Which Fell Out Accordingly, Notwithstanding All The
Diligence That Our Men Could Use:
For the Spanish boats, upon the
sight of our pinnaces coming towards them, ran themselves ashore, and
so their men presently hid themselves in bushes hard by the sea-side,
amongst some others that had called them by signs thither.
Our men
presently without any due regard had to the quality of the place, and
seeing no man of the Spaniards to shew themselves, boarded the Spanish
barks or boats, and so standing all open in them, were suddenly shot
at by a troop of Spaniards out of the bushes; by which volley of shot
there were slain Captain Varney, which died presently, and Captain
Moon, who died some few days after, besides some four or five others
that were hurt: and so our folks returned without their purpose, not
having any sufficient number of soldiers with them to fight on shore.
For those men they carried were all mariners to row, few of them
armed, because they made account with their ordnance to have taken the
barks well enough at sea; which they might full easily have done,
without any loss at all, if they had come in time to the harbour
mouth, before the Spaniards' boats had gotten so near the shore.
During our abode in this place, as also at St. Domingo, there passed
divers courtesies between us and the Spaniards, as feasting, and using
them with all kindness and favour; so as amongst others there came to
see the General the governor of Carthagena, with the bishop of the
same, and divers other gentlemen of the better sort. This town of
Carthagena we touched in the out parts, and consumed much with fire,
as we had done St. Domingo, upon discontentments, and for want of
agreeing with us in their first treaties touching their ransom; which
at the last was concluded between us should be 110,000 ducats for that
which was yet standing, the ducat valued at five shillings sixpence
sterling.
This town, though not half so big as St. Domingo, gives, as you see, a
far greater ransom, being in very deed of far more importance, by
reason of the excellency of the harbour, and the situation thereof to
serve the trade of Nombre de Dios and other places, and is inhabited
with far more richer merchants. The other is chiefly inhabited with
lawyers and brave gentlemen, being the chief or highest appeal of
their suits in law of all the islands about it and of the mainland
coast next unto it. And it is of no such account as Carthagena, for
these and some like reasons which I could give you, over long to be
now written.
The warning which this town received of our coming towards them from
St. Domingo, by the space of 20 days before our arrival here, was
cause that they had both fortified and every way prepared for their
best defence. As also that they had carried and conveyed away all
their treasure and principal substance.
The ransom of 110,000 ducats thus concluded on, as is aforesaid, the
same being written, and expressing for nothing more than the town of
Carthagena, upon the payment of the said ransom we left the said town
and drew some part of our soldiers into the priory or abbey, standing
a quarter of an English mile below the town upon the harbour water-
side, the same being walled with a wall of stone; which we told the
Spaniards was yet ours, and not redeemed by their composition.
Whereupon they, finding the defect of their contract, were contented
to enter into another ransom for all places, but specially for the
said house, as also the blockhouse or castle, which is upon the mouth
of the inner harbour. And when we asked as much for the one as for the
other, they yielded to give a thousand crowns for the abbey, leaving
us to take our pleasure upon the blockhouse, which they said they were
not able to ransom, having stretched themselves to the uttermost of
their powers; and therefore the said blockhouse was by us undermined,
and so with gunpowder blown up in pieces. While this latter contract
was in making, our whole fleet of ships fell down towards the harbour-
mouth, where they anchored the third time and employed their men in
fetching of fresh water aboard the ships for our voyage homewards,
which water was had in a great well that is in the island by the
harbour-mouth. Which island is a very pleasant place as hath been
seen, having in it many sorts of goodly and very pleasant fruits, as
the orange-trees and others, being set orderly in walks of great
length together. Insomuch as the whole island, being some two or three
miles about, is cast into grounds of gardening and orchards.
After six weeks' abode in this place, we put to sea the last of March;
where, after two or three days, a great Ship which we had taken at St.
Domingo, and thereupon was called The New Year's Gift, fell into a
great leak, being laden with ordnance, hides, and other spoils, and in
the night she lost the company of our fleet. Which being missed the
next morning by the General, he cast about with the whole fleet,
fearing some great mischance to be happened unto her, as in very deed
it so fell out; for her leak was so great that her men were all tired
with pumping. But at the last, having found her, and the bark Talbot
in her company, which stayed by great hap with her, they were ready to
take their men out of her for the saving of them. And so the General,
being fully advertised of their great extremity, made sail directly
back again to Carthagena with the whole fleet; where, having staid
eight or ten days more about the unlading of this ship and the
bestowing thereof and her men into other ships, we departed once again
to sea, directing our course toward the Cape St. Anthony, being the
westermost part of Cuba, where we arrived the 27th of April.
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