Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/275

 Iland of Hispaniola called Ocoa, where was an Ingenio, wherein we found sugar and poultrie great store, but the people had discouered our ships ouer night, and were fled into the mountaines. This town standeth a league from the seaside, consisting of some fortie or fiftie houses. They brought vs much cattell, and two wayne loades of sugar, to ransome the towne. While this action was perfourmed, Robert Freed of Harwich, captaine of the Margaret, tooke two frigats with certaine Spaniards on the other side of the bay, which came to lade sugar there at an Ingenio.

After we had here refreshed our selues, wee stood along for Cape Tiburon, where we watered: and making no stay there, about the 23. of Aprill wee left our shippes in a faire road-sted vnder an Iland not inhabited, and with our frigate which wee had taken before, wherein wee shipped all our strength which possibly wee could affourd, leauing onely so fewe aboord our shippes as could hardly it neede had bene, haue wrought them; we passed along by the sayd Iland to the Northwest part of Hispaniola, to a towne called Yaguana; where the 27. in the morning 2. houres before day we landed; but wee were discouered by meanes of a frigat that lay laden with victuals, bound for Carthagena, the men of which frigat recouering on lande before vs, gaue an alarme to the towne, who were presently vp in armes to the number of a hundred and fiftie horses.

Wee marched notwithstanding along to the towne hauing a Spaniard for our guide, where by that time the day brake, we were before the towne, where vpon a faire greene making a stand, we were encountred by the horsemen hauing no strength of foote, but certaine few loose shot which lay in a low valley at the entrie of the towne. The horsemen charged vs very fiercely, but seeing they could not preuaile, brought in a droue before them of two hundred beastes or more: and so forcibly thinking to haue broken our array, it pleased God to cause their cattell to returne backe vpon themselues: and thus their owne deuice sorted out to their owne detriment. In this skirmish wee slewe their gouernour, a man very hardy, and of great valure.

In the end, by reason of the Spaniards brags which they gaue out, (as by the life of their wiues and children, &c. that not one of vs should goe aboord againe) a greater doubt of intercepting of vs and of our boates was stroken into our captaines hearts then needed: and so for that time we retired to our boates not