In the middle of January, Anno 1626. Henrickszoon Sailing about the North of Porto Rico, steer’d to Dominico, and from thence along the Isles Martinigo, Luzia, and the Promontory De tres Puntas, towards the Island Margarita, where Landing, and Storming the Castle on the Land-side with fifteen Men, he gain’d the first Breastworks; but the Spaniards stopping up the Way along which they were to return, they had without doubt been all slain, had not the Captains Stapel and Estienne come to their assistance; for the Spaniards seeing them climbing up the Bulwarks, betook them to their Heels, after they had kill’d nine of the fore-mention’d fifteen, amongst whom were the Captains Urk and Molkman: of those that leap’d over into the Ditch most part escap’d; those few that were taken inform’d the Hollanders, That the Way towards the Village, inhabited by Spaniards, was every where stopt up with Barricado’s, through which none were able to pass. Henrickszoon thus become Master of the Fort, sent the Booty which he had gotten there, together with three Brass, and five Iron Guns, aboard of his Ship, blew up the Fort, burnt all the Houses, and ran into the Haven Muchina, to which he gave the Denomination of Port Maurice; where, besides a great number of dry’d Fish, he took forty Tun of Salt out of one Salt-pit. After this he taking in fresh Provisions at St. Fe, discover’d Aves, a low Isle full of high Trees, took above two hundred Sheep, and abundance of red Wood on Bonaire, and before the Coast a Spanish Frigat richly laden, made Inspections into the Havens of Hispaniola and Jamaica; from whence he fell back on the Coast of Porto Rico, about the Island Mona, where discovering four Spanish Ships, he took three of them, and burnt the fourth; he also got abundance of Tortoises and Crocodiles on the great Caiman, and took a new Ship between the little sandy Isles Caios, as also before Cuba a Barque, which inform’d him, That the Fleet from the Honduras, as also that from New Spain, was daily expected at Havana: Thence Sailing into the Haven Cabannas, he took a new Vessel of a hundred Tun, and abundance of Timber and Carpenters Tools on the Shore; he Landed also with seven hundred Men on the East-side of the Haven, from whence he march’d along a narrow Path a League up into the Countrey, where he found a running Stream, Pastures full of Cattel, and a Village, the Inhabitants whereof being warn’d by the Barking of their Dogs, fled, and left all manner of fresh Provisions to the Hollanders, viz. above two thousand Oranges, abundance of Lemmons, Bananas, Hogs, Calves, and Bacon; all which having sent aboard, they burnt the Village: After this they took a Spanish Barque before Havana, as also a Ship laden with Timber, another Barque with Poultry, Cochenile, Money, and Haberdashery Ware, one Vessel with live Tortoises, and another, full of Salt, dry’d Fish, and some Merchandise. While the Fleet was thus Cruising up and down before Havana, the Admiral Henrickszoon dy’d; a Man of most approv’d Valor, and of great Conduct: After which Adrian Cheszoon carry’d the Flag; but the Men mutinying about the dividing of the Provisions, which began to grow very scarce, all things fell into great disorder; the Seamen rebell’d against their Commanders, saying, That they had been out long enough, and that they would not stay waiting any longer for the Fleet from New Spain or Honduras: Wherefore steering Home, they all arriv’d safe at the Texel and other places in Holland.
In our foregoing Relation we have given you an Account of the Fleet which came to assist the City of St. Salvador, divided into two Squadrons; eighteen Sail Boudewyn Henrickszoon kept under his Command, and twelve Sail remain’d in the Admiral Veron’s Squadron, who Sail’d to the Inlet Serre Leona, where he found the Admiral John Dirkszoon Lam with three Ships, which had lay’n there above two Moneths, by reason of the Sickness amongst the Seamen.
A strange kind of Baboon.
Frambore, King of this Place, granted Lam and Veron free liberty to Hunt, and to gather as many Oranges and Lemmons as they pleas’d, with which the Seamen were so refresh’d, that they set Sail again, and amongst many other things carry’d a Baboon with them from Sierra Leona, which so exactly resembled a Man, that it was wonderful to behold, having a Body, Hands, Eyes, Ears, Feet, and Actions like a Man, smoak’d Tobacco amongst the Seamen, made a noise like a Child when beaten. The Inhabitants of Sierra Leona, where these Monsters run in great Companies through the Woods, believe that the Souls of the Deceased reside in them.
John de Laet, in his annual Journal of the Transactions of the West-India Company, affirms, That he saw a Female of these monstrous Creatures, which usually had her monethly Flowers.
The Hollanders ill success before the Castle Del Mine.
The Fleet, as is before mention’d, Sailing from Sierra Leona, came to an Anchor at Commany, and Landed twelve hundred Men at Poquena, besides a hundred and fifty Negro’s; which Regiment Andries Veron and Arend Jacobszoon carry’d to the Castle Del Mine, whither they before sent a Company, Commanded by Hans Gryf, to prevent the Sallies of the Enemy. The Hollanders tir’d and thirsty, Encamp’d themselves near the Fort, and whilest some of the Men were seeking for Water, others smoaking Tobacco, and lying without their Arms and in disorder on the Ground, and the Commanders were taking a view of the Fort from a neighboring Hill, two hundred Negro’s fell upon the scatter’d Army with great rage and fury, and so much the greater, in regard the Portuguese had promis’d them great sums of Money for every Hollander they kill’d: never any Army was in such a distraction, they being dispers’d and kill’d like so many Sheep, the Admiral Veron and all the Officers slain, and in a short time four hundred and forty Men cut off; and had not Captain Arend Jacobszoon been in League with the Inhabitants of Commany, whither the routed Regiments fled, not one Man had escap’d that bloody Slaughter: Nor was it to much purpose to Besiege the Castle Del Mine, because the Bullets hitting against the Walls of the Castle, built all of Rock-stones, did no Execution. But the four Ships inform’d of this miserable destruction, fell down to Commany, to fetch those that were left alive, and return’d home with the other eleven.
During the unfortunate Expedition of this Fleet, the West-India Company fitted out nine great Ships and five Ketches in the beginning of the Year 1626. under the Command of Peter Peterszoon Hein, to Cruise for the Spanish Ships that were expected from New Spain and Honduras.
The Fox Frigat being sent before to inform Henrickszoon of Heyn’s coming, reach’d about the latter end of May beyond the Isles Dominico, Guadalupa, Mevis, St. Christophers, and by Santa Crux; there not finding a Harbor on the South-side, because of the Rocks, she Sail’d from Mona over to the Main Coast, where seven Leagues Westward of Carakess, he discover’d a high broken Land, whose Mountains seem’d to reach to the Clouds; from thence she steer’d to the Promontory Caldera, the Isles Margareta and Coche, on which last he took abundance of Goats, not without the loss of forty six Men, kill’d by the Spaniards and Indians.
Mean while the Admiral Peter Heyn, in the beginning of June, Sail’d to the Southward of Barbados, an Island pretty mountainous, as hath been formerly mention’d, and full of Woods, and by Martinino, whose Hills are very high and overgrown with Trees. Here Peter Heyn could get nothing else but sweet Water, and a Fruit resembling a green Grape, which grew on a round Leav’d Tree, whose Juice cur’d the Scurvey. Sailing from hence, and Landing on Guadalupa, he found a Canoo seven Fathom long and one broad, and cut out of one Tree. The Inhabitants, a well timber’d People, went stark naked, and desir’d to be excus’d, that they could not furnish the Hollanders with more Provisions, because the French and English, Inhabitants of St. Christophers, had pillag’d them.