de monte The 17 a darke drowsie day this was the first night that I tooke the North starre The 26 a temperate day with litle winde and we were in 12 degrees and 13 minutes of latitude The 30 we met a great sea out of the Northwest The 6 of Iune we found it as temperate as if we had beene in England yet we were within the height of the sunne for it was declined 23 degrees and 26 minuts to the Northward and we had 15 degrees of latitude The 8 faire and temperate as in England here we met with a counter sea out of the Southborde The 15 a faire temperate day the winde variable here we had 18 degrees and fiftie nine minutes The 12 of Iuly in 30 degrees of latitude we met with great store of rockweed which did stick together like clusters of grapes and this continued with vs vntill the 17 of the said moneth and then we saw no more at which 17 day we were in two and thirtie degrees sixe and fortie minutes of latitude The 25 at sixe of the clocke in the morning we had sight of the Isle of Pike it bare North and by East from vs we being 15 leagues off The 27 we spake with the poste of London and she told vs good newes of England The nine and twentieth we had sight of the Island of Cueruo and the 30 we saw the Island of Flores The 27 of August in 41 degrees of latitude we saw 9 saile of Britons and three of them followed vs vntill noone and then gaue vs ouer The 30 we had sight of Cape âinisterre The eight of September at night wee put into Plimouth sound and road in Causon bay all night The 9 we put into Catwater and there stayed vntill the 28 of September by reason of want of men and sicknesse The nine and twentieth we set sayle from Plimouth and arriued at London the second of October 1589. The commodities that we caried in this voyage were cloth both linnen wollen yron worke of sundry sorts Manillios or bracelets of copper glasse beades and corrall The commodities that we brought home were pepper and Elephants teeth oyle of palme cloth made of Cotton wooll very curiously wouen and cloth made of the barke of palme trees Their money is pretie white shels for golde and siluer we saw none They haue also great store of cotton growing their bread is a kind of roots they call it Inamia and when it is well sodden I would leaue our bread to eat of it it is pleasant in eating and light of digestion the roote thereof is as bigge as a mans arme Our men vpon fish-dayes had rather eate the rootes with oyle and vineger then to eate good stockfish There are great store of palme trees out of the which they gather great store of wine which wine is white and very pleasant we should buy two gallons of it for 20 shels They haue good store of sope and it smelleth like beaten violets Also many pretie fine mats and baskets that they make and spoones of Elephants teeth very curiously wrought with diuers proportions of foules and beasts made vpon them There is vpon the coast wonderfull great lightning and thunder in so much as I neuer hard the like in no Countrey for it would make the decke or hatches tremble vnder our feete and before we were well acquainted with it we were fearefull but God be thanked we had no harme The people are very gentle and louing and they goe naked both men and women vntill they be married and then they goe couered from the middle downe to the knees They would bring our men earthen pottes of the quantitie of two gallons full of hony and hony combes for 100 shelles They would also bring great store of Oranges and Plantans which is a fruit that groweth vpon a tree and is very like vnto a Cucumber but very pleasant in eating It hath pleased God of his merceifull goodnesse to giue me the knowledge how to preserue fresh water with little cost which did serue vs sixe moneths at the sea when we came into Plimmouth it was much wondered at of the principal men of the towne who said that there was not sweeter water in any spring in Plimouth Thus both God prouide for his creatures vnto whom be praise now and for euermore Amen The voiage set forth by M. Iohn Newton and M. Iohn Bird marchants of London to the kindome and Citie of Benin in Africa with a ship called the Richard of Arundell and a pinnesse in the yere 1588. briefely set downe in this letter following written by the chiefe Factor in the voyage to the foresaid Marchants at the time of the ships first arriuall at Plimouth WOrshipful Sirs the discourse of our whole proceeding in this voyage wil aske more time and a person in better health then I am at this present so that I trust you will pardon me till my comming vp to you in the meane time let this suffice Whereas we departed in the moneth of December from the coast of England with your good ship the Richard of Arundell and the pinnesse we held on our direct course towards our appointed port and the 14 day of Februarie following we arriued in the hauen of Benin where we found not water enough to carry the ship ouer the barre so that we left her without in the road and with the pinnesse ship boat into which we had put the chiefest of our marchaÌdise we went vp the riuer to a place called Goto where we arriued the 20 of February the foresaid Goto being the neerest place that we could come to by water to go for Benin From thence we presently sent Negroes to the king to certifie him of our arriuall and of the cause of our comming thither who returned to vs againe the 22 day with a noble man in their company to bring vs vp to the Citie and with 200 Negroes to carrie out commodities hereupon the 23 day we deliuered our marchandize to the kings Factor the 25 day we came to the great Citie of Benin where we were well intertained The sixe twenty day we went to the Court to haue spoken with the king which by reason of a solemne feast then kept amongst them we could not doe but yet we spake with his Veadore or chiefe man that hath the dealing with the Christians and we conferred with him concerning our trading who answered vs that we should haue all things to our desire both in pepper and Elephants teeth The first of March we were admitted to the kings presence and he made vs the like courteous answere for our traffike the next day we went againe to the Court where the foresaid Veadore shewed vs one basket of greene pepper and another of dry in the stalkes wee desired to haue it plucked from the stalks and made cleane who answered that it would aske time but yet in
keepe a note thereof in your booke secretly to your selfe which you shall open and disclose at your comming home to the gouernours and assistants in such sorte as the trueth of their secret trades and occupyings may be reuealed and knowen You shal need alwayes to haue Argos eyes to spie their secret packing and conueyance aswell on land as aboord the shippe of and for such âurres and other commodities as yeerely they doe vse to buy packe and conuey hither If you will bee vigilant and secrete in this article you cannot misse to spie their priuie packing one with another either on shore or aboord the shippe worke herein wisely and you shall deserue great thanks of the whole company 10 Also at the lading againe of the shippe you shall continue and abide abord to the ende that you may note and write in your booke all such goods and marchandises as shall be brought and laden which you shall orderly note in all sortes as heretofore as in the second article partly it is touched and in any wise put the Master and the company in remembrance to looke and foresee substancially to the roomaging of the shippe by faire meanes or threats as you shall see and thinke will serue for the best 11 Thus when the shippe is full laden againe and all things aboord in good order and that you doe fortune to goe a shore to the Agent for your letters and dispatch away you shall demand whether all the goods be laden that were brought thither and to know the trueth therof you shal repaire to the companies storehouse there at S. Nicholas to see if there be any goods left in the sayd storehouse if there be you shaldemand why they be not laden and note what kinde of goods they be that be so left and seeing any of the shippes there not fully laden you shall put the Agent in remembrance to lade those goods so left if any such be to be laden as is aforesayd And thus God sending you a faire wind to make speede and away 12 Finally when God shall send you to arriue againe vpon this coast in safetie either at Harewich or elsewhere goe not you aland if you may possiblie to the ende that when you be gone a shore there may no goods be sent priuily ashore to be solde or else to be solde aboord the ship in your absence but keepe you still aboord if you can by any meanes for the causes aforesaid and write the company a letter form the shippe of your good arriuall which you may conuey to them by land by some boy or mariner of the shippe or otherwise as you shall thinke best and likewise when God shall send you and the shippe into the riuer here doe not in any wise depart out of the shippe that you be in vntil the company doe send some other aboord the shippe in your steâde and place to keepe the shippe in your absence The Nauigation and discouerie toward the riuer of Ob made by Master Steuen Burrough Master of the Pinnesse called the Serchthrift with diuers things worth the noting passed in the yere 1556. WE departed from Ratclifte to Blackewall the 23 of April Satturday being S. Markes day we departed from Blackewall to Grays The 27 being Munday the right Worshipfull Sebastian Cabota came aboord our Pinnesse at Grauesende accompanied with diuers Gentlemenâ and Gentlewomen who after that they had viewed our Pinnesse and tasted of such cheere as we could make them aboord they went on shore giuing to our mariners right liberall rewards and the good olde Gentleman Master Cabota gaue to the poore most liberall almes wishing them to pray for the good fortune and prosperous successe of the Serchthrift our Pinnesse And then at the signe of the Christopher hee and his friends banketted and made me and them that were in the company great cheere and for very ioy that he had to see the towardnes of our intended discouery he entred into the dance himselfe amongst the rest of the young and lusty company which being ended hee and his friends departed most gently commending vs to the gouernance of almighty God Tuesday we rode still at Grauesend making prouision for such things as we wanted Wednesday in the morning we departed from Grauesende the winde being at Southwest that night we came to an anker thwart our Lady of Hollands Thursday at three of the clocke in the morning we weyed and by eight of the clocke we were at an anker in Orwell wannes and theâ incontinent I went aboord the Edward Bonauenture where the worshipfull company of marchants appointed me to be vntill the sayd good ship arriued at Wardhouse Then I returned againe into the pinnesse Friday the 15 of May we were within 7 leagues of the shore on the coast of Norway the latitude at a South sunne 58 degrees and a halfe where we saw three sailes beside our owne company and thus we followed the shoare or land which lieth Northnorthwest North and by West and Northwest and by North as it doth appeare by the plot Saturday at an East sunne we came to S. Dunstans Island which Island I so named It was off vs East two leagues and a halfe the wind being at Southeast the latitude this day at a South sunne 59 degrees 42 minutes Also the high round mountaine bare East of vs at a south sunne and when this hill is East of you and being bound to the Northward the land lyeth North and halfe a point Westerly from this sayd South sunne vnto a North sunne twenty leagues Northwest alongst the shoare Upon Sunday at sixe of the clocke in the morning the farthest land that we could see that lay Northnorthwest was East of vs three leagues and then it trended to the Northwards and to the Eastwards of the North which headland I iudged to be Scoutsnesâe At seuen of the clocke we changed our course and went North the wind being at Southsoutheast and it waxed very thick and mistie and when it cleered we went Northnortheast At a South sunne we lost sight of the Serchthrift because of the mist making our way North. And when we lost sight of the shoare and pinnesse we were within two leagues a halfe of the shoare the last land that we saw when this mist came vpon vs which is to the Northwards of Scowtsnesse lay Northnortheast and Southsouthwest and we made our way North vntill a west sunne fiue leagues From that vntill Munday three a clocke in the morning ten leagues Northnortheast and then we went North and by East because the winde came at the Westsouthwest with thicke miste the latitude this day at a South sunne sixtie three degrees and a halfe truely taken at this season we had sight of our Pinnesse againe From that vntill Tuesday a South sunne Northnortheast fortie foure leagues and then Northeast From a South sunne vntill eight of the clocke fifteene leagues Northeast From that vntill Wednesday a South sunne
his men to fill our baricoes with water and to help our men to beare wood into their boat and then he put on his best silke coate and his coller of pearles and came aboord againe brought his present with him and thus hauing more respect vnto his present then to his person because I perceiued him to be vainglorious I bade him welcome and gaue him a dish of figs and then he declared vnto me that his father was a gentleman and that he was able to shew me pleasure and not Gabriel who was but a priests sonne After their departure from vs we weied and plyed all the ebbe to the windewards the winde being Northerly towards night it waxed very stormie so that of force we were constrained to go roome with Cape S. Iohn againe in which storme wee lost out skiffe at our sterne that wee bought at Wardhouse and there we rode vntil the fourth of Iuly The latitude of Cape S. Iohn is 66 degrees 50 minutes And it is to be noted that the land of Cape S. Iohn is of height from the full sea marke as I iudge 10 fadomes being cleane without any trees growing also without stones or rockes and consists onely of blacke earth which is so rotten that if any of it fall into the sea it will swimme as though it were a piece of wood In which place about three leagues from the shore you shall not haue aboue 9 fadom water and clay ground Iulie SAturday at a Northnorthwest sunne the wind came at Eastnortheast then we weied and plied to the Northwards and as we were two leagues shot past the Cape we saw a house standing in a valley which is dainty to be seene in those parts and by and by I saw three men on the top of the hil Then I iudged them as it afterwards proued that they were men which came from some other place to set traps to take vermin for their furres which trappes we did perceiue very thicke alongst the shore as we went Sunday at an East sunne we were thwart off the creeke where the Russes lay and there came to an anker and perceiuing the most part of the Lodias to be gone we thought it not good to tary any longer there but weyed and spent all the ebbe plying to the windewards Munday at a South sunne it was high water All alongst the coast it floweth little onely a South moone makes a full sea and as we were a weying we espied the Russe Lodias which we first lost They came out of a creeke amongst the sandy hilles which hilles beginne 15 leagues Northnortheast from Cape S. Iohn Plying this ebbe to an end we came to an anker 6 leagues Northnortheast froÌ the place where we saw the Russes come out and there the Russes harboured themselues within a soonke banke but there was not water enough for vs. At a North sunne we weyed and plied to the Northwards the land lying Northnortheast and Southsouthwest vntil a South sunne and then we werein the latitude of 68 degrees a halfe â and in this latitude ende those sandy hilles and the land beginneth to lie North and by West South and by East and Northnorthwest and to the Westwards and there the water beginneth to ware deepe At a Northwest sunne we came to an anker within halfe a league of the shore where wee had good plenty of fish both Haddocks and Cods riding in 10 fadom water Wednesday we weyed and plyed neerer the headland which is called Caninoz the wind being at East and by North. Thursday the wind being scant we turned to windwards the ebbe to get about Caninoz the latitude this day at noone was 68 degreee 40 minutes Friday we turned to the windward of the ebbe but to no purpose and as we rode at an anker we saw the similitude of a storme rising at Northnorthwest could not tell where to get rode nor succor for that winde and harborough we knew none that land which we rode vnder with that winde was a lee shorâ And as I was musing what was best to be done I saw a saile come out of a creeke vnder the foresayd Caninoz which was my friend Gabriel who forsooke his harborough and company and came as neere vs as he might and pointed vs to the Eastwards then we weyed and followed him and went East and by South the wind being at Westnorthwest and very mistie Saturday we went Eastsoutheast followed Gabriel and he brought vs into an harborough called Morgiouets which is 30 leagues from Caninoz we had vpon the barre going in two fadome and a fourth part and after we were past in ouer the barre it waxed deâper for we had 5 fadoms 4 and a half and 3 fadom c. Our barke being mored I sent some of our men to shoare to prouide wood where they had plenty of drift wood but none growing and in this place we found plenty of young foule as Gulles Seapies and others whereof the Russes would eate none whereof we were nothing sory for there came the more to our part Sunday our men cut wood on shoare and brought it aboord and wee balasted our shippe with stones This morning Gabriel saw a smoke on y e way who rowed vnto it with his skiffe which smoke was two leagues from the place where we road and at a Northwest sunne he came aboord again and brought with him a Samoed which was but a young man his apparell was then strange vnto vs and he presented me with three young wild geese and one young barnacle Munday I sent a man to the maine in Gabriels boat and he brought vs aboord 8 barricoes of fresh water the latitude of the said Morgiouets is sixtie eight degrres and a terce It floweth there at a Southsouthwest moone full sea and hyeth two fadome and a halfe water At a Westnorthwest sunne we departed from this place and went East 25 leagues and then saw an Island North and by West of vs eight leagues which Island is called Dolgoieue and from the Eastermost part of this Island there lyeth a sand East and by South 7 leagues long Wednesday at a North and by East sunne Swetinoz was South of vs 5 leagues This day at afternoone we went in ouer the dangerous barre of Pechora and had vpon the barre but one fadome water Thursday we road still Friday I went on shoare and obserued the variation of the Compasse which was three degrees and a halfe from the North to the West the latitude this day was sixtie nine degrees ten minutes From two or three leagues to the Eastward of Swetinoz vntill the entering of the riuer Pechora it is all sandy hilles and towards Pechora the sandie hilles are very low It higheth on the barre of Pechora foure foote water it floweth there at a Southwest moone a full sea Munday at a North by East sunne we weyed and came out
ouer the sayd dangerous barre where wee had but flue foote water insomuch that wee found a foote lesse water comming out then wee did going in I thinke the reason was because when we went in the winde was off the sea which caused the sands to breake on either side of vs and wee kept in the smoothest betweene the breaches which we durst not haue done except we had seene the Russes to haue gone in before vs and at our comming out the winde was off the shoare and fayre weather and then the sands did not appeare with breaches as at our going in we thanke God that our ship did draw so little water When we were a seaboord the barre the wind scanted vpon vs and was at Eastsoutheast insomuch that we stopped the ebbes and plyed all the floods to the windewards and made our way Eastnortheast Tuesday at a Northwest sunne we thought that we had seen land at East or East by North of vs which afterwards prooued to be a monstrous heape of ice Within a little more then halfe an houre after we first saw this ice we were inclosed within it before we were aware of it which was a fearefull sight to see for for the space of sixe houres it was as much as we could doe to keepe our shippe aloofe from one heape of ice and beare roomer from another with as much wind as we might beare a coarse And when we had past from the danger of this ice we lay to the Eastwards close by the wind The next day we were againe troubled with the ice Thursday being calme we plyed to the windwards the winde being Northerly We had the latitude this day at noone in 70 degrees 11 minutes We had not runne past two houres Northwest the wind being at Northnortheast and Northeast and by North a good gale but we met againe with another heape of ice we wethered the head of it and lay atime to the seawards and made way West 6 leagues Friday at a Southeast sunne we cast about to the Eastwards the wind being at Northnortheast the latitude this day at noone was 70 degrees 15 minutes On S. Iames his day bolting to the windewardes we had the latitude at noone in seuenty degrees twentie minutes The same day at a Southwest sunne there was a monstrous Whale aboord of vs so neere to our side that we might haue thrust a sworde or any other weapon in him which we durst not doe for feare hee should haue ouerthrowen our shippe and then I called my company together and all of vs shouted with the crie that we made he departed from vs there was as much aboue water of his backe as the bredth of our pinnesse and at his falling downe he made such a terrible noyse in the water that a man would greatly haue maruelled except hee had knowen the cause of it but God be thanked we were quietly deliuered of him And a little after we spied certaine Islands with which we bare and found good harbor in 15 or 18 fadome and blacke oze we came to an anker at a Northeast sunne named the Island S. Iames his Island where we found fresh water Sunday much wind blowing we rode still Munday I went on shoare and tooke the latitude which was 70 degrees 42 minutes the variation of the compasse was 7 degrees and a halfe from the North to the West Tuesday we plyed to the Westwards alongst the shoare the wind being at Northwest and as I was about to come to anker we saw a sayle comming about the point wherunder we thought to haue ankered Then I sent a skiffe aboord of him and at their comming aboord they tooke acquaintance of them and the chiefe man said hee had bene in our company in the riuer Cola and also declared vnto them that we were past the way which should bring vs to the Ob. This land sayd he is called Noua Zembla that is to say the New land and then he came aboord himselfe with his skiffe and at his comming aboord he told mee the like and sayd further that in this Noua Zembla is the highest mountaine in the worlde as he thought that Camen Bolshay which is on the maine of Pechora is not to be compared to this mountaine but I saw it not he made me also certaine demonstrations of the way to the Ob and seemed to make haste on his owne way being very lothe to tarie because the yeere was farre past and his neighbour had set Pechora and not he so I gaue him a steele glasse two pewter spoones and a paire of veluet sheathed kniues and then he seemed somewhat the more willing to tary and shewed me as much as he knew for our purpose he also gaue me 17 wilde geese and shewed me that foure of their lodias were driuen perforce from Caninoze to this Noua Zembla This mans name was Loshak Wednesday as we plied to the Eastwards we espied another saile which was one of this Loshaks company and we bare roome and spake with him who in like sort tolde vs of the Ob as the other had done Thursday we plied to the Eastwards the winde being at Eastnortheast Friday the gale of winde began to increase and came Westerly withall so that by a Northwest sunne we were at an anker among the Islands of Uaigats where we saw two small lodias the one of them came aboord of vs and presented me with a great loafe of bread and they told me that they were all of Colmogro except one man that dwelt at Pechora who seemed to be the chiefest among them in killing of the Morse There were some of their company on shoare which did chase a white beare ouer the high clifs into the water which beare the lodia that was aboord of vs killed in our sight This day there was a great gale of wind at North and we saw so much ice driuing a seaboord that it was then no going to sea August SAturday I went ashore and there I saw three morses that they had killed they held one tooth of a Morse which was not great at a roble and one white beare skin at three robles two robles they further tolde me that there were people called Samoeds on the great Island and that they would not abide them nor vs who haue no houses but onely couerings made of Deers skins set ouer them with stakes they are men expert in shooting and haue great plenty of Deere This night there fell a cruell storme the wind being at West Sunday we had very much winde with plenty of snow and we rode with two ankers a head Munday we weyed and went roome with another Island which was fiue leagues Eastnortheast from vs and there I met againe with Loshak and went on shore with him and hee brought me to a heap of the Samoeds idols which were in number aboue 300 the worst and the most vnartificiall
Westsouthwest sunne we set our maine sayle and lay close by the winde the winde being at Northwest and by North making but little way because the billow went so high at midnight wee cast about and the shippe caped Northnortheast making little way Friday at noone we had the latitude in 70 degrees 8 minutes and we sounded and had 29 fadomes sand and in maner stremy ground At a West sunne we cast about to the Westwards and a little after the wind came vp at West Saturday was calme the latitude this day at noone was 70 degrees and a terce we sounded heere and had nine and forty fadomes and oze which oze signified that we drew towards Noua Zembla And thus we being out of al hope to discouer any more to the Eastward this yeere wee thought it best to returne and that for three causes The first the continuall Northeast and Northerly winds which haue more power after a man is past to the Eastwards of Caninoze then in any place that I doe know in these Northerly regions Second because of great and terrible abundance of ice which we saw with our eies and we doubt greater store abideth in those parts I aduentured already somewhat too farre in it but I thanke God for my safe deliuerance from it Third because the nights waxed darke and the winter began to draw on with his stormes and therefore I resolued to take the first best wind that God should send and plie towards the bay of S. Nicholas and to see if we might do any good there if God would permitt it This present Saturday we saw very much ice and were within two or three leagues of it it shewed vnto vs as though it had beene a firme land as farre as we might see from Northwest off vs to the Eastwards and this afternoone the Lord sent vs a little gale of wind at South so that we bare cleere off the Westermost part of it thanks be to God And then against night it waxeâ calme againe and the winde was at Southwest we made our way vntil Sunday noone Northwest and by West and then we had the latitude in 70 degrees and a halfe the winde at Southwest there was a billow so that we could not discerne to take the latitude exactly but by a reasonable gesse Munday there was a pretie gale of wind at South so that wee went West and by South the latitude this day at noone was 70 degrees 10 minutes wee had little-winde all day at a Westnorthwest sunne we sounded and had 29 fadoms blacke sandie oze then we were Northeast 5 leagues from the Northeast part of the Island Colgoieue Tuesday the wind all Westerly we plyed to the wind wards Wednesday the wind was all Westerly and calme wee had the latitude this day in 70 degrees 10 minutes we being within three leagues of the North part of the Island Colgoieue Thursday we went roome about the Westermost part of the Island seeking where we might finde a place to ride in for a Northwest wind but could find none and then we cast about againe to the seawards and the winde came at Westsouthwest and this morning we had plenty of snow Friday the winde being at Southwest and by West we plied to the windewards Saturday the winde being at South we plyed to the Westwards and at afternoone the mist brake vp and then we might see the land seuen or eight leagues to the Eastwards of Caninoz we sounded a litle before and had 35. fadoms and oze And a while after wee sounded againe and had 19. fadome and sand then we were within three leagues and a halfe of the shore and towards night there came downe so much winde that we were faine to bring our ship a trie and laide her head to the Westwards Sunday the winde became more calme and then it waxed verie mystie At noone wee cast about to the Eastwards the winde beeing at South and ranne eight houres on that boorde and then we cast about and caped West southwest we sounded and had 32. fathomes and tough oaze like clay Munday we doubled about Caninoze and came at an anker there to the intent that we might kill some fish if God would permit it and there we gace a great Nuse which Nuses were there so plentie that they would scarcely suffer any other fish to come neere the hookes the said Nuses caried away sundrie of our hookes and leads A litle after at a West Sunne the winde began to blow stormie at West southwest so that we were faine to wey and forsake our fishing ground and went close by the winde Southwest and Southwest and by West making our way South southwest September TUesday at a West Sunne we sounded and had 20. fathoms and broken Wââkeshels I reckoned Canonize to be 24. leagues Northnortheast from vs. The eleuenth day we arriued at Colmogro and there we wintered expecting the approch of the next Sommer to proceede farther in our intended discouerie for the Ob which by reason of our imploiments to Wardhouse the next spring for the search of some English ships was not accordingly performed Certaine notes vnperfectly written by Richard Iohnson seruant to Master Richard Chancelour which was in the discouerie of Vaigatz and Noua Zembla with Steuen Burrowe in the Serchthrift 1556. and afterwarde ââong the Samoedes whose deuilish rites hee describeth FIrst after we departed out of England we fell with Norway and on that coste lieth Northbern or Northbergen and this people are vnder the King of Denmarke But they differ in their speech from the Daâes for they speake Norsh And North of Northbern lie the Isles of Roste and Lofoot and these Islands pertaine vnto Finmarke and they keepe the lawes and speake the language of the Islanders And at the Eastermost part of that land is a castle which is called the Ward house and the King of Denmarke doeth fortifie it with men of warre and the Russes may not goe to the Westward of that castle And East Southeast from that castle is a lande called Lappia in which lande be two maner of people that is to say the Lappians and the Scrickfinnes which Scrickfinnes are a wilde people which neither know God nor yet good order and these people liue intents made of Deares skinnes and they haue no certaine habitations but continue in heards and companies by one hundred and two hundreds And they are a people of small stature and are clothed in Deares skinnes and drinke nothing but water and eate no bread but flesh all raw And the Lappians bee a people adioyning to them be much like to them in al conditions but the Emperour of Russia hath of late ouercome manie of them and they are in subiection to him And this people will say that they beleeue in the Russes God And they liue in tents as the other doe And Southeast and by South from Lappia lyeth a prouince called Corelia
knowen because it is fullers earth and the like I haue not seene in all that Countrey A head of Foxe nose a league from the shoare there are 15. fadome betwixt Foxe nose and Zolatitsa there are 6. leagues I meane the Southerly part of Foxe nose Sunday I sounded the barre of Zolatitsa which the Russes told me was a good hardorow but in the best of it I found but 4. foote water Munday I had the latitude in 66. degrees and then was point Pentecost sixe leagues South of vs. Wednesday I went on land at Crosse Island and tooke the latitude which was 66. degrees 24. minutes We being one league Northeast of Crosse Island I sawe the land on the Eastside which I iudged to be Cape good fortune and it was then Eastsoutheast of vs 9. leagues Cape grace is 7. leagues and a halfe Northeast from Crosse Island There are 2. Islands 5. leagues Northnortheast from Cape grace the Southermost of them is a little long Island almost a mile long and the Northermost a little round Island and they are both hard aboord the shore Cape Race is from the Southermost Island North and by West and betweene them are two leagues and from that and halfe a league Northnorthwest there is another poynt Betweene which poynt and Cape Race the Russes haue a Stanauish or harborow for their Lodias and to the Westwards of the said poynt there is a shoale bay Three leagues and a halfe to Northwards of Cape Race we had the latitude on the 10. day of this moneth in 67. degrees 10. minutes Riding within half a league of the shoare in this latitude I found it to be a full sea at a North and by East moone I had where we roade two and twentie fadoome and the tallow which is taken vp is full of great broken shels and some stones withall like vnto small sand congealed together From a South sunne that wee weyed the winde being at North and by East wee driued to the windwards halfe the ebbe with the ships head to the Eastwards And then when we cast her head to the Westwards we sounded and had 22. fadome broken shels and gray sand this present day was very mistie with frost on the shrowds as the mist fell Friday in the morning at an East sunne the mist brake vp a little the winde being at North and by West a stiffe gale our shrowdes and roapes ouer head being conered with frost and likely to be a ââorme I thought it good to seeke an harborow and so plied roome with the Islands which are two leagues to the Southwards of Cape Race and within these Islands thankes bee to God we found harborow for vs. It higheth at these Islands two fadome water it floweth in the harborow at this place at a Southsoutheast moone ful sea and a sea boord it floweth at a Southsouthwest moone a full sea The Russes call this Island Tri Ostroue You may come in betweene the little Island and the great Island and keepe you in the mids of the Sound and if you borrowe on any side let it bee on the greatest Island and you shall haue at a low water foure fadome and three fadome and a halfe and three fadome vntill that you be shot so farre in as the narrowest which is betweene the Northermost point of the greatest Island and the Southerne point of the maine which is right against it and then hale to the Northwards with the crosse which standeth in the maine and you shall haue at a lowe water 10. foote water and faire sand And if you be disposed to goe through the Sound to the Southwards keepe the Northwest shoare aboorde for on the Island side after you be shotte so farre in as the crosse it is a shoale of rockes halfe the sound ouer which rockes do last vnto the Southerly part of the great Island and rather to the Southwards And if you be constrained to seeke a harbor for Northerly windes when you come out of the sea hale in with the Southerly part of the great Island giuing the Island a faire birth and as you shoote towards the maine you shall finde roade for all Northerly windes in foure fadome fiue sixe and seuen fadome at a lowe water Also within this great Island if neede bee you may haue a good place to ground a ship in the great Island is almost a mile long and a quarter of a mile ouer This storme of Northerly winde lasted vntill the 16. of this moneth and then the winde came Southerly but we could not get out for Ice I went on shore at the crosse and tooke the latitude which is 66. degrees 58. minutes 30. seconds the variation of the Compasse 3. degrees and a halfe from the North to the East Thursday being faire weather and the winde at North we plied to the winde-wards with sailes and oares wee stopped the flood this day three leagues to the Northwards of Cape Race two miles from the shoare and had twentie faâome water faire gray and blacke sand and broken shels And when the slake came wee wayed and made aboord to the shoare-wards and had within two cables length of the shoare eighteene fadomes faire gray and blacke land a man may finde roade there for a North winde and so to the Westwards Two leagues to the Southward of Corpus Christi poynt you may haue Landfang for a North and by East winde and from that to the Westwards in 23. fadome almost a mile from shoare and faire sand and amongst the sand little yong small limpets or such like as growe vpon muscles and within two cables length and lesse of the shoare are eighteene fadomes and the sounding aforesaid but the yong limpets more plentifull It was a full sea where we roade almost a mile from shoare at a South and by West moone two leagues to the Southwards of Corpus Christi point is the vttermost land which land and Cape Race lyeth South and halfe a point to Westwards and North and halfe a point to the Eastwards and betweene them are sixe leagues Riding this day sixe leagues to the Northwards of Cape Race the winde at Northnorthwest with mist and frost at noone the sunne appeared through the mist so that I had the latitude in 67. degrees 29. minutes Munday we were thwart of Corpus Christi point two leagues and a halfe from shoare or rather more where we sounded and had 36. fadoms and broken cocle shels with brannie sand but the broken shels very thicke Tuesday in the morning we were shotte a head of Cape gallant which the Russes call Sotinoz And as we were shot almost halfe a league betwixt it and Cape comfort the wind came vp at the Northwest and after to the Northwards so that we were faine to beare roome to seeke a harbour where we found good harbour for all windes and the least 7. fadome water betweene S. Iohns Islands
there grewe question by their double demand So in April Anno 1560. before my comming from Moscouia they obtained trial by combat or letter to haue their summe double or as I proffered 600 robles For combatte I was prouided of a strong willing Englishman Robert Best one of the companies seruants whome the Russes with their Champion refused So that we had the words of our priuiledge put in effect which were to draw lots The day and maner of triall appointed by the Emperour at his castle in his palace and high Court of Moscouia was thus The Emperours two Treasurers being also Chancelours and chiefe Iudges sate in court They appointed officers to bring me mine interpreter the other through the great presse within the rayle or barre and permitted me to sit downe some distance from them the aduerse parties being without at the barre Both parties were first perswaded with great curtesie to wit I to enlarge mine offer and the Russes to mitigate their challenge Notwithstanding that I protested my conscience to be cleere and their gaine by accompt to bee sufficient yet of gentlenes at the magistrates request I made proffer of 100 robles more which was openly commended but of the plaintifes not accepted Then sentence passed with our names in two equall balles of waxe made and holden vp by the Iudges their sleeues stripped vp Then with standing vp and wishing well to the trueth attributed to him that should be first drawen by both consents among the multitude they called a tall gentleman saying Thou with such a coate or cap come vp where roome with speede was made He was commanded to hold his cappe wherein they put the balles by the crowne vpright in sight his arme not abasing With like circumspection they called at aduenture another tall gentleman commanding him to strip vp his right sleeue and willed him with his bare arme to reach vp and in Gods name seuerally to take out the two balles which he did deliuering to either Iudge one Then with great admiration the lotte in ball first taken out was mine which was by open sentence so pronounced before all the people and to be the right and true parte The chiefe plaintifes name was Sheray Costromitsky I was willed forthwith to pay the plaintifes the summe by me appointed Out of which for their wrong or sinne as it was termed they payd tenne in the hundred to the Emperor Many dayes after as their maner is the people tooke our nation to be true and vpright dealers and talked of this iudgement to our great credite Note The former letters dated 1558 1559 and 1560 should all followe M. Ienkinsons voyage to Boghar The first voyage made by Master Anthonie Ienkinson from the Citie of London toward the land of Russia begun the twelfth of May in the yeere 1557. FIrst by the grace of God the day and yeere aboue mentioned I departed from the sayd Citie and the same day at Grauesend embarked my selfe in a good shippe named the Primerose being appointed although vnworthy chiefe captaine of the same and also of the other 3 good ships to say the Iohn Euangelist the Anne and the Trinitie hauing also the conduct of the Emperour of Russia his ambassadour named Osep Nepea Gregoriwich who passed with his company in the sayde Primerose And thus our foure tall shippes being well appointed aswell for men as victuals as other necessarie furniture the saide twelfth day of the moneth of May we weyed our ankers and departed from the saide Grauesend in the after nâone and plying downe the Thames the wind being Easterly and fayre weather the 13 day we came a ground with the Primerose vpon a sand called the blacke taile where we sate fâst vntill the 14 day in the morning and then God be praysed she came off and that day we plyed downe as farre as our Ladie of Holland and there came to an anker the wind being Easterly there remayned vntill the 20 day then we weyed and went out at Goldmore gate and from thence in at Balsey liade and so into Orwel wands where we came to an anker but as we came out at the sayd Goldemore gate the Trinitie came on ground on certaine rockes that lye to the Northward of the said gate and was like to be bilged and lost But by the aide of God at the last she came off againe being very leake and the 21 day the Primerose remaining at an anker in the wandsâ the other three shippes bare into Orwel hauen where I caused the sayd Trinitie to be grounded searched and repaired So we remayned in the said hauen vntill the 28 day and then the winde being Westerly the three shippes that were in the hauen weyed and came forth and in comming forth the Iohn Enangelist came on ground vpon a sand called the Andros where she remained one tide and the next full sea she came off againe without any great hurt God be praised The 29 day in the morning all foure ships weied in the Wands and that tide went as farre as Orfordnesse where we came to an anker because the wind was Northerly And about sixe of the clock at night the wind vered to the Southwest and we weyed anker and bare cleere of the nesse and then set our course Northeast by North vntill midnight being then cleare of Yarmouth sands Then we winded North and by West and Northnorthwest vntill the first of Iune at noone then it waxed calme and continued so vntill the second day at noone then the winde came at Northwest with a tempest and much raine and we lay close by and caped Northnortheast and Northeast and by North as the winde shifted and so continued vntill the third day at noone then the wind vered Westerly againe and we went North our right course and so continued our way vntill the fourth day at three of the clocke in the afternoone at which time the wind vered to the Northwest againe and blew a fresh gale and so continued vntill the seuenth day in the morning we lying with all our shippes close by and caping to the Northwards and then the wind vering more Northerly we were forced to put roomer with the coast of England againe and fell ouerthwart Newcastle but went not into the hauen so plied vpon the coast the eight day the ninth The tenth day the winde came to the Northnorthwest we were forced to beare roomer with Flamborow head where we came to an anker and there remained vntill the seuenteenth day Then the winde came faire and we weyed and set our course North and by East and so continued the same with a mery winde vntill the 21 at noone at which time we tooke the sunne and had the latitude in sixty degrees Then we shifted our course and went Northnortheast and Northeast and by North vntil the 25 day Then we discouered certaine Islands called Heilick Islands lying from vs Northeast being in the latitude of sixtie
sixe degrees 40 minutes Then we went north and by West because we would not come too nigh the land and running that course foure houres we discouered and had sight of Rost Islands ioining to the main land of Finmarke Thus continuing our course along the coast of Norway and Finmark the 27 day we tooke the Sunne being as farre shot as Lofoot and had the latitude in 69 degrees And the same day in the afternoone appeared ouer our heads a rainebow like a semicircle with both ends vpwarde Note that there is between the said Rost Islands Lofoot a whirle poole called Malestrand which from halfe ebbe vntill halfe flood maketh such a terrible noise that it shaketh the ringes in the doores of the inhabitants houses of the sayd Islands tenne miles off Also if there commeth any Whale within the current of the same they make a pitifull crie Moreouer if great trees be caried into it by force of streams and after with the ebbe be cast out againe the ends and boughs of them haue bene so beaten that they are like the stalkes of hempe that is bruised Note that all the coaste of Finmarke is high mountaines and hils being couered all the yere with snow And hard aboord the shoare of this coast there is 100 or 150 fadomes of water in depth Thus proceeding and sailing forward we fell with an Island called Zenam being in the latitude of 70 degrees About this Island we saw many Whales very moÌstrous about our ships some by estimation of 60 foot long and being the ingendring time they roared and cried terriblie From thence we fell with an Island called Kettelwicke This coast from Rost vnto Lofoot lieth North and south and from Lofoot to Zenam Northeast and southwest and from Zenam to Kettelwike Eastnortheast and Westsouthwest From the said Kettelwike we sailed East and by North 10 leagues and fell with a land called Inger sound where we fished being becalmed and tooke great plenty of Cods Thus plying along the coast we fell with a Cape called the North Cape which is the Northermost land that wee passe in our voyage to S. Nicholas and is in the latitude of 71 degrees and ten minutes and is from Inger sound East and to the Northwards 15 leagues And being at this North Cape the second day of Iuly we had the sunne at North 4 degrees aboue the Horizon The third day wee came to Wardhouse hauing such mists that we could not see the land This Wardhouse is a Castle standing in an Island 2 miles from the maine of Finland subiect to the king of Denmarke and the Eastermost land that he hath There are two other Islands neere adioining vnto that whereon the Castle of Wardhouse standeth The inhabitants of those three Islands liue onely by fishing and make much stockefish which they dry with frost their most feeding is fish bread and drinke they haue none but such as is brought them from other places They haue small store of cattell which are also fed with fish From Wardhouse we sailed Southsoutheast ten leagues and fell with a Cape of land called Kegor the Northermost part of the lande of Lappia And betweene Wardhouse and the said Cape is a great Bay called Dommes haff in the South part whereof is a Monasterie of Monkes of the Russes religion called Pechinchow Thus proceeding forward and sayling along the coast of the said land of Lappia winding Southeast the fourth day through great mists and darkenes we lost the company of the other three ships and met not with them againe vntill the seuenth day when we fell with a Cape or headland called Swetinoz which is the entring into the Bay of S. Nicholas At this Cape lieth a great stone to the which the barkes that passed thereby were wont to make offrings of butter meale and other victuals thinking that vnlesse they did so their barkes or vessels should there perish as it hath bene oftentimes seene and there it is very darke and mistie Note that the sixt day we passed by the place where Sir Hugh Willoughbie with all his company perished which is called Arzina reca that is to say the riuer Arzina The land of Lappia is an high land hauing snow lying on it commonly all the yere The people of the Countrey are halfe Gentiles they liue in the summer time neere the sea side and vse to take fish of the which they make bread and in the winter they remoue vp into the countrey into the woods where they vse hunting and kill Deere Beares Woolues Foxes and other beasts with whose flesh they be nourished and with their skinnes apparelled in such strange fashion that there is nothing seene of them bare but their eies They haue none other habitation but onely in tents remouing from place to place according to the season of the yeere They know no arte nor facultie but onely shooting which they exercise dayly as well men as women and kill such beasts as serue them for their foode Thus proceeding along the coast from Swetinoz aforesaid the ninth day of Iuly wee came to Cape Grace being in the latitude of 66 degrees and 45 minutes and is at the entring in of the Bay of S. Nicholas Aboord this land there is 20 or 30 fadoms water and sundry grounds good to anker in The current at this Cape runneth Southwest and Northeast From this Cape wee proceeded along vntill we came to Crosse Island which is seuen leagues from the sayd Cape Southwest and from this Island wee set ouer to the other side of the Bay and went Southwest and fell with an headland called Foxenose which is from the sayd Island 25 leagues The entring of this Bay from Crosse Island to the neerest land on the other side is seuen leagues ouer From Foxenose proceeding forward the twelfth day of the sayd moneth of Iuly all our foure ships arriued in safetie at the road of Saint Nicholas in the land of Russia where we ankered and had sailed from London vnto the said roade seuen hundred and fifty leagues The Russian ambassadour and his company with great ioy got to shore and our ships here forthwith discharged themselues and being laden againe and hauing a faire winde departed toward England the first of August The third of the sayd moneth I with other of my company came vnto the citie of Colmogro being an hundred versâes from the Bay of Saint Nicholas and in the latitude of 64 degrees 25 minutes I carried at the said Colmogro vntill the fifteenth day and then I departed in a little boate vp the great riuer of Dwina which runneth very swiftly and the selfe same day passed by the mouth of a riuer called Pinego leauing it on our lefte hand fifteene verstes from Colmogro On both sides of the mouth of this riuer Pinego is high land great rockes of Alablaster great woods and Pineapple trees lying along within the ground
