Indian Fleet to take me home with them, which then staid three Months beyond their usual Time: At length they arrived, being three Carricks much weather-beaten, the Men sick and weak, and so were constrained to refresh themselves in our Island a whole Month. The Admiral was called Alphonso de Xima, a valiant, wise Man, desirous of Glory, and worthy better Fortune than afterwards befel him; to him I discovered my Device of the Gansas; being satisfied, that it was impossible otherwise to persuade him to take many Birds into his Ship, who for the Niceness of their Provision would be more troublesome than so many Men; yet I adjured him by Oaths and Persuasions to be secret in the Business, though I did not much doubt it, alluring myself he durst not impart the Experiment, to any before our King were acquainted therewith. I had more Apprehension left Ambition, and the Desire of gaining to himself the Honour of so admirable an Invention, should tempt, him to dispatch me. However I was forced to run the Risque unless I would adventure the Loss of my Birds, the like whereof for my Purpose were not to be had in Christendom, nor was I sure ever to bring up others to serve my Turn.

It happened all these Doubts were causeless, the Man I believe was honest, but the Misfortune we met with prevented all these Thoughts. Thursday, June 21, 1599, we set Sail for Spain, I having allowed me a convenient Cabin for my Birds, and Engine, which the Captain would have persuaded me to have left behind, and it was a Wonder I did not, but my good Fortune saved my Life, for after two Months Sail we met with an English Fleet about 10 Leagues from the Island of Teneriff, one of the Canaries, famous for a Hill therein called Pico, which is seen at Sea above an hundred Leagues off. We had aboard five Times their number of Men, all in Health, and were well provided with Ammunition; yet finding them resolved to fight, and knowing what infinite Riches we carried, concluded it better if possible to escape, than by encountering a Crew of desperate Fellows, to hazard not only our Lives, which a Man of Courage does not value, but the Estates of many poor Merchants, who I am afraid were undone by the Miscarriage of this Business. Our Fleet consisted of five Sail, that is, three Carricks, a Bark, and a Caravel, who coming from St. Thomas Isle, had in an ill Hour overtaken us some Days before. The English had three Ships well provided, who no sooner spied but presently engaged us, and changing their Course, endeavoured to bring us under their Lee, which they might easily do as the Wind then flood, they being light nimble Vessels, as English Ship's generally are; ours heavy, deep laden, and foul with the Sea; So our Captain resolved, wisely enough it may be, not neither valiantly nor fortunately, to fly, commanding us to disperse ourselves. The Caravel by too much Haste fell upon one of the Carricks and bruised her so, that one of the English easily fetched her up and entered her, the Caravel sinking before our Eyes. The Bark escaped unpursued, and another, of our Carricks after some Chase was given over by the Enemy, who expecting a sufficient Booty of us, and getting us between them, fell upon us with much Fury; our Captain hereupon gave Direction to run ashore upon Teneriff, the Port whereof we could not recover, saying, "That he hoped to save Part of the Goods, and some of our Lives, and he had rather the rest should be lost, than all fall into the Mercy of our Foes."

When I heard this Resolution, observing the Sea to work high, and knowing all the Coast to be so full of Rocks and Shoals, that it was impossible our Ship should come near the Land, unless broken into a thousand Pieces, I represented to the Captain the Desperateness of the Attempt, wishing him rather to try the Kindness of the Enemy, than throw away himself and so many brave Men; but he would by no Remonstrances be removed from his Resolution, therefore finding it high Time to shift for myself, I locked up my little Casket of Jewels, which putting into my Sleeve, I then betook me to my Gansas, and having harnessed them to my Engine, and put myself thereon, supposing, as indeed it happened, that when the Ship should split, my Birds, though they wanted their Signal, yet for saving their own Lives, which Nature hath taught all Creatures to preserve, would make toward Land, which fell out according to my Expectation; the People in the Ship wondered what I was doing, none being acquainted with the use of my Birds but the Captain, Diego being in the other Ship which fled away unpursued; we were about half a League from Land, when our Carrick struck upon a Rock, and split to Pieces, upon which I let loose the Reins to my Birds, having first placed myself upon the Top of the Deck, and with the Shock they all arose carrying me fortunately to the Land; of which you need not doubt but I was very joyful, though it was a miserable Sight to behold my Friends and Acquaintance in that woful Distress, of whom yet many escaped better than they expected, for the English launching out their Cock-boats, discovered more generous Tempers than we are pleased to allow them, taking Compassion of their Calamity, and endeavouring with all Diligence to save them from the Fury of the Waves, though with much Danger to themselves, among others they took up our Captain, who, as Father Pacio since told me, having put himself with twelve others into the Cock-boat, was forced to yield to one Captain Raymund, who carried him and our Pilot along with them in their Voyage to the East-Indies, whither they were bound, but it was their hard Fate, by a Breach of the Sea near Cape Buona Esperanca, to be swallowed of the merciless Waves, whole Rage they awhile before had so hardly escaped; the rest as I likewise heard, who were about twenty six Persons they took into their Ship, and set them on Land at Cape Verde.

As for myself, being now ashore in an Island inhabited by Spaniards, I reckoned I was safe, but found myself mistaken, for it was my hap to pitch upon that Part of the Isle where the Pike begins to rise, which is inhabited by a Savage People who live upon the Sides of that Hill, the Top whereof is for the most Part covered with Snow, and formerly accounted, for its Steepness, inaccessible, either for Man or Beast, yet these Savages fearing the Spaniards keep as near the Top as they can, never coming down into the fruitful Vallies but to seek for Booty; a Crew of these Outlaws happened to spy me soon after I landed, and thinking they had got a Prize, approached me with all Speed; I guess their Design before they came within half a Mile, when perceiving them come down the Hill directly toward me, with long Staves and other Weapons, I thought it necessary to secure myself from these Villains, who out of Hatred to us Spaniards would have cut me to Pieces; the Country was sandy, but the Pike beginning to lift up itself, I espied in the Side a white Cliff, which I Hoped my Ganzas Would take for a Mark, and being put up, would make all that way, whereby I might be carried so far, that those barbarous Rascals should not overtake me, before I got to some Spaniard's House, or hid myself, till by the Covert of the Night I might travel to Laguna, the chief City of the Island, three Miles off. So I settled myself upon my Engine, and let loose the Reins to my Gansas, who by good Fortune took all one Course, tho' not just the Way I aimed at. But what of that! O Reader prick up thy Ears, and prepare thyself to hear the strangest Chance that ever happened to any Mortal, and which I know thou wilt not have the Grace to believe till thou seest the like Experiment, which I doubt not in a short Time may be performed. My Gansas, like so many Horses that had gotten the Bit between their Teeth, made not their Flight toward the Cliff I intended, though I used my wonted Means to direct the Leader the Flock that Way, but with Might and