peaceable traffique, and made vent of the whole number of his Negros: for which he receiued in those 3. places by way of exchange such quantitie of merchandise, that hee did not onely lade his owne 3. shippes with hides, ginger, sugars, and some quantitie of pearles, but he fraighted also two other hulkes with hides and other like commodities, which hee sent into Spaine. And thus leauing the Iland, he returned and disemboqued, passing out by the Ilands of the Caycos, without further entring into the bay of Mexico, in this his first voyage to the West India. And so with prosperous successe and much gaine to himselfe and the aforesayde aduenturers, he came home, and arriued in the moneth of September 1563.
The voyage made by M. Iohn Hawkins Esquire, and afterward knight, Captaine of the Iesus of Lubek, one of her Maiesties shippes, and Generall of the Salomon, and other two barkes going in his companie, to the coast of Guinea, and the Indies of Noua Hispania, begun in An. Dom. 1564.
Master Iohn Hawkins with the Iesus of Lubek, a shippe of
700. and the Salomon a shippe of 140. the Tiger a barke of 50.
and the Swallow of 30. tunnes, being all well furnished with men
to the number of one hundreth threescore and tenne, as also
with ordinance and victuall requisite for such a voyage, departed
out of Plymmouth the 18. day of October, in the yeere of our
Lord 1564. with a prosperous winde: at which departing, in
cutting the foresail, a marueilous misfortune happened to one of
the officers in the shippe, who by the pullie of the sheat was
slaine out of hand, being a sorowfull beginning to them all.
The Minion, the Iohn Baptist, and the Merlin, bound for Guinea. And after their setting out ten leagues to the sea, he met the same day with the Minion a ship of the Queenes Maiestie, whereof was Captaine Dauid Carlet, and also her consort the Iohn Baptist of London, being bounde to Guinea also, who hailed one the other after the custome of the sea with certaine pieces of ordinance for ioy of their meeting: which done, the Minion departed from him to seeke her other consort the Merlin of London, which was a sterne out of sight, leauing in M. Hawkin companie the Iohn Baptist her other consort.
Thus sayling forwards on their way with a prosperous winde
