Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/298

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our selues at Paracoa, we set saile to see further of the Indies, leauing the yle of Trinidad the 12. day of March.

The 13. I tooke a small prize of sackes 25. leagues to the Northward of an yland which I sailed by, called Granata. This prize refreshed vs well: yet meaning to sel her at the yle of Saint Iuan de Puerto rico, and shaping our course thither by the ylands of Santa Cruz and Infierno, I coasted all the South side of the said yle of St. Iohn, till I came to an ancker at Cape Roxo: where riding 14. dayes to expect S. Domingo men, which oftentimes fall with the yland of Mona, and finding none (neither would the Spaniards of S. Iuan de puerto rico buy my prize) I vnladed her, tooke in the goods, and after burned her.

This ended, I disemboqued (where fewe Englishmen had done before, by reason of the great dangers betweene this yland of S. Iuan de puerto rico and Hispaniola) by a little yland called Zacheo.

And after carefully doubling the shouldes of Abreojos, I caused the Master, (hearing by a Pilote, that the Spanish fleete ment now to put out of Hauana) to beare for the Meridian of the yle of Bermuda, hoping there to finde the fleete dispersed. The fleete I found not, but foule weather enough to scatter many fleetes; which companion left mee not in greatest extremitie, till I came to the yles of Flores and Cueruo: whither I made the more haste, hoping to meete some great Fleete of her Maiestie my souereigne, as I had intelligence, and to giue them aduise of this rich Spanish fleet: but finding none, and my victuals almost spent, I directed my course for England.

Returning alone, and worse manned by halfe then I went foorth, my fortune was to meete a great Armada of this fleete of some 600. tunnes well appointed, with whom I fought board and board for two dayes, being no way able in all possibilitie with fiftie men to board a man of warre of sixe hundreth tunnes. And hauing spent all my powder I was constrained to leaue her, yet in such distresse without sailes and mastes, and hull so often shot through with my great Ordinance betweene winde and water, that being three hundred leagues from land, I dare say, it was impossible for her to escape sinking. Thus leauing her by necessitie in this miserable estate, I made for England, where I arriued at S. Iues in Cornewall aboue the latter ende of May