Necessity soon reconciled us to going
naked, for our clothes becoming rotten with our sweat fell from our
backs by degrees, so that at length we had scarcely rags left to cover
our nakedness. We were not only forced to provide ourselves in food, but
had to find fuel and utensils to dress it. We made a pot of clay dried
in the sun, in which we boiled our roots, and roasted the berries in the
embers, feasting every evening on these varieties. At night we slept on
the bare ground, making a great fire round us to scare away the wild
beasts.
What with the entire change in our manner of living, and the heat and
unhealthiness of the climate, our people sickened apace; and in a short
time our original number of nine was reduced to three. To those who died
it was a release from misery, but we who remained were rendered more
forlorn and helpless than before. At length, when we had abandoned all
hopes of relief, a French ship arrived on the coast, which took us on
board and carried us to France, which was then at war with England,
where we were detained prisoners.
A prisner therefore I remaine,
And hence I cannot slip
Till that my ransome be
Agreed upon and paid:
Which being levied yet so hie,
No agreement can be made.
And such is lo my chance,
The meane time to abide;
A prisner for ransome in France,
Till God send time and tide.
From whence this idle rime
To England I do send:
And thus, till I have further time,
This tragedie I end.
SECTION XI.
_A Voyage to Guinea, in 1564:, by Captain David Carlet_[289].
At a meeting of merchant adventurers, held at the house of Sir William
Gerard, on the 11th July 1564, for setting forth a voyage to Guinea, the
following chief adventurers were present, Sir William Gerard, Sir
William Chester, Sir Thomas Lodge, Anthony Hickman, and John Castelin.
It was then agreed that Francis Ashbie should be sent to Deptford for
his letters to Peter Pet, to go about rigging of the Minion at the
charges of the queens majesty, after which Francis Ashbie was to repair
with these letters to Gillingham, with money to supply our charges
there.
[Footnote 289: Hakluyt, II. 531. Astley, I. 134.]
It was also agreed that every one of the five partners shall forthwith
call upon their partners to supply, towards this new rigging and
victualling L.29, 10s. 6d., for every L.100 value. Also that every one
of the five partners shall forthwith bring in L.50, towards the
furniture of the premises.
