A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10: Arranged in systematic order: Forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time.Kerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10: Arranged in systematic order: Forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time.
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
Towards noon of the 1st March, they descried the ship laden with silver,
being then about four leagues to seawards of them: and, as the English
ship sailed somewhat heavily, being too much by the head, they hung a
quantity of botijas, or Spanish earthen pots which had contained oil,
and now filled with water, over the stern of their ship, to give her a
better trim and to improve her sailing. The treasure ship, thinking the
English vessel had been one of those which usually sail upon that coast,
made towards her, and when near, the English captain hailed her to
surrender: As the Spanish captain refused, the English fired some
cannons, by one of which the Spanish ship's mast was shot over board,
and her master being wounded by an arrow, she presently yielded.
Thereupon the English took possession of her, and sailed with her
directly out to sea all that night, and the next day and night. Being
entirely out of sight of land, they began to search their prize on the
third day, removing her cargo into their own ship, being 1300 bars or
wedges of silver, and fourteen chests of rials of eight, besides some
gold, but how much of that I know not, only that the passengers said
there was great store. They told me also, that 300 of the silver bars
belonged to the king, and all the rest to the merchants. That done, they
allowed the ship to go away with all her men, putting into her the three
pilots they had hitherto carried with them.
From thence they sailed onwards for Nicaragua, and descried land about
the 13th March, being an island named Canno, not very high, about two
leagues from the main land, where they found a small bay, in which they
anchored in five fathoms close to the shore, remaining there till the
20th. On that day a bark passed close to the land, which was captured by
the English pinnace, being laden with sarsaparilla, and botijas or pots
of butter and honey, with other things. Throwing all the sarsaparilla
overboard, the English removed all their cannon into this bark, and then
laid their own ship on shore to new caulk and trim her bottom. This
being done, and taking in a supply of wood and water, they held their
course along shore to the westwards, taking the Spanish bark along with
them. After two days, they removed the men from her, giving them the
pinnace. Among these were four sailors, bound for Panama, meaning to go
thence for China, one of whom had many letters and patents, among which
were letters from the king of Spain to the governor of the Philippines,
as also the charts which are used in that voyage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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