A true & exact history of the island of Barbados

by Richard Ligon

But before wee arive at our next Harbour, St Jago, one of the Iles of Cape Verd, and now revolted from the King of Spayne, to the Portugall; Let me tell you, one little observation I made of the Ships way; which in slacke windes, and darke nights, wee saw nothing under water, but darkenes; but in stiffe windes, and strong gayles, wee saw perfectly the keele of the Ship; and fishes playing underneath, as lighted by a torch, and yet the nights of equall darkenes. Which put me in mind of a poynt of Philosophy I had heard discourst of, among the Learned; That in the Ayer, Rough hard bodies, meeting with one another, by violent stroakes, Rarifie the Ayer, so as to make fire. So here, the ship being of a hard substance, and in a violent motion, meeting with the strong resistance of the waves: (who though they bee not hard, yet they are rough, by reason of their saltnes,) doe cause a light, though no fire, and I may guesse, that that light would bee fire, were it not quencht by the sea, in the instant it is made; which in his owne Element, hath the greater power and predominancie.

But before wee came to St Jago, wee were to have visited a small Iland called Soll; by the intreatie of a Portugall wee carried with us, whose name was Bernardo Mendes de Sousa; who pretended, to have a great part of the Iland (if not the whole) to bee his owne; but for that, it lay somewhat out of our waye, and wee could not recover it, by reason the winde was Crosse; and partly for that wee were informed by some of the Saylers, who told us it was uninhabited by any, but Goats, Dogs, and the like; and wee guest, hee would (out of a vaine glorie) shew us something that he Call’d his. But the Master, who well knew the Condition of the place, would not lose so much tyme to no purpose. Which gave some discontentment to the Portugall, which hee exprest in his Countenance, by a sullen dogged looke, till wee came to St Jago. But that was but a whetstone, to sharpen a worse humour hee was big with; for though our Merchants redeem’d him out of prison in London, intending him a Mayne director in the whole voyage; whose Credulous eares hee highly abused, by telling them, That the Padre Vagado (Chiefe Governour of St Jago) was his brother, and that by the power hee had with him, to lay all trade open, for Negroes, Horses, and Cattle, which were there Contrabanded goods; By which perswasion, they gave him the power and Command of the ship and goods. But hee intended nothing lesse then the performance of that trust, but instead of it, meant to make prey of both, and of our Liberties, and probably lives to boote, if wee had not bin verie wary of him.

The first thing wee perceiv’d in him, was a strange looke hee put on, when wee came nere the Iland; which caused us to suspect some great and bad designe hee was bent on, for being Iolly and very good Companie all the voyage, to change his Countenance when wee were nere the place where wee hop’d to enjoy our selves with happinesse and Contentment, was a presage of some evill intent to bee put in practice, which howerly wee expected; and were all at gaze what part of it was first to bee acted; which hee (more speedily then hee needed) discovered, and it was thus.

Our water, being a good part spent in our passage thither, and wee being to make new and large provisions for the remaynder of our Voyage, carrying horses and Cattle with us: which wee were to take in there; hee Commanded the Master by the power he had over him, to send a shoare all the emptie Caske hee had aboard; with intent to detayne them; and so make us comply, by little and little to his ends. But the Master absolutely denied the Landing our great Caske, but told him he would send our quarter Caskes, in our long boate, and so by making often returnes, to fill our Pipes & Buts. But finding himself at a losse in this designe, thought good to keepe us from any water at all; and so appointed our men, to dig in the valley under the Padres house, where he was well assured no Springs of water were to be found. But some of our men, who spoke good Spanish, by their enquiries heard, That there was a very good well on the other side of the hill, under the Castle, and were brought to the sight of it by some of the Country people; Which when he perceiv’d we had knowledge of, he was much out of Countenance, and used his best eloquence to make us beleeve he had never heard of that Well.

