and a gallie. The Beuice Admirall being 300 tunnes, the Galeon Viceadmirall being 240 tunnes. The George Rere-*admirall being 160 tunnes. The Archangel being 250 tunnes. The Swanne 200 tunnes, the George Noble being 140 tunnes, the Wolfe 70 tunnes, the Mermayde 120 tunnes, the Little Iohn 40 tunnes the Galley and a Pinnesse. All which ships we sufficiently victualled and furnished for ten monethes, with all necessaries fit for the voyage. They were also manned with souldiers and saylers, exceeding well appointed with all furniture necessarie for the intended purpose of our Generall to the full number of 900. ratably and orderly distributed into euery ship. We arriued at Plimmouth the 29 of Aprill, where wee found the Right honourable Earle of Essex readie for the attempt of his Cadiz Action, with whom our Generall left three ships and 500 souldiers well victualed and furnished. So the 21 of May we departed from Plimmouth with the Beuice, the Gallion, the George, the George Noble, the Wolfe and the Galley and Pinnesse, determining our voyage for the Ile of S. Tomé. But if our whole force had remayned with vs our Generals purpose was to haue first sackt the Madera Ile, and so to haue proceeded for S. Tomé. The 27 of May we arriued vpon the coast of Spaine, coasting all the shore, hoping to meete with some of the kings ships.
The Fort of Masagants. From thence we past in sight of the coast of Barbary, and came to Masagant, within shot of the Fort, which our Generall reported to be an excellent fortification, where the Spaniard is in strong garrison. And bending our course for the Canarie Iles there purposing to water, our galley lost her rudder; so our Generall directed the George Noble to goe for the Ile Mogador, there to repaire the Gallies wants.
A Flieboat taken. Between which place and the Canarie Iles we tooke a fly-bote of two hundred tunnes bound for Brasill, hauing nothing aboord her but some small portion of victuals for their reliefe. The captaine of this Flybote tooke vpon him to be a perfect Pilot of S. Tomé, and willingly consented to stay with vs, being a Fleming. Hauing watered at the Canaries, by the counsell of this Fleming we shaped our course for the Iles of Cape Verde, he assuring vs that we should there meet the fleete of Saint Tomé, for the yeere was so farre past, that we knewe they were all departed from S. Tomé.
The first of Iuly we fell with the Isle Maio, where wee saw small hope of any fleete to bee expected, and therefore departed
