The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 571 pages of information about The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11.

The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 571 pages of information about The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11.
and another in the East Indies.  This fight was open off the Sound between Faial and Pico 6 leagues to the Southward.  The people which we saued told vs that the cause why they would not yeeld, was, because this Carack was for the king, and that she had all the goods belonging to the king in the countrey for that yeere in her, and that the captaine of her was in fauor with the king, and at his returne into the Indies should haue bene Viceroy there.  And withall this ship was nothing at all pestered neither within boord nor without, and was more like a ship of warre then otherwise:  moreouer she had the ordinance of a Carak that was cast away at Mocambique, and the company of her, together with the company of another Carack that was cast away a little to the Eastwards of the Cape of Buona Speranza.  Yet through sicknesse which they caught at Angola, where they watered, they say, they had not now aboue 150 white men, but Negros a great many.  They likewise affirmed that they had three noblemen and three ladies in her, but we found them to differ in most of their talke.  All this day and all the night she burned, but the next morning her poulder which was lowest being 60 barrels blew her abroad, so that most of the ship did swim in parts aboue the water.  Some of them say, that she was bigger then the Madre de Dios, and some, that she was lesse:  but she was much vndermastered, and vndersailed, yet she went well for a ship that was so foule.  The shot which wee made at her in great Ordinance before we layde her aboord might be at seuen bouts which we had, and sixe or 7 shot at a bout, one with another, some 49 shot:  the time we lay aboord might be two houres.  The shot which we discharged aboord the Carack might be some twentie Sacars.  And thus much may suffice concerning our daungerous conflict with that vnfortunate Carack.

The last of Iune after long traversing of the seas we had sight of another mightie Carack which diuerse of our company at the first tooke to be the great S. Philip the Admiral of Spaine, but the next day being the first of Iuly fetching her vp we perceiued her indeede to be a Carack, which after some few shot bestowed vpon her we summoned to yeeld; but they standing stoutly to their defence vtterly refused the same.  Wherefore seeing no good could be done without boording her I consulted what course we should take in the boording.  But by reason that wee which were the chiefe captaines were partly slaine and partly wounded in the former conflict, and because of the murmuring of some disordered and cowardly companions, our valiant and resolute determinations were crossed:  and to conclude a long discourse in few words, the Carack escaped our hands.  After this attending about Coruo and Flores for some West Indian purchase, and being disappointed of our expectation, and victuals growing short, we returned for England, where I arriued at Portesmouth the 28 of August.

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The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 11 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.