to be provided either at the fishermens hands neere the said Isles for trucke of commodities, or els to be taken in at the aforesaid Isles, at the discretion of the abovenamed. 4 Item, upon the due performance of this voiage, the owner bindeth himselfe by this deede, to yeeld unto any such of the companie, as shall refuse their shares before they depart from the coast of England, 20 markes a single share, for the dutie of the whole voiage, making not above 75. shares single in the whole. 5 Item, the company according as they be appointed by the officers of the said ship above named, shall at all times be most ready to doe their painfull indevor, not onely aboord, but in all labours at the land, according to the direction given by the above named officers, upon paine of forfeiture of their shares and wages, the same to be divided amongst the company. 6 Item, that the shares be taken at their returne out of al the traine oile, and hides of the seales, and of all other commodities gotten by their handie labour, and of the salt that shall be vended and other commodities, at, or neere the coast of Brasill, to allow after 9 li. the tunne freight, whereof one third to goe to the companie. 7 Item, that if any man shall practise by any devise or devises whatsoever, to alter the voiage from the true purpose and intent of the owner, viz. to make their first port at Santos, and Saint Vincent, and there to revictuall and traffike, and from thence to the river of Plate to make their voyage by the traine, and hide of the seales, with such other commodities as are there to be had, according as the owner, with divers that have government in the said ship, are bound to her highnesse by their deedes obligatorie in great summes, that all such practisers, upon due proofe made, shall loose their whole intertainement due by shares or otherwise for this sayde voyage to be adjudged by the Captaine, his Lieutenant, the Master, Pilot, and marchant, or three of them at the least, whereof the Captaine to be one. 8 Item, that the pinnesse be ready at al times to serve the marchants turne upon his demand, to take in wares and commodities, and to cary and recary to and from the shore, when, and as oft as neede shall be, and to give due attendance at the marchant and marchants direction, during the whole voyage. 9 Item, that no head or chiefe officer being set downe for such an officer under the hand of the owner, at the going to sea of the said shippe, shall or may be displaced from his said place or office, without great cause, and his misdemeanour to be adjudged by the Captaine, and his Lieutenant, the Master, the Pilot, and the marchant, or by the consent of three of them at the least. IO Item, that upon the returne of the shippe to the coast of England, the Maister and Pilot put not into any port or harbour, to the Westward of Southhampton, but forced by weather, or such like urgent cause. William Huddie. John Foster. Hugh Smith. A direction as well for the Captaine, and other my friends of the ship, as especially for William Cheesman Marchant, for the voyage to the river of Plate. AT your comming to the Isle of Saint Sebastian, upon the coast of Brasill, you shall according to your discretions, make sale of such commodities, as you may thinke will be thereabout well vented, and likewise to buy commodities without making longer stay there then your victuals be providing, but rather to bespeake commodities against your returne from the river of Plate, especially of Amber, Sugar, Greene ginger, Cotton wooll, and some quantitie of the peppers of the countrey there. Also for Parats and Munkies, and the beast called Serrabosa. Also you shall barrell up of the beefe called Petune, two or three barrels, and to lose no good opportunitie, to gather of the Indian figges, and the graines of them to preserve drie, in such quantitie as conveniently may be done and touching the making of the traine, and preserving of the hides, I leave it wholly to the order and the discretion of the chiefe of the companie. Also that in any road where the ship shall ride upon the coast of America, triall be made with the dragges, for the pearle Oisters, and the same being taken, to be opened and searched for pearle in the presence of the Captaine, his Lieutenant, the Master, the Pilot, and marchant, or three of them, whereof the Captaine or his Lieutenant to be one, and to remaine in the custodie of the Captaine and marchant, under two lockes, either of them to have a key to his owne locke, and that a true inventorie be delivered also to the Master : and Pilot of the said pearle or other jewels of price gotten in the said voiage, to the intent that no partie be defrauded of his due, and that no concealment be made of any such thing upon forfeiture, the partie to lose his share and dutie for the voyage that shall so conceale and not reveale it unto the officers above named. Also to doe your best indevour to try for the best Ore of golde, silver, or other rich mettals whatsoever. Forget not also to bring the kernels and seeds of strange plants with you, the Palmito with his fruit inclosed in him. Serve God, keepe good watch, and stand alwayes upon your garde. Edward Cotton. These things being thus ordered, and the ship of the burden of 260 tunnes, with 83 men of all sortes furnished, and fully appointed for the voyage, began to set saile from Hurst Castle upon Friday the 20 of May, Anno 1583, and the 17 day of July ensuing fell with the coast of Guinie, to take in fresh water, where, through meere dissolute negligence, she perished upon a sand, with the most part of the men in her, as appeareth by the confession of one that escaped, the substance