43 2 James I. Naval Expeditions , &c of the English.

Book III.

1612. Thing is as remarkable as it is difficult seen in these Islands; But disappearedAnd Ravens, to be accounted for; Which is, that with them, and were not seen after-during the Time the Plague of Rats last- wards,ed, a great Number of Ravens were

161:

CHAP. XI,

Sundry other Naval Expeditions and Transactions of the English, with some other

Occurrences , of the Tear, 1612.

1612.

HarrisU Col.P. I. p. 137.Purchas,Vol. I.p. 466.482.

Mft- Jour-nal of Mr-Nich. With-ington, Fac-tor in theVoyage.ShipsNames.Their De-parture.

The tenth General Voyage to the East-Indies.

H E tenth Voyage to the Eafl-Indies, for Account of thewas performed by

Cape of

np

-A- Company

two Ships, the Dragon and the Ojiunder,accompanied with the James and Solo-mon, for other Voyages. The Com-mander in chief in this Voyage was Cap-tain Thomas Be ft..

Having provided all Things necessa-ry for the Voyage, they weighed An-chor, on the fifth of February, 1612.from Gravesend. From whence theyfailed with a prosperous Wind and Wea-ther, untill the eighth of June follow-ing, when they came to the Cape ofGoodHope. Good Hope, where their Commander inChief went on Shoar, and having manyof his Men sick, he caused Tents to bepitched, and the sick Men to be broughton Shoar.

The eight and twentieth of June,they departed from the Bay of Soldania,with prosperous Winds, failing on, intheir Voyage, ’till the thirteenth ofAugust, when they crossed the Equi-noctial Line.

The fourth of September, they camewithin four Leagues of the Bar of Sur at,where the Dragon met with the Ofian-der , which had been separated fromthem, riding at an Anchor.

The seventh of the fame Month,they arrived at the Bar of Surat, andthe thirteenth came to Surat, wherethey were kindly entertained by theGovernour, and the Chiefs of the City.Here they remained trading, till theA Fleet of nine and twentieth of November, when24°. Portu- Captain Be ft being at Anchor, with hisguese Train Fleet, at the Bar, saw a Fleet of

Soldania.

Arrive atSurat, andare kindlyentertained.

two Hundred and forty Sail of Portu- 1C12.guese Frigats, all Merchants, failingwithin Sight of him, and bound forCambaya: And, it seems, such a Fleetwas usually sent thither every Year.

But they were soon alarmed with Let-ters, which brought them the News ofanother Portuguese Fleet, which wascoming with Intention to drive them gZnteJlyout of those Seas, notwithstanding the the GreatPrivileges they had obtained of the Mogul.Great Mogul, for the fettling of Tradeand Factories in the Cities of Surat,

Cambaya, Amadavar, or any other Partor Parts of that Country, within his j large FledDominions. ( a ) It was the tenth (some e/Portu-Accounts fay the eight and twentieth) offsjs attaciNovember, when their Ships, lying in theMouth of the River of Surat, four Por-tugal Gabions, with a Fleet of four andtwenty (some fay thirty) Frigats, camein Sight of their two Ships, or ratherone Ship and a Pinnace. Captain Best,in the Dragon, immediately weighedAnchor, and encouraged his Men notto fear them, nor the Greatness of theirShips or Fleet, but to strew themselves

He then met their Ad-

The first

true

miral and Vice-Admiral, and strot not Day's Fight-one Shot ’till he came between them,and then gave each of them a Broad-sideand such a Volley of small Shot, asmade them give Way, and come nomore near her that Day. Night com-ing on, and their Long-boat being funkat their Stern, by an unlucky Shot, theyanchored. The other Portuguese Shipswere not as yet come up, and the Ofian-der could not get clear of her Anchors,so slie foot not one Shot that Day. Butthe Dragon had supplied her Want verywell, and it drawing near Night, theycame on all Sides to Anchor, within

Sight

(a) See a Copy of this Treaty, ia Harris , as above.