WILLIAM TOWERSON a.d. 



1555- 

 After they were come to us, they let fall their ancre, 

 for wee had cast ancre because the winde was not 

 good : I caused then the Skiffe to come for mee, and 

 I went aboorde of them to see that no harme should 

 bee done to them, nor to take any thing but that 

 which they might spare us for our money. So we 

 tooke of them 3. Tapnets of figges, two small pots of 

 oyle, two pipes of water, foure hogsheads of saltfish 

 which they had taken upon the coast, and certaine fresh 

 fish which they did not esteeme, because there is such 

 store upon that coast, that in an houre and sometime 

 lesse, a man may take as much fish as will serve Great store °J 

 twentie men a day. For these things, and for some ^fjf*? the 

 wine which wee dranke aboorde of them, and three or Barbary. 

 foure great Cannes which they sent aboord of our 

 shippes, I payed them twentie and seven Pistolets, 

 which was twise as much as they willingly would have 

 taken : and so let them goe to their ancre and cable 

 which they had let slippe, and got it againe by our 

 helpe. After this wee set saile, but the winde caused 

 us to ancre againe about twelve leagues off the river 

 del Oro, as the Portugals tolde us. There were five 

 Carvels more in this place, but when they sawe us, they 

 made all away for feare of us. 



The 15. day we ridde still because of the winde. 



The 16. day we set saile and ranne our course 40. 

 leagues. This day, by the reckoning of our Pilots, we 

 were right under the Tropike of Cancer. The 17. day The Tropike 

 we ranne 25. leagues within sight for the most part of °{ Ca ™j' tn 

 the coast of Barbary. j^m 



The 18. day wee ranne thirtie leagues, and at twelve 

 of the clocke by the reckoning of our Pilots we were 

 thwart of Cape Blanke. Cape Blanke. 



The 22. day our Pilots reckoned us to be thwart [ n - "• 2 5-J 

 Cape Verde. Ca ? e Verde ' 



The 12. day of December we had sight of land of The coast of 

 Guinea, which as soone as we saw we hailed into the Guinea. 

 land Northeast, and about 12. of the clocke at night 



181 



