so surely wee cannot but haue an inward regarde so farre as may lye in vs, to helpe eyther in all good sort towards the satisfaction of this their expectation, and by procuring them some little benefite to incourage them and to nourish this readie and willing disposition of theirs both in them and in others by their example against any other time of like occasion. But because it may bee supposed that heerein wee forgette not the priuate benefite of our selues, and are thereby the rather mooued to incline our selues to this composition, wee doe therefore thinke good for the clearing of our selues of all such suspition, to declare heereby, that what part or portion soeuer it bee of this ransome or composition for Cartagena, which should come vnto vs, wee doe freely giue and bestowe the same wholy vpon the poore men, who haue remayned with vs in the Voyage, meaning as well the Sayler as the Souldier, wishing with all our hearts it were such or so much as might seeme a sufficient rewarde for their painefull indeuour. And for the firme confirmation thereof, we haue thought meete to subsigne these presents with our owne hands in the place and time aforesayd.
Captaine Christopher Carliell Lieutenant Generall.
Captaine Goring. Captaine Sampson. Captaine Powell &c.
But while wee were yet there, it happened one day, that our watch called the Centinell, vpon the Church-steeple, had discouered in the Sea a couple of small Barkes or Boates, making in with the Harbour of Cartagena, whereupon Captaine Moone and Captaine Varney, with Iohn Grant the Master of the Tyger, and some other Sea-men, embarked themselues in a couple of small Pinnesses, to take them before they should come nigh the shore, at the mouth of the Harbour, lest by some stragling Spanyards from the Lande, they might bee warned by signes from comming in: which fell out accordingly, notwithstanding all the diligence that our men could vse: for the Spanish Boates, vpon the sight of our Pinnesses comming towardes them, ranne themselues ashore, and so their men presently hidde themselues in bushes hard by the Sea side, amongst some others that had called them by signes thither. Our men presently without any due regarde had to the qualitie of the place, seeing no man of the Spaniards to shew themselues, aboorded the Spanish
