Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/53

 *

being somewhat skant they could not get abord that night, but put into a bay vnder the yland vntill the next day, and presently after the breake of day there came to the number of 9. or 10. of the Kings canoas so deepely laden with victuals as they could swim, with two great liue oxen, halfe a skore of wonderfull great and fat hogges, a number of hennes which were aliue, drakes, geese, eggs, plantans, sugar canes, sugar in plates, cocos, sweet oranges and sowre, lymes, great store of wine and aquauitæ, salt to season victuals withall, and almost all maner of victuals else, with diuers of the Kings officers which were there.

Among all the rest of the people in one of these canoas came two Portugales, which were of middle stature, and men of marueilous proper personage; they were each of them in a loose ierkin, and hose, which came downe from the waste to the ancle, because of the vse of the Countrey, and partly because it was Lent, and a time for doing of their penance, (for they accompt it as a thing of great dislike among these heathens to weare either hose or shoes on their feete:) they had on ech of them a very faire and a white lawne shirt, with falling bands on the same, very decently, onely their bare legs excepted. These Portugales were no small ioy vnto our Generall and all the rest of our company: For we had not seene any Christian that was our friend of a yeere and an halfe before.

Our Generall vsed and intreated them singularly well, with banquets and musicke: They told vs that they were no lesse glad to see vs, then wee to see them, and enquired of the estate of their countrey, and what was become of Don Antonio their King, and whether hee was liuing or no: for that they had not of long time bene in Portugall, and that the Spaniards had alwayes brought them worde that hee was dead. Then our Generall satisfied them in euery demaund; Assuring them, that their King was aliue, and in England, and had honourable allowance of our Queene, and that there was warre betweene Spaine and England, and that we were come vnder the King of Portugall into the South sea, and had warred vpon the Spaniards there, and had fired, spoiled, and sunke all the ships along the coast that we could meete withall, to the number of eighteene or twentie sailes. With this report they were sufficiently satisfied.

On the other side they declared vnto vs the state of the yland of Iaua. First the plentifulnes and great choise and