Purchas his pilgrimes. part 4 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

CHAP. IX. [ 50]

The taking of Saint Vincent and Puerto Bello, by Captaine WIL∣LIAM PARKER of Plimmouth, the seuenth of February 1601.

IN the beginning of Nouember 1601. I departed from Plymmouth with two ships, one Pinnasse and two shallops in quarters toward the West Indies. My chiefe ship wheie••n I went my selfe as Admirall was named the Prudence, of an hundred [ 60] tuns, wherein I had an hundred and thirtie tall men, the second was the Pearle, a small ship of sixtie tonnes, wherein went as my Vice-admirall Master Robert Rawlin, accompanied with sixtie lustie fellowes, my Pinnasse of twentie tuns was manned with eighteene men. In this Consort were Master Edward Giles, and Philip Ward

Gentlemen Captaines by Land, with Captaine Antonie Fugars, Captaine Loriman, Captaine Ashley, and diuers other Gentlemen of much towardlinesse and valour as they made good proofe in the successe of this Voyage. In our passing by the C••pe of Saint Vincent in Spaine, commonly called the South Cape, I was encountred with such a terrible Ternado or gust of winde that my Pinnasse with fifteene of our men, to our great griefe was vtterly cast away, wee being not able * 1.1 with the vttermost of our endeauours to saue aboue three of the rest. From thence I shaped my course to the Iles of Cape Verde, and immediately vpon my arriuall there, I set vpon one of them called Saint Vincent, with an hundred men, and tooke the Iland and the Towne thereof, which * 1.2 was a prettie place, the spoile w••e••eof I gaue to my Souldiers, which after they had pillaged it, set the same on fire. [ 10]

Hence we haled ouer to the Coast of Tierra firma, and arriued first at the Ile of Margarita, and comming to the Rancheria or fishing of Pearles in the small Iland of Cubagua, we found the Go∣uernour of Cumana, there with a company of Souldiers: neuerthelesse we made bold to land, and in our landing we receiued a great fight wherein diuers of our men on both sides were wounded; but in the end I tooke the place with diuers of the stoutest of our Enemies Prisoners, and thir∣teene Periaguaes and Canoes, which are Barkes and Boats of the Countrey: for ransome of all which I receiued fiue hundred pounds in Pearle. This done I proceeded on my iourney, sayling directly for Cape dela Vela, and there meeting with a Portugall shippe of two hundred and fiftie * 1.3 tuns laden with three hundred and seuentie Negros, brought from Congo or Angola, and going to Cantagena with little resistance I tooke the same. And sayling along with my prize West∣ward, [ 20] not able to double the Iles, called Las Cabeças; I was driuen farre downe to the Southward * 1.4 into the Gulfe of Acle, in Spanish called Eusenada de Acle, where we landed all our Portugals and Negros, keeping only the Captaine which afterward paid ••••e fiue hundred pounds for his owne and their ran••omes. Within a while after we stood Westward with our shippes, and went into the Iles called the Cabeças, where I embarked an hundred and fiftie of my men in two small Pin∣nasses and two fine shallops, and went for the Iles de Bastimentos, and landing there vpon the said Ilands which are peopled and very fruitfull, I tooke sixe or seuen Negroes for guides, and so pre∣sently * 1.5 with our Pinnasses and Boates entred the mouth of the Riuer of Porto bello, the seuenth of Februarie about two of the clocke after midnight, the Moone shining very brightly.

At our first entrance into the Hauen, which is aboue twelue score ouer, and very deepe at the [ 30] mouth and farre vpward, we were halled by the strong and stately Castle of Saint Philip, hauing thirtie fiue great pieces of Brazen Ordnance and fiftie Souldiers in the same, to know whence * 1.6 we were: wee hauing aboord vs such as could speake Spanish excellent well, answered that we were of Cartagena: then they commanded, vs to anchor, which we did accordingly. About one houre afterwards with my two shallops which lay close by my Pinnasses, and some thirtie of my principall men, I went vp the Riuer hauing some of the smaller Fort, called the Fort of Saint Iago, which is directly ouer against the great Castle of Saint Philip, running still on the shoare, and crying out on me to stay: but neglecting their out-cryes, I landed at the first Towne called Triana, where the alarme was presently giuen: which neuerthelesse I set on fire, and marched o∣uer * 1.7 a little Brooke into the great rich Towne of Porto bello; and comming directly vp to the [ 40] Kings Treasure-house, which is very faire and large, we found a squadron of souldiers (whereof there are two hundred and fiftie alwayes belonging to the Towne and another company of the Inhabitants) with two brasse Pieces of field Ordnance well mounted on their carriages, which we presently possessed, and fiercely set vpon the Souldiers.

