At our approching to land, there vvas some that began to shevve themselues, and to bestovve some fevv shot vpon vs, but presently vvithdrevv themselues. And in their running thus avvay, the Sergeant Maior finding one of their horses readie sadled and bridled, tooke the same to follovv the chase, and so ouergoing all his companie, vvas (by one laied behind a bush) shot through the head, and falling dovvne therevvith, vvas by the same and tvvo or three more, stabbed in three or foure places of his bodie with swords and daggers, before any could come neer to his reskue. His death vvas much lamented, being in very deed an honest vvise Gentleman and a souldier of good experience, and of as great courage as any man might be.
In this place called S. Avgvstine, vve vnderstoode the King did keepe as is before saide, one hundred and fifty souldiers, and at another place some dozen leagues beyond to the Northvvards, called S. Helena, he did there likevvise keepe an hundred and fifty more, seruing there for no other purpose, then to keepe all other nations from inhabiting any part of al that coast, the gouernement vvherof vvas committed to one Pedro Melendez Marquesse, Nephevv to that Melendez the Admirall, vvho had ouerthrovven Maister Iohn Havvkins in the Bay of Mexico some fifteene or sixteene yeares agoe. This Gouernour had charge of both places, but vvas at this time in this place, and one of the first that left the same.
Here it vvas resolued in full assembly of Captaines, to vndertake the enterprise of S Helena, and from thence to seeke out the inhabitation of our English countreymen in Virginia, distant from thence some sixe degrees Northvvard.
When we came thvvart of Sainct Helena the shols appearing dangerous, and we hauing no Pilot to vndertake the entrie, it was thought meetest to goe hence alongst. For the Admiral had bene the same night in foure fadome and a halfe three leagues from the shore: and yet we vnderstood by the help of a knowne Pilot, there may and doeth goe in ships of greater burthen and draught then any wee had in our Fleete.
Wee passed thus alongest the coast harde aboorde the shore, which is shallowe for a league or tvvo from the shore, and the same is lovve and broken land for the most part.
The ninth of Iune vpon sight of one speciall great fire (which are very ordinarie all alongst this coast, euen from the Cape Florida hither) the Generall sent his Skiffe to the shore, where they found some of our English countrey men (that had bene sent thither the yeare before by Sir Walter Raleigh) and brought on aboord, by vvhose direction wee proceeded along to the place, vvhich they make their Port. But some of our shippes beeing of great draught vnable to enter, we anckered all without the harbour in a vvilde road at sea, about two miles from shore.
From whence the Generall wrote letters to Maister Ralfe Lane, being Gouernour of those English in Virginia, and then at his fort about six leagues from the rode in an Island, which they call Roanoac, wherein is specially he shewed how ready he was to supply his necessities and wants, which he vnderstood of, by those he had first talked withall.
The morrowe after Maister Lane himselfe and some of his companie comming vnto him, with the consent of his Captaines he gaue them the choice of tvvo offers, that is to say: Either he woulde leaue a ship, a pinnace, and certaine boates with sufficient Maisters and Mariners, together furnished vvith a monethes victuall to stay and make farther discouerie of the countrey and coastes, and so much victuall likevvise that might bee sufficient for the bringing of F2 them all (being an hundred and three persons) into England if they thought good after such time, with any other thing they vvould desire, and that he might be able to spare.
Or else if they thought they had made sufficient discouerie alreadie, and did desire to returne into England, he would giue them passage. But they as it seemed, being desirous to stay, accepted verie thankfully, and with great gladnesse that which vvas offred first. Whereupon the ship being appointed and receaued into charge, by some of their ovvne companie sent into her by Maister Lane, before they had receaued from the rest of the Fleete, the prouision appointed them, there arose a great storme (vvhich they said vvas extraordinarie and verie strange) that lasted three daies together, and put all our Fleete in great danger, to be driuen from their ankering vpon the coast. For vve brake many Cables, and lost manie Ankers. And some of our Fleete which had lost all (of vvhich number was the ship appointed for Maister Lane and his companie) vvas driuen to put to sea in great danger, in auoyding the coast, and could neuer see vs againe vntill we met in England. Manie also of our small Pinnaces and boates vvere lost in this storme.
Notwithstanding after all this, the Generall offered them (with consent of his Captaines) another ship with some prouision, although not such a one for their turnes, as might haue bene spared them before, this being vnable to be brought into their harbour. Or else if they vvould, to giue them passage into England, although he knevv he should performe it vvith greater difficultie then he might haue done before.
But Maister Lane vvith those of the chiefest of his companie he had then with him, considering vvhat should be best for them to doe, made request vnto the Generall vnder their handes, that they might haue passage for England: the vvhich being graunted, and the rest sent for out of the countrey and shipped, we departed from that coast the eighteenth of Iune.
