fenner's voyage. 
163 
themselves ; and the toil, the change of food, and 
exposure to the climate, brought on an illness 
which carried off several, and would probably have 
proved fatal to the whole, had they not been taken 
up by a French ship, which carried them as pri- 
soners to Europe. 
The last Guinea voyage which we shall notice 
is that of George Fenner* in 1566. When this 
captain came off Cape Verde, he determined to 
go on shore with a party of his men 5 and at the 
persuasion of one who reported that the natives^ 
" though black and naked, were very civil," the 
English went without arms. The negroes having 
come up in great numbers, it was agreed that, ac- 
cording to custom, hostages should be given ; 
five English were exchanged for three Africans. 
The English thus remaining on shore, the negro 
pledges, on pretence of sickness, persuaded those 
on board to allow them to depart. The captain, 
seeing this, with astonishment and alarm, ran to 
the ship and reached it, notwithstanding the en- 
deavours made to intercept him. But the five 
English left on shore were immediately seized, 
stripped naked, and treated with every species of 
barbarity. At the same time a shower of poisoned 
arrows was poured upon the ship. Next day, 
however, the captain sent on shore to inquire 
* Hakluyt, Vol. II. Part II. p. 57. 
