[6][n 4] The ships set off westwards from Plymouth on 10 June, and had fair sailing until 1 July, when they came upon 'a marvailous great storme, and much foule weather,' which resulted in the loss of Sampson.

[8][n 5] Deeming the northwards journey too treacherous, Rut steered south, reaching 52º N four days later, and made his way into 'Cape de Bas' (possibly Cape St Charles), describing it as having 'a good Harbor, and many small ilands, and a great fresh river going up farre into the mayne Land.

[13] On 19 November, Gines Navarro, who was loading a caravel with cassava on Mona Island, spotted an English sail on the coast, which he later described as a vessel of 250 tonnes and three maintops.

[13] When the Spaniard enquired after their purpose in Spanish dominions, the men told him they 'wished to examine them in order to give the king of England an account thereof,' adding that 'when they had explored them, they would take a load of brazilwood and return home.

[15] Now, the men stated their purpose was to 'make a certain exploration toward the north, between Labrador and Newfoundland, in the belief that in that region there was a strait through which to pass to Tartary,' adding that they wished to take in water and provisions at the Spanish port.

[16] On the morning of 26 November, as crew broke fast over a Spanish meal, a shot was fired from the city fort, landing some twenty fathoms over the poop of the ship.

[17] The warden of the Spanish fort, Francisco de Tapia, had heard that an English ship was trying to enter harbour, and having failed to secure direction from city officials and vecinos, had fired a small loaded cannon to take cognisance of the vessel.

[24] On learning of the affair, Charles V chastised the Audiencia of Santo Domingo for having failed to detain the Englishmen 'after they had landed and visited the city, and seen how it lies, and its harbour, inasmuch as they were from a foreign kingdom, and this was a thing not heretofore experienced in those parts,' and further charged them with 'great carelessness and negligence' for having granted the English freedom of movement in Spanish waters.

'[28] Like Wright and Towns, and number of historians have also identified the ship in question as Mary Guildford, with David B Quinn noting that the odds 'seem so high that the identification appears fully acceptable.