The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation
Chapter 119 : Through targe and body right that downe he falleth dead His fellow then in heauie plig

Through targe and body right that downe he falleth dead His fellow then in heauie plight, doth swimme away afraid.

To bathe in brutish bloud, then fleeth the graygoose wing.

The halberders at hand be good, and hew that all doth ring.

Yet gunner play thy part, make haileshot walke againe, And fellowes row with like good heart that we may get the maine.

Our arrowes all now spent, the Negroes gan approach: But pikes in hand already hent the blacke beast fast doth broch.

Their captaine being wood, a villaine long and large, With pois'ned dart in hand doth shroud himselfe vnder his targe.

And hard aboord he comes to enter in our boat, Our maisters mate, his pike eftsoones strikes through his targe and throat.

The capteine now past charge of this brutish blacke gard, His pike he halde backe which in targe alas was fixed hard: And wresting it with might, to pull it forth in hast, A deadly dart strikes him too right and in his flesh sticks fast, He stands still like a man, and shrinkes not once therefore, But strikes him with his owne dart then which shot at him before.

Then presse they on, and shake their darts on euery side, Which, in our flesh doth light, and make both deadly wounds and wide.

The gunner in that stound with two darts strooke at last, Shrinks not yet though the double wound with streames of bloud out brast.

And eke the maisters mate, of stomacke bolde and stout, For all his wound receiu'd of late, yet stirred not a foot.

But kept his standing still, till that a deathful dart Did strike him through the ribs so ill that scarce it mist his hart.

The dart out hal'd quickly, his guts came out withall, And so great streames of bloud that he for faintnesse downe gan fall.

The Negros seeing this, how he for dead doth lie, Who erst so valiant prou'd iwis, they gladly, shout and crie: And then do minde as there to enter in his place, They thinke so many wounded were the rest would yeld for grace.

We then stand by the pike, and foure row on our boat, Their darts among vs fast they strike that few were free I wot.

In legge and eke in thigh, some wounded eke in th'arme, Yea many darts stucke vs hard by, that mist and did no harme.

By little thus at last, in great danger of life We got the sea, and almost past the danger erst so rife.

Then gin they all retire sith all their darts were spent They had nought to reuenge their ire, and thus away they went.

Our boat to s.h.i.+p doth roe, where two ores make soft way Sixe of vs nine were wounded so, [Sixe of our men wounded.]

the seuenth for dead there lay.

Lo, heare how cruelly the fiends ment vs to kill, Causelesse you see, if they truly on vs might had their will.

And yet we gaue before much merchandize away, Among those slaues, thinking therefore to haue friends.h.i.+p for aye.

And Orpheus past I wot the pa.s.sage quietly, Among the soules in Charons boat, and yet to say truly I neuer read that he paid for his pa.s.sage there, Who past and repast for to see.

if that his wife there were.

Nor yet that he paid ought, or any bribe there gaue To any office, while he sought his wife againe to haue.

Whereby I surely gesse these men with whom that we Haue had to do, are fiends more fierce then those in h.e.l.l that be.

Well we now scaping thus the danger I haue tolde, Aboord we come, where few of vs could stand now being colde.

Our wounds now being drest, to meat went they that list, But I desired rather rest, for this in minde I wist.

That if I might get once a sleepe that were full sound, I should not feele my weary bones nor yet my smarting wound.

And lying long aloft vpon my bed in paine, Vnto Morpheus call'd I oft that he would not disdaine To heare me then poore wight, but sende me helpe with speed That I might haue good rest this night of which I had great need.

Me thought then by and by.

there hung a heauie waight, At ech eye lid, which clos'd mine eye and eke my head was fraight.

And being streight sleepe, I fell into a sweauen, That of my wound I tooke no keepe I dream'd I was in heauen.

Where as me thought I see G.o.d Mars in armor bright, His arming sword naked holdes he in hand, ready to fight.

Castor and Pollux there all complet stand him by, Least if that Mars conuinced were they might reuenged be.

