WILLIAM TOWERSON a.d. 



1577. 



The 1 1 day when we came to the Hand we perceived 

 that it was the He of Tenerif, & then in deed wee had 

 sight of the Grand Canarie, which lieth 12 leagues to 

 the Eastwards of Tenerif: and because the road of 

 Tenerif is foule ground, and nothing was there to be 

 gotten for the helping of our pinnesse, having the winde 

 large, we agreed to go with the Grand Canarie. 



The 12 day we came into the roade of the towne of 



Canarie, which lieth one league from the same towne. 



And after we had shot off divers pieces of ordinance to 



salute the towne and the castle, the governour and 



captaines of the Hand sent to us which were the captaines 



of the ships, requiring us to come a shore. And when 



we came to them they received us very frendly, offering 



us their owne Jennets to ride to the towne, and what 



other friendship they could shew us : and we went to 



the towne with two English Marchants which lay there, Two English 



and remained in their house that day. The second day ; ^chants 

 ri1 . ., ji- ii- Lmers in the 



following we came aboord to deliver our marcnandise, Q ran j 



and to get our pinnesse mended. Canary. 



The 14 day came into the road the Spanish fleet which 

 was bound to the Emperours Indies, which were in 

 number nineteene saile, whereof sixe were ships of foure The Spanish 

 hundred and five hundred a piece, the rest were of two West Indian 

 hundred, an hundred and fifty, and of an hundred. teene sa ^ 

 When they were come to an ancre they saluted us with 

 ordinance, and so we did them in like case. And after- 

 wards the Admirall (who was a knight) sent his pinnesse 

 to desire me to come to him ; and when I came to him 

 he received me friendly, and was desirous to heare 

 somewhat of the state of England and Flanders. And 

 after he had made me a banquet, I departed; and I 

 being gone unto the boat, hee caused one of his gentle- 

 men to desire Francisco the Portugall, which was my 

 interpreter, to require me to furle my flagge, declaring 

 that hee was Generall of the Emperours fleet. Which 

 thing (being come aboord) Francisco shewed me: and 

 because I refused to furle it, and kept it foorth still, 



23S 



