Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/217

 as one of our company, and was a ship of the burthen of two hundreth and fifty tunnes. Our hard happe was to find no great matter, either of marchandize or victuals in these ships, sauing in one of them we found foure buts of wine, in another two, in another one, and some fish, and all the rest of their lading was on shore.

All this was done vpon Easter eeue, and we gaue thanks to God, that we had sped so well: and that very night there came a boate from the towne, with a Dutch merchant, and one Portugal, to offer some ransome for the ships, as they sayd, but as I iudge rather to espie our strength: we kept them that night aboord, and the next day we sent them to our Admiral.

The next day being Easter day arose a very great storme, in somuch that our carauel which we first tooke brake from vs, and one of our new prizes also, by meanes of the breaking of her cable, slipt away: whereupon, although the winde was great, and the sea troublesome, yet wee sent certaine of our men in our boat, to recouer them if they might, but we feare, that the rage of the weather hath caused vs to leese both our men and prizes.

In the middest of this storme, our two Spaniards which wee tooke in the riuer of Plate, seeing vs all busie about our prizes, beganne to thinke howe they might escape our handes, and suddenly slipt both out of one of the cabbins windowes, and by swimming got a shoare, a thing which seemed to vs impossible, considering the outrage of the weather.

This storme continued long, and preuented vs of making our intended attempt against the towne, hauing as much to doe as possibly we might, in keeping our ships and prizes from running ashore, and falling into the hands of those that stood gaping greedily for our ruine.

The 19 day the storme being a little ceased, wee all weyed and came to an Island that lyeth next Northwest from the bay, and the twentieth day we went on shore, and our carpenters set vp our pinnesse.

The 23 day the people of the countrey came downe amaine vpon vs, and beset vs round, and shot at vs with their bowes and arrowes, but in short time wee caused them to retire, and many of them were caried away by the helpe of their fellowes, although wee had some of our men hurt with some of their arrowes.

The 24 day we receiued out of the carauel twelue buts of wine and foure barels of oyle, and halfe a quarter.