244 HISTORY OF THE [book iv . 
and which with two others, the John Baptist and 
the Merlin, were likewise bound for Guinea. 
The history of this voyage is related at large in 
Hakluyt’s collection, by a person who embarked 
with Hawkins 3 from whose account it appears, 
that the fleet was dispersed by a violent gale of 
wind, in the Bay of Biscay; that the Merlin caught 
fire and blew up; that the John Baptist put back, 
but that all the other vessels arrived at length at 
Cape Verde, on the coast of Africa. “ The peo- 
pie of Cape Verde,” says the writer, <e are called 
“ Leophares , and are counted the goodliest men of 
<c all others saving the Congoes, who inhabit this 
“ side the Cape de Buena Esperance. These Le- 
tc ophares have wars against the JalofFs, which are 
“ borderers by them. These men are also more 
<c civil than any other, because of their daily traf- 
ficke with the Frenchmen, and are of a nature 
<c very gentle and loving. Here we stayed but one 
<c night, and part of the day, for the 7th of Decern- 
<c ber we came away; in that intending to have ta- 
“ ken negroes there perforce; the Minion’s men 
gave them, to understand of our coming, and our 
ec pretence; wherefore they did avoyde the snares 
<c we had laid for them.” 
It seems probable from this account, that the 
captain of the Minion having an independent com¬ 
mand, was jealous of Hawkins’s authority, or, it is 
rather to be hoped, was shocked at the excesses to 
which his avarice urged him, in laying snares to, 
