Then came aboord vs certaine Indians , and 6. Frenchmen , who had remained there some 16. moneths , being cast vpon the land by shipwracke , and so were vnprouided for a further iourney : they enformed vs of a Spanish man of warre that past along some seuen dayes before discharging her ordinance at the inhabitants , and putting the Iland in great feare , notwithstanding some two dayes before there anchored another ship , whose Captaine with some souldiers came a shore with wine and other prouision , as if they meant to make merry and shew all the signes of friendship and contentment : but she stayd but one night at anchor , and so departed without further notice ; what course she meant to take , nor could the inhabitants guesse , by reason their feare enforced their flight , into the mountaines , lest they should bee surprised : onely wee were aduertised by certaine Indians , that they determined for St. Vincents , leauing word , that when the great Fleete passed along they should enforme the Generall , that Captaine Bartholomew was gone vp in prosecution of his directions .

This was the ship we descryed at Hull and so resolued shee must needes bee some Spanish man of warre , because no Marchant , or ship of burthen would lose the aduantage of so fayre a winde to transport her to any port of trafficke and spend the time in hulling , as if she lay of purpose to discouer some prise , and take the aduantage of such passengers as were to go to Menis , being the common trade way both for English and Dutch , and so as it appeared afterward she stirred that course of purpose , both to deceiue the Ilanders , & to betray vs , whom they had descryed a farre off .

From Guardalupa wee departed the 18. of March hasting to Menis , and suspecting the worst , held a loofe a halfe road to be the more free from the Spaniards , by reason we determined to repaire our ship , & refresh our selues at Menis : The ship being much beaten with a dangerous storme some 70. leagues from our owne coast , the people much distempered as hauing bene a 11. weeks imprisoned in an ill conditioned ship , and peraduenture wanting many necessaries , which commonly we prepare for long voyages .

But such was the pleasure of God , that wee were preuented and disappointed in these purposes , for falling with Menis by the 20. of March , and compassing the furthest point to stand in the handsommer with the shore , wee perceiued two tall ships at anchor right ouer-against the watring place with their top sayles loose , and their boates going a shore for their men . At first we supposed them Hollanders , in respect of their building , and the Hollanders co●ours borne by their Admirall in the mayne top , the vice Admirall hauing his fore-top ma●● downe , and no colours displayed , which encreased our former opinion , adding withall that i● must needs bee prise or some other ship sub●e●t to the misfortune of a fight .

But driuen by necessity of water , and willing to refresh our selues a shore , we trimmed our ship , and came to anchor fayrely by them , sending our boate in friendly manner to hale them both vnprouided and vnarmed , which returned with certificate , that they were Spaniards , wherein not fully satisfied by reason of our former apprehension that it was otherwise the better to be resolued , we sent out our boat againe , as well to be assured what to trust vnto as to gaine sometime to prepare our ship , and trim her more commodiously , being pestered with goods and fardels betweene the deckes and altogether vnprouided for any fight eyther offensiue or defensiue .

The boate approched the hindmost ship , which I call the vice-Admirall , and haled her , demanding who they were , but in steed of resoluing vs , shee commanded them to come aboord , and would answer no otherwise , wherevpon the boat rowed from them , as resoluing all was not well , and so made haste vnto vs againe , yet could not preuent a volley of small shot powred very dangerously amongst them , insomuch that they had their cloathes shot through , their oares shiuered , and the sides battered with bullets : yet thankes bee to God neither was a man hurt , nor any thing lost , which , as if they had had notice of the same escape , rated their rage so much the more . For by that time the boat was out of reach of their small shot , they followed it to the ship with great Ordnance , and when they perceiued they were safely come aboord , they tooke it so ill , that they thundred against our ship with the soarer rage , and most violent vollyes , which wee could not answer , hauing no peece in our gunner roome , nor indeed any other well mounted for such a Sea fight .

By this time we vnderstood what they were , and resolued wee should not depart quietly without mischiefe , whereupon our Master set vs on worke to haue brought our Ordnance into frame , and so to order our ship that wee might defend our selues if need were , but many things failing vs , we practised to weigh our anchors , which was not to be done so sodainly , considering our encombrances on ship boord : we then resolud to weigh it vp with the boat , had not so many shot thundred amongst vs , that we wondred at our escape .

By this time their vice Admirall heaued vp her anchor to her warpe , and laid her selfe to wind-ward , if either wee should passe forward , or anchor short againe , so that wee perceiued they meant to assault vs on all hands : for shee let flie a whole broad side vpon vs , and came furiously vp to our lee quarter without damage or resistance of our parts , to which sure they were the rather induced because the Admirall hauing receiued her men from shore , her top sayle loose all ready , and many things commodious to their purpose , began to weigh anchor , and made toward vs amaine .