woman be not beaten with the whip once a weeke she will not be good and therefore they looke for it orderly the women say that if their husbands did not beate them they should not loue them They vse to marry there very yong their sonnes at 16. and 18. yeeres olde and the daughters at 12. or 13. yeeres or yonger they vse to keepe their wiues very closely I meane those that be of any reputation so that a man shall not see one of them but at a chance when she goeth to church at Christmas or at Easter or els going to visite some of her friends The most part of the women vse to ride a sleide in saddles with styrrops as men do and some of them on sleds which in summer is not commendable The husband is bound to finde the wife colours to paint her withall for they vse ordinarily to paynt themselues it is such a common practise among them that it is counted for no shame they grease their faces with such colours that a man may discerne them hanging on their faces almost a flight shoote off I cannot so well liken them as to a millers wife for they looke as though they were beaten about the face with a bagge of meale but their eye browes they colour as blacke as ieat The best propertie that the women haue is that they can sowe well and imbroder with silke and golde excellently Of their buriall VVHen any man or woman dieth they stretch him out and put a new paire of shooes on his feete because he hath a great iourney to goe then doe they winde him in a sheet as we doe but they forget not to put a testimonie in his right hand which the priest giueth him to testifie vnto S. Nicholas that he died a Christian man or woman And they put the coarse alwayes in a coffin of wood although the partie be very poore and when they goe towards the Church the friends and kinsemen of the partie departed carrie in their hands small waxe candles and they weepe and howle and make much lamentation They that be hanged or beheaded or such like haue no testimonie with them how they are receiued into heauen it is a wonder without their pasport There are a great number of poore people among them which die daily for lacke of sustenance which is a pitifull case to beholde for there hath beene buried in a small time within these two yeeres aboue 80. persons young and old which haue died onely for lacke of sustenance for if they had had straw and water enough they would make shift to liue for a great many are forced in the winter to drie straw and stampe it and to make bread thereof or at the least they eate it in stead of bread In the summer they make good shift with grasse herbes and rootes barks of trees are good meat with them at all times There is no people in the world as I suppose that liue so miserably as do the pouerty in those parts and the most part of them that haue sufficient for themselues and also to relieue others that need are so vnmerciful that they care not how many they see die of famine or hunger in the streets It is a countrey full of diseases diuers and euill and the best remedie is for anie of them as they holde opinion to goe often vnto the hote houses as in a maner euery man hath one of his owne which hee heateth commonly twise euery weeke and all the housholde sweate and wash themselues therein The names of certaine sortes of drinkes vsed in Russia aud commonly drunke in the Emperours Court. THe first and principall meade is made of the iuice or liecour taken from a berrie called in Russia Malieno which is of a marueilous sweete taste and of a carmosant colour which berry I haue seene in Paris The second meade is called Visnoua because it is made of a berry so called and is like a black gooseberrie but it is like in colour and taste to the red wine of France The third meade is called Amarodina or Smorodina short of a small berry much like to the small rezin and groweth in great plentie in Russia The fourth meade is called Chereunikyna which is made of the wilde blacke cherry The fift meade is made of hony and water with other mixtures There is also a delicate drinke drawn from the root of the birch tree called in the Russe tongue Berozeuites which drinke the noble men and others vse in Aprill May and Iune which are the three moneths of the spring time for after those moneths the sapp of the tree dryeth and then they cannot haue it The voyage of Master Anthony Ienkinson made from the citie of Mosco in Russia to the citie of Boghar in Bactria in the yeere 1558 written by himselfe to the Merchants of London of the Moscouie companie THe 23. day of April in the yeere 1558. hauing obtained the Emperor of Russia his letters directed vnto sundry kings and princes by whose dominions I should passe I departed from Mosco by water hauing with mee two of your seruants namely Richard Iohnson Robert Iohnson and a Tartar Tolmach with diuers parcels of wares as by the inuentory appeareth and the 28. day we came to a town called Collom distant from the Mosco 20. leagues passing one league beyond the saide Collom we came vnto a riuer called Occa into the which the riuer Mosco falleth and looseth his name and passing downe the said riuer Occa 8. leagues we came vnto a castle called Terreuettisko which we left vpon our right hand and proceeding forward the second day of May we came vnto another castle called Peroslaue distant 8. leagues leauing it also on our right hand The third day we came vnto the place where olde Rezan was situate beeing now most of it ruined and ouergrowen and distant from the said Peroslaue 6. leagues the 4. day we passed by a castle called Terrecouia from Rezan 12. leagues the 6. day we came to another castle called Cassim vnder the gouernment of a Tartar prince named Vtzar Zegoline sometime Emperour of the worthy citie of Cazan and now subiect vnto the Emperour of Russia But leauing Cassim on our left hand the 8. day we came vnto a faire town called Morom from Cassim 20. leagues where we took the sonne and found the latitude 56. degrees and proceeding forward the 11. day we came vnto another faire town castle called Nyse Nouogrod situated at the falling of the foresaid riuer Occa into the worthie riuer of Volga distant from the saide Moron 25. leagues in the latitude of 56. degrees 18. minutes FroÌ Rezan to this Nyse Nouogrod on both sides the said riuer of Occa is raised the greatest store of ware and hony in all the land of Russia We carried at the foresaid Nyse Nouogrod vntil the 19. day for the comming of a captain which was sent by the
a castle made by the Crimmes but now it is ruined being the iust midway betweene the said Cazan and Astrachan which is 200. leagues or thereabout in the latitude of 51. degrees 47. minutes Upon all this shore groweth abundance of Licoris whose root runneth within the ground like a vine Thus going forward the sixt day of Iuly we came to a place called Perouolog so named because in times past the Tartars caried their boates from Volga vnto the riuer Tanais otherwise called Don by land when they would robbe such as passed downe the said Volga to Astracan and also such as passed downe by the riuer Tanais to Asou Caffa or any other towne situated vpon Mare Euxinum into which sea Tanais falleth who hath his springs in the countrey of Rezan out of a plaine ground It is at this streight of Perouolog from the one riuer to the other two leagues by land and is a dangerous place for theeues and robbers but now it is not so euill as it hath bene by reason of the Emperour of Russia his conquests Departing from Perouolog hauing the wildernesse on both sides wee sawe a great heard of Nagayans pasturing as is abouesaid by estimation aboue a thousand Camels drawing of cartes with houses vpon them like tents of a strange fashion seeming to bee a farre off a towne that Hord was belonging to a great Murse called Smille the greatâst prince in all Nagay who hath slaine and driuen away all the rest not sparing his owne brethren and children and hauing peace with this Emperour of Russia he hath what he needeth and ruleth alone so that now the Russes liue in peace with the Nagayans who were wont to haue mortall warres together The 14. day of Iuly passing by an old castle which was Old Astracan and leauing it vpon our right hand we arriued at New Astracan which this Emperour of Russia conquered sixe yeeres past in the yeere 1552. It is from the Mosco vnto Astracan sixe hundreth leagues or thereabout The towne of Astracan is situated in an Island vpon a hill side hauing a castle within the same walled about with earth and timber neither faire nor strong The towne is also walled about with earth the buildings and houses except it be the captaines lodging and certaine other gentlemens most base and simple The Island is most destitute and barren of wood and pasture and the ground will beare no corne the aire is there most infected by reason as I suppose of much fish and specially Sturgion by which onely the inhabitants liue hauing great scarsitie of flesh and bread They hang vp their fish in their streets and houses to dry for their prouision which causeth such abundance of flies to increase there as the like was neuer seene in any land to their great plague And at my being at the sayd Astracan there was a great famine and plague among the people and specially among the Tartars called Nagayans who the same time came thither in great numbers to render theÌselues to the Russes their enemies to seeke succour at their hands their countrey being destroyed as I said before but they were but ill entertained or relieued for there died a great number of them for hunger which lay all the Island through in heapes dead and like to beasts vnburied very pitifull to behold many of them were also sold by the Russes and the rest were banished from the Island At that time it had bene an easie thing to haue conuerted that wicked Nation to the Christian faith if the Russes themselues had bene good Christians but how should they shew compassion vnto other Nations when they are not mercifull vnto their owne At my being there I could haue bought many goodly Tartars children if I would haue had a thousand of their owne fathers and mothers to say a boy or a wench for a loafe of bread woorth sixe pence in England but we had more need of victuals at that time then of any such merchandise This Astracan is the furthest hold that this Emperour of Russia hath conquered of the Tartars towards the Caspian sea which he keepeth very strong sending thither euery yere prouision of men and victuals and timber to build the castle There is a certaine trade of merchandise there vsed but as yet so small and beggerly that it is not woorth the making mention and yet there come merchants thither from diuers places The chiefest commodities that the Russes bring thither are redde hides redde sheepes skinnes woodden vessels bridles and saddles kniues and other trifles with corne bacon and other victuals The Tartars bring thither diuers kindes of wares made of cotten wooll with diuers kindes of wrought silkes and they that come out of Persia namely from Shamacki doe bring sowing silke which is the coursest that they vse in Russeland Crasko diuers kinds of pide silkes for girdles shirts of male bowes swords and such like things and some yeeres corne and wallnuts but all such things in such small quantitie the merchants being so beggerly and poore that bring the fame that it is not worth the writing neither is there any hope of trade in all those parts woorth the folowing This foresaid Island of Astracan is in length twelue leagues and in bredth three lieth East and West in the latitude of fortie seuen degrees nine minutes we taried there vntil the sixt day of August and hauing bought and prouided a boate in company with certaine Tartars and Persians we laded our goods and imbarked our selues and the same day departed I with the said two Iohnsons hauing the whole charge of the Nauigation downe the sayd riuer Volga being very crooked and full of flats toward the mouth thereof We entred into the Caspian sea the tenth day of August at the Easterly side of the sayd riuer being twentie leagues from Astracan aforesayd in the latitude of fortie six degrees twentie seuen minutes Volga hath seuentie mouthes or fals into the sea and we hauing a large wind kept the Northeast shore and the eleuenth day we sailed seuen leagues Eastnortheast and came vnto an Island hauing an high hill therein called Accurgar a good marke in the sea From thence East tenne leagues we fell with another Island called Bawhiata much higher then the other Within these two Islands to the Northwards is a great Baie called the Blew sea Form thence wee sailed East and by North ten leagues and hauing a contrary wind we came to an anker in a fadome water and so rid vntill the fifteenth day hauing a great storme at Southeast being a most contrary wind which we rid out Then the wind came to the North and we weyed and set our course Southeast and that day sailed eight leagues Thus proceeding forwards the 17. day wee lost sight of land and the same day sailed thirtie leagues and the 18. day twentie leagues winding East and fell with a land called Baughleata being 74. leagues from the mouth
throughout all the kingdomes subiect to his empire free power might be giuen to Will. Garrard Thomas Ofley William Chester knights Rowland Haiward Lionel Ducket William Allen Thomas Bannister Gefferey Ducket Lawrence Chapman Merchants and vnto their societie to enter into his lands and countreys at al times when they would and could there to exercise vse their trade of merchandise and from thence likewise after exchange or sale made of those wares which they should bring with them with his like good leaue and fauour to carie from thence those things wherwith his dominions do abound with vs be scant Which our petition the most noble prince your father took so thankfully and in such good part that he not onely graunted franke and commodious leaue as was desired but the same he would to bee vnto them most free and beneficiall and to haue continuance for many yeeres and times The benefite of the which his wonderfull liberality our subiects did enioy with such humanitie freedome as there could be no greater till the time that by reason of wars more and more increasing in those partes by the which our subiects were to make their iourney into Persia they were debarred and shut from that voyage traffique The which traffique the said societie being eftsoones desirous to renew to the weale and commoditie of both our dominions they haue now sent into Persia their factors Agents Arthur Edwards William Turnbull Matthew Tailbois Peter Gerrard merchants with their associats whom we beseech your inuincible maiesty to entertaine with that fauour wherewith your father did imbrace Tho. Bannister Geffrey Ducket and to enfranchise their whole societie with that freedome that neither they through any their misdemeanours towards your subiects may thereof seeme vnworthy as we hope they will not neither we our selues otherwise enioy them then with the perpetuall remembrance of your good affection towards vs and with the like fauourable inclination of our part towards you The matter it selfe tract of time shall sufficiently proue the foresaid maner of trafâike vnprofitable to neither of vs. For so hath one God the chiefe gouernor of all things disposed of our affaires on earth that ech one should need other And as for our people subiects of the English nation in verie deed your maiesty shal find them made and fashioned so pliant to the perfourmance of all dueties of humanity that it can neuer repent you to haue graunted them this franke traffike nor shame vs to haue obteined it for them at your hands That therefore it may please your maiesty to yeeld vnto them this at our request most earnestly we beseech you And we as it wel beseemeth a prince if euer hereafter we may wil shew our selfe not to bee vnmindfull of so great a benefit We wish your maiesty wel prosperously to fare Giuen at our palace of Westminster the 10. day of Iune in the yere of our Lord 1579 and of our reigne the 21. Aduertisements and reports of the 6. voyage into the parts of Persia and Media for the companie of English merchants for the discouerie of new trades in the yeeres 1579.1580 and 1581. gathered out of sundrie letters written by Christopher Burrough seruant to the saide companie and sent to his vncle Master William Burrough FIrst it is to be vnderstood that the ships for the voiage to S. Nicholas in Russia in which the factors and merchandise for the Persian voiage were transported departed from Grauesend the 19. of Iune 1579. which arriued at S. Nicholas in Russia the 22. of Iuly where the factors and merchants landed and the merchandise were discharged laden into doshnikes that is barkes of the countrey to be caried from thence vp by riuer vnto Vologda And the 25. day of y e said Iulie the doshnikes departed from Rose Island by S. Nicholas vp the riuer Dwina Peremene that is to say in poste by continual sailing rowing setting with poles or drawing of meÌ which came to Colmogro the 27. day and departed thence the 29. of Iulie vp the said riuer Dwyna and came to Vsâyoug which is at the head of the riuer Dwina and mouth of Sughano the 9. of August where they stayed but a small time prouiding some victuals and shifting certaine of their cassacks or barkmen so departed thence the same day vp the riuer Sughano and came to Totma which is counted somewhat more then halfe the way from Vstioug the 15. day where they shifted some of their cassaks and departed thence the same day and came to the citie Vologda the 19. of August where they landed their goods and staied at that place till the 30. of the same Hauing prouided at Vologda Telegas or wagons whereupon they laded their goods they departed thence with the fame by land towards Yeraslaue the said 30. of August at eight of the clocke in the morning and came to the East side of the riuer Volga ouer against Yeraslaue with 25. Telegas laden with the said goods the seuenth of September at fiue of the clocke afternoone Then the three stroogs or barks prouided to transport the saide goods to Astracan where they should meete the ship that should carie the same from thence into Persia came ouer from Yeraslaue vnto the same side of the riuer Volga and there tooke in the said goods And hauing prepared the said barks ready with all necessary furniture they departed with them from Yeraslaue downe the riuer of Volga on the 14 day of September at nine of the clocke in the morning and they arriued at Niznouogrod the 17 day at three of the clocke afternoone where they shewed the Emperors letters to passe free without paying any custome and taried there about three houres to prouide necessaries and then departing arriued at Cazan or neere the same towne on the 22. of September at fiue of the clock afternoone where through contrary windes and for prouiding new cassaks in the places of some that there went from them they remained till the 26. day at what time they departed thence about two of the clocke after noone and arriued at Tetushagorod which is on the Crim side of Volga and in latitude 55. degrees 22. minutes the 28. day at ten in the forenoone where they ankered and remained about 3. houres and departing thence came to Oueak which is on the Crims side on the Westerne side of Volga the fift of October about fiue of the clocke in the morning This place is accounted halfe the way betweene Cazan and Astracan and heere there groweth great store of Licoris the soile is very fruitfull they found there apple trees and cherrie trees The latitude of Oueak is 51. degrees 30. minutes At this place had bene a very faire stone castle called by the name Oueak adioyning to the same was a towne called by y e Russes Sodom this towne part of the castle by report of the Russes was swalowed into the earth by the iustice of
thence till the 23. foure a clocke in the morning they sailed Southsouthwest three leagues and a halfe then could they get no ground in two and fiftie fathoms deepe From thence vntill noone they sayled South nine leagues then the latitude obserued was 42. degrees 20. minuts From that till the 24. day at noone they sayled South by West seuenteene leagues and a halfe then the latitude obserued was 41. degrees 32. minuts From noone till seuen of the clocke at night they sailed Southsouthwest foure leagues then had they perfect sight of high land or hilles which were almost couered with snow and the mids of them were West from the ship being then about twelue leagues from the nearest land they sounded but could finde no ground in two hundred fathoms From thence they sailed Southwest vntil midnight about three leagues from thence till the 25. day foure of the clock in the morning they sayled West three leagues being then litle winde and neere the land they tooke in their sayles and lay hulling at noone the latitude obserued was 40. degrees 54. minuts they sounded but could get no ground in two hundred fathoms At four of the clocke in the afternoone the winde Northwest they set their sailes from thence till the 26. day at noone they sailed East southeast foure leagues From thence they sailed till eight of the clocke at night Southwest three leagues the winde then at North. From thence they sailed vntill the 27. day two of the clocke in the morning Westsouthwest eight leagues the winde blowing at North very much From the sayd two til foure of the clocke they sailed South by West one league then being day light they saw the land plaine which was not past three leagues from them being very high ragged land There were certaine rocks that lay farre off into the sea about fiue leagues from the same land which are called Barmake Tashâ they sayled betweene those rocks and the land and about fiue of the clocke they passed by the port Bilbill where they should haue put in but could not and bearing longst the shoare about two of the clocke afternoone they came to Bildih in the countrey of Media or Sheruan against which place they ankered in 9. foot water Presently after they were at anker there came aboord of them a boat wherein were seuen or eight persons two Turks the rest Persians the Turkes vassals which bade them welcome and seâmed to be glad of their arriuall who told the factors that the Turke had conquered all Media or the countrey Sheruan and how that the Turks Basha remained in Derbent with a garrison of Turkes and that Shamaky was wholly spoyled and had few or no inhabitants left in it The factours then being desirous to come to the speech of the Basha sent one of the Tisikes or merchants that went ouer with them from Astracan passingers and one of the companies seruants Robert Golding with those souldiours to the captaine of Bachu which place standeth hard by the sea to certifie him of their arriuall and what commodities they had brought and to desire friendshippe to haue quiet and safe traffike for the sâme Bachu is from Bildih the place where they road about a dayes iourney on foote easily to be trauelled which may be sixe leagues the next way ouer land it is a walled towne and strongly fortified When the sayd messenger came to the captaine of Bachu the said captaine gaue him very friendly intertainment and after he vnderstood what they were that were come in the shippe and what they had brought he seemed to reioyce much thereat who gaue the said Golding licence to depart backe the next day being the eight and twentieth day and promised that he would himselfe come to the shippe the neât day following with which answere the said Golding returned and came to the shippe the sayd eight and twentieth day about nine of the clocke at night The nine and twentieth day in the morning the factours caused a tent to be set vp at shoare neare the shippe against the comming of the sayd captaine who came thither about three of the clocke after noone and brought about thirtie souldiers that attended on him in shirts ââ male and some of them had gauntlets of siluer others of steele and very faire The factors met him at their tent and after very friendly salutations passed betweene them they gaue him for a present a garment of cloth of veluet and another of scarlet who accepted the same gratefully After they had talked together by their interpretors as well of the state of the voyage and cause of their comming thither as also learned of the sayde captaine the state of that countrey the factours made request vnto him that he would helpe them to the speech of the Basha who answered that their demand was reasonable and that he would willingly shew them therein what pleasure he could and sayd because the way to Derbent where the Basha remayned was dangerous he would send thither and certifie him of their arriuall and what commodities they had brought and such commodities as they would desire to exchange or barter the same for he would procure the said Basha to prouide for them and therefore willed the factors to consult together and certifie him what they most desired and what quantitie they would haue prouided so whilest the factors were consulting together thereupon the captaine talked with a Tisike merchant that came ouer in the ship with them from Astracan which Tisike among other matters in talke certified the captaine that the night before the factors their company were determined to haue returned backe againe to Astracan and that they were about to wey their ankers which in deed was true but the maister of the barke Thomas Hudson of Limehouse perswaded them that the wind was not good for them to depart c. When the factors came againe to talke with the captaine they desired to goe to the Basha and that he would safely conduct them thither he granted their requests willingly desiring them to goe with him to a village hard by and there to abide with him that night and the next day they should go to Bachu and from thence proceede on their iourney to Derbent They were vnwilling to go that night with him because their prouision for the way was not in readinesse but requested that they might stay til the morning Thereupon the captaine sayd it was reported vnto him that they ment the night before to haue gone away and if it should so happen he were in great danger of loosing his head for which cause he requested to haue some one for a pledge wherefore M. Garrard one of the factors offered himselfe to go who because he could not speake the Russe tongue tooke with him Christopher Burrough and a Russe interpretour that night they road from the seaside to a village about ten miles off where at supper time the
being Northerly so that we could not come neere to it The 6. day about 2. in the afternoone the wind at North northwest we halde East southeast with a faire and gentle gale this day we met with ice About 6. in the afternoone it became calme we with saile and oares laide it to the Northeast part hoping that way to cleare vs of it for that way we did see the head part of it as we thought Which done about 12. of the clocke at night we gate cleere of it We did thinke it to be ice of the bay of Saint Nicholas but it was not as we found afterwards The seuenth day we met with more yce at the East part of the other yce we halde along a weather the yce to finde some ende thereof by East northeast This day there appeared more land North from vs being perfect land the ice was betweene vs and it so that we could not come neerer to it The same morning at sixe of the clocke wee put into the ice to finde some way through it wee continued in it all the same day and all the night following the winde by the North Northwest Wee were constrained to goe many pointes of our compasse but we went most an Easterly course The eight day the winde at North northwest we continued our course and at fiue in the morning we sounded and had 90. fadoms red oze This day at foure in the afternoone we sounded againe and had 84. fadoms oze as before At sixe in the after noone we cleared our selues of the ice and hald along Southeast by South we sounded againe at 10. a clocke at night and had 43. fathom sandy oze The 9. day at 2. in the morning we sounded againe and had 45. fadoms then there appeared a shadow of land to vs East Northeast and so we ran with it the space of 2. houres and then perceiuing that it was but fogge we hald along Southeast This day at 2. in the afternoone wee sounded and had fiftie fadoms blacke oze Our latitude was 70. degrees three minutes At tenne a clocke at night wee sounded againe and had fiftie fadoms blacke oze The tenth day the wind being at North northwest we haled East and by North which course we set because at ten of the clocke afore noone wee did see land and then wee sounded hauing 35. fadoms blacke oze All this day there was a great fogge so that wee durst not beare with the land to make it and so we kept an outwardly course This day at 6. in the afternoone we espied land wherewith we halled and then it grew calme we sounded and had 120. fadoms blacke oze and then we sent our boat a land to sound and proue the land The same night we came with our ship within and Island where we rode all the same night The same night wee went into a bay to ride neere the land for wood and water The 11. day the wind came to the East southeast this day about a league from vs to the Eastwards we saw a very faire sound or riuer that past very farre into the countrey with 2. or 3. branches with an Island in the midst The 12. of Iuly the wind was East Southeast This day about 11. a clocke in the morning there came a great white beare down to the water side and tooke the water of his own accord we chased him with our boate but for all that we could doe he gote to land and escaped from vs where we named the bay Bearebay This day at 7. in the after noone we set saile for we had good hope that the winde would come Westerly and with saile and oares we gate the sea All the night it was calme with fogge The 13. day in the morning the wind was very variable with fog and as it cleared vp wee met with great store of ice which at the first shewed like land This ice did vs much trouble and the more because of the fog which continued vntill the 14. day 12. of the clocke The 14. day in the morning we were so imbayed with ice y t we were constrained to come out as we went in which was by great good fortune or rather by the goodnesse of God otherwise it had bene impossible and at 12. of the clock we were cleere of it the wind being at South and South by West The same day we found the pole to be eleuated 70. degrees 26. minutes we lay along the coast Northwest thinking it to be an Island but finding no end in rowing so long we supposed it to be the maine of Noua Zembla About 2. in the afternoone we laide it to the Southward to double the ice which wee could not doe vpon that boorde so that we cast about againe and lay West along vnder the ice About seuen in the afternoone we gote about the greatest part thereof About 11. a clock at night we brought the ice Southeast of vs and thus we were ridde of this trouble at this time The 15. day about 3. in the morning the wind was at South southwest wee cast about and lay to the Eastwards the winde did Wester so that wee lay South southwest with a flawne sheete and so we ranne all the same day About 8. in the after noone we sounded and had 23. fadoms small grey sand This night at twelue of the clocke we sounded againe and had 29. fadoms sand as afore The 16. day vnto 3. in the morning we hald along East Southeast where we found 18. fadoms red sand then we hald along Northeast In these soundings wee had many ouerfals This day at 10. of the clocke we met with more ice which was very great so that we coulde not tell which way to get cleere of it Then the winde came to the South Southeast so that we lay to the Northwards We thought that way to cleare our selues of it but that way we had more ice About 6. in the afternoone the wind came to the East Then we lay to the Southwards that wee had 30. fadoms blacke oze This day we found the pole to bee eleuated 69. deg 40. minutes and this night at 12. a clocke we had 41. fadoms red sand The 17. day at 3. in the morning we had 12. fadoms At 9. we had 8. and 7. all this day we ran South and South by West at the depth aforesaid red sand being but shallow water At eight in the afternoone the winde with a showre and thunder came to the Southwest and then wee ranne East Northeast At 12. at night it came to the South and by East and all this was in the bay of Pechora The 18. day at 7. in the morning we bare with the heaâland oâ the bay where wee founde two Islands There are also ouerfals of water ãâã ââdes We went between the maine and the Island next to the head where we had abouâ 2. fadoms and a halfe We found
or receiued for vs or in our name or to our vse or for or in the names or to the vses of our heires or successors of any person or persons any summe or summes of money or other things whatsoeuer during the said terme of ten yeeres for or in the name lieu or place of any Custome subsidie or other thing or duetie to vs our heires or successors due or to be due for the Customes or subsidies of any such goods wares or marchandizes to be transported caried or brought to or from the priuileged places before in these presents mentioned or any of them nor make nor cause to be made any entry into or of the bookes of subsidies or customes nor make any agreement for the Customes or subsidies of or for any goods wares or marchandizes to bee sent to or returned from any the priuileged places before in these presents mentioned sauing onely with and in the name and by the consent of the saide William Brayley Gilbert Smith Nicholas Spicer Iohn Doricot Iohn Yong Richard Doderige Antonie Dassel and Nicholas Turner or of some of them or of such as they or the most part of them shall receiue into their societie and Company as aforesaid Prouided alwaies that if at any time hereafter we our selues by our writing signed with our proper hand or any sixe or more of our priuie Counsell for the time being shall by our direction and by writing signed and subscribed with their hands signifie and notifie to the said William Brayley Gilbert Smith Nicholas Spicer Iohn Doricot Iohn Yong Richard Doderige Anthony Dassell and Nicholas Turner or to any of them or to any other whom they or the most part of them shal receiue into their Companie and society as is aforesaid or otherwise to our officers in our ports of Exeter or Plimouth by them to be notified to such as shall haue interest in this speciall priuilege that our will and pleasure is that the said trade and trafique shal cease and be no longer continued into the saide coasts and partes of Guinea before limited then immediatly from and after the ende of sixe moneths next insuing after such signification notification so to be giuen to any of the said Company and societie as is aforesaid or otherwise to our Officers in our ports of Exeter or Plimouthâ by them to be notified to such as shall haue interest in this speciall priuilege these our present letters Patents and our graunt therein contained shall be vtterly voyde and of none effect ne validitie in the lawe to all intents and purposes any thing before mentioned to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding Witnesse our selfe at Westminster the thirde day of May in the thirtieth yere of our Reigne 1588. A voyage to Benin beyond the Countrey of Guinea set foorth by Master Bird and Master Newton Marchants of London with a shippe called the Richard of Arundell and a Pinesse Written by Iames Welsh who was chiefe Master of the said voyage begunne in the yeere 1588. VPon the twelft of October wee wayed our ankers at Ratcliffe and went to Blackwall And the next day sayling from thenceâ by reason of contrary winde and weather wee made it the 25. of October before wee were able to reach Plimouth and there we stayed to our great expense of victuals for lacke of winde and weather vnto the 14. of December On Saturday the said 14. of December we put from thence and about midnight were thwart of the Lizart Thursday the second of Ianuary wee had sight of the land neere Rio del oro God be thanked and there had 22. degrees of latitude and 47. minutes The thirde of Ianuary wee had sight of Cauo de las Barbas and it bare Southeast fiue leagues off The 4. we had sight of the Crosiers in the morning Tuesday the 7. day we had sight of Cauo verde and I finde this place to be in latitude 14. degrees and 43. minutes being 4. leagues from the shoare Friday the 17. Cauo de Monte bare off vs North Northeast we sounded and had 50. fathom blacke oase and at 2. of the clocke it bare North Northwest 8. leagues off And Cauo Mensurado bare of vs East and by South and wee went Northeast with the maine here the currant setteth to the East Southeast alongst the shoare and at midnight wee sounded and had 26. fathome blacke oase The 18. in the morning we were thwart of a laâd much like Cauo verde and it is as I iudge 9. leagues from Cauo Mensurado it is a hill sadlebacked and there are 4. or 5. one after another and 7. leagues to the Southward of that we saw a row of hils sadlebacked also and from Cauo Mensurado are many mountaines The 19. we were thwart Rio de Sestos and the 20. Cauo dos Baixos was North by West 4. leagues off the shoare and at afternoone there came a boate from the shoare with 3. Negroes from a place as they say called Tabanoo And towards euening we were thwart of an Island and a great many of small Islands or rockes to the Southward and the currant came out of the Souther-boord we sounded and had 35. fathomes The 21. wee had a flat hill that bare North Northeast off vs and wee were from the shoare 4. leagues and at 2. a clocke in the afternoone we spake with a Frenchman riding neere a place called Ratire and another place hard by called Crua This Frenchman caried a letter from vs to M. Newton wee layd it on hull while wee were writing of our letter and the current set vs to the Southward a good pase alongst the shoare South Southeast The 25. we were in the hight of the bay that is to the Westward of Capo de Tres puntaââ the currant did set East Northeast The 28. we lay sixe glasses a hull tarying for the pinesse The last of Ianuary the middle part of Cape de tres puntas was thwart of vs three leagues at seuen of the clocke in the morning and at eight the pinesse came to an anker and wee prooued that the current setteth to the Eastward and at sixe at night the vttermost lande bare East and by South 5. leagues and we went Southwest and Southwest and by South Saturday the first of February 1588. we were thwart of a Round foreland which I take to be the Eastermost part of Capo de tres puntas and within the said Round foreland was a great bay with an Island in the said bay The second of February wee were thwart of the Castle of Mina and when the thirde glasse of our Looke-out was spent we spied vnder our Larbord-quarter one of their Boates with certaine Negroes and one Portugale in the Boate wee would haue had him to come aboord but he would not And ouer the castle vpon the hie rockes we did see as it might be two watch-houses and they did
shew very white and we went eastnortheast The 4 in the morning we were thwart a great high hill and vp into the lande were more high ragged hilles and those 3 reckoned to be but little short of Monte Redondo Then I reckoned that we were 20 leagues Southeast-ward from the Mina and at 11 of the clocke I sawe two hilles within the land these hils I take to be 7 leagues from the first hils And to sea-ward of these hilles is a bay and at the east end of the bay another hill and from the hils the landes lie verie low We went Eastnortheast and East and by North 22 leagues ann then East along the shore The 6 we were short of Villa longa and there we met with a Portugall Carauell The 7 a faire temperate day and all this day we road before Villa longa The 8 at noone we set saile from Villa longa and ten leagues from thence we ankered againe and stayed all that night in ten fadom water The 9 we set saile and all alongst the shore were very thicke woodes and in the afternoone we were thwart a riuer to the Eastward of the riuer a litle way off was a great high bush-tree as though it had no leaues and at night we ankered with faire and temperate weather The 10 we set sayle and went East and East and by South 14 leagues along the shoare which was so full of thicke woods that in my iudgement a man should haue much to doe to passe through them and towards night we ankered in 7 fadome with faire weather The 11 we sayled East and by South and three leagues from the shore we had but 5 fadome water and all the wood vpon the land was as euen as if it had beene cut with a paire of gardeners sheeres and in running of two leagues we descerned a high tuft of trees vpon the brow of a land which shewed like a Porpose head and when wee came at it it was but part of the lande and a league further we saw a head-land very low and full of trees and a great way from the land we had very shallow water then we lay South into the sea because of the sands for to get into the deepe water and when we found it deepe we ankered in fiue fadom thwart the riuer of Iaya in the riuers mouth The 12 in the morning we road still in the riuers mouth This day we sent the pinnesse and the boat on land with the marchants but they came not againe vntill the next morning The shallowest part of this riuer is toward the West where there is but 4 fadom and a halfe and it is very broad The next morning came the boate aboord and they also said it was Rio de Iaya Here the currant setteth Westward and the Eastermost land is higher then the Westermost Thursday the 13â we set saile and lay South Southeast along the shore where the trees are wonderfull euen and the East shore is higher then the West shore and when wee had sayled 18 leagues we had sight of a great riuer then we ankered in three fadom and a halfe and the currant went Westward This riuer is the riuer of Benin and two leagues from the maine it is very shallowe The 15 we sent the boat and pinnesse into the riuer with the marchants and after that we set saile because we road in shallow water and went Southsoutheast and the starbord tacke aboord vntill we came to fiue fathom water where we road with the currant to the Westward then came our boat out of the harbour and went aboord the pinnesse The West part of the land was high browed much like the head of a Gurnard and the Eastermost land was lower and had on it three tufts of treeslike stackes of wheate or corne and the next day in the morning we sawe but two of those trees by reason that we went more to the Eastward And here we road still from the 14 of Februarie vntill the 14 of Aprill with the winde at Southwest The 16 of Februarie we rode still in 5 fadomeâ and the currant ranne still to the Westward the winde at Southwest and the boat and pinnesse came to vs againe out of the riuer and told vs that there was but ten foote water vpon the barre All that night was drowsie and yet reasonable temperate The 17 a close day the winde at Southwest Our marchants wayed their goods and put them aboord the pinnesse to goe into the riuer and there came a great currant out of the riuer and set to the Westward The 18 the marchants went with the boat and pinnesse into the riuer with their commodities This day was close and drowsie with thunder raine and lightning The 24 a close morning and temperate and in the afternoone the boat came to vs out of the riuer from our marchants Twesday the 4 of March a close soultry hot morning the currant went to the Westward and much troubled water came out of the riuer The 16 our pinnesse came a boord and Anthonie Ingram in her she brought in her 94 bags of pepper and 28 Elephants teeth and the Master of her and all his company were sicke This was a temperate day and the winde at Southwest The 17. 18. and 19 were faire temperate weather and the winde at Southwest This day the pinnesse went into the riuer againe and caried the Purser and the Surgion The 25 of the said moneth 1589 we sent the boate into the riuer The 30 our pinnesse came from Benin and brought sorowfull newes that Thomas Hemsted was dead and our Captaine also and she brought with her 159 Cerons or sackes of pepper and Elephants teeth Note that in all the time of our abiding here in the mouth of the riuer of Benin and in all the coast hereabout it is faire temperate weather when the winde is at Southwest And when the winde is at Northeast and Northerly then it raineth with lighning and thunder and is very intemperate weather The 13 of Aprill 1589 we set saile home wards in the name of Iesus In the morning we sayled with the winde at Southwest and lay West and by North but it prooued calme all that night and the currant Southeast The 14 the riuer of Benin was Northeast 7 leagues from the shore and there was litle winde and towards night calme The 17 a faire temperate day the winde variable and we had of latitude foure degrees and 20 minutes The 25 a faire temperate day the winde variable and here we had three degrees 29 minuts of latitude The 8 of May we had sight of the shore which was part of Cauo de Monte but we did not thinke we had beene so farre but it came so to passe by reason of the currant In this place M. Towâson was in like maner deceiued with the currant The 9 we had sight of Cauo
