a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



I 593- 



to take, seeing we were fallen into a desert place, & 

 we travelled all that day untill night, sometimes one 

 way and sometimes another, and could finde no kinde 

 of inhabitants ; onely we saw where wilde beasts had 

 bene, and places where there had bene houses, which 

 after we perceived to have bene burnt by the Portugals. 

 So at night falling into certaine groves of olive trees, 

 we climed up and sate in them to avoid the danger of 

 lions and other wilde beasts, whereof we saw many the 

 next morning. The next day we travelled untill three 

 of the clocke in the afternoone without any food, but 

 water and wilde date roots : then going over a moun- 

 taine, we had sight of Cape Espartel ; whereby we knew 

 somewhat better which way to travell, and then we went 

 forward untill we came to an hedgerow made with 

 great long canes ; we spied and looked over it, and 

 beheld a number of men aswell horsemen as footmen, 

 to the number of some five thousand in skirmish 

 together with small shot and other weapons. And after 

 consultation what we were best to do, we concluded to 

 yeeld our selves unto them, being destitute of all meanes 

 of resistance. So rising up we marched toward them, 

 who espying us, foorthwith some hundred of them with 

 their javelings in their hands came running towards us 

 as though they would have run us thorow : howbeit 

 they onely strooke us flatling with their weapons, and 

 said that we were Spaniards : and we tolde them that we 

 were Englishmen ; which they would not beleeve yet. 

 By and by the conflict being ended, and night approch- 

 ing, the captaine of the Moores, a man of some §6 

 yeres olde, came himselfe unto us, and by his inter- 

 preter which spake Italian, asked what we were, and 

 from whence we came. One Thomas Henmer of our 

 company which could speake Italian, declared unto him 

 that we were marchants, and how by great misfortune 

 our ship, marchandise, & the greatest part of our com- 

 pany were pitifully cast away upon their coast. But he 

 void of humainity & all manhood, for all this, caused 



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