Page:The Strange Voyage and Adventures of Domingo Gonsales, to the World in the Moon.djvu/23

Rh ours heavy, deep laden, and foul with the Sea: So our Captain resolved, wisely enough it may be, not neither valiantly nor fortunately, to fly, commanding us to disperse ourselves. The Caravel by too much Haste fell upon one of the Carricks and bruised her so, that one of the English easily fetched her up and entered her, the, Caravel sinking before our Eyes. The Bark escaped unpursued, and another of our Carricks after some Chase was given over by the Enemy, who expecting a sufficient Booty of us, and getting us between them, fell upon us with much Fury; our Captain hereupon gave Direction to run ashore upon Teneriff, the Port whereof we could not recover, saying, “That he hoped to save Part of the Goods, and some of our Lives, and he had rather the rest should be lost, than all fall into the Mercy of our Foes.” When I heard this Resolution, observing the Sea to work high, and knowing all the Coast to be so full of Rocks and Shoals, that it was impossible our Ship should come near the Land, unless broken into a thousand Pieces, I represented to the Captain the Desperateness of the Attempt, wishing him rather to try the Kindness of the Enemy, than throw away himself and so many brave Men; but he would by no Remonstrances be removed from his Resolution, therefore finding it high Time to shift for myself, I locked up my little Casket of Jewels, which putting into my Sleeve, I then betook me to my Gansas, and having harnessed them to my Engine, and put myself thereon, supposing, as indeed it happened, that when the Ship should split, my Birds, though they wanted their Signal, yet for saving their own Lives, which Nature hath taught all Creatures to preserve, would make toward Land, which fell Rh