should be done and that against another yeere it should be in better readines the reason why we found it so vnprepared was because in this kings time no Christians had euer resorted thither to lade pepper The next day there were sent vs 12 baskets and so a litle euery day vntill the 9 of March at which time we had made vpon 64 serons of pepper and 28 Elephants teeth In this time of our being at Benin our natures at this first time not so well acquainted with thââ climate we fell all of vs into the disease of the feuer whereupon the Captaine sent me downe with those goods which we alreadie had receiued to the rest of our men at Goto where being arriued I found all the men of our pinnesse sicke also and by reason of their weaknes not able to conuey the pinnesse and goods downe to the place where our ship road but by good hap within two houres after my comming to Goto the boate came vp from the ship to see how all things stood with vs so that I put the goods into the boat and went downe towards the ship but by that time I was come aboord many of our men died namely Master Benson the Cooper the Carpenter 3 or 4 more my selfe was also in such a weake state that I was not able to returne againe to Benin Whereupon I sent vp Samuel Dunne and the Chirurgian with him to our men that were about to let them blood if it were thought needfull who at their comming to Benin found the Captaine and your sonne William Bird dead and Thomas Hempsteede very weake who also died within two dayes after their comming thither This sorrowfull accident caused them with such pepper and teeth as they could then find speedily to returne to the ship as by the Cargason will appeare at their comming away the Veadore tolde them that if they could or would stay any longer time he would vse all possible expedition to bring in more commodities but the common sicknesse so increased and continued amongst vs all that by the time our men which remained were come aboord we had so many sicke and dead of our companie that we looked all for the same happe and so thought to loose both our ship life countrey and all Very hardly and with much adoe could we get vp our ankers but yet at the last by the mercie of God hauing gotten them vp but leauing our pinnesse behinde vs we got to sea and set saile which was vpon the 13 of Aprill After which by little and little our men beganne to gather vp their crums and to recouer some better strength and so sailing betwixt the Islands of Cape Verde and the maine we came to the Islands of the Azores vpon the 25 of Iuly where our men beganne a fresh to grow ill and diuers died among whom Samuel Dun was one and as many as remained liuing were in a hard case but in the midst of our distresse it fell so wel out by Gods good prouidence that we met with your ship the Barke Burre on this side the North cape which did not only keepe vs good coÌpanie but also sent vs sixe fresh men aboord without whose helpe we should surely haue tasted of many inconueniences But by this good meanes we are now at the last arriued in Plimouth this 9 day of September and for want of better health at this time I referre the further knowledge of more particularities till my comming to London Yours to commaund Anthony Ingram The second voyage to Benin set foorth by Master Iohn Newton and Master Iohn Bird Marchants of London in the yeere 1590 with a ship called the Richard of Arundell of the burthen of one hundreth tunnes and a small pinnesse in which voyage Master Iames Welsh was chiefe Maister THe third of September 1590 we set saile from Ratclife and the 18 of the said moneth we came into Plimouth sound and the two and twentieth we put to sea againe and at midnight we were off the Lisart and so passed on our voyage vntill the 14 of October on which day we had sight of âorteueâtura one of the Canarie Islands which appeared very ragged as we sailed by it The 16 of October in the latitude of 24 degrees and nine minutes we met with a great hollow sea the like whereof I neuer saw on this coast and this day there came to the ships side a monstrous great fish I thinke it was a Gobarto which put vp his head to the sleepe tubs where y e cooke was in shifting the victuals whoÌ I thought the fish would haue caried away The 21 in this latitude of 18 degrees we met with a countersea out of the North boord and the last voyage in this very place we had the countersea out of the South being very calme weather as now it is also The 24 we had sight of Cauo Verde and the 25 we met with a great hollow sea out of the North which is a common signe that the winde will be Northerly and so it prooued The 15 of Nouember we met with three currants out of the West and Northwest one after another with an houres time betweene each currant This was in the latitude of 6 degrees and 42 minutes The 18 day we met with two other great currants out of the Southwest and the 20 we said another current out of the Northeast and the 24 we had a great current out of the Southsouthwest and at 6 of the clocke towards night we had 3 currents more The 27 we thought that we had gone at the least 2 leagues and a halfe euery watch and it fell out that we sailed but one league euery watch for the space of 24 hours by meanes of a great billow and current that came still out of the South The 5 of December in setting the watch we cast about and lay East Nârtheast and Northeast and here in 5 degrees and a halfe our pinnesse lost vs wilfully The 7 at the going downe of the Sunne we saw a great blacke spot in the Sunne and the 8. day both at rising and setting we saw the like which spot to our seeming was about the bignesse of a shilling being in 5 degrees of latitude and still there came a great billow out of the southerboord The 14 we sounded and had 15 fadom water and grosse red sand and 2 leagues from the shore the currant set Southeast along the shore with a billow still out of the southerboord The 15 we were thwart a rocke somewhat like the Newstone in England it was 2 leagues from vs here we sounded and had 27 fadom but the rocke is not aboue a mile from the shore and a mile farther we saw another rocke and betweene them both broken ground here we sounded and had but 20 fadome and blacke sand and we might see plaine that the rockes went not along the shore but from the land to the seaward and
and made in the yeere of our Lord 1576. THe 7. of Iune being Thursday the two Barks viz. the Gabriel and the Michael our Pinnesse set saile at Ratcliffe and bare down to Detford and there we ancred the cause was that our Pinnesse burst her boultspriâ and forâmâst aboard of a ship that rode at Detford else wee meant to haue past that day by the Court then at Grenewich The 8. day being Friday about 12 of the clocke we wayed at Detford and set saile all three of vs and bare downe by the Court where we shotte off our ordinance and made the best shew we could Her Maiestie beholding the same commended it and bade vs farewell with shaking her hand at vs out of the window Afterward shee sent a Gentleman aboord of vs who declared that her Maiestie had good liking of our doings and thanked vs for it and also willed our Captaine to come the next day to the Court to take his leaue of her The same day towards night M. Secretarie Woolly came aboorde of vs and declared to the company that her Maiestie had appointed him to giue them charge to be obedient and diligent to their Captaine and gouernours in all things and wished vs happie successe The 12. day being ouer against Grauesend by the castle or blockehouse we obserued the latitude which was 51. degrees 33. minâ And in that place the variation of the Compasse is 11. degrees and a halfe The 24. day at 2. of the clocke after noone I had sight oâ Faire yle being from vs 6. leagues North and by East and when I brought it Northwest and by North it did rise at the Southermost ende with a litle hommocke and swâmpe in the middes The 25. day from 4. to 8. a clocke in the forenoone the winde at Northwest and by North a fresh gale I cast about to the Westward the Southermost head of Shotland called Swinborne head Northnorthwest from me and the land of Faire yle West Southwest from me I sailed directly to the North head of that said land scunding as I ranne in hauing 60. 50. and 40. fathoms and gray redde shels and within halfe a mile of that Island there are 36. fathoms for I sailed to that Island to see whether there were any roadesteede for a Northwest winde and I found by my sounding hard rockes and foule ground and deepe water within two cables length of the shoare 28. fathome and so did not ancre but plied to and fro with my foresaile and mizen till it was a high water vnder the Island The tide setteth there Northwest and Southeast the flood setteth Southeast and the ebbe Northwest The 26. day hauing the winde at South a faire gale sayling from Faire yle to Swinborne head I did obserue the latitude the Island of Fowlay being West Northwest froÌ me 6. leagues and Swinborne head East southeast from me I found my eleuation to be 37. degr and my declination 22. degr 46. min. So that my latitude was 59. degr 46. min. At that present being neere to Swinborne head hauing a leake which did trouble vs as also to take in fresh water I plyed roome with a sound which is called S. Tronions and there did ancre in seuen fathoms water and faire sande You haue comming in the sounds mouth in the entring 17.15.12.10.9.8 and 7. fathoms and the sound lyeth in North northwest and there we roade to a West sunne stopped our leake and hauing refreshed our selues with water at a North northwest sunne I set saile from S. Tronions the winde at South Southest and turned out till wee were cleare of the sound and so sailed West to go cleare of the Island of Fowlay And running off toward Fowlay I sounded hauing fiftie fathome and streâmâe ground and also I sounded Fowlay being North from mee one league off that Islande hauing fiftie fathome at the South head and streamie ground like broken otmell and one shell being redde and white like mackerell The 27. day at a South sunne I did abserue the latitude the Island of Fowlay being from me two leagues East Northeast I found my selfe to be in latitude 59. degrees 59. min. truly obserued the winde at South Southwest I sailed West and by North. From 12. to foure a clocke afternoone the wind at South a faire gale the shippe sailed West and by North 6. leagues and at the ende of this watch I sounded hauing 60. fathome with little stones and shels the Island from vs 8. leagues East The first of Iuly from 4. to 8. a clocke wee sailed West 4. glasses 4. leagues and at that present we had so much winde that we spooned afore the sea Southwest 2. leagues The 3. day we found our Compasse to bee varied one point to the Westwards this day from 4. to 8. a clocke we sailed West and by North 6. leagues From 8. to 12. a clocke at noone West and by North 4. leagues At that present I found our Compasse to be varied 11. deg and one 4. part to the Westwards which is one point The 11 day at a Southeast sunne we had sight of the land of Friseland bearing from vs West northwest 16. leagues and rising like pinacles of steeples and all couered with snowe I found my selfe in 61. degr of latitude Wee sailed to the shoare and could finde no ground at 150â fathoms we hoised out our boate and the Captaine with 4. men rowed to the shoare to get on land but the land lying full of yce they could not get on land and so they came aboord againe We had much adoe to get cleare of the yce by reason of the fogge Yet from Thursday 8. a clocke in the morning to Friday at noone we sailed Southwest 20. leagues The 18. day at a Southeast sunne I found the sunne to be eleuated 33. deg And at a Southsoutheast sunne 40. deg So I obserued it till I found it at the highest and then it was eleuated 52. deg I iudged the variation of the Compasse to be 2. points and a halfe to the Westward The 21. day we had sight of a great drift of yce seeming a firme lande and we cast Westward to be cleare of it The 26. we had sight of a land of yce the latitude was 62. degrees and two minutes The 28. day in the morning was very foggie but at the clearing vp of the fogge wee had sight of lande which I supposed to be Labrador with great store of yce about the land I ranne in towards it and sownded but could get no ground at 100. Fathom and the yce being so thicke I could not get to the shoare and so lay off and came cleare of the yce Upon Munday we came within a mile of the shoare and sought a harborowe all the sownd was full of yce and our boate rowing a shoare could get no ground at a 100. fathom within a Cables length of
company of vs and shaped her course towards Orkney because that way was better knowne vnto them and arriued at Yermouth The 30 of August with the force of the wind and a surge of the sea the Master of the Gabriel and the Boatswain were striken both ouerboord hardly was the Boatswain recouered hauing hold on a roape hanging ouerboord in the sea and yet the Barke was laced fore and after with ropes a breast high within boorde This Master was called William Smith being but a yong man and a very sufficient mariner who being all the morning before exceeding pleasant told his Captaine he dreamed that he was cast ouerboord and that the Boatswain had him by the hand and could not saue him and so immediately vpon the end of his tale his dreame came right euilly to passe and indeed the Boatswain in like sort held him by one hand hauing hold on a rope with the other vntill his force fayled and the Master drowned The height being taken we found our selues to be in the latitude of degrees and a halfe and reckoned our selues from the Queenes Cape homeward about two hundreth leagues The last of August about midnight we had two or three great and sudden flawes or stormes The first of September the storme was growen very great and continued almost the whole day and night and lying a hull to tarrie for the Barkes our ship was much beaten with the seas euery sea almost ouertaking our poope so that we were constrained with a bunt of our saile to trie it out and ease the rolling of our ship And so the Gabriel not able to beare any sayle to keepe company with vs and our ship being higher in the poope and a tall ship whereon the winde had more force to driue went so fast away that we lost sight of them and left them to God and their good fortune of Sea The second day of September in the morning it pleased God of his goodnesse to send vs a calme whereby we perceiued the Rudder of our ship torne in twaine and almost ready to fall away Wherefore taking the benefite of the time we slung halfe a dozen couple of our best men ouer boord who taking great paines vnder water driuing plankes and binding with ropes did well strengthen and mend the matter who returned the most part more then halfe dead out of the water and as Gods pleasure was the sea was calme vntill the worke was finished The fift of September the height of the Sunne being taken we found our selues to be in the latitude of degrees and a halfe In this voyage commonly wee tooke the latitude of the place by the height of the sunne because the long day taketh away the light not onely of the Polar but also of all other fixed Starres And here the North Starre is so much eleuated aboue the Horizon that with the staffe it is hardly to bee well obserued and the degrees in the Astrolabe are too small to obserue minutes Therefore wee alwaies vsed the Staffe and the sunne as fittest instruments for this vse Hauing spent foure or fiue dayes in trauerse of the seas with contrary winde making our Souhter way good as neere as we could to raise our degrees to bring our selues with the latitude of Sylley wee tooke the height the tenth of September and found our selues in the latitude of degrees and ten minutes The eleuenth of September about sixe a clocke at night the winde came good Southwest we vered sheat and see our course Southeast And vpon Thursday the twelfth of September taking the height wee were in the latitude of and a halfe and reckoned our selues not past one hundred and fifty leagues short of Sylley the weather faire the winde large at Westsouthwest we kept our course Southeast The thirteenth day the height being taken wee found our selues to be in the latitude of degrees the wind Westsouthwest then being in the height of Sylley and we kept our course East to run in with the sleeue or chanel so called being our narrow seas and reckoned vs short of Sylley twelue leagues Sonday the 15 of September about foure of the clocke we began to sound with our lead and had ground at 61 fadome depth white small sandy ground and reckoned vs vpon the backe of Sylley and set our course East and by North Eastnortheast and Northeast among The sixteenth of September about eight of the clocke in the morning sounding we had 65. fadome osey sand and thought our selues thwart of S. Georges channell a little within the banks And bearing a small saile all night we made many soundings which were about fortie fadome and so shallow that we could not well tell where we were The seuenteenth of September we sounded and had âorty fadome and were not farre off the lands ând finding branded sand with small wormes and Cockle shelles and were shotte betwene Sylley and the lands ende and being within the bay we were not able to double the pointe with a South and by East way but were faine to make another boord the wind being at Southwest and by West and yet could not double the point to come cleere of the lands end to beare along the channel and the weather cleered vp when we were hard aboord the shore and we made the lands end perfit and so put vp along Saint Georges chanel And the weather being very foule at sea we couered some harborough because our steerage was broken and so came to ancor in Padstow road in Cornewall But riding there a very dangerous roade we were aduised by the countrey to put to Sea againe and of the two euils to choose the lesse for there was nothing but present perill where we toade whereupon we plyed along the channell to get to Londy from whence we were againe driuen being but an open roade where our Anker came home and with force of weather put to Seas againe and about the three and twentieth of September arriued at Milford Hauen in Wales which being a very good harborough made vs happy men that we had receiued such long desired safetie About one moneth after our arriuall here by order from the Lords of the Counsell the ship came up to Bristow where the Ore was committed to keeping in the Castel there Here we found the Gabriel one of the Barkes arriued in good safetie who hauing neuer a man within boord very sufficient to bring home the ship after the Master was lost by good fortune when she came vpon the coast met with a ship of Bristow at sea who conducted her in safety thither Here we heard good tidings also of the arriuall of the other Barke called the Michael in the North parts which was not a little ioyful vnto vs that it pleased God so to bring vs to a safe meeting againe and wee lost in all the voyage only one man besides one that dyed at sea which was sicke before he came
practise I thought it would growe to my great disgrace if this action by my negligence should grow into discredite whereupon seeking helpe from God the fountaine of all mercies it pleased his diuine maiestie to moue my heart to prosecute that which I hope shal be to his glory and to the contentation of euery Christian minde Whereupon falling into consideration that the Mermaid albeit a very strong sufficient ship yet by reason of her burthen was not so conuenient and nimble as a smaller bark especially in such desperate hazzards further hauing in account her great charge to the aduentures being at 100. li. the moneth and that in doubtfull seruice all the premisses considered with diuers other things I determined to furnish the Moonelight with reuictualling and sufficient men and to proceede in this action as God should direct me Whereupon I altered our course from the yce and bare Eastsoutheast to recouer the next shore where this thing might be performed so with fauourable winde it pleased God that the first of August we discouered the land in Latitude 66. degrees 33. min. and in longitude from the Meridian of London 70. degrees voyd of trouble without snow or ice The second of August wee harboured our selues in a very excellent good road where with all speed we graued the Moonelight and reuictualled her wee searched this countrey with our pinnesse while the barke was trimming which William Eston did he found all this land to be onely Ilands with a Sea on the East a Sea on the West and a Sea on the North. In this place wee found it very hot and wee were very much troubled with a flie which is called Muskyto for they did sting grieuously The people of this place at our first comming in caught a Seale and with bladders fast tied to him sent him vnto vs with the floud so as hee came right with our shippes which we tooke as a friendly present from them The fift of August I went with the two Masters and others to the toppe of a hill and by the way William Eston espied three Canoas lying vnder a rocke and went vnto them there were in them skinnes darts with diuers superstitious toyes whereof wee diminished nothing but left vpon euery boat a silke point a bullet of lead and a pinne The next day being the sixt of August the people came vnto vs without feare and did barter with vs for skinnes as the other people did they differ not from the other neither in their Canoas nor apparel yet is their pronunciation more plaine then the others and nothing hollow in the throat Our Sauage aboord vs kept himselfe close and made shew that he would faine haue another companion Thus being prouided I departed from this lande the twelft of August at sixe of the clocke in the morning where I left the Mermayd at an anker the foureteenth sailing West about fiftie leagues we discouered land being in latitude 66. degrees 19. minuts this land is 70. leagues from the other from whence we came This fourteenth day from nine a clocke at night till three a clocke in the morning wee ankered by an Iland of yce twelue leagues off the shore being mored to the yce The fifteenth day at three a clocke in the morning we departed from this land to the South and the eighteenth of August we discouered land Northwest from vs in the morning being a very faire promontory in latitude 65. degrees hauing no land on the South Here wee had great hope of a through passage This day at three a clocke in the afternoone wee againe discouered lande Southwest and by South from vs where at night wee were be calmed The nineteenth of this moneth at noone by obseruation we were in 64. degrees 20. minuts From the eighteenth day at noone vnto the nineteenth at noone by precise ordinary care wee had sailed 15. leagues South and by West yet by art and more exact obseruation we found our course to be Southwest so that we plainely perceiued a great current striking to the West This land is nothing in sight but Isles which increaseth our hope This nineteenth of August at sixe a clocke in the afternoone it began to snow and so continued all night with foule weather and much winde so that we were constrained to lie at hull all night fiue leagues off the shore In the morning being the twentieth of August the fogge and storme breaking vp we bare in with the lande and at nine a clocke in the morning wee ankered in a very faire and safe road and lockt for all weathers At tenne of the clocke I went on shore to the toppe of a very high hill where I perceiued that this land was Islands at foure of the clocke in the afternoone wee weyed anker hauing a faire North northeast winde with very faire weather at six of the clocke we were cleare without the land and so shaped our course to the South to discouer the coast whereby the passage may be through Gods mercy found We coasted this land till the eight and twentieth of August finding it still to continue towards the South from the latitude of 67. to 57. degrees we found marueilous great store of birds guls and mewes incredible to be reported whereupon being calme weather we lay one glasse vpon the lee to proue for fish in which space we caught 100. of cod although we were but badly prouided for fishing not being our purpose This eight and twentieth hauing great distrust of the weather we arriued in a very faire harbour in the latitude of 56. degrees and sailed 10. leagues into the same being two leagues broad with very faire woods on both sides in this place wee continued vntil the first of September in which time we had two very great stormes I landed went sixe miles by ghesse into the countrey and found that the woods were firre pineapple alder yew withy and birch here wee saw a blacke beare this place yeeldeth great store of birds as fezant partridge Barbary hennes or the like wilde geese ducks black birdes ieyes thrushes with other kinds of small birds Of the partridge and fezant we killed great store with bow and arrowes in this place at the harborough mouth we found great store of cod The first of September at tenne a clocke wee set saile and coasted the shore with very faire weather The thirde day being calme at noone we strooke saile and let fall a cadge anker to proue whether we could take any fish being in latitude 54. degrees 30. minuts in which place we found great abundance of cod so that the hooke was no sooner ouerboord but presently a fish was taken It was the largest and the best fed fish that euer I sawe and diuers fisher men that were with me sayd that they neuer saw a more suaule or better skull of fish in their liues yet had they seene great abundance The fourth of September
had reuiewed our people resolued to see an end of our voyage we grewe scant of men to furnish all our shipping it seemed good therefore vnto the Generall to leaue the Swallowe with such prouision as might be spared for transporting home the sicke people The Captaine of the Delight or Admirall returned into England in whose stead was appointed Captaine Maurice Browne before Captaine of the Swallow who also brought with him into the Delight all his men of the Swallow which before haue bene noted of outrage perpetrated and committed vpon fishermen there met at sea The Generall made choise to goe in his frigate the Squirrell whereof the Captaine also was amongst them that returned into England the same Frigate being most conuenient to discouer vpon the coast and to search into euery harbor or creeke which a great ship could not doe Therefore the Frigate was prepared with her nettings fights and ouercharged with bases and such small Ordinance more to giue a shew then with iudgement to foresee vnto the safetie of her and the men which afterward was an occasion also of their ouerthrow Now hauing made readie our shipping that is to say the Delight the golden Hinde and the Squirrell and put aboord our prouision which was wines bread or ruske fish wette and drie sweete oiles besides many other as marmalades figs lymmons barrelled and such like Also we had other necessary prouisions for trimming our ships nets and lines to fish withall boates or pinnesses fit for discouery In briefe we were supplied of our wants commodiously as if we had bene in a Countrey or some Citie populous and plentifull of all things We departed from this harbour of S. Iohns vpon Tuesday the twentieth of August which we found by exact obseruation to be in 47 degrees 40 minutes And the next day by night we were at Cape Race 25 leagues from the same harborough This Cape lyeth South Southwest from S. Iohns it is a low land being off from the Cape about halfe a league within the sea riseth vp a rocke against the point of the Cape which thereby is easily knowen It is in latitude 46 degrees 25 minutes Under this Cape we were becalmed a small time during which we layd out hookes and lines to take Codde and drew in lesse then two houres fish so large and in such abundance that many dayes after we fed vpon no other prouision From hence we shaped our course vnto the Island of Sablon if conueniently it would so fall out also directly to Cape Briton Sablon lieth to the sea-ward of Cape Briton about 25 leagues whither we were determined to goe vpon intelligence we had of a Portugal during our abode in S. Iohns who was himselâe present when the Portugals aboue thirty yeeres past did put into the same Isâand both Neat and Swine to breede which were since exceedingly multiplied This seemed vnto vs very happy tidings to haue in an Island lying so neere vnto the maine which we intended to plant vpon such store of cattell whereby we might at all times conueniently be relieued of victuall and serued of store for breed In this course we trended along the coast which from Cape Race stretcheth into the Northwest making a bay which some called Trepassa Then it goeth out againe toward the West and maketh a point which with Cape Race lieth in maner East and West But this point inclineth to the North to the West of which goeth in the bay of Placentia We sent men on land to take view of the soyle along this coast whereof they made good report and some of them had wil to be planted there They saw Pease growing in great abundance euery where The distance betweene Cape Race and Cape Briton is 87 leagues In which Nauigation we spent 8 dayes hauing many times the wind indifferent good yet could we neuer attaine sight of any land all that time seeing we were hindred by the current At last we fell into such flats and dangers that hardly any of vs escaped where neuerthelesse we lost our Admiral with al the men and prouision not knowing certainly the place Yet for inducing men of skill to make coniecture by our course and way we held from Cape Race thither that thereby the flats and dangers may be inserted in sea Cards for warning to others that may follow the same course hereafter I haue set downe the best reckonings that were kept by expert men William Cox Master of the Hind and Iohn Paul his mate both of Limehouse Reckonings kept in our course from Cape Race towards Cape Briton and the Island of Sablon to the time and place where we lost our Admirall August 22. West 14. leagues  West and by South 25.  Westnorthwest 25.  Westnorthwest 9.  Southsouthwest 10.  Southwest 12.  Southsouthwest 10. August 29. Westnorthwest 12. Here we lost our Admiral  Summe of these leagues 117. The reckoning of Iohn Paul Masters mate from Cape Race August 22. West 14. leagues 23 Northwest and by West 9. 24 Southwest and by South 5. 25 West and by South 40. 26 West and by North 7. 27 Southwest 3. 28 Southwest 9.  Southwest 7.  Westsouthwest 7. 29 Northwest and by West 20. Here we lost our Admirall  Summe of all these leagues 121 Our course we held in clearing vs of these flats was Eastsoutheast and Southeast and South 14 leagues with a marueilous scant winde The maner how our Admirall was lost VPon Tewsday the 27 of August toward the euening our Generall caused them in his frigat to sound who found white sande at 35 fadome being then in latitude about 44 degrees Wednesday toward night the wind came South and wee bare with the land all that night Westnorthwest contrary to the mind of master Cox neuerthelesse wee followed the Admirall depriued of power to preuent a mischiefe which by no contradiction could be brought to hold other course alleaging they could not make the ship to worke better nor to lie otherwaies The euening was faire and pleasant yet not without token of storme to ensue and most part of this Wednesday night like the Swanne that singeth before her death they in the Admiral or Delight continued in sounding of Trumpets with Drummes and Fifes also winding the Cornets Haughtboyes and in the end of their iolitie left with the battell and ringing of dolefull knels Towards the euening also we caught in the Golden Hinde a very mighty Porpose with a harping yron hauing first striken diuers of them and brought away part of their flesh sticking vpon the yron but could recouer onely that one These also passing through the Ocean in heardes did portend storme I omit to recite friuolous reportes by them in the Frigat of strange voyces the same night which scarred some from the helme Thursday the 29 of August the wind rose and blew vehemently at South and by East bringing withal raine and
behelde many constellations in the firmament and set downe certaine newe starres raised to the Southwards All day and night wee went South and South by East among The seuenteenth day in the afternoone wee shot off three peeces of ordinance in honour of our Queenes Maiestie This day after dinner came master Maddox and Captaine Drake with others to take their leaue of master Walker as I with all my company had done before supposing him past hope of recouerie At foure of the clocke finding our selues in nineteene degrees to the Southwards of the line and cleare of the shoalds called by vs Powles wee went hence Southsouthwest all night following The 18 day being Sunday after dinner the Generall M. Maddox Captaine Parker and many other came aboord and visited M. Walker which done they dranke and departed aboord againe All this day and night we went our course Southwest by South with a franke gale The 19 day about noone the Sun was in our Zenith being declined to the Southwards 2â degrees and 33 minutes where wee found the aire fresh and temperate as in England in Iune when a fresh gale of winde doeth blow in the heate of the day but the euening the night and the morning are more fresh and colder here then it is in England either in Iune or Iulie The first of December about sixe of the clocke in the morning wee sawe lande on the coast of Brasil in the height of 28 degrees or there abouts which bare Northwest and was eight leagues from vs very high land Wee stood in with it being much winâe and comming neere sound diuers Islands and seeing the Francis would not come roome nor run ahead vs wee stood in with the shore and âoundeâ in 30 fathom oaze three leagues off the lande bearing from the Westnorthwest to the Northnorthwest of vs and so sâoode still till it shoalded orderly into seuen fathom within a mile of a headland then perceiuing a breach ouer our bowe and no hope of a good harbour in that place wee bare vp roome and our Admirall after vs whom wee haled then hee tolde vs hee would seeke harbour to âeewards requiring me to go ahead Then seeing the barke was asterne I hoised out my skiffe and set her maste and saile taking her ging and Tobias one of my Masters mates with mee and ranne before the shippe sounding in 15 fathom faire sand leauing a ledge of rockes a sea-boord of vs so the ships and the barke looffed vp vnder a headland and ankered in eight fathom halfe a mile off the lande hauing brought the headland which lyeth in 27 degrees 50 minutes Southsoutheast off them and the North land Northeast off thâm I stoode on with the skiffe hoping to âinde a better harbour to leeward three leagues but it prooued not so wherefore I returned and in my way aboord I met with a rocke in the seaâ where we landed and killed good store of fowleâ and after I went aboord the Admirall where I presented him with fowle and returned aboord to supper In this time our boates had beene aland and found water bassasâe and two decayed houses as they told me and our men aboord hooked fresh-fish This night wee rode quietly The second being Sunday our masters moared our ships further into the bay We brought the South point Southeast off vs and the North land Northeast and so rid After dinner captaine Parker with my boat and company went a land and there placed pipes and made three wels In the meane time I accompanied with M. Hawkins M. Maddox M. Cotton and diuers of mine owne people landed farther within the bay and found two riuers of fresh waterâ and a good fishing place Presently I sent aboord for my net with which at one draught we drew 600 great mullets and 5 great basses the like draugââ was neuer seene with so small a net with which we went aboord giuing to the admirall 240 to the Francis 80 and the rest our company spent and gaue almighty God thanks for his great goodnesse All this while was captaine Parker and others gone into the land and fired thâ woods which burned extremely The third day in the morning our carpenter talked without boord and the master and others tooke vp all the merchandize in the stearne sheets to the keele and there put downe a boats loding of stone and seeing the merchandize well conditioned stowed the same againe In the meanâ time my selfe and others in our boats scraped off the wormes and washed the rudder and part of one side of our ship After dinner the master pilot and I went ashore and obserued the Sunne at noone which being past with our net we drew plenty of diuers sorts of fishes and went from that bay to the watering place from thence aboord the generall which had taken physicke and gaue them and the Francis fish for their companiesâ and so went aboord where our company had romaged aforemast so that this afternoone we tooke in two boats more lading of stones afore mast The sixt day iâ the morning before sixe of the clocke we saw a saile which wânt towards the Southwards the admirall not hauing knowledge thereof I went aboord and certified him who appointed me to goe and bring her in and to take captaine Parker and some of the gallions meâ into the Francis and the admirals skiffe with vs so we gaue her chase and tooke her sixe leagues to the leewards of the place we rode in Then not being able to fetch the rode againe we ankered in the sea I intending to come away in the pinnesse and leaue the Francis and the prize together being ready to depart the winde blew at South a stout gaâe and raine so that about sixe of the clocke we ankered in the rode where our ships rid After we had taken them and that captaine Parker and I were aboord we had much talke with them before they came to the ships and being ankered there the chiefe men were caried abord the general which was a gentleman named Don Francisco de Torre Vedra nephew to the gouernour of the riuer of Plate named Don Iohn de Torre Vedra We found and Englishman named Richard Carter borne in Limehouse who had bene out oâ England foure and twenty yeres and hath bene nere twelue yeres dwelling in the riuer of Plate at a towne named Ascension three hundred leagues vp in the riuer whither they were now determined to go inhabit hauing two women and two yonâ children seuen friârs the rest boyes and âailers to the number of one and twenty persons The olde frier was had in great reuerence among the reââ insomuch that they called him the Holy father He was abiding in no place but as visitour he went visiting from monastery to monastery The substance of all the speeches was that the Spanish fleet was before the streights of Magellan as they thought for they were departed sixe
cast off another and filled our owne ships with the necessaries of them The 8 day wee put off to sea but yet with much adoe came againe to our ankoring place because of the weather The 10 day the admirall sent for vs to come aboord him and being come hee opened a Carde before all the company and tolde vs that my lords voyage for the South sea was ouerthrowen for want of able men and victuals and that therefore hee thought it best to plie for some of the Islands of the West India or the Açores to see if they could meete with some good purchase that might satisfie my lord These wordes were taken heauily of all the company and no man would answere him but kept silence for very griefe to see my lords hope thus deceiueâ and his great expenses and costs cast away The common sort seeing no other remedie were contented to returne as well as he The 16 day wee espied a sayle whereupon our pinnesse and Dalamor gaue her chase and put her ashore vpon the Island where the men forsooke her and ran away with such things as they could conueniently carte our pinnesse boorded her and found little in her they tooke out of her nine chests of sugar and one hogge and 35 pieces of pewter and so left her vpon the sands From this time forward we began to plie Northwards and the first of Iuly fell with the land againe where we fished and found reasonable good store I tooke the latitude that day and found our selues in 10 degrees and 22 minutes The 7 day we determined to fall with Fernambuck and wee came so neere it that Dalamor as he told vs espied some of the ships that were in the harbour yet notwithstanding we all fell to leeward of the riuer could not after that by any meanes recouer the height of it againe but we ceased not on all parts to endeuour the best we could oftentimes lost company for a day or two one of another but there was no remedie but patience for to Fernambuck we could not come hauing so much ouershot it to the Northward and the wind keeping at the South and Southwest The 20 day I tooke the Sunne in 5 degrees 50 minuts which was 2 degrees to the Northward of Fernambuck and the further wee went the more vnto wardly did the rest of our ships worke either to come into hauen or to keepe company one with another And âruely I suppose that by reason of the froward course of the Admirall he meant of purpose to lose vs for I know not how the neerer we endeuoured to be to him the further off would he beare from vs and wee seeing that kept on our owne course and lookt to our selues as well as we could The 24 day our whole company was called together to consultation for our best course some would goe for the West India some directly North for England and in conclusion the greater part was bent to plie for our owne countrey considering our necessities of victuals and fresh water and yet if any place were offered vs in the way not to omit it to seeke to fill water The 26 day in the morning we espied a lowe Island but we lost it againe and could descrie it no more This day we found our selues in 3 degrees and 42 minutes The 27 day we searched what water we had left vs and found but nine buts onely so that our captaine allowed but a pinte of water for a man a day to preserue it as much as might be wherâwith euâry man was content and we were then in number fiftie men and boyes The first of August we found our selues 5 degrees to the Northward of the line all which moneth we continued our course homâward withoât touching any where toward the end whereof a sorrowfull accident fell out in our hulke which being deuided from vs in a calme fell a fire by some great negligence and perished by that meanes in the seas wee being not able any wayes to helpe the ship or to saue the men The 4 day of September we had brought our selues into the height of 41 degrees 20 minutes somwhat to the Northwards of the Islands of the Açores and thus bulting vp and downe with contrary winds the 29 of the same moneth we reachâd the coast of England and so made an end of the voyage A discourse of the West Indies and South sea written by Lopez Vaz a Portugal borne in the citie of Eluas continued vnto the yere 1587. Wherein among diuers rare things not hitherto deliuered by any other writer certaine voyages of our Englishmen are truâly reported whâch was intercepted with the author thereof at the riuer of Plate by Captaine Withrington and Captaine Christopher Lister in the fleete set foorth by the right Honorable the Erle of Cumberland for the South sea in the yeere 1586. FRancis Drâke an Englishman being on the sea and hauing knowledge of the small strength of the towne of Nombre de Dios came into the harborough on a night with foure pinnesses and landed an hundreth and fifty men and leauing one halfe of his men with a trumpet in a fort which was there hee with the rest entred the towne without doing any harme till hee came at the market place and there his company discharging their calieuers and sounding their trumpets which made a great noyse in the towne were answered by their fellowes in the force who discharged and sounded in like maner This attempt put the townesmen in such extreme feare that leauing their houses they fled into the mountaines and there be thought themselues what the matter should be in the towne remaining as men amazed at so sudden an alarme But the Spaniards being men for the most part of good discretion ioyned foureteene or fifteene of them together with their pieces to see who was in the towne and getting to a corner of the market-place they discouered the Englishmen and perceiuing that they were but a few discharged thâir pieces at them and their fortune was such that they slew the trumpetter and shot the captaine whose name was Francis Drake into the legge who feeling himselfe hurt retired toward the Fort where he had left the rest of his men but they in the Fort sounded their trumpet and being not answered againe and hearing the calieuers discharged in the towne thought that their fellowes in the towne had bene slaine and thereupon fled to their Pinnesses Now Francis Drake whom his men carried because of his hurt when he came to the fort where he left his men and saw them fled he and the rest of his company were in so great feare that leauing their furniture behinde them and putting off their hose they swamme waded all to their Pinnesses and departed forth of the harbour so that if the Spaniards had followed them they might haue slaine them all Thus Captaine Drake did no more harme at Nombre
no lesse store of fesants in the yland which are also marueilous bigge and fat surpassing those which are in our countrey in bignesse and in numbers of a company They differ not very much in colour from the partridges before spoken of Wee found moreouer in this place great store of Guinie cocks which we call Turkies of colour blacke and white with red heads they are much about the same bignesse which ours be of in England their egges be white and as bigge as a Turkies egge There are in this yland thousands of goates which the Spaniards call Cabritos which are very wilde you shall see one or two hundred of them together and sometimes you may beholde them going in a flocke almost a mile long Some of them whether it be the nature of the breed of them or of the country I wot not are as big as an asse with a maine like an horse and a beard hanging downe to the very ground they wil clime vp the cliffes which are so steepe that a man would thinke it a thing vnpossible for any liuing thing to goe there We tooke and killed many of them for all their swiftnes for there be thousands of them vpon the mountaines Here are in like maner great store of swine which be very wilde and very fat and of marueilous bignes they keepe altogether vpon the mountaines and will very seldome abide any man to come neere them except it be by meere chance when they be found asleepe or otherwise according to their kinde be taken layed in the mire We found in the houses at our comming 3. slaues which were Negros one which was borne in the yland of Iaua which âolde vs that the East Indian fleete which were in number 5. sailes the least whereof were in burthen 8. or 900. tunnes all laden with spices and Calicut cloth with store of treasure and very rich stones and pearles were gone from the saide yland of S. Helena but 20. dayes before we came thither This yland hath bene found of long time by the Portugals and hath bene altogether planted by them for their refreshing as they come from the East Indies And when they come they haue all things plentiful for their reliefe by reason that they suffer none to inhabit there that might spend vp the fruit of the yland except some very few sicke persons in their company which they stand in doubt will not liue vntill they come home whom they leaue there to refresh themselues and take away the yeere following with the other Fleete if they liue so long They touch here rather in their comming home from the East Indies then at their going thither because they are throughly furnished with corne when they set out of Portugal but are but meanely victualed at their comming from the Indies where there groweth little corne The 20. day of Iune hauing taken in wood water and refreshed our selues with such things as we found there and made cleane our ship we set saile about 8. of the clocke in the night toward England At our setting saile wee had the winde at Southeast and we haled away Northwest and by West The winde is commonly off the shore at this yland of S. Helena On wednesday being the thirde day of Iuly we went away Northwest the winde being still at Southeast at which time we were in 1. degree and 48. minuts to the Southward of the Equinoctial line The twelfth day of the said moneth of Iuly it was very little winde and toward night it was calme and blew no winde at all and so continued vntil it was munday being the 15. day of Iuly On Wednesday the 17. day of the abousaid moneth wee had the winde skant at West northwest Wee found the wind continually to blow at East and Northeast and Eastnortheast after we were in 3. or 4. degrees to the Northward and it altered not vntill we came betweene 30. and 40. degrees to the Northward of the Equinoctial Line On Wednesday the 21. day of August the wind came vp at Southwest a faire gale by which day at noone we were in 38. degrees of Northerly latitude On friday in the morning being the 23. day of August at foure of the clocke we haled East and East and by South for the Northermost ylands of the Açores On Saturday the 24. day of the said moneth by 5. of the clocke in the morning we fel in sight of the two ylands of Flores and Coruo standing in 39. degrees and ½ and sailed away Northeast The third of September we met with a Flemish hulke which came from Lisbone declared vnto vs the ouerthrowing of the Spanish Fleete to the singuler reioycing and comfort of vs all The 9. of September after a terrible tempest which caried away most part of our sailes by the mercifull fauour of the Almightie we recouered our long wished port of Plimmouth in England from whence we set foorth at the beginning of our voyage CERTEINE RARE AND SPECIAL NOTES most properly belonging to the voyage of M. Thomas Candish next before described concerning the heights soundings lyings of lands distances of places the variation of the Compasle the iust length of time spent in sayling betweene diuer placesâ and their abode in them as also the places of their harbour and anckering and the depths of the same with the obseruation of the windes on seuerall coastes Written by M. Thomas Fuller of Ipswich who was Master in The desire of M. Thomas Candish in his foresaid prosperous voyage about the world A note of the heights of certaine places on the coast of Barbarie INpriâis Cape Cantin standeth in the latitude of 32. degr 4. minâ Item the yland of Mogador standeth in 31. degr 30. min. Item Cape d'oro standeth in 30. degr 20. min. Item the ylands of the Canaries abouâ 28. degr Item Cape Bâjador standeth in 27. degr 30. min. Item Cape Verde standeth in 14. degr 30. min Item the Cape of Sierra Liona in 8. degr Item an yland called Ilha Verde in 7. degr 20. min A note of the heights of certaine places from the coast of Brasill to the South sea INprimis Cape Frio standeth in the latitude of 23. degr 30. min. Item the yland of S. Sebastian in 24. degr Item Port desire standeth in 47. degr 50. min Item Seales bay standeth in 48. degr 20. min. Item Port S. Iulian standeth in 50. degr Item The white riuer standeth in 50. degr 30. min. Item Cape Ioy standeth in 52. degr 40. min. Item Port famine within the Straights of Magellan standeth iâ 53. degr 50. min Item Cape froward within the Straights of Magellan standeth in 54. degr 15. min. Item Cape desire in the entring into the South sea standeth in 53. degr 10. min. A note of the heights of certaine places on the coast of Chili and Peru in the South sea INprimis the yland of Mocha âtandeth in the latitude of 38. degr 30. min.
