LAST VOYAGE OF THOMAS CANDISH ad. 



1592. 

 there were such extraordinary low ebbes as we had never 

 seene, whereby wee got muskles in great plentie. Like- 

 wise God sent about our shippes great abundance of Abundance of 

 smelts, so that with hookes made of pinnes every man ^^^^^^^^ ^^^ 

 caught as many as hee coulde eate : by which meanes wee 

 preserved our ships victuals, and spent not any during 

 the time of our abode here. 



Our Captaine and Master falling into the consideration 

 of our estate and dispatch to goe to the Generall, found 

 our wants so great, as that in a moneth wee coulde not 

 fitte our shippe to set saile. For wee must needes set up 

 a Smiths forge, to make boltes, spikes, and nayles, besides 

 the repairing of our other wants. Whereupon they 

 concluded it to bee their best course to take the pinnesse, 

 and to furnish her with the best of the company, and 

 to goe to the Generall with all expedition, leaving the 

 shippe and the rest of the company untill the Generals 

 returne ; for hee had vowed to our Captaine, that hee 

 would returne againe for the Streights, as hee had tolde 

 us. The Captaine and Master of the pinnesse being the 

 Generals men were well contented with the motion. 



But the Generall having in our shippe two most A dangerous 

 pestilent fellowes, when they heard of this determination ^^^^^^h 

 they utterly misliked it, and in secret dealt with the 

 company of both shippes, vehemently perswading them, 

 that our Captaine and Master would leave them in the 

 countrey to bee devoured of the Canibals, and that they 

 were mercilesse and without charitie : whereupon the 

 whole company joyned in secret with them in a night 

 to murther our Captaine and Master, with my selfe, and 

 all those which they thought were their friendes. There 

 were markes taken in his caben howe to kill him with 

 muskets through the shippes side, and bullets made of 

 silver for the execution, if their other purposes should 

 faile. All agreed hereunto, except it were the bote- 

 swaine of our shippe, who when hee knew the matter, 

 and the slender ground thereof, reveiled it unto our 

 Master, and so to the Captaine. Then the matter being 



395 



