Thus, Being In Greater Despair, And Taken With A New Storm,
Which Continued Other Three Days, We Were Enforced To
Take for our
succour the port which serveth the city of Mexico, called St. John de
Ullua, which standeth in
Nineteen degrees, in seeking of which port we
took in our way three ships, which carried passengers to the number of
one hundred, which passengers we hoped should be a means to us the
better to obtain victuals for our money and a quiet place for the
repairing of our fleet. Shortly after this, the sixteenth of
September, we entered the port of St. John de Ullua, and in our entry,
the Spaniards thinking us to be the fleet of Spain, the chief officers
of the country came aboard us, which, being deceived of their
expectation, were greatly dismayed, but immediately, when they saw our
demand was nothing but victuals, were recomforted. I found also in the
same port twelve ships, which had in them, by the report, 200,000
livres in gold and silver, all which (being in my possession with the
King's island, as also the passengers before in my way thitherward
stayed) I set at liberty, without the taking from them the weight of a
groat; only, because I would not be delayed of my despatch, I stayed
two men of estimation, and sent post immediately to Mexico, which was
two hundred miles from us, to the presidents and Council there, showing
them of our arrival there by the force of weather, and the necessity of
the repair of our ship and victuals, which wants we required, as
friends to King Philip, to be furnished of for our money, and that the
presidents in council there should, with all convenient speed, take
order that at the arrival of the Spanish fleet, which was daily looked
for, there might no cause of quarrel rise between us and them, but, for
the better maintenance of amity, their commandment might be had in that
behalf. This message being sent away the 16th day of September, at
night, being the very day of our arrival, in the next morning, which
was the sixteenth day of the same month, we saw open of the haven
thirteen great ships, and understanding them to be the fleet of Spain,
I sent immediately to advertise the general of the fleet of my being
there, doing him to understand that, before I would suffer them to
enter the port, there should be some order of conditions pass between
us for our safe being there and maintenance of peace. Now, it is to be
understood that this port is a little island of stones, not three feet
above the water in the highest place, and but a bow-shot of length any
way. This island standeth from the mainland two bow-shots or more.
Also it is to be understood that there is not in all this coast any
other place for ships to arrive in safety, because the north wind hath
there such violence, that, unless the ships be very safely moored, with
their anchors fastened upon this island, there is no remedy for these
north winds but death; also, the place of the haven was so little, that
of necessity the ships must ride one aboard the other, so that we could
not give place to them nor they to us; and here I began to bewail the
which after followed:
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