Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/364

 sent to the forts and to his ships that about ten of the clocke in the darke of the night they should shoote at the vpper fort with all possible diligence, and send all the boates ashore, which was accordingly perfourmed. And wee likewise keeping a tumult in the towne, the enemie supposing that our purpose was to assault the vpper fort (which God knowes was most impregnable for vs) retyred from their plotted purpose for the defence thereof. So we in a souldierlike order with very good safety departed the towne, although the Portugals hauing espied our Generals policie came very furiously vpon the back of vs, after we had kept it two dayes and two nights.

In the rode of S. Iago we tooke a ship with wine and cloth, which did greatly refresh our men.

From hence we sayled to an Isle called Fuego, being a very small Isle, with a very high hill in the midst of it, which continually burneth: this Isle is inuincible by nature, high cliffed round about, yet by diligent search we found a small path where wee landed our men with exceeding much difficulty, and so were masters of the Isle the eleuenth of September, where wee tooke in water, but the Isle yeelded vs nothing but miserable infection. One night wee had a showre of ashes which fell so thicke into our ships from that burning hill of Fuego, that you might write your name with your finger vpon the vpper decke.

Departing from this place the twentieth of September, we shaped our course for Dominica an Isle in the West India: but before we came thither our men fell generally downe, so that the hole could not relieue the sicke, the disease was so vile that men grew lothsome vnto themselues, franticke and desperately rauing, among whom our good Generals part was not the least; for his disease was vehement, the griefe of his mind, the lamentation of his men, and the losse of those whom he loued were to him torments more then durable: all which with patience and humilitie in prayer he humbled himselfe vnto. But had not his mind bene inuincible and his desires aboue the ordinary course of men, it had bene impossible that life should now haue rested in him: but God (I hope) hath preserued him to some exceeding good purpose.

Arriuing at Dominica the seuenteenth of October, with all our men sicke and feeble, wee found there two hote bathes, wherein our weake men washing themselues were greatly comforted: and the Indians of this place