sugar. The next A prize worth 16000 crowns. A prize worth 200000 crownes. such like, we discried foure sayle, after whom we stood; who forling their maine sayles attended vs to fight. But our French spirits were content onely to perceiue they were English red crosses. Within a very small time after, wee chased foure Spanish shippes came from the Indies: wee fought with them foure or fiue houres, tore their sayles and sides; yet not daring to board them, lost them. A poore Caruell of Brasile, was the next we chased: and after a small fight, thirteene or fourteen of her men being wounded, which was the better halfe, we tooke her, with 370 chests of was a West Indies man, of 160 tuns, with 1200 hides, 50 chests of cutchanell, 14 coffers of wedgeses of siluer, 8000 ryalls of 8, and six coffers of the King of Spaines treasure, besides the pillage and rich coffers of many rich passengers. Two monethes they kept me in this manner to manage their fights against the Spaniards, and be a prisoner when they tooke any English. Now though the Captaine had oft broke his promise, which was to put me a-shore on the Iles, or the next ship he tooke; yet, at last, he was intreated I should goe for France in the Caruell of sugar: himself resolued still to keepe the Seas. Within two dayes after, we were haled by two West Indy men: but when they saw vs waue them for the King of France, they gaue vs their broad sides, shot through our mayne mast and so left vs. Hauing liued thus, neer three moneths among those French men of warre; with much adoe, we arriued at the Gulion, not far from Rochel; where in stead of the great promises they alwaies fed me with, of double satisfaction, and full content, they kept me fiue or six daies prisoner in the Caruell, accusing me to bee him that burnt their Colony in New France; to force mee giue them a discharge before the Iudge of the Admiralty, and so stand to their curtisie for satisfaction, or lie in prison, or a worse mischiefe. To preuent this choise, in the end of such a storme that beat them all vnder Hatches, I watched my opportunity to get a-shore in their My escape from boat; where-into, in the darke night, I secretly got: and with a halfe pike that lay by me, put a drift for Rat lle: but the Current was so strong and the Sea so great, I went a drift to Sea; till it pleased God the winde so turned with the tide, that although I was all this fearfull night of gusts and raine, in the Sea, the space of 12 houres, when many ships were driuen a shore, and diuerse split (and being with sculling and bayling the water tired, I expected each minute would sinke mee) at last I arriued in an oazie Ile by Charowne; were certaine fowlers found mee neere drowned, and halfe dead, with water, colde, and hunger. By those, I found meanes to gette to the French men. Sir Thomas Rochell; where I vnderstood the man of warre which we left at Sea, and the rich prize was split, the Captaine drowned and halfe his companie the same night, within seauen leagues of that place, from whence I escaped alone, in the little boate, by the mercy of God; far beyond all mens reason, or my expectation. Arriuing at Rochell, vpon my complaint to the ludge of the Admiralitie, I founde many good words, and faire promises; and ere long many of them that escaped drowning, tolde mee the newes they heard of my owne death: these I arresting, their seuerall examinations did so confirme my complaint, it was held proofe sufficient. All which being performed according to the order of iustice, from vnder the judges hand; I presented it to the English Ambassador then at Burdeaux, where it was my chance to see the arriuall of the Kings great mariage brought from Spaine. Of the wrack of the rich prize some 36000. crownes worth of goods came a shore and was saued with the Caruell, which I did my best to arrest: the ludge did promise me I should haue iustice; what will bee the conclusion as yet, I know not. But vnder the colour to take Pirats and West-Indie men (because the Spanyards will not suffer the French trade in the West-Indies) any goods from thence, though they take them vpon the Coast of Sparne, are lawfull prize; or from any of his territories out of the limits of Europe. They betraied mee hauing the broad seale of England: and neere twentie sayle of English them concealed nore, besides in like maner were betrayed that year. My returne for Leauing thus my businesse in France, I returned to Plimouth, to find them that had thus buried me amongst the French and not onely buried mee, but with so much infamy, as such trecherous cowards could suggest to excuse their villanies: But my clothes, bookes, instruments, Armes, and what I had, they shared amongst them, and what they liked; fayning, the French had all was wanting; and had throwne them into the Sea, taken their ship, and all, had they not runne away and left me as they did. The cheeftaines of this mutinie that I could finde, I laied by the heeles; the rest, like themselues, confessed the truth as you haue heard. Now how I haue or could preuent these accidents, I rest at your censures. But to the matter. Newfound-land at the first, I haue heard, was held as despe rate a fishing, as this I proiect in New England. Placentia, and the Banke, were also as doubtfull to the French: But, for all the disasters