THE FIRST VOYAGE TO GUINEA a.d. 



1553- 

 company of a terrible Hydra, who hitherto flattred with 

 him, & made him a faire countenance and shew of love. 

 Then did he take upon him to command all alone, 

 setting nought both by captain Pinteado, and the rest 

 of the marchants factors, sometimes with opprobrious 

 words, and somtimes with threatnings most shamfully 

 abusing them, taking from Pinteado the service of the 

 boies and certain mariners that were assigned him by 

 the order and direction of the worshipful merchants, and 

 leaving him as a common mariner, which is the greatest 

 despite and grief that can be to a Portugale or Spaniard, 

 to be diminished of their honor, which they esteem above 

 all riches. Thus sailing forward on their voiage, they 

 came to the Hands of Canarie, continuing their course The Hands of 

 from thence until they arrived at the Hand of S. Nicholas, ^ na ?f' , 

 where they victualled themselves with fresh meat, of 5 Nicholas. 

 the flesh of wild goats, whereof is great plenty in that 

 Hand, & in maner of nothing els. From hence folowing 

 on their course and tarying here & there at the desert 

 Hands in the way, because they would not come too 

 timely to the countrey of Guinea for the heat, and tarying 

 somwhat too long (for what can be well ministred in 

 a common wealth, where inequalitie with tyrannie wil 

 rule alone) they came at the length to the first land of the 

 country of Guinea, where they fel with the great river of The river of 

 Sesto, where they might for their marchandizes have laden f? s J°\. 

 their ships with the graines of that countrey, which is Q r 'J*' es 

 a very hote fruit, and much like unto a fig as it groweth 

 on the tree. For as the figs are full of small seeds, so is 

 the said fruit full of graines, which are loose within the 

 cod, having in the mids thereof a hole on every side. 

 This kind of spice is much used in cold countries, & may 

 there be sold for great advantage, for exchange of other 

 wares. But our men, by the perswasion or rather inforce- 

 ment of this tragicall captaine, not regarding and setting 

 light by that commoditie, in comparison of ye fine gold The thirst of 

 they thirsted, sailed an hundred leagues further, until i ^- 

 they came to the golden land : where not attempting to 



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