le Hydra, who hitherto flattred with him, and made
him a faire countenance and shew of loue. Then did he take vpon him to
command all alone, setting nought both by captain Pinteado, and the rest of
the marchants factors, sometimes with opprobrious words, and sometimes with
threatnings most shamfully abusing them, taking from Pinteado the seruice
of the boies and certain mariners that were assigned him by the order and
direction of the worshipful merchants, and leauing him as a common mariner,
which is the greatest despite and grief that can be to a Portugale or
Spaniard, to be diminished of their honor, which they esteem aboue all
riches. Thus sailing forward on their voiage, they came to the Ilands of
Canarie, continuing their course from thence vntil they arriued at the
Iland of S. Nicholas, where they victualled themselues with fresh meat, of
the flesh of wild goats, whereof is great plenty in that Iland, and in
maner of nothing els. From hence following on their course and tarying here
and there at the desert Ilands in the way, because they would not come too
timely to the countrey of Guinea for the heat, and tarying somewhat too
long (for what can be well ministred in a common wealth, where inequalitie
with tyrannie wil rule alone) they came at the length to the first land of
the country of Guinea, where they fel with the great riuer of Sesto, where
they might for their marchandizes haue laden their ships with the graines
of that countrey, which is a very hote fruit, and much like vnto a fig as
it groweth on the tree. For as the figs are full of small seeds, so is the
said fruit full of graines, which are loose within the cod, hauing in the
mids thereof a hole on euery side. This kind of spice is much vsed in cold
countries, and may there be sold for great aduantage, for exchange of other
wares. But our men, by the perswasion or rather inforcement of this
tragicall captaine, not regarding and setting light by that commoditie, in
comparison of the fine gold they thirsted, sailed an hundred leagues
further, vntil they came to the golden land: where not attempting to come
neere the castle pertaining to the king of Portugall, which was within the
riuer of Mina, they made sale of their ware only on this side and beyond
it, for the gold of that country, to the quantitie of an hundred and fiftie
pounds weight, there being in case that they might haue dispatched all
their ware for gold, if the vntame braine of Windam had, or c