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Hillo, Amyas! said Cary, whos your friend? Heres a man been telling me wonders about the River Plate. We should go thither for luck there next time. River Plate? said old Martin. Its I knows about the River Plate; none so well. Whod ever been there, nor heard of it nether, before Captain Will and me went, and I lived among the savages a whole year; and audacious civil I found em if they d had but shirts to their backs; and so was the prince o mun, that Captain Will brought home to King Henry; leastwise he died on the voyage; but the wild folk took it cruel well, for you see, we was always as civil with them as Christians, and if we hadnt been, I should not have been here now. What year was that? In the fifteen thirty: but I was there afore, and learnt the speech o mun; and thats why Captain Will left me to a hostage, when he tuked their prince. Before that? said Cary; why, the country was hardly known before that. The old mans eyes flashed up in triumph. Knowed? Iss, and you may well say that! Look ye here! Look to mun! and he waved his hand roundTheres captains! and Im the father of em all now, now poor Captain Wills in gloory; I, Martin Cockrem! . . . Iss, Ive seen a change. I mind when Tavistock Abbey was so full o friars, and goolden idols, and sich noxious trade, as ever was a wheat-rick of rats. I mind the fight off Brest in the French warsOh, that was a fight, surely!when the Regent and the French Carack were burnt side by side, being fast grappled, you see, because of Sir Thomas Knivet; and Captain Will gave him warning as he ran a-past us, saying, says he But, said Amyas, seeing that the old man was wandering away, what do you mind about America? America? I should think so! But I was a-going to tell you of the Regentand seven hundred Englishmen burnt and drowned in her, and nine hundred French in the Brest ship, besides what we picked up. Oh dear! But about America. Yes, about America. How are you the father of all the captains? How? you ask my young master! Why, before the fifteen thirty, I was up the Plate with Cabot (and a cruel fractious ontrustful fellow he was, like all they Portingals), and bid there a year and more, and up the Paraguaio with him, diskivering no end; whereby, gentles, I was the first Englishman, I hold, that ever sot a foot on the New World, I was! Then heres your health, and long life, sir! said Amyas and Cary. Long life? Iss, fegs, I reckon, long enough aready! Why, I mind the beginning of it all, I do. I mind when there wasnt a master mariner to Plymouth, that thought there was aught west of the Lands End except herrings. Why, they held them, pure wratches, that if you sailed right west away far enough, youd surely come to the edge, and fall over cleve. IssTwas dark parts round here, till Captain Will arose; and the first of it I mind was inside the bar of San Lucar, and he and I were boys about a ten year old, aboord of a Dartmouth ship, and went for wine, and there come in over the bar he that was the beginning of it all. Columbus? Iss, fegs, he did, not a pistol-shot from us; and I saw mun stand on the poop, so plain as I see you; no great shakes of a man to look to nether; theres a sight better here, to plase me, and we was disappointed, we lads, for we surely expected to see mun with a goolden crown on, and a sceptre to as hand, we did, and the ship o mun all over like Solomons temple for gloory. And I mind that same year, too, seeing |
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