¶ A true declaration of the troublesome voyage of M. john Haukins to the parties of Guynea and the west Indies, in the years of our Lord 1567. and 1568. ¶ Imprinted at London in Paul's Churchyard, by Thomas Purfoote for Lucas Harrison, dwelling at the sign of the Crane. Anno. 1569. ¶ Here followeth a note or declaration of the troublesome voyage, made with the jesus, the Minion & four other ships to the parties of Buynea & the west Indies in the years 1567. and 1568. by john Haukins. THE ships departed from Plymmouth the two. day of October. October. Anno 1567. and had reasonable wether until the 7. day, at which time 40. leagues north from cape Finester there arose an extreme storm which continued 4. days, A storm. in such sort that the fleet was dispersed & all our great boats lost, & the jesus our chief ship in such case as not thought able to serve the voyage, where upon in the same storm we set our course homeward, determining to give over the viadge: but the two. day of the same month the wind changed with fair wether, whereby we were animated to follow our enterprise, & so did, directing our course with the Islands of grand Canaries, where according to an order before prescribed, all our ships before dispersed, met in one of those Islands called Gomera where we took water & departed from thence the. iiii. day of November towards the coast of Guynea & arrived at Cape Viride the. xviii. of November, Gomera. November where we landed 150 men hoping to obtain some Negrose, where we gatt but few, and those with great hurt & damage to our men, which chiefly proceeded of their enuenymed arrows: Enuenimed arrows. and although in the beginning it seamed to be but small hurts, yet there hardly escaped any that had blood drawn of them, and died in strange sort with there mouths shut some. x. days before he died, & after there wounds were hole: where I myself had one of the greatest wounds, yet thanks be to god escaped. From thence we passed the time upon the coast of Guinea searching with all diligence the rivers from Rio grand unto the Searliona till the. xii. of januarie in which time we had not gotten together 150 Negrose: December. januarie. yet notwithstanding the sickness of our men, and the late time of the year commanded us away, and thus having nothing whereof to seek the coast of the West India's, was with the rest of our company in consultation to go to the coast of the Mine hoping there to have obtained some gold for our wares and thereby to have defended our charge. But even in that present instant there came to us a Negro sent from a King oppressed of other kings his neighbours desiring our aid, with promiss that as many negrose as by these wars might be obtained aswell of his part as of ours should be at our pleasure whereupon we concluded to give aid, & sent 120. of our men which the 15. of januarie assaulted a town of the negrose of our Alyes adversaries which had in it 8000. inhabitants & very strongly impaled & fenced after their manner, A town of 8000. Negrose taken. but were so well defended that our men prevailed not but lost vi. men and xi. hurt: so that our men sent fourth with to me for more help, whereupon considering that the good success of this interpris might highly further, the commodity of our vioadge, I went myself & with the help of the king of our side assaulted the town both by land & sea and very hardly with fire (their houses being covered with dry palm leaves) obtained the town, & put the inhabitants to flight where we took 250. persons men women & children and by our friend the King of our side there was taken 600. prisoners whereof we hoped to have had our choice: but the Negro (in which nation is seldom or never found troth) meant nothing less, No troth in Negrose. for that night he removed his camp & prisoners, so that we were fain to content us with those few which we had gotten ourselves. ¶ Now had we obtained between 4 & 500 Negrose, wherewith we thought it somewhat reasonable to seek the coast of the West Indians, and there, for our Negrose & other our merchandise we hoped to obtain whereof to countervail our charges with sun gains, whereunto we proceeded with all diligence, fornished our watering, took fuel, & departed the coast of Guynea the. iii of February continuing at the sea with a passag more harder than Februari before hath been accustomed, till the .xxvii. day of March, March. which day we had sight of an Island called Dominica upon the coast of the West Indies in. xiiii. degrees: Dominica. from thence we coasted from place to place making our traffic with the spaniards as we might, somewhat hardly, because the king had straightly commanded all his governors in those parts by no means to suffer any trade to be made with us: notwithstanding we had reasonable trade and courteous entertainment from the isle of Margarita unto Cartagena without any thing greatly worth the noting, April. may. saving at Capo Delavela in a town called Rio de la Hache from whence comes all the pearls, the treasurer who had the charge there, would by no means agree to any trade, or to suffer us to take water, he had fortified his town with divers bulwarks in all places where it might be entered, and furnished himself with a 100 Hargebusiers, so that he thought by famine to have enforced us to have put a land our Negrose: of which purpose he had not greatly failed unless we had by force entered the town: june. Rio de la Hach taken. which (after we could by no means obtain his favour) we were enforced to do, and so with 200 men broke in upon there bulwarks, and entered the town with the loss only of. two. men