1^2

1575 -

!The Spani-ards findOxenharn'rShis).

EliZ, Naval Expeditions, &c oj the English, Book I'*

the chief Occasion of this Delay was aDifference between the Captain andthem, which happen’d upon the follow-ing Account: The Captain insisted up-on their conveying his Booty to theirShip, for which, however, he offered aReward, over and above their Wages.They accepted of his Offer, but insistedupon the immediate Performance of it :But he, on his Side, was so enraged atthis Distrust they profefs’d to have ofhim ; And, resolving, upon this Ac-count, that they should not carry at all,went out in Search of Negroes, to do himthis Service. Having got a Number ofthem together, for that Purpose, uponhis Return with them, he met with thefive Englijlo Men who had escaped fromthe Pinnace and from the Hut. Theygave him an Account what had happen-ed, upon which he was reconciled tohis Men, and promised them half ofthe Treasure, if they would stand byhim to recover it out of the Hands ofthe Spaniards, and the Negroes promifedto assist them with their Bows and Ar-rows. But that now, having lost somany of his Men, killed, taken andwounded, he was returned to hisShip, in Order to go back to Eng-land.

The Spanish C aptain, having heardthis Account, returned with the Bootyhe had recovered, and his Erglijh Pri-soners, with their Pinnace, to Panama.At his Return thither, an Account wassent to Nombre de Dios of all that hadpassed ; Upon which the Inhabitants ofthat Place fitted out four Barks, which(as the Spaniards fay) found Oxenhand sShip, and carried it back to their Port.The Vice-roy of Peru sent, in the meanTime, a Detachment of a Hundred andfifty Men in Search of the Remainderof the English, who, to the Number ofFifty, were retired to the Mountains.They found them busied in making someCanoes, to go into the North-Sea, wherethey hoped to surprize some Vessel.Some of them who were sick, were im-mediately made Prisoners, and the Restlied ; But they were scon after betrayedby the Negroes, into the Hands of theSpaniards, who, carried them to Pana-ma.

A x Panama , Oxenham was examined,what Authority he had from his Queenfor these Proceedings; But not beingable to produce any Power or Commif-sion lor so doing, he, with all his Com-

pany,

were

sentenced

to Death, as if 7b'-:Pyrates, and common EnemiesMankind. Pursuant to this Sentence, i,rthey were all executed, excepting Ox- trayedenham, with his Master, Pilot, and five thei ^ n jPBoys, who were carried to Lima, where 5the three Men likewise suffered ; But F/ko f ltthe, Boys were pardoned. And thus the ™d°ended this memorable Adventure. ea

The King of Spain sent Soldiers toreduce the fugitive Blacks, who hadassisted the English, and two (dallieswere ordered to guard the Coasts

In

, xr ~ . iy . r „ Camdest-

the I ear 1575. the Prince of O- Echard. srange, and the Confederate States of the LheSt^Netherlands, made Queen Elizabeth thefirst Offer of the Possession, or Protecti-on of Holland and Zealand, and sent o- Elizas'ver an Honourable Ambassy, for thatPurpose.

The Reason alledged by theAmbaf-sadour, to prevail upon the Queen toaccept of this Offer, was, that see wasa Princess descended from the Princesof Holland, by Philippina, Edward III.

Queen, who was Daughter to IVilliamIII. of Bavaria, Earl of Hainault andHolland, by whose other Sister, thehereditary Title of those Provinces wasdescended to the Spaniard.

Tiie Queen, after maturely weigh-ing the Circumstances of this Matter, re-jected the Offer, with this Noble An-swer ; " That she thanked the Prince" of Orange, and the Confederates, for" their apparent Good Will towards" her: But that she esteemed nothing" more glorious, than to deal with" Faith and Honour, and as beseemeth" a Prince. That she was not yet satif-" fied, how file might, with her Ho-" nour, and a safe Conscience, take" those Provinces, upon their Proffer,

“ into her Protection, much less Posse f-" sion. But she would deal seriously“ with the Spaniard, to procure them" a happy Peace.”

In 1576. the Privateers of Zealand ,and Holland, committing Depredationson the Englijh Merchants Ships, under Eh?Pretence that they supplied their Ene-mies, the Dunhirkers, with Provisions,and carried on a collusive Trade withSpain, for the Antwerpians and others,

IVilliam Half loch was again employed,and sent out with some Men of War a-gainst them. He took above two Hun-dred of their Mariners, and threw theminto several Prisons on the Coasts.

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6.

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