AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1596. 



Truxillo the sixt of March, and resolved to set upon the strong 

 assailed. towne of Truxillo neere the mouth of the bay of the 

 Honduras. And having sayled to Cape de Corrientes 

 upon Cuba, to seeke a barke of mine for our better 

 strength ; but not finding her, we went for the cape 

 of Honduras, where wee purposed to intrap the watch, 

 and so to have sacked the towne of Truxillo. But the 

 watch discovering us, made great fires, and the towne 

 presently shot off a great piece, and answered with 

 fires. Notwithstanding, the next day being the one 

 and thirtieth of March, wee brought our ships under 

 the fort, and landed our men : but it was a vaine pur- 

 [III. 603.] pose, for the towne is invincible by nature, and standeth 

 upon the top of a very steepe hill joyning close to the 

 sea, environed with woods of such exceeding thicknes, 

 that there is no passage through the trees : there is also 

 but one very narrow and steepe lane to goe into the 

 towne, at the end whereof is a gate very strongly 

 fortified : so that it is not to be approched unto, 

 unlesse it be upon the sudden, and with surprize of the 

 watch : wherefore with the losse of some few men wee 

 retired from this enterprize. 



From hence we passed up farther into the gulfe the 

 second of April, with intention to invade the towne of 

 Puerto de Puerto de Cavallos, where wee arrived the seventh of 

 Cavallos April, and tooke the same, finding it well fortified, but 

 nothing answering our expectation for wealth. Where- 

 upon Sir Anthony Sherley and I being hitherto frus- 

 trate of our hopes, resolved here to enter up to the 

 bottome of Rio dolce, and to passe overland unto the 

 They passe South sea. Wherefore wee set forward, and entred 

 above 30. above thirty leagues up the sayd Rio dolce, thinking 

 dolce ^^ have passed overland with two companies of men, 



and to have caried a pinnesse in sixe quarters to be 

 set together with skrewes, and therein to have embarked 

 our selves in the South sea, and there for a time to 

 have tried our fortune ; and to have returned overland 

 to the bay of Honduras. But this our diligence tooke 



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