s of either part
offering and showing great courtesy one to another, and promising great
amity upon all sides. Howbeit, as the sequel showed, the Spaniards
meant nothing less upon their parts. For the Viceroy and the governor
thereabout had secretly on land assembled to the number of one thousand
chosen men, and well appointed, meaning the next Thursday, being the
24th of September, at dinner time to assault us, and set upon us on all
sides. But before I go any further, I think it not amiss briefly to
describe the manner of the island as it then was, and the force and
strength that it is now of. For the Spaniards, since the time of our
General's being there, for the better fortifying of the same place,
have upon the same island built a fair castle and bulwark very well
fortified; this port was then, at our being there, a little island of
stones, not past three foot above water in the highest place, and not
past a bow's shot over any way at the most, and it standeth from the
mainland two bow-shots or more, and there is not in all this coast any
other place for ships safely to arrive at; also the north winds in this
coast are of great violence and force, and unless the ships be safely
moored in, with their anchors fastened in this island, there is no
remedy, but present destruction and shipwreck. All this our General,
wisely foreseeing, did provide that he would have the said island in
his custody, or else the Spaniards might at their pleasure have but cut
our cables, and so with the first north wind that blew we had had our
passport, for our ships had gone ashore. But to return to the matter.
The time approaching that their treason must be put in practice, the
same Thursday morning, some appearance thereof began to show itself, as
shifting of weapons from ship to ship, and planting and bending their
ordnance against our men that warded upon the land with great repair of
people; which apparent shows of breach of the Viceroy's faith caused
our General to send one to the Viceroy to inquire of him what was meant
thereby, who presently sent and gave order that the ordnance aforesaid
and other things of suspicion should be removed, returning answer to
our General in the faith of a Viceroy that he would be our defence and
safety from all villainous treachery. This was upon Thursday, in the
morning. Our General not being therewith satisfied, seeing they had
secretly conveyed a great number of men aboard a great hulk or shi