Then came marching along the great blacke smith Vulcan, Hauing a staffe of yron strong, and thus at last began: O Mars, thou G.o.d of might, what is the cause that thou Hast chaleng'd me with thee to fight?

lo present am I now.

Wherefore if that thou hast any great grudge to me, Before this day be spent and past it shall reuenged be.

Then spake G.o.d Mars and said, for that thou churlish wight, Thy brutish blacke people hast made with those white men to fight Which cal'd on me for aid, I bid thee warre for this.

Then answered Vulcan straight and said that that coast sure was his.

And therefore he would still his blacke burnt men defend, And if he might, all other kill which to that coast did wend, Yea thus (said he) in boast that we his men had slaine, And ere that we should pa.s.se this coast he would vs kill againe.

Now marcheth Mars amaine and fiercely gins to fight, The st.u.r.die smith strikes free againe whose blowes dint where they light.

But iupiter that sat in his great royall throne Hearing this noise maruell'd thereat, and streightway sendeth one To know the cause thereof: but hearing them in fight, Commandeth them for to leaue off by vertue of his might, And of Vulcan demands the cause: then answered he, O mightie Loue whose power commands and rules all things that be, Who at a word hast power all things to destroy cleane, And in the moment of an houre, canst them restore againe, The same G.o.d licence me to speake now here my minde: It is not, Loue, vnknowne to thee, how that I was a.s.sign'd, And pointed king of most of all the Ginnie land, A people lo is on my coast which doth me now withstand.

They do my people strike, they do this day them kill, To whom I minde to do the like if I may haue my will.

Then Iupiter bespake: O Vulcan then said he, Let this thy rage and anger slake for this time presently, But if at any time these men chance there againe, Doe as thou list, the charge is thine I will not meddle then.

I know, them well (said he) these men need not to seeke, They haue so fruitfull a countrey that there is none the like.

But if they can not be therewith content, but still Will seeke for golde so couetously worke then with them thy will.

And therewith straight doth send.

a pursuiuant in post, To whom (saith he) see that thou wend vnto the windie coast, To Eolus, the king command him thus from me, That he straight way without lingring do set at libertie, His seruant Zephirus, which now is lockt so low, Eke that he do command him thus, that he straight way do go To Vulcans coast in hast, a s.h.i.+p where he shall finde, Which s.h.i.+p he must with gentle blast and eke with moderate winde, Conduct safe to that coast which Albion was hight, And that no stormes do them withstand by day or eke by night.

I sleeping all this s.p.a.ce, as it were in a trance, The noise of them that hail'd apace did waken me by chance.

Then looking out to know what winde did blow in skie, The maister straight came to me tho and thus said by and by.

All our ill lucke is past, we haue a merie winde, I hope England, if this winde last, yet once againe to finde.

When this I vnderstand, to loue I vowed then, Forswearing cleane the Ginnie land for comming there againe.

And pa.s.sing on in post with fauourable windes, We all arriu'd on Englands coast with pa.s.sing cheerefull mindes.

The second voyage to Guinie, and the riuer of Sesto, set out in the Moneth of Nouember 1563, by Sir William Gerrard, Sir William Chester, Sir Thomas Lodge, Maister Beniamin Gonston, Maister William Winter, Maister Lionel Ducket, Anthonie Hickman, and Edward Castelin, with two s.h.i.+ps, the one called the Iohn Baptist, wherein went for Maister, Laurence Rondell: and the other the Marlin, wherein went also for Maister, Robert Reuell, hauing for Factors, Robert Baker, Iustinian Goodwine, Iames Gleidell, and George Gage: and written in verse by the foresaid Robert Baker.

You heard before, that home I got from Ginnie at the last, But by and by, I quite forgot the sorrowes I had past.

And s.h.i.+ps rigged also, with speed to s.h.i.+p againe, I being then requir'd to go, did not denie them plaine, But granted them to go, vnhappie foolish wight, When they command, eke there to do the best seruice I might.

In fine, to go our way now serueth time and tide.

We hauing nothing vs to stay, what should we longer bide?

