Their Attack Was Very Furious, Partly
From Heavy Stones Falling Into The Boat Which Threatened To Break Holes
In Her Bottom, As Well As From Flights Of Arrows Which Came Whizzing
About Our Ears, And Even Wounded Some Of Us:
Therefore being in
desperation, we pushed off from the shore to return to sea, setting four
of our men to row, while the other five determined to repay some part of
the civility we had received, and immediately handled our fire-arms and
bows.
We employed these at first against the negroes on the beach, some
of whom soon dropped; and then against the Portuguese who stood on the
walls dressed in long white-shirts and linstocks in their hands, many of
which were dyed red by means of the English arrows. We thus maintained
our ground a long while, fighting at our leisure, regardless of the
threats of the enemy, as we saw they had no gallies to send out to make
us prisoners. When we had sufficiently revenged their want of
hospitality, we rowed off, and though we knew that we must pass through
another storm of bullets from the castle, we escaped without damage.
When we got out to sea, we saw three negroes rowing after us in an
almadia, who came to inquire to what country we belonged, speaking good
Portuguese. We told them we were Englishmen, and said we had brought
wares to trade with them if they had not used us so ill. As the negroes
inquired where our ship was, we said we had two at sea well equipped,
which would soon come to the coast to trade for gold, and that we only
waited their return.
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