The 12. day of Iuly sailing thus with great variety of wind, vnder the great Iland Teneriffa, the day appearing, we had the wind more certain, filling our topsailes with a full gale from the Northwest: And when it was faire day light we saw our fleet scattered far one from another, by meanes of the foresaid mutable windes. Some ships lay driuing by reason of the calme, and other some had a little gale, but the most part of our fleet were West of vs, towards whom with all speed, we with the rest of the ships made. Being al come together, wee endeuored to reach the Ilande Gomera, wherein is a little towne: towardes the euening many of our ships were neere the Iland, but the most part were to the lee ward; so that before it grew toward the euening none of vs could come neere the towne. Notwithstanding in the twilight and shutting vp of the euening: Ian Garbrantson Admirall of the white flag, his vize Admirall, and a Pinnace following, were come neere the town. Thus the Admirall sayling so neere to the Iland, they of Gomera discharged 2. pieces at him, but touched him not. The saide Admirall seeing this, passed on a little farther with the other ships which were neere him, and then tooke in their sailes, and cast their anchors. The other ships which were behinde, laboured all they might to come also vnder the Iland to them.
The 13. of Iuly, the Admirall of the white flag lying thus at anchor neere to Gomera, the greatest part of the fleete were yet in the morning betweene the Iland of Teneriffa and Gomera, so that parte of the ships were beyonde the towne, and must sometimes cast about to conducte the others in, which were in the lee of vs. When wee had nowe for the most part passed the hight of the Iland, the Generall gaue a signe to all captaines to come aboorde him, being vnder saile, directing his course to the Iland of Gomera, and the other ships did their endeuour to follow him and anchored about the necke of the valley, lying North North East off the towne. The ships being all come to anchor, the captaines entered presently into the long boates, and aboorde the Generall to know his minde: and after they had beene a while in the Generals ship, they returned to their ships, and 4. companies of souldiours were chosen out, and landed in the valley. Which done, al the ships waied their anchors, and sailed directly toward the towne, and then came to anchor againe. After that all our ships lay thus together in the road neere the valley, before the town: we discharged certaine peeces against the town, but they made no shewe at all of resistaunce, for they had buried foure brasse peeces as soone as they had sight of vs, which lay on the strond neere vnto a small castle; the other sixe companies were also set on land in the long boates, without any resistance: for the Spaniardes with their wiues, children, and all their goods whiche they coulde carry with them were fled into the mountains. [Sidenote: The towne of Gomera abandoned by the Spaniards.] The first 4. companies that were landed, as they marched along the hils side towards the towne, perceiuing that the enemy fled with all his goods towards the hils, sent out a certaine number of soldiours to intercept them, and to take from them the goods which they caried away. And to accomplish this enterprise, our souldiours descended the hill into the valley, meaning suddainly to set vpon the Spaniardes; but the enemie perceiuing their intent, hid themselues in caues which were neere vnto them, vntill our souldiours were in the valley. The Spaniardes perceiuing that they were strong enough to encounter with our people, suddainly leapt out of their dens, and beset our souldiours on both sides. [Sidenote: Eighty Netherlanders and diuers Spaniards slaine.] Our people seeing themselues thus compassed with their enemies, behaued themselues most valiantly, so that many of the Spaniards lost their liues, and 80. of ours were slaine in this valley: among whom were 2. Lieutenants (the one was Meerbecks sonne, and the other was Lieutenant to captaine Bynon) which had receiued aboue 50. wounds in their bodies, so pittifullie were they massacred, thus were these worthie champions intercepted. The rest of those 4. companies, which were not present at this fury of the Spaniardes, towardes the euening, descended the hills, and marched into the towne. Presently after this, watch was appointed in al places of the towne, and some of the soldiours began to dig the ground, to seeke for such goods as the Spaniardes had buried, but at that instant they founde nothing, except only certain pipes of wine.
About the sunne setting was brought in a Spanish prisoner, which was de deliuered to the Prouest marshal, by the Generals commandement, to the end he might bring them to all such places in the Ilande, whereas the Spaniardes had hidden their goods: But because nothing could then be effected by reason that the euening approched, and it began, to bee too dark, the Spaniard was committed to a keeper vntil the next morning for the purpose aforesaide. But the night being far spent, and the keeper taking small regard to his charge, the Spaniard secretlie stole awaie and ran to the mountaines.
