The _Royal Exchange_ went as Admiral [_Flag Ship_]; wherein Master GEORGE CAVE was Captain. The _May Flower_, Vice Admiral, [was] under the conduct of [Captain] WILLIAM ANTHONIE. And the _Sampson_, the charge whereof, it please his Honour to commit unto me, NICHOLAS DOWNTON. The directions were sent to us to Plymouth; and we were to open them at sea. The 6th of April 1594, we set sail in the Sound of Plymouth, directing our course toward the Coast of Spain. The 24th of the said month, at the Admiral's direction; we divided ourselves East and West from each other, being then in the height of 43° [North]: with commandment at night to come together again. [Sidenote: Commodities fit for Angola.] The 27th, in the morning, we descried the _May Flower_ and the little Pinnace [the _Violet_] with a prize that they had taken; being of Vianna [do Castello] in Portugal, and bound for Angola in Africa. This Bark was of 28 tons; having some 17 persons in the same. There were in her, some 12 butts of Galicia wine; whereof we took into every ship a like part: with some Rusk in chests and barrels, with 5 butts of blue coarse cloth, and certain coarse linen cloth for Negroes' shirts; which goods were divided among our Fleet. The 4th of May, we had sight of our Pinnace and the Admiral's shallop: which had taken three Portugal Caravels; whereof they had sent two away, and kept the third. The 2nd of June, we had sight of St. Michael, [ one of the Azores]. The 3rd day, in the morning, we sent our small Pinnace, which was of some 24 tons, with the small Caravel which we had taken at the Burlings, to range the road[s] [_harbours_] of all the Islands; to see if they could get anything in the same: appointing them to meet us W.S.W. 12 leagues from Fayal. Their going from us was to no purpose. They missed coming to us, when we appointed: also we missed them, when we had great cause to have used them. * * * * * The 13th of June, we met with a mighty Carrack of the East Indies, called _Las Cinque Llagas_, or _The Five Wounds_. The _May Flower_ was in fight with her before night. I, in the _Sampson_, fetched her up in the evening; and (as I commanded to give her the broad side, as we term it) while I stood very heedfully prying to discover her strength; and where I might give counsel to board her in the night, when the Admiral came [_should come_] up to us; and, as I remember, at the very first shot she discharged at us, I was shot in a little above the belly; whereby I was made unserviceable for a good while after, without [the Portuguese] touching [_hurting_] any other for that night. Yet, by means of an honest true-hearted man which I had with me, one Captain GRANT, nothing was neglected.