ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1567. 



also two Brigandines, whereof they (with all the speede 

 that they might) made readie foure Caravels, and both 

 the brigandines which were like two Gallies, and furnished 

 them both with men and ordinance as much as they could 

 carrie, and as soone as it was night, they came rowing 

 and falling towardes us : so that the land being high and 

 weather somewhat cloudie or mystie, and they comming 

 all the way close under the shoare we could not see them 

 till they were right against one of our ships called the 

 May-floure. 



By this time it was about one or two of the clocke in 

 the morning, and the May-floure roade neerer them then 

 the other two by a base shotte, so that they made a sure 

 account either to have taken her or burnt her. In the 

 meane time our men that had the watch (litle thinking 

 of such villanous treacheries after so many faire wordes) 

 were singing and playing one with the other, and made 

 such a noyse, that (being but a small gale of winde, and 

 riding neere the lande) they might heare us from the 

 shoare : so that we supposed that they made account that 

 we had espyed them, which indeede we had not, neither 

 had any one piece of ordinance primed, or any other thing 

 in a readinesse. 



They came so neere us that they were within gunshot 

 of us, & then one of our men chanced to see a light, & 

 then looking out spied the 4 ships, and suddenly cried 

 out, Gallies, gallies, at which cry we were all amazed, and 

 foorthwith they shot at us all the great ordinance that 

 they had, and their harquebusses, and curriers, and so 

 lighted certaine tronkes or pieces of wilde fire, and all 

 of them with one voice (as well they on the shoare as 

 they in the shippes) gave a great shoute, and so continued 

 hallowing with great noyses, still approching neerer and 

 neerer unto the May-floure. We (with all the speede 

 that we might) made readie one piece of ordinance and 

 [II. ii. 62.] shotte at them, which caused them somewhat to stay, so 

 they charged their ordinance and shot at us freshly againe, 

 and while they shotte this second time at us, we had 



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