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seeme to have bene some secret factour for M. Thorne and other English marchants in those remote partes; whereby it is probable that some of our marchants had a kinde of trade to the West Indies even in those ancient times and before also: neither doe I see any reason why the Spaniards should debarre us from it at this present.

The first voyage of the right worshipfull and
valiant knight sir John Hawkins, sometimes
treasurer of her Majesties navie Roial, made
to the West Indies 1562.

Aster John Haukins having made divers
voyages to the Iles of the Canaries, and
there by his good and upright dealing
being growen in love and favour with
the people, informed himselfe amongst
them by diligent inquisition, of the state

M

1562.

of the West India, whereof hee had received some knowledge by the instructions of his father, but increased the same by the advertisments and reports of that people. And being amongst other particulars assured, that Negros were very good marchandise in Hispaniola, and that store of Negros might easily bee had upon the coast of Guinea, resolved with himselfe to make triall thereof, and communicated that devise with his worshipfull friendes of London: namely with Sir Lionell Ducket, sir Thomas Lodge, M. Gunson his father in law, sir William Winter, M. Bromfield, and others. All which persons liked so well of his intention, that they became liberall contributers and adventurers in the action. For which purpose there were three good ships immediatly provided: The one called the Salomon of the burthen of 120. tunne, wherein M. Haukins himselfe went as Generall: The second the Swallow of 100. tunnes, wherein went for Captaine M. Thomas M. Thomas Hampton: and the third the Jonas a barke of Hampton. tunnes, wherein the Master supplied the Captaines

40.

1562.

Sierra Leona

called Tagarin.

The Iles of
Caycos.

roome: in which small fleete M. Hawkins tooke with him not above 100. men for feare of sicknesse and other inconveniences, whereunto men in long voyages are commonly subject.

With this companie he put off and departed from the coast of England in the moneth of October 1562. and in his course touched first at Teneriffe, where hee received friendly intertainement. From thence he passed to Sierra Leona, upon the coast of Guinea, which place by the people of the countrey is called Tagarin, where he stayed some good time, and got into his possession, partly by the sworde, and partly by other meanes, to the number of 300. Negros at the least, besides other merchandises which that countrey yeeldeth. With this praye hee sayled over the Ocean sea unto the Iland of Hispaniola, and arrived first at the port of Isabella: and there hee had reasonable utterance of his English commodities, as also of some part of his Negros, trusting the Spaniards no further, then that by his owne strength he was able still to master them. From the port of Isabella he went to Puerto de Plata, where he made like sales, standing alwaies upon his guard: from thence also hee sayled to Monte Christi another port on the North side of Hispaniola, and the last place of his touching, where he had peaceable traffique, and made vent of the whole number of his Negros: for which he received in those 3. places by way of exchange such quantitie of merchandise, that hee did not onely lade his owne 3. shippes with hides, ginger, sugars, and some quantitie of pearles, but he fraighted also two other hulkes with hides and other like commodities, which hee sent into Spaine. And thus leaving the Iland, he returned and disemboqued, passing out by the Ilands of the Caycos, without further entring into the bay of Mexico, in this his first voyage to the West India. to the West India. And so with prosperous successe and much gaine to himselfe and the aforesayde adventurers, he came home, and arrived in the moneth of September 1563.

1564.

The voyage made by M. John Hawkins Esquire, [III. 501.]
and afterward knight, Captaine of the Jesus of
Lubek, one of her Majesties shippes, and
Generall of the Salomon, and other two barkes
going in his companie, to the coast of Guinea,
and the Indies of Nova Hispania, begun in
An. Dom. 1564.

Aster John Hawkins with the Jesus of
Lubek, a shippe of 700. and the Salomon
a shippe of 140. the Tiger a barke of
50. and the Swallow of 30. tunnes, being
all well furnished with men to the
number of one hundreth threescore and

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tenne, as also with ordinance and victuall requisite for such a voyage, departed out of Plymmouth the 18. day of October, in the yeere of our Lord 1564. October 18. with a prosperous winde: at which departing, in cutting the foresaile, a marveilous misfortune happened to one of the officers in the shippe, who by the pullie of the sheat was slaine out of hand, being a sorowfull beginning to them all. And after their setting out ten leagues to the sea, he met the same day with the Minion a ship of the The Minion, Queenes Majestie, whereof was Captaine David Carlet, the John Baptist, and the and also her consort the John Baptist of London, being Merline bound bounde to Guinea also, who hailed one the other after for Guinea. the custome of the sea with certaine pieces of ordinance for joy of their meeting: which done, the Minion departed from him to seeke her other consort the Merlin of London, which was a sterne out of sight, leaving in M. Hawkins companie the John Baptist her other

consort.

