Howbeit, Before We Departed From
Thence, In A Storm That We Had, We Lost One Of Our Ships, Namely, The
William And John, Of Which Ship And Her People We Heard No Tidings
During The Time Of Our Voyage.
THE SECOND CHAPTER.
WHEREIN IS SHOWED THE DAY AND TIME OF OUR DEPARTURE FROM THE COAST OF
AFRICA, WITH THE DAY AND TIME OF OUR ARRIVAL IN THE WEST INDIES, ALSO
OF OUR TRADE AND TRAFFIC THERE, AND ALSO OF THE GREAT CRUELTY THAT THE
SPANIARDS USED TOWARDS US, BY THE VICEROY HIS DIRECTION AND
APPOINTMENT, FALSIFYING HIS FAITH AND PROMISE GIVEN, AND SEEKING TO
HAVE ENTRAPPED US.
All things being made in a readiness at our General his appointment,
upon the 3rd day of February, 1568, we departed from the coast of
Africa, having the weather somewhat tempestuous; which made our passage
the more hard, and sailing so for the space of twenty-five days, upon
the 27th March, 1568, we came in sight of an island called Dominique,
upon the coast of America, in the West Indies, situated in fourteen
degrees of latitude, and two hundred and twenty-two of longitude. From
thence our General coasted from place to place, ever making traffic
with the Spaniards and Indians, as he might, which was somewhat hardly
obtained, for that the king had straitly charged all his governors in
those parts not to trade with any. Yet notwithstanding, during the
months of April and May, our General had reasonable trade and traffic,
and courteous entertainment in sundry places, as at Marguerite,
Corassoa, and elsewhere, until we came to Cape de la Vela, and Rio de
la Hacha (a place from whence all the pearls do come). The governor
there would not by any means permit us to have any trade or traffic,
nor yet suffer us to take in fresh water; by means whereof our General,
for the avoiding of famine and thirst, about the beginning of June was
enforced to land 200 of our men, and so by main force and strength to
obtain that which by no fair means he could procure; and so recovering
the town with the loss of two of our men, there was a secret and
peaceable trade admitted, and the Spaniards came in by night, and
bought of our negroes to the number of 200 and upwards, and of our
other merchandise also.
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