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The voyage made to the bay of Mexico by M. VVilliam King Cap∣taine, M. Moore, M. How, and M. Boreman Owners, with the Salomon of 200 tunnes, and the Iane Bonauenture of 40 tunnes of Sir Henry Palmer, from Ratcliffe the 26 of Ianuary 1592.
THe Salomon was manned with an hundred men, all mariners, and the Iane with sixe and twenty, all likewise mariners. Wee came first to the Downes in Kent, and neuer strooke saile in passing thence, vntill we came to Cape S. Vin∣cent on the coast of Portugall. From thence we shaped our course to Lancero••a one of the Canarie islands, where we landed threescore men, and fetched a cara∣uell out of an harborow on the South side, and from a small Island we tooke a demy-canon of brasse in despight of the inhabitants, which played vpon vs with their small shot at our first landing: of whom we slew three; and gaue them the repulse. Thence we went to the Grand Canaria, where wee boorded a barke lying at anker: out of which wee were driuen by great store of shot from the Island. From thence wee directed our course for the West Indies, and fell with the isle of Dominica about the tenth of April. There at a watering place we tooke a shippe of an hundred tunnes come from Guiny, laden with two hundred and seuenty Negros, which we caried with vs to S. Iuan de Puerto Rico, and there comming thorow El passaje, we gaue chase to a frigat which went in to S. Iuan de Puerto Rico, and in the night we sent in our shallope with fourteene men. And out of the harborow we tooke away an English shippe of se∣uenty tunnes, laden with threescore tunnes of Canary-wines, in despight of the castle and two new bulwarks, being within caliuer shot. These two prizes we caried away to the Westermost part of the island, and put the Negros, except fifteene, all on land in a Spanish carauell which the Iane Bonauenture tooke: and we caried away one of the former prizes, and set fire on the other. We passed thence by the isle of Mona, where we watered, and refreshed our selues with potatos and plantans, and so came to the isle of Saona: and from thence arriued at the mouth of the ri∣uer of Santo Domingo. And as we sailed to Cape Tiburon, three leagues to the Westward of Santo Domingo we tooke a boat of fifteene tunnes, which had certeine iarres of malosses or vn∣refined sugar, with three men; which men with their boat wee caried with vs to Cape Tiburon, which, in respect of seruice done vnto vs in furnishing vs with fresh water, we dismissed. Thus contrary to other Englishmens courses we shaped ours to the Southward of Iamaica,* 1.1 and our shallop with 12 men ranged the coast but sound nothing. Thence we ranged the three islands of the Caimanes, and landed at Grand Caiman, being the Westermost, where we found no people, but a good riuer of fresh water;* 1.2 and there we turned vp threescore great tortoises; and of them we tooke our choise, to wit, fifteene of the females, which are the best and fullest of egges, where∣of two serued an hundred men a day. And there with stones we might kill turtle doues, wilde geese, & other good fowles at our pleasures. Thence we came to Cape de Corrientes on Cuba to water, and from thence to Cape S. Antonio, and so went ouer for the Tortugas, without taking of any new prize: and thence cut ouer to Rio de puercos on the coast of Cuba. There we tooke a small barke of twenty tunnes, with foure men and forty liue hogs,* 1.3 with certeine dried porke cut like leather ierkins along, and dried hogs tongues and neats tongues, and 20 oxe hides. Then passing thence, within foure dayes we tooke a ship of 80 tunnes laden with hides, indico, & salsa perilla, North of an headland called Corugna: the••ce the current set vs to the East to the old cha∣nel. There we tooke a frigat of 20 tunnes, hauing certeine pieces of Spanish broad cloth & other small pillage: there continuing off the Matanças 12 dayes, with the winde so Westerly that we could hardly recouer Hauana in the moneth of May. Here we tooke two boats laden with tortoi∣ses, which we sunke, sauing some of the tortoises, & setting the men on shore. Then at length we recouered vp to Hauana, where we came so neere to the forts, that for one houres fight they ouer∣reached vs with their long ordinance. Then came out the two gallies, hauing 27 banks on a side, and fought with vs another houre; which for that time left vs by reason of the increasing of the winde. Then passing alongst nine leagues to the Westward we found out an excellent harbour,* 1.4 hauing three fadome water at the flood, able within to receiue a thousand saile, where we found hog-houses, which they terme coralles, and tooke away certeine hogs and pigs. As we came out of this harbour, the weather being calme, we were incountered by the gallies, which had follow∣ed vs, and fought with them three houres, oftentimes within caliuer shot: but wee made such spoile of their men and oares, that they beganne to be weary, and gaue vs ouer, with their great losse. Here within foure dayes after, as we lay to the Northward sixe leagues off this harbour of Cauannas, we met with master captaine Lane, Generall of master Wats his fleet, and captaine