hor told me.] which did serve vs sixe
moneths at the sea, and when we came into Plimmouth it was much wondered
at, of the principal men of the towne, who said that there was not sweeter
water in any spring in Plimmouth. Thus doth God prouide for his creatures,
vnto whom be praise now and for euermore, Amen.

* * * * *

The voiage set forth by M. Iohn Newton, and M. Iohn Bird marchants of
London to the kingdome and Citie of Benin in Africa, with a ship called
the Richard of Arundell, and a pinnesse, in the yere 1588. briefly set
downe in this letter following, written by the chiefe Factor in the
voyage to the foresaid Marchants at the time of the ships first arriual
at Plimouth.

Worshipful Sirs, the discourse of our whole proceeding in this voyage wil
aske more time and a person in better health then I am at this present, so
that I trust you will pardon me, till my comming vp to you: in the meane
time let this suffice. Whereas we departed in the moneth of December from
the coast of England with your good ship the Richard of Arundell and the
pinnesse, we held on our direct course towards our appointed port, and the
14 day of Februarie following we arriued in the hauen of Benin, where we
found not water enough to carry the ship ouer the barre, so that we left
her without in the road, and with the pinnesse and ship boat, into which we
had put the chiefest of our marchandise, [Sidenote: Goto in Benin.] we went
vp the riuer to a place called Goto, where we arriued the 20 of February,
the foresaid Goto being the neerest place that we could come to by water,
to go for Benin. [Sidenote: The great citie of Benin.] From thence we
presently sent Negroes to the king, to certifie him of our arriuall, and of
the cause of our comming thither: who returned to vs againe the 22 day with
a noble man in their company to bring vs vp to the Citie, and with 200
Negroes to carrie our commodities: hereupon the 23 day we deliuered our
marchandize to the Kings Factor, and the 25 day we came to the Citie of
Benin, where we were well intertained: The sixe and twenty day we went to
the Court to haue spoken with the king, which (by reason of a solemne feast
then kept amongst them) we could not doe: but yet we spake with his
Veadore, or chiefe man, that hath the dealing with the Christians: and we
conferred with him concerning our trading, who answered vs, that we should
have all thing to our desire, both in p