ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1589. 



wee chased towards Tercera with our pinnasse (the 

 weather being calme) and towards evening we overtooke 

 her, there were in her 30 tunnes of good Madera wine, 

 certaine woollen cloth, silke, taffata, &c. The 14 of 

 August we came to the Hand of Flores, where we de- 

 termined to take in some fresh water and fresh victuals, 

 such as the Hand did affoord. So we manned our boats 

 with some 120 men and rowed towards the shore; where- 

 to when we approched the inhabitants that were assembled 

 at the landing place, put foorth a flag of truce, where- 

 upon we also did the like. 



When we came to them, my Lord gave them to 

 understand by his Portugall interpreter, that he was a 

 friend to their king Don Antonio, and came not any way 

 to injury them, but that he ment onely to have some 

 fresh water and fresh victuals of them, by way of ex- 

 change for some provision that he had, as oile, wine, or 

 pepper, to which they presently agreed willingly, & sent 

 some of their company for beeves and sheepe, and we 

 in the meane season marched Southward about a mile 

 to Villa de Santa Cruz, from whence all the inhabitants 

 yong and old were departed, and not any thing of value 

 left. We demanding of them what was the cause hereof, 

 they answered, Feare ; as their usuall maner was when 

 any ships came neere their coast. 



We found that part of the Hand to be full of great 

 rockie barren hils and mountains, litle inhabited by reason 

 that it is molested with ships of war which might partly 

 appeare by this towne of Santa Cruz (being one of their 

 chiefe townes) which was all ruinous, and (as it were) but 

 the reliques of the ancient towne which had bene burnt 

 about two yeeres before by certaine English ships of 

 war, as the inhabitants there reported. 



At evening as we were in rowing towards the Victory, 

 an huge fish pursued us for the space well nigh of two 

 miles together, distant for the most part from the boats 

 sterne not a speares length, and sometimes so neere 

 that the boat stroke upon him, the tips of whose finnes 



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