The true travels, adventures, and observations of Captaine Iohn Smith, in Europe, Asia, Affrica, and America, from anno Domini 1593. to 1629 His accidents and sea-fights in the straights; his service and stratagems of warre in Hungaria, Transilvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia, against the Turks, and Tartars ... After how he was taken prisoner by the Turks, sold for a slave ... and escaped ... Together with a continuation of his generall History of Virginia, Summer-Iles, New England, and their proceedings, since 1624. to this present 1629; as also of the new plantations of the great river of the Amazons, the iles of St. Christopher, Mevis, and Barbados in the West Indies. All written by actuall authours, whose names you shall finde along the history.

Chap II. (Book 2)

The notable villany of foure French Gallants, and his revenge; Smith throwne over-board; Captaine La Roche of Saint Malo releeves him.

THus when France and Netherlands had taught him to ride a Horse and use his Armes, with such rudiments of warre, as his tender yeeres in those martiall Schooles could attaine unto; he was desirous to see more of the world, and trie his fortune against the Turkes, both lamenting and repenting to have seene so many Christians slaughter one another. Opportunitie casting him into the company of foure French Gallants well attended,* 1.1 faining to him the one to be a great Lord, the rest his Gentlemen, and that they were all devoted that way; over-perswaded him to goe with them into France, to the Dutchesse of Mercury, from whom they should not only have meanes, but also Let∣ters of favour to her noble Duke, then Generall for the Emperour Ro∣dolphus in Hungary; which he did, with such ill weather as winter affor∣deth, in the darke night they arrived in the broad shallow In-let of Saint Va••leries sur Some in Picardie; his French Lord knowing he had good ap∣parell, and better furnished with money than themselves, so plotted with the Master of the ship to set his and their owne trunckes a shore leaving Smith aboard till the boat could returne, which was the next day after towards evening; the reason hee alleaged was the sea went so high hee could come no sooner, and that his Lord was gone to Amiens where they would stay his comming; which treacherous villany, when divers other souldiers, and passengers understood, they had like to have slaine the Master, and had they knowne how, would have runne away with the ship.

Comming on shore hee had but one Carralue,* 1.2 was forced to sell his cloake to pay for his passage. One of the souldiers, called Curzianvere, compassionating his injury, assured him this great Lord Depreau was on∣ly the sonne of a Lawyer of Mortaigne in base Britany, and his Attendants Cursell, La Nelie, and Monferrat, three young citizens, as arrant cheats as himselfe; but if he would accompany him, he would bring him to their friends, but in the interim supplied his wants: thus travelling by Deepe, Co∣debeck, Humphla, Pount-demer in Normandie, they came to Cane in base Nor∣mandie; where both this noble Curzianvere, and the great Prior of the great Abbey of S. Steven (where is the ruinous Tombe of William the Conquerour,) and many other of his friends kindly welcomed him, and brought him to Mortaigne, where hee found Depreau and the rest, but to small purpose; for Mr. Curzianvere was a banished man, and durst not be seene, but to his friends: yet the bruit of their cosenage occasioned the Lady Collumber, the Baron Larshan, the Lord Shasghe, and divers o∣ther honourable persons, to supply his wants, and with them to recreate himselfe so long as hee would: but such pleasant pleasures suited little with his poore estate, and his restlesse spirit, that could never finde con∣tent, to receive such noble favours, as he could neither deserve nor re∣quite:

but wandring from Port to Port to finde some man of war, spent that he had, and in a Forest, neere dead with griefe and cold, a rich Far∣mer found him by a faire Fountaine under a tree: This kinde Pesant re∣leeved him againe to his content, to follow his intent. Not long after, as he passed thorow a great grove of trees, * 1.3 betweene Pounterson and Di∣na in Britaine, it was has chance to meet Cursell, more miserable than him∣selfe: His piercing injuries had so small patience, as without any word they both drew, and in a short time Cursell fell to the ground, where from an old ruinated Tower the inhabitants seeing them, were satisfied, when they heard Cursell confesse what had formerly passed; and that how in the dividing that they had stolne from him, they fell by the ears amongst themselves, that were actors in it; but for his part, he excused himselfe to be innocent as well of the one, as of the other. In regard of his hurt, Smith was glad to be so rid of him, directing his course to an honoura∣ble Lord, * 1.4 the Earle of Ployer, who during the warre in France, with his two brethren, Viscount Poomory, and Baron d' Mercy, who had beene brought up in England; by him he was better refurnished than ever. When they had shewed him Saint Malo Mount, Saint Michael, Lambal, Simbreack, Lanion, and their owne faire Castle of Tuncadeck, Gingan, and divers other places in Britanny, (and their Brittish Cornwaile) taking his leave, he tooke his way to Raynes, the Britaines chiefe Citie, and so to Nantes, Poyters, Rochell, and Burdeaux. The ••umour of the strength of Bayon in Biskay, caused him to see it; and from thence tooke his way from Leskar in Biearne, & Paw in the kingdom of Navar to Tolouz 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Gascoigne, Bezers and Carcassone, Narbone, Montpellier, Nimes in Languedock, and tho∣row the Country of Avignion, by Arles to Marcellos in Province, there im∣barking himselfe for Italy, the ship was enforced to Tolonne, and putting againe to sea, ill weather so grew upon them, they anchored close aboard the shore, under the little Isle of S. Mary, against Neice in Savoy. Here the inhumane Provincialls, * 1.5 with a rabble of Pilgrimes of divers Nati∣ons going to Rome, hourely cursing him, not only for a Hugonoit, but his Nation they swore were all Pyrats, and so vildly railed on his dread So∣veraigne Queene Elizabeth, and that they never should have faire wea∣ther so long as hee was aboard them; their disputations grew to that passion, that they threw him over-board, yet God brought him to that little Isle, where was no inhabitants, but a few kine and goats. The next morning he espied two ships more riding by them, put in by the storme, that fetched him aboard, well refreshed him, and so kindly used him, that he was well contented to trie the rest of his fortune with them. After he had related unto them his former discourse, what for pitie, and the love of the Honourable Earle of Ployer, this noble Britaine his neighbour, Captaine la Roche of Saint Malo,* 1.6 regarded and entertained him for his well respected friend. With the next faire wind they failed along by the Coast of Corsica and Sardinia, and crossing the gulfe of Tunis, passed by Cape Bona to the Isle of Lampadosa, leaving the coast of Barbary till they came at Cape Rosata, and so along the African shore, for Alexandria in Aegypt. There delivering their fraught, they went to Scandaroone; rather to view what ships was in the Roade, than any thing else: keeping their

course by Cypres and the coast of Asia, sayling by Rhodes, the Archipellagans, Candia, and the coast of Grecia, and the Isle of Zaffalonia. They lay to and againe a few dayes betwixt the Isle of Corfue and the Cape of Otranto in the Kingdome of Naples, in the Entrance of the Adriatike sea.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A notable villan•• of foure ••rench Gallants.
• * 1.2

  A Carralue is in value a penny.
• * 1.3

  ••ere he incoun∣ned one of the theeves.
• * 1.4

  The noblenesle of the Earle of Ployer.
• * 1.5

  An inhumane act of the Provin∣••ialls in casting 〈◊〉〈◊〉 over-board.
• * 1.6

  Capt. La Roche re∣leeves him.