but that upon the going up the river it was often in question amongst them, and urged by this exame himself, why they should engage themselves in taking of a Town, for a mine whereof he this exame and many others were in doubt. Whereupon Keymis said that he would not discover the mine until they had taken the Town; for that if it should happen that they should not be able to beat them out, they should but labour for the Spaniards. And this examinate's opinion is that the Sergeant Major would do nothing against Keymis his conduct and advice. And he saith further that they landed by commandment of the Sergeant Major and the forwardness of young Walter Ralegh, five miles short of the Town, about four o'clock in the afternoon, and they had guides of the Indians who directed them the track to the Town. And so they marched towards the Town: and the ships also went further up the river towards the same and that this was before any shot or assault made from the Town, or before they could perceive that the Town had any knowledge of them. And that the first shot upon them that landed was from the wood at eleven o'clock at night. Being asked whether he this examte knoweth that Sir W. Ralegh had or expected any commission or aid from France; and whether he had not some intention to go into France after the dissolving of his voyage, and what should be his employment there: He saith that he heard it often reported that he had a commission from France; and doth well remember that one Fage a Frenchman, who took a liking to this exam's company, told him in great secret at Plymouth that he was to go into France, and to meet Sir Walter Ralegh again upon the seas, and withal shewed this exame a letter from a Port Town in Normandy (which he taketh to be either Newhaven or Diepe) signifying to him that two ships were in readiness for him. And he saith that after Keymis his death Sir Walter Ralegh said in his hearing, (and as he thinks in the presence of Captain Pennington,) that he would go into France; for that he knew not how things would be interpreted in England. And one Clarke, Gunner's mate in Sir Walter Ralegh's ship, did tell this examinate that Sir Walter Ralegh told some of them who stood stiffest for the seas, that he would not bring his ship into England; which was since this examte's coming away. THE EXAMINATION OF CAPTAIN JOHN CHUDLEIGH, TAKEN BEFORE THE LORDS AT WHITEHALL, 17 SEPT. 1618. He saith, that when Sir Walter Ralegh lay in great extremity of sickness, this examte in the presence of Captain Pennington moving him to appoint some head or chief over them, if it should please God to call him, and to give some order for prosecuting the mine, Sir Walter Ralegh would give no direction for the mine, but for the other point concerning the Head, he willed them to agree upon that amongst themselves, for he could not assign his Commission over; but added that e had a French Commission whereby they might do themselves most good upon the Spaniard. He saith further that while Sir Walter Ralegh remained at Trinidado, and the other companies were gone up to discover the mine, which was the space of nine or ten weeks, this examte heard him use no words of comfort or encouragement touching the mine, but contrariwise was desirous to have been gone to the Caribes. Islands, and often moved it to his company, if they would have consented, and to have left the rest behind that were gone about the mine.1 A LETTER WRITTEN BY CAPTAIN CHARLES Parker, one of Sir Walter RALEIGH'S COMPANY AT GUIANA; TO CAPTAIN ALLEY A° 1617.2 Captain Alley, Your going from us was very fortunate in that you prevented the undergoing unspeakable miseries: for we disembogued from Caliana towards Orinoco, Captain Witney's ship, Captain Woulistan, the flie boat and karvill. The Admiral, Vice Admiral, with the other great ships went from Trinidado to harbour till our return. We were a month going up Orinoco. At last we landed within a league of St. Thome, and about one of the clock at night we made an assault, where we lost Captain Ralegh and Captain Cosmor; but Captain Ralegh lost himself with his unadvised daringness, as you shall hear; for I will acquaint you how we were ordered. Captain Cosmor led the forlorn hope with some 50 men ; after him I brought up the first division of shot; next brought up Captain Ralegh a division of pikes, who no sooner heard us charged but indiscreetly came from his command to us, where he was unfortunately welcomed with a bullet, which gave him no time to call for mercy to our heavenly Father for his sinful life he had led; we presently took the town without loss of any more men than two, whereof one was Mr. Harington, the Countess of Bedford's kinsman. The Spaniard was not strong, and mistrusting our potency fled, and left their Governor with some other 2 Captains, which bravely died. The Governor Don de Jego Palmetho de Acuna,3 Captain Santo, Captain Alisnetto. When we were possessed of the town, Captain Kemish took divers gentlemen