But when we were thus terrified and threatned by them , and thus encombred and disanimated amongst our selues , knowing withall ( by reason of our ill prepared Ordnance ) the disaduantage and hazard to be boorded at anchor by two good ships well prepared for spoyle and ruine , we hoysed vp our sayles , and determined to set forward , had not the vice-Admirall come on our star-boord side , and beat vpon vs so hardly , that we fell to our businesse , and answered their vnkindnesse accordingly with many faire shot , which prooued most effectuall , especially from a demy culuering , which at last shot her betweene winde & water , so that she was compelled from vs , and bare off to Sea , leauing her Admirall onely single with vs , who at last came fairely in our quarter to wind-ward , taking in her Holland flag , and aduanced her Spanish colours , and so haled vs .

Wee quietly and quickly answered , both what we were , and whither we were bound , discouering the effect of our commission , and relating the cause of our tarying there for water , neither purposing to annoy any subiect of the king of Spains , nor by way of affront to braue either Marchant or man of Warre . Then she charged vs to strike our sailes for the king of Spaine , and vaile the bonnet according to the prerogatiue they had in those Seas : we replyed with enlarging the particulars of the league betweene the King our Master and their king , adding withall , that as we intended no ill , wee would take no wrong , whereupon the Master left the poope , and sequestred himselfe from such open conference ; had they not called for the Captaine againe , who at last presented himselfe , till they commanded him to come aboord with his commission , which he refused yet wished them to send their boat aboord , & then they should see it most willingly .

But instead either of answering vs further with kind words , or accepting of our reply in good part , they made two great shot at vs , and poured among vs such a volley of small shot , before wee could get off the poope , that wee thanked God they did no more harme , yet we were much amazed they did so much : not thus content they waued vs mith their bright sword● , an reuiled vs with opprob●ious tearms mis-●earming vs dogs , and inuenting more odious names against vs then we could imagin , that Christians durst vrge one another withal : at last they layd vs aboord , which enforced vs to raise vp our maine saile , and to giue the word to our small shot , which all this while lay close well resolued and prepared : but sodainly breaking foorth we plyed them in such sort that we made them giue backe & shrinke from their former forwardnesse .

The fight continued some halfe houre in our quarter , and according to the terror of such encounters , we were compast as it were in fire and smoake , vntill they discouered the wast of our ship naked , and were encouraged with the hope of reciprocall damage , whereupon they brauely ran vpon our side , and layd vs aboord lufe to lufe , hastning with pikes and swords to enter , to which was added such fury , that if they had not beene preuented , we should haue shrunke vnder the rage of a barbarous slaughter : but it pleased God so to direct our Master with aduice , and encourage our men with valour , that our pikes being formerly placed vnder our halfe decke , and certaine shot lying close for that purpose vnder the portels of the ship , encountred them so brauely , that their fury was not onely rebated , but their hastinesse intercepted , and the whole company beaten backe , especially vpon the wind-ward side , where the charge was hottest , and the fight bloodiest ; for there the throng was great , and men had worke enough to make proofe of their courages & fortunes , diuers of our men were hurt , and many fell on their side ; if a man retired wounded with vs , two I am sure were slaine amongst them ; if their pikes reached as farre as our bodyes , ours were long enough to fasten in their sides ; if a Partison from them gashed our armes , a Halbard from vs lighted on their heads : yea , we came so neere , that swords cut pikes a sunder , and targets were hewed with the blowes , so that if a fight were woorth the describing : it is pitty that some great Commanders on both sides beheld not this , to record the action to memory , and recompence the men with sufficient reward .

In the end they were violently repulsed by vs , enforced to a retreat , vntill they were reinforced backe againe by their Commanders , who standing vpon tearmes of honour , as being men of warre , and designed for that purpose , thought it an indignity to be so afronted and countermaunded , which caused a second charge , and that was answered with a second beating backe , till the Captaine himselfe grew enraged , as not brooking to bee so much ouermated , and constrained them to come on a fresh , which they did so effectually , that questionlesse it had wrought an alteration , if the God that tosseth Monarchies , and teareth the Mountaines in his fury , had not taught vs to tosse our pikes with prosperous euent , and poured out a sodaine volley of small shot vpon them , whereby that worthy Commander was slaine at the foote of a pike and many of his souldiers dropped down on the top of the hatches .

This we saw with our eyes , and reioyced at with our hearts , so that we might perceiue as it were good successe comming on , & deliuerance to breake through the thicking cloud of that vengeance which was prepared against vs : for presently our Master tooke aduantage of their discomfiture ( though with some commiseration for that valiant Captaine so slaine ) that he not only plyed them a fresh with great ordinance , but had more false shot vnder the pikes , which were bestowed to good purpose , & amased our enemies with the sodainnesse .

