Noe Master, quoth I, what is it you can not comaunde them to doe, beinge Master of the shippe! Strike the sayles, but it colde not be don for the yeardes weare alonge[1540] before hande, and the Toppes and Shrowdes manned, and the Master sayde they wolde doe nothinge for him.
To appease this Mutanie I came amonge them myselfe saying, My masters, what soden Mutaine is this amonge you? colde not this have byn spoken of when we were neare the generall, yf any thinge had byn amys there yt had byn redressed; I wolde wishe you take a better corse then this for yt will not be answered. Wherewith for the whole company spake one Crowe, that they wolde not loose the wynde which was fayre and further theye wolde not goe.
I showed them also that for theire victualles there was in the shippe by the confession of the Pursur sufficient for 30 dayes, assuringe them also on my life that as sone as they came to the generall they sholde have a monthes victuall put abourde them presentlye.[1541] But theye cryed alowde they wolde all home, excepte some xii or xvi gentlemen and officers.
To perswade them the rather to staye I said moreover unto them, My Masters, I will nowe imparte unto you a matter which I thoughte to have secreyted untill another tyme, That there is an Island of greate ritches promysed to be delivered to our generall without the losse of one man, I praye you therefore staye and talke with him, and he will laye you downe such reason as shalbe to the contentacon of you all. Whereat one Cornelius one of the gunners said, Well, Captayne, at your requeste we will staye till nighte to speake with the generall, for the which I thanked them all hartylie; howbeit they presentely layde theire heades togither agayne and came with one voyce sayinge, the wynde is good, we will not staye, we will awaye, all! all! all! When I sawe the Mutaine so farre growen I requested Mr Boroughes that he wolde worke a meane with them to cause them staye, untill they cam to the generall that they might acknowledge him and departe in good order from him. They answered presentely that they wolde not staye for the generall for they knewe what order he wolde take with them.
In the moste of their mutanie I saide unto them, What! is there no honest man will acknowledge their generall, and therewith willed as many as wolde so doe to holde up their hands, which aboute xii or xvi gentlemen and officers did; the reste cryed, home! home!
Then I said, My masters, this plate[1542] hath byn layde before now by the principalles, not by the common sorte which will not be answered. Why, quoth Mr Boroughes, howe speake you that, meane you me? I answered, I wolde I knewe it were you, then wolde I sone tell you of it, but I am suer it is don by the principalles.
Whereupon I requested then I mighte be sett aborde the Quenes pinnis. They tolde me, Noe, that they colde carye me as safe into England as Sir Ffrauncis Drake colde. I answered I wolde never be caryed into England by such a company of unhonest persons as theye were.
Then I requested Mr Borughes that he wolde deale with the Company that I mighte departe for I knewe he might do it. My masters, said he, what unreasonable men are you, will you neither staye for the admyrall nor lett the man departe! Lett him departe for shame or elles staye for the admyrall, doe one of the two. Then said Crowe, well Captayne, if you saye the worde you shall goe; with that theye were contente.
Then once more I requested Mr Borughes as he was a gentleman and tendred the accon[1543] that he wolde deale once more with the company, for I knewe he might doe it, and promysed as I was a Christian that there sholde not one here of theire heddes perishe, Soe as theye wolde staye and speake with the generall.
He retorned to me agayne this answere, Captaine Marchaunt I have talked with them and theire answere is this, They have had many promises and little performance, therefore they will staye noe longer.