n idols, and sich noxious trade, as ever was a
wheat-rick of rats. I mind the fight off Brest in the French wars--Oh,
that was a fight, surely!--when the Regent and the French Carack were
burnt side by side, being fast grappled, you see, because of Sir Thomas
Knivet; and Captain Will gave him warning as he ran a-past us, saying,
says he--"

"But," said Amyas, seeing that the old man was wandering away, "what do
you mind about America?"

"America? I should think so! But I was a-going to tell you of the
Regent--and seven hundred Englishmen burnt and drowned in her, and nine
hundred French in the Brest ship, besides what we picked up. Oh dear!
But about America."

"Yes, about America. How are you the father of all the captains?"

"How? you ask my young master! Why, before the fifteen thirty, I was up
the Plate with Cabot (and a cruel fractious ontrustful fellow he was,
like all they Portingals), and bid there a year and more, and up the
Paraguaio with him, diskivering no end; whereby, gentles, I was the
first Englishman, I hold, that ever sot a foot on the New World, I was!"

"Then here's your health, and long life, sir!" said Amyas and Cary.

"Long life? Iss, fegs, I reckon, long enough a'ready! Why, I mind the
beginning of it all, I do. I mind when there wasn't a master mariner
to Plymouth, that thought there was aught west of the Land's End except
herrings. Why, they held them, pure wratches, that if you sailed right
west away far enough, you'd surely come to the edge, and fall over
cleve. Iss--'Twas dark parts round here, till Captain Will arose; and
the first of it I mind was inside the bar of San Lucar, and he and I
were boys about a ten year old, aboord of a Dartmouth ship, and went
for wine, and there come in over the bar he that was the beginning of it
all."

"Columbus?"

"Iss, fegs, he did, not a pistol-shot from us; and I saw mun stand on
the poop, so plain as I see you; no great shakes of a man to look
to nether; there's a sight better here, to plase me, and we was
disappointed, we lads, for we surely expected to see mun with a goolden
crown on, and a sceptre to a's hand, we did, and the ship o' mun all
over like Solomon's temple for gloory. And I mind that same year, too,
seeing Vasco da Gama, as was going out over the bar, when he found
the Bona Speranza, and sailed round it to the Indies. Ah, that was the
making of they rascally Portingals, it was! . . . And our crew told what
they seen and heerd: