21. of the said moneth of April, with very small losse not worth the mentioning. After our departure ten of the Gallies that were in the Road came out, as it were in disdaine of us, to make some pastime with their ordinance, at which time the wind skanted upon us, whereupon we cast about againe, and stood in with the shoare, & came to anker within a league of the towne; where the said Gallies, for all their former bragging, at length suffred us to ride quietly We now have had experience of Gally-fight: wherein I can assure you, that onely these 4. of her Majesties ships will make no accompt of 20. Gallies, if they may be alone, and not busied to guard others. There were never Gallies that had better place and fitter opportunitie for their advantage to fight with ships: but they were still forced to retire, wee riding in a narrow gut, the place yeelding no better, and driven to maintaine the same, untill wee had discharged and fired the shippes, which could not conveniently be done but upon the flood, at which time they might drive cleare off us. Thus being victualed with bread and wine at the enemies cost for divers moneths (besides the provisions that we brought from home) our Generall dispatched Captaine Crosse into England with his letters, giving him further in charge to declare unto her Majestie all the particularities of this our first enterprize. After whose departure wee shaped our course toward Cape Sacre, and in the way thither wee tooke at severall times of ships, barkes, and Caravels well neere an hundred, laden with hoopes, gally-oares, pipe-staves, & other provisions of the king of Spaine, for the furnishing of his forces intended against England, al which we burned, having delt favorably with the men and sent them on shoare. We also spoiled and consumed all the fisher-boats and nets thereabouts, to their great hinderance and (as we suppose) to the utter overthrow of the rich fishing of their Tunies for the same yere. At length 1587. 1587. we came to the aforesaid Cape Sacre, where we went on [II. ii. 123.] land; and the better to enjoy the benefite of the place, The Carack called the Sanct Philip taken. and to ride in harborow at our pleasure, we assailed the same castle, and three other strong holds, which we tooke some by force and some by surrender. Thence we came before the haven of Lisbon ankering nere unto Cascais, where the Marques of Santa Cruz was with his Gallies, who seeing us chase his ships a shoare, & take and cary away his barks and Caravels, was content to suffer us there quietly to tary, and likewise to depart, and never charged us with one Canon-shot. And when our Generall sent him worde that hee was there ready to exchange certaine bullets with him, the marques refused his chalenge, sending him word, that he was not then ready for him, nor had any such Commission from his King. Our Generall thus refused by the Marques, and seeing no more good to be done in this place, thought it convenient to spend no longer time upon this coast: and therefore with consent of the chiefe of his Company he shaped his course toward the Isles of the Açores, and passsing towards the Isle of Saint Michael, within 20. or 30. leagues thereof, it was his good fortune to meete with a Portugale Carak called Sant Philip, being the same shippe which in the voyage outward had caried the 3. Princes of Japan, that were in Europe, into the Indies. This Carak without any great resistance hee tooke, bestowing the people thereof in certaine vessels well furnished with victuals, and sending them courteously home into their Countrey: and this was the first Carak that ever was taken comming foorth of the East Indies; which the Portugals tooke for an evil signe, because the ship bare the Kings owne name. The riches of this prize seemed so great unto the whole Company (as in trueth it was) that they assured themselves every man to have a sufficient reward for his travel: and thereupon they all resolved to returne home for England: which they happily did, and arrived in Plimouth the same Sommer with their whole Fleete and this rich booty, to their owne profite and due commendation, and to the great admiration of the whole kingdome. And here by the way it is to be noted, that the taking of this Carak wrought two extraordinary effects in England: first, that it taught others, that Caracks were no such bugs but that they might be taken (as since indeed it hath fallen out in the taking of the Madre de Dios, and fyreing and sinking of others) and secondly in acquainting the English Nation more generally with the particularities of the exceeding riches and wealth of the East Indies: whereby themselves and their neighbours of Holland have bene incouraged, being men as skilfull in Navigation and of no lesse courage then the Portugals to share with them in the East Indies: where their strength is nothing so great as heretofore hath bene supposed. A Patent granted to certaine Marchants of Exeter, and others of the West parts, and of London, for a trade to