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Now the cause why the French detayned me againe, was the
suspicion this Chambers and Minter gave them, that I would revenge
my selfe, upon the Bank,
French I could there incounter; and how I would have fired the ship,
had they not overperswaded mee: and many other such like tricks
to catch but opportunitie in this maner to leave me. And thus they
returned to Plimouth; and perforce with the French I thus proceeded.
Being a Fleet of eight or nine sayle,
we watched for the WestIndies fleet, till ill weather separated us from the other 8. Still we
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thoughts from too much meditation of my miserable estate,
I writ this discourse; thinking to have sent it you of his Majesties
Councell, by some ship or other: for I saw their purpose was to take
all they could. At last we were chased by one Captain Barra, an
English Pyrat, in a small ship, with some twelve peeces of ordinance,
about thirty men, and neer all starved. They sought by curtesie releefe
of us; who gave them such faire promises, as at last wee betrayed
Captaine Wolliston (his Lieftenant) and foure or five of their men
aboard us, and then provided to take the rest perforce. Now my part
was to be prisoner in the gun-roum, and not to speake to any of them
upon my life: yet had Barra knowledge what I was. Then Barra perceiving
wel these French intents, made ready to fight, and Wolliston
as resolutely regarded not their threats, || which caused us demurre
upon the matter longer, som sixteene houres; and then returned their
prisoners, and some victualls also, upon a small composition. The
next wee tooke was a small English man of Poole from New found
Land. The great caben at this present, was my prison; from whence
I could see them pillage those poore men of all that they had, and
halfe their fish. When hee was gone, they sould his poore cloathes at
the maine mast, by an outcry, which scarce gave each man seaven
pence a peece. Not long after, wee tooke a Scot fraught from Saint
Michaels to Bristow: hee had better fortune then the other. For,
having but taken a boats loading of suger, marmelade, suckets, and
such like, we discried foure sayle, after whom we stood; who forling
their maine sayles attended us to fight. But our French spirits were
content onely to perceive they were English red crosses. Within a
very small time after, wee chased foure Spanish shippes came from
the Indies: wee fought with them foure or five houres, tore their
sayles and sides; yet not daring to board them, lost them. A poore
Carvell of Brasile, was the next we chased: and after a small fight,
thirteene or fourteen of her men being wounded, which was the better
halfe, we tooke her, with 370 chests of sugar. The next was a West
Indies man, of 160 tuns, with 1200 hides, 50 chests of cutchanell, 14
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of Spaines treasure, besides the pillage and rich coffers of many rich
passengers. Two || monethes they kept me in this manner to manage
their fights against the Spaniards, and be a prisoner when they tooke
any English. Now though the Captaine had oft broke his promise,
which was to put me a-shore on the Iles, or the next ship he tooke;
yet at last, he was intreated I should goe for France in the Carvell of
sugar: himself resolved still to keepe the Seas. Within two dayes
after, we were haled by two West Indy men: but when they saw us
wave them for the King of France, they gave us their broad sides,
shot through our mayne mast and so left us. Having lived thus, neer
three moneths among those French men of warre; with much adoe,
we arrived at the Gulion, not far from Rochel; where in stead of the
great promises they alwaies fed me with, of double satisfaction, and
full content, they kept me five or six daies prisoner in the Carvell,
accusing me to bee him that burnt their Colony in New France; to
force mee give them a discharge before the Judge of the Admiralty,
and so stand to their curtesie for satisfaction, or lie in prison, or a
worse mischiefe. To prevent this choise, in the end of such a storme
that beat them all under Hatches, I watched my opportunity to get
a-shore in their boat; where-into, in the darke night, I secretly got:
and with a halfe pike that lay by me, put a drift for Rat Ile: but the
Current was so strong and the Sea so great, I went a drift to Sea; till
it pleased God the winde so turned with the tide, that although I was
all this fearefull night of gusts and raine, in the Sea, the space of 12
|| houres, when many ships were driven a shore, and diverse split (and
being with sculling and bayling the water tired, I expected each
minute would sinke mee) at last I arrived in an oazie Ile by Charowne;
where certaine fowlers found mee neere drowned, and halfe
dead, with water, colde, and hunger. By those, I found meanes to
gette to Rochell; where I understood the man of warre which we left
at Sea, and the rich prize was split, the Captaine drowned and halfe
his companie the same night, within seaven leagues of that place,
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far beyond all mens reason, or my expectation. Arriving at Rochell,
upon my complaint to the Judge of the Admiraltie, I founde many
good words, and faire promises; and ere long many of them that
escaped drowning, tolde mee the newes they heard of my owne
death: these I arresting, their severall examinations did so confirme
my complaint, it was held proofe sufficient. All which being performed
according to the order of justice, from under the judges hand;
I presented it to the English Ambassador then at Burdeaux, where
it was my chance to see the arrivall of the Kings great mariage
brought from Spaine. Of the wrack of the rich prize some 36000. crownes worth of goods came a shore and was saved with the Carvell,
which I did my best to arrest: the Judge did promise me I shold have
justice; what will bee the conclusion as yet, I know not. But under
the colour to take Pirats and West-Indie men (because the Spanyards
will not || suffer the French trade in the West-Indies) any goods
from thence, thogh they take them upon the Coast of Spaine, are
lawfull prize; or from any of his territories out of the limits of Europe.