happened mee, the businesse is the same it was: and the fiue ships (whereof one was reported more then three hundred tunnes) went forward; and found fish so much, that neither Izeland-man, nor Newfound-land-man, I could heare of hath beene there, will goe any more to either place, if they may The successe of my vice Admifoure ships of London, from New England. rail and the goe thither. So, that vpon the returne of my Vice1 admirall that proceeded on her voyage when I spent my masts, from Plimouth this yeare are gone foure or fiue saile and from London as many; onely to make voyages of profit: where the Englishmen haue yet beene, all their returnes together (except Sir Fr. Popphames) would scarce make one a sauer of neere a douzen I could nominate; though there be fish sufficient, as I perswade my selfe, to fraught yearely fotre or fiue hundred sayle, or as many as will goe. For, this fishing stretcheth along the Coast from Cape Cod to Newfound-land, which is seauen or eight hundered miles at the least; and hath his course in the deepes, and by the shore, all the yeare long; keeping their hants and feedings as the beasts of the field, and the birds of the aire. But, all men are not such as they should bee, haue vndertaken those voiages; and a man that hath but heard of an instrument, can hardly vse it so well, as hee that by vse hath contriued to make it. All the Romanes were not Scipioes: nor all the Geneweses, Columbuses: nor all Spanyards, Corteses: had they diued no deeper in the secrets of their discoueries, then wee, or stopped at such doubts and poore accidentall chances; they had neuer beene remembred as they are: yet had they no such certainties to begin as wee. But, to conclude, Adam and Eue did first beginne this innocent worke, To plant the earth to remaine to posteritie; but not without labour, trouble and industrie. Noe, and his family, beganne againe the second plantation; and their seede as it still increased, hath still planted new Countries, and one countrie another and so the world to that estate it is. But not without much hazard, trauell, discontents, and many disasters. Had those worthie Fathers and their memorable off-spring not beene more dilligent for vs now in these Ages, then wee are to plant that yet vnplanted, for the after liuers: Had the seede of Abraham, our Sauiour Christ, and his Apostles, exposed themselues to no more dangers to teach the Gospell, and the will of God then wee; Euen wee our selues, had at this present been as Saluage, and as miserable as the most barbarous Saluage yet vnciuilized. The Hebrewes, and Lacedæmonians, the Goths, the Grecians, the Romanes, and the rest, what was it they would not vndertake to inlarge their Territories, enrich their subiects, resist their enemies? Those that were the founders of those great Monarchies and their vertues, were no siluered idle golden Pharises, but industrious iron-steeled Publicans: They regarded more prouisions, and necessaries for their people, then iewels, riches, ease, or delight for themselues. Riches were their seruants, not their Maisters. They ruled (as Fathers, not as Tyrantes) their people as children, not as slaues: there was no disaster, could discourage them; and let none thinke they incountered not with all manner of incumbrances. And what haue euer beene the workes of the greatest Princes of the earth, but planting of countries, and ciuilizing barbarous and inhumane Nations, to ciuilitie and humanitie? whose eternall actions, fill our histories. Lastly, the Portugales, and Spanyards whose euerliuing actions, before our eyes will testifie with them our idlenesse, and ingratitude to all posterities, and the neglect of our duties in our pietie and religion we owe our God, our King, and Countrie; and of want charity to those poore saluages, whose Countrie wee challenge, vse and possesse, except wee bee but made to vse, `and marre what our Fore-fathers made, or but onely tell what they did, or esteeme our selues too good to take the like paines. Was it vertue in them, to prouide that doth maintaine vs? and baseness for vs to doe the like for others? Surely no. Then seeing we are not borne for our selues, but each to helpe other and our abilities are much alike at the houre of our birth and the minute of our death: Seeing our good deedes, or our badde, by faith in Christs merits, is all we haue to carrie our soules to heauen, or hell: Seeing honour is our liues ambition; and our ambition after death, to haue an honourable memorie of our life; and seeing by noe meanes wee would bee of our Predecessors; let vs bee worthily their successors. FINIS. At London printed the 18. of Iune in Ft thou hast led, when I brought vp the Rere In bloodie wars, where thousands haue bin slaine. Then giue mee leaue, in this some part to beare; And as thy seruant, heere to read my name. Tis true, long time thou hast my Captaine beene In the fierce wars of Transilvania: Long ere that thou America hadst seene, Or led wast captiued in Virginia; Thou that to passe the worlds foure parts dost deeme No more, then t'were to goe to bed, or drinke, And all thou yet hast done, thor dost esteeme As nothing; This doth cause mee thinke That thou l'aue seene so oft approu'd in dangers For mee: I not commend, but much admire Your true friend, and souldier, Ed. Robison. |