1598] THE EARL OF CUMBERLAND^ RETURN
selves or scorn of others, so that there were very few but that
fell to most disorderly outrage one ^ith another
Thence they sailed on to Dominica and here my Lord made
a speech to them all, rebuking them for the many gross faolts
committed amongst them since their coming to sea and warning
them that his overpatient and forced sluggish humour was now
shaken off, and that he would not for the future suffer to pass
unpunished ill-deservers At Dominica they stayed six davs,
watering the fleet and refreshing the sick men in a hot bath which
was found near the sea as hot as either the Cross Bath or King's
Bath in the City of Bath
His Lordship now determined to attack the town of Porto
Rico, and on the 6th June the soldiers were landed about three
leagues from the town, towards which they marched along the
sea shore till they met with a blackamoor whom thev took to be
their guide, and towards evening with much ado they came to
the causeway that led out to the island Wherefore the
soldiers were led to a great lawn and there rested while a
continual watch was kept to give immediate information of the
ebb of the tide from the causeway Early next morning the
alarum was given very quietly and the companies quickly
ranged, and after my Lord and Sir John Berkeley had somewhat
disputed for the honour of leading the point, our men began the
assault, which lasted for two hours, yet though they left noway
unattempted they could not enter the gate Tins causeway
was so rugged that our men to keep on their feet made choice
to wade in the water beside it Here his Lordship was, by the
stumbling of him that bore his target, overthrown even to the
danger of drowning, for his armour so overburdened him that
the Sergeant Major, that by chance was next him, had much
ado at the first and second time to get him from tinder the water
When he was up he had received so much salt water that it drove
htm to so great extremity of present sickness that he was forced
to lie down in that place upon the causeway
In the fort the enemy had six pieces of great ordnance winch
were bent upon the causeway, and many musketeers, and at a
port by the gate lay a fowler, which some call a murdering
piece. For all this our soldiers came to the very gate, and began
to hew at it with some two or three bilk that they had, at the
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