A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1586. 



Captaine Powel the Sergeant maior had by his turne 

 the charge of the foure companies which made the 

 battaile. 



Captaine Morgan, who at S. Domingo was of the 

 Vantguard, had now by turne his charge upon the 

 companies of the Rereward. 



Every man as well of one part as of another, came 

 so willingly on to the service, as the enemie was not 

 able to endure the furie of such hot assault. 



We stayed here sixe weekes, and the sicknesse with 

 mortalitie before spoken of still continued among us, 

 though not with the same furie as at the first : and such 

 as were touched with the sayde sicknesse, escaping 

 death, very few or almost none could recover their 

 strength : yea, many of them were much decayed in 

 their memorie, insomuch that it was growen an ordinarie 

 judgement, when one was heard to speake foolishly, to 

 say he had bene sicke of the Calentura, which is the 

 [III. 543.] Spanish name of their burning Ague : for as I tolde 

 you before, it is a very burning and pestilent ague. 

 The originall cause thereof, is imputed to the Evening 

 or first night ayre, which they tearme La serena, 

 wherein they say and hold very firme opinion, that 

 who so is then abroad in the open ayre, shall certainly be 

 infected to the death, not being of the Indian or naturall 

 race of those countrey people : by holding their watch, 

 our men were thus subjected to the infectious ayre, which 

 at S. lago was most dangerous and deadly of all other 

 places. 



With the inconvenience of continuall mortalitie, we 

 were forced to give over our intended enterprise to goe 

 with Nombre de Dios, and so overland to Panama, where 

 we should have strooken the stroke for the treasure, and 

 full recompence of our tedious travailes. And thus at 

 Cartagena wee tooke our first resolution to returne home- 

 wardes : the forme of which resolution I thought good 

 here to put downe under the principall Captaines hands, as 

 followeth. 



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