AFter that the great and mightie fleet , set forth and furnished by the vnited Prouinces ( in the yeare of our Lord 1599. ) against the king of Spaine and his countries , vnder the conduct and command of the noble Lord Peter van Does , Admirall and Generall of the same , had set saile , and put themselues forwards on their no lesse valiant then succesfull voyage ( which God with his omnipotent hand alwaies vouchsafeth to guide and protect in all their lawfull attemptes : ) it so chanced , that vpon the 10. of Iune , there strayed from the fleete , a ship of Amsterdam , wherein was Captaine Garret Iohnson Cater , who in crossing to and fro , to recouer a sight of the fleet , for about the space of three weekes , happened vpon the first of Iuly to discrie neere vnto the Iland of Saint Mary foure small sailes , which afterwards he perceiued to be foure small English Pinnasses , whereof the biggest was of the burthen of thirtie lastes , the lesser about seauen lastes , and the other two accordingly . Being all these four Pinnasses together furnished with nine cast pieces , and could make out amongst them one hundred men , ( when that they knew them to be all friends , and that the Captains had beene aboard one of the other ) after their mutuall greetings and welcomes vsed at sea , the English Captaines gaue Ca●taine Cater intelligence , how that they lay in waite for a barke lying vnder S. Maries Iland , which they said was rich●y laden , contayning a great treasure , and that with his aid and help they might easily take her . Whereupon the said Cater promised them his good helpe , and furtherance to fetch the barke from the shoare , if so it were , that by his assistance they might take her : but it was told him by the Captaine of the greater Pinnasse that it would be impossible to take the barke , without that first they tooke the Iland it selfe . Whereupon after deliberation taken with them ( being able to furnish out in al , nine score men , which the said Captaine said would suffice to take the Iland ) they resolued to assault the same with their men . And hauing made the saide Captaine Cater their Admirall , they altogether bended their course towardes the Iland , and the same day entred vnder the towne , preparing themselues to giue the assault the next day .

The second of Iuly , being the visitation of the blessed virg●n Marie , they shot very strongly with foure gr●at peeces out of Captaine Caters ship vpon the towne of S. Marie : meane while the men began to be ●owed a shore , being all well appointed and prepared to skirmish , taking their course Eastwards to the Iland , to fal vpon the same in the low ground , but they could not doe it , by reason of the great number of the inhabitantes vpon the shoare , which easily might haue hindered their landing . Wherefore Captaine Cater after due consideration thought it requisite to sende two of the English pinnasses , with eight or ten men towards the west side of the said Iland , the which with plying vp and downe , should seeme to assault the Iland on that side , himselfe going also in his boate , with some of his men , rowing towards the West side of the Iland : whereupon they were shot at by some Spanish soldiers with Muskets , which lay there vpon the flat land , and afterwardes the same day they shot mightily with a great peece vpon the pinnasses , all which was done to that ende , that the soldiers which were occupied on the West side of the Iland , should not withdraw themselues to the East side thereof to resist their assault there : which otherwise without doubt th●y would haue done .

Our men now being landed in the East part of the Iland , after a small skirmish and little trouble , ( by Gods help ) wonne the Iland : for the Spaniardes on the East side being assaulted suddenly and vnlooked for , fled immediately : so that our men tooke not onely the aboue named barke , but also had the whole Iland and the Towne to their will and disposition .

Which done , the said Captaine Cater by aduise of the English Captaines , set a ransome on the Iland , commanding the chiefe inhabitants thereof to bring them a certaine summe of Duckets .

Vpon the 4. of Iuly they forsooke the Iland againe , because there was no good roade to ride in , as also because that the Westerly winde began to rise strongly from the shore , so that they should haue beene in some perill if they had stayed .

Thus was the Ilande and Towne of S. Maries wonne and taken , after they had lyen there three daies .

They might wel haue kept the same , if they had thought it to haue beene any thing aduantagious , or profitable for them .

The chiefe of the Iland being by them demanded what the reason was that so lightly they yeelded the Iland : aunswered , that they knew God was displeased with them , that hee would punish them for their sins , and that therfore they thought it in vaine to resist .

To the Almightie God be infinit praises for this and many other victories graunted vnto vs , and be it his blessed will to continue the same , and to blesse all our lawful enterprises , to the praise , honor , and glorie of his holy name , and the saluation of our soules .