54 
A VOYAGE TO SPITZBERGEN 
11 th of July, expecting to finde some strangers ther, wee 
espied ac.cordinglie 5 ships at anchor on the west side 
of Joseph’s Bay. One of them seemed unto us to be a 
verie great ship; as, indeed, she was: and other two of 
them seemed also to be good stowt ships. And therefore 
wee, supposing them to be such as would withstand us, 
resolued to feight w th them; and made speedie preparation 
accordinglie, hanging out our waist-cloths and clearing our 
decks, that the ordnance might liaue roome to plaie; and 
made readie all our munition, ech one addressing himself 
w th a forward resolution to performe a man’s parte so well 
as he could. 
This was about 9 a-clock before the time of midnight, the 
sunne shineing very bright, and the aire being very cleare, 
and so calme, that wee caused ye saylers, w th boats and 
shallops, to rowe ahead of our ships, and towe them into 
the harbour. When wee came neare them, the captaine 
of the great ship, whose name was Michael de Aristega 
(his ship being of S* John de Luz, of burthen 800 tonnes), 
came in a shallop abord our admirall, submitting himself 
and his goods unto our generall; and tould him that ther 
were two ships of the Hollanders, who had insulted ouer 
him, and would not suffer him to fish for the whale, but 
upon such conditions as they propounded unto him: namely, 
that the Hollanders, haueing but 3 shallops, and he 7 fur¬ 
nished w th whale-strikers, they should all ioine together; 
and the Hollanders not onelie to haue the one-half of all 
the whales that should be kil’d, but also to haue the first 
whale that was stricken wholie to themselues, ouer and 
besides the half of the rest. And he further tould the 
general, that the Hollanders would haue persuaded him to 
combine w th them against us, and to beate us out of the 
countrye. Then the generall willed him to goe aboard 
againe of his owne ship, and keepe his men in quietnes, 
and he would deale well enough w th the Hollanders. So, 
