH GOVERNMENT, BUT SPECIALLY OF THEIR CRUELTIES USED TO OUR
ENGLISHMEN, AND AMONGST THE REST, TO HIMSELF FOR THE SPACE OF FIFTEEN
OR SIXTEEN YEARS TOGETHER, UNTIL BY GOOD AND HAPPY MEANS HE WAS
DELIVERED FROM THEIR BLOODY HANDS, AND RETURNED TO HIS OWN COUNTRY.
ANNO 1582.
THE FIRST CHAPTER.
WHEREIN IS SHOWN THE DAY AND TIME OF OUR DEPARTURE FROM THE COAST OF
ENGLAND, WITH THE NUMBER AND NAMES OF THE SHIPS, THEIR CAPTAINS AND
MASTERS, AND OF OUR TRAFFIC AND DEALING UPON THE COAST OF AFRICA.
Upon Monday, being the 2nd of October, 1567, the weather being
reasonable fair, our General, Master John Hawkins, having commanded all
his captains and masters to be in a readiness to make sail with him, he
himself being embarked in the Jesus, whereof was appointed for master
Robert Barret, hoisted sail and departed from Plymouth upon his
intended voyage for the parts of Africa and America, being accompanied
with five other sail of ships, as namely the Minion, wherein went for
captain Master John Hampton, and John Garret, master. The William and
John, wherein was Captain Thomas Bolton, and James Raunce, master. The
Judith, in whom was Captain Master Francis Drake, now Knight, and the
Angel, whose master, as also the captain and master of the Swallow, I
now remember not. And so sailing in company together upon our voyage
until the 10th of the same month, an extreme storm then took us near
unto Cape Finisterre, which lasted for the space of four days, and so
separated our ships that we had lost one another, and our General,
finding the Jesus to be but in ill case, was in mind to give over the
voyage and to return home. Howbeit, the eleventh of the same month,
the seas waxing calm and the wind coming fair, he altered his purpose,
and held on the former intended voyage; and so coming to the island of
Gomera, being one of the islands of the Canaries, where, according to
an order before appointed, we met with all our ships which were before
dispersed. We then took in fresh water and departed from thence the
4th of November, and holding on our course, upon the 18th day of the
same month we came to an anchor upon the coast of Africa, at Cape
Verde, in twelve fathoms of water, and here our General landed certain
of our men, to the number of 160 or thereabouts, seeking to take some
negroes.
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