Next
Morning, The 21st Of April, We Again Saw The Ship And Caravel To
Seaward, When We Immediately Made Sail,
Endeavouring to get between them
and the castle, but to our great grief they got to the castle before us,
When they shot freely at us and we at them, but as they had the aid of
the castle against us we profited little.
We set sail in the afternoon, and came to the town of Don Juan, called
_Equi_, where, on the morning of the 22d, we went ashore to trade: But
the negroes refused till they should hear from Don Luis the son of Don
Juan, who was now dead. On the 23d Don Luis and Pacheco came to Equi,
intending to trade with us; but two gallies came rowing along shore from
the castle of Mina, meaning to interrupt our trade. We made sail on the
24th, and chased the gallies back to the castle, at which the negroes
were much pleased; but they desired us to proceed to _Mowre_, about
three leagues farther on, where they promised to follow us, being in
fear of the Portuguese. We did so, and remained there waiting for the
merchants who were coming with gold from the country, but Antonio, the
son of Don Luis, and Pacheco were on board the Minion. In the morning of
the 25th the two gallies came again from the castle, the weather being
very calm, and shot at us, hitting us three times. Shortly after the
land-wind sprung up, at which time we observed the great ship and the
caravel making towards us, on which we weighed and made sail to attack
them; but it was night before we could get up with them, and we lost
sight of them in the night. While returning towards the coast next night
we agreed to proceed to Cormantin; and next morning, the 28th, we found
ourselves very near the large ship and the two gallies, the caravel
being close in-shore. It being very calm, the two gallies rowed towards
the stern of the Minion, and fought with her most part of the forenoon.
During the engagement a barrel of powder blew up in the steward room of
the Minion, by which misfortune the master-gunner, the steward, and most
of the gunners were sore hurt. On perceiving this, the gallies became
more fierce, and with one shot cut half through the Minions foremast, so
that she could bear no sail till that were repaired. Soon after this,
the great ship sent her boat to the gallies, which suddenly withdrew.
After their departure we went on board the Minion to consult what was
best to be done: As the Minion was sore discomfited by the accident, and
as we knew the negroes durst not trade with us so long as the gallies
were upon the coast, it was agreed to return to the Rio Sestos. In the
morning of the 14th of May we fell in with the land, and being uncertain
whereabout we were, the boats were sent on shore to learn the truth,
when it was found to be the Rio Barbas. We remained there taking in
water till the 21st, and lost five of our men by the Hack pinnace
over-setting. Departing on the 22d, we came to the Rio Sestos on the 2d
of June. We again set sail on the 4th, and arrived this day, the 6th of
August, within sight of the Start Point in the west of England, for
which God be praised. We are very side and weak, not having above twenty
men in both ships, able for duty. Of our men 21 have died, and many more
are sore hurt or sick. Mr Burton has been sick for six weeks, and is now
so very weak that, unless God strengthen him, I fear he will hardly
escape. Your worship will find inclosed an abstract of all the goods we
have sold, and also of what commodities we have received for them;
reserving all things else till our meeting, and to the bearer of this
letter.
In this voyage there were brought home, in 1563, 166 elephants teeth,
weighing 1758 libs, and 22 buts full of grains, or Guinea pepper.
SECTION IX.
_Supplementary Account of the foregoing Voyage_ [285]
An account of the preceding voyage to Guinea in 1563, of which this
section is an abstract, was written in verse by Robert Baker, who
appears to have been one of the factors employed by the adventurers. It
is said to have been written in prison in France, where he had been
carried on his subsequent voyage, which forms the subject of the next
section, and was composed at the importunity of his fellow traveller and
fellow-prisoner, Mr George Gage, the son of Sir Edward Gage. Of this
voyage he relates nothing material, except a conflict which happened
with the negroes at a certain river, the name of which is not mentioned;
neither does the foregoing relation by Rutter give any light into the
matter. But from the circumstance of the ship commencing her return for
England immediately after this adventure, it must have happened at the
river Sestos or Sestre, which was the last place they touched at, and
where they staid three days, as stated both in this and the proceeding
narratives. - Astl. I. 179.
[Footnote 285: Astley, I. 179. Hakluyt, II. 518.]
In the versified relation, which is to be found at large in the last
edition of Hakluyts Collection, London, 1810, Vol. II. p.518-523, he
complains of being detained in a French prison, against all law and
right, as the war between England and France was concluded by a peace.
The account given of this conflict with the negroes is to the following
effect - E.
One day while the ship was at anchor on the coast of Guinea, Baker
ordered out the small pinnace or boat, with nine men well armed, to go
on shore to traffic.
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