ABERCONWY. 17 



ciently strong already) about which we lay in our 

 tents, in watching, fasting, praying, and freezing. 

 We watch for fear of the Welsh, who were used 

 to come suddenly upon us in the night time : we 

 fast for want of provision, the halfpenny loaf being 

 now risen and advanced to five-pence : we pray 

 that we may speedily return safe and scot-free 

 home: and we freeze for want of winter garments, 

 having but a thin linen shirt to keep us from the 

 wind. There is a small arm of the sea under the 

 castle where we lay, which the tide reached, by 

 the conveniency of which, many ships bring us 

 provision and victuals from Ireland and Chester: 

 this arm lies betwixt us and Snowden, where the 

 Welsh are encamped, and is in breadth, when the 

 tide is in, about a bow-shot. Now it happened, 

 that upon the Monday before Michaelmas-day, an 

 Irish vessel came up to the mouth of the haven, 

 with provision to be sold to our camp, which being 

 negligently looked to by the mariners, was upon 

 the low ebb stranded on the other side of the cas- 

 tle, near the Welsh. The enemy perceiving this, 

 descended from the mountains, and laid siege to 

 the ship, which was fast upon the dry sands; 

 whereupon we detached in boats three hundred 

 Welsh of the borders of Cheshire and Shropshire, 



B 