the River of Senega and Gambra in Guinea, 1588. Lizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. To our Treasurer and Admirall of England, our Treasurer and Barons of our Exchequer, and all and every our Officers, ministers and subjects whatsoever, greeting. Whereas our welbeloved subjects William Brayley, Gilbert Smith, Nicolas Spicer, and John Doricot of our City of Exeter marchants, John Yong of Coliton in our county of Devon marchant, Richard Doderige of Barnestable in our saide Countie of Devon Marchant, Anthonie Dassell, and Nicolas Turner of our Citie of London Marchants, have bene perswaded and earnestly moved by certaine Portugals resident within our Dominions, to undertake and set for 1588. age to 1588. Gambra. ward a voyage to certaine places on the coast of Guinea: Videlicet, from the Northermost part of the River commonly called by the name of the River of Senega, and from and within that River all along that coast unto the Southermost part of another River commonly called by the name of Gambra, and within that River: which, as A former voy- we are informed, they have already once performed accordingly: And for that we are credibly given to understand that the further prosecuting of the same voyage, and the due and orderly establishing of an orderly trafique and trade of marchandize into those Countreis, wil not only in time be very beneficial to these our Realmes and dominions, but also be a great succour and reliefe unto the present distressed estate of those Portugals, who by our princely favour live and continue here under our protection: And considering that the adventuring and enterprising of a newe trade cannot be a matter of small charge and hazard to the adventurers in the beginning: we have therefore thought it convenient, that our said loving subjects William Brayley, Gilbert Smith, Nicholas Spicer, John Doricot, John Yong, Richard Doderige, Anthonie Dassell, and Nicholas Turner, for the better incouragement to proceede in their saide adventure and trade in the said Countreis, shal have the sole use and [II. ii. 124.] exercise thereof for a certaine time. In consideration whereof, and for other waightie reasons and considerations us specially mooving, of our speciall grace, certaine knowledge and meere motion, we have given and graunted, and by these presents for us, our heires and successors doe give and graunt unto the said William Brayley, Gilbert Smith, Nicholas Spicer, John Doricot, John Young, Richard Doderide, Anthony Dassell and Nicholas Turner, and to every of them, and to such other our Subjects as they or the most part of them shall thinke convenient to receive into their Company and society, to be the traders with them into the said Countreis, that they and every of them by themselves or by their servants or Factors and none others, shall and may for and during the full space and terme of tenne yeeres next ensuing the date of these presents, have and enjoy the free and whole trafique, trade and feat of marchandise, to and from the said Northermost part of the said River, commonly called by the name of the River of Senega: and from and within that River all along the coast of Guinea, unto the Southermost part of the said River, commonly called by the name of the River of Gambra, and within that River also. And that they the said William Brayley, Gilbert Smith, Nicholas Spicer, John Doricot, John Yong, Richard Doderige, Anthony Dassel and Nicholas Turner, & every of them, by themselves or by their servants or Factors, & such as they or the most part of them shall receive into their Company and societie, to be traders with them into the sayd Countreis (as is aforesaid) and none others, shall and may, for, and during the said space and terme of 10. yeres, have and enjoy the sole & whole trafique or trade of marchandize into and from the said places afore limitted and described, for the buying & selling, bartering and changing of and with any goods, wares, and marchandizes whatsoever, to be vented had or found, at or within any the cities, townes, or places situated or being in the countries, partes & coastes of Guinea before limitted, any law, statute, or graunt, matter, custome or privileges to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. And for the better ordering, establishing, & governing of the said societie and Company in the said trade and trafique of marchandizes, & the quiet, orderly & lawfull exercise of the same, We for us, our heires, and successors, do by these presents give and graunt full license and authoritie unto the said William Brayley, Gilbert Smith, Nicholas Spicer, John Doricot, John Yong, Richard Doderige, Anthonie Dassell, and Nicholas Turner, and to such others as they shall receive into their saide societie and company to be traders into the said countreis, as is aforesaid, and to every of them, that they or the most part of them shall and may at all convenient times at their pleasures, assemble and meete together in any place or places convenient, aswell 1588. |