at the island of S. Andrew where we ankered in 17 fadoms water Item The 17 day of September we departed from the island of S. Andrew and the 24 day of September we put into the bay of Chiametlan where we ankered in 8 fadoms water and the 26 of September we departed from the bay of Chiametlan and the 28 day wee ankered vnder the islands of Chiametlan in 4 fadoms Item The 9 day of October wee departed from the islands of Chiametlan and crossing ouer the mouth of Mar vermejo the 14 day of October we had sight of the cape of California Item The 15 day of October we lay off the cape of S. Lucas and the 4 day of Nouember we tooke the great and rich ship callâd Santa Anna comming from the Philippinas and the 5 day of Nouember we put into the port of S. Lucas where we put all the people on shore and burnt the Santa Anna and we ankered in 12 fadoms water Item The 19 day of Nouember we departed from the port of S. Lucas and the 3 day of Ianuary wee had sight of one of the islands of the Ladrones which island is called The island of Iwana standing in the latitude of 13 degrees and 50 minuts Item The 3 day of Ianuary we departed from the iland of Iwana and the 14 day of Ianuarie we had sight of the cape of Spirito santo and the same day we put into the Streights of the Philippinas and the 15 day of Ianuary we ankered vnder the iland of Capul on the which iland we watered and wooded Item The 24 of Ianuary we departed from the iland of Capul and the 28 day of Ianuary we arriued in the bay of Lago grande which bay is in the island of Pannay where there were Spaniards building of a new ship Item The 29 of Ianuary wee departed from the bay of Lago grande and the same day at night wee were cleere from the islands of the Philippinas shâping our course towards the ilands of Maluco Item From the 29 day of Ianuary vnto the first day of March we were nauigating between the West end of the island of Pannay and the West end of the island of Iaua minor Item The first day of March wee passed the Streights at the West head of the island of Iaua minor and the 5 day of March we ankered in a bay at the Wester end of Iaua maior where wee watered and had great store of victuals from the towne of Polambo Item The 16 day of March wee departed from the island of Iaua maior and the 11 day of May we had sight of the land 40 leagues vnto the Eastwards of the cape of Buena Esperança the land being low land A note from the cape of Buena Esperança vnto the Northwards ITem The 21 day of May wee departed from the cape of Buena Esperança and the 8 day of Iune we ankered on the Northwest part of the iland of Santa Helenâ where we watered and made our abode 12 dayes Item The 20 day of Iune at night wee departed from the island of Santa Helena and the 4 day of Iuly we passed vnder the Equinoctiall line Item The 20 day of Iune at night wee departed from the island of Santa Helena and the 25 day of August in the morning wee had sight of the islands of Flores and Coruo in the latitude of 40 degrees Item The 9 day of September 1588 wee arriued after a long and terriblâ tempest in the Narrow seas in the hauen of Plimmouth in safetie by the gracious and most mercifull protection of the Almighty to whom therefore be rendered immortall praise and thankesgiuing now and for euer Amen A note of our ankering in those places where we arriued after our departure from England 1586. IN primis Wee ankered in the harborow of Sierra leona in 10 fadoms water and a Northwest winde in that rode is the woorst that can blow Item You may anker vnder the island that is called Ilha Verde in 6 fadoms water and the winde being at the Westnorthwest is the woorst winde that can blow Item You may anker vnder the island of S. Sebastian on the Northwest part in 10 fadoms and a Westsouthwest winde is the woorst winde Item You may anker in Port Desire in 5 fadoms water and a West and by South winde is the woorst Item You may anker vnder Cape Ioy without the mouth of the Streights of Magellan in 7 fadoms water Item You may anker within the Straights of Magellan vâtill you come vnto the first narrowing in 25 or 30 fadoms water in the mid way of the Streights Item You may anker in the second narrow of the Strâights in 16 fadoms water Item You may anker vnder Penguin island on which side you please in 6 or 7 fadoms water Item You may anker in Port Famine in 5 or 6 fadoms water and a Southsoutheast winde is the woorst Item You may anker in Muskle coue which coue is on the South side and is 7 leagues to the Southwards of Cape Froward and you shall ride in 12 fadoms Item You may anker in Elizabeth bay which bay is on the North side of the Streights in 8 fadoms water Item From Elizabeth bay vnto Cabo descado you may anker on both sides of the Streights in many places A note of our ankering after we were entred into the South sea IN primis You may anker in the bay of Mocha in 7 or 8 fadoms water and there a Northeast winde is the woorst Item You may anker on the North side of S. Mary island in nine fadoms water and there a Northnorthwest winde is the woorst winde Item You may anker in the bay of Conception vnder one small island in 9 fadoms water and â Northnorthwest winde is the woorst winde in that bay Item You may anker in the bay of Quintero in 7 fadoms water and a Northnorthwest wind is the worst winde Item You may anker in the bay of Arica in 6 fadoms and in that bay a Westnorthwest winde is the woorst winde Item You may anker in the bay of Pisca and Paraca in fiue fadoms and in that bay a Northnorthwest winde is the woorst Item You may anker in the bay of Cherepe in 8 fadoms and there from the Northwest vnto the Southeast it is open Item You may anker in the bay of Paita in 7 fadoms water and there a Northnortheast wind is the woorst winde Item You may anker on the Northeast part of the island of Puna in 4 fadoms and a Northeast winde is the woorst Item You may anker at Rio dolce where wee watered vnto the Easâwards of the island of Puna in 10 fadoms A note of what depths we ankered in on the coast of New Spaine ITem You may anker in the port of
letters This was the fleete wherein Cabot discouered the riuer of Plate 1526 Note The Newe found Islands discouered by the English A Mappe of the world To know the latitudes To know the longitudes Now called the straight of Magelane Note Doctor Leys demand The Pope reprehended The longitudes hard to be found out New found land discouered by the Englishmen Note To saile by the Pole Or the straites of Magelane Note Benefite to England Obiection Answere A true opinioÌ A voyage of discouery by the Pole M. Therne and M. Eliot discouerers of New found land The cause why the West Indies were not ours which also Sebastian Gabot writeth in an Epistle to Baptista Ramusius Russia became ciuill in y e yere of our Lord 572. Kiow 1237. These ambassadours were Iohan de â lano Carpini Frier Benedict of Polonian The citie of Mosco first made the seaâe of the great Duke Iuan Vasilowich The name of the Moscouites first aduanced The yoke of the Tartars shaken off Basilius ââan Vasilowich Theodore The commodities of traââike and of nauigation A minister in the voyage King Edwardâ corporation Reason voide of experience Iiar I would reade Mair that is in the Sarasen language mirt of Turkish and Aegyptian Februarie interpreted by them the moneth to see ships to the sea The first ship The second ship Iohn Stafford Minister M. William Burrough nowe comptroller of her Maiesties nauie The third ship May. Iune Iuly In this land dwellt Octher as it seemeth Rost Islands Stanfew harbor Lofootâ August Seyman in 70 degrees Willoughbiâ his land iâ 72 degrees September In this hauen they died â Or Ellons Here endeth Sir Hugh Willoughbie his note which was written with his owne hand â Duyna Note Upon what occasions and by whom this voyage was set out and of the discouerie of Moscouie by the North. 3. Ships furnished for the discouerie Prouision of victuaâs for 18. moneths Choise of Captaines and Pilots Sir Hugh Willoughbie Master Henry Sidney his Oration They departed from Raâeliffe the 20. of May 1553. They returne the next yeere not knowing what was become of the other 2. ships They arriue in the Bay of Saint Nicholas The discouerie of Russia The Emperours courteous letters to M. Chanceler The mightie lake of Bealozera The sharpnes of the winter in Moscouie Their manner of building King Edwards letters deliuered The maners of the Flemmings against our men â Dr Dwina Note Aurea vetulâ oâ ââloâibaba Iuan Vasiliuich that is to say Iohn the forme of Basilius â That is come into our presence No coinâs of gold in Russia but all of siluer The weights in Russia The weight of Wardhouse The Russia measures The measure of Wardhouse in cloth is the measure of Danske The Turkes and Armenians pay custome The Emperors beame The Dutch nation lost their priuilâdges renued them with a great summe The commodities of Russia Vologda and the state thereof The Emperor of Moscouie is a marchant himselfe Two sorts of ââaxe Note Inquiâie for the way to Catbaya The Philip and Maây Note Note Note Queene Maries letters to the Emperour of Russia The Italians counsell to our people The diuersitie of weights meaâures in Russiâ Colmogro Vologda Nouogrode The Russian secretary his name The discouerie principally intended for Gods glory Sebastian Cabota first gouernour of the Moscouie companie Sir George Barnes William Garret Anthony Husie Ioh. Suâhcot the first 4. Consulâ K. Philip and Queene Mary hereby âo disanull Pope Alexanders diuision Conquest permitted â Anno 1554. The Moscotutes priuiledges vnto the English The largânes of the priuiledge of the Moscouite companie Anno 1555. April 23. Note May 15. Kedelwike chappell The North cape so named by Steuen Burrowe The latitude of Cola. â Russe Lodia Lodias hauing 24 men a pââce From Cola to Pechora is but 7 or 8 dayes sayling The ââââesse of one Gabriel A good necessarie note Twentie eight Lodias belonging to Cola. The latitude of Cape S. Iohn 66 degrees 50 minutes Earth swimming aboue water like wood The latitude 68 degrees and a halfe Morgiouets an harbour Drift wood A Samoed Dolgoieue an Island Pechora The variation of the Compas Ice The lat 70 degrees 11 min. S Iames Island The variation of the Compas 7 degrees and a halfe The relation of Loshak The way to the riuer of Ob. A mighty hill in Noua Zembla Loshak The Islands of Uagaits Samoeds The maners of the Samoeds The Samoeds of the Ob very hurtfull and shrewd people Naramzay The latitude The variation of the compas They land vpon Vaigats The vncerâentie of ââbing flowing They were within 15 leagues of Pechora They returne the 22 of August 1556 Norway Roste Lofoot Finmarke Wardhouse Lappia The Scricfinnes The Lappians Corelia Nouogardia The Russes Tartaria Lampas a mart or faire of the Russes Tartars and Samoeds The Samoeds countrey Or. Pechoraâ Vaegatz Noua Zembla Store of foule White Foxes White beares The maner of the Samoeds sacrifices about the riuer of Pechere Foure ships The Edward Bonauenture arriued in Scotlandâ in the Bay of Pettislego Nouemb 7. 1556. Rich. Chancelor drowned His departure from Scotland towards England 1557. Febr. 27. His honourable receiuing into the citie of London A league and articles of amitte concluded and confirmed vnder the great seale of England Foure goodly ships of the merchants prouided for Russia 1557. The King and Queens secoÌd letters to the Emperour of Russia Coia Reca Coscaynos Dogs nose The variation of the Compasse 4. degrees Foxe nose Poynt Pentecost Crosse Island Cape good fortune Cape grace Cape Race Frost in Iune Tri Ostroue Ice The variation Corpus Christi poynt Cape Gallant Iuana Creos S. Georges Islands Cape comfort S. Peters Islands S. Pauls Islands Cape Sower beere Kildina Cape Bonauenture âegor Domshaff Wardhouse â Which were the Bona Esperanza the Bona confidentia and the Philip and Marie Whereof the two first were lost â Or ârondon The Philip and Marie The bona Confidentia cast away A gainefull trade of fishing at Kegor Commodities fit for Kegor 1557. Wares sent into Russia out of England The Arshinâ is a Russie measure 7. Ropemakers sent into Russia Cables and Ropes a principall commoditie Danske the old chiefe place for Cables Commodities not bearing the charges of long fraight Furres most vendible Steele Copper Wollen cloth of Rie and Reuel of Poland and Lettowe Russian lether Things goodâ to die withall Ten yong men sent into Russia Henry Lane Agent The fourth voyage The olde traffike of Russia to Rei Reuel and Poland turned to Saint Nicholââ The articles of their first Commission giuen 1555. Leonard Brian sent to search out Yewe in the North parts of Russia 2. Coopers sent into Russia The marchaÌts letters ouer land written in cyphers The voyag of Steuen Burrowe for the discouerie of the riuer of Ob. M. Anthonie Ienkinson his first trauaile inteÌded for Cathay by the Caspian sea and Boghar Good caske made in Russia 1557 Iohn
saile out of Norway arriued vpon the Isle of Lewis then that Magnus the king of Norway came into the same seas with 160. sailes and hauing subdued the Orkney Isles in his way passed on in like conquering maner directing his course as it should seeme euen through the very midst and on all sides of the Hebrides who sailing thence to Man conquered it also proceeding afterward as farre as Anglesey and lastly crossing ouer from the Isle of Man to the East part of Ireland Yea there they shall read of Godredus the sonne of Olauus his voiage to the king of Norway of his expedition with 80. ships against Sumerledus of Sumerled his expedition with 53. ships against him of Godred his flight and second iourney into Norway of Sumerled his second arriual with 160. shippes at Rhinfrin vpon the coast of Man and of many other such combates assaults voyages which were performed onely vpon those seas Islands And for the bringing of this woorthy monument to light we doe owe great thanks vnto the iudiciall and famous Antiquarie M. Camden But sithens we are entred into a discourse of the ancient warrelike shipping of this land the Reader shall giue me leaue to borow one principall note out of this litle historie before I quite take my leaue thereof and that is in few words that K. Iohn passed into Ireland with a Fleet of 500. sailes so great were our sea-forces euen in his time Neither did our shipping for the warres first begin to flourish with king Iohn but long before his dayes in the reign of K. Edward the Confessor of William the Conqueror of William Rufus and the rest there were diuers men of warre which did valiant seruice at sea and for their paines were roially rewarded All this and more then this you may see recorded pag. 17. out of the learned Gentleman M. Lambert his Perambulation of Kent namely the antiquitie of the Kentiâh Cinque ports which of the sea-townes they were how they were infranchised what gracious priuileges and high prerogatiues were by diuers kings vouchsafed vpon them and what seruices they were tied vnto in regard thereof to wit how many ships how many souldiers mariners Garsons and for how many dayes each of them and all of them were to furnish for the kings vse and lastly what great exploits they performed vnder the conduct of Hubert of Burrough as likewise against the Welsâmen vpon 200. French ships and vnder the commaund of captaine Henry Pay Then haue you pag. 117. the franke and bountifull Charter granted by king Edward the first vpon the foresayd Cinque portes next thereunto a Roll of the mightie fleet of seuen hundred ships which K. Edward the third had with him vnto the siege of Caleis out of which Roll before I proceed any further let me giue you a double obseruation First that these ships according to the number of the mariners which were in all 14151. persons seeme to haue bene of great burthen and secondly that Yarmouth an hauen towne in Northfolke which I much wonder at set foorth almost twise as many ships and mariners as either the king did at his owne costs and charges or as any one citie or towne in England besides Howbeit Tho. Walsingham maketh plaine and euident mention of a farre greater Fleete of the same king namely of 1100. shippes lying before Sandwich being all of them sufficiently well furnished Moreouer the Reader may behold pag. 186. a notable testimonie of the mightie ships of that valiant prince king Henry the 5. who when after his great victory at Agincourt the Frenchmen to recouer Harflew had hired certaine Spanish and Italian ships and forces had vnited their owne strength vnto them sent his brother Iohn duke of Bedford to encounter them who bidding them battell got the victory taking some of their ships and sinking others and putting the residue to dishonorable flight Likewise comming the next yeere with stronger powers and being then also ouercome they were glad to conclude a perpetuall league with K. Henry propter eorum naues saieth mine Author that is for the resistance of their ships the sayd king caused such huge ships to be built quales non erant in mundo as the like were not to be found in the whole world besides But to leaue our ancient shipping and descend vnto later times I thinke that neuer was any nation blessed of IEHOVAH with a more glorious and wonderfull victory vpon the Seas then our vanquishing of the dreadfull Spanish Armada 1588. But why should I presume to call it our vanquishing when as the greatest part of them escaped vs and were onely by Gods out-stretched arme ouerwhelmed in the Seas dashed in pieces against the Rockes and made fearefull spectacles and examples of his iudgements vnto all Christendome An excellent discourse whereof as likewise of the honourable expedition vnder two of the most noble and valiant peeres of this Realme I meane the renoumed Erle of Essex and the right honorable the lord Charles Howard lord high Admirall of England made 1596. vnto the strong citie of Cadiz I haue set downe as a double epiphonema to conclude this my first volume withall Both of which albeit they ought of right to haue bene placed among the Southerne voyages of our nation yet partly to satisfie the importunitie of some of my special friends and partly not longer to depriue the diligent Reader of two such woorthy and long-expected discourses I haue made bold to straine a litle curtesie with that methode which I first propounded vnto my selfe And here had I almost forgotten to put the Reader in mind of that learned and Philosophical treatise of the true state of Iseland and so consequently of the Northren Seas regions lying that way wherein a great number of none of the meanest Historiographers and Cosmographers of later times as namely Munster Gemma Frisius Zieglerus Krantzius Saxo Grammaticus Olaus Magnus Peucerus and others are by euident arguments conuinced of manifold errors that is to say as touching the true situation and Northerly latitude of that Island and of the distance thereof from other places touching the length of dayes in Sommer and of nights in Winter of the temperature of the land and sea of the time and maner of the congealing continuance and thawing of the Ice in those Seas of the first Discouerie and inhabiting of that Isâând of the first planting of Christianitie there as likewise of the continuall flaming of mountains strange qualities of fountains of hel-mouth and of purgatorie which those authors haue fondly written and imagined to be there All which treatise ought to bee the more acceptable first in that it hath brought sound trueth with it and secondly in that it commeth from that farre Northren climate which most men would suppose could not affoord any one so learned a Patrone for it selfe And thus friendly Reader thou seest the briefe summe and scope of all my labours for the common-wealths sake and
Iuramentum or othe ministred to the Captaine YOu shall sweare to be a faithfull true and loyal subiect in all points and duties that to a subiect appertaineth to our soueraigne Lord the kings Maiestie his heires and successors and that you shall wel and truely to the vttermost of your capacitie wit knowledge serue this present voiage committed to your charge and not to giue vp nor sooner intermit the same vntil you shall haue atchieued the same so farre foorth as you may without danger of your life and losse of the fleete you shall giue good true and faithful counsell to the said societie and to such as shal haue the charge with or vnder you and not to disclose the secrets or priuities of the same to any person by any maner of meane to the preiudice hurt or damage of it You shal minister iustice to all men vnder your charge without respect of person or any affection that might moue you to decline from the true ministration of iustice And further you shal obserue and cause to be obserued as much as in you lieth all and singular rules articles prouisions hitherto made or heereafter to be made for the preseruation or safe conduct of the fleete and voyage and benefit of the company You shall not permit nor suffer the stocke or goods of the company to be wasted imbezeled or consumed but shall conserue the same whole and entire without diminishment vntill you shall haue deliuered or cause to be deliuered the same to the vse of the companie And finally you shal vse your selfe in all points sorts and conditions as to a faithfull captaine and brother of this companie shall belong and appertaine So helpe you God c. The othe ministred to the Maister of the ship c. YOu shall sweare by the holy contents in that booke that you according and to the vttermost of your knowledge and good vnderstanding in mariners science and craft shall in your vocation doe your best to conduct the good shippe called the N. c. whereof you nowe are Maister vnder God both vnto and from the portes of your discouerie and so vse your indeuour and faithfull diligence in charging discharging lading againe and roomaging of the same shippe as may be most for the benefite and profite of this right woorshipfull fellowship and you shall not priuately bargein buy sell exchange barter or distribute any goods wares merchandize or things whatsoeuer necessary tackles and victuals for the shippe onely excepted to or for your owne lucre gaine or profit neither to nor for the priuate lucre gaine or profit of any other person or persons whatsoeuer And further If you shall know any boatswaine mariner or any other person or persons whatsoeuer to buy sell barter trucke or exchange any goods wares marchandizes or things for priuate account reckoning or behalfe you shall doe your best to withstand and let the same and if you cannot commodiously so doe that then before the discharge of such goods bought for priuat account you shal giue knowledge therof to the cape marchant of this said fellowship for the time being And you shal not receiue nor take nor suffer to be receiued or taken into your said ship during this voyage any maner person or persons whatsoeuer going or returning but onely those mariners whâch without fraud or guile shall be hired to be of your company and to serue in mariners craft and science onely So helpe you God c. These foresaid shippes being fully furnished with their pinnesses and boates well appointed with al maner of artillerie and other things necessary for their defence with al the men aforesaid departed from Ratcliffe and valed vnto Detford the 10. day of May 1553. The 11. day about two of the clocke we departed from Detford passing by Greenwich saluting the kings Maiesty then being there shooting off our ordinance so valed vnto Blackwall and there remained vntil the 17. day and that day in the morning we went from Blackwall and came to Woolwâch by nine of the clocke and there remained one tide and so the same night vnto Heyreth The 18. day from Heyreth vnto Grauesend and there remained vntil the twentieth day that day being Saterday from Grauesend vnto Tilberie Hope remaining there vntill the two and twentieth day The 22. day from Tilbery Hope to Hollie hauen The 23. day from Hollie Hauen till we came against Lee and there remained that night by reason that the winde was contrary to vs. The 24. day the winde being in the Southwest in the morning we sailed along the coast ouer the Spits vntill we came against S. Osyth about sixe of the clocke at night and there came to anker and abode there all that night The 25. day about tenne of the clocke we departed from S. Osyth and so sailed forward vnto the Nase and there abode that night for winde and tide The 26. day at fiue of the clock in the morning we weyed our anker and sailed ouer the Nase the winde being at the Southwest vntill wee came to Orwell wands and there came to an anker and abode there vntill the 28. day The same day being Trinitie Sunday about 7. of of the clocke before noone we weyed our ankers and sailed til we came athwart Walsursye and there came to an anker The 29. day from thence to Holmehead where we stayed that day where we consulted which way and what courses were best to be holden for the discouerie of our voyage and there agreed The 30. day of May at fiue of the clocke in the morning wee set saile and came against Yermouth about three leagues into the sea riding there at anker all that night The last of May ânto the Sea sixe leagues Northeast and there taried that night where the winde blew very sore The first of Iune the winde being at North contrary to vs wee came backe againe to Orwell and remained there vntill the 15. day tarying for the winde for all this time the winde was contrary to our purpose The 15 day being at Orwel in the latitude of 52 degrees in the morning wee weyed our ankers and went forth into the wands about two miles from the towne and lay there that night The 16 day at eight of the clocke we set forward and sayled vntill we came athwart Alburrough and there stayed that night The 17 day about fiue of the clocke before noone we went backe vnto Orfordnesse aud there remained vntill the 19 day The 19 day at eight of the clocke in the morning we went backe to Orwel and abode there three dayes tarying for the winde The 23 day of Iune the wind being faire in the Southwest we hailed into the seas to Orfordnesse and from thence into the seas ten leagues Northeast then being past the sands we changed our course sixe leagues Northnortheast about midnight we changed our course againe and went due North continuing in the same vnto the 27 day The 27 day about
seuen of the clocke Northnorthwest 42 leagues to the ende to fall with Shotland then the wind veared to the West so that we could lie but North and by West continuing in the same course 40 leagues whereby we could not fetch Shotland then we sayled North 16 leagues by estimation after that North and by West Northnorthwest then Southeast with diuers other courses trauersing and tracing the seas ây reason of sundry and manifolde contrary windes vntill the 14 day of Iuly and then the sunne entring into Leo we discouered land Eastward of vs vnto the which we sayled that night as much as we might and after wee went on shore with our Pinnesse found little houses to the number of 30 where we knew that it was inhabited but the people were fled away as we iudged for feare of vs. The land was all full of little Islands and that innumerable which were called as we learned afterwards AEgeland and Halgeland which lieth from Orfordnesse North and by East being in the latitude of 66 degrees The distance betweene Orfordnesse and AEgeland 250 leagues Then we sailed from thence 12 leagues Northwest and found many other Islandes and there came to anker the 19 day and manned our Pinnesse and went on shore to the Islands and found people mowing and making of hay which came to the shore and welcomed vs. In which place were an innumerable sort of Islands which were called the Isles of Rost being vnder the dominion of the king of Denmarke which place was in latitude 66 degrees and 30 minutes The winde being contrary we remayned there three dayes there was an innumerable sort of foules of diuers kindes of which we tooke very many The 22 day the winde comming fayre we departed from Rost sailing Northnortheast keeping the sea vntill the 27 day and then we drew neere vnto the land which was still East of vs then went foorth our Pinnesse to seeke harborow found many good harbours of the which we entred into one with our shippes which was called Stanfew and the land being Islands were called Lewfoot or Lofoot which were plentifully inhabited and very gentle people being also vnder the king of Denmarke but we could not learne how farre it was from the maine land and we remained there vntil the 30 day being in latitude 68 degrees and from the foresaid Rost about 30 leagues Northnortheast The 30 day of Iuly about noone we weyed our ankers and went into the Seas and sayled along these Islands Northnortheast keeping the land still in sight ântill the second day of August then hailing in close aboord the land to the entent to knowe what land it was there came a skiffe of the Island aboord of vs of whom we asked many questions who shewed vnto vs that the Island was called Seynam which is the latitude of seuenty degrees and from Stanfew thirtie leagues being also vnder the king of Denmarke and that there was no merchandise there but onely dryed fish and traine oyle Then we being purposed to goe vnto Finmarke inquired of him if we might haue a pilot to bring vs vnto Finmarke he said that if we could beare in we should haue a good harbour and on the next day a pilot to bring vs to Finmarke vnto the wardhouse which is the strongest holde in Finmarke and most resorted to by report But when wee would haue entred into an harbour the land being very high on euâry side there came such flawes of winde and terrible whirle winds that we were not able to beare in but by violence were constrained to take the sea agayne our Pinnesse being vnshipt we sailed North and by East the wind increasing so sort that we were not able to beare any saile but tooke them in and lay a drift to the end to let the storme ouer passe And that night by violence of winde and thickenesse of mists we were not able to keepe together within sight and then about midnight we lost our pinnesse which was a discomfort vnto vs. Assoone as it was day and the fogge ouerpast we looked about and at the last we descried one of our shippes to Leeward of vs then we spred an bullocke of our fore-saile and bare roome with her which was the Confidence but the Edward we could not see Then the flaw something abating we and the Confidence hoysed vp our sailes the fourth day sayling Northeast and by North to the end to fall with the Wardhouse as we did consult to doe before in case we should part company Thus running Northeast and by North and Northeast fiftie leagues then we sounded and had 160 fadomes whereby we thought to be farre from land and perceiued that the land lay not as the Globe made mention Wherfore we changed our course the sixt day and sailed Southeast and by South eight and fortie leagues thinking thereby to find the Wardhouse The eight day much winde rising at the Westnorthwest we not knowing how the coast lay strook our sayles and lay a drift where we sounded and found 160 fadomes as afore The ninth day the wind âearing to the South Southeast we sailed Northeast 25 leagues The tenth day we sounded and could get no ground neither yet could see any land wherat we wondered then the wind comming at the Northeast we ran Southeast about 48 leagues The 11 day the wind being at South we sounded and found 40 fadoms aud faire sand The 12 day the winde being at South and by East we lay with our saile East and East and by North 30 leagues The 14 day early in the morning we descried land which land we bare with all hoising out our boat to discouer what land it might be but the boat could not come to land the water was so shoale where was very much ice also but there was no similitude of habitation and this land lyeth from Seynam East and by North 160 leagues being in latitude 72 degrees Then we plyed to the Northward the 15,16 and 17 day The 18 day the winde comming at the Northeast and the Confidence being troubled with bilge water and stocked we thought it good to seeke harbâur for her redresse then we bare roome the 18 day Southsoutheast about 70 leagues The 21 day we sounded and found 10 fadome after that we sounded againe and found but 7 fadome so shoalder and shoalder water and yet could see no land where we maruâiled greatly to auoide this danger we bare roomer into the sea all that night Northwest and by West The next day we sounded and had 20. fadoms then shaped our course and ran West Southwest vntill the 23. day then we descried Low land vnto which we bare as nigh as we could and it appeared vnto vs vnhabitable Then wee plyed Westward along by that lande which lyeth West Southwest and East Northeast and much winde blowing at the West we haled into the sea North and by East 30. leagues Then the
England receiued and conducted there intertained vsed honoured and finally in good safetie towards his returne and repaire furnished and with much liberalitie and franke handling friendly dismissed to the intent that the trueth of the premisses may bee to the most mightie Emperour of Russia sincerely signified in eschewment of all euents and misfortunes that may chance in this voyage which God defend to the Ambassadours person traine and goods this present memoriall is written and autentikely made and by the sayde Ambassadour his seruants whose names be vnderwritten and traine in presence of the Notarie and witnesses vndernamed recognized and acknowledged Giuen the day moneth and yeere vnderwritten of which instrument into euery of the sayde Shippes one testimoniall is deliuered and the first remaineth with the sayde Companie in London Giftes sent to the King and Queenes Maiesties of England by the Emperour of Russia by the report of the Ambassadour and spoyled by the Scots after the Shipwracke 1 First sixe timber of Sables rich in colour and haire 2 Item twentie entire Sables exceeding beautifull with teeth eares and clawes 3 Item foure liuing Sables with chaines and collars 4 Item thirtie Lusarnes large and beautifull 5 Item sixe large and great skinnes very rich and rare worne onely by the Emperour for woorthinesse 6 Item a large and faire white Ierfawcon for the wilde Swanne Crane Goose and other great Fowles together with a drumme of siluer the hoopes gilt vsed for a lure to call the sayd Hawke Giftes sent to the Emperour of Russia by the King and Queenes Maiesties of England 1 First two rich pieces of cloth of Tissue 2 Item one fine piece of Scarlet 3 Item one fine Uiolet in graine 4 Item one fine Azur cloth 5 Item a notable paire of Brigandines with a Murrian couered with Crimson veluet and gilt nailes 6 Item a Male and Female Lions Giftes giuen to the Ambassadour at his departure ouer and aboue such as were deliuered vnto him at his first arriuall 1 First a chaine of golde of one hundred pound 2 Item a large Bason and Ewer siluer and gilt 3 Item a paire of pottle pots gilt 4 Item a paire of flaggons gift The names of all such Russies as were attendant vpon the Ambassadour at and before his departure out of England Isaak Fwesschencke Demetre Gorbolones Symonde Yeroffia Stephen Lowca Andria Foma Memorandum the day and yeere of our Lord aboue mentioned in the house of the worshipfull Iohn Dimmocke Citizen and Draper of London situate within the famous Citie of London in the Realme of England the aboue named honourable Osep Gregorywich Napea Ambassadour and Orator aboue mentioned personally constituted and present hauing declared vnto him by the mouth of the right worshipfull master Anthonie Hussie Esquire the effect of the causes and contents of and in this booke at the interpretation of Robert Best his interpreter sworne recognized and knowledged in presence of me the Notarie personages vnder written the contents of this booke to be true aswell for his owne person as for his seruants aboue named who did not subscribe their names as is aboue mentioned but onely recognized the same In witnesse whereof I Iohn Incent Notarie Publike at the request of the said Master Anthonie Hussie and other of the Marchants haue to these presents vnderwritten set my accustomed signe with the Subscription of my name the day and yeere aboue written being present the right Worshipfull Aldermen of London Knights Andrew Iudde George Barne William Chester Rafe Greeneaway Iohn Mersh Esquier Iohn Dimmock Blase Sanders Hubert Hussie and Robert Best aboue mentioned The voyage of the foresaid M. Stephen Burrough An. 1557. from Colmogro to Wardhouse which was sent to seeke the Bona Esperanza the Bona Confidentia and the Philip and Mary which were not heard of the yeere before May. VPon Sunday the 23. of May I departed with the Searchthrift from Colmogro the latitude whereof is 64. degrees 25. minutes and the variation of the compasse 5. degrees 10. minutes from the North to the East Wednesday we came to the Island called Pozanka which Island is within foure leagues of the barre Berozoua It floweth here at an East and by South Moone full sea Saturday in the morning we departed from Pozanka and plied to the barre of Berôzoua Gooba whereupon wee came to anker at a lowe water and sounded the said Barre with our two Skiffes and found in the best vpon the shoaldest of the barre 13. foote water by the rule It highâth vpon this barre in spring streames 3. foote water and an East Moone maketh a full sea vpon this barre Sunday in the morning wee departed from the barre of Berozoua and plied along by the shoalds in fiue fadome vntill I had sight of S. Nicholas roade and then wee cast about to the Northwards and went with a hommocke which is halfe a mile to the Eastwards of Coya Reca which hommocke and S. Nicholas abbey lye Southsouthwest and Northnortheast and betweene them are 11. leagues Coia Reca is halfe a mile to the Eastwards of Coscaynos Coscaynos the middes of the Island called Mondeustoua ostroue which is thwart of the barre of Berozoua lieth South and by East North and by West and betweene them are 4. leagues or as you may say from the Seaboord part of the barre to Coscaynos are 3. leagues and a halfe Munday at a Northeast and by East sunne we were thwart of Coscaynos Dogs nose lieth from Coscaynos Northnorthwest and betweene them are eight leagues and Dogs nose sheweth like a Gurnerds head if you be inwardly on both sides of it on the lowe point of Dogs nose there standeth a crosse alone Iune FRom Dogs nose to Foxenose are three leagues North and by West The 2. day of Iune I went on shoare 2. miles to the Northwards of Dogs nose and had the latitude of that place in 65. degrees 47. minutes It floweth a shoare at this place at an East Moone full sea and the shippe lay thwart to wende a floodâ in the off at a Southsoutheast moone So that it is to be vnderstoode that when it is a full sea on the shoare it is two points to ebbe before it be a lowe water in the off The variation of the Compasse at this place is 4. degrees from the North to the East This day the Northnorthwest winde put vs backe againe with Dogs nose where a ship may ride thwart of a salt house in 4. fadome or 4. fadome and a halfe of water and haue Landfange for a North and by West winde which Salt house is halfe a mile to the Southwards of Dogs nose Friday at a Southsouthwest Sunne wee departed from this Salt house It is to be noted that foure miles to the Northwards of Dogs nose there growe no trees on the banke by the water side and the bankes consist of fullers earth Ouer the cliffes there growe some trees so that Dogs nose is the better to be
of the yeere required to returne for England I desired pasport and post horses for money which was granted but hauing receiued my pasport ready to depart there came vnto our house there Osep Napea who perswaded me that I should not depart that day saying that the Emperor was not truely informed imputing great fault to the frowardnesse of the Secretary who was not my friend before whom comming againe the next day and finding the same Secretary and Osep Napea together after many allegations and obiections of things and perceiuing that I would depart I was willed to remaine vntill the Emperours Maiestie were spoken with againe touching my passage wherewith I was content within three dayes after sending for me he declared that the Emperours pleasure was that I should not onely passe thorow his dominions into Persia but also haue his Graces letters of commendations to forren princes with certaine his affaires committed to my charge too long here to rehearse whereupon I appointed my selfe for the voyage the 15 day of March the yeere aforesaid I dined againe in his Maiesties presence in company of an Ambassadour of Persia and others and receiuing a cup of drinke at his Maiesties hands I tooke my leaue of his Highnesse who did not onely giue me letters as aforesayd but also committed matter of importance and charge vnto me to be done âhen I should arriue in those countreys whither I intended to go and hauing all things in readinesse for the same voyage I departed from the city of Mosco the 27 day of April 1562 downe by the great riuer of Volga in company of the said Ambassadour of Persia with whom I had great friendship and conference all the way downe the same riuer vnto Astracan where we arriued all in health the 10 day of Iune And as touching the situations of the cities townes castles and countreys aswell of Mahometans as also of Gentils adioyning to the same whereby I passed from Mosco vnto Astracan I omit in this breuiat to rehearse for that I heretoâore haue declared the same most ampây vnto you in my voyage to Boghar Thus being arriued at Astracan as is aforesayd I repaiâed vnto the captaine there vnto whom I was commended from the Emperours Maiesty with great charge that he not only should ayd and succor me with all things needfull during my abode there but also to safeconduct me with 50 gunners wel appointed in two stroogs or brigantines into the Caspian sea vntil I had passed certaine dangerous places which pirats rouers do accustome to harme and hauing prepared my barke for the sea the Ambassador of Persia being before departed in a barke of his owne the 15 day of Iuly the yeere aforesayd I and my company tooke our voyage from the sayd Astracan and the next day at a West sunne passed the mouth of the said riuer being twenty miles distant lying next Southeast The 18 at a Southwest sunne we passed by three Islands being distant nine miles from the said mouth of Volga and Southsouthwest from thence sailing Southsouthwest the next day at a West by North sun we fel with the land called Challica Ostriua being foure round Islands together distant from the said three Islands forty miles From thence sailing the said course the next day we had sight of a land called Tuke in the countrey of Tumen where pirats and rouers do vse for feare of whom we haled off into the sea due East forty miles and fell vpon shallowes out of the sight of land and there were like to haue perished escaping most hardly then the 22 day we had sight of a goodly Island called Chatalet distant from the said Challica Ostriua an hundred miles the winde being contrary and a stiffe gale we were not able to seize it but were forced to come to an anker to the leeward of the same sixe miles off in three or foure fathom water being distant from the maine land to the Westward of vs which was called Skafcayl or Connyk a countrey of Mahometans about ãâã miles and so riding at two ankers a head hauing no other prouision we lost one of them the storme and sâa being growen very sore and thereby our barke was so full of leaks that with continuall pumping we had much adoe to keepe her aboue water although we threw much of our goods ouerboord with losse of our boat and our selues thereby in great danger like to haue perished either in the sea or els vpon the lee shore where we should haue fallen into the hands of those wicked infidels who attended our shipwracke and surely it was very vnlike that we should haue escâped both the extremities but onely by the power and mercy of God for the storme continued seuen dayes to wit vntill the thirtieth day of the same moneth and then the winde comming vp at the West with faire weather our anker weyed and our saile displayed lying South the next day haling to the shore with a West sunne we were nie a land called by the inhabitants Shyruansha and there we came againe to an anker hauing the winde contrary being distant from the said Chatalet 150 miles and there we continued vntill the third day of August then hauing a faire winde winding Southsoutheast and sailing threescore miles the next day at a Southeast sunne we arriued at a city called Derbent in the king of Hircans dominion where comming to land and saluting the captaine there with a present he made to me and my company a dinner and there taking fresh water I departed This city of Derbent is an ancient towne hauing an olde castle therein being situated vpon an hill called Castow builded all of free stone much after our building the walles very high and thicke and was first erected by king Alexander the great when he warred against the Persians and Medians and then hee made a wall of a woonderfull height and thicknesse extending from the same city to the Georgians yea vnto the principall city thereof named Tewflish which wall though it be now rased or otherwise dâcayed yet the foundation remaineth the wall was made to the intent that the inhabitants of that countrey then newly conquered by the said Alexander should not lightly flee nor his enemies easily inuade This city of Derbent being now vnder the power of the Sophy of Persia bordereth vpon the sea adioyning to the foresaid land of Shalfcall in the latitude of 41 degrees From thence sailing Southeast and Southsoutheast about 80 miles the sixt day of August the yere aforesaid we arriued at our landing place called Shabran where my barke discharged the goods layd on shore and there being in my tent keeping great watch for feare of rouers wherof there is great plenty being field people the gouernor of the said countrey named Alcan Murcy comming vnto me entertained me very gently vnto whom giuing a present he appointed for my