The hempen band with helpe of Mariners doth threat To wey and reare that slouthfull whelpe [The anker.]

vp from his mothers teat.

The Maister then gan cheere with siluer whistle blast His Mariners, which at the Icere are laboring wondrous fast.

Some other then againe, the maineyard vp to hoise, The hard haler doth hale a maine, while other at a trice Cut saile without delay: the rest that be below, Both sheats abaft do hale straitway and boleins all let go.

The Helme a Mariner in hand then strait way tooke, The Pilot eke what course to stir within his care did looke.

Againe with siluer blast, the Maister doth not faile, To cause his mates fortwith in hast abroad to put more saile.

We then lanch from the sh.o.r.e, sith warre we knew it right.

And kept in sea aloofe therefore two dayes and eke a night.

And, as it is the guise, to toppe a man we send, Who straight a saile or two espies, with whom we then do wend.

Aloofe would some with one, and roomeward would the rest: But with the tallest s.h.i.+p we gone, whom we thinke to be best.

At last, in camming neere as captaines vse to do, I hale them, and of whence they were I did desire to know: Of France when they had said, we weaued them a maine, But they nothing therewith dismaid did like to vs againe.

We then our selues aduant through hope of purchase here, Amaine say we, ye iolly gallant or you shall buie it deere.

To arme the maine top tho the boatswaine goeth eke, His mate to the foretop also makes hast to do the like.

To top both stones and darts good fellowes hoise apace: The quarter maisters with glad hearts do know ech one his place.

Our topsailes strike we tho and fit our sailes to fight, Our bulwarke at maine mast also is made likewise aright.

Vpon our p.o.o.pe eke then right subtilly we lay Pouder, to blow vp all such men, as enter theraway.

Our Trumpetter aloft now sounds the feats of war, The brasen pieces roring oft fling forth both chain and bar.

Some of the yardes againe do weaue with naked swoord, And crying loud to them amaine they bid vs come aboord.

To bath hir feet in bloud the graigoose fleeth in hast: And Mariners as Lions wood, do crie abroad as fast.

Now firie Faulkons flie right greedie of their pray, And kils at first stone dead truely ech thing within their way.

Alarme ye now my mates I say, see that ye nothing lacke.

At euery loope then gins straightway a harquebush to cracke.

Their saile to burne, we shoot our arrowes of wilde fire, And pikes burning therewith about lads tosse with like desire.

Eke straightway forth for wine the steward call I then, With fiery spice enough therein I drinke vnto my men, And then euen with a woord our lime pot prest to fall, This iolly gallant we clap aboord and enter him withall.

Their nettings now gan teare dint of heauie stone.

And some mens heads witnesse did beare who neuer could make mone.

The harquebush acroke which hie on top doth lie, Discharg'd full of haileshot doth smoke to kill his enemie.

Which in his enemies top doth fight, there it to keepe, Yet he at last a deadly lope is made from thence to lepe.

Then entreth one withall into this Frenchman's top, Who cuts ech rope, and makes to fall his yard, withouten stop.

Then Mariners belowe, as carelesse of the pike, Do hew, and kill still as they goe, and force not where they strike.

And still the trumpets sound with pleasant blast doth cheare Ech Mariner, so in that stound that they nothing did feare.

The Maister then also, his mates to cheare in fight, His Whistle chearefully doth blow, whereby strait euery wight So fierce begins to be, that Frenchmen gin to stoe, And English men as right worthy do catch for pillage tho.

What would you more I say but tell the truth alway: We vsde our matters so this day we caried him away, Vnto a port in Spaine, which sure is call'd the Groine, Whereas we for French lading plaine receiued readie coine.

Well thus this good lucke past, we through salt Seas did scoure, To Ginney coast eke come at last, O that vnhappie houre.

My hand alas for feare now shakes, of this to write, Mine eye almost full fraught with teare, eke lets me to indite.

What should I here recite the miserie I had, When none of you will scarce credit that ere it was so bad?

Well, yet I would a.s.say to let it, if I might, But O Minerua, helpe me aye, my wits astond be quite.