La Rancheria.
The 16. we passed by an yland called Aruba, and the 17. at
night anckered sixe houres at the West ende of Cabo de la vela,
and in the morning being the 18. weighed againe, keeping our
course, in the which time the Captaine sayling by the shore in
the pinnesse, came to the Rancheria, a place where
the Spaniards vse to fish for pearles, and there spoke
with a Spaniard, who tolde him how far off he was from Rio de
la Hacha, which because he would not ouershoot, he ankered
that night againe, and the 19. came thither; where hauing talke
with the kings treasurer of the Indies resident there, he declared
his quiet trafique in Burboroata, and shewed a certificate of the
same, made by the gouernour thereof, and therefore he desired
to haue the like there also: but the treasurer made answere that
they were forbidden by the Viceroy and council of S. Domingo,
who hauing intelligence of our being on the coast, did sende
expresse commission to resist vs, with all the force they could,
insomuch that they durst not traffique with vs in no case,
alieaging that if they did, they should loose all that they did
trafique for, besides their bodies at the magistrates commaundement.
Our Captaine replied, that he was in an Armada of the
Queenes Maiesties of England, and sent about other her affaires,
but driuen besides his pretended voyage, was inforced by contrary
windes to come into those parts, where he hoped to finde
such friendship as hee should doe in Spaine, to the contrary
whereof hee knewe no reason, in that there was amitie betwixt
their princes. But seeing they would contrary to all reason go
about to withstand his trafique, he would it should not be said
by him, that hauing the force he hath, to be driuen from his
trafique perforce, but he would rather put it in aduenture to try
whither he or they should haue the better, and therefore willed
them to determine either to giue him licence to trade, or else to
stand to their owne harmes: So vpon this it was determined hee
should haue licence to trade, but they would giue him such a
price as was the one halfe lesse then he had sold for before, and
thus they sent word they would do, and none otherwise, and if
it liked him not, he might do what he would, for they were not
determined to deale otherwise with him.
M. Hawkins his letter to the Treasurer of Rio de la Hacha. Whereupon, the captaine waying their vnconscionable request, wrote to them a letter, that they dealt too rigorously with him, to go about to cut his throte in the price of his commodities, which were so reasonably rated, as
