Chapter 2

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 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 nor yet is knowen to vs, any landing place, vvher the sea surge doth not threaten to ouerset a Pinnace or boat. Our General hauing seene vs all landed in safetie, returned to his Fleete, bequeathing vs to God, and the good conduct of Maister Carliell our Lieuetenant Generall: at which time, being about eight of the clocke, we began to march, and about noone time, or towards one of the clocke we approched the towne, where the Gentlemen and those of the better sort, being some hundred and fiftie braue horses or rather more, began to present themselues, but our small shot plaied vpon them, which were so sustained with good proportion of pikes in all partes, as they finding no part of our troope vnprepared to receiue them (for you must vnderstande they viewed all round about) they were thus driuen to giue vs leaue to proceed towardes the tvvo gates of the tovvne, vvhich vvere the next to the seavvard. They had manned them both, and planted their ordinance for that present, and sudden alarum vvithout the gate, and also some troopes of small shot in Ambuscado vpon the hievvay side. We deuided our vvhole force, being some thousand or tvvelue hundred men into tvvo partes, to enterprise both the gates at one instant, the Lieftenant Generall hauing openly vovved to Captaine Povvell (vvho led the troope that entered the other gate) that vvith Gods good fauour he vvould not rest vntill our meeting in the market place.

Their ordinance had no sooner discharged vpon our near approch, & made some execution amongst vs, though not much, but the Lieftenant generall began foorthvvith to aduaunce both his voice of encouragement, and pace of marching, the first man that vvas slaine vvith the ordinance being verie neere vnto himselfe, and thereupon hasted all that he might to keepe them from the recharging of the ordinance. And notvvithstanding their Ambuscadoes, vve marched or rather ranne so roundly into them as pell mell vve entered the gates, and gaue them more care euery man to saue himselfe by flight, then reason to stand any longer to their broken fight, we foorthwith repaired to the market place, but to be more truely vnderstood a place of verye faire spatious square grounde before the great Church, vvhether also came as had bene agreed Captaine Povvell with the other troope, which place vvith some part next vnto it, we strengthened with Barricados, and there as the most conuenient place assured our selues, the Citie being farre to spacious for so small and weary a troope to vndertake to garde. Somevvhat after midnight they vvho had the garde of the Castle, hearing vs busie about the gates of the saide Castle, abandoned the same: some being taken prisoners, and some flying away by the help of boates, to the other side of the hauen, & so into the country.

The next day vve quartered a little more at large, but not into the halfe part of the tovvne, and so making substantiall trenches, and planting all the ordinance that ech part vvas correspondent to other, we held this towne the space of one moneth.

In the vvhich time happened some accidents more then are vvell remembred for the present, but amongst other thinges it chanced that the Generall sent on his message to the Spaniardes a negro boy with a flagge of vvhite, signifiing truce, as is the Spaniardes ordinarie manner to doe there, vvhen they approch to speak to vs, vvhich boy vnhappily vvas first met withall, by some of those who had bene belonging as officers for the King in the Spanish Galley, vvhich vvith the Tovvne vvas lately fallen into our hands, vvho vvithout all order or reason, and contrary to that good vsage vvherevvith vvee had entertained their messengers, furiouslie stroke the poore boy through the bodie vvith one of their horsemens staues, with vvich vvound the boy returned to the Generall, and after he had declared the maner of this wrongfull crueltie, died forthvvith in his presence, vvherewith the Generall beeing greatly passioned, commaunded the Prouost martiall, to cause a couple of Friers, then prisoners, to be caried to the same place where the boy was stroken, accompanied with sufficient gard of our soldiers, and there presently to be hanged, dispatching at the same instant another poore prisoner, vvith this reason wherefore this execution vvas done, and vvith this message further, that vntill the partie vvho had thus murthered the Generals messenger, vvere deliuered into our handes, to receaue condigne punishment, there should no day passe, vvherein there should not two prisoners be hanged, vntill they were all consumed vvich vvere in our handes.

Whereupon the day following, he that had bene Captaine of the kinges galley, brought the offendor to the townes ende, offring to deliuer him into our hands, but it was thought a more honourable reuenge, to make them there in our sight, to performe the execution themselues, vvhich vvas done accordingly.

During our being in this towne, as formerly also at S. IAGO there had passed iustice vpon the life of one of our owne companie for an odious matter: so here likewise was there an Irish man hanged, for the murthering of his Corporall.