At which alarme Captaine Antonie Fugars, and Captaine George Lawriman of Ratcliffe, came vp with my two Pinnasses with an hundred and twentie men to my rescue, which was very hardly laid vnto. At this house at our first comming into the Towne, my Lieutenant Samuel Barnet was shot on the side of his head, and through his eare, and Captaine Giles comming to se∣cond him, was likewise shot ouer the brest and through his arme. In this meane space Pedro Me∣lendes * 1.8 the Gouernour of the Towne, had gathered sixtie Souldiers together, and was comming [ 50] toward a certaine bridge to encounter me, I hauing not then aboue eight or nine men with mee to withstand them: but God did prosper our proceedings mightily. For the first two shot that went from vs, shot Melendes through his Target, and went through both his armes: and the o∣ther shot hurt the Corporall of the field. Whereupon they all retired to the house, which they made good vntill it was almost day. Against whom I sent Captaine Ward with some Souldiers, who entred the house, killing diuers of them, and wounded Melendes in eight places more: himselfe being shot through both his thighes in entring, and some of his men hurt: but in the * 1.9 end he tooke Melendes Prisoner, and became Master of the house.

My selfe with others went to the Kings house, wherein were many of the Souldiers, who would not come to any composition, but stoutly defended the same against Captaine Giles and [ 60] our Lieutenant Samuel Barnet: who in the end flue diuers of them and hurt many others, ta∣king the Kings Scriuano prisoner. This fight endured for the space of foure or fiue houres. The fight being ended, and we being Masters of the Kings Treasure-house and all the Towne, and ha∣uing the Gouernour Melendes, and the Scriuano with many others of the chiefest my Prisoners,

except the Alcalde which fled out of the Towne with a chaine of Gold about his necke. Such Treasure as was found in the Kings house to the value of some nine or ten thousand Duckets, I reserued to my selfe, which was nothing to that which wee did expect (that being the receite at one time of the yeere of all the Treasure that commeth from Peru and Chile, amounting at least to fiue or sixe Millions of Duckets) and had I come but seuen dayes sooner, I had taken heere an hundred and twentie thousand Duckets which were newly laden in two Frigats for Cartagena. The rest of the spoile of the Towne, which came to no small value in Money, Plate, and Mer∣chandize, I gaue wholy to my Souldiers: which being done, I disposed my Corpses du guard in diuers places, for keeping the Towne all that day: and at the end of the streete leading toward Panama on the South Sea, being full of all Artificers, we made a barricado where Captaine Giles stood with another Corps du guard being diuers times assaulted by the enemy? whom still hee va∣liantly [ 10] repulsed and put to the worse.

Pedro Melendes the chiefe Gouernour of the Towne being my Prisoner, in regard that he had valiantly carried himselfe in making resistance vntill he had tenne or eleuen wounds vpon him, I * 1.10 did not only at length dismisse without any peny for his ransome, but also caused my Chirurgion very carefully to dresse and trimme his wounds: vsing him and his, farre otherwise, then Pedro Melendes his great Vncle vsed Iohn Ribault, Landoniere, and the French Nation in Florida, whom they most cruelly murdered and massacred as many as they could lay any hands vpon.

Thus being Master for one whole day of the stately and new builded Towne of Porto bello, * 1.11 which had two goodly Churches in it fully finished, and sixe or seuen faire streets, whereof two [ 20] were full of all necessarie Artificers, and of Merchants, with three small Forts on the Townes * 1.12 sides, besides the great Fort of Saint Philip on the other, when I might haue speedily haue con∣sumed it all with fire, I willingly abstained from the same: knowing that though I could haue done the King of Spaine exceeding great hurt, and haue vndone a number of the Inhabitants, yet the good that I should haue done my selfe, and mine thereby should haue beene very small in comparison of their damage. Only certaine out houses wherein their Negros dwelt, I caused to be burned to amaze and put them in feare: I also tooke two Frigats of theirs which roade far * 1.13 vp within the Riuer, the one of them hauing in her three pieces of Ordnance, the which I like∣wise tooke and brought away from thence with mee, with the which Ordnance we beate vpon the enemy marching vnto vs from the Wester Fort. [ 30]