with him to find the mine, and trifled up and down some 20 days, keeping us in hope still of finding it; but at last we found his delays were illusions and himself a mere Machevill, for he was false to all men and most odious to himself; for most ungodly he butchered himself, loathing to live since he could do no more villainy; I will speak no more of this hateful fellow to God and but I inform you as near as I can what we that stay shall trust to. We have divided ourselves already. Witney and Woulaston are consorted to look for homeward bound men. The Admiral Vice-admiral Sir John Ferne will for Newfound Land to revictual, and after to the Western Islands to look for homeward bound men. For my part by the permission of God I will make a voyage or bury myself in the sea. I pray you make known to my friends. About the latter end of August I hope we shall have feathered our nest, and being in harbour. More I man; So 1 Each of these examinations bears the original signature of the examinate and of all the six commissioners. Harl. MSS. 39. fo. 351. A collector's copy. ་ 3 Aiona' in MS. ✦ 'beinge' in MS. Qu. 'be again'? cannot write: only this I desire God that you may prosperously live that we may fortunately meet. The xxijth of March, 1617. I rest yo' affectionate friend CHARLES PARKER. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS OF HIS MAJESTY'S MOST SIR WALTER RALEIGH HIS LATE VOYAGE TO GUIANA. BY SAMUEL Right Honourable A common report of his Maty's large commission to Sir Walter Raleigh, the great expectation of success, the importunity of many worthy gentlemen, the good report I heard of Captain Chudleigh; joined with the consideration of my want of employment at that time in the Church (under which misery I still suffer); were the inducements that prevailed with me to undertake so dangerous a voyage. To which we set sail from Plymouth the 12th of June Anno 1617. We put in again at Falmouth in Cornwall, after at Cork in Ireland, where we arrived the 25th of June, and remained till the 19th of August. These delays, however occasioned, forced divers young gentlemen and others to sell their private provisions both of apparel and diet, to the untimely death of many of them. The first ship we gave chase unto at sea we found to be one of London: from whom nothing was taken but by mutual courtesy. The 30th August we gave chase to a fleet of four or five sail, but could not get up with them, nor knowledge directly what they were. The next day other four ships we took, and found to be Frenchmen and Biscaners. Sir Walter Ralegh stayed them two days, the reason (as was reported) because they were bound for Sivill in Spain: nothing was taken from them by force, only a shallop and fishing seane, for which they were paid and so departed. At Lancerok, one of the Canary islands, we put in, desiring only water and some other provisions, which if the inhabitants could part with, they should be paid for, when we were promised our desires, but so long delayed, that three of our men being basely murthered without doing any harm to the Islanders, we retired to our ships. At Gomera, after some intercourse of messages, they (seeing our force) gave us free leave to water, for at first they withstood us. These passages I the rather relate, because they put not only myself, but many other gentlemen in a comfortable hope that Sir Walter Raleigh had a certainty of his project, whereof by his many former delays we 1 Printed in Notes and Queries (2nd S. xi. Jan. 5 '61. p. 4) from a contemporary manuscript, communicated by Sir T. E. Winnington, Bart. made great doubt: till we saw these places wherein we received such injuries spared; which might as we thought by our forces have been easily overcome and ruined. Yet for ought I could perceive, there would have been small scruple made of surprising any Spanish shipping, for at the Grand Canaries a Spanish carvell was taken, her men being all formerly fled; her lading was for the most part salt, some little wine, and other provisions, whereby it seemed she was bound a fishing. And about the same time near the Canaries a Spanish canter, a boat of about fifteen or sixteen tons, laden with fish of small worth, in her some 14 Spaniards, all which were set free except one, that desired to accompany us in our voyage, and did, being used as one of our own men. From these islands we made to the Isles of the Cape de Verd, in most of the seamen's judgments very impertinently: I am sure to the danger of all, and the loss of many men. For by steering such uncertain and unnecessary courses we were so becalmed, that above a hundred persons, gentlemen most of them, died between those islands and the continent of Guiana. In which great mortality I, visiting as many of the sick men in the duty of my ministry as the occasions of the sea would give me leave, heard sad complaints from many sick and dying gentlemen of Sir Walter's hard usage of them, in denying even those that were large adventurers with