WILLIAM TOWERSON a.d. 



1577- 

 about one houre under saile, we had sight of one of the 

 French men under saile, hailing off from Weamba to 

 whome we gave chase, and agreed in the night for feare 

 of overshooting them, that the Minion should first come 

 to ancre, and after that about three houres, the Tyger 

 and the Christopher to beare along all night. 



The 5. day we found three of the French ships at 

 ancre : one called La foye de Honfleur, a ship of 220 

 tunnes, another called the Ventereuse or small Roebarge 

 of Honfleur, of 100 tunnes, both appertaining to Shawdet 

 of Honfleur, the third was called the Mulet de Batuille 

 a ship of 120 tunnes, and this ship belonged to certaine 

 Marchants of Roan. 



When we came to them, we determined to lay the 

 Admiral aboord, the Christopher the Viceadmirall, and 

 the Tyger the smallest : but when we came nere them 

 they wayed, and the Christopher being the headmost 

 & the weathermost man, went roome with the Admirall : 

 the Roebarge went so fast that wee could not fetch her. 

 The first that we came to was the Mulet, and her wee The English 

 layed aboord, and our men entred and tooke her, which b ^f nc f* ien 

 ship was the richest except the Admirall : for the Admirall rjj - g'-i 

 had taken about 80 pound of golde, and the Roeberge 

 had taken but 22 pound ; and all this we learned of 

 the Frenchmen, who knew it very well : for they were all 

 in consort together, and had bene upon the coast of 

 Mina two moneths and odde dayes : howbeit the Roe- 

 berge had bene there before them with another ship 

 of Diepe, and a caravel, which had beaten all the coast, 

 and were departed one moneth before our arriving 

 there, and they three had taken about 700 pound of 

 golde. 



Assoone as we had layed the ship aboord, and left 

 certaine men in her to keepe her, we set saile and gave 

 chase to the other two ships, and chased them all day 

 and night, and the next day untill three a clocke in 

 the afternoone, but we could not fetch them : and ther- 

 fore seeing that we brought our selves very farre to 



VI 241 Q 



