,
a broken pointed rapier, one old visgee, and a rusty caliver: JOHN DRAKE
took the rapier, and made a gauntlet of his pillow, RICHARD ALLEN the
visgee, both standing at the head of the pinnace, called _Eion_. ROBERT
took the caliver and so boarded. But they found the frigate armed round
about with a close fight of hides, full of pikes and calivers, which
were discharged in their faces, and deadly wounded those that were in
the fore-ship, JOHN DRAKE in the belly, and RICHARD ALLEN in the
head. But notwithstanding their wounds, they with oars shifted off the
pinnace, got clear of the frigate, and with all haste recovered their
ship: where within an hour after, this young man of great hope, ended
his days, greatly lamented of all the company.
Thus having moored our ships fast, our Captain resolved to keep himself
close without being descried, until he might hear of the coming of the
Spanish Fleet; and therefore set no more to sea; but supplied his
wants, both for his own company and the Cimaroons, out of his aforesaid
magazine, beside daily out of the woods, with wild hogs, pheasants, and
guanas: continuing in health (GOD be praised) all the meantime, which
was a month at least; till at length about the beginning of January,
half a score of our company fell down sick together (3rd January, 1573),
and the most of them died within two or three days.
Pages:
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77