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
In this meane time that we began to worke, the Portugals with the
country people were not idle, for seeing vs so busie, about sixe nights
after our comming in, they priuily in the night cast vp a trench in the
sands about a sacar shot from our ships, minding there to plant
ordinance, which would haue offended our ships greatly; and they would
not haue bene able to haue rode there to take in their lading, which now
began to go aboord of them. The admirall hearing this, about 3 of the
clocke in the after noone marshalled our men, and he and all the rest of
the captaines marched toward them. The Portugals and Indians perceiuing
our comming, began to withdraw themselues within the trench, meaning (as
it should appeare) to fight it out there: but we made no stand, neither
did it behoue vs, but presently approched the trenches with our muskets
and pikes, afore their trenches were thorowly finished: so that by Gods
helpe we entered them. And the Portugals and Indians left the place, and
left vnto vs 4 good peeces of brasse ordinance, with powder and shot and
diuers other necessaries, and among the rest 5 smal carts of that
countrey, which to vs were more worth then al the rest we tooke, for the
lading of our goods from the towne to the water side: for without them
we could not haue told what to haue done, much of our goods being so
heauie, that without carts we were not able to weyld them: all these
things we brought away and destroyed al those platforms that they had
made, and then we had rest with them for certaine dayes, in which we
went forward, deuiding our marchandize with captaine Venner according to
our consort, and went daily lading them abord, euery ships company
according as their turnes fell out, but only the three Dutch ships: for
the goods being put into their boats their owne companies laded
themselues. And this farther good chance or blessing of God we had to
helpe vs, that assoone as we had taken our cartes, the next morning came
in a ship with some 60 Negros, 10 Portugal women, and 40 Portugals: the
women and the Negroes we turned out of the towne, but the Portugals our
Admirall kept to draw the carts when they were laden, which to vs was a
very great ease. For the countrey is very hote and ill for our nation to
take any great trauell in.
In this towne there is no fresh water to be had, and therefore we were
euery 5 or 6 dayes compelled to passe ouer the riuer into the maine land
to get fresh water, which after the first or second time the Portugals
kept and would haue defended our watering, so that we were driuen to
water of force, and at seuerall times some of our men were hurt, and
onely two or three slaine, and with this danger we were forced to get
our water.
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