; Chap. I. jAauEs ie 
had Eight Foot Water in her Hold before it was per- 
ceived. On the 28th, the Captain of that Ship died, as 
did alfo the Clerk and Supercargo of the Amfterdam. The 
Three Seamen that had been puniffied for the Mutiny in 
the Overyffel , having behaved very well fince they came on 
board the Fleet, were now allowed Pay. 
11. On the 4th of Sep ember they weighed Anchor from 
Sierra Leona, which is a Mountain on the Continent on 
the South Side of the Mouth of a River, which difcharges 
itfelf into the Sea on the Weft Coaft of Afric. The Road 
in which Ships ufually anchor, lies in the Latitude of 8° 
20' North. This Mountain is very high and thick, 
covered with Trees, by which means it is eafily known by 
fuch as approach it from the North, there being no 
' Mountain of the like Height upon that Coaft. There 
grow here a prodigious Number of Trees, that produce a 
fmall kind of Lemons, refembling thofe of Spain in Shape 
and Tafte ; they are called Limaffes, and are very agree- 
able and wholfome, if not eaten to Excefs. But this Fleet 
arriving at the Time they were in Perfection, and the 
Inhabitants giving them Leave to take as many as they 
pleafed, they eat of them lo intemperately, and, in Con- 
junction with the bad Air, they increafed the Bloody-flux 
to fuch a Degree, that, between the nth of Augujl, and 
the 5 th of September, they loft Forty Men. There are 
alfo at Sierra Leona abundance of Palm-trees, and fome 
Ananas, plenty of all forts of Wood, and a Watering- 
place exceedingly convenient oppofite to the Road. On 
the Rocks they found the Name of Francis Drake , and 
other Englijhmen , who had been there. 
12. On the 4th, the Admiral fell fick. From the nth 
to the 28 th, they failed with a South Wind ; and, though 
it is looked upon as certain, that there are ftrong Currents 
m the Gulph of Gainey, yet they were not fenfible of them, 
but found every Day’s Run agree perfectly well with their 
Charts. On the 29th, they found themfelves off the Ifiand of 
St. Thomas •, and, on the ift of Odiober, they anchored 
in the Road of Cape Lopes ; but, as they found the Water 
there very thick, ftinking, and but a fmall Quantity, they 
refolved to fail to the IQand of Annobon ; but the Wind, 
proving contrary, drove them back, fo that they had 
much ado to recover the Cape, On the 4th in the Even- 
ing, both the Admiral and Vice-admiral ftruck on a Bank 
Of Sand, which occafioned a great deal of Trouble and 
Confufion in the Fleet ; but, however, with great Care 
and Ihduftry, both Ships were got off. The Admiral 
having affifted in Perfon in the Shallops that were em- 
ployed for this Purpofe, the better to encourage the Sea- 
men, and keep every Man to his Duty, it brought upon 
him a Relapfe, which he never recovered. On the 6th, 
the Fleet endeavoured to regain the Road of Cape Lopes, 
fome of the Sailors having affured their Officers, that, by 
digging Wells on the Coaft, they might find good Water. 
On the 7th they came to an Anchor, and fent a Captain 
on fhore to put this Advice in Execution ; who, on his 
Return, reported to the Admiral, that he had been at the 
common Watering-place, where there was now Water 
Efficient for the whole Fleet. Upon which it was deter- 
mined to water here, but to proceed neverthelefs to the 
Hand of Annobon , in order to procure other Refrefhments 
for the Ufe of the fick Men, the Scurvy prevailing ex- 
ceffiyely in every Ship in the Fleet. 
