t oil,
vinegar, olives, and other such-like provisions, as excellent wheat-meal
packed up in wine-pipes and other cask, and other commodities likewise,
as woollen and linen cloth and some silks; all which provisions are
brought out of Spain, and served us for great relief. There was but a
little plate or vessel of silver, in comparison of the great pride in
other things of this town, because in these hot countries they use much
of those earthen dishes finely painted or varnished, which they call
_porcellana_, which is had out of the East India; and for their drinking
they use glasses altogether, whereof they make excellent good and fair
in the same place. But yet some plate we found, and many other good
things, as their household garniture, very gallant and rich, which had
cost them dear, although unto us they were of small importance.

From St. Domingo we put over to the main or firm land, and, going all
along the coast, we came at last in sight of Carthagena, standing upon
the seaside, so near as some of our barks in passing alongst approached
within the reach of their culverin shot, which they had planted upon
certain platforms. The harbour-mouth lay some three miles toward the
westward of the town, whereinto we entered at about three or four of
the clock in the afternoon without any resistance of ordnance or other
impeachment planted upon the same. In the evening we put ourselves on
land towards the harbour-mouth, under the leading of Master Carlile, our
Lieutenant-General. Who, after he had digested us to march forward about
midnight, as easily as foot might fall, expressly commanded us to keep
close by the sea-wash of the shore for our best and surest way; whereby
we were like to go through, and not to miss any more of the way, which
once we had lost within an hour after our first beginning to march,
through the slender knowledge of him that took upon him to be our guide,
whereby the night spent on, which otherwise must have been done by
resting. But as we came within some two miles of the town, their
horsemen, which were some hundred, met us, and, taking the alarm,
retired to their townward again upon the first volley of our shot that
was given them; for the place where we encountered being woody and
bushy, even to the waterside, was unmeet for their service.

At this instant we might hear some pieces of artillery discharged, with
divers small shot, towards the harbour; which gave us to understand,
according