At _Carthagena_ wee heard a report of threescore saile of ships of _Hollanders_ waiting for the Galeons, which struck no little feare into the _Spaniards_; who called a councell whether our Fleet should winter there, or goe on to _Spain_. It proved to be but a false report of the Inhabitants of _Carthagena_, who for their own ends and lucre would willingly have had the ships and Galeons to have stayed there; but _Don Carlos de Ybarra_ replyed, that hee feared not a hundred saile of _Hollanders_, and therefore would goe on to _Spain_, hoping to carry thither safely the Kings treasure. Which hee performed and in eight dayes arrived at _Havana_, where we stayed eight dayes longer, expecting the Fleet from _Vera Cruz_. In which time I viewed wel that strong Castle manned with the twelve Guns, called the twelve Apostles, which would doe little hurt to an Army by land, or marching from the River of _Matansos_. I visited here the mother of that Mulatto, who had taken away all my meanes at Sea; and spent much time in comforting my poore Country men the prisoners; but especially that gallant Captaine _Rouse_, who came unto mee to complaine of some affronts which had been offered unto him by _Spaniards_, in the ship wherein he came; which hee not being able to put up, though a Prisoner unto them desired to question in the field, challenging his proud contemners to meet him if they durst in any place of the Havana, (a brave courage in a dejected and Imprisoned _English_ man to challenge a _Spaniard_ in his Country, a Cock upon his own dunghill,) which as soone as I understood by _Edward Layfield_, I desired to take up, fearing that many would fall upon him cowardly and mince him small in peices. I sent for him to the Cloister where I lay, and there had conference with him, prevailing so far as that I made him desist from his thoughts of going into the field, and shewing his manhood in such a time and place, where his low condition of a Prisoner might well excuse him. The rest of my poore country men were here much discouraged and in some want; whom I relieved (especially _Layfield_) and incouraged as much as I was able. I chanced here to have occasion to take a little physick before I went again to Sea, & thereby I learned what before I never knew, to wit, the dyet which on such a day the best Physitians of _Havana_ prescribe unto their patients. Whereas after the working of my physick, I expected some peece of Mutton, or a fowl, or some other nourishing meat, my Physitian left order that I should have a peece of rosted Porke, which seeming unto mee a Dyet contrary to that daies extremity, I began to refuse it, alleadging to my Doctor the contrary course of all Nations, the naturall quality of that meat to open the body. To which he replyed, that what Porke might worke upon mans body in other Nations, it worked not there, but the contrary; and so he wished me to feed upon what hee had prescribed, assuring mee that it would doe mee no hurt. Now as Hogs flesh there is held to be so nourishing, so likewise no other meat is more then it, and Tortoises, wherewith all the ships make their provision for _Spain_. The Tortoises they cut out in long thin slices, as I have noted before of the Tassajos, and dry it in the wind after they have well salted it, and so it serveth the Mariners, in all their voyage to _Spain_, which they eate boyled with a little garlicke, and I have heard them say that to them it tasted as well as any Veale. They also take into their ships some fowles for the Masters and Captaines tables, and live hogs, which would seem to be enough to breed some infection in the ship, had they not care to wash often the place where such unclean beasts lie. In the ship where I was passenger, was killed every weeke one for the Masters, Pilots and passengers table. Thus all things being made ready for the ships provision to _Spain_, and the Merchants goods and the Kings Revenue being shipped in nine dayes that we abode there; we now wanted nothing, but onely the company of the Fleet from _Vera Cruz_, which should have met us there upon the eight day of _September_. But _Don Carlos de Ybarra_, seeing it stayed longer then the time appointed, and fearing the weather, & the New Moon of that moneth which commonly proveth dangerous in the Golf of _Bahama_, resolved to stay no longer, but to set out to _Spain_. On a Sabbath day therefore in the morning we hoised sails, (being in all seven and twenty ships with those which had met with us there from _Honduras_ and the Islands), and one by one we sailed out of Havana to the main Sea, where we that day wafted about for a good wind, and also waiting for our guide, which was not yet come out of the Havana to guide us through the Gulfe of _Bahama_.