Rio de la Hacha taken. in vpon their bulwarkes, and entred the towne with the losse onely of two men of our partes, and no hurt done to the Spaniards because after their volley of shot discharged, they all fled.
Thus hauing the town with some circumstance, as partly by the Spaniards desire of Negros, and partly by friendship of the Treasurer, we obtained a secret trade: whereupon the Spaniards resorted to vs by night, and bought of vs to the number of 200 Negros: in all other places where we traded the Spaniards inhabitants were glad of vs, and traded willingly.
Cartagena.
Furicanos.
Storme.
At Cartagena the last towne we thought to haue
seene on the coast, we could by no meanes obtaine
to deale with any Spaniard, the gouernor was so straight, and
because our trade was so neere finished we thought not good
either to aduenture any landing, or to detract further time, but
in peace departed from thence the 24 of Iuly, hoping to haue
escaped the time of their stormes which then soone after began
to reigne, the which they called Furicanos, but
passing by the West end of Cuba, towards the coast
of Florida, there happened to vs the 12 day of August an extreme
storme which continued by the space of foure dayes, which so
beat the Iesus, that we cut downe all her higher buildings, her
rudder also was sore shaken, and withall was in so extreme a
leake, that we were rather vpon the point to leaue her then to
keepe her any longer, yet hoping to bring all to good passe, we
sought the coast of Florida, where we found no place nor Hauen
for our ships, because of the shalownesse of the coast: thus
being in greater despaire, and taken with a newe
storme which continued other 3 dayes, we were
inforced to take for our succour the Port which serueth the citie
of Mexico called Saint Iohn de Vllua, which standeth in 19
degrees: in seeking of which Port we tooke in our way 3 ships
which carried passengers to the number of an hundred, which
passengers we hoped should be a meane to vs the better to
obtaine victuals for our money, and a quiet place for the
repairing of our fleete.
The Spaniards deceiued. Shortly after this the 16 of September we entered the Port of Saint Iohn de Vllua and in our entrie the Spaniardes thinking vs to be the fleete of Spaine, the chiefe officers of the Countrey came aboord vs, which being deceiued of their expectation were greatly dismayed: but immediatly when they sawe our demand was