of our parts, and no hurt done to the spaniards because after there volley of shot discharged, they all fled. ¶ Thus having the town with some circumstance, partly by the Spaniards desire of Negrose, & partly by friendship of the treasurer, we obtained a secret trade: whereupon the spaniards reforted to us by night, and bought of us to the number of C C. Negrose, in all other places where we traded the Spainiards inhabitants were glad of us and traded willingly. ¶ At Cartagena the last town we thought to have seen in that coast we could by no means obtain to come with any spaniard the governor was so strait, Cartagena. & because our trade was so near finished we thought not good either to adventure any landing, or to detract further time▪ but in peace departed from thence the. xxiiii. of july, julie. hoping to have escaped the time of their storms which them soon after begun to reign, the which they call Furicanos, Furicanos. but passing by the West end of Cuba, towards the coast of Floryda there happened to us the x.i. day of August anextreme storm which continued by the space of iiii. days, which so bet the jesus, that we cut down all her higher buildings, her ruddar also was sore shaken, and with all was in so extreme a leacke that we were rather upon the point to leave her then to keep her any longer, yet hoping to bring all to good pass sought the coast of Floryda where we found no place nor Haven for our ships because of the shalonesse of the coast: thus being in greater despair, and taken with a new storm which continued other three days were enforced to take for our succour the port which serveth the City of Mexico called Saint jon de lie which standeth in nineteen. degrees, Storm. in seakinge of which port we took in our way. three ships which carried passengers to the number of C. which passengers we hoped should be a mean to us the better to obtain victuals for our money, and a quiet place for the reparinge of our fleet: shortly after this the xuj. of September we entered the port of saint jon de lieu, September. Saint jon de lieu. A port. and in our entry the Spainyardes thinking us to be the fleet of Spain, the chief officers of the country came aboard us, which being deceived of their expectation were greatly dismayed: The Spaniards deceived but immediately when they saw our demand was nothing but victuals were recomforted. I found also in the same port xii. ships which had in them by report. 200000 lb. in gold and silver, all which (being in my possession, with the kings Island as also the Passengers before in my way thitherward stayed) I set at liberty, without the taking from them the weight of a groat, only because I would not be delayed of my dispatch: I stayed two. men of estimation and sent post immediately to Mexico, which was. 200. miles from us, to the Presidents and Counsels there, shewing them of our arrival there by the force of wether, & the necessity of the repair of our ships and victuals, which wants we required as friends to King Phillipe to be fornished of for our money: Our requests. and that the Presidentes and Counsel there should with all convenient speed take order, that at the arrival of the Spainishe fleet, which was daily looked for, there might no cause of quarrel rise between us and them, but for the better maintenance of amity, their commandment might be had in that behalf, this message being sent away the. xuj. day of September at night, being the very day of our arrival, in the next morning which was the. xvii. day of the same month, we saw open of the Haven xiii. great ships and understanding them to be the fleet of Spain, The fleet of Spain I sent immediately to advertise the general of the fleet of my being there, doing him to understand, that before I would suffer them to enter the port there might some order of conditions pass between us for our safe being there, & maintenance of peace: now it is to be understand that this port is a little Island of stones not three foot above the water in the highest place, The manner of the port S. jon de low. & but a bow shoot of length any way, this Island standeth from the main lands. two. bow shoots or more, also it is to be understood that there is not in all this coast any other place for ships to arrive in safety, because the north wind hath there such violence that unless the ships be very saftly moored with there anchors fastened upon this Island, there is no remedy for these north winds but death: north winds perilous. also the place of the Haven was so little that of necessity the ships must ride one aboard the other, so that we could not give place to them nor they to us: and here I began to bewail the which after followed, for now said I, I am in two dangers and forced to receive the one of them. That was, either I must have kept out the fleet from entering the port the which with Gods help I was very well able to do, or else suffer them to enter in with their accustomed treason which they never fail to execute where they may have opportunity, or cirumvent it by any means, if I had kept them out, then had there been present shipwarke of all the fleet which amounted in value to six Millions which was in value of our money 1800000 lb 1800. thousand pound. which I considered I was not able to answer, fearing the queens majesties indignation in so weighty a matter. Thus with myself revolving the doubts, thought rather better to abide the jutt of the uncertainty, them the certainty. The uncertain doubt I account was their treasure which by good policy I hoped might be prevented, and therefore as choosing the lest mischief I proceeded to