vs. We tacked and ranne into the weather of the Admirall, and
three more of his company, and when we were neere him we spake to him, but
he would not answere. [Sidenote: The fight.] Then we cast about and lay in
the weather of him; and casting about he shot at vs, and then wee shot at
him, and shot him foure or fiue times thorow. They shot diuers times thorow
our sailes, but hurt no man. The Tyger and the pinnesse, because it was
night, kept out their sailes, and would not meddle with them. After we had
thus fought together 2 houres or more, and would not lay him aboord because
it was night, we left shooting one at the other, and kept still the weather
of them. Then the Tyger and the pinnesse kept about and came to vs, and
afterwards being neere the shore, we three kept about and lay to the sea,
and shot off a piece to giue warning to the Christopher.
This night about 12 of the clocke, being very litle winde, and the Master
of the Tyger asleepe, by the ill worke of his men the ship fel aboord of
vs, and with her sheare-hooks cut our maine-saile, and her boat being
betwixt vs was broken and suncke, with certaine marchandise in her, and the
ships wales were broken with her outleger: yet in the ende we cleared her
without any more hurt, but she was in hazzard to be broken downe to the
water.
The second day we had sight of the Christopher, and were neere vnto her, so
that I tooke our boat and went to her. And when I came thither, they shewed
me, that after the Portugals had left vs, they went all roome with him, and
about twelue a clocke at night met him, and shot at him, and hee at them,
and they shot him thorow the sailes in diuers places, and did no other
great hurt. And when we had vnderstood that they had bene with him as well
as with vs, we agreed altogether to seeke them (if wee might finde them)
and keepe a weather our places of traffique.
The third day we ran all day to the Southwestwards to seeke the Portugals,
but could haue no sight of them, and halled into the shore.
The fourth day, when we had sight of land, we found that the current had
set vs thirty leagues to the Eastwards of our reckoning, which we woondered
at: for the first land we made was Lagua. Then I caused our boat to be
manned, and the Christophers also, and went to the shore and tooke our
Negro with vs. And on shore we learned that there were foure French ships
vpon the coast: one at Perinnen, which is six leagues to the Westward of
Laguoa:
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