The day follovving standing in vvith the shore againe, vve discried an other tall ship of twelue score tunnes or theraboutes, vpon vvhom Maister Carleill the Lieuetenant generall being in the Tygar, vndertooke the chase, vvhome also anon after the Admirall follovved, and the Tygar hauing caused the saide straunge shippe to strike her sayles, kept her there without suffering anye bodie to goe aboorde vntill the Admirall vvas come vp: vvho foorthwith fending for the Maister, and diuerse others of their principall men, and causing them to be seuerally examined, found the Shippe and goodes to be belonging to the inhabitantes of Saint Sebastian in Spaine, but the Marriners to bee for the most parte belonging to Saint Iohn de Lvce, and the Passage. In this ship was greate store of dry Nevvland fish, commonly called vvith vs Poore Iohn, vvhereof aftervvards (being thus found a lavvfull prize) there vvas distribution made into all the shippes of the Fleete, the same being so new and good, as it did verie greatly bestead vs in the whole course of our voyage. A day or two after the taking of this ship, vve put in within the Isles of Bayon, for lacke of fauourable vvind, where we had no sooner anckered some part of the Fleete, but the Generall commaunded all the Pinnaces with the ship boates to be manned, and euerye man to be furnished with such armes as vvas needefull for that present seruice; vvhich being done, the Generall put himselfe into his Galley, vvhich was also well furnished, and rowing towardes the Citie of Bayon; with intent, and the fauour of the Almightie to supprise it. Before we had aduaunced one halfe league of our way, there came a messenger beeing an English Marchant from the Gouernour, to see what straunge Fleete we were, who came to our Generall, and conferred a while with him, and after a small time spent, our Generall called for Captaine Sampson, and willed him to goe [to] the Gouernour of the Citie, to resolue him of two pointes. The first, to knowe if there were any warres beetweene Spaine and England. The second, vvhy our Merchantes with their goodes were imbarred or arrested. Thus departed Captaine Sampson with the saide Messenger to the B3 citie, vvhere he found the Gouernour and people much amazed of such a suddaine accident.
The Generall with the aduice and counsell of Maister Carliell his Lieuetenant generall, who was in the Galley with him, thought not good to make any stand, till such time as they were within the shot of the Citie, wher they might be ready vpon the returne of Captaine Sampson, to make a suddaine attempt if cause did require before it were darke.
Captaine Sampson returned with his message in this sort. First, touching peace or warres the Gouernour said he knevve of no warres, and that it lay not in him to make any, he being so meane a subiect as hee vvas. And as for the stay of the Marchantes with their goodes, it vvas the Kinges pleasure, but not with intent to endommage any man. And that the Kinges conter commaundement vvas (vvhich had bene receiued in that place some seauennight before) that English Marchants vvith their goods should be discharged: for the more verifying vvhereof, he sent such Marchants as vvere in the tovvne of our Nation, who traffiqued those parts; vvhich being at large, declared to our generall by them, counsell vvas taken vvhat myght best be done. And for that the night approched, it vvas thought needefull to land our force, vvhich vvas done in the shutting vp of the day, and hauing quartered our selues to our most aduantage, vvyth sufficient gard vpon euery straight, vve thought to rest our selues for that night there. The Gouernour sent vs some refreshing, as bread, vvine, oyle, apples, grapes, marmalad and such lyke. About midnight the vveather beginnes to ouercast, insomuch that it vvas thought meeter to repaire aboord, then to make any longer abode on land, and before vve could recouer the Fleete, a great tempest arose, vvhich caused many of our ships to driue from their anker hold, and some vvere forced to sea in great peril, as the barke Talbot, the barke Hawkins, and the Speedewell, vvhich Speedewel onely vvas driuen into England, the others recouered vs againe, the extremitie of the storme lasted three dayes, vvhich no sooner beganne to asswage, but Maister Carleill our [Lieutenant] generall, vvas sent vvith his ovvne ship and three others: as also vvith the galley and vvith dyuers Pinnaces, to see vvhat he might do aboue Vigo, vvhere he tooke many boates and some Caruels, diuersly laden vvith thinges of small value, but chiefly vvith houshold stuffe, running into the high countrey, and amongst the rest, he found one boate laden vvith the principal Church stuffe of the high Church of Vigo, vvhere also vvas their great Crosse of siluer, of very fayre embossed vvorke, and double gilt all ouer, hauing cost them a great masse of money. They complayned to haue lost in all kind of goods aboue thirtie thowsand Duckets in this place.
The next day the General vvith his vvhole Fleete vvent vp from the Isles of Bayon, to a very good harbour aboue Vigo, vvhere Maister Carleill stayd his comming, asvvell for the more quiet riding of his ships, as also for the good commoditie of fresh vvatering, vvhich the place there did afoord full vvell. In the meane time the Gouernour of Gallisia had reared such forces as he might, his numbers by estimate vvere some two thowsand foot, and three hundred horse, and marched from Bayon to this part of the countrey, vvhich lay in sight of our Fleete, vvhere making stand, he sent to parle vvith our Generall, vvhich vvas graunted by our Generall, so it might be in boates vpon the vvater: and for safetie of their persons, there vvere pledges deliuered on both sides, vvhich done, the Gouernour of Gallisia put him selfe vvith two others into our Vice-Admirals Skiffe, the same hauing bene sent to the shore for him. And in like sort our Generall in his owne Skiffe, vvhere by them it vvas agreed, vve should furnish our selues vvith fresh vvater, to be taken by our owne people quietly on the land, and haue all other such necessaries, paying for the same, as the place vvould affoord.
