Likewise, If Mr Gonson Give His Consent That
The Merlin Shall Be Brought Round From Bristol To Hampton, That A Letter
Shall Be Drawn Under His Hand, Before Order Be Given In The Same.
The ships employed in this voyage were, the Minion belonging to the
queen, David Carlet, captain, the John Baptist of London, and the Merlin
belonging to Mr Gonson.
The success of this voyage in part appears by
certain brief relations extracted out of the second voyage of Sir John
Hawkins to the West Indies, made in the year 1564, which I have thought
good to set down for want of more direct information, which hitherto I
have not been able to procure notwithstanding every possible
endeavour[290].
[Footnote 290: This is the substance of Hakluyt's introduction to the
following brief relation of the present voyage. - E.]
* * * * *
Sir John, then only Mr Hawkins, departed from Plymouth with a prosperous
wind for the West Indies, on the 18th of October 1564, having under his
command the Jesus of Lubec of 700 tons, the Salomon of 140 tons, a bark
named the Tiger of 50 tons, and a pinnace called the Swallow of 30 tons,
having in all 170 men, well supplied with ordnance and provisions for
such a voyage. While casting loose the foresail, one of the officers in
the Jesus was killed by the fall of a block, giving a sorrowful
beginning to the expedition. After getting ten leagues out to sea, they
fell in with the Minion, a ship belonging to the queen, of which David
Carlet was captain, and her consort the John Baptist of London; which
two ships were bound for Guinea. The two squadrons, as they may be
called, saluted each other with some pieces of ordnance, after the
custom of the sea; after which the Minion parted company to seek her
other consort the Merlin of London, which was out of sight astern,
leaving the John Baptist in company with Hawkins.
Continuing their voyage with a prosperous wind until the 21st, a great
storm arose at N.E. about 9 o'clock at night, which continued 23 hours,
in which storm Hawkins lost sight of the John Baptist and of his pinnace
called the Swallow, the other three ships being sore tossed by the
tempest. To his great joy the Swallow joined company again in the night,
10 leagues to the north of Cape Finister, having been obliged to go
_roomer_, as she was unable to weather that cape against a strong
contrary wind at S.W. On the 25th, the wind still continuing contrary,
he put into Ferol in Galicia, where he remained five days, and gave out
proper instructions to the masters of the other ships for keeping
company during the rest of the voyage.
On the 26th of the month the Minion came into Ferol, on which Mr Hawkins
saluted her with some guns, according to the custom of the sea, as a
welcome for her safe arrival: But the people of the Minion were not in
the humour of rejoicing, on account of the misfortune which had happened
to their consort the Merlin, whom they had gone to seek on the coast of
England when they parted from Mr Hawkins.
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