4. An English Plundering Voyage W (1578-1579) WHEN Frances Drake had passed ye straytes [straits] of Magellan, the first land hee fell wth [with] was an Iland named Mocha, wher . . . hee wth ten of his company went on shore, thincking ther to have taken in fresh water. Two of the company going far into the Iland were intercepted and cut of[f] by the Indians that inhabite the Iland ... They stayed heere but one day, but set sayle toward ye coast of Chile, wher ariving they met with an Indian in a canoa nere the shore, who thincking them to have bin [been] Spaniards, tould them that behind the [them], at a place called St. Yago, there was a Spanish schip [ship], for weh [which] good nves [news] they gave him divers trifles. The Indian being ioyfull [joyful] therof went on shore and brought them ij. [2] sheepe and a small quantyty of fish, and so they returned back againe to St. Yago to seeke the Spanish ship (for they had overshot ye place before they were ware); and when they came thither, they found the same ship and in her 3 Negros and viij. [8] Spaniards; they of the ship thincking Drakes [men] to have bin Spaniards, welcomed them with a drum, and made redy a great buttiro [butt] of wyne of Chile to have made them drinck; but when Drakes men were entred, one of them, whose name was Tom Moone, strake ye Spanish pilate wth his fist of [on] the face, saying, Abassho Pirra, wch is to say in English, Go downe, dogg, and then the poore Spaniards being sore afrayde went downe into the hould of the ship, all saving one of them, who leping out at the stern of the ship swam on shore, and gave warning to them of the towne of their coming. When Drake had taken this ship and stowed the men vnder hatches, hee tooke her bote and his owne boote [boat] and manned them both wth his men, and went to set vpon Drake was a the towne of S. Yago hee found there a chappell, wch he Protestant. 20 pounds, rifled and tooke from thence a chalice of silv" and twoo cruets of silver . . . and the altar cloth, all wch hee tooke away with him and brought them on boord [board], and gave all the spoyle of that chappell to Mr. Fletcher, his precher, at his coming on boorde . . . Drake . . . set sayle and bent his course towards a place called Arica, where he found in the haven iij small barcks, and rifling them, he found in one of the [them] 57 slabs of fine silver weing [weighing] about 20li weight eche [each] of them. These slabs were about the bignes of a brick batt eche one of them, and one of ye two other barks was set on fire by one Fuller and one Tom Marcks, and so burned to the very water. There were not in those iij barcks one prson [person], for they mistrusting no theves were all gone on shore. In this towne of Arica were about 20 howses, which Drake would have set vppon if hee had had more company with him, but wanting company of pirates he depted [departed] hence, having still with him the Grand Capitaine of St. Yago; but within one day after he was gone from this haven of Arica, he cast of [f] the Grand Capitaine, clapping her helme fast on the lee and let her drive to seaward without any creature in her. From hence hee sayled toward Lyma . . . At his departure from the haven of Lyma he cut all the cables of the ships there and let them drive to seaward, and so made speed toward Payta, thincking there to have founde the Cacafoga, but she was gone before he arived there toward Panama, whom he still followed amayne, but betwene Payta and Cape St. Franc[i]s hee met with a barck laden with ropes and tackell for shipps. This ship hee rifled, and found 80 pounds, a in her about 80'i weight of gould, and he tooke out of her greate quantyty of ropes to store his own ship, and so let her go. The owner of this ship was a frier. He found also in her a greate crucifix of goulde, and certaine emeralds neere as longe as a mans finger. From this robbery following still value of about $40,000. after the Cacafoga, hee overtooke her at Cape St. Frances, whom hee had long wisshed for. In his iorney [journey] he pmised yt [promised that] whosoever should overtake her should have his cheine [chain] of gould for his labour. This did John Drake descry on St. Davids day, being the first of March, about viij. of the clock in ye afternone, and boorded her about v. of the clock; and in the boording of her hee shot downe