A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1586. 



being the chiefe or highest appeale of their suites in 

 law of all the Islands about it, and of the maine land 

 coast next unto it. And it is of no such accompt as 

 Cartagena, for these and some other like reasons, which I 

 could give you, over long to be now written. 



The warning which this towne received of our comming 

 towards them from S. Domingo, by the space of twentie 

 dayes before our arrivall here, was cause that they 

 had both fortified and every way prepared for their 

 best defence. As also that they had caried and 

 conveyed away all their treasure and principall sub- 

 stance. 



The ransome of an hundred & ten thousand Ducats 

 thus concluded on, as is aforesaid, the same being written, 

 and expressing for nothing more then the towne of 

 Cartagena, upon the payment of the sayd ransome, we 

 left the said towne, and drewe some part of our souldiers 

 into the Priorie or Abbey, standing a quarter of an 

 English mile belowe the towne upon the harbour water- 

 side, the same being walled with a wall of stone, which 

 we told the Spaniards was yet ours, and not redeemed by 

 their composition : whereupon they finding the defect of 

 their contract, were contented to enter into another ran- 

 some for all places, but specially for the sayde house, as 

 also the Blockehouse or Castle, which is upon the mouth 

 of the inner harbour. And when wee asked as much for 

 the one as for the other, they yeelded to give a thousand 

 Crownes for the Abbey, leaving us to take our pleasure 

 upon the Blockehouse, which they sayd they were not 

 able to ransome, having stretched themselves to the 

 uttermost of their powers : and therefore the sayd Blocke- 

 house was by us undermined, and so with gunne powder 

 blowen up in pieces. 



While this latter contract was in making, our whole 

 Fleete of ships fell downe towards the harbour mouth, 

 where they anchored the third time, and imployed their 

 men in fetching of fresh water aboord the ships for our 

 voyage homewards, which water was had in a great well, 



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