And so God be thanked, both they and we in good safetie arriued at Portesmouth the eight and twentieth of Iuly 1586, to the great glorie of God, and to no small honour to our Prince, our Countrey, and our selues.
The totall value of that which was gotten in this voyage, is estimated at three score thousand pounds, vvhereof the companies vvhich haue trauelled in the voyage were to haue twentie thousand pounds, the aduenturers the other fortie. Of which twentie thousand pounds (as I can iudge) will redound some sixe pound to the single share.
We lost some seuen hundred and fiftie men in the voiage.
The men of name that died and were slaine in this voiage as I can presently call to my remembrance, are these.
Captaine Powell.
Captaine Varney.
Captaine Moone.
Captaine Fortescute.
Captaine Bigges.
Captaine Cecill.
Captaine Hannam.
Captaine Greenefield.
Thomas Tucker a Lieutenant.
Alexander Starkey a Lieutenant.
Maister Escot a Lieutenant.
Maister Waterhouse a Lieutenant.
Maister Nicholas Winter.
Maister Alexander Carleill.
Maister Robert Alexander.
Maister Scroope.
Maister Iames Dier.
Maister Peter Duke.
With some other, vvho for hast I can not so suddenly thinke on.
The ordinance gotten of all sortes brasse and Iron were about two hundred and fortie, whereof the two hundred and some more were brasse, and were thus founde and gotten.
In S. Iago some two or three and fiftie peeces.
In S. Domingo about foure score, whereof was verie much great ordinance, as vvhole Cannon, Dimi-Cannon, Culuerins, and such like.
In Cartagena some sixtie and three peeces, and good stoore likewise of the greater sort.
In the fort of S. Avgvstine vvere fourteene peeces.
The rest vvas Iron ordinance, of vvhich the most part vvas gotten at S. Domingo, the rest at Cartagena.
| Pag. 17. | Lin. 3. | recharging. |
| 21. | 21. | of ordinance. |
| 26. | 3. | Pannama. |
The corrections indicated by the three errata notes have been made:
‘keepe them from the reaching of the ordinance’ corrected to ‘keepe them from the recharging of the ordinance’ on page 17.
‘vvithout any resistance, or ordinaunce,’ corrected to ‘vvithout any resistance, of ordinance,’ on page 21.
‘and so ouerland to Pannania’ corrected to ‘and so ouerland to Pannama’ on page 26.
The following corrections to obvious typographical errors have also been made:
‘nnd therefore doe onely commend the trueth’ changed to ‘and therefore doe onely commend the trueth’ in the Dedication.
‘slacked for a time of some better leasure,’ changed to ‘slacked for a time of some better leasure.’ after the Dedication.
‘Captaine in the Elizabeth Bonaduentnre’ changed to ‘Captaine in the Elizabeth Bonaduenture’ on page 2.
‘willed him to goe to to the Gouernour of the Citie’ changed to ‘willed him to goe to the Gouernour of the Citie’ on page 4.
‘Maister Carleill our Lieuteuant generall’ changed to ‘Maister Carleill our Lieutenant generall’ on page 6.
Page signature C2 was erroneously printed as B2 in the original on page 11.
‘On Mnnday the six and twentieth of Nouember’ changed to ‘On Monday the six and twentieth of Nouember’ on page 12.
‘being some hun dred and fiftie braue horses’ changed to ‘being some hundred and fiftie braue horses’ on page 16. The word ‘hundred’ was split over a line break without a hyphen.
‘vwich was found in the kings house’ changed to ‘vvich was found in the kings house’ on page 19.
‘the gronnd we were on grew to be straight’ changed to ‘the ground we were on grew to be straight’ on page 22.
‘Our Lieftenant generall com maunded our shot’ changed to ‘Our Lieftenant generall commaunded our shot’ on page 22. The word ‘commaunded’ was split over a line break without a hyphen.
‘fought a while beforevv egot it’ changed to ‘fought a while before vve got it’ on page 24.
‘when onewas heard to speake foolishlie’ changed to ‘when one was heard to speake foolishlie’ on page 25.
‘full recompence of our tedious tranailes’ changed to ‘full recompence of our tedious trauailes’ on page 26.
‘raken the barkes vvell enough at sea’ changed to ‘taken the barkes vvell enough at sea’ on page 27, by reference to the catchword on the previous page.
‘built of vvoodden houses,,’ changed to ‘built of vvoodden houses,’ on page 31.
‘then any wee had in our Fleete,’ changed to ‘then any wee had in our Fleete.’ on page 34.
One contraction has been expanded: in ‘to the number of fiue and twentie saile of ships’ on page 1, the ‘m’ in ‘number’ was represented by a horizontal line over the ‘u’ in the original.