EDWARD FENTON a.d. 



1582. 

 and some of the gallions men into the Francis, and 

 the admirals skiffe with us : so we gave her chase, and 

 tooke her sixe leagues to the leewards of the place 

 we rode in. Then not being able to fetch the rode 

 againe, we ankered in the sea. I intending to come 

 away in the pinnesse, and leave the Francis, and the 

 prize together, being ready to depart, the winde blew 

 at South a stout gale, and raine ; so that about sixe 

 of the clocke, we ankered in the rode, where our 

 ships rid. 



After we had taken them, and that captaine Parker 

 and I were aboord, we had much talke with them 

 before they came to the ships ; and being ankered 

 there, the chiefe men were caried abord the general, 

 which was a gentleman, named Don Francisco de Torre 

 Vedra, nephew to the governour of the river of Plate, 

 named Don John de Torre Vedra. 



We found an Englishman, named Richard Carter Richard 

 borne in Limehouse, who had bene out of England ^^'Tr^^^ 

 foure and twenty yeres, and hath bene nere twelve taken L the 

 yeres dwelling in the river of Plate, at a towne named prize. 

 Ascension, three hundred leagues up in the river, 

 whither they were now determined to go & inhabit, 

 having two women, and two yong children, seven 

 friers, the rest boyes, and sailers, to the number of 

 one and twenty persons. The number 



The olde frier was had in great reverence amone the °-^?^ ^'^ ^^^ 

 rest : insomuch that they called him the Holy father. 

 He was abiding in no place ; but as visitour he went 

 visiting from monastery to monastery. 



The substance of all the speeches was, that the 

 Spanish fleet was before the streights of Magellan, as 

 they thought ; for they were departed sixe weeks past 

 from the river of Jenero, where they had beene seven 

 moneths to refresh and Winter, and that these were 

 not of that company, but came out of Spaine the 26 

 of May 1582 in a barke of fourescore tun, and 

 fourescore persons, of purpose for the river of Plate. 



183 