conditions. Now was our first messenger come and returned from the fleet with report of the arrival of a vice Roy, A vice Roye. so that he had authority, both in all this Province of Mexico (otherwise called nova Hispania) & in the sea, who sent us word that we should send our conditions, which of his part should for the better maintenance of amity between the Princes, be both favorabli granted, & faithfully performed, with many fair words how passing the coast of the Indies he had understood of our honest behaviour towards the inhabitants where we had to do aswell as in the same port, Fair words begylded the which I let pass, thus following our demand we required victual for our money, & licence to cell as much ware as might fornishe our wants, and that there might be of either part. xii. gentlemen as hostages for the maintenance of peace and that the Island for our better safety might be in our own possession, Our requests. during our abode there, and such ordinance as was planted in the same Island which was eleven pieces of Brass, and that no Spaynyarde might land in the Island with any kind of weapon: these conditions at the first, he some what misliked, chiefly the guard of the Island to be in our own keeping, The peace concluded. which if they had, had we had soon known our fare: for with the first north wind they had cut our cables and our ships had gone ashore: but in the end he concluded to our request, bringing the xii. hostages to x. which with all speed of either part wear received, with a writing from the vice Roye signed with his hand and sealed with his seal of all the conditions concluded, & forthwith a trumpet blown with commandment that none of either part should be mean to inviolate the peace upon pain of death: & further it was concluded that the two generals of the fleets should meet and give faith each to other for the performance of the promises which was so done. Thus at the end of three days all was concluded and the fleet entride the Port, saluting one another as the manner of the sea doth require. This as I said before thursday we entered the port, frydaye we saw the fleet, & on monday at night they entered the port, than we laboured two. days placing the English ships by themselves and the Spanish ships by themselves, Treason. the captains of each part & inferior men of there parts promising great amity of all sides, which even as with all fidelity was meant of our part the spainyardes meant nothing less of their parts, but from the main land had fornished themselves with a supply of men to the number of. 1000 and meant the next thursday being the xxiii. of September at dinner time to set upon us of all sides, the same thursday in the morning the treason being at hand, some appearance showed, as shifting of weapon from ship to ship, planting and bending of ordinance from the ship to the Island where our men warded, passing to and fro of company of men more than required for their necessary business, & many other ill licklyhodes which caused us to have a vehiment suspicion, and there withal sent to the vice Roy to inquire what was meant by it, which sent immediately strait commandment to unplante all things suspicious, A vice Roy false of his Word. & also sent word that he in the faith of a vice Roy would be our defence from all villains. Yet we being not satisfied with this answer because we suspected a great number of men to be hid in a great ship of 900 tons which was moored next unto the Minion sent again to the vice Roye the master of the jesus which had the Spanish tongue & required to be satisfied if any such thing were or not, which seeing the Vice Roye that the treason must be discovered, The treason broke forth. forthwith stayd our master, blewe the trompete, and of all sides set upon us, our men which warded a shore being stricken with sudden fear, Sodden Fear. gave place, fled, and sought to recover succour of the ships, the Spainyardes being before provided for the purpose landed in all places in multitudes from their ships which they might easily do without boats, and slew all our men a shore without mercy, a few of them escaped aboard the jesus. The great ship which had by estimation 300 men placed in her secretly, immediately fell aboard the minion which by God's appointment in the time of the suspicion we had, The Minion escaped hardly. which was only one half hour, the Minion was made ready to avoid and so leesinge her hedfastes, and haylinge away by the stern fasts she was gotten out, thus with Gods help she defended the violence of the first brunt of these. C C C. men. The Minion being paste out they came aboard the jesus, The jesus escaped hardly. which also with very much a do and the loss of many of our men wear defended and kept out. Then was there also two. other ships that assaulted the jesus at the same instant, so that she had hard getting louse, but yet with some time we had cut our heed fasts and gotten out by the stern fasts. Now when the jesus and the Minion wear gotten abroad two ships length from the Spainishe fleet, Sharp wars. the fight began hot of all sides that with in one hour the Admiral of the Spainyardes was supposed to be sunk, 3. ships of the Spainyardes consumed. their vice burned and one other of there principal ships supposed to be sunk, so that the ships wear little able to annoy us. Then is it to be understand that all the ordinance upon the Island was in the Spainyardes hands, which did us so great annoyance, that it cut all the masts and yards of the jesus, A hard case. in such sort that there was no hope to carry her away: also it sunk our small ships, whereupon