Sir Francis Drake Revived | Page 6

twelve days of our setting forth: yet we never
struck sail nor came to anchor, nor made any stay for any cause, neither
there nor elsewhere, until twenty-five days after; when (28th June) we
had sight of the island Guadaloupe, one of the islands of the West
Indies, goodly high land.
The next morning (29th June), we entered between Dominica and
Guadaloupe, where we descried two canoes coming from a rocky island,
three leagues off Dominica; which usually repair thither to fish, by
reason of the great plenty thereof, which is there continually to be
found.
We landed on the south side of it, remaining there three days to refresh
our men; and to water our ships out of one of those goodly rivers,
which fall down off the mountain. There we saw certain poor cottages;
built with Palmito boughs and branches; but no inhabitants, at that time,
civil or savage: the cottages it may be (for we could know no certain
cause of the solitariness we found there) serving, not for continual
inhabitation, but only for their uses, that came to that place at certain
seasons to fish.
The third day after (1st July), about three in the afternoon, we set sail
from thence, toward the continent of /Terra firma/.
And the fifth day after (6th July), we had sight of the high land of Santa
Marta; but came not near the shore by ten leagues.
But thence directed our course, for a place called by us, Port Pheasant;
for that our Captain had so named it in his former voyage, by reason of
the great store of those goodly fowls, which he and his company did
then daily kill and feed on, in that place. In this course notwithstanding
we had two days calm, yet within six days after we arrived (12th July)
at Port Pheasant, which is a fine round bay, of very safe harbour for all
winds, lying between two high points, not past half a cable's length
over at the mouth, but within, eight or ten cables' length every way,
having ten or twelve fathoms of water more or less, full of good fish;
the soil also very fruitful, which may appear by this, that our Captain

having been in this place, within a year and few days before [i. e., in
July, 1571] and having rid the place with many alleys and paths made;
yet now all was so overgrown again, as that we doubted, at first,
whether this was the same place or not.
At our entrance into this bay, our Captain having given order to his
brother what to do, if any occasion should happen in his absence, was
on his way, with intent to have gone aland with some few only in his
company, because he knew there dwelt no Spaniards within thirty-five
leagues of that place. [Santiago de] Tolou being the nearest to the
eastwards, and Nombre de Dios to the westwards, where any of that
nation dwelt.
But as we were rowing ashore, we saw a smoke in the woods, even
near the place where our Captain had aforetime frequented; therefore
thinking it fit to take more strength with us, he caused his other boat
also to be manned, with certain muskets and other weapons, suspecting
some enemy had been ashore.
When we landed, we found by evident marks, that there had been lately
there, a certain Englishman of Plymouth, called JOHN GARRET, who
had been conducted thither by certain English mariners which had been
there with our Captain, in some of his former voyages. He had now left
a plate of lead, nailed fast to a mighty great tree (greater than any four
men joining hands could fathom about) on which were engraven these
words, directed to our Captain.
CAPTAIN DRAKE
If you fortune to come to this Port, make haste away! For the Spaniards
which you had with you here, the last year, have bewrayed this place,
and taken away all that you left here.
I depart from hence, this present 7th of July, 1572.
Your very loving friend, John Garret.
The smoke which we saw, was occasioned by a fire, which the said

Garret and his company had made, before their departure, in a very
great tree, not far from this which had the lead nailed on it, which had
continued burning at least five days before our arrival.
This advertisement notwithstanding, our Captain meant not to depart
before he had built his pinnaces; which were yet aboard in pieces: for
which purpose he knew this port to be a most convenient place.
And therefore as soon as we had moored our ships, our Captain
commanded his pinnaces to be brought ashore for the carpenters to set
up; himself employing all his other company in fortifying a place