same day to the S.W.; we cast about and lay S.E. the other way that night [for] a try.

Wednesday morning, the 27th, we set sail and lay 8.S.E., and then S. by E.; the wind at W.S.W. then changed to the W.N.W. and N.W., so as from 5 the Wednesday morning to 12 o'clock. of the same day we ran some 7 leagues, and brought the north part of Cape Finisterre east.

From 12 we steered away S. and S. by E. to recover again our falling from our course towards the W., till 12 the next day, being the 28th, when as we found ourselves in 42 degrees, wanting 10 minutes.

From 12 the 28th to 12 the 29th, having the wind at N., we ran 35 leagues, and were in 40 degrees wanting 30 minutes.

From 12 the 29th to 12 the 30th day, we ran on 30 leagues S., and brought Lisbon E. northerly.

At 12 the same 30th day we discovered 4 sails, and gave them chase and ran W.S.W. till 7 at night, then leaving the chase we stood S.S. E. till 12 at night, and then S., so as by 8 o'clock Sunday morning we had gone 18 leagues, and were 20 leagues short of the Cape Saint Vincent. These 4 ships were French, and came from Cape Blanck

laden with fish and train oil, and were bound as they pretended for Seville in Spain; but because they should not give knowledge that I was then passed by, joined them with me 100 leagues to the southward, and then buying of them a pinnace of 7 ton and 3 pipes of train oil, for which I gave them in ready money 61 crowns, I dismissed them. It is true that I had arguments enough to persuade me that they had not fished but robbed the Portuguese and Spaniards at Cape Blanck, for they were not only provided and furnished like men of war, but had in them store of Spanish apparel and other things taken there. But because it is lawful for the French to make prize of the Spanish king's subjects to the south of the Canaries and to the west of the Azores, and that it did not belong to me to examine the subjects of the French king, I did not suffer my company to take from them any pennyworth of their goods, greatly to the discontent of my company, who cried out that they were men of war and thieves; and so indeed they were, for I mot with a Spaniard afterwards of the grand Canaries whom they had robbed.

From 8 Sunday morning to 12 Monday, being the 1st of September, we ran 40 leagues, and were

1

in 35 degrees lacking 8 minutes, and made our way 8. by E.

From 12 on Monday to 12 on Tuesday, the 2nd day, we ran 30 leagues, having lain by the lee 4 hours, and were in 33 degrees and a half.

From 12 on Tuesday to 12 on Wednesday, the 3rd day, we ran 30 leagues.

From 12 on Wednesday to 12 on Thursday, the 4th of September, we ran but 14 leagues S. by E. Friday the 5th and Saturday the 6th day, we ran with a good gale and made Lancerota on Saturday before noon, but on Saturday night we stood off till midnight and then stood in, and on Sunday, the 7th day, came to anchor near the shore of Lancerota, where we landed our men to stretch their legs. The people fearing that we had been the same fleet of Turks which had spoiled Porta Sancta, put themselves in arms and came to the seaside with a flag of truce. The Governor being desirous to speak with me, to which I yielded, taking with Bradshew, with each of us a sword, and the Governor with one of his so armed, came into the plain to meet me, our troops staying at

me

*

In this and several similar instances there are blanks in he MS.-ED.

equal distance from us.

After he had saluted me,

his first desire was to know whether we were Christians or Turks, whereof being satisfied, he demanded what I sought for from that miserable and barren island peopled in effect all with MorisCOS. I answered hin that although I landed many men to refresh them, I had no purpose to invade any of the Spanish king's territories, having received from the king my master express commandment to the contrary, only I desired for my money such fresh meat as that island yielded, and because he should not doubt of what nation we were, I willed him to be informed by the English merchant whose ship lay by us, and whom we found in his port at our arrival trading with him and others of the island, and had lately brought them wine from Teneriffe and stayed for his lading of corn, whereupon he prayed me to set down in writing what I desired, and it should be furnished the next day, promising to send me that night some few muttons and goats for myself and the captains. In the morning, being Monday, the 8th day, the English merchant's man came to me, by whom I sent him a note for a quantity of wheat, goats, sheep, hens, and wine, for which the merchant should make the

price, and to whom I would deliver so much ready money or other truck as it amounted unto, promising him that my companies should not go from the seaside above a mile or two; nor offend any of the inhabitants. I stayed the next day, but nothing came, which day we spent in training and mustering our companies on the sea shore; the next he wrote me a letter in Spanish, wherein he protested, on the faith of a Cabaliro, that he would send the provisions the 3rd day, being the 11th of September, and sent me the English merchant which lay above at his town with 2 French factors to assure me, whom he abused by protesting as much to them. For my own part I never gave faith to his words, for I knew he sought to gain time to carry the goods of the town, being 7 miles from us, into the mountains. My company pressed me that they might march towards the town, but besides that I knew that it would offend his Majesty, I am sure that the poor English merchant would have been ruined whose goods he had in his hands, and the way being mountainous and most extremely stony, I knew that I must have lost 20 good men in taking a town not worth two groats, for they were 300. men, whereof 90 musketeers, upon a ground of