AD THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1595. 



went from ship to ship, willing them to make ready 

 such men as they could spare, with muskets, pikes, 

 billes, bowes, arrowes, and what weapons they had to 

 follow him. Himselfe, with 80 men from his owne 

 ship, imbarked himselfe in the gaily, which caried in 

 her prow a good sacar, and two murdering pieces. 



Our admirall spent all the night in giving directions 

 to every ship to have their men ready shipped in their 

 boats, for he intended to enter the harborow at the 

 breake of day, & to leave his ships without, till he 

 had gotten the fort and the towne : for he would not 

 adventure the ships in, till the harborow was gotten. 

 Also he provided five ships, which he brought from 

 Cape Blank, and put men in them as many as could 

 conveniently saile them, and no more, giving them charge 

 to enter the harborow with his boats : for at the entrance 

 of the harborow rode three great Holland ships, which 

 our admirall doubted would impeach his going in ; and 

 therefore he gave order to the men of these five small 

 ships, which were not above 60 tunnes a piece, if the 

 Hollanders did offer any resistance, to run aboord of 

 them, & to set their owne ships on fire, and scape 

 in their boats, which they had for the same purpose, 

 that by this meanes they might not impeach our entrance. 

 But when the morning was come, we were fallen above 

 halfe a mile downe to the Northward, below the har- 

 borow, which was a great inconvenience unto us : so 

 that before wee could get up againe, the ebbe was 

 come upon us, and thereby we were forced to hover 

 before the harborow till two of the clocke in the after- 

 noone, in the sight of all the towne. In this meane 

 time, our ships rode before the fort without the har- 

 borow, about a demy-colvering shot off: in the which 

 time passed many shot betweene the fort and the ships, 

 and especially betweene the admirals ship and them : 

 but no great harme was done on either part. All this 

 while our admirall kept the men ready hovering in the 

 gaily & the boats. The Hollanders that rode in the 



48 



