We Continued In This
Course Till Night, When We Lost Sight Of Them.
All the rest of our ships
made to seawards with all the sail they could carry; and, as they
confessed themselves afterwards, they gave us their prayers, and no
other help had we at their hands.
Next day, the 28th, we rejoined our own consort and pinnace, and two of
the French ships, but the third, which was a ship of 80 tons belonging
to Rouen, had fled. I took my skiff and went to them to know why they,
had deserted me. John Kire said his ship would neither rear nor
stear[267]. John Davis said the pinnace had broke her rudder, so that
she could sail no farther, and had been taken in tow by the Hart. I
found the French admiral to be a man of resolution, but half his crew
was sick or dead. The other Frenchman said his ship could bear no sail,
and 16 of his men were sick or dead, so that he could do nothing. After
this the French ships durst not come to anchor for fear of the
Portuguese.
[Footnote 267: Meaning perhaps, would neither wear nor tack? - E.]
The 29th, on finding our pinnace incapable of farther use, we took out
her four bases, anchor, and every thing of value, and set her on fire,
after which we ran along the coast. On the 3d February we anchored about
4 leagues from a town, which we saluted with two guns, on which the
chief came to the shore, to whom I sent Thomas Rippon who knew him.
After some conference, the chief came off to me; as it was become late,
he did not enter into bargain for any price, but exchanged pledges and,
returned on shore.
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