Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/144

 *

than a mariner called the Countermaster, or Masters mate, hath charge to locke fast the hatches, that none of the marchants wines, or oyles, or any other kind of marchandize be robbed or spoyled by the mariners. And if it fortune that any bee spoyled, then the mariners are to pay for it out of the third part of all the whole fraight of the shippe that doth appertaine to the sayd marchants.

The shippe being laden, goeth to the port wherehence she saileth to goe towards the Indies called S. Lucar, and there one of the chiefe Iudges of the Contractation house commeth downe to dispatch the shippes that goe together in that fleete.

And that Iudge goeth abourd euery ship, and with him hee doth carrie an expert mariner or two called Visitors of the shippes, to know whether the sayd shippe or ships be well tackled: whether they haue men sufficient:

and in euery ship euery mans name is taken, and if he haue any marke in the face, or hand or arme, it is written by a Notarie (as well as his name) apperteining to the Contractation house, appointed for these causes. Also the Master is bound to bring backe euery mariner againe, and to leaue none behinde him there, vpon great paines, vnlesse he be a passenger appointed by the King at the court, and bringeth his licence from thence for the same purpose.

The ship must be well appointed with ordinance of brasse, and yron, according to The orders of their house, of that there must want nothing, and euery ship is appointed according to her burthen in all kinde of artillerie, as peeces of brasse and yron, hand-guns, cross-bowes, pikes, swords, daggers, targets, and for all ordinance, double shot, with powder, with new cables and ankers sufficient for the voyage. And moreouer it is ordeined, that the shippes haue double sailes, that is, that they bee thorowly sayled, and moreouer all newe sayles of fore-sayle, and maine-sayle, of coarse, and bonnet newe made, and kept in some driefat or chest in the same ship; that if the weather take the one from them, the other may be in readines.

Euery ship must haue their master sworne before the sayd Iudge of the Contractacion, that all this is in a readinesse in the shippe, as also so many newe pipes of fresh water, so many buttes of good rackt wine, so many