Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/243

 they had caried and conueyed away all their treasure and principall substance.

The ransome of an hundred and ten thousand Ducats thus concluded on, as is aforesaid, the same being written, and expressing for nothing more then the towne of Cartagena, vpon the payment of the sayd ransome, we left the said towne, and drewe some part of our souldiers into the Priorie or Abbey, standing a quarter of an English mile belowe the towne vpon the harbour water-side, the same being walled with a wall of stone, which we told the Spaniards was yet ours, and not redeemed by their composition: whereupon they finding the defect of their contract, were contented to enter into another ransome for all places, but especially for the sayde house, as also the Blocke house or Castle, which is vpon the month of the inner harbour. And when wee asked as much for the one as for the other, they yeelded to giue a thousand Crownes for the Abbey, leauing vs to take our pleasure vpon the Blocke house, which they sayd they were not able to ransome, hauing stretched themselues to the vttermost of their powers: and therefore the sayd Blockehouse was by vs vndermined, and so with gunne powder blowen vp in pieces.

While this latter contract was in making, our whole Fleete of ships fell downe towards the harbour mouth, where they anchored the third time, and imployed their men in fetching of fresh water aboord the ships for our voyage homewards, which water was had in a great well, that is in the Island by the harbour mouth: which Island is a very pleasant place as hath bene seene, hauing in it many sorts of goodly and very pleasant fruites, as the Orenge trees and others, being set orderly in walkes of great length together. Insomuch as the whole Island being some two or three miles about, is cast into grounds of gardening and orchards.

After sixe weekes abode in this place, we put to sea the last of March, where after two or three dayes a great ship which we had taken at S. Domingo, and thereupon was called The new yeeres gift, fell into a great leake, being laden with ordinance, hides, and other spoyles, and in the night she lost the company of our Fleete; which being missed the next morning by the Generall, hee cast about with the whole Fleete, fearing some great mischance to bee happened vnto her, as in very deede it so fell out: for her leake was so great, that her men were all tyred with