and tenor whereof is this. The confession of William Bends Masters Mate in the Edward Cotton, the 21 of October, Ann. 1584. HE sayth, that the 17 day of July, Anno 1583. having some lacke of fresh water, they put roome upon the coast of Guinie, where they were set upon a sand about 8 leagues from the shore, and this Examinate, with 29 more, got into the pinnesse, who arrived in an Island, being desolate of people, and five miles in compasse, where they rested 18 dayes through force of weather, having nought to eate but grasse. The rest of the company the ship being splitted in two, and in quarters, got them into one of the after quarters, and by the helpe of raftes came also a shore into another Island neere to Rio grande, where they all died as he supposeth. The other 30 in the pinnesse, at the end of 18 dayes, departed that Island, and came to Saint Domingo, where comming on shore, they were taken of the Moores, & stripped naked. And they buried one Coxe an olde man alive, notwithstanding his pitifull lamentation and skrikings the rest having Rice and water allowed them, lived there a certaine time. This Examinate was at last sold to a Portugall, with whom he dwelt the space of a quarter of a yere, and in the end, a Portugall Caravel comming thither, his master laded the same with Negroes, and he obtained leave of his master to goe in the same Caravell, & by that meanes arrived at Lisbone, and from thence came into England the 17 of October, 1584, leaving behinde him of his companie alive, Richard Hacker, John Baker, John Mathew, and a boy, with two others which were gone beyond Saint Domingo: all which, as he saith, were so sicke and diseased, that he judgeth them to be long before this time dead. The escape of the Primrose a tall ship of London, from before the towne of Bilbao in Biscay: which ship the Corrigidor of the same Province, accompanied with 97 Spaniards, offered violently to arrest, and was defeated of his purpose, and brought prisoner into England. Whereunto is added the Kings Commission for a generall imbargment or arrest of all English, Netherlandish, and Easterlings ships, written in Barcelona the 19 of May 1585. IT is not unknowen unto the world what danger our English shippes have lately escaped, how sharpely they have beene intreated, and howe hardly they have beene assaulted: so that the valiancie of those that mannaged them is worthy remembrance. And therefore in respect of the couragious attempt and valiant enterprise of the ship called the Primrose of London, which hath obteined renowne, I have taken in hande to publish the trueth thereof, to the intent that it may be generally knowen to the rest of the English ships, that by the good example of this the rest may in time of extremitie adventure to doe the like: to the honour of the Realme, and the perpetuall remembrance of themselves: The maner whereof was as followeth. UPON Wednesday being the sixe and twentieth day of May 1585, the shippe called the Primrose being of one hundred and fiftie tunnes, lying without the bay of Bilbao, having beene there two dayes, there came a Spanish pinnesse to them, wherein was the Corrigidor and sixe others with him these came aboord the Primrose, seeming to be Marchantes of Biscay, or such like, bringing Cherries with them, and spake very friendly to the Maister of the ship, whose name was Foster, and he in courteous wise bad them welcome, making them the best cheere that he could with beere, beefe, and bisket, wherewith that ship was well furnished and while they were thus in banquetting with the Maister, foure of the seven departed in the sayd Pinnesse, and went backe againe to Bilbao: the other three stayed, and were very pleasant for the time. But Master Foster misdoubting some danger secretly gave speech that he was doubtfull of these men what their intent was; neverthelesse he sayd nothing, nor seemed in any outward wise to mistrust them at all. Foorthwith there came a ship-boate wherein were seventie persons being Marchants and such like of Biscay and besides this boate, there came also the Pinnesse which before had brought the other three, in which Pinnesse there came foure and twentie, as the Spaniards themselves since confessed. These made towards the Primrose, and being come thither, there came aboord the Corrigidor with three or foure of his men: but Master Foster seeing this great multitude desired that there might no more come aboord, but that the rest should stay in their boates, which was granted neverthelesse they tooke small heede of these wordes; for on a suddaine they came foorth of the boate, entring the shippe, every Spaniarde taking him to his Rapier which they brought in the boate, with other weapons, and a drumme wherewith to triumph over them. Thus did the Spaniards enter the shippe, plunging in fiercely upon them, some planting themselves under the decke, some entring the Cabbens, and a multitude attending their pray. Then the Corrigidor having an officer with him which bare a white wand in his hand, sayd to the master of the ship: Yeeld your selfe, for you are the kings prisoner: whereat the Maister sayd to his men, We are betrayed. Then some of them set daggers to his breast, and seemed in furious manner as though they would have slaine him, meaning nothing lesse then to doe any such act, for all that they sought was to bring him and his men safe alive to shore. Whereat the Maister was amazed, and his men greatly discomfited to see themselves readie to be conveyed even to the slaughter: notwithstanding some of them respecting the daunger of the Maister, and seeing how with themselves there was no way but present death if they were once landed among |