who conquered them not many yeâres passed for their diuersity in religion and caused not onely all the nobility gentlemen of that countrey to be put to death but also ouer and besides rased the walles of the cities townes and castles of the said realme to the intent that there should be no rebellion and for their great terror caused a turret of free stone and flints to be erected in the sayd city called Shamaki and in a ranke of flints of the sayd turret did set the heads of the sayd nobility and gentlemen then executed This city is distant from the sea side with camels seuen dayes iourney but now the same being much decayed chiefly inhabited with Armenians another city called Arrash bordering vpon the Georgians is the chiefest and most opulent in the trade of merchandise thereabouts is nourished the most abundant growth of raw silke and thither the Turks Syrians and other strangers do resort and trafficke There be also diuers good and necessary commodities to be prouided had in this sayd realme viz. galles rough and smooth cotton wooll allome and raw silke of the naturall growth of that countrey besides nere all kinde of spices and drugges and some other commodities which are brought thither from out of East India but in the lesse quantity for that they be not assured to haue vent or vtterance of the same but the chiefest commodities be there raw silks of all sorts whereof there is great plenty Not farre from the sayd city of Shamaki there was an olde castle called Gullistone now beaten downe by this Sophy which was esteemed to be one of the strongest castles in the world and was besieged by Alexander the great long time before he could win it And not farre from the sayd castle was a Nunry of sumptuous building wherein was buried a kings daughter named Ameleck Channa who slew herselfe with a knife for that her father would haue forced her she professing chastity to haue married with a king of Tartarie vpon which occasion the maidens of that countrey do resort thither once euery yere to lament her death Also in the sayd countrey there is an high hill called Quiquifs vpon the toppe whereof as it is commonly reported did dwell a great Giant named Arneoste hauing vpon his head two great hornes and eares and eyes like a Horse and a taile like a Cow It is further sayd that this monster kept a passage thereby vntill there came an holy man termed Haucoir Hamshe a kinseman to one of the Sophies who mounted the sayd hill and combating with the sayd Giant did binde not onely him in chaines but also his woman called Lamisache with his sonne named After for which victory they of that countrey haue this holy man in great reputation and the hill at this day as it is bruited sauoureth so ill that no person may come nigh vnto it but whether it be true or not I referre it to further knowledge Now to returne to the discourse of the proceeding in my voyage towards the great Sophie The 6 of October in the yeere aforesayd I with my company departed from Shamachi aforesaid and hauing iourneyed threescore miles came to a towne called Yauate wherein the king hath a faire house with orchards and gardens well replenished with fruits of all sorts By this towne passeth a great riuer called Cor which springeth in the mountaines of the Georgians passing thorow the countrey of Hircania aforesayd falleth into the Caspian or Hircan sea at a place betweene two ancient townes called Shabran and Bachu situate within the realme of Hircane and from thence issueth further passing thorow a fruitfull countrey inhabited with pasturing people which dwâll in the Summer season vpon mountaines and in Winter they remooue into the valleyes without resorting to townes or any other habitation and when they remooue they doe iourney in carrauans or troops of people and cattell carrying all their wiues children and baggage vpon bullocks Now passing this wilde people ten dayes iourney comming into no towne or house the sixteenth day of October we arriued at a citie called Ardouill where we were lodged in an hospitall builded with faire stone and erected by this Sophies father named Ismael onely for the succour and lodging of strangers and other trauellers wherein all men haue victuals and feeding for man and horse for three dayes and no longer This foresayd late prince Ismael lieth buried in a faire Meskit with a sumptuous sepulchre in the same which he caused to be made in his life time This towne Ardouill is in the latitude of eight and thirtie degrees an ancient citie in the prouince of Aderraugan wherein the Princes of Persia are commonly buried and there Alexander the great did keepe his Court when he inuaded the Persians Foure dayes iourney to the Westward is the citie Tebris in olde time called Tauris the greatest citie in Persia but not of such trade of merchandise as it hath bene or as others be at this time by meane of the great inuasion of the Turke who hath conquered from the Sophie almost to the sayd citie of Tauris which the sayd Turke once sacked and thereby caused the Sophie to forsake the same and to keepe his court ten dayes iourney from thence at the sayd citie of Casbin The 21 day we departed from Ordowil aforesayd trauelling for the most part ouer mountaines all in the night season and resting in the day being destitute of wood and therefore were forced to vse for fewell the dung of horses camels which we bought deare of the pasturing people Thus passing ten dayes iourney the yere aforesayd the second day of Nouember we arriued at the foresayd citie of Casbin where the sayd Sophie keepeth his court and were appointed to a lodging not farre from the kings pallace and within two dayes after the Sophie commanded a prince called Shalli Murzey sonne to Obdolowcan king of Shiruan aforesayd to send for me to his house who asked me in the name of the said Sophy how I did and whether I were in health and after did welcome me and inuited me to dinner whereat I had great enterteinment and so from thence I returned to my lodging The next day after I sent my interpreter vnto the Sophies Secretarie declaring that I had letters directed from our most gracious Souereigne ladie the Queenes most excellent Maiestie of the Realme of England vnto the sayd Sophy and that the cause of my comming was expressed in the same letters desiring that at conuenient time I might come into his Maiesties presence who aduertising the Sophy thereof shortly after answered me that there were great affaires in hand which being finished I should come before his presence willing me in the meane time to make ready my present if I had any to deliuer At this time the great Turkes Ambassadour arriued foure dayes before my comming who was sent thither to conclude a
remaine with their merchandize The 11. day the said Nagayes and one more with them came againe to that house earely in the morning where they were taken by the Russes and brought to the captaine of the castle and being examined confessed that their comming was onely to seeke two of their bondmen that were runne from them whereupon their bondmen were deliuered to them which fauour the said captaine coÌmonly sheweth if they be not Russies and they were set at libertie The 13. day they brake vp their camps and marched to the Northwards into the countrey of Nagay The 17. of April the variation of the compasse obserued in Astracan was 13. deg 40. min. from North to West This spring there came newes to Astracan that the queene of Persia the king being blind had bene with a great army against the Turks that were left to possesse Media and had giuen them a great ouerthrow yet notwithstanding Derbent the greatest part of Media were still possessed and kept by the Turks The factors oâ the company consulting vpon their affayres determined to leaue at Astracan the one halfe of their goods with Arthur Edwards and with the other halfe the other three factors would proceed in the ship on their purposed voyage to the coast of Media to see what might be done there where if they could not find safe traffike they determined to proceed to the coast of Gilan which is a prouince nere the Caspian sea bordering vpon Persia and therupon appointed the said goods to be laden aboord the ship and tooke into her also some merchandize of Tisiks or Persian merchants The 29. of April Amos Riall and Anthony Marsh the companies seruants were sent from Astracan by the said factors vp the riuer Volga to Yeraslaue with letters of aduise to be sent for England and had order for staying the goods in Russia that should come that yeere out of England for mainteining the trade purposed for Persia vntill further triall were made what might be done in those parts The first day of May in the morning hauing the shippe in readinesse to depart the factors inuited the duke Pheodor Micalouich Proiocoorow and the principall secretary Vasili Pheodorouich Shelepiâ with other of the chiefest about the duke to a banket aboord the ship where they were interteined to their good liking and at their departure was shot off all the ordinance of the ship and about nine of the clocke at night the same day they weyed anker and departed with their ship from Astracan and being but litle winde towed her with the boat about three versts then ankered hauing with them a pauos or lighter to helpe them at the flats The second day at foure of the clocke in y e morning they weyed plyed downe the riuer Volga toward the Caspian sea The seuenth of May in the morning they passed by a tree that standeth on the left hand of the riuer as they went downe which is called Mahomet Agatch or Mahomets tree about three versts further that is to say to the Southwards of the said tree is a place called Vchoog that is to say the Russe weare but Ochoog is the name of a weare in the Tartar tongue where are certain cotages and the Emperour hath lying at that place certaine gunners to gard his fishermen that keepe the weare This Vchoog is counted from Astracan 60. versts they proceeded downe the said riuer without staying at the Vchoog The ninth and tenth dayes they met with shoald water and were forced to lighten their ship by the pauos the 11. day they sent backe to the Vchoog for an other pauos This day by mischance the shippe was bilged on the grapâell of the pauos whereby the company had sustained great losses if the chiefest part of their goods had not beene layde into the pauos for notwithstanding their pumping with 3. pumps heauing out water with buckets and all the best shifts they could make the shippe was halfe full of water ere the leake could be found and sâopt The 12. day the pauos came to them from the Vchoog whereby they lighted the shippe of all the goods The 13. day in the morning there came to them a small boat sent by the captaine of Astracan to learne whether the shippe were at sea cleere of the flats The 15. day by great industry and trauell they got their ship cleare off the shoales and flats wherewith they had beene troubled from the ninth day vntill then they were forced to passe their shippe in three foot water or lesse The 16. day they came to the Chetera Bougori or Island of Foure Hillocks which are counted forty versts from Vchoog and are the furthest land towards the sea The 17. day they bare off into the sea and being about twelue versts from the Foure hillocks riding in fiue foot and a halfe water about eleuen of the clocke in the forenoone they tooke their goods out of the pauoses into the shippe and filled their shippe with all things necessary The 18. day in the morning about seuen of the clock the pauoses being discharged departed away towards Astracan the winde then at Southeast they road still with the shippe and obseruing the eleuation of the pole at that place found it to be 45. degrees 20. minuts The 19. day the wind Southeast they road still The 20. day the winde at Northwest they set saile about one of the clocke in the morning stered thence South by West Southsouthwest about 3. leagues and then ankered in 6. foot and a halfe water about nine of y e clocke before noone at which time it fell calme the eleuation of the pole at that place 45. degrees 13. minutsâ The 21. hauing the winde at Northwest they set saile and stered thence South by West and South vntill eleuen of the clocke and had then nine foote water and at noone they obserued the latitude and found it to be 44. degrees 47. minuts then had they three fathoms and a halfe water being cleare of the flats It is counted from the Foure hillockes to the sea about fiftie versts From the said noonetide vntill foure of the clocke they sayled South by East fiue leagues and a halfe then had they fiue fathoms and a halfe and brackish water from that till twelue at night they sayled South by East halfe a league East tenne leagues then had they eleuen fathome and the water salter From that till the 22. day three of the clocke in the morning they sayled three fifty leagues then had they sixtene fathome water from thence they sayled vntil noone South and by West seuen leagues and a halfe the latitude then obserued 43. degrees 15. minuts the depth then eight and twentie fathoms and shallow ground from that vntill eight of the clocke at night they sayled South by East fiue leagues and a halfe then had they three and fortie fathoms shallow ground From
of the place and of as many things worth the noting as you may then conueniently see from time to time These orders if you diligently obserue you may thereby perfectly set downe in the plats that I haue giuen you your whole trauell and description of your discouery which is a thing that will be chiefly expected at your hands But withall you may not forget to note as much as you can learne vnderstand or perceiue of the maner of the soile or fruitfulnesse of euery place and countrey you shall come in and of the maner shape attire and disposition of the people and of the commodities they haue and what they most couet and desire of the commodities you cary with you It behoueth you to giue trifling things vnto such people as you shall happen to see and to offer them all courtesie and friendship you may or can to winne their loue and fauour towardes you not doing or offering them any wrong or hurt And though you should be offered wrong at their handes yet not to reuenge the same lightly but by all meanes possible seeke to winne them yet alwayes dealing wisely and with such circumspection that you keepe your selues out of their dangers Thus I beseeth God Almightie to blesse you and prosper your voyage with good and happie successe and send you safely to returne home againe to the great ioy and reioycing of the aduenturers with you and all your friends and our whole countrey Amen Certaine briefe aduises giuen by Master Dee to Arthur Pet and Charles Iackman to bee obserued in their Northeasterne discouerie Anno 1580. IF we recken from Wardhouse to Colgoieue Island 400. miles for almost 20. degrees difference onely of longitude very neere East and West and about the latitude of 70. degrees and two thirde parts From Colgoieue to Vaigats 200. miles for 10. degrees difference onely in longitude at 70. degrees of latitude also From Vaigats to the promontorie Tabin 60. degrees difference of longitude the whole course or shortest distance being East and West in the latitude likewise of 70. degrees maketh 1200. miles then is summa totalis from Wardhouse to Tabin 600. leagues or 1800. English miles Therefore allowing in a discouery voiage for one day with another but 50. English miles it is euident that from Wardhouse to Tabin the course may bee sailed easily in sixe and thirtie dayes but by Gods helpe it may be finished in much shorter time both by helpe of winde prosperous and light continuall for the time requisit thereunto When you are past Tabin or come to the longitude of 142. degrees as your chart sheweth or two three foure or fiue degrees further Easterly it is probable you shall finde the land on your right hand runne much Southerly and Eastward in which course you are like either to fall into the mouth of the famous riuer Oechardes or some other which yet I coniecture to passe by the renowmed Citie of Cambalu and the mouth to be in latitude about 50. or 52. degrees and within 300. or 400. miles of Cambalu it selfe being in the latitude of 45. degrees Southerly of the saide riuers mouth or els that you shall trend about the very Northerne and most Easterly point of all Asia passing by the prouince Ania and then to the latitude of 46. degrees keeping still the land in view on your right hand as neere as you may with safetie you may enter into Quinsay hauen being the chiefe citie in the Northern China as I terme it for distinctions sake from the other better knowen And in or about either or both of these two warme places you may to great good purpose bee occupied the whole winter after your arriuall in those quarters as sometime by sea sometime in notable fresh riuers sometime in discreet view and noting downe the situation of the Cities within land c. and euer assaying to come by some charts or maps of the countrey made and printed in Cathay or China and by some of their bookes likewise for language c. You may also haue opportunitie to saile ouer to Iapan Island where you shall finde Christian men Iesuits of many countreys of Christendome some and perhaps some Englishmen at whose handes you may haue great instruction and aduise for you affaires in hand Notes in writing besides more priuie by mouth that were giuen by M. Richard Hakluyt of Eiton in the Countie of Hereford Esquire Anno 1580 to M. Arthur Pet and to M. Charles Iackman sent by the Merchants of the Moscouie companie for the discouery of the Northeast straight not altogether vnfit for some other enterprises of discouery hereafter to be taken in hand What respect of Islands is to be had and why VVHereas the Portingals haue in their course to their Indies in the Southeast certaine ports and fortifications to thrust into by the way to diuers great purposes so you are to see what Islands and what ports you had neede to haue by the way in your course to the Northeast For which cause I wish you to enter into consideration of the matter and to note all the Islands and to set them downe in plat to two ends that is to say That we may deuise to take the benefit by them And also foresee how by them the Sauages or ciuill Princes may in any sort annoy vs in our purposed trade that way And for that the people to the which we purpose in this voyage to go be no Christians it were good that the masse of our commodities were alwayes in our owne disposition and not at the will of others Therefore it were good that we did seeke out some small Island in the Scithian sea where we might plant fortifie and staple safely from whence as time should serue wee might feed those heathen nations with our commodities without cloying them or without venturing our whole masse in the bowels of their countrey And to which Island if neede were and if wee should thinke so good wee might allure the Northeast nauie the nauie of Cambalu to resort with their commodities to vs there planted and stapling there And if such an Island might be found so standing as might shorten our course and so standing as that the nauie of Cambalu or other those parties might conueniently saile vnto without their dislike in respect of distance then would it fal on t well For so besides lesse danger and more safetie our ships might there vnlade and lade againe and returne the selfe same summer to the ports of England or of Norway And if such an Island may be for the stapling of our commodities to the which they of Cambalu would not saile yet we might hauing ships there imploy them in passing betweene Cambalu and that stapling place Respect of hauens and harborowes ANd if no such Islands may bee found in the Scithian sea toward the firme of Asia then are you to search out the ports that be about Noua Zembla all along the tract of
the description of a Frenchman â Pilot very skilfull in those partes and presented to the worthy prince George of Austria bishop of Liege for the trending of the coast and the eleuation of the pole I doubt not but they are very neere the trueth for the Charte hadâ beside a scale of degrees of latitude passing through the middest of it another particularly annexed to the coast of New France wherewith the errour of the latitudes committed by reason of the variation of the compasse might be corrected The historie of the voyage of Iacobus Cnoyen Buschoducensis throughout al Asia Affrica and the North was lent me in time past by a friend of mine at Antwerpe After I had vsed it I restored it againe after many yeeres I required it againe of my friend but hee had forgotten of whom âee had borrowed it The writings of Gulielmus Tripolitanus and Ioannes de Plano Carpini I neuer saw onely I found certaine pieces of them in other written hand bookes I am glad the Epitomie of Abilfada is translated I would we might haue it shortly Thus much Sir I thought good to answere your letters if there bee any thing els that you would require of me I will most willingly communicate it with you crauing this likewise of your curtesie that whatsoeuer obseruations of both these voyages shall come to your hands you would impart them to me they shall all remaine with mee according to your discretion and pleasure and whatsoeuer I gather of them I will faithfully signifie vnto you by letters if happily they may yeeld any helpe or light vnto this most excellent enterprise of nauigation and most profitable to our christian common wealth Fare you well most learned friend At Duisburg in Cliueland 28. of Iulie the yeere 1580 Yours wholly to my power to be commanded Gerardus Mercator At Arthur his returne I pray you learne of him the things I haue requested and whether any where in his voâage he found the sea fresh or not very salt for I suppose the Sea betweene Noua Zembla and Tabin to be fresh The discouerie made by M. Arthur Pet and M. Charles Iackman of the Northeast parts beyond the Island of Vaigatz with two Barkes the one called the George the other the William in the yeere 1580. Written by Hugh Smith VPon Munday the 30. of May we departed from Harwich in the afternoone the winde being at South and to the Eastward The ebbe being spent we could not double the pole and therefore were constrained to put in againe vntill the next day in the morning being the last of May which day wee wayed our ankers about 3. a clocke in the morning the wind being West southwest The same day we passed Orfordnesse at an East Sunne and Stamford at a West Sunne and Yarmouth at a West northwest sunne and so to Winterton where we did anker al night it was then calme and the flood was come The next day being the first of Iune we set saile at 3. a clocke in the morning and set our course North the wind at the Southwest and at Southsouthwest The 10. day about one of the clocke in the afternoone wee put into Norway to a place where one of the headlands of the sound is called Bottel the other headland is called Moile There is also an Island called Kene Heere I did find the pole to be eleuated 62. deg it doeth flowe there South and it hieth 7. or 8. foote not aboue The 11. day in the morning the winde came to the South and to the Southeast the same day at sixe in the afternoone we set saile and bare along the coast it was very foule weather with raine and fogge The 22. day the wind being at West we did hall the coast East northeast and East The same day at 6. in the morning we did double the north cape About 3. in the afternoone wee past Skites bearenesse and hald along the coast East and East southeast and all the same night wee halled Southeast and Southeast by East The 23. day about 3. in the morning we came to Wardhouse the wind at the Northwest The cause of our comming in was to seeke the William whose companie wee lost the 6. day of this moneth and to send letters into England About one of the clock in the after noone the William also came into Wardhouse to vs in good safetie and all her company in good health The 24. the wind came to the East Northeast This day the William was hald a ground because she was somewhat leake and to mend her steerage This night about 12. of the clocke she did hale a flote againe The 25. day the wind was at East northeast The 26. day the Toby of Harwich departed from Wardhouse for London Thomas Greene being master to whom we deliuered our letters The 27. day the wind was at South southeast and the 28. also The 29. day about 6. in the afternoone the wind came to the West northwest for the space of one houre and presently to the East againe and so was variable all the same night The 30. about sixe in the morning the winde came to East southeast and continued so all the same day The first of Iuly about 5. in the afternoone the wind was at Northnorthwest and about 7. of the clocke we set saile from Wardhouse East and by South The second day about 5. in the morning the wind was East and East southeast and we did lie to the shorewards And about 10. in the morning the wind came to South southeast and we laid it to the Eastward sometime we lay East by South sometime East southeast and sometimes East by North. About 5. in the afternoone we bare with the William who was willing to goe with Kegor because we thought her to be out of trie and sailed very ill where we might mend her steerage whereupon master Pet not willing to go into harborough said to master lackman that if he thought himselfe not able to keepe the sea he should doe as he thought best and that he in the meane time would beare with Willoughbies land for that it was a parcel of our direction and would meete him at Veroue Ostroue or Vaigats and so we set our course East northeast the winde being at Southeast The 3. day the winde at Southeast we found the pole to be eleuated 70. degrees 46. minuâs The same night at 12. of the clocke we sounded but had no ground in 120. fathoms being fifty leagues from the one side by our reckoning East northeast from Kegor The 4. day all the morning was calme This day we found the pole to be eleuated 71. degrees 38. minutes This day at 9. in the afternoone the wind at Northeast with a gentle gale we hald along Southeast by East The 5. day the wind at Northwest we hald East and East by South this day we saw land but we could not make it the wind
the pole eleuated 69. deg 13 minutes This day we had sight of Vaigatz the land of the maine of Pechora did trend Southeast we hald East southeast and had 10. fadoms oze all the same day vntill 4. in the after noone then being calme we ankered in 10. fadoms all the same night The 19. day at two in the morning we set saile and ran South and South southwest all the same day at 8.7 and 6. fadoms this was off the South part of Vaigatz this part of the land lieth North and South This day at 4. in the afternoone we found shallow water sometime 4. fadoms sometime 3. and 2. and a halfe and one fadome and a halfe there we ankered and sent our boate away to sound and all to leeward we had 4. foote and 3. foote and 2. foot there was not water for the boate betweene Vaigatz the other side finding no more water there was no other way but to goe backe as we came in hauing the wind Northwest so at twelue at niâht we set saile The 20. day we plied to the Northwards and got deepe water againe 6. and 7. fadoms The 21. day the winde by the Northwest we hald along the coast North and North northwest we had 8. and 9. and 10. fadoms The 22. day the winde came to the Southwest wee bare along the coast of Vaygatz as wee found it to lie North and by West and Northnorthwest and North. The winde blewe very much with great fogge we lacking water and wood bare within an Island where wee founde great store of wood and water there were three or foure goodly founds Under two points there was a crosse set vp and a man buried at the foote of it Upon the said crosse Master Pet did graue his name with the date of our Lorde and likewise vpon a stone at the foote of the crosse and so did I also to the end that if the William did chaunce to come thither they might haue knowledge that wee had beene there At eight in the afternoone the winde came to the North northwest we set saile and turned out of the Bay The same night the winde came to the West so that wee lay North along the land The 23. day at fiue in the morning the wind came to the Southwest a Sea boord we sawe a great number of faire Islands to the number of sixe a sea boord of these Islands there are many great ouerfals as great streames or tides we halde Northeast and East northeast as the lande did trend At eight aforenoone the winde came to the Southeast with very much wind raine and fogge and very great store of ice a sea boorde so we lay to the Southwest to attaine to one of the Islands to harbour vs if the weather did so extremely continue and to take in our boate thinking it meete so to doe and not to towe her in such weather About twelue of the clocke it became very calme vpon the sudden and came vp to the West Northwest and Northwest by West and then we tooke in our boate and this done there came downe so much winde as we were not able to steere afore it with corse and bonnets of each we hald South with the land for so the land did trend This day all the afternoone we sailed vnder a great land of ice we sailed betweene the land and it being not able to crosse it About twelue at night we found the ice to stretch into the land that we could not get cleare to the Eastward so we laide it to the shore and there we founde it cleare hard aboord the shore and we found also a very faire Island which makes a very good harbour and within are 12. fadoms This Island is to y e Eastwards of Vaigatz 4. or 5. leagues This land of the maine doth trend Southeast and Southeast by East It is a very faire coast and euen and plaine and not full of mountaines nor rocks you haue but shallow water of 6. or 7. fadoms about a league from the shore all this morning we halled East southeast This day we found the pole to be eleuated 69. degrees 14. minutes About 12. a clocke we were constrained to put into the ice to seeke some way to get to the Northwards of it hoping to haue some cleare passage that way but there was nothing but whole ice About nine in the afternoone we had sight of the William and when wee sawe her there was a great land of ice betweene her and vs so that we could not come one to the other but as we came neere to her we sounded our trumpet and shot off two muskets and she put out her flag vpon her foretopmaste in token that she did see vs all this time wee did shorten our sailes and went with our foresaile maine top saile seeking the best way through the broken ice she making away the best that she could to follow vs we put out our flagge to answere her again with the like thus wee continued all the afternoone till about 12. a clocke at night and then we moared our ship to a piece of ice to tarie for the William The 25. day about fiue in the morning the William came to vs being both glad of our meeting The William had her sterne post broken that the rudber did hang clean besides the sterne so that she could in no wise port her helme with all hands she did lighten her sterne and trimme her head and when we had brought her forward all that we could wee brought a table vnder her sterne and without captaine did wind vp her sterne and so we made it as wel as the place would giue vs leane and in the ende wee brought her to steere againe Wee acknowledge this our meeting to be a great benefite of God for our mutuall comfort and so gaue his maiestie thanks for it All the night after we tooke our rest being made fast vpon a piece of ice the winde was at West Northwest but wee were so inclosed with ice that we coulde not tell which way to passe Windes wee haue had at will but ice and fogge too much against our willes if it had pleased the Lord God otherwise The 26. day the wind was at West Northwest we set saile to the Northwardes to seeke if we could finde any way cleare to passe to the Eastward but the further we went that way the more and thicker was the ice so that wee coulde goe no further So about foure in the afternoone we were constrained to moare vpon another piece of ice I thinke we sailed in all a league this day here we had 15. fadoms oze and this oze is all the chanell ouer All the same day after foure of the clocke and all the night we tarried there being without all good hope but rather in despaire This day Master Iugman did see land East Northeast from vs as he did thinke whether it were
land or no I cannot tell well but it was very like land but the fogges haue many times deceiued vs. The 27. day the winde was at Northwest This day at nine in the morning we set saile to seeke the shore Further into the ice we could not goe and at seuen in the afternoone we moared to a piece of ice and the William with vs here we had 14. fathoms oze At three in the afternoone we warpt from one ice to another At nine in the afternoone we moared againe to a piece of ice vntill the next day All this night it did snow with much wind being at West Northwest and at Northwest and by West The 28. day the winde came to the Southwest and Southsouthwest this day was a very faire day At one in the afternoone master Pet and master Iackman did conferre together what was best to be done considering that the windes were good for vs and we not able to passe for ice they did agree to seeke to the land againe and so to Vaygatz and there to conferre further At 3. in the afternoone we did warpe from one piece of ice to another to get from them if it were possible here were pieces of ice so great that we could not see beyond them out of the toppe Thus we warped vntil 9. in the afternoone and then we moared both our shippes to a great and high piece of ice vntill the next morning The nine and twentie day the winde came to the Southwest wee set saile at fiue in the morning to plie into the shore if it were possible we made many turnes among the ice to small purpose for with the winde doeth the currant runne This day by misfortune a piece of ice stroke of our greepe afore at two aforenoone yet for all this we turned to doe our best The William beeing incumbered with ice and perceiuing that shee did litle good tooke in all her sailes and made her selfe fast to a piece of ice and about foure in the afternoone she set saile to followe vs. We were afraide that shee had taken some hurt but she was well At seuen afore noone we tooke in all our sailes to tarie for the William and made our shippe fast to a piece of ice the William before she came to vs tooke in all her sailes and moared to another piece of ice and thus we continued vntill the next morning The 30. day the winde at Southeast and by South and at 9. in the morning we set saile and sooner would haue done if y t William had bene by vs but we did tary for her to know whether all was well with her But as soone as we made saile she did the like All this day wee did our best to seeke our way as the ice would giue vs leaue sometime we lay South sometime West and sometime East and thus we continued vutill eight at night and then being calme wee made our ship fast to a piece of ice and went to supper In the meane time the wind with a faire gentle gale came vp to the East and East and by South but there came downe a showre of raine with it which continued the space of one houre Which being done it became calme againe so that wee could doe no good all that night but tooke our rest vntill the next day The 31. the winde being at Southwest we set saile to turne to windeward at three a clock in the morning In this turning we did litle good for the currant would not giue vs leaue For as the winde is so is the currant We did our best vntill ten of the clocke and then perceiuing that we did no good and being inclosed with ice wee made our ships fast to a piece of ice All this day the William lay still and did as much good as we that did labour all the forenoone Thus we took our rest all the same day In the afternoone we set saile the winde being at South by East we lay to the Westwards as Southwest and Southwest and by South and sometime to the Westward as wee might Thus we continued vntil 9. at night and then we could go no further for ice so we with the William were constrained to make our ship fast to a piece of ice al the same night This day we found the pole eleuated 69. degrees 20. minutes and here we had 17. fathoms oze The first day of August was verie calme in the morning the winde beeing at West Northwest About twelue the winde came to the West and continued so all the same night with great fogge The second day the winde was at Southwest all day with rayne and fogge All this day wee were inclosed with ice so that we were forced to lye still Here we had one and twentie fathoms oze At sixe in the afternoone the winde was at West with very much foule weather and so continued all the same night The third day the winde was at West and West by North and West Northwest this day we lay still inclosed with yce the weather beeing darke with fogge thus abiding the Lords leasure we continued with patience And sounding we found 21. fathoms The fourth day we lay still inclosed with ice the winde being at West Northwest this ice did euery day increase vpon vs yet putting our trust in God we hoped to be deliuered out of it in good time The fift day all the morning it rained with very much wind being at South Southeast about 3. in the after noone we set sayle and presently it became calme for the space of one houre then the wind came to the North Northeast and here we had 33. fathoms thus we made way among the yce Southwest and Southsouthwest West as we might finde our way for the space of 3. houres then we met with a whole land of yce so that we could go no further here we moared our ship to tarie for a further opening Here we found 45. fathoms oze and all the night was very darke with fogge The sixt day hauing no opening of the yce wee lay still the winde being at West and West by South here we had sixty three fathoms oze all the same night the winde was at the West Northwest The 7. day the winde was at West and West and by North all day And all this day we lay still being inclosed with yce that we could not stirre labouring onely to defend the yce as it came vpon vs. Here we had 68. fathoms oze The 8. day was very faire calme but foggy This day towards night there was litle winde by the South Southwest then the yce began a litle to open and here we had 70. fathoms oze all the night was foggy The 9. day the winde was at Northwest and by West all the afternoone we lay still because of the yce which did still inclose vs. This day we found the pole eleuated seuenty degrees 4. minutes we had 63. fathoms oze this
night was a very fayre night but it freezed in the morning we had much adoe to goe through the same and we were in doubt that if it should haue freezed so much the night following we should hardly haue passed out of it This night there was one star that appeared to vs. The tenth day the winde was at East Northeast with a very small gale Wee with saile and oares made way through the yce about fiue in the morning we set saile sometime wee laye Southwest and sometime South and sometime West as wee might best finde the way About three in the afternoone the gale began to fresh about sixe in the afternoone the winde was at Northeast with fogge Here we had eighty eight fathoms we bare saile all the same night and it snowed very much The eleuenth day we were much troubled with yce and by great force we made our way through it which we thought a thing impossible but extremity doth cause men to doe much and in the weakenesse of man Gods strength most appeareth This day we had 95. fathoms At three in the afternoone the winde came to the Southwest we were forced to make our shippe fast to a piece of yce for we were inclosed with it and taried the Lordes leasure This night we had 97. fathoms The 12. day the wind was at the Southeast not very much but in a maner calme at a 11. of the clocke the winde came to the West Southwest all the day was very darke with snowe and fogge At 6. in the afternoone we set saile the winde being at the North Northeast all this night we bare away Southwest and Southsouthwest as well and as neere as the yce would giue vs leaue all this night we found the yce somewhat fauourable to vs more then it was before wherupon we stood in good hope to get out of it The 13. day at 7. in the morning the winde was at the Northeast and Northeast and by East all this day we were much troubled with the yce for with a blow against a piece of yce we brake the stocke of our ancre and many other great blowes we had against the yce that it was marueilous that the ship was able to abide them the side of our boate was broken with our ship which did recule backe the boate being betwixt a great piece of yce and the ship and it perished the head of our rudder This day was a very hard day with vs at night we found much broken yce and all this night it blewe very much winde so that we lay in drift with the yce our drift was South for the winde was at North all this night and we had great store of snowe The 14. day in the morning wee made our shippe fast to a piece of yce and let her driue with it In the meane time wee mended our boate and our steerage all this day the winde continued Northerly and here wee had threescore and two fathoms Thus wee lay a drift all the same night The 15. day we set saile at 6. in the morning the winde being at Northeast At 9. aforenoon we entred into a cleare Sea without yce whereof wee were most glad and not without great cause and gaue God the praise We had 19. fathoms water and ranne in Southwest all the morning vntill we came to 14. fathoms and thence we halled West til we came to 10. fathoms and then we went Northwest for so the land doeth trend At 12. of the clocke we had sight of the land which wee might haue had sooner but it was darke and foggie all the same day for when wee had sight of the lande wee were not passing three leagues from it This day we had the pole eleuated 69 degrees 49 minutes All day we ran along the coast in ten and nine fadoms pepered sand It is a very goodly coast and a bolde and faire soundings off it without sandes or rocks The 16 day the winde was at East this day we were troubled againe with ice but we made great shift with it for we gotte betweene the shoare and it This day at twelue of the clocke we were thwart of the Southeast part of Vaigats all along which part there was great store of yce so that we stood in doubt of passage yet by much adoe we got betwixt the shoare and it about 6 in the afternoone was found a great white beare vpon a piece of ice all this day in the afternoone it was darke with fogge And all the night we haled North and North by West and sometime North and by East for so doth the land trend The 17 day in the morning we haled West for so doth the land lie The wind was at Southeast and it was very darke with fogge and in running along the shoare we fell a ground but God be praised without hurt for wee came presently off againe The William came to an anker to stay for vs and sent some of their men to help vs but before they came we were vnder saile and as we came to the William we did stowe our boates and made saile we went within some of the Islands and haled Westsouthwest About two of the clocke in the afternoone we set our course Southwest and by South so we ranne Southwest vntill twelue at night the wind came to the Northnortheast and then we haled West The 18 day at 6 in the morning we had 16 fadoms red sand at 6 in the morning 13 fadoms At 10 14 fadoms and we haled Westnorthwest At 12 a clocke the winde came to the East and East by South we haled West and by North all the same day and night At 6 in the afternoone we had 17 fadoms red sand The 19 day the wind was at Eastnortheast at 6 in the morning wee had 19 fathoms red sand at 12 of the clocke the wind blew North and North by East we had 17 fadoms of water at 3 in the afternoone 15. The 20 day the wind was at Northeast and Northnortheast at 7 in the morning we had 30 fadomes blacke oze at twelue of the clocke we were vpon the suddaine in shoale water among great sands and could find no way out By sounding and seeking about we came aground and so did the William but we had no hurt for the wind was off the shoare and the same night it was calme all night we did our best but we could not haue her aflote These shoales doe lie off Colgoyeue it is very flat a great way off and it doth not high aboue 2 or 3 foote water it floweth Northeast and Southwest The 21 day the wind was at Southwest and being very faire weather we did lighten our ships as much as was possible for vs to doe by reason of the place The same high water by the helpe of God we got both a floate and the wind being at the Southwest did help vs for it caused it
of Norway called Stad lying betweene the townes of Nidrosia or Trondon and Bergen as we finde in the ancient records of these nations The second section In this Iland at the Summer solstiâiuâ the Sun passing thorow the signe of Cancer there is no night and therefore at the Winter solstitium there is no day Also Vadianus But in that Iland which farre within the arctic circle is seated in the maine Ocean at this day called Island and next vnto the lands of the frozen sea which they call Engâontland there be many moneths in the yere without nights AT the solstitium of winter that there is no day that is to say no time wherein the Sunne is seene aboue the horizon we confesse to be true onely in that angle of Island if there be any such angle where the pole is eleuated full 67 degrees But at Holen which is the bishops seat for the North part of Island and lieth in a most deepe valley the latitude is about 65 degrees and 44 minutes as I am enformed by the reuerend father Gudbrand bishop of that place aâd yet there the shortest day in all the yere is at least two houres long and in South-Island longer as it appeareth by the tables of Mathematicians Heerehence it is manifest first that Island is not situate beyond the arctic circle secondly that in Island there are not wanting in Summer solstitium many nights nor in Winter solstitium many dayes The third section It is named of the ice which continually cleaueth vnto the North part thereof Another writeth From the West part of Norway there lieth an Iland which is named of the ice enuironed with an huge sea and being a countrey of ancient habitation c. Zâeglerus This is Thyle whereof most of the ancient writers haue made mention IT is named of ice c. Island hath beene called by three names one after another For one Naddocus a Noruagian borne who is thoughâ to be the first Discouerer of the same as he was sailing towards the Faar-Ilands through a violent tempest did by chance arriue at the East shore of Island where staying with his whole company certaine weeks he beheld abundance of snow couering the tops of the mountaines and thereupon in regard of the snow called this Iland Sneland After him one Gardarus being mooued thereunto by the report which Naddocus gaue out concerning Island went to seeke the sayd Iland who when he had found it called it after his owne name Gardars-holme that is to say Gardars Isle There were more also desirous to visit this new land For after the two former a certaine third Noruagian called Flok went into Island and named it of the ice wherewith he saw it enuironed Of ancient habitation c. I gather not this opinion out of these wordes of Saxo as some men do that Island hath bene inhabited from the beginning or to speake in one word that the people of Island were autochthones that is earth-bred or bred out of their owne soile like vnto trees and herbs sithens it is euident that this Iland scarse began to be inhabited no longer agoe then about 718 yeres since This is Thyle c. Grammarians wrangle about this name and as yet the controuersie is not decided Which notwithstanding I thinke might easily grow to composition if men would vnderstand that this Iland was first inhabited about the yeere of our Lord 874. Unlesse some man will say that Thule King of Aegypt who as it is thought gaue this name thereunto passed so farre vnto an Iland which was at that time vntilled and destitute of inhabitants Againe if any man will denie this he may for all me that it may seeme to be but a dreame while they are distracted into so many contrary opinions One affirmes that it is Island another that it is a certeine Iland where trees beare fruit twise in a yeere the third that it is one of the Orcades or the last Iland of the Scotish dominion as Iohannes Myritius and others calling it by the name of Thylensey which Virgil also seemeth to haue meant by his vltima Thyle If beyond the Britans by which name the English men and Scots onely at this day are called he imagined none other nation to inhabit Which is euident out of that verse of Virgil in his first Eclogue And Britans whole from all the world diuided The fourth writeth that it is one of of the Faar-Ilands the fist that it is Telemark in Norway the sixt that it is Schrichfinnia Which continually cleaueth to the North part of the Iland That clâuse that ice continually cleaueth c. or as Munster affirmeth a little after that it cleaueth for the space of eight whole moneths are neither of them both true when as for the most part the ice is thawed in the moneth of April or May and is driuen towards the West neither doth it returne before Ianuarie or Februarie nay often times it commeth later What if a man should recken vp many yeeres wherein ice the sharpe scourge of this our nation hath not at all bene seene about Island which was found to be true this present yeere 1592. Heereupon it is manifest how truely Frisius hath written that nauigation to this Iland lieth open onely for foure moneths in a yeere and no longer by reason of the ice and colde whereby the passage is shut vp when as English ships euery yere sometimes in March sometimes in April and some of them in May the Germans and Danes in May and Iune doe vsually returne vnto vs and some of them depart not againe from hence till August But the last yere being 1591 there lay a certeine shippe of Germanie laden with Copper within the hauen of Vopnasiord in the coast of Island about fourteene dayes in the moneth of Nouember which time being expired she fortunately set saile Wherefore seeing that ice neither continually nor yet eight moneths cleaueth vnto Island Munster and Frisius are much deceiued The fourth section The Iland is so great that it conteineth many people Item Zieglerus sayth The situation of the Iland is extended betweene the South and the North almost 200 leagues in length SO great c. One Wilstenius schoolemaster of Oldenburg in the yere 1591 sent vnto mine Uncle in West-Island a short treatise which he had gathered out of the fragments of sundrie writers concerning Island Where we found thus written Island is twise as great as Sicilie c. But Sicilie according to Munster hath 150 Germaine miles in compasse As for the circuit of our Iland although it be not exactly knowen vnto vs yet the ancient constant and receiued opinion of the inhabitants accounteth it 144 leagues namely by the 12 promontories of Island which are commonly knowen being distant one from another 12 leagues or thereabout which two numbers being multiplied produce the whole summe Many people c. One Gysserus about
