Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/238

 same furie as at the first: and such as were touched with the sayde sicknesse, escaping death, very few or almost none could recouer their strength: yea, many of them were much decayed in their memorie, insomuch that it was growen an ordinarie iudgement, when one was heard to speake foolishly, to say he had bene sicke of the Calentura, which is the Spanish name of their burning Ague: for as I tolde you before, it is a very burning and pestilent ague. The originall cause thereof, is imputed to the Euening or first night ayre, which they tearme La serena, wherein they say and hold very firme opinion, that who so is then abroad in the open ayre, shall certainly be infected to the death, not being of the Indian or naturall race of those countrey people: by holding their watch, our men were thus subiected to the infectious ague, which at S. Iago was most dangerous and deadly of all other places.

With the inconuenience of continuall mortalitie, we were forced to giue ouer our intended enterprise, to goe with Nombre de Dios, and so ouerland to Panama, where we should haue strooken the stroke for the treasure, and full recompence of our tedious trauailes. And thus at Cartagena we tooke our first resolution to returne homewardes: the forme of which resolution I thought good here to put downe vnder the principall Captaines hands, as followeth.

A resolution of the Land-captaines, what course they thinke most expedient to bee taken. Giuen at Cartagena xxvij. of Februarie 1585.

Whereas it hath pleased the Generall to demaund the opinions of his Captaines what course they thinke most expedient to be now vndertaken, the Land-captaines being assembled by themselues together, and hauing aduised hereupon, doe in three points deliuer the same.

The first, touching the keeping of the towne against the force of the enemie, either that which is present, or that which may come out of Spaine, is answered thus.

We holde opinion, that with this troope of men which we haue presently with vs in land-seruice, being victualled and munitioned, wee may well keepe the Towne, albeit that of men