We Here Saw A French Ship, Which
Immediately Made Sail To Leeward, And We Came To Anchor In The Road.
While We Merchants Were On Shore Engaged In Traffic, The French Ship
Returned And Hailed [_Saluted_] Our Ship With His Ordnance.
We were
informed by the negroes that the Frenchman had been trading there for
three days before our arrival, and we concluded, if he sent his boat on
shore again for trade, that we would not suffer him till we had
conferred with his captain and merchants.
Accordingly his pinnace came
on shore in the afternoon, but we desired them not to trade till we had
spoken with their captain and merchants, whom we desired might come that
night on board our admiral for that purpose. They did so accordingly,
when Mr Burton and John Munt went on board the Minion, where the
Frenchmen were, and it was determined that they should wait eight days
beside us, allowing us to trade quietly the while. They were much
dissatisfied with this arrangement, and sailed next morning eastwards to
the Rio de Potos, on purpose to hinder our trade on the coast.
In consequence of this the merchants, both of the Minion and our ship,
determined to go on before them, understanding that no other ships had
gone that way before this season, and that our trade might not be
interrupted by the French ship. We did so accordingly, and found the
Frenchman trading to the westward at Rio de Potos, on which we passed
them, and came to Rio de Potos on the 12th of April, where we remained
trading till the 15th, when we departed with the Primrose for the river
St Andrew, where we agreed to wait for the Minion. We arrived at that
river on the 17th, and the Minion came to us that same day, saying that
they had met with a great ship and a caravel, belonging to the king of
Portugal, off cape Palmas, bound for the Mina, which had chased them,
and shot many guns at them, which the Minion had returned in her
defence. God be praised the Minion had no harm at that time. We then
concluded to hasten to cape Three-points, to endeavour to intercept them
on their way to the castle. We lay to off the cape for two days and a
night, and suspecting they were past, the Minion went in shore and sent
her boats to a place called _Anta_, where we had formerly traded. Next
morning, the 21st of April, we again saw the ship and caravel to
seaward, when we immediately made sail, endeavouring to get between them
and the castle, but to our great grief they got to the castle before us,
when they shot freely at us and we at them, but as they had the aid of
the castle against us we profited little.
We set sail in the afternoon, and came to the town of Don Juan, called
_Equi_, where, on the morning of the 22d, we went ashore to trade:
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