13. A very odd Affair fell out while they were at 
anchor here, which, for its Singularity, deferves to be 
mentioned. There were abundance of Seamen loft on 
board the Maurice, and it was obferved, that many of 
thefe died foon after -they had taken the Surgeon’s Me- 
dicines, with Circumftances very fufpicious. The Matter 
being debated in Council, and the Fads clearly proved, 
the Vice-admiral and Rear-admiral were directed to fend 
for James V erger the Surgeon, and to examine him very 
elofely. This they accordingly did, but to very little Pur- 
pofe ; for, notwithstanding all their Exhortations to confefs, 
he could not be brought to fay a Word ; upon which they 
had recourfe to the Torture, directing him to be drawn 
up to a great Height by a Rope, and then fuddenly let 
fall, having great Weights at his Hands and Feet; which 
he not only endured with Conftancy, but infolently told 
them, he gave himfelf no Pain about what Methods they 
Numb, 
Hermi if L ( 6 $ 
thought fit to take. This Infenfibility induced a Sufpicion, 
that he -had fome Charm about him, which hindered his 
Feeling ; upon which he was fearched, and, in a little 
Bag, which hung about his Neck, they found the Skin and 
Tongue of a Serpent. On the 16th, they, appointed 
another Examination, of which, when the Criminal had 
Notice by their coming to take him out of Irons, he 
iprung out of the Hands of the Men who were ordered to 
conduct him, and, though he was pinioned, threw himfelf 
over the Ship-fide. A Trumpeter, who was near him, 
jumped after, and endeavoured to fave him ; but the Sur- 
geon made fuch ftrong Efforts, that he had very near both 
drowned himfelf, and the Trumpeter; which a Sailor ob- ■ 
ferving, threw himfelf into the Sea, and kept his Head 
above Water by Force, till the Shallop came and took 
them all Three up. After this Attempt, perceiving that 
he fhould be too ftriCtly watched ever to meet with fuch 
an Opportunity again, he made the following free Con- 
feffion : He faid he was a Native of the City of Louvaine in 
Flanders , defcended from Spanijh Parents, and a Licentiate 
in Surgery and Phyfic : That he had wilfully deftroyed 
Seven Men, becaufe they gave him a great deal of Trou- 
ble, in order to be the fooner rid of them ; that he was 
refolved to attempt fome extraordinary Cures ; and, in 
cafe he fuceeeded, to demand an Order from the Admiral 
to dine at the Captain’s Table ; which Favour if refufed 
him, he refolved to poifon the Admiral, Vice-admiral, and 
every Officer that he fuipefted being againft his Requeft : 
that he had refolved to make a Contract with the Devil, 
and, for that Purpofe, had invoked him often, but without 
Effecft; that, fince he had been in Irons, he had often 
attempted to deftroy himfelf ; and, with this View, had 
tried to fuffocate himfelf with his Pillow. There appeared 
ftrong Reafons for fufpetfting him of other Crimes, but, 
being fatisfied with this free Confeffion, the Council, which 
affembled on board the Delft , on account of the Admiral’s 
being very weak, paffed Sentence of Death upon him on 
the 1 7th ; and the next Day he had his Head ftruck off 
on board his own Ship the Maurice, which put an End to 
an Affair that had given the Officers of the Fleet a great 
deal of T rouble. 
14. On the 20th in the Morning, they had Sight of the 
Ifiand of St. Thomas ; but the Vice-admiral being fent to 
examine whether there was a good Road, and proper Re- 
frefhments to be met with there, he, on his Return, report- 
ed in the Negative ; and the Wind continuing contrary, 
the Scurvy prevailing in the Fleet, and there being little 
Probability of their getting to Annobon, the Admiral direct- 
ed a Day of folemn Prayer ; and the Minifter had Inftruc- 
tions to make a Difcourfe fuitable to the Occafion, implore- 
ing the Divine Favour towards thofe, who were fick in the 
Fleet ; the Prefervation of thofe, who were yet in Health ; 
and the giving an happy Iffue to the Endeavours of the' Offi- 
cers to find a proper Place for Refreffiment. They then, 
fleered their Courfe Weft, in order to meet with a South- 
eaft Wind. On the 29th, to their great Surprize, they 
faw the Ifiand of Annobon , at the Diftance of about Ten 
Leagues to the South South-weft. That which made it 
appear extraordinary, was their miffing it when they en- 
deavoured to find it ; and their falling upon it now, when 
they had quite altered their Courfe. On the goth, they 
anchored in the Road of Annobon ; and, the next Day, 
Cornelius Jacohfon and the Fifcal went on fhore, where they 
were received with a Flag of Truce ; and the Governor 
Don Antonio Nunez de Matos gave his Confent, that they 
fhould deal with the Natives freely for whatever they want- 
ed, take in Water, gather as many Oranges as they thought 
fit, and that they ffiould place a Guard of Soldiers at the 
Watering-place, for the Security of their Seamen; upon this 
fingle Condition, that they behaved difcreetly, and did no- 
body any Wrong. The Shallops came on board in the 
Evening, with Water and Oranges, On November 1. they 
obtained Forty Hogs, and a confiderable Quantity of Fowls, 
in Exchange for Salt. On the 3d, they made the Gover- 
nor a Prefent to the Value of 300 Livres ; with which he 
was, by no means, fatisned, Befides, fome of the Dutch 
Seamen had infulted the Negroes near the Watering-place, 
and had taken from them their Fowls, without paying 
them ; which, with fome other aggravating Circumftances, 
T provoked 
