The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 07: England's Naval Exploits Against SpainHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 07: England's Naval Exploits Against Spain
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
When we came to them, my Lord gaue them to vnderstand by his Portugall
interpreter, that he was a friend to their king Don Antonio, and came not
any way to iniury them, but that he meant onely to haue some fresh water
and fresh victuals of them, by way of exchange for some prouision that he
had, as oile, wine, or pepper, to which they presently agreed willingly,
and sent some of their company for beeues and sheepe, and we in the meane
season marched Southward about a mile to Villa de Santa Cruz, from whence
all the inhabitants yong and old were departed, and not any thing of value
left. We demanding of them what was the cause hereof, they answered, Feare;
as their vsuall maner was when any ships came neere their coast.
We found that part of the Iland to be full of great rockie barren hils and
mountains, litle inhabited by reason that it is molested with ships of war
which might partly appeare by this towne of Santa Cruz (being one of their
chiefe townes) which was all ruinous, and (as it were) but the reliques of
the ancient towne which had bene burnt about two yeeres before by certaine
English ships of war, as the inhabitants there reported.
At euening as we were in rowing towards the Victory, an huge fish pursued
vs for the space of well nigh of two miles together, distant for the most
part from the boats sterne not a speares length, and sometimes so neere
that the boat stroke vpon him, the tips of whose finnes about the ghils
(appearing oft times aboue the water) were by estimation 4 or 5 yards
asunder, and his iawes gaping a yard and a halfe wide, which put vs in
feare of ouerturning the pinnasse, but God be thanked (rowing as hard as we
could) we escaped.
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