Amongst the rest one Lucas our Carpenters mate must not be forgotten , who perceiued a way how to annoy them , as they were thus pusled and in a confusion , drue out a minion which hee nobly set a worke vnder the halfe decke , till at the last he brought it to the doxe of the halfe decke , and there bent it vpon them but in such a manner , that when it was fiered the cases full of stones and peeces of Iron fell vpon them like haile , and cleared their decke in such a sort that it slue many , and in short time we saw few assailants , but onely such as crept from place to place very couertly , and seemed willing to obscure themselues from the fury of our shot , which now was thicker then theirs . For although ( as farre as wee may commend our enemies ) they had done some things worthy of admiration : yet either wanting men , or ouertaken with the vnlooked for valour of our company , they now began to shrinke , and gaue vs leaue to be wanton with our aduantage .

Yet were our great Ordnance onely foure that wee could vse in this fight , but it should seeme they serued the turne as well as foure times foure : for they shot her diuers times betweene winde and water , and so preuailed , that at last we saw many signes of their willingnes to leaue vs , but by reason she was fast in a slach of our cable , which in hast of weighing our anchor hung loose , she could not be diuided nor make that way she purposed , vntill one of our men cut it with an axe without direction , and was slaine for his labour . But when shee perceiued she was loose , after she had beene a boord two houres and a halfe , good Lord what hast she made , and how quickly were we diuided , both great and small shot playing on both sides , which lasted vntill the remotenesse was aboue a Caliuer shot , and we discouered the vice Admirall comming to her assistance , who began a farre off to ply vs with great shot and put vs in mind , wee had another worke in hand .

Whereupon wee manned our ship a new , separating the dead and hurt bodies by themselues from vs , and were so encouraged , that we waued her , and in a manner made toward her to fight a fresh . For when we perceiued , that the Admirall made not a shot more at vs , wee verily imagined , that either she was preparing her selfe with a new supply , or wanted men to make her seruiceable , or resolued to goe away from vs , considering she had lost her Captain ; yet loth to be secure , and imagining the vice Admirall might come and boord vs finding vs play , till the Admirall did make her selfe better ready , wee prepared our selues , wondring yet that she came no neerer vs then Falcon shot , wherewith she plyed vs still on the lee fide , vntill at last she receiued another payment from our demy Culuering , which shot her through , & made her beare with the shore into smooth water , where she remained till 2. of the clocke after midnight , and so we had time to reforme our disorders , and make our selues better ready for the next dayes varietie .

By breake of day shee came vp againe with the Admirall with her ; as if they determined indeed to deuoure vs at once ; but as it seemed it was but a Brauado , though for the time they forsooke not our quarter within Musket shot : for all that night and morning they were quiet neighbours , and kept vs company without any great anoyance with their top sailes down , not knowing , as it should seeme , what to doe with vs , or else suspecting their owne hurts and leakes , they durst not trust themselues too far from land , nor to the fury of another encounter .

All that night wee had time and leysure to ouerlooke our losses , and prepare for them if they assayled vs againe ; and indeed wee were better prouided then before , & better accommodated in our ship , as freeing it from former encombrances , & affoording farre more scope for our Ordnance to play vpon them : but God be thanked it fell out otherwise : for though we might perceiue them speake together , and with many yards a crosse entend to keepe vs company ; yet did they not make much hast vp , nor trouble vs with many shot , till the next day the Admirall made shew of an encounter , and we after prayers were ended prouided to fight with them , but sodainely wee perceiued the vice Admirall hang a sterne , cutting her maine sayle to come vp , and stirring very ill , which astonished vs the more , because wee could not imagine the reason , considering she was the best sayler and now spared her Admirall a fore-top sayle , shewing all the signes of retracting , and no desire to come too neere vs any more .

At length the Admirall shooke in the wind and by apparant signes gaue vs notice of slacking her course , whereby we might run a head and follow the seas at our pleasure , so we perceiued the vice Admirall with all her sailes to make towards an Iland called Sana , which the Admirall either tooke notice of , as knowing the danger she was in , or gaue directions accordingly , considering there was no good to be done with vs : for presently she tacked about and lost vs , bearing toward that Iland also , which wee easily discouered with her whole length : but the ships were quickly out of sight , although wee saw the breach of the sheare all along , and how the Admirall departed from vs , which caused vs to imagine , that shee was forced a shore by her leakes receiued in the fight , and durst not aduenture for feare shee should haue beene suncke altogether , & questionlesse the Admirall had neuer gone from our sides , nor tryed any fortune but our courtesie , if we could by any meanes haue brought ouer our demy Culuering on our fighting side which was endeuoured by our Master & Gunner : but as you haue heard our ship being so encombred , it was in vaine , and we little dreaming , either of Pirats or aduersary in those seas , made lesse account to bee intercepted in this manner : but such is the condition of humaine life , that commonly mischiefes come vnlooked for , and when they come , accompany one another with much variety , especially at Sea , where I will bee bold to say , that a fight is more terrible to frailty , and yeeldeth greater occasion of astonishment , then a maine battle at land , or the surprising of a towne in the fury of an execution .

