In Spite Of All These Demonstrations
Of Resistance, Having First Marshalled His Men In Proper Order, My Lord
Marched Along
The sandy beach towards the fort, passing between the sea
and the town for something more than a mile; and
As the shore became
rocky, so as to render any farther progress in that direction extremely
difficult, he entered the town, and marched through the streets
unopposed to the fort, these companies of the enemy, that seemed at
first resolved to resist his progress, being soon dispersed. Those in
the fort likewise fled at our approach, leaving my lord and his men to
scale the walls and gain possession, without any resistance. In the
meantime the ships continued to batter the town and fort, until they saw
the _red cross_ of England floating from the walls.
Fayal is the principal town of this island, and is situated directly
over against the high and mighty mountain of _Pico_, towards the
north-west from that mountain, from which it is divided by a narrow sea
or strait, which at that place is some two or three leagues broad,
between the islands of Fayal and Pico. This town contained about 300
houses, which were handsomely and strongly built of stone and lime,
their roofs being double covered with hollow tyles, much like those used
in England, only that they are less at one end than at the other. Almost
every house had a cistern or well in a garden behind, in which likewise
there were vines with ripe grapes, forming pleasant arbours or shady
walks; and in every garden there grew some tobacco, then hardly known,
but now commonly used in England, with which the women of the place were
then in use to stain their faces, to make them look young and fresh. In
these gardens there likewise grew pepper, both Indian and common,
fig-trees with fruit both white and red, peach-trees rather of humble
growth, oranges, lemons, quinces, potatoes, and other fruits and roots.
Sweet wood, which I think is cedar, is very common in that island, and
is used both for building and fuel.
Having possessed himself of the town and fort, my lord issued orders
that none of the soldiers or mariners should enter into any of the
houses for plunder, and was especially careful that none of the churches
or religious houses should suffer injury of any kind, all of which were
preserved from violation by the appointment of guards for their
protection. But the rest of the town, either from the want of that
precaution, or owing to the cupidity of our people, was rifled and
ransacked by the soldiers and mariners, who scarcely left a single house
unsearched, taking out of them every thing that struck their fancy or
seemed worth carrying away, such as chests of sweet wood, chairs,
clothes, coverlets, hangings, bedding, and the like; besides many of our
people ranged the country in search of plunder, where some of them were
wounded by the inhabitants. The friery at this place contained
Franciscan friars, not one of whom was able to speak pure Latin. It was
built in 1506 by a friar of that order belonging to Angra in the island
of Tercera. The tables in its hall or refectory had seats only on one
side, and was always covered, as if ever ready for feasting. We
continued in the town from the Wednesday afternoon, at which time we
took possession, until the Saturday night, when the inhabitants agreed
to pay 2000 ducats for its ransom, which was mostly paid in church
plate. In the fort there were 58 pieces of iron ordnance, 23 of which,
according to my remembrance, were mounted upon carriages, and placed
between baricadoes or merlins on a platform by the sea side. Taking away
all the ordnance, we set the platform on fire. On the Sunday following,
my lord had invited as many of the inhabitants as chose to dine with him
on board the Victory, save only Diego Gomez the governor, who only came
once to confer about the ransom. Only four came, who were well
entertained, and were afterwards honourably dismissed with the sound of
drums and trumpets, and a salute from our cannon. To these persons my
lord delivered a letter subscribed by himself, requesting all other
Englishmen to abstain from any farther molestation of the place, save
only to take such water and provisions as might be necessary.
The day after we came to Fayal, being the 11th September, two men came
to us from Pico, who had been prisoners in that island; and we also set
a prisoner at liberty who had been sent thither from St Jago, being
cousin to a servant of Don Antonio king of Portugal, then residing in
England. On Monday we sent our boats on shore for fresh water, having
now abundance running down the hills in consequence of heavy rain the
night before, which otherwise had been hard to be got. Next day we sent
again on shore to complete our stock of water, which was not then so
easily brought off, by reason of a strong gale, which increased so much
in the afternoon that we did not think it safe to ride so near the land,
for which reason we weighed anchor, and stood N.W. by W. along the coast
of Fayal. Some of the inhabitants came on board this day, who told us
that the wind usually blew strong at W.S.W. at this time of the year on
this coast. While near St Georges Island we saw a huge fish of a black
colour right ahead of our ship, a little under water, or rather even
with its surface, on which the sea broke in such manner that we supposed
it a rock; and as we were going directly stem on, we were in great fear
for a time how to avoid the seeming danger, till at length we saw it
move out of our way.
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