ABSTRACT
Wee were like to runne on shore on ye coast of Barbary 50 Leagues distant from ye Isle of Goury, but by Capt Reynolds fireing a gunn we scaped cleare and gott on ye 2d day of October 1664 to ye Isle of Goury where wee found one Capt Stacy Gouernour, who mistrustinge wee bore false Coulors, kept us of by playinge of his greate shott at us, untill seuerall of our people had beene on shoare; which afterwards understandinge that wee were 104ordered to come ther by his Highnesse ye Duke of Yorke, 1 hee immediately obeyed this order & saluted us. On ye sixth day we landed Capt St. George in a greate deale of pompe. This Island is a uery pretty Island about 3 miles round with two Castles on it, with a uery commodious harbour for shippinge. Wee were mounting of ye greate gunns and mendinge of ye breaches in ye forts that Capt Holmes made in it when hee tooke it, even then when ye De ruyter arriued with 13 sayle of shipps, which was on ye 11th day Followinge, demandinge ye Island and ye Companyes goods that was in ye ships; which the Captaines of our Shipps beinge unwillinge to grant, wee warped in as neare to ye Castles as wee could, resoluing all of them to Fight with them. But in ye Interim Capt Taylour goinge on board of Capt Reynolds ship, his ship beinge at a distance from ye rest, gaue order unto his mate to come as neare the rest of the shipps as hee could. But neglectinge of his Commanders orders, (he) stayed untill one of ye Ducth shipps had boarded them, commandinge our Capt on board of them, & forceinge them to accept of articles by surrendringe what goods they had of ye Royall Companyes. And on ye 27 Instant wee & they sett sayle together, but they outsaylinge of us went to Satalone where they disabled our Factoryes, leaueinge only a small parcell of Iron to maintanie our Factors untill they could gett some other releife. And in ye Interim the company belonginge to Capt Taylour’s ship being most of them willinge to goe for England, desireing to saue theer owners the ship and prouisions, & expectinge noe wages, some eight of the officers write a paper of aduise to ye Commander to trade along ye coast, thinkinge 105to corrupt them with some of ye Companyes goods which he refuseinge, there bred a mutiny soe that wee did not sayle for 3 dayes, untill Capt Thornburgh and Capt Grigs came on board & pacified it. And then settinge sayle wee had uery contrary winds untill ye 26 of November & then wee arriued at Cape Mount; and on ye 30 at Cape mount serat, & on ye 3d day of December wee arriued at Caestus, where is a conuenient place for woodinge & watringe as can be desired, haueinge a factory setled up ye riuer at ye Kings towne. The factors name is Bayly, who is a man uery fitt for that employment haueinge the blacks under such command, and if there was a castle built by ye Barr, as there is already a foundation laid, it would bee a uery conuenient place for trade. On ye 11 day of ye Instant wee sett sayle againe and on ye 20th wee arriued at Cape palmas. And on ye 23 day the De ruyter came up to us againe with his Fleete and commanded us to ye Castle De mine, where on the 25 wee came to an anchor at there factory, they commandinge us in with a Frigott. And they went against Tacarara wher wee had a castle, landinge greate store of men & stormeinge it, but were repulsed by those few english (which were not aboue tenn) and ye negroes to ye losse of some of their men. Which being much perplexed therat, they commanded 1000 negroes from their factory and burned the Negroes towne at ye aforesaid Tacarara, promisinge them greate rewards for euery Negroes heade they could bringe unto them. And afterwards they burnt the rest of the buildings and blew up the Castle, strippinge the english starke naked and brought them on board. And then wee weighed anchor and arriued at Commenda wher wee had a Factor preserued by the Negroes, the Dutch haueinge the Kings sonne of that place prisoner, and would not release him. On ye 29th the Deruyter and ye admirall of Africa saluted one another, and there hee tooke out those goods which were 106for the Douer Merchant and granted us our ship to carry us home. And thinkinge on New yeares day to sett saile on ye night before, theire arriued a shipp from Holland which brought them some news, (so) that on ye next morninge they made prize of some goods and shipps and dispersed us seuerally into theire shipps. And then they sent forth two frigotts and commanded Capt Thornburgh in prisoner, Likewise Capt Grigs, makinge on ye 2 day of January a narrow escape from them; most of our English that were taken entring themselues in the Dutch seruice. The rest they tooke to ye Castle De Mine. Wee expected Prince Ruperts comminge, 1 and the John Vincampins sendinge out euery day seuerall shipps a crusinge, they taxinge and imprisoninge Capt Giles Thornburgh and his cheife mate Rob. Knight for sendinge a letter of intelligence by a Canoe unto Cape Coast to our Factors there. And on ye 25 of January the Dutch set saile (wee beinge prisoners with them) and thought to haue gone to Cape Coast but went to lewerd of it unto Moree where they haue a Factory, where they tooke in some souldiers to helpe them against Cormantine where they prouided much for the Stormeinge of it. They thought it to haue gone that night, but ye next morninge they had 1000 of Negroes come from ye De mine to theire assistance; and the De Ruyter thinkinge with theere help & 700 of his men to haue landed, (they) were repulsed by one John Cabesse a negroe and his followers who lay in ambuscade for them, Anamabo beinge at ye same time blowne up & shot neuer a shott at them there, going on shore (with) about 40 Canoes. And (they) tooke downe ye Royall Companyes Colours.