This fight continued fiue or sixe houres , & was the more vnwelcome , because we were so vnprouided , and had no intents , nor gaue any occasion to disturbe them , as for the losse of men , and accidentall troubles if religion had not taught vs , what by Gods prouidence is brought to passe ; yet morality and dayly experience might enforme vs of the dangers of warre , and perils at Sea , by storms , tempests , shipwrackes , encountring with Pirats , meeting with enemies , crosse winds , long voyages , vnkown shores , barbarous nations , deuouring monsters , and a hundred inconueniences , of which humane policies are not capable , nor mens coniectures apprehensiue .

We lost Doctor Bohune , and seuen other were slaine out right : two died shortly after of their wounds , and 16. were shot through in some part or other of the body , whose wounds Gods be thanked were recured and without maime or further impeachment of health are now recouered and setled in Virginia , according to our first entended purpose and Commission : I reckon not such as are hurt with pikes and other offensiue weapons , because there was no danger in their cures , and the skilfull Surgeon shewed his art & good speed with facility . How many they lost we cannot tel , nor what men of name were entertained amongst them , onely I am sure we saw many lye slaine on the decke , and more cast ouer boord in the fight , besides the scuppers ran with blood , and the very Sea in their quarter was coloured with a Scarlet hue , and looked fearfully vpon vs all .

O the ambition and turbulency of mens natures , and the ill condition of reuenge , that cannot bee contented with faire satisfaction , vnlesse it be answered with death and blood : I speake not of the vniustifiable proceedings of Pirates , because the diuell hath any scuse fo such theft , from the necessity of life & the terror of pouerty , which cannot be preuented in great and sturring spirits without course of actiue imployment , or some endeauours or other : but of the insatiate pride of the heart , and the wicked disposition of mallice , which is neuer satisfied , but with the death and destruction of an enemy , as was apparant in this encounter . For we could not imagin , why they should aduenture thus vpon vs , vnlesse to make vs prise , and subiect to the spoyle of robbery . As for the pretence of their kings prerogatiue , there was not so much as a thought of afronting them in that kinde , had they not insulted as it were ouer vs in an ouerdaring manner , and commanded vs to that which we knew was dishonourable to our nation and disgratious to our selues : but for feare of lauishes and burstings out of frailty , I will now desist , either from complayning of them , or exscusing our selues ; & only conclude , there were some hreat faults committed amongst vs all on both sides , which the God of heauen determined to punish in this manner , and that God of heauen direct vs to make vse of his iudgements , that we not only pray to him for the diuersion of his wrath from our sinnes , but yeeld him all possible praise and thanksgiuing for any deliuerance , or blessing whatsoeuer , and more particularly for this our vnlookt for escape from so great a danger .

The buhthen of their Admirall was 300. tuns , hauing 22. peeces of Brasse , and all prouision of a man of Warre indeed : their Vice-Admirall 300. tuns , and 16. cast peeces , nor much inferior to her for trimming and correspondent equipage , and both to the outward shew ouer-masterfull and daring for one poore Marchant and passenger , being but a 160. tuns , hauing 8. Iron peeces and one Falcon , ouerloaden with stuffe and wares , encombred with passengers , toyled with a storme , tired with a long voyage , affrighted with wants , and euery way insufficient to answer any such enemy : but as it in the Scripture , it is all one to thee O God , whether there bee few or many , and Gedeons 300. shall slay many thousands of the Midianites : as for deliuerances , the people of Israel shall passe through the red Sea dry foot : Ionas shall be cast safe on shore out of the Whales belly : and Paul shal escape shipwrack , sauing his life with all his passengers in the Iland of Malia . For to conclude with the purpose in hand , there is one thing most remarkeable as an inducement to this our deliuerance , that Captaine Chester embraced Doctor Bohune being mortally wounded , & thus recomforted him , saying , O Doctor Bohune what a disaster is this ; the noble Doctor no whit exanimated , replyed ; Fight it out braue man , the cause is good , and Lord receiue my soule .