The Inhabitants Are
Portuguese, And Are Forbidden By Their King To Trade Either With The
English Or French, Or Even To Supply Them With Provisions, Or Any Other
Thing Unless Forced.
Off this island is another named Brava, or St John,
not exceeding two leagues over, which has abundance of goats and many
trees, but not above three or four inhabitants.
On the 25th of February we set sail for the Azores, and on the 23d of
March we got sight of one of these islands called Flores, to the north
of which we could see another called Cuervo, about two leagues distant.
The 27th we came to anchor at Cuervo, opposite a village of about a
dozen mean houses; but dragging our anchors in the night during a gale
of wind, we went to Flores, where we saw strange streams of water
pouring from its high cliffs, occasioned by a prodigious rain. The 18th
April we took in water at Flores, and sailed for Fayal, which we had
sight of on the 28th, and of three other islands, Pico, St George, and
Graciosa, which are round about Fayal. The 29th we anchored in 22
fathoms water in a fine bay on the S.W. side of Fayal, over against a
small town, where we got fresh water and fresh provisions. In this
island, according to the report of the inhabitants, there grows green
woad, which they allege is far better than the woad of St Michael or of
Tercera.
The 8th of May we came to Tercera, where we found a Portuguese ship, and
next morning we saw bearing down, upon us, a great ship and two
caravels, which we judged to belong to the royal navy of Portugal, as
they really were, and therefore made ready for our defence. The large
ship was a galliass, of about 400 tons and 300 men, well appointed with
brass guns both large and small, some of their shot being as large as a
mans head; and the two caravels were both well appointed in men and
ammunition of war. As soon as they were within shot of us, they waved us
amain with their swords as if in defiance, and as we kept our course
they fired at us briskly, while we prepared as well as we could for our
defence. The great ship gave us a whole broadside, besides firing four
of her greatest guns which were in her stern, by which some of our men
were hurt, while we did our best to answer their fire. At this time two
other caravels came from shore to join them, and two pinnaces or boats
full of men, whom they put on board the great ship, and then returned to
the shore with only two men in each. The ship and caravels gave us three
attacks the first day, and when night came they ceased firing, yet kept
hard by us all night, during which we were busily employed knotting and
spicing our ropes and strengthening our bulwarks.
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