AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1595. 



started from his quarter more then if there had bene 

 nothing to doe. Also the masters and such as were 

 aboord, were somewhat amased to see 5 so great fires 

 to be comming downe among their ships, but they pre- 

 pared for to cleere them of it, as well as they could, 

 being provided afore hande & judging that some such 

 stratagems would be there used, the river being very 

 fit therefore. But (God be thanked) who was alwaies 

 with us & our best defence in this voyage ; by whose 

 assistance we performed this so great an attempt with so 

 small forces. Our companie in the boats so played the 

 men when they saw the fires come neere our ships, that 

 casting grapnels with yron chaines on them, as every boat 

 had one for that purpose, some they towed aground, and 

 some they brought to a bitter or anker, where they rode 

 till all their force was burned out, & so we were de- 

 livered by Gods helpe from this fearefull danger. Within 

 some 6 nights after this, which might be about the 26 

 day after our comming in & abode there, about 1 1 of 

 the clocke at night, came driving downe other 3 great 

 raftes burning with the hugest fires that I have scene. 

 These were exceeding dangerous, for when our men 

 approched them thinking to clap their grapnels upon 

 them, as they had done upon the Caravels the night 

 before, they were prevented : for there stooke out of the 

 rafts many poles which kept them from the body of the 

 rafts, that they could not come to throw their grapnels 

 into them: & yet they had this inconvenience worse then 

 al the rest which most troubled us. There stooke out 

 among the poles certaine hollow trunks filled with such 

 provision of fire-workes that they ceased not still (as the 

 fire came downe to those trunks to set them on fire) to 

 spout out such sparkles, that our boats having powder in 

 them for our mens use, durst not for feare of fyring them- 

 selves with their owne powder come neere those sparkles 

 of the raftes, but seeing them to drive neerer & neerer 

 our ships, they wet certain clothes and laid upon their 

 flaskes and bandelers and so ventured upon them, & with 



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