In this time also passed manie treaties betweene their Commissioners and vs, for ransome of their Citie, but vpon disagreements, we still spent the early mornings in firing the outmost houses; but they being built verie magnificently of stone, vvith high loftes, gaue vs no small trauell to ruine them. And albeit for diuers daies together, we ordained eche morning by day breake, vntill the heat began at nine of the clocke, that two hundred Mariners did nought else but labour to fier and burne the said houses vvithout our trenches, vvhilest the souldiers in a like proportion stood foorth for their gard: yet did we not or could not in this time consume so much as one third part of the towne, vvhich Towne is here plainly described and set forth in this Map. And so in the end, what wearied with firing, and vvhat hastened by some other respects, we were contented to accept of fiue and twentie thousand Duckets, of fiue shillings sixe pence the peece, for the ransome of the rest of the towne.

Amongst other things which happened and were found at S. DOMINGO, I may not omit to let the world know one very notable marke and token, of the vnsatiable ambition of the Spanish king & his nation, vvich was found in the kings house, vvherein the chiefe Gouernor of that Citie and countrey is appointed alwaies to lodge, vvhich vvas this: In the comming to the hall or other romes of this house, you must first ascend vp by a faire large paire of staires, at the head of vvhich staires is a handsome spatious place to vvalke in, somewhat like vnto a gallerie, vvherein vpon one of the vvals, right ouer against you as you enter the said place, so as your eye can not escape the sight of it, there is described and painted in a very large Scutchion, the armes of the king of Spaine, and in the lower part of the said Scutchion, there is likewise described a globe, containing in it the whole circuite of the sea and the earth, vvhereupon is a horse standing on his hinder part vvithin the globe, and the other fore part vvithout the globe, lifted vp as it vvere to leape, vvith a scroll painted in his mouth, vvherein vvas written these vvordes in Latin _Non sufficit orbis_: which is as much to say, as the world suffiseth not, vvhereof the meaning vvas required to be knowen of some of those of the better sort, that came in commission to treat vpon the ransome of the tovvne, who would shake their heades, and turne aside their countenance in some smyling sort, without answering any thing, as greatly ashamed thereof. For by some of our companie it vvas told them, that if the Queene of England vvould resolutely prosecute the warres against the Kinge of Spaine, he should be forced to lay aside that proude and vnreasonable reaching vaine of his, for he should finde more then inough to do, to keepe that vvhich he had alreadie, as by the present example of their lost towne they might for a beginning perceaue vvell inough.

Now to the satisfying of some men, who maruel greatly that such a famous and goodly builded Citie so vvell inhabited of gallant people, very brauely apparelled (vvhereof our souldiers found good store for their reliefe) should afoord no greater riches then vvas found there, vvherein it is to be vnderstood that the Indian people, which were the naturals of this vvhole Island of HISPANIOLA (the same being neare hand as great as England) were many yeares since cleane consumed by the tyrannie of the Spaniards, vvhich vvas cause, that for lacke of people to vvorke in the Mines, the gold and siluer Mines of this Island are vvholy giuen ouer, and thereby they are faine in this Island to vse copper money, whereof vvas found verie great quantitie. The chiefe trade of this place consisteth of Suger and Ginger, which groweth in the Island, and of hides of oxen and kine, vvhich in this wast countrey of the Island are bred in infinite numbers, the soile being verie fertile: and the said beasts are fed vp to a verie large growth, and so killed for nothing so much, as for their hides aforesaid. Wee found here great store of strong wine, sweete oyle, vineger, oliues, and other such like prouisions, as excellent vvheate meale packed vp in wine pipes and other caske, and other commodities likewise, as vvollen and linnen cloth, and some silkes, all which prouisions are brought out of Spaine & serued vs for great releese. There vvas but a little plate or vessell of Siluer, in comparison of the great pride in other thinges of thys towne, because in these hote countreyes they vse much of these erthen dishes finely painted or varnished, vvich they call Parsellina, and is had out of the East India, and for their drinking, they vse glasses altogether, whereof they make excellent good and faire in the same place. But yet some plate we founde, and many other good thinges, as theyr hosholde garniture very gallant and rich, vvhich had cost them deere, although vnto vs they vvere of small importance.

