Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/130

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San Iuan de puerto Rico. della città e del castello. La naue adunque veggendo come vi era riceuuta, tirò la volta dell' isola di San Giouanni, ed entrata nel porto di San Germano parlarono gli Inglesi con quelli della terra, e dimandarono vettouaglie e fornimenti per la naue, e si lamentarono di quelli di questa città, dicendo che essi non veniuano per fare dispiacere, ma per contrattare, e negotiare con suoi danari e mercantie. Hora quiui hebbero alcune vettonaglie, ed in compensa essi diedero e pagarono in certi stagni lauorati ed altre cose. E poi si partirono alla volta d'Europa, done si crede, che non gungessero, perche non se ne seppe piu nuoua mai. This extract importeth thus much in English, to wit: That in the yeere 1517 an English Rouer vnder the colour of trauelling to discouer, came with a great shippe vnto the parts of Brasill on the coast of the firme land, and from thence he crossed ouer vnto this Iland of Hispanolia, and arriued neere vnto the mouth of the hauen of this citie of S. Domingo, and sent his shipboate full of men on shoare, and demaunded leaue to enter into this hauen, saying that hee came with marchandise to traffique. But at that very instant the gouernour of the castle Francis de Tapia caused a fire of ordinance to be shot from the castle at the ship, for she bare in directly with the hauen. When the Englishmen sawe this, they withdrew themselues out, and those that were in the shipboate, got themselues with all speede on shipboord. And in trueth the warden of the castle committed an ouersight: for if the shippe had entred into the hauen, the men thereof could not haue come on lande without leaue both of the citie and of the castle. Therefore the people of the ship seeing how they were receiued, sayled toward the Iland of S. Iohn, and entring into the port of S. Germaine, the English men parled with those of the towne, requiring victuals and things needefull to furnish their ship, and complained of the inhabitants of the city of S. Domingo, saying that they came not to doe any harme, but to trade and traffique for their money and merchandise. In this place they had certaine victuals, and for recompence they gaue and paid them with certain vessell of wrought tinne and other things. And afterward they departed toward Europe, where it is thought they arriued not: for wee neuer heard any more newes of them. Thus farre proceedeth Gonsaluo de Ouiedo, who though it please him to call the captain of this great English ship a rouer, yet it appeareth by the Englishmens owne words, that