MILES PHILIPS A.D. 



1568. 



saluting one another as the maner of the Sea doth 

 require : the morrow after being friday we laboured 

 on all sides in placing the English ships by themselves, & 

 the Spanish ships by themselves, the Captaines and in- 

 feriour persons of either part, offering, and shewing great 

 courtesie one to another, and promising great amitie 

 upon all sides. Howbeit as the sequel shewed, the 

 Spaniards meant nothing lesse upon their parts. For the 

 Viceroy and governour thereabout had secretly at land 

 assembled to the number of 1000. chosen men, and 

 wel appointed, meaning the next thursday being the 24. 

 of September at dinner time to assault us, and set upon 

 us on all sides. But before I go any further, I thinke 

 it not amisse briefly to describe the maner of the yland 

 as it then was, and the force and strength, that it is 

 now of. For the Spaniards since the time of our Gene- 

 rals being there, for the better fortifying of the same 

 place, have upon the same yland built a faire Castle, A faire castle 



and bulwarke very well fortified : this port was then at f^^^/^^^'f^^ 

 . . , "^ T 1 1 1 r ^1 builded upon 



our bemg there, a little yland or stones, not past three f/^^yiandof 



foote above water in the highest place, and not past a San Juan de 



bow-shotte over any way at the most, and it standeth Vllua. 



from the maine land, two bowshootes or more : and there 



is not in all this coast any other place for ships safely 



to arive at : also the North windes in this coast are of 



great violence and force, and unlesse the shippes bee 



safely mored in, with their anckers fastened in this yland, 



there is no remedie, but present destruction and ship- 



wracke. All this our generall wisely foreseeing, did 



provide that he would have the said yland in his custody, 



or els the Spaniards might at their pleasure, have but 



cut our cables, and so with the first Northwinde that 



blewe we had had our passport, for our ships had gone 



a shoore. But to returne to the matter. 



The time approching that their treason must be put 



in practise, the same Thursday morning, some appearance 



thereof began to shewe it selfe, as shifting of weapons 



from shippe to shippe, and planting, and bending their 



405 



