A.D. 

 1565. 



[III. 512.] 



M. Hawkins 

 his letter to 

 the Treasurer 

 of Rio de la 

 Hacha. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



againe, & the 19. came thither; where having talke with 

 the kings treasurer of the Indies resident there, he declared 

 his quiet trafique in Burboroata, & shewed a certificate of 

 the same, made by the governour thereof, & therefore he 

 desired to have the like there also: but the treasurer 

 made answere that they were forbidden by the Viceroy and 

 councill of S. Domingo, who having intelligence of our 

 being on the coast, did sende expresse commission to 

 resist us, with all the force they could, insomuch that they 

 durst not trafique with us in no case, alleaging that if they 

 did, they should loose all that they did trafique for, besides 

 their bodies at the magistrates commaundement. Our 

 Captaine replied, that hee was in an Armada of the 

 Queenes Majesties of England, and sent about other 

 her aflfaires, but driven besides his pretended voyage, was 

 inforced by contrary windes to come into those parts, 

 where he hoped to finde such friendship as hee should 

 doe in Spaine, to the contrary whereof hee knewe no 

 reason, in that there was amitie betwixt their princes. 

 But seeing they would contrary to all reason go about 

 to withstand his trafique, he would it should not be said 

 by him, that having the force he hath, to be driven from 

 his trafique perforce, but he would rather put it in ad- 

 venture to try whether he or they should have the better, 

 and therefore willed them to determine either to give him 

 licence to trade, or else to stand to their owne harmes : 

 So upon this it was determined hee should have licence 

 to trade, but they would give him such a price as was the 

 one halfe lesse then he had sold for before, and thus they 

 sent word they would do, and none otherwise, and if it 

 liked him not, he might do what he would, for they were 

 not determined to deale otherwise with him. Where- 

 upon, the captaine waying their unconscionable request, 

 wrote to them a letter, that they dealt too rigorously 

 with him, to go about to cut his throte in the price of his 

 commodities, which were so reasonably rated, as they 

 could not by a great deale have the like at any other 

 mans handes. But seeing they had sent him this to 



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