So finding that this practice would not serve his turne, he tryed another: and that was to command our Master, to carrie a shoare, that part of the Cargo soone that was consign’d for that place, which was Cloath, Bayes, Stuffes of severall kindes, Linen Cloath, Hats with broad brims, such as Spaniards use to weare, and were made in London purposely to put off there, and these goods being valued, when they were receiv’d at Land, there should be a returne made, in Horses, and Cattle. But as we had Cause to suspect him for the Cask, so wee had for the Cargo, and so return’d him this answer, that we would not land any of our goods, without receiving the like valew in Cattle; and so by parcells to receive the one, and deliver the other.

On which message, we sent the Purser of our ship, that spoke good Spanish; But Bernardo, being vext to the height that his Plot was discovered, kept him prisoner. We sent another to demand him which was like wise detayned, then we sent 3 or 4 more and some of the soldiers of the Castle gave fire upon them, Soe that wee resolv’d to weigh Anchor and put to Sea for a weeke or tenne dayes and returne in the night (the weather being darke and fitt for our purpose) and surprise the Padres house with 50 Musketeers which we could muster verie well of the Gentlemen and other passengers in the ship, and some of the Saylers, and take the Padre Vagado, and Bernardo Mendes de Sousa, and carrie them to the Barbados. But the Padre not knowing of this designe in Bernardo, sent to us a verie kind message inviting himselfe aboard our ship, receiving hostages from us, and soe upon treatie with him aboard, settled a trade, and got our prisoners releast; whereupon we were invited to his house or rather his Rocke, for it was most part of it form’d in a Rocke, with a steep and verie high precipice.

But I am mislead into this digression by this wicked Portugall, whose unlucky Countenance before we came to the Iland, gave me the occasion to say somewhat of him, and his miscariage in the Iland, before I came at it.

But when we came within sight of it, it appeared to us full of high & steep Rocks, (the highest of which were meere stone, without any soyle at all) and they of so great a height, as we seldome saw the tops, whilst we lay before it; being interposed by mists, and Clouds: which rise and darken the skie in the time of the Turnado. But the day we had the first sight of it, being very cleare; and we being at a competent distance, had a perfect view of it. But those of the second altitude, appear’d not so white, but had a grayish colour, as if covered with light and sandy earth. But the lowest of those, seem’d rather Hills, than Rockes; but yet so russet, as we were in doubt whether grasse did ever grow on them. But when we came within distance of discerning colour perfectly; wee expected the vallies, as they opened to us, would have afforded our eyes a richer prospect, with more variety of colours, but we found very little or no amendment, onely the trees of Coconuts, with some other that were large and beautiful, whose tops (giving amply proportionable shadowes to their roots) held their greennesse and were extreame beautifull. But the time of our stay there, being the Turnado, when the sunne (being in his returne from the Tropique of Cancer, to that of Capricorne, to visit and refresh the Southern world,) became Zenith to the inhabitants of that part of the world; which is about the beginning of August: At which time the raines fall in abundance, and is accompted winter, to those parts where the Zenith is, and we staying there 19 or 20 dayes, (the raine falling a good part of that time,) wee perceived the valleys to put on new liveries; so fresh, so full of various greens, intermixt with flowers of severall kinds, some growing on stalkes, some on trees, so full of varietie, of the most beautifull colours, as if nature had made choyce of that place to shew her Master piece. So that, having feasted our eyes with this delighted object, we desired to try whether their smel was as pleasant and odoriferous, as their beauty was admirable; and to satisfie our selves of this curiosity, would willingly have gone a shoare but wee were advised to stay a little, till we were better assured of our Portugall Bernardo. Which stay, gave us time to take a view of the Harbour or Bay, which they call the Pry, and is about a league over from land to land. And, as I guest, somewhat more; from the poynts of land, to the bottome; and, as we enter, we leave a small Iland on our Larboard side

This Bay or Pry, lies to the Leeward of the Iland; by reason whereof we found so great, so insufferable heate, as you will hardly imagine that bodyes comming out of cold Climates, could indure such scorching without being suffocated.