The 14. of Iuly, in the morning the long boates rowed againe to the shore, and caried aboorde such goods as the enemy had left behind them, which for the most, part were wines, for they had caried clean awaie all other things into the mountains, and had left almost nothing in the towne, but only the wines which they had buried in the earth: In the afternoone our people found 3. bels, which they had buried in the fields, where corne had growne.
The 15. of Iuly in the morning our people running vp to the hils 10. or 12. in a company to hunt and seeke for pillage were suddainly inuironed by the enemy, and 6. or 8. of them slaine; the rest saued themselues by flight. About noone there was a generall muster taken of all the soldiours, to see how many wee had lost: and such ships as were appointed to returne home, began to deliuer out the victuals. The same day were two copper peeces founde: whereof the one was 16. foot and halfe long, and the other about 14. foot.
The 16. day in the morning the Lord Generall gaue notice to all captaines to resort to him aboord his ship, because some of the captaines had not sent victuals vnto the soldiors that were on land, whereby they suffered hunger, and sundry of the soldiours had complained to the General thereof: At afternoone, the enemy came to the hill which lieth ouer the towne, crying and calling vnto our men to come and fetch againe their muskets, and towards the euening many marriners with their weapons landed, and at that instant also all things were ordered to march very early the next morning vp the hils to fetch againe our muskets, caliuers, and other weapons, which the Spaniards before had in mockery, and gibing wise willed vs to fetch from them. But now when all things were ordered for this seruice: the same night arose a strong gale of winde, encreasing more and more, that in the ende it grewe to a mightie tempest, that notwithstanding our fleet did ride vnder the Iland Gomera in the road before the towne, some were forced to way their anchors and to put to sea, to preuent the mischiefe like to happen to the ships, by reason they lay so neere one another. And when those shipps were a little way in the Sea, they cast their anchors, and there remained. By this occasion the generals aforesaid enterprise was kept backe: we iudging it as a warning, that the Generall should spare and preserue his people from the bloud-thirsty Spaniards, which had their holes and dens in the hils, and perhaps might haue taken away many of our liues. And heere by the way; by the name of the Iland Canaria, the Spaniards may rightly bee called Canarians or Canes, for Canaria is by interpretation, dogs kinde, for they ran as swift as dogs, and were as tyrannicall and bloud thirsty as the rauening Wolfe, or any other wild beast, which they sufficiently manifested, for as soon as they could lay handes on any of our people (like vnto mad curs, agreeing with their name Canarians) they would presently woary them.
The 17. this hurtfull night ended, and the tempest ouer passed, and alaid, the couragious soldiors were all in redines, desirous to execute this peece of seruice, exspecting and desiring nothing more, then to march vp the hils, and to incounter their idolotrous enemies. But vpon good consideration, this enterprise was staied, and some 300. soldiours sent into the same valley, where 3. daies before our people had beene suddainly compassed, intrapped, and slaine by the Spaniards. Our soldiours being come to the valley aforesaid found no resistance, neither could once see a Spaniard; but found a smal peece of brasse about a fadome long, and two barrels of gunpowder; and when our souldiours perceiued that there was no good to bee done (forbearing to mount the hils, because they had no commission so to do) with such thinges as they had they returned to the towne. The euening now approaching, the Generall commanded to carry aboord the ships, such goods as they had there found, and digged out of the ground, which was accordingly done and accomplished, among which things were three brasse peeces, some bels and other goods.
Sunday the 18. of Iuly, we remained at anchor in the road of the Iland
Gomera.
Munday the 19. of Iuly, remaining yet in the Iland Gomera, and seeing that the Spaniardes continued in their secret holes, and dens of the mountaines, wee set fire on the towne, and as neere as we could burnt down all places, as Cloisters churches, hermitages and houses, remaining yet in the towne vntill it was noone. After that all this was accomplished: we the vnited soldiours forsooke the towne, and presently the Lord General, with al his company, went aboord the ships. Thus we left the Iland Gomera burning, which was neuer before done by any nation. The Spaniardes seeing that the soldiours were departed out of the Iland, with all speed possible, in great heapes came running out of their secret caues and holes, to quench the fire, like as they of Allegona in the Iland of great Canaria before had done.
Wednesday the 20. of Iuly, we lay stil in the road before Gomera, in this time 2. of our soldiours were put into captain Cloiers ship, and in lew of them, we receiued out of his ship 2. others, which were hurt, with two Spaniards.