in taste much like vnto whey but somewhat sweeter and more pleasant They cut the branches euery euening because they are feared vp in the day by the heate of the Sunne They haue also great beanes as bigge as chestnuts and very hard with a shell in the stead of a huske Many things more nught be saide of the maners of the people and of the wonders and monstrous things that are engendred in Africke But it shall suffice to haue saide thus much of such things as our men partly sawe and partly brought with them And whereas before speaking of the fruit of graines I described the same to haue holes by the side as in deede it hath as it is brought hither yet was I afterward enfourmed that those holes were made to put stringes or twigges through the fruite thereby to hang them vp to dry at the Sunne They grow not past a foote and a halfe or two foote from the ground and are as red as blood when they are gathered The graines themselues are called of the Phisicions Grana Paradisi At their câmming home the keeles of their shippes were marueilously ouergrowne with certaine shelles of two inches length and more as thicke as they could stand and of such bignesse that a man might put his thumbe in the mouthes of them They certainely affirme that in these there groweth a certaine slimie substance which at the length slipping out of the shell and falling in the sea becommeth those foules which we call Barnacles The like shelles haue bene seene in ships returning froÌ Iseland but these shels were not past halfe an inch in length Of the other that came from Guinea I sawe the Primerose lying in the docke and in maner couered with the said shels which in my iudgement should greatly hinder her sayling Their ships were also in many places eaten with the wormes called Bromas or Bissas whereof mention is made in the Decades These creepe betweene the plankes which they eate through in many places Among other things that chanced to them in this voyage this is worthy to be noted that wheras they sailed thither in seuen weekes they could returne in no lesse space then twentie weekes The cause whereof they say to be this That about the coast of Cabo Verde the winde is euer at the East by reason whereof they were enforced to saile farre out of their course into the maine Ocean to finde the winde at the West to bring them home There died of our men at this last voyage about twentie and foure whereof many died at their returne into the clime of the colde regions as betweene the Islands of Azores and England They brought with them certaine blacke slaues whereof some were tall and strong men and could wel agree with our meates and drinkes The colde and moyst aire doth somewhat offend them Yet doubtlesse men that are borne in hot Regions may better abide colde then men that are borne in colde Regions may abide heate forasmuch as vehement heate resolueth the radicall moysture of mens bodies as colde constraineth and preserueth the same This is also to be considered as a secret worke of nature that throughout all Africke vnder the AEquinoctial line and neere about the same on both sides the regions are extreeme hote and the people very blacke Whereas contrarily such regions of the West Indies as are vnder the same line are very temperate and the people neither blacke nor with curlde and short wooll on their heads as they of Africke haue but of the colour of an Oliue with long and blacke heare on their heads the cause of which variety is declared in diuers places in the Decades It is also worthy to be noted that some of them that were at this voyage told me That is that they ouertooke the course of the Sunne so that they had it North from them at noone the 14. day of March. And to haue said thus much of these voyages it may suffice The first voyage made by Master VVilliam Towrson Marchant of London to the coast of Guinea with two Ships in the yeere 1555. VPon Munday the thirtieth day of September wee departed from the Isle of Wight out of the hauen of Neuport with two good shippes the one called the Hart the other the Hinde both of London and the Masters of them were Iohn Ralph and William Carter for a voyage to bee made vnto the Riuer de Sestos in Guinea and to other hauens thereabout It fell out by the varietie of windes that it was the foureteenth day of October before wee coulde fetch Dartmouth and being there arriued wee continued in that roade sixe dayes and the 20. of October we warpt out of the hauen and set saile directing our course towards the Southwest and the next morning we were runne by estimation thirty leagues The first of Nouember we found our selues to be in 31. degrees of latitude by the reckoning of our Master This day we ranne about 40. leagues also The second day we ranne 36. leagues The third day we had sight of Porto Santo which is a small Island lying in the sea about three leagues long and a league a halfe broad is possessed by Portugals It riseth as we came from the Northnorthwest like two small hilles neere together The East end of the same Island is a high land like a saddle with a valley which makes it to beare that forme The West ende of it is lower with certaine small round hillocks This Island lyeth in thirty and three degrees The same day at 11. of the clocke we raysed the Isle of Madera which lieth 12. leagues from Porto Santo towards the Southwest that Island is a faire Island and fruitfull and is inhabited by Portugals it riseth afarre off like a great whole land and high By three of the clocke this day at afternoone we were thwart of Porto Santo and we set our course Southwest to leaue the Isle of Madera to the Eastward as we did Porto Santo These two Islands were the first land that we saw since wee left the coast of England About three of the clocke after midnight wee were thwart of Madera within three leagues of the West ende of it and by meanes of the high hilles there we were becalmed We suppose we ranne this day and night 30. leagues The fourth day wee lay becalmed vnder the Isle of Madera vntill one of the clocke at afternoone and then the winde comming into the East wee went our course and ranne that day fifteene leagues The 5. day we ranne 15. leagues more The 6. day in the morning we raysed the Isle of Tenerif otherwiseâ called the Pike because it is a very high Island with a pike vpon the top like a loafe of suger The same night we raised the Isle of Palma which is a high land also and to the Westward of the Isle of Tenerif The 7. day we
ship and thereby iudged it to be the riuer de Sestos which light as soone as we espied we came to an anker armed our tops and made all things ready to fight because we doubted that it might be some Portugal or French man this night we remained at an anker but in the morning we saw no man only we espied 4. rockes about 2. English miles from vs one great rocke and the 3. other smal ones which when we sawe we supposed that the light came from the shore and so wayed and set saile East Southeast along the shoare because the Master did not well know the place but thought that we were not so farre to the East as the riuer de Sestos This land all along is a low land and full of very high trees all along the shoare so that it is not possible to know the place that a man doth fall withall except it be by the latitude In these 24. houres I thinke we ran 16. leagues for all the night we had a great gale as we were vnder saile and had withall store of thunder and lightnings The 13. day for the most part we ran East Southeast all along the shoare within two leagues alwayes of the same and found the land all as at the first ful of woods and great rocks hard aboord the shoare and the billow beating so sore that the seas brake vpon the shoare as white as snow and the water mounted so high that a man might easily discerne it 4. leagues off in such wise that no boate could land there Thus we ran vntil 12. of the clocke and then they tooke the Sunne and after iudged themselues to be 24. leagues past the riuer de Sestos to the Eastwards by reason whereof we halled into the shoare within two English miles and there anexed and found fifteene fadom water and all off from the shoare the sea so smooth that we might wel haue rid by an Hawser All that after-noone we trimmed our boate and made her a saile to the ende that she might go along by the shoore to seeke some place to water in for wee could not goe backe againe to the riuer de Sestos because the winde blowes alwayes contrary and the Currant runneth alwayes to the Eastwards which was also against vs. The 14. day we set saile went back againe along the coast and sent our boats hard aboord the shoare to seeke a watering place which they found about 12. of the clock and we being farre into the sea met with diuers boats of the Countrey small long and narrow in euery boate one man and no more we gaue them bread which they did eat were very glad of it About 4 of the clocke our boats came to vs with fresh water and this night we ankered against a Riuer The 15. day we wayed and set saile to goe neere the shoare and with our leade wee sounded all the way and found sometimes rockes and sometimes faire ground and at the shallowest found 7. fadoms alwayes at the least So in fine we found 7. fadom and a halfe within an English mile of the shoare and there we ankered in a maner before the mouth of the Riuer and then wee sent our boats into the Riuer for water which went about a mile within the Riuer where they had very good water This Riuer lieth by estimation 8. leagues beyond the Riuer de Sestos and is called in the Carde Riuer S. Vincent but it is so hard to finde that a boat being within halfe a mile of it shall not be able to discerne that it is a Riuer by reason that directly before the mouth of it there lyeth a ledge of rockes which is much broader then the Riuer so that a boate must runne in along the shoare a good way betwixt the rockes and the shoare before it come to the mouth of the Riuer and being within it it is a great Riuer and diuers other Riuers fall into it The going into it is somewhat ill because that at the entring the seas do goe somewhat high but being once within it it is as calme as the Thames There are neere to the Sea vpon this Riuer diuers inhabitants which are mighty bigge men and go al naked except some thing before their priuie parts which is like a clout about a quarter of a yard long made of the barke of trees and yet it is like a cloth for the barke is of that nature that it will spin small after the maner of linnen Some of them also weare the like vpon their heades being painted with diuers colours but the most part of them go bare headed and their heads are clipped and shorne of diuers âorts and the most part of them haue their skin of their bodies raced with diuers workes in maner of a leather Ierkin The men and women goe so alike that one cannot know a man from a woman but by their breastes which in the most part be very foule and long hanging downe low like the vâder of a goate The same morning we went into the Riuer with our Skiffe and caried certaine basons manels c. And there we tooke that day one hogs-head and 100. li. waight of Graines and two Elephants teeth at a reasonable good reckoning Wee solde them both basons and Manellios and Margarits but they desired most to haue basons For the most part of our basons wee had by estimation about 30. li. for a piece and for an Elephants tooth of 30. li. waight we gaue them 6. The 16. day in the morning we went into the riuer with our Skiffe and tooke some of euery sort of our marchandize with vs and shewed it to the Negroes but they esteemed it not but made light of it and also of the basons Manellios and Margarits which yesterday they did buy howbeit for the basons they would haue giuen vs some graines but to no purpose so that this day wee tooke not by estimation aboue one hundreth pound waight of Graines by meanes of their Captaine who would suffer no man to sell any thing but through his hands and at his price he was so subtile that for a bason hee would not giue 15. pound waight of Graines and sometimes would offer vs small dishfuls whereas before wee had baskets full and when he saw that wee would not take them in contentment the Captaine departed and caused all the rest of the boates to depart thinking belike that wee would haue followed them and haue giuen them their owne askings But after that wee perceiued their fetch wee wayed our Grapnel and went away and then wee went on land into a small Towne to see the fashions of the Countrey and there came a threescore of them about vs and at the first they were afraid of vs but in the ende perceiuing that wee did no hurt they would come to vs and take vs by the hand and be familiar with vs and then we went into
that the ship stood in lesse then 14 fadoms of water no more then sixe miles from the Cape which is called Das Agulias and there we stood as vtterly cast away for vnder vs were rocks of maine stone so sharpe and cutting that no ancre could hold the ship the shore so euill that nothing could take land and the land itselfe so full of Tigers and people that are sauage and killers of all strangers that we had no hope of life nor comfort but onely in God and a good conscience Notwithstanding after we had lost ancres hoising vp the sailes for to get the ship a coast in some safer place or when it should please God it pleased his mercy suddenly where no man looked for helpe to fill our sailes with wind from the land so we escaped thanks be to God And the day following being in the place where they are alwayes wont to catch fish we also fell a fishing and so many they cooke that they serued all the ship for that day and part of the next And one of them pulled vp a corall of great bignesse and price For there they say as we saw by experience that the corals doe grow in the maner of stalks vpon the rocks in the bottome and waxe hard and red The day of perill was the nine and twentieth of Iuly And you shall vnderstand that the Cape passed there be two wayes to India one within the I le of S. Laurence which they take willingly because they refresh themselues at Mosambique a fortnight or a moneth not without great need and thence in a moneth more land in Goa The other is without the I le of S. Laurence which they take when they set foorth so late and come so late to the point that they haue no time to take the foresayd Mosambique and then they goe heauily because in this way they take no port And by reason of the long nauigation and want of food and water they fall into sundry diseases their gummes waxe great and swell and they are faine to cut them away their legges swell and all the body becommeth sore and so benummed that they can not stirre hand nor foot and so they die for weakenesse others fall into fluxes and agues and die thereby And this way it was our chance to make yet though we had more then one hundred and fifty sicke there died not past seuen and twenty which losse they esteemed not much in respect of other times Though some of ours were diseased in this sort yet thanks be to God I had my health all the way contrary to the expectation of many God send me my health so well in the land if it may be to âis honour and seruice This way is full of priuy rockes and quicke-sands so that sometimes we durst not saile by night but by the prouidence of God we saw nothing nor neuer found bottome vntill we came to the coast of India When we had passed againe the line and were come to the third degree or somewhat more we saw crabs swimming on the water that were red as though they had bene sodden but this was no signe of land After about the eleuenth degree the space of many dayes more then ten thousand fishes by estimation followed round about our ship whereof we caught so many that for fifteene dayes we did eate nothing els and they serued our turne very well for at this time we had neither meat nor almost any thing els to eate our nauigation growing so long that it drew neere to seuen moneths where as commonly they goe it in fiue I meane when they saile the inner way But these fishes were not signe of land but rather of deepe sea At length we tooke a couple of birds which were a kinde of Hawks whereof they ioyed much thinking that they had bene of India but indeed they were of Arabia as we found afterward And we that thought we had bene neere India were in the same latitude neere Zocotora an I le in the mouth of the Red sea But there God sent vs great winds from the Northeast or Northnortheast whereupon vnwillingly they bare vp toward the East and thus we went tenne dayes without seeing signe of land whereby they perceiued their errour for they had directed their course before alwayes Northeast coueting to multiply degrees of latitude but partly the difference of the Needle and most of all the running seas which at that time ran Northwest had drawen vs to this other danger had not God sent vs this winde which at length waxed larger and restored vs to our right course These running seas be so perillous that they deceiue the most part of the gouernours and some be so little curious contenting themselues with ordinary experience that they care not to seeke out any meanes to know when they swarue neither by the compasse nor by any other triall The first signe of land were certaine fowles which they knew to be of India the second boughes of palmes and sedges the third snakes swimming on the water and a substance which they call by the name of a coine of money as broad and as round as a groat woonderfully printed and stamped of nature like vnto some coine And these two last signes be so certaine that the next day afâer if the winde serue they see land which we did to our great ioy when all our water for you know they make no beerâ in those parts and victuals began to faile vs. And to Goa we came the foure and twentieth day of October there being receiued with passing great charity The people be tawny but not disfigured in their lips noses as the Moores and Cafres of Ethiopia They that be not of reputation or at least the most part goe naked sauing an apron of a span long and as much in bredth before them and a lace two fingers broad before them girded about with a string and no more and thus they thinke them as well as we with all our trimming Of the fruits and trees that be here I cannot now speake for I should make another letter as long as this For hitherto I haue not seene a tree here whose like I haue seene in Europeâ the vineâexcepted which neuerthelesse here is to no purpose so that all the wines are brought out of Portugall The drinke of this countrey is good water or wine of the Palme tree or of a fruit called Cocos And this shall suffice for this time If God send me my health I shall haue opportunity to write to you once againe Now the length of my letter compelleth me to take my leaue and thus I wish your most prosperous health From Goa the tenth of Nouember 1579 Your louing sonne Thomas Steuens A briefe relation of the great magnificence and rich traffike of the kingdome of Pegu beyond the East India written by Frey Peter of Lisbon to his cousin Frey Diego of Lisbon from Cochin I
huskes of âocos shels beaten whereof they make Occam At length a Portugal Pangaia comming out of the harborow of Zanzibar where they haue a small Factorie sent a Canoa with a Moore which had bene christened who brought vs a letter wherein they desired to know what wee were and what we sought We sent them word we were Englishmen come from Don Antonio vpon businesse to his friends in the Indies with which answere they returned and would not any more come at vs. Whereupon not long after wee manned out our boat and tooke a Pangaia of the Moores which had a priest of theirs in it which in their language they call a Sherife whom we vsed very curteously which the king tooke in very good part hauing his priests in great estimation and for his deliuerance furnished vs with two moneths victuals during all which time we detained him with vs. These Moores informed vs of the false and spitefull dealing of the Portugals towards vs which made them beleeue that we were cruell people and men-eaters and willed them if they loued their safetie in no case to come neere vs. Which they did onely to cut vs off from all knowledge of the state and traffique of the countrey While we road from the end of Nouember vntil the middle of February in this harborough which is sufficient for a ship of 500 tuns to ride in we set vpon a Portugall Pangaia with our boat but because it was very litle our men not able to stirre in it we were not able to take the sayd Pangaia which was armed with 10 good shot like our long fouling pieces This place for the goodnesse of the harborough and watering and plentifull refreshing with fish whereof we tooke great store with our nets and for sundry sorts of fruits of the countrey as Cocos and others which were brought vs by the Moores as also for oxen and hennes is carefully to be songht for by such of our ships as shall hereafter passe that way But our men had need to take good heed of the Portugals for while we lay here the Portugall Admiral of the coast from Melinde to Mozambique came to view and to betray our boat if he could haue taken at any time aduantage in a gallie Frigate of ten tunnes with 8 or 9 oares on a side Of the strength of which Frigate and their trecherous meaning we were aduertised by an Arabian Moore which came from the king of Zanzibar diuers times vnto vs about the deliuerie of the priest aforesayd and afterward by another which we caried thence along with vs for wheresoeuer we came our care was to get into our hands some one or two of the countreys to learne the languages and states of those partes where we touched Moreouer here againe we had another clap of thunder which did shake our foremast very much which wee fisht and repaired with timber from the shore whereof there is good store thereabout of a kind of trees some fortie foote high which is a red and tough wood and as I suppose a kind of Cedar Here our Surgeon Arnold negligently catching a great heate in his head being on land with the master to seeke oxen fell sicke and shortly died which might haue bene cured by letting of blood before it had bin setled Before our departure we had in this place some thousand weight of pitch or rather a kind of gray and white gumme like vnto frankincense as clammie as turpentine which in melting groweth as blacke as pitch and is very brittle of it selfe but we mingled it with oile whereof wee had 300 iarres in the prize which we tooke to the Northward of the Equinoctiall not farre from Guinie bound for Brasil Sixe dayes before wee departed hence the Cape marchant of the Factorie wrote a letter vnto our capitaine in the way of friendship as he pretended requesting a iarre of wine and a iarre of oyle and two or three pounds of gunpouder which letter hee sent by a Negro his man and Moore in a Canoa we sent him his demaunds by the Moore but tooke the Negro along with vs because we vnderstood he had bene in the East Indies and knew somewhat of the countrey By this Negro we were aduertised of a small Barke of some thirtie tunnes which the Moores call a Iunco which was come from Goa thither laden with Pepper for the Factorie and seruice of that kingdome Thus hauing trimmed our shippe as we lay in this road in the end we set forward for the coast of the East India the 15 of February aforesayd intending if we could to haue reached to Cape Comori which is the headland or Promontorie of the maine of Malauar and there to haue lien off and on for such ships as should haue passed from Zeilan Sant Tome Bengala Pegu Malacca the Moluccos the coast of China and the I le of Iapan which ships are exceeding wealth and riches But in our course we were very much deceiued by the currents that set into the gulfe of the Red sea along the coast of Melinde And the windes shortening vpon vs to the Northeast and Easterly kept vs that we could not get off and so with the putting in of the currents from the Westward set vs in further vnto the Northward within foure score leagues of the I le of Zocotora farre from our determined course and expectation But here we neuer wanted abundance of Dolphins Bonitos and flying fishes Now while we found our selues thus farre to the Northward and the time being so farre spent we determined to goe for the Red sea or for the Iland of Zocotora both to refresh our selues and also for some purchase But while wee were in this consultation the winde very luckily came about to the Northwest and caried vs directly toward Cape Comori Before we should haue doubled this Cape we were determined to touch at the Ilands of Mamale of which we had aduertisement that one had victuals standing in the Northerly latitude of twelue degrees Howbeit it was not our good lucke to finde it which fell out partly by the obstinacie of our master for the day before we fell with part of the Ilands the wind came about to the Southwest and then shifting our course we missed it So the wind increasing Southerly we feared we should not haue bene able to haue doubled the Cape which would haue greatly hazarded our casting away vpon the coast of India the Winter season and Westerne Monsons already being come in which Monsons continue on that coast vntil August Neuertheles it pleased God to bring the wind more Westerly so in the moneth of May 1592. we happily doubled Cape Comori without sight of the coast of India From hence thus hauing doubled this Cape we directed our course for the Ilands of Nicubar which lie North and South with the Westerne part of Sumatra and in the latitude of 7
about 5 leagues to the Southward we sawe a great day here we had 4 degrees and 27 minuts The 16 we met with a French ship of Hunfleur who robbed our pinnesse we sent a letter by him and this night we saw another spot in the Sunne at his going downe And towards euening we were thwart of a riuer and right ouer the riuer was a high tuft of trees The 17 we ankered in the riuers mouth and then we found the land to be Cauo de las Palmas and betweene vs the cape was a great ledge of rockes one league and a halfe into the sea and they bare to the West of the Cape we saw also an Island off the point of the foreland thus it waâed night that we could perceiue no more of the lande but onely that it trended in like a bay where there runneth a streame as if it were in the riuer of Thames and this was the change day of the Moone The 19 a faire temperate day and the wind South we went East and the lande a sterne of vs West and it shewed low by the water side like Islands this was the east of Cauo de las Palmas and it trended in with a great sound and we went East all night and in the morning wee were but 3 or 4 leagues from the shore The 20 we were thwart of a riuer called Rio de los Barbos The 21 we went along the shore East 3 or 4 leagues to the West of Cauo de tres puntas I find the bay to be set deeper then it is by 4 leagues and at 4 of the clocke the land begun to shewe high and the first part of it full of Palme trees The 24 still going by the shore the land was very low and full of trees by the water side and at 12 of the clocke we ankered thwart of the riuer called Rio de Boilas Here we sent our boate a shore with the marchants but they durst not put into the riuer because of a great billow that continually brake at the enterance vpon the barre The 28 we sailed alongst the shore and ankered at night in seuen fadom because a great current would haue put vs backe which came from the East Southeast from Papuas The 29 at noone we were thwart of Arda and there we tooke a Carauel but the men were fled on land then we went aboord her but she had nothing in her but only a litle oyle of Palme trees and a few roots The next morning our Captaine and marchants went to meete Portugals that came in a boate to speake with vs where they communed about the buying of the Carauell of our men againe and the Portugals promised that we should haue for the Carauell certaine bullocks and Elephants teeth and they gaue vs one tooth and one bullocke presently and sayd they would bring vs the rest the next day The first of Ianuarie our Captaine went on land to speake with the Portugales but when he saw they did dissemble he came aboord againe and presently we vnrigged the Carauell and set her on fire before the towne Then we set saile and went along the coast where we saw a Date tree the like whereof is not in all that coast vpon the water side also we fell on ground a litle in one place Thus we went to Villa longa and there ankered The third we were as far shot as Rio de Lagoa where our marchants went a shore and vpon the barre they found 3 fadom flat but they went not in because it was late There is also to the Eastward of this riuer a Date tree higher then all the rest of the other trees thereabout Thus we went along the coast and euery night ankered al the shore as we went was full of trees and thicke woods The 6 day in the morning it was very foggy so that we could not see the land and at three of the clocke in the afternoone it cleared vp then we found our selues thwart of the riuer of Iaya and when we found the shallow water we bare into the sea South as we did the voyage before and came to an ancre in fiue fadom water The next day we set saile againe and towards noone we were thwart of the riuer of Benin in foure fadom water The 10 day our Captaine went on land with the shallop at 2 a clocke in the afternoone All this weeke it was very foggy euery day vntill ten a clocke and all this time hitherto hath beene as temperate as our summer in England This day we went into the road and ankered the west point of the road bare East northeast off vs we riding in foure fadome water The 21 a faire temperate day this day M. Hassald went to the towne of Goto to heare newes of the Captaine The 23 came the Carauell and Samuell in her and she brought 63 Elephants teeth and three bullocks The 28 a faire temperate day and towards night there fell much raine lightning and thunder this day our boate came aboord from Goto The 24 of Februarie we tooke in 298 Cerons or sackes of pepper and 4 Elephants teeth and the winde was at Southeast And the 26 we put the rest of our goods into the Carauell and M. Hassald went with her to Goto The 5 of March y e Carauel came againe brought 21 Cerons of pepper 4 Elephants teeth The 9 of Aprill our Carauell came aboord with water for our prouision for the sea and this day also we lost our shallope The 17 a drowsie rainie day and in the afternoone we saw 3 great spoutes of raine two on our larbord side and one right with the ships head but God be thanked they came not at vs and this day we tooke in the last of our water for the sea and the 26 we victualed our Carauell to go with vs to the sea The 27 we set saile to goe homewarde with the winde at Southwest and at two a clocke in the afternoone the riuer of Benin was Northeast 8 leagues from vs. The 3 of May we had such a terrible gust with raine lightning thunder that it tore and split our fore saile and also the Carauels fore-sayle and maine-sayle with the wind at Southeast The 12 a faire temperate day much like our âommer mornings in England being but one degree a halfe from the line but at midnight we had a cruell gust of raine the wind at northeast The 24 we were South from from Cauo de las Palmas â7 leagues The first of Iuly we had sight of the Island of Braua and it bare East 7 leagues off and this Island is one of the Islands of Cauo Verde The 13 of August we spake with the Queenees ships the Lord Thomas Howard being Admirall and sir Richard Greeneuill Uiceadmirall They kept vs in their company vntill the 15
with all things appertayning to the voyage which was as farre as I remember in the yeere 1496. in the beginning of Sommer I began therefore to saile toward the Northwest not thinking to finde any other land then that of Cathay from thence to turne toward India but after certaine dayes I found that the land ranne towards the North which was to mee a great displeasure Neuerthelesse sayling along by the coast to see if I could finde any gulfe that turned I found the lande still continent to the 56. degree vnder our Pole And seeing that there the coast turned toward the East despairing to finde the passage I turned backe againe and sailed downe by the coast of that land toward the Equinoctiall euer with intent to finde the saide passage to India and came to that part of this firme lande which is nowe called Florida where my victuals failing I departed from thence and returned into England where I found great tumults among the people and preparation for warres in Scotland by reason whereof there was no more consideration had to this voyage Whereupon I went into Spaine to the Catholique king and Queene Elizabeth which being aduertised what I had done intertained me and at their charges furnished certaine ships wherewith they caused me to saile to discouer the coastes of Brasile where I found an exceeding great and large riuer named at this present Rio de la plata that is the riuer of siluer into the which I sailed and followed it into the firme land more then sixe score leagues finding it euery where very faire and inhabited with infinite people which with admiration came running dayly to our ships Into this Riuer runne so many other riuers that it is in maner incredible After this I made many other voyages which I nowe pretermit and waxing olde I giue my selfe to rest from such trauels because there are nowe many yong and lustie Pilots and Mariners of good experience by whose forwardnesse I doe reioyce in the fruit of my labours and rest with the charge of this office as you see The foresaide Baptista Ramusius in his preface to the thirde volume of the Nauigations writeth thus of Sebastian Cabot IN the latter part of this volume are put certaine relations of Iohn de Vararzana Florentine and of a great captaine a Frenchman and the two voyages of Iaques Cartier a Briton who sailed vnto the land situate in 50. degrees of Latitude to the North which is called New France which landes hitherto are not throughly knowen whether they doe ioyne with the firme land of Florida and Noua Hispania or whether they bee separated and deuided all by the Sea as Ilands and whether that by that way one may goe by Sea vnto the countrey of Cathaia As many yeeres past it was written vnto mee by Sebastian Cabota our Countrey man a Uenetian a man of great experience and very rare in the art of Nauigation and the knowledge of Cosmographie who sailed along and beyond this lande of New France at the charges of King Henry the seuenth king of England and he aduertised mee that hauing sailed a long time West and by North beyond those Ilands vnto the Latitude of 67. degrees and an halfe vnder the North pole and at the 11. day of Iune finding still the open Sea without any maner of impediment he thought verily by that way to haue passed on still the way to Cathaia which is in the East and would haue done it if the mutinie of the shipmaster and Mariners had not hindered him and made him to returne homewards from that place But it seemeth that God doeth yet still reserue this great enterprise for some great prince to discouer this voyage of Cathala by this way which for the bringing of the Spiceries from India into Europe were the most easie and shortest of all other wayes hitherto found out And surely this enterprise would be the most glorious and of most importance of all other that can be imagined to make his name great and fame immortall to all ages to come farre more then can be done by any of all these great troubles and warres which dayly are vsed in Europe among the miserable Christian people Another testimonie of the voyage of Sebastian Cabot to the West and Northwest taken out of the sixt Chapter of the third Decade of Peter Martyr of Angleria SCrutatus est oras glaciales Sebastianus quidam Cabotus genere Venetus sed à parentibus in Britanniam insulam tendentibus vti moris est Venetorum qui commercij causa terrarum omnium sunt hospites transportatus penè infans Duo is sibi nauigia propria pecunia in Britannia ipsa instruxit primò tendens cum hominibus tercentum ad Septentrionem donecetiam Iulio mensâ vastas repererit glaciales moles pelago natantes lucem ferè perpetuam tellure tamen libera gelu liquefacto quare coactus fuit vti ait vela vertere occidentem sequi tetendÃtque tantum ad meridiem littore sese incuruante vt Herculei freti latitudinis fere gradus equarit ad occidentémque profectus tantum est vt Cubam Insulam à laeua longitudine graduum penè parem habuerit Is ea littora percurrens quae Baccalaos appellauit eosdem se reperisse aquarum sed lenes delapsus ad Occidentem ait quos Castellani meridionales suas regiones adnauigantes inueniunt Ergò non modò verisimilius sed necessatio concludendum est vastos inter vtrámque ignotam hactenus tellurem iacere hiatus qui viam praebeant aquis ab oriente cadentibus in Occidentem Quas arbitror impulsu coelorum circulariter agi in gyrum circa terre globum non autem Demogorgone anhelante vomi absorberique vt nonnulli senserunt quod influxu refluxu forsan assentire daretur Baccalaos Cabotus ipse terras illas appellauit eò quod in earuÌ pelago tantam reperierit magnorum quorundam piscium tynnos aemulantium sic vocatorum ab indigenis multitudinem vt etiam illi interdum nauigia detardarent Earum Regionum homines pellibus tantum coopertos reperiebat rationis haud quaquam expertes Vrsorum inesse regionibus copiam ingentem refere qui ipsi piscibus vescantur Inter densa namque piscium illorum agmina sese immergunt vrsi singulos singuli complexos vnguibúsque inter squammas immissis in terram raptant comedunt Proptereà minimè noxios hominibus visos esse ait Orichalcum in plerisque locis se vidisse apud incolas praedicat Familiarem habeo domi Cabotum ipsum contubernalem interdum Vocatus namque ex Britannia à Rege nostro Catholico post Henrici Maioris Britanniae Regis mortem concurialis noster est expectátque indies vt nauigia sibi parentur quibus arcanum hoc naturae latens iam tandem detegatur The same in English THese North Seas haue bene searched by one Sebastian Cabot a Venetian borne whom being yet but
the shoare then we sailed Eastnortheast along the shoare for so the lande lyeth and the currant is there great setting Northeast and Southwest and if we could haue gotten anker ground wee would haue seene with what force it had runne but I iudge a ship may driue aleague and a halfe in one houre with that tide This day at 4. of the cloke in the morning being faire and cleere we had sight of a head land as we iudged bearing from vs north and by East and we sailed Northeast and by North to that land and when we came thither wee could not get to the lande for yce for the yce stretched along the coast so that we could not come to the land by fiue leagues Wednesday the first of August it calmed and in the after noone I caused my boate to be hoysed out being hard by a great Island of yce and I and foure men rowed to that yce and sownded within two Cables length of it and had sixteene fathome and little stones and after that sownded againe within a Minion shot and had ground at an hundreth fathome and faire sand we sownded the next day a quarter of a myle from it and had sixtie fathome rough ground and at that present being aboord that great Island of yce fell one part from another making a noyse as if a great cliffe had fallen into the Sea And at foure of the clocke I sownded againe and had 90. fathome and small blacke stones and little white stones like pearles The tide here did set to the shoare The tenth I tooke foure men and my selfe and rowed to shoare to an Island one league from the maine and there the flood setteth Southwest alongest the shoare and it floweth as neere as I could iudge so too I could not tarry to prooue it because the ship was a great way from me and I feared a fogge but when I came a shoare it was a low water I went to y e top of the Island and before I came backe it was hied a foote water and so without tarrying I came aboord The 11. we found our latitude to be 63. degr and eight minutes and this day we entred the streight The 12. wee set saile towardes an Island called the Gabriels Island which was 10. leagues then from vs. We espied a sound and bare with it and came to a sandie Baye where we came to an anker the land bearing East southeast off vs and there we rode al night in 8. fathome water It floweth there at a Southeast Moone We called it Priors sownd being from the Gabriels Island tenne leagues The 14. we waied and ranne into another sownde where wee ankered in 8. fathome water faire sand and blacke oaze and there called our ship being weake from the wales vpward and tooke in fresh water The 15. day we waied and sailed to Priors Bay being a mile from thence The 16. day was calme and we rode still without yce but presently within two houres it was frozen round about the ship a quarter of an ynch thicke and that day very faire and calme The 17. day we waied and came to Thomas Williams Island The 18. day we sailed North northwest and ankered againe in 23. fathome and tough oaze vnder Burchers Island which is from the former Island ten leagues The 19. day in the morning being calme and no winde the Captaine and I tooke our boate with eight men in her to rowe vs a shoare to set if there were there any people or no and going to the toppe of the Island we had sight of seuen boates which came rowing from the East side toward that Island whereupon we returned aboord againe at length we sent our boate with fiue men in her to see whither they rowed and so with a white cloth brought one of their boates with their men along the shoare rowing after our boate till such time as they sawe our ship and then they rowed a shoare then I went on shoare myselfe and gaue euery of them a threadden point and brought one of them aboord of me where hee did eate and drinke and then carried him on shoare againe Whereupon all the rest came aboord with their boates being nineteene persons and they spake but we vnderstoode them not They bee like to Tartars with long blacke haire broad faces and flatte noses and tawnie in colour wearing Seale skinnes and so doe the women not differing in the fashion but the women are marked in thé face with blewe streekes downe the cheekes and round about the eyes Their boâtes are made all of Seales skinnes with a keele of wood within the skin the proportion of them is like a Spanish shallop saue only they be flat in the bottome and sharpe at both ende The twentieth day wee wayed and went to the Eastside of this Island and I and the Captaine with foure men more went on shoare and there we sawe their houses and the people espying vs came rowing towards our boate whereupon we plied toward our boate and wee being in our boate and they ashoare they called to vs and we rowed to them and one of their company came into our boate and we carâied him a boord and gaue him a Bell and a knife so the Captaine and I willed fiue of our men to set him a shoare at a rocke and not among the company which they came from but their wilfulnesse was such that they would goe to them and so were taken themselues and our boate lost The next day in the morning we stoode in neere the shoare and shotte off a fauconet and sounded our trumpet but we could heare nothing of our men this sound wee called the fiue mens sound and plyed out of it but ankered againe in thirtie fathome and oaze and riding there all night in the morning the snow lay a foote thicke vpon our hatches The 22. day in the morning we wayed and went againe to the place where we lost our men and our boate We had sight of foureteene boates and some came neere to vs but wee could learne nothing of our men among the rest we intised one boate to our ships side with a Bell and in giuing him the Bell we tooke him and his boate and so kept him and so rowed downe to Thomas Williams Island and there ankered all night The 26. day we waied to come homeward and by 12. of the clocke at noone we were thwart of Trumpets Island The next day we came thwart of Gabriels Island and at 8. of the clocke at night we had the Cape Labrador as we supposed West from vs ten leagues The 28. day we went our course Southeast We sailed Southeast and by East 22. leagues The first day of September in the morning we had sight of the land of Friseland being eight leagues from vs but wee could not come neerer it for the monstrous yce that lay about it From this day till the sixth of this