The day being spent, at the beginning of the night I embarked my men, enriched with the * 1.14 chiefe spoile of the Towne, and set saile to depart with my owne two Pinnasses and two shallops and the foresaid two Spanish Frigats which I had wonne: but in going out I was shot in at the elbow, and out at the wrist with a Musket shot which came from the Wester shoare, whereof there were many shot ouer vs: besides eight and twentie great shot from the chiefe and Easter Fort, which did endanger vs often. But God so wrought for vs, that we safely got forth againe contrarie to all our enemies expectation, who made full account to sinke vs in going forth. Be∣ing safely come forth wee rode with our Pinnasses, and shallops behind a small Iland which lay betwixt vs and the Wester most Fort of Saint Iago, vntill my Vice-admirall Captaine Rawlins brought two ships thither, which rode somewhat to the Eastward of the Castile of Saint Phi∣lip, * 1.15 [ 40] vnder the Rocke where Sir Francis Drake his Coffin was throwne ouer-boord, all the while that we were busied in gaining, sacking, and possessing the Towne. Our whole fleet beeing assem∣bled together in the place aforesaid, I set the Kings Scriuan••, and the rest of my prisoners on shore, suffering them to depart without paying any kind of ransome.

And the next day being the ninth of February, I set saile and stood off to Sea, leauing the goodly Hauen and beautifull Towne of Porto bello, which standeth in ten degrees of Northerly latitude: and directed my course backe againe toward Cartagena, and about twelue leagues to the Eastward thereof, I came into a good Bay called Sambo, where I watered and staied some twelue or thirteene daies, and riding there tooke certaine Frigats which were bound for Cartage∣na. Whereupon the Gouernour Don Pedro de Coronna, armed out two Gallies and a Brigandine, * 1.16 with some two or three Frigats, with a purpose to assault vs; but beeing better aduised they [ 50] would neuer come neere vs. When he heard that I had taken Porto bello, one of the chiefest pla∣ces of the West Indies, with so small forces, he pulled his beard, and sware that he would giue his Mules lade of siluer, but to haue a sight of mee and my companie. From this Bay of Sambo wee * 1.17 stood ouer for the Iland of Iamaica, and so doubled the Cape of Saint Antonio, beeing the most Westerly part of Cuba, and disimboked through the Gulfe of Bahama, the last of March 1602 and came with good weather to the Iles of the Açores, where victualling my Vice-admirall and two Pinnasses ou•• of mine owne ship for two moneths, and leauing them at Sea to take some far∣ther purchase, with mine owne ship I tooke my course for ••limmouth, and arriued there in safetie the sixt of May 1602. [ 60]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pinnaffes lost in a Ternado.
• * 1.2

  Iles of Cape Verde. The Ile and Towne of S. Vincent 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The Ra••chera in Cubagua, w••••h diuers 〈…〉〈…〉oners ta∣ken and ranso∣med.
• * 1.3

  A great ship with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ne∣gros taken.
• * 1.4

  Las Cab••zas.
• * 1.5

  They take sixe or seuen people of the Iles of Bastimentos. R. of Puerto bello.
• * 1.6

  The great Ca∣stle of S. Phi∣lippe, with 25. pieces of brasse, and 50. Souldiers.
• * 1.7

  The Towne Triana Porto bello.
• * 1.8

  Pedro Melendes
• * 1.9

  Melendes the Gouernour ta∣ken prisoner.
• * 1.10

  Braue spirit & liberall minde of Captaine Parker.
• * 1.11

  Porto bello de∣scribed.
• * 1.12

  He at 〈…〉〈…〉ineth from 〈…〉〈…〉tting the Towne of Porto bello on fire.
• * 1.13

  Two Frigats taken and brought away.
• * 1.14

  Their depar∣ture.
• * 1.15

  Sir Fr. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 buriall.
• * 1.16

  Sambo.
• * 1.17

  Virtu•• in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 laudanda.