the Spaniards were gone from the
fort; offering either to remain in hands there, or else to return to
the place with them that would go. [The 'Prince of Orange's Song' was a
popular ditty in praise of William Prince of Orange (assassinated 1584),
the leader of the Dutch Protestant insurgents.]

Upon this intelligence the General, the Lieutenant-General, with some of
the captains in one skiff and the Vice-Admiral with some others in his
skiff, and two or three pinnaces furnished of soldiers with them,
put presently over towards the fort, giving order for the rest of the
pinnaces to follow. And in our approach some of the enemy, bolder than
the rest, having stayed behind their company, shot off two pieces of
ordnance at us; but on shore we went, and entered the place without
finding any man there.

When the day appeared, we found it built all of timber, the walls being
none other than whole masts or bodies of trees set upright and close
together in manner of a pale, without any ditch as yet made, but wholly
intended with some more time. For they had not as yet finished all their
work, having begun the same some three or four months before; so as, to
say the truth, they had no reason to keep it, being subject both to fire
and easy assault.

The platform whereon the ordnance lay was whole bodies of long
pine-trees, whereof there is great plenty, laid across one on another
and some little earth amongst. There were in it thirteen or fourteen
great pieces of brass ordnance and a chest unbroken up, having in it the
value of some two thousand pounds sterling, by estimation, of the king's
treasure, to pay the soldiers of that place, who were a hundred and
fifty men.

The fort thus won, which they called St. John's Fort, and the day
opened, we assayed to go to the town, but could not by reason of some
rivers and broken ground which was between the two places. And therefore
being enforced to embark again into our pinnaces, we went thither upon
the great main river, which is called, as also the town, by the name of
St. Augustine. At our approaching to land, there were some that began
to shew themselves, and to bestow some few shot upon us, but presently
withdrew themselves. And in their running thus away, the Sergeant-Major
finding one of their horses ready saddled and bridled, took the same
to follow the chase; and so overgoing all his company, was by one laid
behind a bush shot through the head; and falling down therewith, was