The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 14: America, Part IIIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 14: America, Part III
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Wherein is shewed the day and time of our departure from the coast
of Africa, with the day and time of our arriuall in the West
Indies, also of our trade, and trafique their, and also of the
great crueltie that the Spaniards vsed towards vs, by the Vice-roy
his direction, and appointment, falsifying his faith and promise
giuen, and seeking to haue intrapped vs.
All things being made in a readinesse, at our Generall his appointment,
vpon the thirde day of Februarie 1568, wee departed from the coast of
Africa, hauing the weather somewhat tempestuous, which made our passage
the more hard; and sayling so for the space of 52. dayes, vpon the 27 of
March 1568. we came in sight of an yland called Dominica, vpon the
coast of America in the West Indies, situated in 14. degrees
latitude,[8] and 322. of longitude: from thence our Generall coasted from
place to place, euer making trafique with the Spaniards and Indians as
hee might, which was somewhat hardly obtained, for that the King had
straightly charged all his gouernours in those parts not to trade with
any: yet notwithstanding, during the moneths of April and May, our
Generall had reasonable trade and trafique, and courteous entertainement
in sundry places, as at Margarita, Coraçao, and else where, til we came,
to Cape de la vela,[9] and Rio de Hacha,[10] (a place from whence all
the pearles doe come:) the gouernour there would not by any meanes
permit vs to haue any trade or trafique, nor yet suffer vs to take in
fresh water: by meanes whereof our Generall for the auoyding of famine
and thirst about the beginning of Iune, was enforced to land two
hundreth of our men, and so by maine force and strength to obtaine that
which by no faire meanes hee could procure: And so recouering the Towne
with the losse of two of our men, there was a secret and peaceable trade
admitted, and the Spaniards came in by night, and bought of our Negroes
to the number of 200. and vpwards, and of our other merchandize also.
From thence we departed for Carthagena, where the Gouernour was so
straight, that wee could not obteine any trafique there, and so for that
our trade was neere finished, our Generall thought it best to depart
from thence the rather for the auoyding of certaine dangerous stormes
called the Huricanos, which accustomed to begin there about that time of
the yere, and so the 24. of Iuly 1568. we departed from thence directing
our course North: and leauing the yland of Cuba vpon our right hand, to
the Eastward of vs, and so sayling toward Florida, vpon the 12. of
August an extreeme tempest arose, which dured for the space of 8. dayes,
in which our ships were most dangerously tossed and beaten hither, and
thither, so that we were in continuall feare to be drowned by reason of
the shallownes of the coast, and in the end we were constrained to flee
for succour to the port of S. Iohn de Vllua, or Vera Cruz, situated in
19. degrees of latitude, and in 279.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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