And In The Night Time We Should Hear The Lions Roar, With
Tigers, Ounces, And Other Beasts, And Some Of Them We Should See In The
Night Which Had Eyes Shining Like Fire.
And travelling thus for the
space of twelve days, we came at last to the port of Cavallos upon the
east sea, distant from Guatemala south and by east 200 leagues, and
from Mexico 450 or thereabouts.
This is a good harbour for ships, and
is without either castle or bulwark. I having despatched away my
guides, went down to the haven, where I saw certain ships laden chiefly
with canary wine, where I spake with one of the masters, who asked me
what countryman I was, and I told him that I was born in Granada, and
he said that then I was his countryman. I required him that I might
pass home with him in his ship, paying for my passage; and he said yea,
so that I had a safe conduct or letter testimonial to show that he
might incur no danger; for, said he, "it may be that you have killed
some man, or be indebted, and you would therefore run away." To that I
answered that there was not any such cause.
Well, in the end we grew to a price that for 6O pezoes he would carry
me into Spain. A glad man was I at this good hap, and I quickly sold
my horse, and made my provision of hens and bread to serve me in my
passage; and thus within two days after we set sail, and never stayed
until we came to the Havana, which is distant from port de Cavallos by
sea 500 leagues, where we found the whole fleet of Spain, which was
bound home from the Indies. And here I was hired for a soldier, to
serve in the admiral ship of the same fleet, wherein the general
himself went.
There landed while I was here four ships out of Spain, being all full
of soldiers and ordnance, of which number there were 200 men landed
here, and four great brass pieces of ordnance, although the castle were
before sufficiently provided; 200 men more were sent to Campechy, and
certain ordnance; 200 to Florida with ordnance; and 100 lastly to St.
John de Ullua. As for ordnance, there they have sufficient, and of the
very same which was ours which we had in the Jesus, and those others
which we had planted in the place, where the Viceroy betrayed Master
Hawkins, our general, as hath been declared. The sending of those
soldiers to every of those posts, and the strengthening of them, was
done by commandment from the King of Spain, who wrote also by them to
the general of his fleet, giving him in charge so to do, as also
directing him what course he should keep in his coming home into Spain,
charging him at any hand not to come nigh to the isles of Azores, but
to keep his course more to the northward, advertising him withal what
number and power of French ships of war and other Don Anthony had at
that time at the Tercera and isles aforesaid, which the general of the
fleet well considering, and what great store of riches he had to bring
home with him into Spain, did in all very dutifully observe and obey;
for in truth he had in his said fleet 37 sail of ships, and in every of
them there was as good as 30 pipes of silver, one with another, besides
great store of gold, cochineal, sugars, hides, and Cana Fistula, with
other apothecary drugs.
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