him such things upon necessity, of which there was at that time sufficient store. Others of great worth, either by birth or place of employment, of being neglected if not contemned; of which number was Captain John Piggott, then our Lieutenant General, who complained to me thereof on his death bed; besides divers others that are returned; the truth of this point, Mathew Rogers, dwelling near Holborn bridge, then Surgeon's mate in the ship, can well witness. During this time Sir Walter himself, taking a fall in his ship, being bruised, fell into a dangerous fever, wherein I visited him, (being called for by himself). He desired me to pray for him, spake religiously, and among other things told me that it grieved him more for the gentlemen than for himself, whose estates would be hazarded by his death, yet that he would leave such notes of direction behind him as should be sufficient for them, which notes neither I, nor for ought I know any man else in the fleet, yet saw. At Calean, in November last, Sir Walter being somewhat recovered, opened his project for the Mine, which upon the plat he demonstrated to be within three or four miles of the town Sancti Thomæ, which he knew to be inhabited by the Spaniards, for he seemed oftentimes in my hearing to doubt whether it were reinforced or no. Sir Warham St. Leger was now made Lieutenant General, and had he gone up to the town, as I have heard himself often say, he had not had particular directions; but in a seeming courtesy Sir Walter had left all things there to his valour and judgment. But God suddenly visiting him with a violent sickness, George Rawley, then being Sergeant Major, went up Commander-in-chief. Captain Kemis director for the mine. Sir Walter with four other ships remaining at Trinidado near the main mouth : of Oronoque of which the ship wherein I went being one, I there staid, and went not up to the town. We parted with those forces that went in discovery of the mine about the midst of December, and heard not of them again until the 13th of February following: during which time I.very seldom heard Sir Walter speak of a mine: and when he did, it was with far less confidence than formerly, intermixing new projects, propounding often the taking of St. Joseph's in Trinidado, expressing the great conceit of wealth might be there among the Spaniards, and the undoubted great quantity of tobacco, but all this while nothing was done. Those that were absent so slightly respected, especially the landmen, that he would often say for the most of them it was no matter whether ever they returned or no, they were good for nothing but to eat victuals, and were sent to sea on purpose that their friends might be rid of them and divers times propounded to go away and leave them, to which none of the Captains would ever agree. Our companies that went up the river, as by the chief gentlemen at their return I was given to understand, arrived near the town of St. Thomæ the second day of January, where the Captains desired Captain Kemis first to shew them the mine; which Sir Walter had formerly said to be three or four miles nearer than the town, and that then if the Spaniard withstood them they would vim vi repellere. This Kemis would by no means yield to, but alleged divers reasons to the contrary; as that if the town were reinforced, he should open then a mine for the King of Spain, and the like, which not on any terms he would be pleased to do. Divers reasons like this I not only heard by the gentlemen that returned, but saw myself under Kemis his hand in a letter which he wrote from Oronoque to Sir Walter Raleigh at Trinidado, which letter I transcribed, but have not the copy of: yet I think there be of them in London. During the time of this consultation, our men, ready to repose themselves for that night, were assaulted by the Spaniards from the skirt of a wood, in pursuit of whom they were brought to the town almost before themselves knew of it. In which conflict some four or thereabouts of either side were slain, the rest of the Spaniards quit the town and fled. The town being next day their own, and the place as it were in their possession, every man's expectation looked hourly for the discovery of the mine, whilst Captain Kemis minded rather the tobacco, apparel, household stuff, and other pillage; often saying these would help if all failed. Yet one night, as hath been divers times related to me by Captain Thornhurst, himself, accompanied only with his man, went out privately and brought in some mineral ore which he cheerfully shewed Captain Thornhurst; but being tried by a refiner, it proved worth nothing, and was no more spoken of. Hence it was considered that Kemis himself might be deluded, even by Sir Walter Raleigh, in the ore and place. For now the place began to be called in question; new ways were to be searched: boats were manned with gentlemen, soldiers, and sailors, which should return that night, yet stayed out two days; and then returned, divers of them |