her misen mast, and so entred her, and found in her about 8oli weight of gould, and 13. chests full of royalls of plate, and so mooch [much] silver as did ballas [t] the Goulden Hinde. . . . the Pylats Drake's ship. [pilot's] name was Don Francisco, who had two cupps of silver gilt clene over, to whom Drake said at his departure as followeth Seignior Pilate, you have ij. cupps and I must needes have one of them, wch the Pilate yeelded vnto willingly, because he could not chuse. . . . Drake watered his ship and departed, sayling northwards till he came to 48. gr. of the septentrionall latitud, still finding a very lardge sea trending toward the north, but being afraid to spend long time in seeking for the straite, hee turned back againe, still keping along the cost [coast] as nere land as hee might, vntill hee came to 44. gr., and the [there] hee found a harborow [harbor] for his ship, where he grouded [grounded] Probably his ship to trim her . . . Francis Fletcher, The World Encompassed by Sir Francis Drake (Hakluyt Society, Works issued, London, 1854), Appendix iii, 178-184 passim. 48° north latitude coast of Oregon. San Francisco Bay. 5. The First English Exploration (1607) ANONY MA - AY 21 [1607]. Thursday, the 21st of May, Capt. Newport (having fitted our shallop with provision and all necessaryes belonging to a discovery) tooke five MOUS. From a journal kept by a companion of Captain Christopher Newport, over the commander gentlemen, four maryners, and fourteen saylors; with whome that brought he proceeded, with a perfect resolutyon not to returne, but either to finde the head of this ryver, the laake mentyoned by others heretofore, the sea againe, the mountaynes Apalatsi [Appalachian], or some issue. Jamestown extract May 22, Fryday. - Omitting no tyme, we passed up some sixteen myle further, where we founde an ilet, on which were many turkeys, and greate store of young byrdes like black-birdes; whereof wee tooke dyvers, which wee brake up the James our fast withall. Now, spying eight salvages [savages] in a three others, River from to the Falls. For the founding see American ries, I, Nos. 62-64. Usually spelled "weroance" = chief. = canoa, we haled them by our worde of kyndnes [kindness], "Wingapoh [good friends]"; and they came to us. In conference by signes with them, one seemed to understand our intentyon, and offred with his foote to describe the river to us so I gave him a pen and paper (showing first the use), and he layd out the whole river from the Chesseian [Chesapeake] Bay to the end of it, so farr as passadg was for boats. May 23, Satturday. We passed a few short reaches; Near Haxall? and, five mile of[f] Poore Cottage, we went ashore. Heer we found our kinde comrads againe, who had gyven notice all along as they came of us; by which we were entertayned with much courtesye in every place. We found here a wiroans (for so they call their kyngs), who satt upon a matt of reeds, with his people about him. He caused one to be layd for Capt. Newport; gave us a deare [deer] roasted, which, according to their custome, they seethed [boiled] againe. His people gave us mullberyes, sodd [sodden] wheate, and beanes; and he caused his weomen to make cakes for us. He gave our captain his crowne; which was of deare's hayre [hair], dyed redd. Certifying him of our intentyon [to go] up the ryver, he was willing to send guydes with us. Now . . . newes came that the greate Kyng Powatah [Powhatan] was come .. Him wee saluted with silence; sitting still on our matts, our . . . captain in the myddest [midst]; but presented (as before May 24 ... Now, sitting upon the banck by the overfall, beholding the sonne [sun], he [Powhatan] began to tell us of the tedyous travell we should have if wee proceeded any further; that it was a daye and a halfe jorney to Monanacah; and, if we went to Quirauck, we should get no vittailes [victuals], and be tyred [tired]; and sought by all meanes to disswade our captayne from going any further. Also he tolde us that the Monanacah was his enemye; and that he came downe at the fall of the leafe, and invaded his countrye. Now, what I conjecture of this I have left to a further experience. But our captayne, out of his discretyon (though we would faine have seene further; yea, and himselfe as desirous also), checkt his intentyon, and retorned to his |