The beginning of January, 1694.5, my nephew being ready to sail, I and Friday went on board in the Downs on the 8th, having, besides that sloop already mentioned, a very considerable cargo for my new colony.  First, I had some servants, whom I proposed to leave there, as they should appear willing; there were two carpenters, a smith, and a very ingenuous fellow who was Jack-of-all-trades; for he was not only a cooper by trade, but also he was dexterous at making wheels and hand-mills to grind corn, likewise a good turner, and a good pot-maker.  I also carried a tailor, who consented to stay in my plantation, and proved a most necessary fellow in the island.  As to my cargo, it consisted of a sufficient quantity of linen, and English stuffs for clothing the Spaniards that I expected to find there; as likewise gloves, hats, shoes, stockings; together with beds, bedding, and household stuff, especially kitchen utensils, with pots, kettles, pewter, brass, &c. also nails, tools of all sorts, staples, hooks, hinges, and all other things necessary; all which, I think, cost me about three hundred pounds.  Nor was this all for I carried an hundred spare arms, muskets, & fusees, besides some pistols, a considerable quantity of several sorts of shot, two brass cannon, besides swords, cutlasses, and the iron part of some pikes and halberts.  I made my nephew take with us two small quarter-deck guns, more than he had occasion for in his ship, to leave behind, if there was a necessity; so that we might build a fort there, and man it against all opposers whatsoever.

Well, we put out to sea; and though I can’t say this voyage was so unprosperous as my others had been, yet contrary winds drove us so far northward, that we were obliged to put in at Galway in Ireland, where we lay wind-bound two and twenty days.  Here indeed our provisions were very cheap, and we added to our ship’s stores by taking several live hogs, two cows and calves, which I then resolved to put on shore in my island, if our necessities did not call for them.  On the 5th of February we sailed from Ireland, with a very fair gale, which lasted for some days; and I think it was about the 20th of the same month late in the evening, when the mate informed us, that he saw a flash of fire, and heard a gun fired:  and when he was speaking a boy came in and told us, that the boatswain had heard another.  Upon which we all ran to the quarter-deck, from whence, in a few moments, we perceived a terrible fire at a distance.  We had immediately recourse to our reckonings, in which, we were all of opinion, that there could be no land that way, it appearing to be at N.N.W.  Hereupon we concluded that some ship had taken fire at sea, and that it could not be far off by the report of the guns which we had heard.  We made up directly to it, and in half an hour’s time the wind being fair, we could plainly perceive a great ship on fire in the middle of the sea.  Touched with this unhappy disaster, and considering my former circumstances,