After Partaking Of A Banquet, I Departed; And When I Was In
The Boat, He Desired My Interpreter To Say That He Expected I Should
Strike My Flag To Him, As General Of The Emperors Fleet.
When I was come
on board my own ship this was told me by the interpreter, and as I
refused compliance and continued to display my ensign, some Spanish
soldiers began to discharge their arquebusses at us.
At this time some
Spanish gentlemen came on board to see our ship, to whom I said that if
they did not order their men to cease firing, I would fire my cannon
through their ships. They accordingly went away and made their soldiers
give over firing, and coming back said that they had punished their men.
I then shewed them our ship, and gave them such cheer as I had, which
they were well pleased with. Next day they sent for me to dine with
them, saying their general was sorry any one should have desired me to
strike my flag, which had been done without his orders.
The 17th we set sail, and got sight of the coast of Africa, and running
along shore came off Rio del Oro which is almost under the tropic of
Cancer. The 25th we got sight of the land in the bay to the north of
Cape Verd[273]. The 26th taking our interpreter Francisco and Francis
Castelin along with me in the pinnace, I went to the Tiger, which was
nearer shore than the other ships. With her and the other ships we ran
W. by S. and W.S.W, till about 4 o'clock, P.M. when we were close on
board the cape. Then going about 4 leagues beyond the cape S.W. we found
a fair island, and beside that two or three islands of high rocks, full
of various kinds of sea fowl and pigeons, with other kinds of land
birds, and so numerous that the whole island was covered with their
dung, and as white as if the whole had been covered by chalk. Within
these islands was a fine bay; and close by the rocks we had 18 fathoms
and good ground[274]. The 27th, as no negroes came to us, we went along
shore in the pinnace, and going beyond the point of the bay (Cape
Emanuel) we found a fair island (_Goree_) with a goodly bay, and saw
some negroes on the main who waved us on shore. Going a-land, they told
us that they had elephants teeth, musk[275], and hides for traffic; but
as the captain of the Christopher was not willing to stop, we went on
board and made sail, On inquiry, some of the negroes said there had been
no ships there for 8 months, others said six, and some only four, and
that they were French ships.
[Footnote 273: The bay of Yof, in lat. 15 deg. N. long. 17 deg. 20' W. from
Greenwich.
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