A Svmmarie and Trve Discovrse of Sir Frances Drakes VVest Indian Voyage | Page 7

they came not at vs, vve left written in sundrie
places, as also in the Spitle house, (vhich building was onely appointed
to be spared) the great discontentment and scorne we tooke at this their
refraining to come vnto vs, as also at the rude maner of killing, and
sauage kinde of handling the dead body of one of our boyes found, by
them stragling all alone, from whome they had taken his head and heart,
and had stragled the other bowels about the place, in a most brutish and
beastly maner.
In reuenge vvhereof at our departing vve consumed vvith fire all the
houses, asvvell in the countrey vvhich vve savv, as in the tovvne of S.
IAGO.

From hence putting ouer to the West Indies, we vvere not many dayes
at sea, but there beganne amongst our people such mortalitie, as in fevv
dayes there vvere dead aboue tvvo or three hundred men. And vntill
some seuen or eight dayes after out comming from S. IAGO, there had
not died any one man of sicknesse in all the Fleete: the sicknesse
shevved not his infection vvherevvith so many vvere stroken, vntill vve
vvere departed thence, and then seazed our people vvith extreme hote
burning and continuall ague, vvhereof some very fevv escaped vvith
life, and yet those for the most part not vvith out great alteration and
decay of their vvittes and strength for a long time after. In some that
died vvere plainly shevved the small spottes, vvhich are often found
vpon those that be infected vvith the plague, vve vvere not aboue
eighteene daies in passage betvvene the sight of Sainct IAGO aforesaid,
and the Island of DOMINICA, being the first Islande of the West Indies
that vve fell vvithall, the same being inhabited vvith sauage people,
vvhich goe all naked, their skin coloured vvith some painting of a
reddish tavvney, very personable and handsome strong men, vvho doe
admit little conuersation vvith the Spaniardes: for as some of our
people might vnnderstand them, they had a Spaniard or tvvaine
prisoners vvith them, neither do I thinke that there is any safetie for any
of our nation, or any other to be vvithin the limits of their
commaundement, albeit they vsed vs very kindly for those fevve
houres of time vvhich vve spent vvith them, helping our folkes to fill
and carie on their bare shoulders fresh vvater from the riuer to our ships
boates, and fetching from their houses, great store of Tobacco, as also a
kinde of bread vvhich they fed on, called Cassado, verie white and
sauerie, made of the rootes of Cassania. In recompence whereof, wee
bestovved liberall revvardes of glasse, coloured beades, and other
things, which we had found at Sainct IAGO, vvherewith (as it seemed)
they rested verie greatlie satisfied, and shevving some sorrowfull
countenance vvhen they perceaued that vve vvoulde depart.
From hence vve vvent to another Island Westward of it, called Sainct
CHRISTOPHERs Island, wherein vvee spent some daies of Christmas,
to refresh our sicke people, and to cleanse and ayre our ships. In vvhich
island vvere not any people at all that vve could heare off.

In vvhich time by the Generall it vvas aduised and resolued, vvith the
consent of the Lieftenant generall, the Vice-Admirall, and all the rest of
the Captaines to proceed to the great Island of HISPANIOLA, as vvel
for that we knevve our selues then to bee in our best strength, as also
the rather allured thereunto, by the glorious fame of the Citie of S.
DOMINGO, being the ancientest and chiefe inhabited place in al the
tract of countrey ther aboutes. And so proceeding in this determination,
by the vvay vvee met a small Frigot, bound for the same place, the
vvhich the Vice-Admirall tooke, and hauing duelie examined the men
that vvere in her, there vvas one founde by vvhome vve vvere
aduertised, the hauen to be a barred hauen, and the shore or land thereof
to be vvell fortified, hauing a Castle thereupon furnished vvith greate
store of Artillerie, vvithout the danger vvhereof, vvas no conuenient
landing place vvithin ten English miles of the Citie, to vvhich the saide
Pilote tooke vpon him to conduct vs.
All thinges being thus considered on, the vvhole forces vvere
commaunded in the euening to embarke themselues into Pinnaces,
boates, & other small barkes appointed for this seruice. Our souldiers
being thus imbarked the Generall put himselfe into the barke Francis as
Admirall, and all this night we lay on the sea, bearing small saile vntill
our arriuall to the landing place, which vvas about the breaking of the
day, and so we landed, being Newyears day, nine or ten miles to the
Westwardes of that braue Citie of S. DOMINGO: for at that time