danger he could not accomplish he deferred it vntill a more conuenient time All along the coast lie very high mountaines couered with snow except in such places where through the steepenes of the mountaines of force it must needs fall Foure dayes coasting along this land we found no signe of habitation Little birds which we iudged to haue lost the shore by reason of thicke fogges which that Countrey is much subiect vnto came flying into our ships which causeth vs to suppose that the Countrey is both more tollerable and also habitable within then the outward shore maketh shew or signification From hence we departed the eight of Iuly and the 16. of the same we came with the making of land which land our Generall the yeere before had named The Queenes foreland being an Island as we iudge lying neere the supposed continent with America and on the other side opposite to the same one other Island called Halles Isle after the name of the Master of the ship neere adiacent to the firme land supposed continent with Asia Betweene the which two Islands there is a large entrance or streight called Frobishers streight after the name of our Generall the first finder thereof This said streight is supposed to haue passage into the sea of Sur which I leaue vnknowen as yet It seemeth that either here or not farre hence the sea should haue more large entrance then in other parts within the frozen or vntemperate Zone and that some contrary tide either from the East or West with maine force casteth out that great quantity of yce which commeth floting from this coast euen vnto Friseland causing that Countrey to seeme more vntemperate then others much more Northerly then the same I cannot iudge that any temperature vnder the Pole the time of the Sunnes Northerne declination being halfe a yere together and one whole day considering that the Sunnes eleuation surmounteth not 23. degrees and 30. minuts can haue power to dissolue such monstrous and huge yce comparable to great mountaines except by some other force as by swift currents and tides with the helpe of the said day of halfe a yeere Before we came within the making of these lands we tasted cold stormes in so much that it seemed we had changed summer with winter if the length of the dayes had not remooued vs from that opinion At our first comming the streights seemed to be shut vp with a long mure of yce which gaue no litle cause of discomfort vnto vs all but our Generall to whose diligence imminent dangers and difficult attempts seemed nothing in respect of his willing mind for the commoditie of his Prince and Countrey with two little Pinnesses prepared of purpose passed twise thorow them to the East shore and the Islands thereunto adiacent and the ship with the two Barks lay off and on something further into the sea from the danger of the yce Whilest he was searching the Countrey neere the shoare some of the people of the Countrey shewed themselues leaping and dauncing with strange shrikes and cries which gaue no little admiration to our men Our Generall desirous to allure them vnto him by faire meanes caused kniues and other things to be profered vnto them which they would not take at our hands but being laid on the ground and the party going away they came and tooke vp leauing some thing of theirs to counteruaile the same At the length two of them leauing their weapons came downe to our Generall and Master who did the like to them commanding the company to stay and went vnto them who after certaine dumbe signes and mute congratulations began to lay handes vpon them but they deliuerly escaped and ranne to their bowes and arrowes and came fiercely vpon them not respecting the rest of our companie which were ready for their defence but with their arrowes hure diuers of them we tooke the one and the other escaped Whilest our Generall was busted in searching the Countrey and those Islands adiacent on the Eastshoare the ship and barkes hauing great care not to put farre into the sea from him for that he had small store of victuals were forced to abide in a cruell tempest chancing in the night amongst and in the thickest of the yce which was so monstrons that euen the least of a thousand had bene of force sufficient to haue shiuered our ship and barks into small portions if God who in all necessities hath care vpon the infirmitie of man had not prouided for this our extremitie a sufficient remedie through the light of the night whereby we might well discerne to flee from such inââluent dangers which we auoyded with 14. Bourdes in one watch the space of 4. houres If we had not incurred this danger amoÌgst these monstrous Islands of yce we should haue lost our Generall and Master and the most of our best sailers which were on the shoare destitute of victuals but by the valure of our Master Gunner Master Iackman and Andrew Dier the Masters Mates men expert both in nauigation and other good qualities wee were all content to incurre the dangers afore rehearsed before we would with our owne safetie runne into the seas to the destruction of our sayd Generall and his company The day following being the 19. of Iulie our Captaine returned to the ship with report of supposed riches which shewed it selfe in the bowels of those barren mountaines wherewith wee were all satisfied Within foure daies after we had bene at the entrance of the streights the Northwest and West winds dispersed the yce into the sea made vs a large entrance into the streights so that without any impediment on the 19. of Iulie we entred them and the 20. thereof our Generall and Master with great diligence sought out and sounded the West shóare and found out a faire Harborough for the ship and barkes to ride in and named it after our Masters mate Iackmans sound and brought the ship barkes and all their company to safe anker except one man which died by Gods visitation At our first arriuall after the ship rode at anker our generall with such company as could well be spared from the ships in marching order entred the lande hauing speciall care by exhortations that at our entrance thereinto wee should all with one voyce kneeling vpon our knees chiefly thanke God for our safe arriuall secondly beseech him that it would please his diuine Maiestie long to continue our Queene for whom he and all the rest of our company in this order tooke possession of the Countrey and thirdly that by our Christian studie and endeuour those barbarous people trained vp in Paganisme and infidelitie might be reduced to the knowledge of true religion and to the hope of saluation in Christ our Redeemer With other words very apt to signifie his willing mind and affection toward his Prince and Countrey whereby all suspicion of an vndutifull subiect may
fauour towardes vs will we nill we in such haste as not any one of vs were able to keepe in company with other but were separated And if by chance any one Shippe did ouertake other by swiftnesse of sayle or meete as they often did yet was the rigour of the wind so hidious that they could not continue company together the space of one whole night Thus our iourney outward was not so pleasant but our comming thither entering the coasts and countrey by narrow Streights perillous yce and swift tides our times of aboade there in snowe and stormes and our departure from thence the 31. of August with dangerous blustering windes and tempests which that night arose was as vncomfortable separating vs so as wee sayled that not any of vs mette together vntill the 28. of September which day we fell on the English coastes betweene Sylley and the landes ende and passed the channell vntill our arriuall in the riuer of Thames The report of Thomas VViars passenger in the Emanuel otherwise called the Busse of Bridgewater wherein Iames Leech was Master one of the ships in the last Voyage of Master Martin Frobisher 1578. concerning the the discouerie of a great Island in their way homeward the 12. of September THe Busse of Bridgewater was left in Beares sound at Meta incognita the second day of September behinde the Fleete in some distresse through much winde ryding neere the Lee shoare and forced there to ride it out vpon the hazard of her cables and anchors which were all aground but two The third of September being fayre weather and the winde North northwest she set sayle and departed thence and fell with Frisland on the 8. day of September at sixe of the clocke at night and then they set off from the Southwest point of Frisland the wind being at East and East Southeast but that night the winde veared Southerly and shifted oftentimes that night but on the tenth day in the morning the wind at West northwest faire weather they steered Southeast and by south and continued that course vntil the 12. day of September when about 11. a clocke before noone they descryed a lande which was from them about fiue leagues and the Southermost part of it was Southeast by East from them and the Northermost next North Northeast or Northeast The Master accompted that the Southeast poynt of Frisland was from him at that instant when hee first descryed this new Islande Northwest by North 50. leagues They account this Island to be 25. leagues long and the longest way of it Southeast and Northwest The Southerne part of it is in the latitude of 57. degrees and 1. second part or there about They continued in sight of it from the 12. day at a 11. of the clocke till the 13. day three of the clocke in the after noone when they left it and the last part they saw of it bare from them Northwest by North. There appeared two Harboroughs vpon that coast the greatest of them seuen leagues to the Northwards of the Southermost poynt the other but foure leagues There was very much yce neere the same land and also twentie or thirty leagues from it for they were not cleare of yce till the 15. day of September after noone They plyed their Uoyage homewards and fell with the West part of Ireland about Galway and had first sight of it on the 25. day of September Notes framed by M. Richard Hakluyt of the middle Temple Esquire giuen to certaine Gentlemen that went with M. Frobisher in his North west discouerie for their directionsâ And not vnfit to be committed to print considering the same may stirre vp considerations of these and of such other things not vnmeeâe in such new voyages as may be attempted hereafter THat the first Seate be chosen on the seaside so as if it may be you may haue your owne Nauie within Bay riuer or lake within your Seate safe from the enemie and so as the enemie shal be forced to lie in open rode abroade without to be dispersed with all windes and tempests that shall arise Thus seated you shall be least subiect to annoy of the enemie so may you by your Nauie within passe out to all parts of the world and so may the Shippes of England haue accesse to you to supply all wants so may your commodities be caryed away also This seat is to be chosen in a temperate Climat in sweete ayre where you may possesse alwayes sweete water wood seacoles or turfe with fish flesh graine fruites herbes and rootes or so many of those as may suffice very necessitie for the life of such as shall plant there And for the possessing of mines of golde of siluer copper quicksiluer or of any such precious thing the wants of those needfull things may be supplyed from some other place by sea c. Stone to make Lyme of are to be looked for as things without which no Citie may be made nor people in ciuil sort be kept together Slate stone to tyle withall or such clay as maketh tyle are to be looked for as things without which no Citie may be made nor people in ciuil sort be kept together Stone to wall withall if Brycke may not bee made are to be looked for as things without which no Citie may be made nor people in ciuil sort be kept together Timber for buylding easely to be conueied to the place are to be looked for as things without which no Citie may be made nor people in ciuil sort be kept together Reede to couer houses or such like if tyle or state be not are to be looked for as things without which no Citie may be made nor people in ciuil sort be kept together The people there to plant and to continue are eyther to liue without traffique or by traffique and by trade of marchandise If they shall liue without sea traffique at the first they become naked by want of linnen and woollen and very miserable by infinite wants that will otherwise ensue and so will they be forced of themselues to depart or else easely they will be consumed by the Spanyards by the Frenchmen or by the naturall inhabitants of the countrey and so the enterprize becomes reprochfull to our Nation and a let to many other good purposes that may be taken in hand And by trade of marchandise they can not liue except the Sea or the Land there may yeelde commoditie And therefore you ought to haue most speciall regard of that poynt and so to plant that the naturall commodities of the place and seate may draw to you accesse or Nauigation for the same or that by your owne Nauigation you may cary the same out and fetch home the supply of the wants of the seate Such Nauigation so to be employed shall besides the supply of wants be able to encounter with forreine force And for that in the ample vent of such things as are brought to you
first caused certaine Articles to be proclaimed for the better keeping of orders and courses in their returne which Articles were deliuered to euery Captaine The Fleetes returning homeward HAuing now receiued Articles and directions for our returne homewards all other things being in forwardnesse and in good order the last day of August the whole Fleete departed from the Câuntesses sound excepting the Iudith and the Anne Francis who stayed for the taking in âf fresh water and came the next day and mette the Fleete lying off and on athwart Beares sound who stayed for the Generall which then was gone ashore to dispatch the two Barkes and the Busle of Bridgewater for their loading whereby to get the companies and other things aboârd The Captaine of the Anne Francis hauing most part of his company ashore the first of September went alâo to Beares sound in his Pinnesse to fetch his men aboord but the wind grewe so great immediatly vpon their landing that the shippes at Sea were in great danger and some oâ them forciâly puâ from their ankers and greatly feared to be vtterly lost as the Hopewell wherein was Captaine Carew and others who could not tell on which side their danger was mâst for hâuing mightie rockes threatning on the one side and driuing Islands of cutting yce on the other side they greatly feared to make shipwracke the yce driuing so neere them that it touched theâr bolt-sprit And by meanes of the Sea that was growne so hie they wâre not able to put to sea wiâh their small Pinnesses to recouer their shippes And againe the shippes were not able to carrie or lie athwart for them by meanes of tâe outragious windes and swelâing sâas The Generall wilâed the Captaine of the Anne Francis with his company for that night to lodge aboord the Busse of Bridgewater and went himselfe with the râst of his men aboord the Barâes But their numbers were so great and the prouision of the Barkes so scant that they pestered one another exceedingly They had great hope that the next morning the weather would be faire whereby they might recouer their shippes But in the morning fâllowing it was much worse for the storme continued greater the Sea being more swollen and the Fleete gone quâte out of sight So that now their doubts began to grow great for the shâp of Bridgewater which was of greatest receit and whereof they had best hope and made most account roade so farre to leeward of the harborowes mouth that they were not able for the rockes that lay betweene the wind and them to lead it out to Sea with a saile And the Barks were already so pestered with men and so slenderly furnished with prouision that they had scarce meat for sixe dayes for such numbers The Generall in the morning departed to Sea in the Gabriel to seeke the Fleete leauing the Busse of Bridgewater and the Michael behind in Beares sound The Busse set sayle and thâught by turning in the narrow channell within the harborow to get to windward but being put to leeward more by that meanes was faine to come to anker for her better safetie amongst a number of rockes and there left in great danger of euer getting forth againe The Michael set sayle to follow the Generall and could giue the Busse no reliefe although they earnestly desired the same And the Captâine of the Anne Francis was left in hard election of two euils eyther to abide his fortune with the Busse of Bridgewater which was doubtfull of euer getting forth or else to bee towed in his small Pinnesse at the sterne of the Michael thorow the raging Seas for that the Barke was not able to receiue or relieue halfe his company wherein his danger was not a little perillous So after hee resolued to commit himselfe with all his company vnto that fortune of God and Sea and was dangerously towed at the sterne of the Barke for many miles vntill at length they espyed the Anne Francis vnder sayle hard vnder their Lee which was no small comfort vnto them For no doubt both these and a great number more had perished for lacke of victuals and conuenient roome in the Barks without the helpe of the sayd Ship But the honest care that the Master of the Anne Francis had of his Captaine and the good regarde of duetie towardes his Generall suffered him not to depart but honestly abode to hazard a dangerous roade all the night long notwithstanding all the stormy weather when all the Fleete besides departed And the Pinnesse came no sooner aboord the shippe and the men entred but shee presently shiuered and fell in pieces and sunke at the ships sterne with all the poore mens furniture so weake was the boat with towing and so forcible was the sea to bruise her in pieces But as God would the men were all saued At this present in this storme many of the Fleete were dangerously distressed and were seuered almâst all asunder Yet thanks be âo God all the Fleete arriued safely in England about the first of October some in one place and some in another But amongst other it was most marueilous how the Bâsse of Bridgewater got away who being left behind the Fleete in great danger of neuer getting forth was forced to seeke a way Northward thârow an vnknowen chaânell full of rocks vpon the backe side of Beares sound and there by good hap found âut a way into the North sea a very dangerous attempâ saue that necessitieâ which hath no law forced them to trie masteries This aforesayd North sea is the same which lyeth vpon the backe side of Frobishers sâraits where first the Generall himselfe in his Pinnesses and after some other of our company haue discouered as they affirme a great foreland where they would haue also a great likelihood of the greatest passage towards the South sea or Mar del Sur. The Busse of Bridgewater as she came homeward to the Southeastward of Friseland discouered a great Island in the latitude of 57 degrees and an halfe which was neuer yet found before and sailed three dayes alongst the coast the land seeming to be fruitfull full of woods and a champion Countrey There died in the whole Fleet in all this voyage not aboue forty persons which number is not great considering how many ships were in the Fleet and how strange fortunes we passed A generall and briefe description of the Countrey and condition of the people which are found in Meta Incognita HAuing now sufficiently and truly set forth the whole circumstance and particuler handling of euery occurrent in the 3. voyages of our worthy Generall Captaine Frobisher it shal not be from the purpose to speake somewhat in generall of the nature of this Countrey called Meta Incognita and the condition of the sauages there inhabiting First therefore touching the Topographical description of the place It is now found in the last voyage that Queene Elizabeths Cape being situate in latitude at
The 25 of this moneth we departed from sight of this land at sixe of the clocke in the morning directing our course to the Northwestward hoping in Gods mercy to finde our desired passage and so continued aboue foure dayes The 29 of Iuly we discouered land in 64 degrees 15 minutes of latitude bearing Northeast from vs. The winde being contrary to goe to the Northwestwards we bare in with this land to take some view of it being vtterly void of the pester of yce and very temperate Comming neere the coast we found many faire sounds and good roads for shipping and many great inlets into the land whereby we iudged this land to be a great number of Islands standing together Heere hauing mored our barke in good order we went on shoare vpon a small Island to seeke for water and wood Upon this Island we did perceiue that there had bene people for we found a small shoo and pieces of leather sowed with sinewes and a piece of furre and wooll like to Beuer. Then we went vpon another Island on the other side of our shippes and the Captaine the Master and I being got vp to the top of an high rocke the people of the countrey hauing espied vs made a lamentable noise as we thought with great âuteries and skreechings we hearing them thought it had bene the howling of wolues At last I hallowed againe and they likewise cried Then we perceiuing where they stood some on the shoare and one rowing in a Canoa about a small Island fast by them we made a great noise partly to allure them to vs and partly to warne our company of them Whereupon M. Bruton and the Master of his shippe with others of their company made great haste towards vs and brought our Musicians with them from our shippe purposing either by force to resâue vs if need should so require or with courtesie to allure the people When they came vnto vs we caused our Musicians to play our selues dancing and making many signes of friendship At length there came tenne Canoas from the other Islands and two of them came so neere the shoare where we were that they talked with vs the other being in their boats a prety way off Their pronunciation was very hollow thorow the throat and their speech such as we could not vnderstand onely we allured them by friendly imbracings and signes of curtesie At length one of them pointing vp to the Sunne with his hand would presently strike his breast so hard that we might heare the blow This hee did many times before he would any way trust vs. Then Iohn Ellis the Master of the Moone-shine was appointed to vse his best policie to gaine their friendship who strooke his breast and pointed to the Sunne after their order which when he had diuers times done they beganne to trust him and one of them came on shoare to whom we thrâw our cappes stockings and gloues and such other things as then we had about vs playing with our musicke and making signes of ioy and dauncing So the night comming we bade them farewell and went aboord our barks The next morning being the 30 of Iuly there came 37 Canoas rowing by our ships calling to vs to come on shoare we not making any great haste vnto them one of them went vp to the toppe of the rocke and leapt and daunced as they had done the day before shewing vs a seales skinne and another thing made like a timbrell which he did beat vpon with a sticke making a noise like a small drumme Whereupon we manned our boats and came to them they all staying in their Canoas we came to the water side where they were and after we had sworne by the Sunne after their fashion they did trust vs. So I shooke hands with one of them and he kissed my hand and we were very familiar with them We were in so great credit with them vpon this single acquaintance that we could haue any thing they had We bought fiue Canoas of them we bought their clothes from their backs which were all made of seales skinnes birds skinnes their buskins their hose their gloues all being commonly sowed and well dressed so that we were fully perswaded that they haue diuers artificers among them We had a paire of buskins of them full of fine wooll like beuer Their apparell for heat was made of birds skinnes with their feathers on them We saw among them leather dressed like Glouers leather and thicke thongs like white leather of a good length We had of their darts and oares and found in them that they would by no meanes displease vs but would giue vs whatsoeuer we asked of them and would be satisfied with whatsoeuer we gaue them They tooke great care one of another for when we had bought their boats then two other would come and cary him away betweene them that had solde vs his They are very tractable people void of craft or double dealing and easie to be brought to any ciuility or good order but we iudge them to be idolaters and to worship the Sunne During the time of our abode among these Islands we found reasonable quantity of wood both firrâ spruse and iuniper which whether it came floting any great distance to these places where we found it or whâther it grew in some great Islands neere the same place by vs not yet discouered we know not but we iudge that it groweth there further into the land then we were because the people had great store of darts and oares which they made none account of but gaue them to vs for small trifles as points and pieces of paper We saw about this coast marueilous great abundance of scales skulling together like skuls of small fish We found no fresh water among these Islands but onely snow water whereof we found great pooles The cliffes were all of such oare as M. Frobisher brought from Meta incognita We had diuers shewes of Study or Muscouy glasâe shining not altogether vnlike to Christall We found an herbe growing vpon the rocks whose fruit was sweet full of rediuice and the ripe ones were like corinths We found also birch and willow growing like shrubbes low to the ground These people haue great store of furâes as we iudge They made shewes vnto vs the 30 of this present which was the second time of our being with them after they perceiued we would haue skinnes and furres that they would go into the countrey and come againe the next day with such things as they had but this night the winde comming faire the captaine and the master would by no meanes detract the purpose of our discouery And so the last of this moneth about foure of the clocke in the morning in Gods name we set saile and were all that day becalmed vpon the coast The first of August we had a faire winde and âo proceeded towards the Northwest
at fiue a clocke in the afternoone we ankered in a very good road among great store of Isles the countrey low land pleasant and very full of fayre woods To the North of this place eight leagues we had a perfect hope of the passage finding a mightie great sea passing betweene two lands West The South land to our iudgement being nothing but Isles we greatly desired to goe into this sea but the winde was directly against vs. We ankered in foure fathome fine sand In this place is foule and fish mightie store The sixt of September hauing a faire Northnorthwest winde hauing trimmed our Barke we purposed to depart and sent fiue of our sailers yong men a shore to an Island to fetch certaine fish which we purposed to weather and therefore left it al night couered vpon the Isle the brutish people of this countrey lay secretly lucking in the wood and vpon the sudden assaulted our men which when we perceiued we presently let slip our cables vpon the halâe and vnder our foresaile bare into the shoare and with all expedition discharged a double musket vpon them twise at the noyse whereof they fled notwithstanding to our very great griefe two of our men were slaine with their arrowes and two grieuously wounded of whom at this present we stand in very great doubt onely one escaped by swimming with an arrow shot thorow his arme These wicked miscreants neuer offered parly or speech but presently executed their cursed fury This present euening it pleased God further to increase our sorowes with a mighty tempestuous storme the winde being Northnortheast which lasted vnto the tenth of this moneth very extreme We vnrigged our ship and purposed to cut downe our masts the cable of our shut-anker brake so that we onely expected to be driuen on shoare among these Canibals for their pray Yet in this deepe distresse the mightie mercie of God when hope was past gaue vs succour and sent vs a faire lee so as we recouered our anker againe and newe mored our ship where we saw that God manifestly deliuered vs for the straines of one of our cables were broken and we only roade by an olde iurke Thus being freshly mored a new storme arose the winde being Westnorthwest very forcible which lasted vnto the tenth day at night The eleuenth day with a faire Westnorthwest winde we departed with trust in Gods mercie shaping our course for England and arriued in the West countrey in the beginning of October Master Dauis being arriued wrote his letter to M. VVilliam Sanderson of London concerning his voyage as followeth SIr the Sunneshine came into Dartmouth the fourth of this moneth she hath bene at Island and from thence to Groenland and so to Estoriland from thence to Desolation and to our Marchants where she made trade with the people staying in the countrey twentie dayes They haue brought home fiue hundred seale skinnes and an hundred and fortie halfe skinnes and pieces of skinnes I stand in great doubt of the pinnesse God be mercifull vnto the proore men and preserue them if it be his blessed will I haue now experience of much of the Northwest part of the world haue brought the passage to that likelihood as that I am assured it must bee in one of soure places or els not at all And further I can assure you vpon the perill of my life that this voyage may be performed without further charge nay with certaine profite to the aduenturers if I may haue but your fauour in the action I hope I shall finde fauour with you to see your Card. I pray God it be so true as the Card shal be which I will bring you and I hope in God that your skill in Nauigation shall be gaineful vnto you although at the first it hath not proued so And thus with my humble commendations I commit you to God desiring no longer to liue then I shall be yours most faithfully to command Exon this fourteenth of October 1586. Yours to command IOHN DAVIS The relation of the course which the Sunshine a barke of fiftie tunnes and the Northstarre a small pinnesse being two vessels of the fleete of M. Iohn Dauis helde after hee had sent them from him to discouer the passage betweene Groneland and Island written by Henry Morgan seruant to M. William Sanderson of London THe seuenth day of May 1586. wee departed out of Dartmouth hauen foure sailes to wit the Mermaid the Sunshine the Mooneshine the Northstarre In the Sunshine were sixteene men whose names were these Richard Pope Master Marke Carter Masters mate Henry Morgan Purser George Draward Iohn Mandie Hugh Broken Philip Iane Hugh Hempson Richard Borden Iohn Philpe Andrew Madock William Wolcome Robert Wag carpenter Iohn Bruskome William Ashe Simon Ellis Our course was Westnorthwest the seuenth and eight dayes and the ninth day in the morning we were on head of the Tarrose of Silley Thus coasting along the South part of Ireland the 11. day we were on head of the Dorses and our course was Southsouthwest vntill sixe of the clocke the 12. day The 13. day our course was Northwest We remained in the company of the Mermaid and the Mooneshine vntil we came to the latitude yf 60. degrees and there it seemed best to our Generall M. Dauis to diuide his fleete himselfe sayling to the Northwest and to direct the Sunshine wherein I was and the pinnesse called the Northstarre to secke a passage Northward betweene Groenland and Island to the latitude of 80. degrees if land did not let vs. So the seuenth day of Iune wee departed from them and the ninth of the same we came to a firme land of yce which we coasted along the ninth the tenth and the eleuenth dayes of Iune and the eleuenth day at sixe of the clocke at night we saw land which was very high which afterward we knew to be Island and the twelft day we harboured there and found many people the land lyeth East and and by North in 66. degrees Their commodities were greene fish and Island lings and stockfish and a fish which is called Scatefish of all which they had great store They had also kine sheep and horses and hay for their cattell and for their horses Wee saw also of their dogs Their dwelling houses were made on both sides with stones and wood layd crosse ouer them which was couered ouer with turfes of earth and they are flat on the tops and many of these stood hard by the shore Their boates were made with wood and yron all along the keele like our English boates and they had nayles for to naile them withall and fish-hookes and other things for to catch fish as we haue here in England They had also brasen kettles and girdles and purses made of leather and knoppes on them of copper and hatchets and other small tooles as necessary as we haue They drie their fish in the Sun and
when they are dry they packe them vp in the top of their houses If we would goe thither to fishing more then we doe we should make it a very good voyage for wee got an hundreth greene fish in one morning Wee found heere two English men with a shippe which came out of England about Easter day of this present yeere 1586 and one of them came aboord of vs and brought vs two lambs The English mans name was M. Iohn Roydon of Ipswich marchant hee was bound for London with his ship And this is the summe of that which I obserued in Island We departed from Island the sixteenth day of Iune in the morning and our course was Northwest and we saw on the coast two small barkes going to an harborough we went not to them but saw them a farre off Thus we continued our course vnto the end of this moneth The third day of Iuly we were in betweene two firme lands of yce and passed in betweene them all that day vntill it was night and then the Master turned backe againe and so away we went towards Groenland And the seuenth day of Iuly we did see Groenland and it was very high and it looked very blew we could not come to harborough into the land because we were hindered by a firme land as it were of yce which was along the shoares side but we were within three leagues of the land coasting the same diuers dayes together The seuenteenth day of Iuly wee saw the place which our Captaine M. Iohn Dauis the yeere before had named The land of Desolation where we could not goe on shore for yce The eighteenth day we were likewise troubled with yce and went in amongst it at three of the clocke in the morning After wee had cleared our selues thereof wee ranged all along the coast of Desolation vntill the ende of the aforesayd moneth The third of day August we came in sight of Gilberts sound in the latitude of 64. deg 15. min. which was the place where wee were appoynted to meete our Generall and the rest of our Fleete Here we came to an harborough at 6. of the clocke at night The 4. day in the morning the Master went on shore with 10. of his men and they brought vs foure of the people rowing in their boats aboord of the ship And in the afternoone I went on shore with 6. of our men and there came to vs seuen of them when we were on land We found on shore three dead people and two of them had their staues lying by them and their olde skinnes wrapped about them and the other had nothing lying by wherefore we thought it was a woman We also saw their houses neere the Seaside which were made with pieces of wood on both sides and crossed ouer with poles and then couered ouer with earth we found Foxes running vpon the hilles as for the place it is broken land all the way that we went and full of broken Islands The 21. of August the Master sent the boate on shore for wood with sixe of his men and there were one and thirtie of the people of the countrey which went on shore to them they went about to kill them as we thought for they shot their dartes towards them and we that were aboord the ship did see them goe on shore to our men whereupon the Master sent the pinnesse after them and when they saw the pinnesse comming towards them they turned backe and the Master of the pinnesse did shoote off a caliuer to them the same time but hurt none of them for his meaning was onely to put them in feare Diuers times they did waue vs on shore to play with them at the foot-ball and some of our company went on shore to play with them and our men did cast them downe as soone as they did come to strike the ball And thus much of that which we did see and do in that harborough where we arriued first The 23. day wee departed from the Merchants Isle where wee had beene first and our course from thence was South by West and the wind was Northeast and we ran that day and night about 5. or 6. leagues vntill we came to another harborough The 24. about eleuen of the clocke in the forenoone wee entred into the aforesayd new harborow and as wee came in we did see dogs running vpon the Islands When we were come in there came to vs foure of the people which were with vs before in the other harborough and where we rode we had sandie ground We saw no wood growing but found small pieces of wood vpon the Islands some small pieces of sweete wood among the same We found great Harts hornes but could see none of the Stagges where we wentâ but we found their footings As for the bones which we receiued of the Sauages I cannot tell of what beasts they be The stones that we found in the countrey were black and some whiâe as I thinke they be of no value neuerthelesse I haue brought examples of them to you The 30. of August we departed from this harborough towards England the wind tooke vs contrary so that we were faine to go to another harborough the same day at 11. of the clocke And there came to vs 39. of the people and brought vs 13. Scale skins and after we receiued these skins of them the Master sânt the carpenter to change one of our boates which wee had bought of them before and they would haue taken the boats from him perforce and when they sawe they could not take it from vs they shot with their dartes at vs and stroke one of our men with one of their dartes and Iohn Filpe shot one of them into the brest with an arrow And they came to vs againe and foure of our men went into the shipboate and they shot with their dartes at our men but our men tooke one of their people in his boate into the shipboate and he hurt one of them with his knife but we killed three of them in their boates two of them were hurt with arrowes in the brests and he that was aboord our boat was shot in with an arrow and hurt with a sword and beaten with staues whome our men cast ouerboord but the people caught him and carried him on shore vpon their boates and the other two also and so departed from vs. And three of them went on shore hard by vs where they had their dogs and those three came away from their dogs and presently one of their dogs came swimming towards vs hard aboord the ship whereupon our Master caused the Gunner to shoote off one of the great pieces towards the people and so the dog âurned backe to land and within an houre after there came of the people hard aboord the ship but they would not come to vs as they did come before The 31. of August
after much debating of the matter we agreeed that the Elizabeth should haue her to fish withall whereupon she was presently caryed aboord and stowed Now after this trouble being resolued to depart with the first wind there fell out another matter worse then all the rest and that was in this maner Iohn Churchyard one whom our Captaine had appoynted as Pilot in the pinnace came to our Captaine and master Bruton and told them that the good ship which we must all hazard our liues in had three hundred strokes at one time as she rode in the harbour This disquieted vs all greatly and many doubted to goe in her At length our Captaine by whom we were all to be gouerned determined rather to end his life with credite then to returne with infamie and disgrace and so being all agreed wee purposed to liue and die together and committed our selues to the ship Now the 21. hauing brought all our things aboord about 11. or 12. of the clocke at night we set saile and departed from those Isles which lie in 64. degrees of latitude our ships being all now at Sea and wee shaping our course to goe coasting the land to the Northwards vpon the Easterne shore which we called the shore of our Marchants because there we met with people which traffiqued with vs but here wee were not without doubt of our ship The 24. being in 67. degrees and 40. minutes wee had great store of Whales and a kinde of sea birds which the Mariners call Cortinous This day about sixe of the clocke at night we espied two of the countrey people at Seaâ thinking at the first they had bene two great Seales vntill wee sawe their oares glistering with the Sunne they came rowing towardes vs as fast as they could and when they came within hearing they held vp their oares and cryed Ilyaoute making many signes and at last they came to vs giuing vs birdes for bracelets and of them I had a darte with a bone in it or a piece of Unicorns horne as I did iudge This dart he made store of but when he saw a knife he let it go being more desirous of the knife then of his dart these people continued rowing after our ship the space of 3. howres The 25. in the morning at 7. of the clocke we descried 30. Sauages rowing after vs being by iudgement 10. leagues off from the shore they brought vs Salmon Peales Birdes and Caplin and we gaue them pinnes needles bracelets nailes kniues bels looking glasses and other small trifles and for a knife a naile or a bracelet which they call Ponigmah they would sell their boate coates or any thing they had although they were farre from the shore Wee had but few skinnes of them about 20. but they made signes to vs that if wee would goe to the shore wee should haue more store of Chichsanege they stayed with vs till 11. of the clocke at which time wee went to prayer and they departed from vs. The 28. and 29. were foggie with cloudes the 30. day wee tooke the heigth and found out selues in 72. degrees and 12. minutes of latitude both at noone and at night the Sunne being 5. degrees aboue the Horizon At midnight the compasse set to the variation of 28. degrees to the Westward Now hauing coasted the land which wee called London coast from the 21. of this present till the 30. the Sea open all the Westwards and Northwards the land on starboord side East from vs the winde shifted to the North whereupon we left that shore naming the same Hope Sanderson and shaped our course West and ranne 40. leagues and better without the sight of any land Iuly THe second of Iuly wee fell witth a mightie banke of yee West from vs lying North and South which banke wee would gladly haue doubled out to the Northwards but the winde would not suffer vs so that we were faine to coast it to the Southwards hoping to double it out that wee might haue run so farre West till wee had sound land or els to haue beene thorowly resolued of our pretended purpose The 3. wee fell with the yce againe and putting off from it we sought to the Northwards but the wind crossed vs. The 4. was foggie so was the 5. also with much wind at the North. The 6. being very cleare we put our barke with oares through a gap in the yce seeing the Sea free on the West side as we thought which falling out otherwise caused vs to returne after we had stayed there betweene the yce The 7. and the 8. about midnight by Gods helpe we recouered the open Sea the weather being faire and calme and so was the 9. The 10. we coasted the yce The 11. was foggie but calme The 12. we coasted againe the yce hauing the wind at Northnorthwest The 13. bearing off from the yce we determined to goe with the shoare and come to an anker and to stay 5. or 6. dayes for the dissoluing of the yce hoping that the Sea continually âeating it and the Sunne with the extreme force of heat which it had alwayes shining vpon it would make a quicke dispatch that we might haue a further search vpon the Westerne shore Now when we were come to the Easterne coast the water something deepe and some of our companie fearefull withall we durst not come to an anker but bare off into the Sea againe The poore people seeing vs goe away againe came rowing after vs into the Sea the waues being somewhat loftie We truckt with them for a few skinnes and dartes and gaue them beads nailes pinnes needles and cardes they poynting to the shore as though they would shew vs some great friendship but we little regarding their curtesie gaue them the gentle farewell and so departed The 14. wee had the wind at South The 15. there was some fault either in the barke or the set of some current for wee were driuen sixe points beyond our course West The 16. wee fell with the banke of yce West from vs. The 17. and 18. were foggie The 19. at one a clocke after noone wee had sight of the land which we called Mount Raleigh and at 12. of the clocke at night we were thwart the streights which we discouered the first yeere The 20. wee trauersed in the mouth of the streight the wind being at West with faire and cleare weather The 21. and 22. wee coasted the Northerne coast of the streights The 23. hauing sayled threescore leagues Northwest into the streights at two a clocke after noone wee ankered among many Isles in the bottome of the gulfe naming the same The Eaâle of Cumberlands Isles where riding at anker a Whale passed by our ship and went West in among the Isles Heere the compasse set at thirtie degrees Westward variation The 23. wee departed shaping our course Southeast to recouer the Sea The 25. wee were becalmed in
ice seeing the sea free on the West side and hauing sailed 5 leagues West we fell with another mighty barre which we could not passe and therefore returning againe we freed our selues the 8 of this moneth at midnight and so recouered the sea through Gods fauour by faire winds the weather being veây câlme 7       8       Noone the 9 72 E.S.E. 7 68 50 Calme The true course c. Noone the 10 24 S.E. by S. 8 68 30 E. by N. The true course c. This day we coasted the ice Noone the 11 24 E.N.E. 11½ 68 45 Uariable The true course c. Noone the 12 24 S.S.E. 16 68  N.N.W. The true course c. 1â 24 E. by S. 20   S. This day the people came to vs off the shore and bartered with vs. Bring within the issâs not finding good ankorage we bare off againe into the sea Noone the 14 24 W. by N. 11 67 50 S. The true course c. Noone the 15 2â W.S.W. 5 67 45 E. The true course c. This day a great current set vs Well 6 points from our course Noone the 16 24 S w by w westerly 22 67 10 S. The true course c. This day we fell w t a mighââ banke of ice West of vs. Noone the 18 48 S. by W. 30 65 33 N. fog The true course c. Collected by diâârs experiments Noone the 19 24 W. Southerly 17 65 30 S. fog The true course c. This 19 of Iuly at one a clocke in the afternoone we had sight of the land of Mount Ralegh and by 12. of the clocke at night wee were thwart the Streights which ãâã Gods helpe I discouered the first yere 20       The 20 day wee trauersed in the mouth of the sayd Streights with a contrary winde bring West and faire weather 2â       This ââ day at 2 of the clocke in the afternoone hauing fallen 60 leagues Northwestâ we ankered among an huge number of isles lying in the bottome of the sayd supposed passage at which place the water riseth â fadome vâright Here as in tobe at anker a great whale passed by vs and swam West in among the isles In this place a S.W. by W. moone maketh a full sea Here the compasse varied 30 degrees 24       The 24 day at 5 of the clocke in the morning we sââ saile departing from this place and shaping our course S.E. to recouer the maine Ocean againe 25       This 25 we were becalme almost in the bottome of the Streights â had the weather maruellous extreame hââ 26      S.E. This day bâing in the Streights wâ haâ a very quicke storme 27      S. Being still in the Streigâââ we had this day faire weathââ Nââââ the 29    64   At this present we got cleere of the Streights hauing coasted the South shore the land ââending from hence S.W. by S. Noone the 30 24 S.S.W. 22 63   This day we coasted the shore a banke of ice lying thereupon Also this 30 âf Iuly in the afternoone we crossed ouer the entrance or mouth of a great inââ or passage being 20 leagues broad and situate betweene 62 63 degrees In which place we had 8 or 9 great rases currents or ouerfals lothsomly ceding like the rage of the water â vnder London bridge and bending their course into the sayd gulfe Moneth    Eleuation of the pole   Iuly Dayes Houres Course Leagues Deg Min. The winde THE DISCOVRSE 31 24 S. by W. 27 62  N.W. This 31 at noone comming close by a foreland or great cape we fell inââ mighty rase where an island of ice was carried by the force of the cuâââââ fast as our barke could saile with him wind all sailes bearing This ââân it was the most Southerly limit of the gulfe which we passed ouer the ãâã of this moneth so was it the North promontory or first beginning of aâuââ very great inlet whose South limit at this present wee saw noâ Which ãâã or gulfe this afternoone and in the night we passed ouer where so ãâã admiration we saw the sea falling down into the gulfe with a mighty ãâã and toring and with diuers circular motions like whirle pooles in such ãâã fortible streames passe thorow the arches of bridges August        Noone the 1 24 S. E.by S. 16 61 10 W. S.W The true course c. This first of August we fell with the promonent the sayd gulfe or second passage hauing coasted by diuers courses for our seâgard a great barke of the ice driuen out of that gulfe Noone the 2 48 S.S.E. 16 60 26 Uariable Noone the 6 72 S.E. Southerly 22 59 35 Uariable w t calme The true course c. 7 24 S.S.E. 22 58 40 W.S.W. The true course c. 8 24 S.E. 13 58 12 W. fog The true course c. 9 24 S. by W. 13 57 30 Uariable â calme The true course c. 10 24 S.S.E. 17 56 40 S. W.by W. The true course c. 11 24 S.E. easterly 40 55 13 W.N.W. The true course c. 12 24 S.E. easterly 20 54 32 W.S.W. The true course c. 13 24 S.S.E. 4 54  N.W. This day seeking for our ships that went to fish we strooke on a rocke bââ among many iles and had a great leake Noone the 14 24 S.S.E. 28 52 40 N.W. This day we stopped our leake in a storme The 15 of August at noân ãâã in the latitude of 52 degrees 12. min. and 16 leagues from the shore we ãâã our course for England in Gods name as followeth * * Noone â 15    52 12 S.S.W. The true latitude 16 20 â s.e halfe paines 50 51  S.W. The true course c. 17 24 E. by S. 30 50 40 S. The true course c. This day vpon the Banke we met a Biscâiâââ either for the Grand bay or for the passage He chased vs. 18 24 E. by N. Northerly 49 51 18 W. The true course c. 19 24 E. halfe point north 51 51 35 Uariable W. S. The true course c. 20 24 E.S.E. 31 50 50 S.W. The true course c. Noone the 22 48 E. by N. 68 51 30 S.S.W. The true course c. 22 24 E. by N. Northerly â3 51 52 S. The true course c. 24 24 E. by N. 31 52 10 Uariable The true course c. This 24 of August obseruing the variation ãâã the compasse to vary towards the East from the true Meridian er e dâm Noone the 27 72 E. Northerly 40 52 23 Uariable calme The true course c. for 72 houres Noone the 29 48 E.S.E. 47 51 28 Uariable W.
