JAMES LANCASTER ad. 



1595- 

 boats their owne companies laded themselves. And this 

 farther good chance or blessing of God we had to helpe us, 

 that assoone as we had taken our cartes, the next morning 

 came in a ship with some 60 Negros, 10 Portugall 

 women, and 40 Portugals : the women and the Negros 

 we turned out of the towne, but the Portugals our Ad- 

 mirall kept to draw the carts when they were laden, 

 which to us was a very great ease. For the countrey 

 is very hote and ill for our nation to take any great 

 travell in. 



In this towne there is no fresh water to be had, and 

 therefore we were every 5 or 6 dayes compelled to passe 

 over the river into the maine land to get fresh water, 

 which after the first or second time the Portugals kept 

 and would have defended our watering, so that we were 

 driven to water of force, and at severall times some of 

 our men were hurt, and onely two or three slaine, and 

 with this danger we were forced to get our water. 



And as they molested us in our watering, so they slept 

 not in other devises, but put in practise to burne our ships 

 or remove them out of the harbour. For within some 20 

 dayes after our comming in, they had prepared 5 Caravels 

 and filled them with such things as would best take fire 

 and burne : these they brought within a mile or little 

 more of our ships, and there set them on fire, for neerer 

 they could not well come because of our watch of boates, 

 for as is above said, the Admirall had alwaies 6 boates that 

 kept watch above halfe a mile from the ships for feare 

 of such exploytes as these, which was the cause they 

 could not fire them so neere the ships as they would have 

 done. But these fired Caravels had the tide with them, 

 and also the little winde that blewe was in their favour ; 

 which caused them to come downe the streame the faster : 

 which our boats perceiving made to them with as much 

 expedition as conveniently they could, but the tide and 

 wind both serving them, they approched toward the 

 ships with great expedition. Our men in the towne began 

 to be in some feare of them, yet no man mooved or 



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