Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/46

 a quart in quantitie; which rootes are very good meat, and excellent sweete either rosted or boyled.

This Casiques skinne was carued and cut with sundry and many strakes and deuises all ouer his body.

We kept him still aboord and caused him to send those men which brought him aboord backe to the island to cause the rest of the principals to come aboord: who were no sooner gone on shore, but presently the people of the island came downe with their cocos and potato rootes, and the rest of the principals likewise came aboord and brought with them hennes and hogges: and they vsed the same order with vs which they doe with the Spaniardes. For they tooke for euery hog (which they cal Balboye) eight rials of plate, and for euery henne or cocke one riall of plate. Thus we rode at anker all that day, doing nothing but buying rootes, cocos, hennes, hogges, and such things as they brought, refreshing our selues marueilously well.

The same day at night beeing the fifteenth of Ianuary 1588, Nicolas Roderigo the Portugal, whom we tooke out of the great Santa Anna at the Cape of California, desired to speake with our General in secret: which when our General vnderstood, he sent for him, and asked him what he had to say vnto him. The Portugal made him this answer, that although he had offended his worship heretofore, yet nowe hee had vowed his faith and true seruice vnto him, and in respect thereof neither could nor would conceal such treason as was in working against him and his company: and that was this.

That the Spaniard which was taken out of the great sant Anna for a Pilote, whose name was Thomas de Ersola, had written a letter, and secretly sealed it and locked it vp in his cheste, meaning to conuey it by the inhabitants of this island to Manilla, the contents whereof were: That there had bene two English ships along the coast of Chili, Peru, Nueua Espanna, and Nueua Galicia, and that they had taken many shippes and marchandize in them, and burnt diuers townes, and spoiled all that euer they could come vnto, and that they had taken the kings ship which came from Manilla and all his treasure, with all the marchandize that was therein; and had set all the people on shore, taking himselfe away perforce. Therefore he willed them that they should make strong their bulwarks with their two Gallies, and all such prouision as they