Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/305

 land, as high as the pike of Tenerif. We could not land here ouer night, by reason of the roughnes of the sea, which goeth in that place, and there is but one litle creeke against the fort, to come in with your boat. So, we perceiuing no fit place to land, by reason of the sea, stood away some league to the West-ward, about a litle head-land, there we ankered al night: and the 27 in the morning we all landed in safety, none resisting vs.

Then we presently set ourselues in aray, and marched toward the fort, and tooke it without any resistance. Here we remained al the rest of this day vntill the 28, about three of the clock in the afternoone. We found nothing in this fort but a litle meale, or 2 or 3 tunnes of wine, which by reason of some disorder amongst the company ouercharging themselues with the wine, our general for the most part caused to be spilt. While we remained here, some of our company ranging the woods, found the gouernor of the fort where he lay asleepe, brought him to our general: who examined him touching the state of the citie of S. Iago de Leon.

Who declared vnto vs that they had newes of our comming a moneth before, and that they of the towne had made preparation for our coming: and that if we did go the common beaten way, it was neuer possible for vs to passe, for that they had made in the midst of the way betweene this fort and the said city, an exceeding strong baricado on the top of a very high hil, the passage being not aboue 25 or 30 foot in bredth, and on each side maruellous steep-vpright, and the woods so thicke that no man could passe for his life: which indeed at our returning backe we found to be true. Vpon which speeches our generall demanded of him if there were not any other way: who answered, there is another way maruellous bad and very ill to trauel, which the Indians do commonly vse: but he thought that the Spaniards had stopt the same, by cutting downe of great trees and other things, as indeed they had. This Spaniard was a very weake and sickly man not able to trauel, so our general sent him abord his ship, and there kept him. In the taking of our three small Carauels at Cumana, we had a Spaniard in one of them that had traueled these wayes to the citie of S. Iago. He told vs he would cary vs thither by any of both these wayes, if afterward we would set him at libertie: the which was granted. While we remained at the fort by the waters side, the Spaniards came downe vnto