From S. DOMINGO we put ouer to the maine or firme land, and going all alongest the coast, vve came at the last in sight of CARTAGENA, standing vpon the sea side so neare as some of our barks in passing alongst, approched vvithin the reach of their Culuerin shot, vvhich they had planted vpon certaine platformes. The harbour mouth lay some three miles tovvard the Westvvard of the town, vvhereinto we entered about three or foure of the clocke in the afternoone vvithout any resistance, of ordinance, or other impeachment planted vpon the same. In the euening vve put our selues on land tovvardes the harbour mouth, vnder the leading of Maister Carleill our Lieftenant generall, vvho after he had digested vs to march forvvard about the midnight, as easily as foote might fall, expresselye commaunding to keepe close by the sea vvash of the shore for our best and surest vvay, whereby we vvere like to goe through, and not to misse anye more of the vvay, vvhich once vve had lost within an hower after our first beginning to march, through the slender knowledge of him that tooke vpon him to be our guide, whereby the night spent on, which otherwise must haue bene done by resting. But as we came vvithin some tvvo miles of the towne, their horsemen which vvere some hundred, met vs, and taking the alarum, retired to their townevvard again vpon the first volley of our shot that vvas giuen them: for the place where vve encountred being vvoody and bushie euen to the water side, was vnmeet for their seruice.

At this instant vve might heare some peeces of artillerie discharged, with diuers small shot tovvardes the harbour, vvhich gaue vs to vnderstand, according to the order set downe in the euening before by our Generall, that the Vice-Admirall accompanied with Captaine Venner, Captaine White, and Captaine Crosse, vvith other sea captaines, and vvith diuers Pinnaces and boates should giue some attempt vnto the litle fort standing on the entrie of the inner hauen, neere adioining to the tovvne, though to small purpose, for that the place vvas stronge, and the entrye verie narrovve vvas chained ouer: so as there coulde be nothing gotten by the attempt, more then the giuing of them an Alarum on that other side of the hauen being a mile and a halfe from the place where vve novve vvere. In which attempt the Vice-Admirall had the rudder of his Skiffe stroken through with a Saker shot, and litle or no harme receaued else where.

The troopes being novve in their march, half a myle behither the tovvne or lesse, the ground we were on grew to be straight, and not aboue fiftie paces ouer, hauing the maine sea on the side of it, and the harbour water or inner sea (as you may tearme it) on the other side, vvhich in this plot is plainely shewed. This straight was fortified cleane ouer with a stone vvall and a ditch without it, the saide wall being as orderly built vvith flanking in euery part, as can be set dovvne. There vvas onely so much of this straight vnvvalled, as might serue for the issuing of the horsemen, or the passing of carriage in time of neede: but this vnvvalled part vvas not vvithout a very good Barricado of vvine buts or pipes, filled vvith earth, ful and thick as they might stand on end one by another, some part of of them standing euen vvithin the maine sea.

This place of strength vvas furnished of sixe great peeces, demi-Culuerins, and Sakers, vvhich shot directlie in front vpon vs as vve approched. Novve vvithout this vval vpon the inner side of the streight, they had brought likevvise tvvo great Gallies vvith their provvesse to the shore, hauing planted in them eleuen peeces of ordinance vvhich did beate all crosse the straight, and flanked our comming on. In these tvvo Gallies vvere planted three or foure hundred small shot, and on the land in the garde onely of thys place, three hundred shot and pikes.

They in this their full readinesse to receiue vs, spared not their shot both great and small. But our Lieftenant generall, taking the aduantage of the darke (the day light as yet not broken out) approched by the lovvest ground, according to the expresse direction vvhich himselfe hadde formerlie giuen, the same being the sea vvash shore, vvhere the vvater vvas somevvhat fallen, so as most of all their shot vvas in vaine. Our Lieftenant generall commaunded our shot to forbeare shooting vntill vve vvere come to the vvall side, and so vvith pikes roundlie together vve approched the place, vvhere vve soone found out the Barricadoes of pipes or buts, to be the meetest place for our assault, vvhich notvvithstaning it vvas vvell tempted by vs: dovvne vvent the buts of earth, and pell mell came our svvordes and pikes together, after out shot had first giuen their volley, euen at the enemies nose. Our pikes vvere somevvhat longer then theirs, and our bodies better armed, for very fevve of them vvere armed, vvith vvhich aduantage out svvordes and pikes grevv to hard for them, and they driuen to giue place. In this furious entrie, the Lieutenant generall slue vvith his ovvne hands, the chiefe Ensigne bearer of the Spaniards, vvho fought verie manfullie to his liues end.

We follovved into the towne vvith them, and giuing them no leasure to breath, vve vvanne the Market place, albeit they made head, and fought a while before vve got it, and so vve being once seazed and assured of that, they were content to suffer vs to lodge vvithin their towne, and themselues to goe to their vviues, vvhome they had caried into other places of the countrey before our comming thither.