vvhome they had caried into other places of the countrey before our comming thither.

At euerie streetes end they had raised verie fine Barricadoes of earth workes, vvith trenches without them, as well made as euer vve savve any vvorke done: at the entring whereof vvas some litle resistance, but soone ouercome, it vvas vvith fewe slaine or hurt. They had ioyned vvith them many Indians, vvhome they had placed in corners of aduantage, all bovve men, vvith their Arrovves most villanously empoisoned, so as if they did but breake the skinne, the partie so touched died vvithout great marueill: some they slevve of our people with their arrowes, some they likevvise mischieued to death vvith certaine prickes of small stickes sharply pointed, of a foot and a halfe long, the one end put into the ground, the other empoisoned, sticking fast vp, right against our comming in the vvay, as we should approch from our landing tovvardes the towne, vvhereof they had planted a vvonderfull number in the ordinarie way, but our keeping the sea vvash shore, missed the greatest part of them verie happilie.

To ouerpasse many particular matters, as the hurting of Captaine Sampson at svvord blovves in the first entring, vnto vvhom was committed the charge of the pikes of the Vantgard by his lot and turne, as also of the taking of Alonso Brauo the chiefe commaunder of that place by Captaine Goring, after the said Captaine had first hurt him vvith his sword, vnto vvhich Captaine vvas committed the charge of the shot of the said Vantgard.

E Captain Winter vvas likewise by his turne of the Vantgard in this attempt, vvhere also the Liefetenant generall marched himselfe, the saide Captaine Winter through a great desire to serue by land, hauing nowe exchanged his charge by sea with Captaine Cecill for his band of footemen.

Captaine Povvell the Sergeant maior hadde by hys turne, the charge of the foure companies vvhich made the battaile.

Captaine Morgan, who at S. Domingo was of the Vantgard, had now by turne his charge vpon the companies of the Riergard.

Euerie man asvvell of one part as of another, came so vvillinglie on to the seruice, as the enemie vvas not able to endure the furie of such hote assault.

We staied here sixe weekes, and the sicknesse with mortalitie before spoken off, still continuing among vs, though not vvith the same fury as at the first, and such as were touched vvith the said sicknesse, escaping death, very fevv or almost none could recouer their strength, yea many of them vvere much decayed in their memorie: insomuch that it vvas growen and ordinarie iudgement, when one was heard to speake foolishlie, to say he had bene sicke of the Calentour, vvhich is the Spanish name of their burning Ague: for as I tolde you before, it is a very burning and pestilent ague. The originall cause thereof, is imputed to the euening or first night aire, which they tearme La serena, vvherein they say and holde very firme opinion, that who so is then obroad in the open aire, shall certainly be infected to the death, not being of the Indian or naturall race of those countrey people: by holding their watch, vvere thus subiected to the infectious ayre, vvhich at Sainct Iago vvas most dangerous and deadly of al other places.

With the inconuenience of continuall mortalitie, vve vvere forced to giue ouer our entended enterprise, to goe with Nombre De Dios, and so ouerland to Pannama, vvhere vve shoulde haue stroken the stroke for the treasure, and full recompence of our tedious trauailes. And thus at Cartagena vve tooke our first resolution to returne homewards.

But vvhile vve vvere yet there, it happened one day, that our vvatch called the Sentinell, vpon the Church steeple, had discouered in the sea a couple of small barkes or boates, making in with the harbour of CARTAGENA, whereupon Captaine Moone and Captaine Varney, vvith Iohn Grant the Maister of the Tyger, and some other sea men, embarqued themselues in a couple of small Pinnaces, to take them before they should come nigh the shore, at the mouth of the harbour, least by some stragling Spaniardes from the land, they might be vvarned by signes from comming in, which fel out accordingly, notvvithstanding all the diligence that our men coulde vse: for the Spanish boates, vpon the sight of our Pinnaces comming tovvardes them, ran themselues a shore, and so their men presently hid them selues in bushes hard by the sea side, amongst some others that had called them by signes thyther. Our men presently vvithout any due regard had to the qualitie of the place, and seeing no man of the Spaniardes to shew themselues, aboorded the Spanish barkes or boates, and so standing all open in them, were suddenly shot at by a troope of Spaniards out of the bushes, by vvhich volley of shot there vvere slaine Captaine Varney, vvhich died presently, and Captaine Moone, vvho died some fevve dayes after, besides some foure fiue others that vvere hurt: and so our folkes returned without their purpose, not hauing any sufficient number of souldiers, vvith them to fight on shore. For those men they carried were all marriners to rowe, fevve of them armed, because they made account with their ordinance to haue E2 taken the barkes vvell enough at sea, which they might ful easily haue done, without any losse at all, if they had come in time to the harbour mouth, before the Spaniards boats had gotten so neare the shore.

During our abode in this place, as also at S. Domingo, there passed diuerse curtesies betvveene vs and the Spaniardes, as feasting, and vsing them with all kindnes, and fauour: so as amongst others there came to see the Generall, the Gouernor of Cartagena, vvith the Bishop of the same, and diuerse of other Gentlemen of the better sort.

This towne of Cartagena wee touched in the out parts, and consumed much vvith fire, as we had done Sainct Domingo vpon discontentmentes, and for want of agreeing with vs in their first treaties touching their ransome, which at the last vvas concluded betvvene vs, should be a hundred and ten thousand Duckettes for that which vvas yet standing, the Ducket valued at fiue shillings sixe pence sterling.

This towne though not halfe so big as S. Domingo, giues as you see, a farre greater ransome, being in verye deede of farre more importance, by reason of the excellencie of the harbour, and the situation thereof, to serue the trade of Nombre De Dios and other places, and is inhabited with farre more richer merchantes. The other is chiefly inhabited with Lawyers & braue Gentlemen, being the chiefe or highest appeale of their suites in lawe of all the Islandes about it, and of the maine lande coast next vnto it. And