[_]
They betraied mee having
the broad seale
of
England:
and neere
twentie sayle of
English more,
besides them
concealed, in
like maner
were betrayed
that year.
Leaving thus my businesse in France, I returned to Plimouth,
to find them that had thus buried me amongst the French: and not
onely buried mee, but with so much infamy, as such trecherous
cowards could suggest to excuse their villanies: But my clothes,
bookes, instruments, Armes, and what I had, they shared amongst
them, and what they liked; fayning, the French had all was wanting;
and had throwne them into the Sea, taken their ship, and all, had
they not runne away and left me as they did. The cheeftaines of this
mutinie that I could finde, I laied by the heeles; the rest, like themselves,
confessed the truth as you have heard. Now how I have or
could prevent these accidents, I rest at your censures.
matter.
Newfound-land at the first, I have heard, was held as desperate
a fishing, as this I project in New England. Placentia, and theBanke, were also as doubtfull to the French: But, for all the disasters
happened mee, the businesse is the same it was: and the five ships
(whereof one was reported more then three hundred tunnes) went
forward; and found fish so much, that neither Izeland-man, nor
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more to either place, if they may goe thither. So, that upon the
returne of my Viceadmirall that proceeded on her voyage when I
spent my || masts, from Plimouth this yeare are gone foure or five
saile: and from London as many; onely to make voyages of profit:
where the Englishmen have yet beene, all their returnes together
(except Sir Francis Popphames) would scarce make one a saver of
neere a douzen I could nominate; though there be fish sufficient, as
I perswade my selfe, to fraught yearely foure or five hundred sayle,
or as many as will goe. For, this fishing stretcheth along the Coast
from Cape Cod to Newfound-land, which is seaven or eight hundered
miles at the least; and hath his course in the deepes, and by the
shore, all the yeare long; keeping their hants and feedings as the
beasts of the field, and the birds of the aire. But, all men are not such
as they should bee, that have undertaken those voiages: and a man
that hath but heard of an instrument, can hardly use it so well, as
hee that by use hath contrived to make it. All the Romanes were not
Scipioes: nor all the Geneweses, Columbuses: nor all Spanyards,
Corteses: had they dived no deeper in the secrets of their discoveries,
then wee, or stopped at such doubts and poore accidentall chances;
they had never beene remembred as they are: yet had they no such
certainties to begin as wee. But, to conclude, Adam and Eve did first
beginne this innocent worke, To plant the earth to remaine to posteritie;
but not without labour, trouble and industrie. Noe, and his
family, beganne againe the second plantation; and their seede as it
still increased, hath still planted new Countries, and one countrie
another: and so the world to that estate it is. But || not without much
hazard, travell, discontents, and many disasters. Had those worthie
Fathers and their memorable off-spring not beene more diligent for
us now in these Ages, then wee are to plant that yet unplanted, for
the after livers: Had the seede of Abraham, our Saviour Christ, and
his Apostles, exposed themselves to no more daungers to teach the
Gospell, and the will of God then wee; Even wee our selves, had at
this present been as Salvage, and as miserable as the most barbarous
Salvage yet uncivilized. The Hebrewes, and Lacedæmonians, the
Goths, the Grecians, the Romanes, and the rest, what was it they
would not undertake to inlarge their Territories, enrich their subjects,
resist their enemies? Those that were the founders of those great
Monarchies and their vertues, were no silvered idle golden Pharises,
but industrious iron-steeled Publicans: They regarded more provisions,
and necessaries for their people, then jewels, riches, ease, or
delight for themselves. Riches were their servants, not their Maisters.
They ruled (as Fathers, not as Tyrantes) their people as children, not
as slaves: there was no disaster, could discourage them; and let none
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what have ever beene the workes of the greatest Princes of the earth,
but planting of countries, and civilizing barbarous and inhumane
Nations, to civilitie and humanitie? whose eternall actions, fill our
histories. Lastly, the Portugales, and Spanyards: whose everliving
actions, before our eyes will || testifie with them our idlenesse, and
ingratitude to all posterities, and the neglect of our duties in our
pietie and religion we owe our God, our King, and Countrie; and
want of charity to those poore salvages, whose Countrie wee challenge,
use and possesse; except wee bee but made to use, and marre
what our Fore-fathers made, or but onely tell what they did, or
esteeme our selves too good to take the like paines. Was it vertue in
them, to provide that doth maintaine us? and basenesse for us to doe
the like for others? Surely no. Then seeing we are not borne for our
selves, but each to helpe other, and our abilities are much alike at the
houre of our birth, and the minute of our death: Seeing our good
deedes, or our badde, by faith in Christs merits, is all we have to
carrie our soules to heaven, or hell: Seeing honour is our lives ambition;
and our ambition after death, to have an honourable memorie
of our life: and seeing by noe meanes wee would bee abated of
the dignities and glories of our Predecessors; let us imitate their
vertues to bee worthily their successors.
FINIS.
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