Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/244

 pumping. But at the last hauing found her and the Barke Talbot in her company, which stayed by great hap with her, they were ready to take their men out of her, for the sauing of them. And so the General being fully aduertised of their great extremitie, made saile directly backe againe to Cartagena with the whole Fleete, where hauing staied eight or ten dayes more, about the vnlading of this ship, and the bestowing thereof and her men into other Ships, we departed once againe to Sea, directing our course towards the Cape S. Antony, being the Westermost part of Cuba, where wee arriued the seuen and twentieth of April. But because fresh water could not presently be found, we weyed anchor, and departed, thinking in few dayes to recouer the Matanças, a place to the Eastward of Hauana.

After wee had sailed some fourteen dayes, wee were brought to Cape S. Anthony againe, through lacke of fauourable wind: but hen our scarcity was growen such, as neede made vs looke a litle, better for water, which we found in sufficient quantitie, being indeede, as I iudge, none other then raine water newly fallen, and gathered vp by making pits in a plot of marrish ground, some three hundred pases from the sea side.

I doe wrong if I should forget the good example of the Generall at this place, who to encourage others, and to hasten the getting of fresh water aboord the ships, tooke no lesse paine himselfe then the meanest; as also at S. Domingo, Cartagena, and all other places, hauing alwayes so vigilant a care and foresight in the good ordering of his Fleete, accompanying them, as it is sayde with such wonderfull trauell of body, as doubtlesse had he bene the meanest person, as hee was the chiefest, he had yet deserued the first place of honour: and no lesse happy doe we account him, for being associated with Master Carliel his Lieutenant generall, by whose experience, prudent counsell, and gallant performance he atchieued so many and happy enterprises of the warre, by whom also he was very greatly assisted, in setting downe the needfull orders, lawes, and course of iustice, and the due administration of the same vpon all occasions.

After three dayes spent in watering our Ships, wee departed now the second time from this Cape of S. Anthony the thirteenth of May, and proceeding about the Cape of Florida, wee neuer touched any where; but coasting alongst Florida, and keeping the shore still in sight, the 28. of May early in the Morning wee