Page:The Captivity of Hans Stade of Hesse.pdf/287

But for those to whom such things are unknown, I first of all call God to witness.

The first voyage which I made to America was in a Portuguese ship, whose captain was called Pintyado.^[1] We were three Germans on board: one, called Heinrich Brant, was from Bremen; the other was called Hans von Bruckhausen, and myself.

The other voyage I made from Seville in Spain to the Rio de Platta, a province in America so called. The admiral of the ships was named Don Diego de Senabrie; there was no German with me on that voyage. But at last, after much adversity, peril, and danger at sea and on land suffered during this one voyage, which, as before stated, lasted two years, we were shipwrecked at an island called S. Vincente, situated close to the mainland of Brazil, and inhabited by Portuguese. There I found a countryman, one of the sons of the late Eoban, of Hesse, who received me kindly. Besides this one, the Schetzen, merchants of Antdorff, had a factor called Peter Rösel: these two must bear me witness, as to how I arrived, and how I ultimately was captured by the cruel barbarians.

Further, the seafarers who bought me from the savages came from Normandy in France. The captain of the vessel, Wilhelm de Moner, was from Wattauilla. The mate, whose name was Françoy de Schantz, came from Harflor; the interpreter from Harflor was called Perott. These honest people (may God reward them for it in eternal happiness) have, after God, helped me to reach France; they have helped me to obtain a passport; they have clad me; and they have given me food. These must bear witness for me where they found me.

Thereupon, I embarked at Dieppe in France, for London in England, where the merchants, connected with the Dutchmen, learned from the ship captain, with whom I