A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1595. 



of the sea, which presently cast her away. The boats 

 comming after did the like. At our arrivall, those in 

 the fort had laden all their ordinance, being seven pieces 

 of brasse, to discharge them upon us at our landing; 

 which indeed they did : for our admirall leaping into 

 the water, all the rest following him, off came these 

 pieces of ordinance: but almighty God be praised, they 

 in the fort, with feare to see us land in their faces, had 

 piked their ordinance so steepe downewards with their 

 mouthes, that they shot all their shot in the sand, 

 although, as I sayd before, it was not above a coits 

 cast at the most betweene the place wee landed and the 

 face of the fort : so that they only shot off one of our 

 mens armes, without doing any more hurt ; which was 

 to us a great blessing of God : for if those ordinances 

 had bene well levelled, a great number of us had lost 

 our lives at that instant. Our admirall seeing this, cried 

 out, incouraging his men, Upon them, upon them ; all 

 (by Gods helpe) is ours : and they therewith ran to the 

 fort with all violence. Those foure ensignes of men 

 that were set to defend our landing, seeing this resolu- 

 tion, began to go backe, and retire into certeine bushes 

 that were by the same fort ; and being followed, fledde 

 thorowe a certeine oaze which was drie, being then but 

 The fort of the beginning of the tide: and so abandoned the fort, 

 Fernambuck and left it with their ordinance to us. This day of 

 our arrivall was their Good-friday, when by custome 

 [III. 711.] they usually whippe themselves: but God sent us now 

 for a generall scourge to them all, whereby that labour 

 among them might be well spared. The fort being 

 taken with all their ordinance, the admirall waved to 

 the ships, willing them to wey and come in ; which they 

 did with all speed, himselfe taking order in leaving 

 certeine men in keeping the sayd fort, and placed the 

 ordinance toward the high towne, from whence hee 

 suspected the greatest danger; and putting his men in 

 order, marched toward the low towne, which was about 

 some foureteene score from the fort : in which towne 



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