alone without ayde) as here is a shippe which was in Lisbon, whose men say that there are in a readinesse (onely to meet vs) foure great ships, of the which one is accounted 700 tunnes, and other pinnesses:  yet not for feare of them, nor raging of the seas (whose rage God is aboue to rule) but onely for the premisses:  the sequell whereof must by reason turne to a great misery to the men; the which I for my part (though it might turne me to as much gaine as the whole commeth to) yet would I not be so tormented, as the sight thereof would be a corsiue to my heart, and the more, because foreseeing the same, I should be so leud, as yeelding, to haue runne into the danger thereof, and therefore I haue absolutely determined with my selfe not to goe this voyage.  Howbeit if in a seasonable time of the yeere I had but one ship sufficient, though much lesse by the halfe, I would not refuse (as triall being made thereof should appeare) or if I had ability of my selfe to venture so much, it should well be seene.  And this I speake to giue you to vnderstand that I refuse not this for feare:  If you purpose to proceed heerein, send some one whom you please; to whom I will not onely deliuer the articles which I haue receiued, but also will giue some particular notes which I haue noted in the affaires which you haue committed vnto mee, with the best helpe and counsell I can.  Thus the liuing God keepe your worships all.  Bristoll this 11 of December 1561.

Your worships to comand to his power.

Iohn Lok.

* * * * *

The relation of one William Rutter to M. Anthony Hickman his master
  touching a voyage set out to Guinea in the yeere 1562, by Sir William
  Gerard, Sir William Chester, M. Thomas Lodge, the sayd Anthony Hickman,
  and Edward Castelin, which voyage is also written in verse by Robert
  Baker.

Worshipfull sir, my duty remembered, this shalbe to declare vnto you the discourse of this our voyage, since our departure out of England from Dartmouth; at which time I gaue you to vnderstand of our departure, which was the 25 of February 1562.  Then hauing a prosperous winde we departed from thence, and sailed on our voyage vntill we arriued at Cauo verde the 20 of March, making no abode there, but sailed along the coast to our first appointed port Rio de Sestos, at which port we arriued the third of Aprill in the morning, hauing the sight of a Frenchman, who assoone as he perceiued vs, set saile and made to the sea:  in the meane time we came to an anker in the rode:  and after that he had espied our flag, perceiuing vs to be Englishman, he bare with the shore, and hailed our ships with his ordinance, at which time we the merchants of both the ships were in the riuer in traffike, and had vnderstanding of the Negroes that he had bene there three dayes before our comming:  so we concluded together, that if he sent his pinnesse to traffike, we would not suffer him, vntill we had taken further