they told vs that there were in the Riuer fiue townes, some 70. housholds, and some of more.
Fiue townes vpon the riuer of Plate. The first towne was about 50. leagues vp the Riuer called Buenos Ayres, the rest some 46. some 50. leagues one from another, so that the vppermost towne called Tucauian is 230 leagues from the entrance of the Riuer, In these townes is great store of corne, cattell, wine, and sundry fruits, but no money of gold or siluer; they make a certaine kinde of slight cloth, which they giue *n trucke of sugar, rice, Marmalade, and Sucket, which where the commodities that this shippe had.
They had abord also 45. Negros, whereof euery one in Peru yeeldeth 400. duckets a piece, and besides these, there were as passengers in her, two Portugall women and a childe.
Another Portugal ship taken. The 11. day wee espied another saile, which was the consort of this Portugall, and to him also we gaue chase, and tooke him the same day: He was of the burthen of the other, and had in him good store of sugar, Marmalade, and Succats, with diuers other things, which we noted downe our booke.
An Irish frier taken. In this ship also we found about 35. Negro women, and foure or fiue friers, of which one was an Irish man, of the age of three or foure and twentie yeeres, and two Portugal women also, which were borne in the riuer of Ienero.
The bishop of Tucaman in the riuer of Plate. Both these ships were bought in Brasil, by a yong man which was Factor for the bishop of Tucaman, and the friers were sent for by that bishop to possesse a new Monasterie, which the bishop was then a building. The bookes, beads, and pictures in her, cost (as one of the Portugals confessed) aboue 1000. duckats.
The newes of M. Iohn Drake. Of these ships we learned, that M. Iohn Drake who went in consort with M. Fenton, had his Barke cast away a little short of the Riuer of Plate, where they were taken captiues by the Sauages, all sauing themwhich were slaine in the taking:
Richard Faireweather. the Sauages kept them for a time, and vsed them very hardly, yet at the last Iohn Drake and Richard Faireweather, and two or three more of their company with them got a Canoa, and escaped, and came to the first towne of the Spaniards. Faireweather is maried in *[one] of the townes, but Iohn Drake was carried to Tucaman by the Pilot of this ship, and was liuing, and in good health the last yeere. Concerning this voyage of the Portugals they tolde vs
