s; that as there be in the voyage
a great many poor men, who have willingly adventured their lives and
travails, and divers amongst them having spent their apparel and such
other little provisions as their small means might have given them leave
to prepare, which being done upon such good and allowable intention as
this action hath always carried with it (meaning, against the Spaniard,
our greatest and most dangerous enemy), so surely we cannot but have an
inward regard, so far as may lie in us, to help them in all good sort
towards the satisfaction of this their expectation; and by procuring
them some little benefit to encourage them, and to nourish this ready
and willing disposition of theirs, both in them and in others by their
example, against any other time of like occasion. But because it may be
supposed that herein we forget not the private benefit of ourselves, and
are thereby the rather moved to incline ourselves to this composition,
we do therefore think good for the clearing ourselves of all such
suspicion, to declare hereby, that what part or portion soever it be of
this ransom or composition for Carthagena which should come unto us,
we do freely give and bestow the same wholly upon the poor men who
have remained with us in the voyage (meaning as well the sailor as the
soldier), wishing with all our hearts it were such or so much as might
see a sufficient reward for their painful endeavour. And for the firm
confirmation thereof, we have thought meet to subsign these presents
with our own hands in the place and time aforesaid.
'Captain Christopher Charlie, Lieutenant-General; Captain Goring,
Captain Sampson, Captain Powell, etc.'
But while we were yet there, it happened one day that our watch called
the sentinel, upon the church-steeple, had discovered in the sea
a couple of small barks or boats, making in with the harbour of
Carthagena. Whereupon Captain Moon and Captain Varney, with John Grant,
the master of the Tiger, and some other seamen, embarked themselves in a
couple of small pinnaces, to take them before they should come nigh the
shore, at the mouth of the harbour, lest by some straggling Spaniards
from the land, they might be warned by signs from coming in. Which fell
out accordingly, notwithstanding all the diligence that our men could
use: for the Spanish boats, upon the sight of our pinnaces coming
towards them, ran themselves ashore, and so their men presently hid
themselves in bushes hard by
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