now death despising plaine: (Sith if we die as innocent, the more it is our gaine) Our sayle we hoyse in hast, wih speed we mind to go Vnto the castell, now not past a twentie leagues vs fro. And sayling all this day, we spied late in the night. And we past by thus on our way, vpon the shore a light. Then sayd our Boateswaine thus, by this great light a shore, Trafique there seemes, will you let vs anker this night therefore, And trie if we may get, this next morning by day, Some kind of food for vs to eate, and then to goe our way? We anker there that night, the next morning to shore: And in the place, where we the light did see the night before: A watch house now there stood, vpon a rocke without: Hard by a great blacke crosse of wood, which putteth vs in doubt, What place that this should be, and looking to the shore, A Castell there we gan espie, this made vs doubt the more. Wherein we saw did stand a Portingall or twaine; Who held a white flag in his hand, and waued vs amaine. Our flesh as fraile now shakes, whereby we gan retire, And he at vs a shot then makes, a Negro giuing fire. A piece discharged thus, the hissing pellet lights, I thinke within a yard of vs, but none of vs it hits. We wisht then we had there a good ship, eke or twaine, But helpelesse now, we rowe a shore to know th'end of our paine. The neerer that we went to them vnto the shore, To yeld our selues, as first we ment they still did shoot the more. Now Canons loud gan rore, and Culuerins now crackt, The Castell eke it thundred sore, as though the wals were sackt. Some shot doth light hard by, some ouer vs againe: But though the shot so thicke doth flie, yet rowe we in a maine, That now so neere we be vnto the castell wall, That none of them at vs we see, can make a shot at all. We ment a land to goe, their curtesie to trie: But from the wall great stones they throw, and therewith by and by, The Negros marching downe, in battell ray do come, With dart and target from the towne, and follow all a dromme. A bowe in hand some hent, with poisn'd arrow prest, To strike therewith they be full bent, a pined English brest. But stones come downe so fast on vs on euery side, We thinke our boats bottom would brast if long we thus abide. And arrowes flie so thicke, hissing at euery eare, Which both in clothes and flesh do sticke, that we, as men past feare, Cry now, Launch, launch in hast, hale of the boate amaine: Foure men in banke let them sit fast and rowe to sea againe. The other fiue like men, do manfully in hand, Take vp each kind of weapon then, these wolues here to withstand. A harquebush takes one, another bends his bowe, Among the slaues then downe fals one and other hurt I trowe.