Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/219

 after, with three or foure small brasse pieces, charged with haileshot, and so giuing a mighty shoute, came all aboord together, crying, entrad, entrad: but our men receiued them so hotely, with small shot and pikes, that they killed them like dogs. And thus they continued aboord them almost a quarter of an hour, thinking to haue deuoured our men, pinnesse and all.

And surely to mans iudgment, no other thing was likely in regard of their great number, and the fewnes of our men, and they at the first thought all was their owne: but God, who is the giuer of all victories, so blessed our small company, and so strengthened their armes and mindes to fight, that the enemie hauing receiued a mighty foyle, was glad to ridde himselfe from their handes: and whereas at their entrance, wee esteemed them to be no lesse then betwixt two hundred and three hundred men in the galley, we could scarse perceiue twenty men at their departure stand on their legs, but the greater part of them was slaine, many deadly wounded, their oares broken, and she departed from our men, hanging vpon one side, (as a Sowe that hath lost her left eare) with the number of dead and wounded men that lay one vpon another. And whereas their comming aboord was in a great brauado, with drumme, shouting, and crying, they departed without either noise or speech.

We lost in this conflict of our men, three onely, which were Alexander the Master Gunners mate, Laurence Gambrel, a proper yoong man of Hampton, and another that was master Benmans man. Some also were hurt with the arrowes of the enemie, but the wounds were curable: and thus it pleased Almighty God, of his great goodnes, to giue victory to 50 or 60 Englishmen, against sixe or seuen hundred Portugals and Indians, for which we ceased not to giue such dutifull thanks to his Maiestie, as so miraculous a victory required.

Now touching the purpose of our men, who made that attempt for fresh victuals, their labour was nothing lost, but in despite of the enemie they brought to our ships 16 or 17 yong bullockes, which was to our great comforts and refreshing. As for vs that were in our ship, we could not come neere them by two miles, or more, to giue them any aid, yet we suppose that the countenance of our ships was an incouragement to our men, and some maner of feare to the enemie.

Now whereas our opinion concerning the number of the Portu