VVhen all our businesse vvas ended, vve departed, and tooke our vvay by the Islands of Canaria, vvhich are esteemed some three hundred leagues from this part of Spaine, and falling purposely vvith Palma, vvith intention to haue taken our pleasure of that place, for the full digesting of many thinges into order, and the better furnishing our store vvith such seuerall good thinges as that affoordeth very abundantly, vve vvere forced by the vile sea gate, vvhich at that present fell out, and by the naughtinesse of the landing place, being but one, and that vnder the fauor of many Platformes, vvell furnished vvith great ordinance, to depart vvith the receipt of many their Canon shot, some into our ships, and some besides, some of them being in very deede full Canon high. But the onely or chiefe mischiefe, vvas the daungerous sea surge, vvhich at shore all alongest, plainly threatned the ouerthrovv of as many Pinnaces and boates, as for that time should haue attempted any landing at all.
Novv seeing the expectation of this attempt frustrated by the causes aforesaid, vve thought it meeter to fall vvith the Isle Ferro, to see if vve could find any better fortune, and comming to the Island, vve landed a thousand men in a valley vnder a high mountaine, vvhere we stayed some two or three houres, in which time the inhabitants, accompanied vvith a yong fellovv borne in England, who dwelt there with them, came vnto vs, shewing their state to be so poore, that they were all readie to starue, which was not vntrue: and therefore without any thing gotten, we were all commaunded presently to imbarke, so as that night we put off to sea South Southeast along towards the coast of Barbarie.
Vpon Saterday in the morning, being the thirteenth of Nouember, we fell with Cape Blancke, vvhich is a lovve lande and shallowe vvater, where vvee catched store of fish, and doubling the Cape, we put into the Bay, where wee found certaine French shippes of warre, whom we entertained with great courtesie, & there left them. The after noone the whole Fleete assembled, vvhich was a little scattered about their fishing, and put from thence to the Isles of Cape Verde, sailing till the sixteenth of the same moneth in the morning, on which day we discryed the Island of Saint Iago, & in the euening we anckered the Fleete betweene the towne called the Plaie or Praie and Saint Iago, where we put on shore a thowsand men or more, vnder the leading of Maister Christopher Carleill Lieuetenant Generall, who directed the seruice most like a wise commaunder. The place where wee had first to march did affoord no good order, for the ground was mountaines and full of dales, being a marueilous stonye and troublesome passage, but such vvas his industrious disposition, as hee woulde neuer leaue, vntill wee had gotten vppe to a faire plaine, vvhere we made stand for the assembling of the armie. And when vve vvere all gathered together vpon the plaine, some two litle miles from the Towne, the Lieuetenant general thought good not to make attempt till day light: because there vvas not one that could serue for guide or giuing knovvledge at all of the place. And therefore after hauing vvell rested, euen halfe an hovver before day, he commaunded the Armie to be deuided into three speciall partes, such as he appointed, vvhereas before vvee had marched by seuerall companies, being thereunto forced by the naughtinesse of the vvay as is aforesaid.
Now by the time we wer thus raunged into a very braue order, daylight began to appeare, and being aduaunced hard to the vvall, we saw no enemie to resist, whereupon the Lieutenant generall appointed Captaine Sampson with thirtie shot, and Captaine Barton with other thirtie, to C goe downe into the tovvne vvhich stood in the valey vnder vs, and might verie plainly be viewed all ouer from that place vvhere the vvhole Army vvas novv arryued and presently after these Captaines vvas sent the great Ensigne, vvhich had nothing in it but the plaine English crosse, to be placed tovvardes the Sea, that our fleete might see Saint Georges crosse florish in the enemies fortresse. Order vvas giuen that all the ordinance throughout the towne, and vpon all the platformes, vvhich vvas aboue fifty peeces al ready charged, should be shot off in honor of the Queenes Maiesties Coronation day, being the seuententh of Nouember, after the yearly custome of England, which was so aunswered againe by the ordinance out of all the ships in the fleete which novv was come neere, as it was straunge to heare such a thondering noise last so long together. In this meane while the Lieutenant general held still the most part of his force on the hill top, till such time as the tovvne was quartered out for the lodging of the whole Armie, which being done euery Captaine toke his owne quarter, and in the euening was placed such sufficient gard vpon euerie part of the tovvne that vve had no cause to feare any present enemie.
Thus we continued in the Citie the space of fourteene daies, taking such spoiles as the place yelded, which were for the most part, wine, oyle, meale, and some such like thinges for victuall, as vineger, oliues, and some such other trash, as marchandise for their Indian trades. But there was not founde any trasure at all, or any thing else of vvorth besides.
The scituation of Sainct Iago is somewhat strange, in forme like to a triangle, hauing on the East and West sides two Mountaines of Rocke and cliffie, as it were hanging ouer it, vpon the top of which two mountaines was builded certaine fortifications to preserue the towne from any harme that might be offered, as in this Plot is plainly shevved. From thence: on the South side of the towne is the maine sea, and on the North side, the valley lying betweene the foresayd mountaines, wherein the towne standeth: the said valley and towne both do grow verie narrow, insomuch that the space betweene the two cliffes of this ende of the towne is estimated not to be aboue tenne or twelue score ouer.