AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1564. 



By Peru the to furnish them with good men : and then to saile 



French meane unto Peru, and the other Isles of the Antilles, where 



the coast of every Souldier might easily enrich himselfe with tenne 



Z^N^^T thousand Crownes. And if their enterprise should bee 



de Dios. misliked withall in France, they should bee alwayes able, 



by reason of the great wealth that they should gaine, 



to retire themselves into Italy, untill the heate were 



overpassed, and that in the meane season some warre 



would fall out, which would cause all this to be quite 



forgotten. 



This word of riches sounded so well in the eares 

 of my Souldiers, that in fine, after they had often- 

 times consulted of their affaires, they grew to the num- 

 ber of threescore and sixe : which to colour their great 

 desire which they had to goe on stealing, they 

 caused a request to bee presented unto mee by Francis 

 de la Caille Sergeant of my company, contayning in 

 sum a declaration of the small store of victuals that 

 was left to maintaine us, until the time that shippes 

 might returne from France : for remedy whereof they 

 thought it necessary to sende to New Spaine, Peru, 

 and all the Isles adjoyning, which they besought mee 

 to be content to graunt. But I made them answere, 

 that when the Barkes were finished, I would take 

 such good order in generall, that by meanes of the 

 Kings marchandise, without sparing mine owne apparell, 

 wee would get victuals of the inhabitants of the 

 Countrey : seeing also that wee had ynough to serve 

 The captaines US for foure moneths to come. For I feared greatly, 

 charge at his that under pretence of searching victuals, they would 

 settingforth. enterprise somewhat against the King of Spaines Sub- 

 jects, which in time to come might justly bee layde 

 to my charge, considering that at our departure out of 

 France, the Queene had charged me very expresly, to 

 doe no kinde of wrong to the King of Spaines Sub- 

 jects, nor any thing whereof he might conceive any 

 jelousie. 



They made as though they were content with this 



40 



