and remaine there fishing for pearles vntill the Saturday, and then returne and cary al that they haue taken to Margarita.
Certaine Spaniards and Negros taken in the yle of Coche where they fish for pearle. Here we tooke some few Spaniards and Negros their slaues with them, and had some smal quantitie of pearls. We remained on this Iland the 20 and 21, in which time we went a fishing with our seine, and tooke good store of mullets and other fish, and amongst the rest drew ashore in the seine a fish called by the Spanyards Lagarto, and by the Indians Caiman, which is indeed a Crocodile, for it hath 4 feete and a long taile, and a wide mouth, and long teeth, and wil deuour men. Some of these Lagartos are in length 16 foot, some 20 foot, and some 30 foot: they haue muske in them, and liue as wel on the land, as in the water. The 21 of May, we departed for Cumana, thinking to haue gotten in that night to haue landed: but the current striketh so strong out of the bay, that we could not recouer the towne till day light. In the morning we espied 2 sailes before the towne, but could not fetch them. Here we plied too and againe in the sound all the forenoone, but could not get vp so farre as the towne. These 2 sailes came roome to vs, after they saw that we were at an anker, and came somewhat neere vs, and sent their skyphs abord our admiral. They were 2 flieboats of Middleburgh which traded there, and had secretly aduertised the country of our comming, to our great hinderance: but we knew it not at our first arriuall. Here they of Cumana perceiuing that we would land, came to parle with vs, and tolde vs, if we would land, we might easily take the towne, for they ment not to withstand vs, but that they had caried all their goods into the mountaines, but if we would not land to burne and spoile the towne, they would giue vs some reasonable ransome, and any victuals that we wanted.
The towne of Cumana ransomed. So our general agreed with them, receiued their ransome, and departed without landing. But at our first arriual in this bay, our generals long boat was sent forth wel manned, and tooke 3 Carauels, but found litle or nothing of value in them: sauing in one were some sides of bacon, and some maiz and Guiny-wheat. Here we staied til the 23. of May, and in the euening we set saile, and departed from thence. And the 26 of the same we thought to haue landed at a fort that standeth by the sea-coast in the Caracos, as you go for S. Iago. This is a marueilous high