we determined to place the jesus on that side of the Minion that she might abide all the battery from the land, and so be a defence for the Minion till night, and then to take such relief of victual and other necessaries from the jesus as the time would suffer us, and so to leave her: as we wear thus determining and had placed the Minion from the shoot of the land soddenlye the Spainyardes had fired two great ships which we are coming directly with us, and having no means to avoid the fire, Fyere. it breed among our men a marvelous fear, so that some said, let us depart with the Minion, other said let us see where the wind will carry the fire from us, but to be short the Minions men which had always there sails in a readiness thought to make sure work and so without either consent of the Captain or master cut their sail, so that very hardly I was received into the Minion. The most part of the men that were left a live in the jesus made shifted and followed the Minion in a small boat: the rest which the little boat was not able to receive, were enforced to abide the mercy of the Spainyards (which I doughte was very little) so with the Minion only and Small hope to be had of tyrants. the judith (a small bark of 50. ton) we escaped which bark the same night forsook us in our great misery, A storm we were now removed with the Minion from the Spanish ships two bow shoots & there road all that night: the next morning we recovered an Island a mile from the Spainyards where there took us a north wind and being left only with. two. Anchors and. two. cables (for in this conflict we lost. three cables and. two. anchors) we thought always upon death which ever was present, but God preserved us to a longer tyme. The weather waxed reasonable and the saturday we set sail, Small hope of life. and having a great number of men and little victuals our hope of life waxed less & less: some desired to yield to the Spaniards, some rather desired to obtain a place wherethei might give themselves to the Infidels, Hard choice. & some had rather abide with a little pittance the mercy of God at sea, so this with many sorrowful hearts we wandered in a unknown sea by the space of xiiii. days, till hunger enforced us to seek the land, for hides wear thought very good meat, misery. rats, cats, mice and dogs none escaped that might be gotten, parrates and monkayes that were had in great pris, were thought there very profitable if they served the turn one dinner: this in the end the viii. day of October we came to the land in the bottom of the same bay of Mexico in xxxiii. degrees ½ where we hoped to have found inhabitants of the Spainyardes, October. 1568. relife of victuales, and place for the repair of our ships, many miseries. which was so sore beaten with shoot from our enemies & bruised with shooting of our own ordinance, that our weary and week arms were scare able to defend and keep out the water. But all things happened to the contrary for we found neither people, victual nor haven of relief, but a place where having fair wether with some peril we might landlord a boat, our people being forced with hunger desired to be set a land, where unto I concluded. And such as were willing to land I put them apart, and such as were disirous to go homewards. I put a part, so that they were indiferently parted 100 of one side & 100 of the other side these 100 men we set a land with all diligence in this little place before said, which being landed we determined there to refresh our water and so with our little remain of victuals to take the sea. The next day having a land with me l. of our C. men that remained for the speedier preparing of our water aboard, there a rose an extreme storm so the in three days we could by no means repair our ships: the ship also was in such peril that every hour we looked for shipwarke. The greatest misery of all. ¶ But yet God again had mercy on us, sent fair wether, had aboard our water, and departed the. xuj. day of October, after which day we had fair and prosperous wether till the. xuj. day of October, which day God be praised we wear clear from the coast of the Indians and out of the channel and gulf of Bahana which is between the Cape of Floryda and the Islands of Cuba. ●he gulf ●f Baha●a. After this growing near to the could Country, our men being oppressed with Famine died continually, November. & they that were left, grew into such weakness that we were scantly able to manure our ship, & the wind being always ill for us to recover England, determined to go with Galicia, in Spain, with intent there to relive our company & other extreme wants. And being arrived the last day of December in a place near unto Vigo called Pontefedra, December. our men with excess of fresh meat grew into miserable diseases, and died a great part of them. This matter was borne out as long as it might be, but in the end although there was none of our men suffered to go a land, yet by access of the spainyardes, our feebleness was known to them▪ where upon they feassed not to seek by all means to betray us, but with all speed possible we departed to Vigo, where we had some help of certain English ships & xii. fresh men wherewith we repaired our wants as we might, & departed the xx. day of januari 1568. arrived in Mounts bay in Corn wale the xxv. of the same mounth praised be god therefore. januari ¶ If all the miseries and troublesome affairs of this sorrowful voyage should be perfectly and throughly written, there should need a painful man with his pen, and as great a time as he had that wrote the lives and deaths of the martyrs. FINIS. john Haukins.