In which scroll were written in ancient Hebrew, and in ancient Greek, and in good Latin of the School, and in Spanish, these words:  ’Land ye not, none of you.  And provide to be gone from this coast within sixteen days, except ye have further time given you.  Meanwhile, if ye want fresh water, or victual, or help for your sick, or that your ship needeth repair, write down your wants, and ye shall have that which belongeth to mercy.’

Staff of office.

“This scroll was signed with a stamp of Cherubim’s wings, not spread but hanging downwards, and by them a cross.

“This being delivered, the officer returned, and left only a servant with us to receive our answer.  Consulting thereupon among ourselves, we were much perplexed.  The denial of landing and hasty warning us away troubled us much.  On the other side, to find that the people had languages and were so full of humanity, did comfort us not a little.  And above all, the sign of the cross to that instrument was to us a great rejoicing, and as it were a certain presage of good.

“Our answer was in the Spanish tongue:  ’That for our ship, it was well; for we had rather met with calms and contrary winds than any tempests.  For our sick, they were many, and in very ill case, so that if they were not permitted to land, they ran danger of their lives.’

“Our other wants we set down in particular; adding, ’that we had some little store of merchandise, which if it pleased them to deal for, it might supply our wants without being chargeable unto them.’

“We offered some reward in pistolets unto the servant, and a piece of crimson velvet to be presented to the officer.  But the servant took them not, nor would scarce look upon them; and so left us, and went back in another little boat which was sent for him.”

About three hours after the answer had been sent, the ship was visited by another great man from the island.  “He had on him a gown with wide sleeves, of a kind of water chamelot of an excellent azure colour, far more glossy than ours.  His under apparel was green, and so was his hat, being in the form of a turban, daintily made, and not so huge as the Turkish turbans.  And the locks of his hair came down below the brims of it.  A reverend man was he to behold.

“He came in a boat, gilt in some part of it, with four persons more only in that boat, and was followed by another boat, wherein were some twenty.  When he was come within a flight shot of our ship, signs were made to us that we should send forth some to meet him upon the water; which we presently did in our shipboat, sending the principal man amongst us save one, and four of our number with him.

“When we were come within six yards of their boat they called to us to stay, and not to approach further, which we did.  And thereupon the man whom I before described stood up, and with a loud voice in Spanish, asked ‘Are ye Christians?’