Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/239

 able to answere present seruice, we haue not aboue 700. The residue being some 150. men by reason of their hurts and sicknesse are altogether vnable to stand vs in any stead: wherefore hereupon the Sea-captaines are likewise to giue their resolution, how they will vndertake the safetie and seruice of the Shippes vpon the arriuall of any Spanish Fleete.

The second poynt we make to be this, whether it bee meete to goe presently homeward, or els to continue further tryall of our fortune in vndertaking such like enterprises as we haue done already, and thereby to seeke after that bountifull masse of treasure for recompence of our trauailes, which was generally expected at our comming forth of England: wherein we answere.

That it is well knowen how both we and the souldiers are entered into this action as voluntarie men, without any imprest or gage from her Maiestie or any body els: and forasmuch as we haue hitherto discharged the parts of honest men, so that now by the great blessing and fauour of our good God there haue bin taken three such notable townes, wherein by the estimation of all men would haue bene found some very great treasures, knowing that S. Iago was the chiefe citie of all the Islands and traffiques thereabouts, S. Domingo the chiefe citie of Hispaniola, and the head gouernment not only of that Iland, but also of Cuba, and of all the Ilands about it, as also of such inhabitations of the firme land, as were next vnto it, and a place that is both magnificently builded, and interteineth great trades of marchandise: and now lastly the citie of Cartagena, which cannot be denied to be one of the chiefe places of most especiall importance to the Spaniard of all the cities which be on this side of the West India: we doe therefore consider, that since all these cities, with their goods and prisoners taken in them, and the ransoms of the said cities being all put together, are found farre short to satisfie that expectation which by the generality of the enterprisers was first conceiued: And being further aduised of the slendernesse of our strength, whereunto we be now reduced, as well in respect of the small number of able bodies, as also not a litle in regard of the slacke disposition of the greater part of those which remaine, very many of the better mindes and men being either consumed by death, or weakened by sicknes and hurts: And lastly, since that