SIR FRANCIS DRAKE a.d. 



1586. 



there was one found, by whom wee were advertised, the 

 Haven to be a barren Haven, and the shore or land 

 thereof to bee well fortified, having a Castle thereupon 

 furnished with great store of Artillerie, without the 

 danger whereof was no convenient landing place within 

 ten English miles of the Citie, to which the sayd 

 Pilot tooke upon him to conduct us. 



All things being thus considered on, the whole forces 

 were commaunded in the Evening to embarke themselves 

 in Pinnesses, boats, and other small barkes appoynted 

 for this service. Our souldiers being thus imbarked, 

 the Generall put himselfe into the barke Francis as 

 Admirall, and all this night we lay on the sea, bearing 

 small saile untill our arrivall to the landing place, which 

 was about the breaking of the day, and so we landed, 

 being Newyeeres day, nine or ten miles to the West- 

 wards of that brave Citie of S. Domingo : for at that 

 time nor yet is knowen to us any landing place, where 

 the sea-surge doth not threaten to overset a Pinnesse 

 or boate. Our Generall having seene us all landed in 

 safetie, returned to his Fleete, bequeathing us to God, 

 and the good conduct of Master Carliell our Lieutenant 

 Generall : at which time, being about eight of the clocke, 

 we began to march, and about noone time, or towards one 

 of the clocke, we approched the towne, where the Gentle- 

 men and those of the better sort, being some hundred and 

 fiftie brave horses or rather more, began to present them- 

 selves ; but our small shot played upon them, which were 

 so susteined with good proportion of pikes in all parts, as 

 they finding no part of our troope unprepared to receive 

 them (for you must understand they viewed all round 

 about) they were thus driven to give us leave to proceed 

 towards the two gates of the towne, which were the next 

 to the seaward. They had manned them both, and 

 planted their ordinance for that present, and sudden 

 alarme without the gate, and also some troopes of small 

 shot in Ambuscado upon the hie way side. We divided 

 our whole force, being some thousand or twelve hundred 



III 



