nd report to us, which we leave to your good discretion. We
also request, that you will aid and assist our factors on all occasions,
both with your advice and otherwise; and thus God send you safely to
return.

SECTION VIII.

_Voyage to Guinea in 1562, written by William Rutter_[284].

This relation is said by Hakluyt to have been written by _one_ William
Rutter, to his master Anthony Hickman, being an account of a voyage to
Guinea in 1562, fitted out by Sir William Gerard, Sir William Chester,
Thomas Lodge, Anthony Hickman, and Edward Castelin. Three of these are
named in the preceding section as adventurers in the voyage proposed to
have gone under John Lok, and two of those former adventurers are here
omitted, while two others seem now to have supplied their places, yet it
appears to have been the same adventure, as the Minion was the ship
employed, notwithstanding the unfavourable report made of her by Lok.
But it would appear that the Primrose was likewise of this voyage, as
this relation is contained in a letter from Rutter to his master, dated
on board the Primrose, 16th of August 1563.--E.

[Footnote 284: Hakluyt, II. 516. Astley, I. 177.]

* * * * *

Worshipful Sir,--My duty remembered, this shall serve to inform you of
our voyage, since our departure from Dartmouth on the 25th February
1562, of which I then gave you notice. Having prosperous wind, we
arrived at Cape Verd on the 20th of March, whence we sailed along the
coast, to our first appointed port at Rio de Sestos, where we arrived on
the morning of the 3d April. We here saw a French ship, which
immediately made sail to leeward, and we came to anchor in the road.
While we merchants were on shore engaged in traffic, the French ship
returned and hailed [_saluted_] our ship with his ordnance. We were
informed by the negroes that the Frenchman had been trading there for
three days before our arrival, and we concluded, if he sent his boat on
shore again for trade, that we would not suffer him till we had
conferred with his captain and merchants. Accordingly his pinnace came
on shore in the afternoon, but we desired them not to trade till we had
spoken with their captain and merchants, whom we desired might come that
night on board our admiral for that purpose. They did so accordingly,
when Mr Burton and John Munt went on board the Minion, where the
Frenchmen were, and it was determined that they should wait eight days