come unto us, as also at the rude manner of killing, and savage kind of
handling the dead body of one of our boys found by them straggling all
alone, from whom they had taken his head and heart, and had straggled
the other bowels about the place, in a most brutish and beastly manner.
In revenge whereof at our departing we consumed with fire all the
houses, as well in the country which we saw, as in the town of Santiago.

From hence putting off to the West Indies, we were not many days at sea
but there began among our people such mortality as in a few days there
were dead above two or three hundred men. And until some seven or eight
days after our coming from Santiago, there had not died any one man
of sickness in all the fleet. The sickness showed not his infection,
wherewith so many were strucken, until we were departed thence; and then
seized our people with extreme hot burning and continual agues, whereof
very few escaped with life, and yet those for the most part not without
great alteration and decay of their wits and strength for a long time
after. In some that died were plainly shown the small spots which are
often found upon those that be infected with the plague. We were not
above eighteen days in passage between the sight of Santiago aforesaid,
and the island of Dominica, being the first island of the West Indies
that we fell withal; the same being inhabited with savage people, which
go all naked, their skin coloured with some painting of a reddish
tawny, very personable and handsome strong men, who do admit little
conversation with the Spaniards; for, as some of our people might
understand them, they had a Spaniard or twain prisoners with them.
Neither do I think that there is any safety for any of our nation, or
any other, to be within the limits of their commandment; albeit they
used us very kindly for those few hours of time which we spent with
them, helping our folks to fill and carry on their bare shoulders fresh
water from the river to our ships' boats, and fetching from their houses