The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Friday The 25. of Iune, we continued our course to the land for our assured
knowledge thereof, and perceiued it to be Lancerot; we saw also a small
land (which lay between both) called Allegrania, and also the Iland
Forteuentura, which is 24. miles great, afterward we sailed Southwest along
the Coast of Forteuentura, which is a lande that hath very high hils.
[Sidenote: The whole Netherlandish fleet commeth before the Island and town
of Grand Canaria.] The sun Southwest, we were past the Iland Forteuentura,
and were sailed out of sight thereof, running as yet Southwest: about ii. a
clocke in the afternoone wee had sight of the Iland of great Canaria, for a
while wee kept our way, but when the Generall was assured that it was the
grand Canaria, wee all tooke in our sailes, and lay to the lee ward, and so
remained vntill it was past midnight, then wee set saile againe and made to
the lande, our course westwarde.
Saturday the 26. of Iune, in the morning the whole fleet sailed West
directly to the land the winde North and by East, and made all thinges
ready to land; being now neere the shore, the whole fleete let fall their
anchors harde by the great castle, which lieth North Northwest from the
town, from whence they began to shoot mightily against the ships. The lord
Generall and the vize Admirall with the other ships that had the greatest
ordenance, anchored close vnder the castle, and for a certain time they
plied each other with their great shot; the Generals main mast, and his
missen mast were shot thorow, and his vize Admirall, namely the great new
ship of Amsterdam was shot thorow 6. or 7. times; so that some of the
souldiours and maryners also were slaine before they entered their long
boates to rowe to the shore: But the ships for their parts, had so well
bestowed their shot on the castle, that they of the castle began to faint,
wherby they discharged not so thicke and often as before. Our men rowed to
the land in the long boates, euery one full of souldiours, and the ships
which could not discharge their ordenance against the castle, bent them
against the shore, (for the enemy had three brasse peeces lying vpon the
strand) and many people were there gathered together where our souldiours
shoulde land. Nowe as soone as the Generall with the most parte of the long
boates were come together, they all at one instant rowed toward the shore,
maintaining for a while the fight on both sides with their shot. But the
General perceiuing that the enemie woulde not abandon the place, with a
valiant courage made to the shore, and altogether leaping into the water vp
to the middle, maintained the fight with the enemy. Notwithstanding the
enemy no lesse couragious, would not yet leaue the strond, so that some of
our souldiours and mariners lost their liues before the enemy would retire:
for the place was discommodious, and hard to lande, but most of the enemy
were slaine, to the number of 30. or 36. and the Gouernor his right leg was
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