It happened all these Doubts were causeless, the Man I believe was honest, but the Misfortune we met with prevented all these Thoughts. Thursday, _June_ 21, 1599, we set Sail for _Spain_, I having allowed me a convenient Cabin for my Birds, and Engine, which the Captain would have persuaded me to have left behind, and it was a Wonder I did not, but my good Fortune saved my Life, for after two Months Sail we met with an _English_ Fleet about 10 Leagues from the Island of _Teneriff_, one of the _Canaries_, famous for a Hill therein called _Pico_, which is seen at Sea above an hundred Leagues off. We had aboard five Times their number of Men, all in Health, and were well provided with Ammunition; yet finding them resolved to fight, and knowing what infinite Riches we carried, concluded it better if possible to escape, than by encountering a Crew of desperate Fellows, to hazard not only our Lives, which a Man of Courage does not value, but the Estates of many poor Merchants, who I am afraid were undone by the Miscarriage of this Business. Our Fleet consisted of five Sail, that is, three Carricks, a Bark, and a Caravel, who coming from St. _Thomas Isle_, had in an ill Hour overtaken us some Days before. The _English_ had three Ships well provided, who no sooner spied but presently engaged us, and changing their Course, endeavoured to bring us under their Lee, which they might easily do as the Wind then flood, they being light nimble Vessels, as _English_ Ship's generally are; ours heavy, deep laden, and foul with the Sea; So our Captain resolved, wisely enough it may be, not neither valiantly nor fortunately, to fly, commanding us to disperse ourselves. The Caravel by too much Haste fell upon one of the Carricks and bruised her so, that one of the _English_ easily fetched her up and entered her, the Caravel sinking before our Eyes. The Bark escaped unpursued, and another, of our Carricks after some Chase was given over by the Enemy, who expecting a sufficient Booty of us, and getting us between them, fell upon us with much Fury; our Captain hereupon gave Direction to run ashore upon _Teneriff_, the Port whereof we could not recover, saying, "That he hoped to save Part of the Goods, and some of our Lives, and he had rather the rest should be lost, than all fall into the Mercy of our Foes."