Thus sayling forwards on their way with a prosperous winde untill the 21. of the same moneth, at that time a great storme arose, the winde being at Northeast about nine a clocke in the night, and continued so 23. houres together, in which storme M. Hawkins lost the companie

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of the John Baptist aforesayd, and of his pinnesse called
the Swallow, his other 3. shippes being sore beaten with
a storme. The 23. day the Swallow to his no small
rejoycing, came to him againe in the night, 10. leagues
to the Northward of Cape Finister, he having put
roomer, not being able to double the Cape, in that there
rose a contrary winde at Southwest. The 25. the wind
continuing contrary, hee put into a place in Galicia, called
Ferroll, where hee remained five dayes, and appointed
all the Masters of his shippes an order for the keeping
of good companie in this manner: The small shippes to
bee alwayes ahead and aweather of the Jesus, and to
speake twise a day with the Jesus at least: if in the day
the Ensigne bee over the poope of the Jesus, or in the
night two lights, then shall all the shippes speake with
her: If there bee three lights aboord the Jesus, then
doeth she cast about: If the weather bee extreme, that
the small shippes cannot keepe companie with the Jesus,
then all to keepe companie with the Salomon, and foorth-
with to repaire to the Iland of Teneriffe, to the Northward
of the road of Sirroes; If any happen to any misfortune
then to shew two lights, and to shoote off a piece of
ordinance. If any lose companie, and come in sight
againe, to make three yawes, and strike the Myson
three times: Serve God daily, love one another, preserve
your victuals, beware of fire, and keepe good companie.

The 26. day the Minion came in also where hee was, for the rejoycing whereof hee gave them certaine pieces of ordinance, after the courtesie of the sea for their welcome: but the Minions men had no mirth, because of their consort the Merline, whome at their departure from Master Hawkins upon the coast of England they went to seeke, and having met with her, kept companie two dayes together, and at last by misfortune of fire (through the negligence of one of their gunners) the powder in the gunners roome was set on fire, which with the first blast strooke out her poope, and therewithall lost three men, besides many sore burned (which escaped by the brigan

dine being at her sterne) and immediatly, to the great losse of the owners, and most horrible sight to the beholders, she sunke before their eyes.

The 20. day of the moneth M. Hawkins with his consorts and companie of the Minion, having nowe both the brigandines at her sterne, wayed anker, and set saile on their voyage, having a prosperous winde thereunto.

1564.

The fourth of November they had sight of the Iland of Madera, and the sixt day of Teneriffe, which they thought to have beene the Canarie, in that they supposed themselves to have beene to the Eastward of Teneriffe, and were not: but the Minion being three or foure leagues ahead of us, kept on her course to Teneriffe, having better sight thereof then the other had, and by that meanes they parted companie. For M. Hawkins and his companie went more to the West, upon which course having sayled a while, hee espied another Iland, which hee thought to bee Teneriffe, and being not able by meanes of the fogge upon the hils, to discerne the same, nor yet to fetch it by night, went roomer untill the morning, being the seventh of November, which as yet hee could not discerne, but sayled along the coast the [III. 502.] space of two houres, to perceive some certaine marke of Teneriffe, and found no likelyhood thereof at all, accompting that to bee, as it was in deede, the Ile of The Ile of Palmes and so sayling forwards, espied another Iland called Gomera, and also Teneriffe, with the which hee made, and sayling all night, came in the morning the next day to the port of Adecia, where he found his pinnesse which had departed from him the sixt of the moneth, being in the weather of him, and espying the pike of Teneriffe all a high, bare thither. At his arrivall somewhat before hee came to anker, hee hoysed out his shippes pinnesse rowing a shoare, intending to have sent one with a letter to Peter de ponte, one of the governours of the Iland, who dwelt a league from the shoare: but as hee pretended to have landed, suddenly there appeared upon the two points of the roade, men levelling of bases

Palmes.

Gomera and
Teneriffe.

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