Page 259
An.1686
A Skirmifh.
Wood clofe by them, into which our men retreat- ed, to fecure themfelves from the fury of the Horfe: Yet the Spaniards rode in among them, and attackt them very furioufly, till the Spanifh Captain, and 17 more, tumbled dead off their Horfes: then the reft retreated, being many of them wounded. We loft 4 men, and had 2 defperately wounded. In this action, the Foot, who were armed with Lances and Swords, and were the greateft number, never made any attack; the Horfe-men had each an abrace of Piftols, and fome fhort Guns. If the Foot had come in, they had certainly deftroy'd all our men. When the skirmifh was over, our men plac'd the two wounded men on Horfes, and came to their Canoas. There they kill'd one of the Horfes, and dreft it; being afraid to venture into the Savannah to kill a Bullock, of which there was ftore. When they had eaten, and fatisfy'd themfelves, they returned aboard. The 25th day, being Chriftmas, we cruized in pretty near the Cape, and fent in 3 Canoas with the Strikers to get Fifh; being defirous to have a Chriftmas dinner. In the afternoon they returned aboard with 3 great Few-fifh, which feafted us all: and the next day we fent afhore our Canoas again, and got 3 or 4 more.
Captain Townly, who went from us at Chametly, came aboard the 28th day, and brought about 40 bufhels of Maiz. He had landed to the Eaftward of Cape Corrientes, and march'd to an Indian Village that is 4 or 5 leagues in the Country. The Indians feeing him coming, fet 2 houfes on fire, that were full of Maiz, and run away: Yet he and his men got, in other houfes, as much as they could bring down on their backs; which he brought aboard.
We cruized off the Cape till the firft day of Ja- nuary, 1686, and then made towards the Valley Valderas, to hunt, for Beef: and before night we anchored in the bottom of the Bay, in 60 fathom wa-