nd anil. They here
landing, burnt the town, the church, and the custom-house, in which
latter they found six hundred bags of anil, to dye cloth, each bag being
worth forty crowns, and four hundred bags of cocoas, each worth ten
crowns. These cocoas served in the country both for food and money, one
hundred and fifty of them being valued at one real of silver. They
resemble an almond in appearance, but are not so pleasant in taste. The
people both eat them and make a drink of them. This appears to be the
first time the English met with the berry now in such general use.
After various adventures on shore, the vessels came off the haven of
Puerto de Navidad, when thirty of the crew went on shore in the pinnace.
They here surprised a mulatto in his bed, who was travelling with
letters warning the people along the coast of the proceedings of the
English. His letters were captured, his horse killed, and the houses of
the town set on fire, as also were two new ships on the stocks, of two
hundred tons each; but the messenger was allowed to go free.

On the morning of the 9th of September Cavendish sent Captain Havers
with forty men on shore, and under the guidance of Michael Sancius they
made their way two leagues up the country. Here they surprised three
householders, with their wives and children, and some Indians, a
carpenter, who was a Spaniard, and a Portuguese.

They were all bound and compelled to accompany the seamen to the beach.
The wives were here set at liberty on condition of obtaining a supply of
plantains, lemons, oranges, pineapples, and other fruits, of which, in a
short time, they brought a large supply. On this they and their
husbands were allowed to depart, but Sembrano, the Spanish carpenter,
and Diego, the Portuguese, were detained to make themselves useful on
board.

Crossing the Tropic of Cancer, the English came to an anchor off a
little island a league to the northward of Mapatalan. Here one of their
prisoners escaped by swimming across to the mainland, a distance of a
mile. They were now in great want of water, and on first landing did
not believe that it could be found on the island; but one of their
Spanish prisoners, called Flores, told them that if they would dig in
the sand they could procure it. This they did, and after getting down
about three feet, it bubbled up in such profusion that they in a short
time were able to fill all their casks.

They remained here until the 9th of Oc