Chap. III. 



<tA M E^I C A 



m 



and Tongue, with which he had Poyfon'd feveral Men, but he confefs'd no- 

 thing. 



The firft of February, the Fleet came to Cape de Pernio* , which they know at a 

 great diftance, by its high Mountains covered with Snow. 



In fliort time after, Sailing by the Mouth of the Straights of La Main, they 

 met with very tempeftuous Weather, and feventeen of their Men going afhore, 

 were devour'd by the Cannibals of Terra del Fuogo. Thefe People being all Whites, 

 and of a large Stature, Paint themfelves Red, and go ftark naked, except fome 

 of highcft quality who tie a Deer Skin about their Necks, and trip Women co- 

 ver their Nakednefs with a piece of Leather : They live in Bowers made of 

 the Branches of Trees, Stak'd three Foot deep, in a round at bottom, and above 

 like our Tents, Canopy'd, the top of which open, to carry out the Smoke like 

 a Chimney . and have no other Houfliold-ftufF than fome Baskets, in which 

 they lay their few Fifhing Implements. They go continuallyArm'd with Clubs, 

 Arrows, Slings, and Stone-Knives : Their Boats being only the Trunk of a 

 Tree made hollow, rife up before and behind like a Half-Moon, and are four- 

 teen, and fome fixteen Foot long, and two broad, and Row fwifter than a 

 Pinnace with many Oars. Laftly, they are fo Salvage, that they feem rather 

 to beBeafts than Men, knowing no Religion, ill Natur'd, cruel and Trea- 

 cherous. 



From hence, pafling on, V Hermite refrefh'd at the defolate Iflc Fernando, and 

 foSteer'd his Courfe to Calla de Lima, on whofe Coaft, taking a Spanijh Veffel, 

 the Prifoners told him , that their Plate-Fleet had Weigh'd Anchor, and were 

 gone to Panama . only the Admiral which carry'd forty Brafs Guns, with fifty 

 Merchant-Men, lay clofe under the Shore, Guarded by three Stone Bulwarks, 

 Fortifi'd with fifty Guns. 



V Hermite having a defign upon thefe, took three Spanijh VelTels that were 

 going thither, and at midnight, fent Captain Adrian To/, Peter Slobbe, and Mew- 

 dert Egbcrtfzpn, with twelve well Mann'd Boats, furnifli'd with Brafs Drakes, 

 and Hand-Granado's, to Attaque the Spanijh Fleet that lay hard by ; and whilft 

 fome gave a falfe Alarm on the North of Callao, the Boats Rowing from Ship 

 to Ship, in fliort time nYd forty of them ; although the Spaniards from the 

 Shore endeavor'd by their Shot to drive back the Enemy , neither the Fort or 

 Admiral fparing Powder nor Ball. 



In this valiant Exploit the Hollanders had onely feven Men kill'd, and fifteen 

 Wounded : About break of day, feven of the Spanijh Ships floated, burning to- 

 wards the Dutch Fleet, which were as terrible as now Fire-fliips, which fore'd 

 them to Weigh Anchor to fhun them. 



After that, V Hermite took two Ships laden with Wine, a third full of Wood, 

 and a fourth with Wheat : One of thefe Prizes he fitted and prepaid for a 

 Fire-fhip, and fending her to Board the Spanijh Admiral, it ran aground with- 

 in fliot of him ; whereupon being batter'd by the Admirals Guns, and thofe 

 from the Bulwarks, and at laft taking Fire gave but a fmali blow, becaufe 

 mofl part of the Powder had taken Wet. 



In this interim, while thus their defign went profperoufly on, their Admiral 

 V Heremite dy'd, whom they Bury'd on the Ifland Lima, and Schapenham, in de- 

 fiance of the Vice<Roy in Callao, caus'd one and twenty Spaniards to be hang'd 

 at the Yard.Arm, becaufe he had fent him a fcornful Anfwer on the Propofals 

 concerning the delivery of the Prifoners. 



Cwnelm Jacob foon Sailing to Pijco with four Sail from the Fleet, could do 



P no 



