A Svmmarie and Trve Discovrse of Sir Frances Drakes VVest Indian Voyage | Page 6

he could best resolue him of such particulars, and for his
assurance of passage and repassage, these Captaines made offer to
ingage their credits, which he refused for that he vvas not sent from his
Gouernor. Then they told him, if his Gouernor did desire to take a
course for the common benefite of the people and countrie, his best
way vvere to come and present him selfe vnto our Noble and mercifull
Gouernor Sir Frances Drake; vvhereby he might be assured to finde
fauor, both for him selfe and the inhabitantes. Othervvise within three
dayes vve should march ouer the land, and consume vvith fire all
inhabited places, and put to the svvord all such liuing soules as vve
should chaunce vpon: so thus much he tooke for the conclusion of his
answere, and departing, he promised to returne the next day, but vve
neuer heard more of him.

Vpon the foure and twentieth of Nouember, the Generall accompanied
vvith the Lieutenant generall and sixe hundred men, marched foorth to
a village tvvelue miles vvithin the lande, called S. DOMINGO, vvhere
the Gouernor and the Bishop vvith all the better sort vvere lodged, and
by eight of the clocke vve came to it, finding the place abandoned, and
the people fled into the mountaines: so vve made stand a vvhile to ease
ourselues, and partly to see if any vvould come to speake to vs.
After vve had vvell rested our selues, the Generall commaunded the
troupes to march away homewardes, in vvhich retreat the enemie
shewed them selues, both horse and foote, though not such force as
durst encounter vs: and so in passing some time at the gase vvith them,
it vvaxed late and towards night, before vve could recouer home to
Saint IAGO.
On Monday the six and twentieth of Nouember, the Generall
commaunded all the Pinnaces vvith the boates, to vse all diligence to
imbarke the Armie into such ships as euery man belonged. The
Lieutenant generall in like sort commaunded Captaine Goring and
Lieutenant Tucker, with one hundred shot to make a stand in the
market place, vntill our forces were wholly imbarked, the Vize-Admiral
making stay vvith his Pinnace and certaine boats in the harbour, to
bring the said last companie aboord the ships. Also the Generall willed
forthwith the Gallie with two Pinnaces to take into them the companie
of Captaine Barton, and the companie of Captaine Bigs, vnder the
leading of Captaine Sampson, to seeke out such munition as vvas
hidden in the ground, at the towne of PRAY or PLAY, hauing beene
promised to be shewed it by a prisoner, vvhich was taken the day
before.
The Captaines aforesaid comming to the PLAY, landed their men, and
hauing placed the troupe in their best strength, Captaine Sampson tooke
the prisoner, and willed him to shevve that he had promised, the vvhich
he could not, or at least vvould not: but they searching all suspected
places, found two peeces of ordinance, one of yron, an other of brasse.
In the after noone the Generall anckered the rest of the Fleete before the
PLAIE comming him selfe a shore, vvilling vs to burne the Tovvne and

make all hast a boorde, the which was done by sixe of the clocke the
same day, and our selues imbarked againe the same night, and so we
put off to sea Southwest.
But before our departurre from the towne of Saint IAGO, we
established orders for the better gouernment of the Armie, euery man
mustered to his Captaine, and othes ministred to acknowledge her
Maiestie supreame Gouernour, as also euery man to doe his vttermost
endeuour to aduaunce the seruice of the action, and to yeeld due
obedience vnto the directions of the General and his officers. By this
prouident counsell, and laying downe this good foundation before hand,
all thinges went forward in a due course, to the achieuing of our happie
enterprise.
In all the time of our being here, neither the Gouernour for the King of
Spaine, (which is a Portugall) neither the Bishop, whose authoritie is
great, neither any of the inhabitantes of the towne, or Island euer came
at vs (which we expected they should have done) to intreate vs to leaue
them some part of their needfull prouisions, or at the least, to spare the
ruining of their towne at our going away. The cause of this their
vnreasonable distrust (as I doe take it) vvas the fresh remembrance of
the great wronges they had done to olde Maister William Havvkins of
Plimmouth, in the voyage he made foure or fiue yeares before, when as
they did both breake their promise, and murthered many of his men,
whereof I iudge you haue vnderstood, and therfore needlesse to be
repeated. But since