And So With Pikes Roundly Together We
Approached The Place, Where We Soon Found Out The /Barricados/ Of
Pipes Or Butts To Be The Meetest Place For Our Assault; Which,
Notwithstanding It Was Well Furnished With Pikes And Shots, Was
Without Staying Attempted By Us.
Down went the butts of earth, and
pell-mell came our swords and pikes together, after our shot had first
given their volley, even at the enemy's nose.
Our pikes were somewhat
longer than theirs, and our bodies better armed; for very few of them
were armed. With which advantage our swords and pikes grew too hard
for them, and they driven to give place. In this furious entry the
Lieutenant-General slew with his own hands the chief ensign-bearer of
the Spaniards, who fought very manfully to his life's end.
We followed into the town with them, and, giving them no leisure to
breathe, we won the market-place, albeit they made head and fought
awhile before we got it. And so we being once seized and assured of
that, they were content to suffer us to lodge within their town, and
themselves to go to their wives, whom they had carried into other
places of the country before our coming thither. At every street's end
they had raised very fine /barricados/ of earthworks, with trenches
without them, as well made as ever we saw any work done; at the
entering whereof was some little resistance, but soon overcome it was,
with few slain or hurt. They had joined with them many Indians, whom
they had placed in corners of advantage, all bowmen, with their arrows
most villainously empoisoned, so as if they did but break the skin,
the party so touched died without great marvel. Some they slew of our
people with their arrows; some they likewise mischiefed to death with
certain pricks of small sticks sharply pointed, of a foot and a-half
long, the one end put into the ground, the other empoisoned, sticking
fast up, right against our coming in the way as we should approach
from our landing towards the town, whereof they had planted a
wonderful number in the ordinary way; but our keeping the sea-wash
shore missed the greatest part of them very happily.
I overpass many particular matters, as the hurting of Captain Sampson
at sword blows in the first entering, unto whom was committed the
charge of the pikes of the vant-guard by his lot and turn; as also of
the taking of Alonzo Bravo, the chief commander of that place, by
Captain Goring, after the said captain had first hurt him with his
sword; unto which captain was committed the charge of the shot of the
said vant-guard. Captain Winter was likewise by his turn of the vant-
guard in this attempt, where also the Lieutenant-General marched
himself; the said Captain Winter, through a great desire to serve by
land, having now exchanged his charge at sea with Captain Cecil for
his band of footmen. Captain Powell, the Sergeant-Major, had by his
turn the charge of the four companies which made the battle. Captain
Morgan, who at St. Domingo was of the vant-guard, had now by turn his
charge upon the companies of the rearward. Every man, as well of one
part as of another, came so willingly on to the service, as the enemy
was not able to endure the fury of such hot assault.
We stayed here six weeks, and the sickness with mortality before
spoken of still continued among us, though not with the same fury as
at the first; and such as were touched with the said sickness,
escaping death, very few or almost none could recover their strength.
Yea, many of them were much decayed in their memory, insomuch that it
was grown an ordinary judgment, when one was heard to speak foolishly,
to say he had been sick of the /calentura/, which is the Spanish name
of their burning ague; for, as I told you before, it is a very burning
and pestilent ague. The original cause thereof is imputed to the
evening or first night air, which they term /la serena/; wherein they
say and hold very firm opinion that whoso is then abroad in the open
air shall certainly be infected to the death, not being of the Indian
or natural race of those country people. By holding their watch our
men were thus subjected to the infectious air, which at Santiago was
most dangerous and deadly of all other places.
With the inconvenience of continual mortality we were forced to give
over our intended enterprise to go with Nombre de Dios, and so
overland to Panama, where we should have strucken the stroke for the
treasure, and full recompense of our tedious travails. And thus at
Carthagena we took our first resolution to return homewards, the form
of which resolution I thought good here to put down under the
principal captains' hands as followeth:--
A Resolution of the Land-Captains, what course they think most
expedient to be taken. Given at Carthagena, the 27th of February,
1585.
WHEREAS it hath pleased the General to demand the opinions of his
captains what course they think most expedient to be now
undertaken, the land-captains being assembled by themselves
together, and having advised hereupon, do in three points deliver
the same.
THE FIRST, touching the keeping of the town against the force of
the enemy, either that which is present, or that which may come
out of Spain, is answered thus:--
'We hold opinion, that with this troop of men which we have
presently with us in land service, being victualled and
munitioned, we may well keep the town, albeit that of men able to
answer present service we have not above 700. The residue, being
some 150 men, by reason of their hurts and sickness, are
altogether unable to stand us in any stead: wherefore hereupon the
sea-captains are likewise to give their resolution, how they will
undertake the safety and service of the ships upon the arrival of
any Spanish fleet.'
THE SECOND point we make to be this, whether it be meet to go
presently homeward, or else to continue further trial of our
fortune in undertaking such like enterprises as we have done
already, and thereby to seek after that bountiful mass of treasure
for recompense of our travails, which was generally expected at
our coming forth of England:
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