§ I.
Andrew Battel, his Voyage to the River of Plate, who being taken on the coast of Brasill, was sent to Angola.
[From the Thames to Cape Palmas.]
N the year 1589, Abraham Cocke[9] of Limehouse, began his voyage toward the River of Plate, with two pinnaces[10] of fifty tons apiece: the one was called the May-Morning, the other the Dolphin.
We sailed from the river Thames the twentieth of April; and the six and twentieth of the same month we put into Plimmoth [Plymouth], where we took in some provision for the voyage. The seventh of May we put to sea, and with foul weather were beaten back again into Plimmoth, where we remained certain days, and then proceded on our voyage: And running along the coast of Spain and Barbary we put into the road of Sancta Cruz,[11] and there set our Light-horse-man[12] together which we carried in two pieces. Abraham Cocke made great account hereof, thinking that this boat should have made his voyage. This done, we put to sea, and running along the coast of Guinea we were becalmed, because we were so near the coast.
[St. Thomé and the Gulf of Guinea.]
Here our men fell sick of the scurvy, in such sort, that there were very few sound. And being within three or four degrees of the equinoctial line we fell with the Cape de las Palmas, where we had some refreshing, wherewith our men recovered. The people of the Cape de las Palmas [Cabo das Palmas] made much of us, saying that they would trade with us; but it was but to betray us, for they are very treacherous, and were like to have taken our boat, and hurt some of our men. From this Cape we lay south-west off;[13] but the current and the calms deceived us, so that we were driven down to the isle of St. Thomé,[14] thinking that we had been further off to the Sea than we were. And being in distress for wood and water, we went in on the south end between San Tome and the islands das Rolas,[15] where we rode very smooth, and with our light-horse-man went on shore, thinking to have watered, but we found none in the island. Here we had great store of plantains and oranges. We found a village of negroes, which are sent from San Tome, for the Portugals of San Tome do use, when their slaves be sick or weak, to send them thither to get their strength again. For the islands are very fruitful, and though there be no fresh water, yet they maintain themselves with the wine of the palm-trees. Having refreshed ourselves with the fruit of this island, we burned the village. And running on the east side of San Tome we came before the town;[16] but we durst not come near, for the castle shot at us, which hath very good ordnance in it.
Then we lay east and by south toward the main, and in four and twenty hours we had sight of the Cape de Lopo Gonsalves:[17] and being within three leagues of the said cape we cast about and stood again toward the island of San Tome, and turned up on the west side of the island; and coming to a little river, which runneth out of the mountains, we went on shore with our Light-horse-man, with six or seven butts to fill with water. But the governor had ambushed one hundred men of the island; and when we were on shore they came upon us, and killed one of our men and hurt another: wherefore we retired to our boat and got aboard.