à magno ostendit sua vela COLVMBO Haeâ neque vicina nimiùm frigescit ab arcto Sole nec immodico in steriles torretur arenas Frigus aestatem iusto moderamine seruat Siue leues auras grati spiracula coeli Seu diae telluris opes munera curas Pone agete digno tua sceptra in honore meoquâ Iunge salutarem propius cum littore dextram Sit mihi fas aliquam per âesperare quietem Vicinoque bono laetum illucescere Solem. Quòd si consilijs superûm fatisque negatum est Durare immensum magna infortunia tempus Quòd si de immerita iustum est ceruice reuelli Ignarum imperij dominum populique regendi Quòd si nulla vnquam potuit superesse potestas Ni pia flexilibus pareret clementia frenis Obsequium A miti quae sita potentia CYRO Amissa est saeuae soboli Parcendo subegit Tot reges MACEDVM virtus tot postera sensim Abscidit a parto tandem inclementia regno Et quod ROMVLEIS creuit sub patribus olim Imperium dirisemper minuêre NERONES A report of the voyage and successe thereof attempted in the yeere of our Lord 1583 by sir Humfrey Gilbert knight with other gentlemen assisting him in that action intended to discouer and to plant Christian inhabitants in place conuenient vpon those large and ample countreys extended Northward from the cape of Florida lying vnder very temperate Climes esteemed fertile and rich in Minerals yet not in the actuall possession of any Christian prince written by M. Edward Haies gentleman and principall actour in the same voyage who alone continued vnto the end and by Gods speciall assistance returned home with his retinue safe and entire MAny voyages haue bene pretended yet hitherto neuer any thorowly accomplished by our nation of exact discouery into the bowels of those maine ample and vast countreys extended infinitely into the North from 30 degrees or rather from 25 degrees of Septentrionall latitude neither hath a right way bene taken of planting a Christian habitation and regiment vpon the same as well may appeare both by the little we yet do actually possesse therein by our ignorance of the riches and secrets wiâhân those lands which vnto this day we knâw chiefly by the trauell and report of other nations and most of the French who albeit they can not challenge such right and interest vnto the sayd countreys as we neither these many yeeres haue had oâportunity nor meanes so great to discouâr and to plant being veâed with the calamities of iâtestââe warres as we haue had by the inestimable benefit of our long and happy peace yet haue they both waies performed more and had long since attained a sure possession and setled gouernment of many prouinces in âhose Northerly parts of America if their many attempts into those forren and remote lands had not bene impeached their garboils at home The first discouery of these coasts neuer heard of âefore was well begun by Iohn Cabot the father and Sebastian his sonne an Englishman borne who were the first finders out of all that great tract of land stretching from the cape âf Florida vnto those Islands which wâ now call the Newfoundland all which they brought and anâeârd vnto the crowne of England Since when if with like diligence the seaâch of inland countreys had bene follâwed as the discouery vpon the coast and out-parts therof was performed by those two men no doubt her Maiesties territories and reuenue had bene mightily inlarged and aduanced by this day And which is more the seed of Christian râligion had bene fowed amongst those pagans which by this time might haue brought foorth a most plântifull haruest and copious congregation of Christians which must be the chiefe intent of such as shall make any attempt that way or els whatsoeuer is builded vpon othâr foundation shall neuer obtaine happy successe nor continuance And although we can not precisely iudge which onely belongeth to God what haue bene the humouâs of men stirred vp to great attempts of discouering and planting in those remote countreys yet the euents do shew that either Gods cause hath not bene chiefly preferred by them or els God hath not permitted so abundant grace as the light of his word and knowledge of him to be yet reuealed vnto those infidels before the appointed time But most aââuredly âhe only cause of religion hitherto hath kept backe and will also bring forward at the time assââneâ by God an effectuall and compleat discouery possession ââ Christians both of those ample countreys and the riches within them hithârto concealed âhereof notwithstanding Gâd in his wisdome hath permitted to be reuealed frâm tiâe to time a certaine oâscure and mâsty knowledâe by little and little to allure the mindes of men that way which els will be dull enough in the zeale of his cause and thereby to prepare vs vnto a readinesse for the execution of his wâll against the due tâme ordâinedâ of calling those pagans vnto Christâanity In the meane while ât behâoueth euery man of great calling in whom is any instinct of inclination vnto this atââmpâ to ââamine his owne motions which is the same proceed of ambitâon or auarice hâ may assure himselfe it commeth not of God and therefore can not haue cânfidence of Gods protection and assistance against the âiolence els irresistable both oâ sea and infinite perils vpân the land wâom God yet may vse an instrument to further his cause and glory some way but not to build vpon so bad a foundatâon Othârwâse if hâs motiues be dâriued from a bertuous heroycall minde preferring chiâfly the honour oâ Godâ compassâon of poore infidels captiued by the deuill tyrannizing in most woonderfull and dreadfull maner ouer their bodies and soules aduancement of his honest and well disposed countreymen willing to accompany him in such honourable actions reliefe of sundry pâople wâthin this realme distressed all these be honorable purposes imitating the naâure of the muââficenâ God wheâwith he is well pleased who will assist such an actour beyond âxpectation of man And thâ samâ who feeleth this inclination in himselfe by all likelihood may hope or rather confidently râpose in the preordinance of God that in this last age of the world or âikely neuer the time is câmpleat of receiuing also these Gentiles into his mârcy and that God will râise him an instrumeât to âffâct the same it seeming probable by euent of precedent attempts made by the Spanyards and French sundry times that the countreys lyâng North oâ Florida God hath reserued the same to be reduced vnto Christian ciuility by the English nation For not long after that Christopher Columbus had discouered the Islands and continent âf thâ Wesâ Indies for Spaine Iohn and Sebastian Cabot made discouery also of the rest from Florida Nortâwards to the behoofe of England And whensoâuer afterwards the Spanyards very prosperous in all their Southerne discoueries did
Hilles of Granges and a Cape lying toward the Southwest about 3 leagues from from vs. The said Cape is on the top of it blunt-pointed and also toward the Sea it endeth in a point wherefore wee named it The pointed Cape on the North side of which there is a plaine Iland And because we would haue notice of the said entrance to see if there were any good hauens we strooke saile for that night The next day being the 17 of the moneth we had stormie weather from Northeast wherefore we tooke our way toward the Southwest vntill thursday morning and we went about 37 leagues till wee came athwart a Bay full of round Ilands like doue houses and therefore wee named them The doue houses And from the Bay of S. Iulian from the which to a Cape that lieth South and by West which wee called Cape Roial there are 7. leagues and toward the West southwest side of the saide Cape there is another that beneath is all craggie and aboue round On the North side of which about halfe a league there lieth a low Iland that Cape we named The Cape of milke Betweene these two Capes there are certaine low Ilands aboue which there are also certaine others that shew that there be some riuers About two leagues from Cape royall wee sounded and found 20 fadome water and there is the greatest fishing of Cods that possible may be for staying for our company in lesse then an houre we tooke aboue an hundred of them Of certaine Ilands that lie betweene Cape Royal and The Cape of milke THe next day being the 18 of the moneth the winde with such rage turned against vs that wâ were constrained to go backe toward Cape Royal thinking there to finde some harborough and with our boates went to discouer betweene the Cape Royal and the Cape of Milke and found that aboue the low Ilands there is a great and very deepe gulfe within which are certaine Ilands The said gulfe on the Southside is shut vp The foresaid low grounds are on one of the sides of the entrance and Cape Royal is on the other The saide low grounds doe stretch themselues more then halfe a league within the Sea It is a plaine countrey but an ill soile and in the middest of the entrance thereof there is an Iland The saide gulfe in latitude is fourtie eight degrees and an halfe and in longitude * That night we found no harborough and therefore wee lanched out into the Sea leauing the Cape toward the West Of the Iland called S. Iohn FRom the said day vntill the 24 of the moneth being S. Iohns day we had both stormie weather and winde against vs with such darkenesse and mistes that vntill S. Iohns day we could haue no sight of any land and then had we sight of a Cape of land that from Cape Royal lieth Southwest about 35 leagues but that day was so foggie and mistie that we could not come neere land and because it was S. Iohns day we named it Cape S. Iohn Of certaine Ilands called the Ilands of Margaulx and of the kinds of beasts and birds that there are found Of the Iland of Brion and Cape Dolphin THe next day being the 25. of the moneth the weather was also stormie darke and windy but yet we sailed a part of the day toward West North west and in the euening wee put our selues athwart vntill the second quarter when as we departed then did we by our compasse know that we were Northwest by West about seuen leagues and an halfe from the Cape of S. Iohn and as wee were about to hoise saile the winde turned into the Northwest wherefore wee went Southeast about 15. leagues and came to three Ilands two of which are as steepe and vpright as any wall so that it was not possible to climbe them and betweene them there is a little rocke These Ilands were as full of birds as any field or medoââ is of grasse which there do make their nestes and in the greatest of them there was a great and infinite number of those that wee call Margaulx that are white and bigger then any geese which were seuered in one part In the other were onely Godetz but towarâ the shoare there were of those Godeâz and great Apponatz like to those of that Iland that we aboue haue mentioned we went downe to the lowest part of the least Iland where we killed aboue a thousand of those Godetz and Apponatz We put into our boates so many of them as we pleased for in lesse then one houre we might hauâ filled thirtie such boats of them we named them The Ilands of Margaulx About fiue leaguâs froÌ the said Ilands on the West there is another Iland that is about two leagues in length and so much in breadâh there did we stay all night to take in water and wood That Iland is enuirâned round about with sand and hath a very good road about it three or foure fadome deepe Those Ilands haue the best soile that euer we saw for that one of their fields is more worth thân all the New land We found it all full of goodly trees medowesâ fields full of wild corne and peason bloomed as thick as ranke and as faire as any can be seene in Britaine so that they seemed to haue bene plowed and sowed There was also great store of gooseberies strawberies damaske roses parselây with other very sweete and pleasant hearbes About the said Iland are very great beastes as great âs oxen which haue two great teeth in their mouths like vnto Elephants teeth liue also in the Sea We saw one of them sleeping vpon the banke of the water wee thinking to take it went to it with our boates but so soone as he heard vs he cast himselfe into the Sea We also saw beares âolues we named it Brions Iland About it toward Southeast and Northwest there are great lakes As farre as I could gather and comprehend I thinke that there be some passage betweene New found land and Brions land If so it were it would be a great shortâing aswel of the time as of the way if any perfecâion could be found in it About foure leagues from that Iland toward WestSouthwest is the firme land which seemeth to be as an Iland compassed about with litle Ilands of sands There is a goodly Cape which we named Cape Dolphin for there is the beginning of good grounds On the 27. of Iune we compassed the said lands about that lie West Southwest and a farre off thây seeme to be little hillâs of sand for they are but low landes wee could neither goe to them nor land on them because the winde was against vs. That day we went 15. leagues Of the Iland called Alexai and of the cape of S. Peter THe next day we went along the said land about 10. leagues till we came to a Cape of redde land that is all craggie within the which
way of an hundred and thirtie leagues being twentie leagues on the way we had the hauen of Natiuidad that is of the birth of the Uirgin Mary and other eight leagues further the hauen of Saint Iago or Saint Iames and sixe leagues further the sea Stâand called La Playa de Colima that is the Strand of Colima All this coast from California to the hauen of Acapulco is inhabited by people that haue peace and traffique with the Spaniards and are of condition and qualities like the people of the other places of new Spaine The conclusion of the Author of this last voyage ALl this description and nauigation haue I my selfe seene prooued and well noted in my voyage made ended in the yeere of our Lord 1584. from great China out of the hauen and riuer of Canton as I will more at large set it downe vnto your honour with the longitudes and latitudes thereof as God shall permit mee time and leysure whom I beseech to send you long and happie dayes And the same was truely translated out of Spanish into lowe Dutch verbatim out of the Originall copie wich was sent vnto the Uiceroy of the Portugall Indies by Iohn Huyghen Van Linschoten DIVERS VOYAGES MADE BY ENGLISHmen to the famous Citie of Mexico and to all or most part of the other principall prouinces cities townes and places throughout the great and large kingdom of New Spaine euen as farre as Nicaragua and Panama thence to Peru together with a description of the Spaniards forme of gouernment there and sundry pleasant relations of the maners and customes of the natural inhabitants and of the manifold rich commodities strange raricies found in those partes of the continent other matters most worthy the obseruation The voyage of Robert Tomson Marchant into Noua Hispania in the yeere 1555. with diuers obseruations concerning the state of the Countrey And certaine accidents touching himselfe RObert Tomson borne in the towne of Andouer in Hampshire began his trauaile out of Englaâd in An. 1553. in the moneth of March who depaâting out of the citie of Bristoll in a good ship called The barkeyong in companie of other Marchants of the sayde citie within 8. dayes after arriued at Lisbone in Portugall where the sayd Robert Tomson remainedâ 5. dayes at the end of which he shipped himselfe for Spaine in the sayd shippâ and within 4. dayes arriued in the bay of Cadiz in Andalusiaâ which is vnder the kingdom of Spaine from thence went vp to the citie of Siuil by land which is 20. leagues and there hee repaired to one Iohn Fieldâ house an English Marchant who had dwelt in the said city of Siuil 18. or 20. yeres maried with wife and children In whose house the said Tomson remained by the space of one whole yeere or thereabout for two causes The one to learne the Castillian tongue the other to see the orders of the countrey and the customes of the people At the end of which time hauing seene the fleetes of shippes come out of the Indies to that citie with such great quantitie of gold siluer pearles precious stones suger hides ginger and diuers other rich commodities he did determine with himselfe to seeke meanes and opportunitie to passe ouer to see that rich countrey from whence such great quantitie of rich commodities came And it fell out that within short time after the sayd Iohn Field where the sayd Tomson was lodged did determine to passe ouer into the West Indies himselfe with his wife children and familie and at the request of the sayde Tomson he purchased a licence of the King of passe into the Indies for himselfe his wife and children and among them also for the sayde Tomson to passe with them so that presently they made preparation of victuall and other necessarie prouision for the voyage But the shippes which were prepared to perfourme the voyage being all ready to depart vpon certaine considerations by the kings commandement were stayed and arrested till further should bee knowen of the Kings pleasure Whereupon the said Iohn Field with Robert Tomson departed out of Siuil and came down to S. Lucar 15. leagues off and seeing the stay made vpon the ships of the said fleet being not assured when they would depart determined to ship themselues for the Iles of the Canaties which are 250. leagues from S. Lucar and there to stay till the said fleet should come thither for that is continually their port to make stay at 6. or 8. daies to take in fresh water bread flesh other necessaries So that in the moneth of February in An. 1555 the sayde Robert Tomson with the said Iohn Field and his companie shipped themselues out of the towne of S. Lucar in caruel of the citie of Cadiz and within 6. dayes they arriued at the port of the Grand Canaria where at our comming the ships that rode in the said port began to cry out of all measure with loud voyces in so much that the castle which stood fast by began to shoot at vs and shot 6. or 7. shot at vs and strooke downe our maine maste before we could hoise out our boat to goe on land to know what the cause of the shooting was seeing that we were Spanish ships and were comming into his countrey So that being on lande and complaining of the wrong and damage done vnto vs they answered that they had thought we had bene French rouers that had come into the said port to do some harme to the ships that were there For that 8. dayes past there went out of the said port a caruell much like vnto ours laden wit sugers and other marchandise for Spaine and on the other side of the point of the sayd Iland met with a Frenchman of warre who tooke the said caruell vnladed out of her into the said French ship both men goods And being demanded of the said Spaniards what other ships remained in the port whence they came they answered that there remained diuers other ships one laden with sugers as they were ready to depart for Spaine vpon the which newes the Frenchmen put 30. tall men of their ship well appointed into the said caruel which they had taken and sent her backe againe to the said port from whence she had departed the day before And somewhat late towards the euening came into the port not shewing past 3. or 4. men and so came to an anker hard by the other ships that were in the said port and being seene by the castle and by the said ships they made no reconing of her because they knew her thinking that she had found contrary windes at the sea or had forgot something behinde them they had returned backe againe for the same and so made no accompt of her but let her alone riding quietly among the other ships in the said port So that about midnight the said caruel with the Frenchmen in her went aboord the
next day following before noone hee came to vs on foote from his house which was foureteene English miles himselfe being a hundreth and tenne yeeres olde and returned on foote the same day and with him many of the borderers with many women and children that came to wonder at our nation and to bring vs downe victuall which they did in great plentie as venison porke hennes chickens foule fish with diuers sorts of excellent fruites and rootes and great abundance of Pinas the princes of fruites that grow vnder the Sunne especially those of Guiana They brought vs also store of bread and of their wine and a sort of Paraquitos no bigger then wrennes and of all other sorts both small and great one of them gaue mee a beast called by the Spaniards Armadilla which they call Cassicam which seemeâh to be all barred ouer with smal plates somewhat like to a Rinoceros with a white horne growing in his hinder parts as bigge a great hunting horne which they vse to winde in stead of a trumpet Monardus writeth that a little of the powder of that horne put into the eare cureth deafenesse After this olde King had rested a while in a little tent that I caused to bee set vp I beganne by my interpreter âo discourse with him of the death of Morequito his predecessour and afterward of the Spaniards and ere I went any farther I made him knowe the cause of my comming thither whose seruant I was and that the Queenes pleasure was I should vndertake the voyage for their defence and to deliuer them from the tyrannie of the Spaniards dilating at large as I had done before to those of Trinidad her Maiesties greatnesse her iustice her chaââteâ to all oppressed nations with as many of the rest of her beauties and vertues as either I could expresse or they conceiue all which being with great admiration attentiuely heard and marueilously admired I beganne to sound the olde man as touching Guiana and the state thereof what sort of common wealth it was who gouerned of what strength and policie howe farre it extended and what nations were friendes or enemies adioyning and finally of the distance and way to enter the same hee tolde mee that himselfe and his people with all those downe the Riuer towards the Sea as farre as Emeria the prouince of Carapana were of Guiana but that they called themselues Orenoqueponi and that all the nations betweene the riuer and those mountaines in sight called Wacaâiâa were of the same cast and appellation and that on the other side of those mountaines of Wacatima there was a large plaine which after I discouered in my returne called the valley of Amariocapana in all that valley the people were also of the ancient Guianians I asked what nations those were which inhabited on the farther side of those mountaines beyond the valley of Amariocapana hee answered with a great sign as a man which had inward feeling of the losse of his Countrey and libertie especially for that his eldest sonne was sleine in a battell on that side of the mountaines whom hee most entirely loued that hee remembred in his fathers lifetime when hee was very olde and himselfe a yong man that there came downe into that large valley of Guiana a nation from so farre off as the Sunne slept for such were his owne wordes with so great a multitude as they coulde not bee numbred nor resisted and that they were large coates and hattes of crimson colour which colour hee expressed by shewing a piece of red wood wherewith my tent was supported and that they were called Orejones and Epuremei those that had slaine and rooted out so many of the ancient people as there were leaues in the wood vpon all the trees and had nowe made themselues Lords of all euen to that mountaine foote called Curaaâ sauing onely of two nations the one called Awarawaqueri and the other Cassipagotos and that in the last battell fought betweene the Epuremei and the Iwarawaqueri his eldest sonne was chosen to carry to the aide of the Iwarawaqueri a great troupe of the Orenoqueponi and was there slaine with all his people and friendes and that hee had now remayning but one sonne and farther tolde mee that those Epuremei had built a great Towne called Macureguarai at the said mountaine foote at the beginning of the great plaines of Guiana which haue no ende and that their houses haue many roomes one ouer the other and that therein the great King of the Orejones and Epuremei kept three thousande men to defend the borders against them and withall dayly to inuade and slay them but that of late yeeres since the Christians offered to inuade his territories and those frontiers they were all at peace and traded one with another sauing onely the Iwarawaqueri and those other nations vpon the head of the riuer of Caroli called Cassipagotos which we afterwards discouered each one holding the Spaniard for a common enemie After hee had answered thus farre he desired leaue to depart saying that hee had farre to goe that hee was olde and weake and was euery day called for by death which was also his owne phrase I desired him to rest with vs that night but I could not intreate him but hee tolde mee that at my returne from the countrey aboue hee would againe come to vs and in the meane time prouide for vs the best he could of all that his countrey yeelded the same night hee returned to Orocotona his owne towne so as hee went that day eight and twentie miles the weather being very hot the countrey being situate betweene foure and fiue degrees of the Equinoctial This Topiawari is helde for the prowdest and wisest of all the Orenoqueponi and so hee behaued himselfe towardes mee in all his answeres at my returne as I marueiled to finde a man of that grauitie and iudgement and of so good discourse that had no helpe of learning nor breede The next morning we also left the port and sailed Westward vp to the Riuer to view the famous Riuer called Caroli as well because it was marueilous of it selfe as also for that I vnderstoode it ledde to the strongest nations of all the frontiers that were enemies to the Epuremei which are subiects to Inga Emperour of Guiana and Manoa and that night we anckered at another yland called Caiama of some fiue or sixe miles in length and the next day arriued at the mouth of Caroli When we were short of it as lowe or further downe as the port of Morequito wee heard the great rore and fall of the Riuer but when wee came to enter with our barge and whirries thinking to haue gone vp some fourtie miles to the nations of the Cassipagotos wee were not able with a barge of eight oares to row one stones cast in an houre and yet the Riuer is as broad as the Thames at Wolwich and wee tried both sides and the middle and
whereof and of the setting together of a pinnesse which they were about the French admiral and the carauel stayed behind So wee in the Watte and the other 6. ships weyed the 10. of Februarie and stood away for the isle of Mayo This night the other two French shippes that came from Sal with vs as it seemeth of purpose because their consorts were not with them lost vs. The next morning wee sawe Maio. So wee and the flieboate of Dartmouth compassed the Northermost part of the Island and master Beniamin Wood in the China-fleete the Southermost and came all to an anker together at the Southwest part thereof where rode sixe sayles oâ Flemmings lading salte who had brought their horses and cartes and wheele-barrowes and plankes for their barrowes to runne vpon Here is abundance of salte in this Island made by Gods hande without mans labour These tolde vs that there were thirtie sayles more which fell to leeward of Fogo who as I heard since beat it vp with much adoe came thither also for salte This trade may bee very beneficiall to England considering the dearnesse of salte Of goates on this Island there is such store as is incredible but to those that haue seene them and it is a wonder howe they liue one by the other the ground being stonie and barren It is thought that there are dwelling in it some twentie Mountainiers which got one of the Flemmings men stragling and God knowâth what they did with him for they sawe him no more This Island is somewhat lowe and round hauing no great mountaines vpon it Here ended our determination concerning the inuading of Fogo And here wee leât the flie-boat of Dartmouth lading salte and the China-fleete to refresh themselues with goates who as I haue heard since had at the village from whence the Mountainiârs were fledde into the furthest partes of the Island and rocks great store of dryed goates which they carried along with them which wâre like to bee a great helpe vnto them in their long voyage So vpon Saturday the 12 of Februarie at night wee set saile and stood for the coast of Wiana which wee were bound for Upon Sunday the twentieth of Februarie wee came into the maine current that setteth from the Cape of Buena Esperança along the coast of Brasil and so toward the West Indies for the most part setting away Northwest The Tuesday night following whereas before our course was Westsouthwest wee stoode away West and by South by reason wheâeof and of the current that set vs to the Northward wee were the next day by noone twentie minutes further to the Northward then the day before So that then wee lay away Southwest because wee were loath to fall to the Northward of our place intended which if wee should bee put to leeward of there was small hope left to recouer it By Thursday wee were within out degree ½ of the Equinoctiall line therefore this day wee halled away West and by South and West among This night wee âounded but had no ground at 90 fathoms The next day in the morning the colour of the water began to change and to bee more white so wee made another sound and had ground at thirtie fathoms but saw no lande and in the afternoone wee halled away Westnorthwest Northwest and Northnorthwest In the night wee sounded diuers times and had twelue ten and nine fathoms water All Saturday wee had a thick red water and had seuen and eight fathoms both day and night and vpon Sunday morning by day being the seuen and twentieth of Februarie wee made the lande which appeared lowe and trended neerest as we fell with it South and by East North and by West about two degrees ½ toward the North. Right on head of vs was a Cape or headland so that had wee beene shot a little further into the bay the winde being more Northerly wee should hardly haue doubled it off For with much adoe making many boords and stopping euery tyde it was the Tuesday following before wee cleered our selues of the bay and recouâred the Cape Nowe the lande trended Northwest and by North and Southeast and by South And still wee were faine to anker euery tyde sometimes in foure fathoms and sometimes in three as farre as wee could see lând So about night we sawe Cape Cecill and after some two houres came to an anker Betweene these two Capes the lande lyeth âowe and euen Upon Wednesday morning hauing the winde large at Eastnortheast wee layd it away vpon a board into the bay of Wiapoucou and came to an anker in the riuers mouth in two fathoms ouer the barre there is little water as 6 and 7 foote and lesse in many places And this riuer of Wiapoucou standeth almost in 4 degrees to the Northward of the line The next morning wee weyed and standing in with our pinnesse by night wee got some eight leagues vp the riuer This day sometimes wee had but 5 âoote water and drew 7 foot but being soft oaze we went cleere and a little before wee came to anker wee were on ground vpon a rocke but with some trouble and labour wee got off and had no hurt Upon Friday the 4 of March towards night wee came to the falles The next day M. Leonard Berrie our captaine the Master my selfe and some 5 more went through the woods and spent all the day in searching the head of the falles but could not finde it for though wee passed by many yet were there more still one aboue the other So that finding no Indians in this riuer to buy victuals of neither any kind of thing that might intice vs to come to so short allowance as we must haue done if wee had spent any long time here finding it ouer hard to passe the falles wee fell downe the riuer againe and by Friday the 11 of March wee cleered our selues of the riuer and bay This riuer from the mouth to the falles is some 16 leagues in many places a mile ouer but for the most part halfe a mile There are many Islands in it as are also in most of the riuers vpon the coast This night wee ankered against Cawo in two fathoms whereinto wee thought to haue put with our pinnesse but found the water so shoald and the sea so growân that neither with our shippe nor shallope wee durst goe in On Saturday by noone wee came to anker vnder one of the 7 Islands vpon which going on shoare wee found neither man nor beast but great store of yellow plumbes which are good to eate Upon Sunday after dinner our Master William Dowle and 6 more went off with our boat to a towne called Aramatto where they found many inhabitants and brought victuals and some Tabacco with them and one Indian named Caprima who lying aboord all night the next day being Munday the 14 of March went with our Captaine into Wias and there traded with the
to giue them warning of our arriuall They of the towne being not aboue 9. housholds presently fled away and abandoned the towne Our Generall manned his boate and the Spanish ships boate and went to the Towne and being come to it we rifled it and came to a small chappell which wee entred and found therein a siluer chalice two cruets and one altar-cloth the spoyle whereof our Generall gaue to M. Fletcher his minister We found also in this towne a warehouse stored with wine of Chili and many boords of Cedar-wood all which wine we brought away with vs and certaine of the boords to burne for fire-wood and so being come aboord wee departed the Hauen hauing first set all the Spaniards on landâ sauing one Iohn Griego a Greeke borne whom our Generall caried with him for his Pilot to bring him into the hauen of Lima. When we were at sea our Generall rifled the ship and found in her good store of the wine of Chili and 25000. pezoes of very pure and fine gold of Baldiuia amounting in value to 37000. ducats of Spanish money and aboue So going on our course wee arriued next at a place called Coquimbo where our Generall sent 14. of his men on land to fetch water but they were espied by the Spaniards who came with 300. horsemen and 200. footemen and slewe one of our men with a piece the rest came aboord in safetie and the Spaniards departed wee went on shore againe and buried our man and the Spaniards came downe againe with a flag of truce but we set sayle and would not trust them From hence we went to a certaine port called Tarapaça where being landed we found by the Sea side a Spaniard lying asleepe who had lying by him 13. barres of siluer which weighed 4000. ducats Spanish we tooke the siluer and left the man Not farre from hence going on land for fresh water we met with a Spaniard and an Indian boy driuing 8. Llamas or sheepe of Peru which are as big as asses euery of which sheepe had on his backe 2. bags of leather each bagge conteining 50. li. weight of fine siluer so that bringing both the sheepe and their burthen to the ships we found in all the bags 800. weight of siluer Here hence wâ sailed to a place called Arica and being entred the port we found there three small barkes which we rifled and found in one of them 57 wedges of siluer each of them weighing about 20 pound weight and euery of these wedges were of the fashion and bignesse of a brick-bat In all these 3. barkes we found not one person for they mistrusting no strangers were all gone aland to the Towne which consisteth of about twentie houses which we would haue ransacked if our company had bene better and more in number But our Generall contented with the spoyle of the ships left the Towne and put off againe to sea and set sayle for Lima and by the way met with a small barke which he boorded and found in her good store of linnen cloth whereof taking some quantitie he let her goe To Lima we came the 13. day of February and being entred the hauen we found there about twelue sayle of ships lying fast moored at an anker hauing all their sayles caried on shore for the masters and marchants were here most secure hauing neuer bene assaulted by enemies and at this time feared the approch of none such as we were Our generall rifled these ships and found in one of them a chest full of royals of plate and good store of silkes and linnen cloth and tooke the chest into his owne ship and good store of the silkes and linnen In which ship hee had newes of another ship called the Cacafuego which was gone towards Paita and that the same shippe was laden with treasure whereupon we staied no longer here but cutting all the cables of the shippes in the hauen we let them driue whither they would either to sea or to the shore and with all speede we followed the Cacafuego toward Paita thinking there to haue found her but before wee arriued there she was gone from thence towards Panama whom our Generall still pursued and by the way met with a barke laden with ropes and tackle for ships which hee boorded and searched and found in her 80. li. weight of golde and a crucifixe of gold with goodly great Emerauds set in it which he tooke and some of the cordage also for his owne ship From hence we departed still following the Cacafuego and our Generall promised our company that whosoeuer could first descrie her should haue his chaine of gold for his good newes It fortuned that Iohn Drake going vp into the top descried her about three of the clocke and about siâe of the clocke we came to her and boorded her and shotte at her three peeces of ordinance and sââake downe her Misen and being entered we found in her great riches as iewels and precious stones thirteene chests full of royals of plate foure score pound weight of golde and sixe and twentie tunne of siluer The place where we tooke this prize was called Cape de San Francisco about 150. leagues from Panama The Pilots name of this Shippe was Francisco and amongst other plate that our Generall found in this ship he found two very faire guilt bowles of siluer which were the Pilots to whom our Generall sayd Senior Pilot you haue here two siluer cups but I must needes haue one of them which the Pilot because hee could not otherwise chuse yeelded vnto and gaue the other to the steward of our Generals ships When this Pilot departed from vs his boy sayde thus vnto our Generall Captaine our ship shall be called no more the Cacafuego but the Cacaplata and your shippe shall bee called the Cacafuego which pretie speach of the Pilots boy ministred matter of laughter to vs both then and long after When our Generall had done what hee would with this Cacafuego hee cast her off and wee went on our course still towards the West and not long after met with a ship laden with linnen cloth and fine China-dishes of white earth and great store of China-silks of all which things wee tooke as we lifted The owner himselfe of this ship was in her who was a Spanish Gentleman from whom our Generall tooke a Fawlcon of golde with a great Emeraud in the breast thereof and the Pilot of the ship he tooke also with him and so cast the ship off This Pilot brought vs to the hauen of Guarulco the towne whereof as he told vs had but 17. Spaniards in it Assoone as we were entred this hauen wee landed and went presently to the towne and to the Towne-house where we found a Iudge sitting in iudgment being associate with three other officers vpon three Negros that had conspired the burning of the Towne both which Iudges prisoners we tooke and
when the Indians had well eaten and drunke they departed thence and going somewhat farre from them one of the Indians cryed to them and sayde Magallanes Esta he minha Terra that is Magallanes this is my countrey and because the Englishmen followed them it seemed the Indians fledde vpward into the land and beeing somewhat farre off they turned backe againe and with their arrowes slewe two of the English shippers one being an Englishman the other a Netherlander the rest came backe againe and saued themselues in the boate wherewith they presently put off from the shore Here they stayed till the seuenteenth of August vpon the which day they set saile running along by the coast about a league and a halfe from the land for there it is all faire and good ground at twentie and fiue and twentie fathome deepe and were about foure or fiue dayes before they came to the mouth or entrie of the Streight but because the wind was contrary they stayed till the 24 of August before they entred The entrie or mouth of the Streight is about a league broad on both sides being bare and flatte land on the North side they sawe Indians making great fires but on the Southside they saw no people stirring The foure and twentieth day aforesayd they beganne to enter into the Streight with an Eastnortheast wind This Streight may bee about an hundred and tenne leagues long and in bredth a league About the entry of the Streight and halfe way into it it tunneth right foorth without any windings or turnings and from thence about eight or tenne leagues towards the ende it hath some boutes and windings among the which there is one so great a hooke or headland that it seemed to runne into the other land and there it is lesse then a league broad from one land to the other and from thence forward it runneth straight out againe And although you finde some crookings yet they are nothing to speake of The issue of the Streight lieth Westward and about eight or tenne leagues before you come to the ende then the Streight beguineth to bee broader and it is all high land to the ende thereof after you are eight leagues within the Streight for the first eight leagues after you enter is low flat land as I sayd before and in the entrie of the Streight you find the streame to runne from the South sea to the North sea And after they began to saile in with the Eastnortheast wind being entred they passed along without any let or hinderance either of wind or weather and because the high land on both sides lay couered with snow and that all the Streight is faire and cleare they helde their course a harquebuse-shot in length from off the North side hauing nine and tenne fathome depth with good ground as I said before where if neede require a man may anker the hilles on both sides being full of trees some of the hilles and trees reaching downe to the sea side in some places hauing plaine and euen land and there they sawe not any greât riuers but some small riuers that issued out of the riffes and breaches of the land and in the countrey where the great Cape or crooking is on the South side they saw certaine Indian fishermen in their Canoas or skiffs being such as they saw first on the North side but more people they saw not on the South side Being out of the Streight on the other side vpon the sixt of September of the aforesaid yeere they held their course Northwest for the space of three dayes and the third day they had a Northeast wind that by force draue them Westsouthwest which course they held for the space of ten or twelue dayes with few sailes vp and because the wind began to be very great they toâke in all their sailes and lay driuâng till the last of September The 24 day of the same moneth hauing lost the sight of one of their shippes which was about an hundred tunne then againe they hoised saile because the winde came better holding their course Northeast for the space of seuen dayes and at the ende of the sayde seuen dayes they had the sight of certayne Islands which they made towards for to anker by them but the weather would not permit them and being there the wind fell Northwest whereupon they sailed Westsouthwest The next day they lost the sight of another ship of their company for it was very foule weather so that in the ende the Admirals shippe was left alone for the ship of Nuno da Silua was left in the Bay where they wintered before they entred into the Streights and with this foule weather they ranne till they were vnder seuen and fiftie degrees where they entred into a hauen of an Island and ankered about the length of the shot of a great piece from the land at twentie fathome deepe where they stayed three or foure dayes and the wind comming Southward they weyed anker holding their course Northward for the space of two daies and then they espied a small vnhabited Island where being arriued they stroke sailes and hoised out their boate and there they tooke many birds and Seales The next day they set saile againe holding their course Northnortheast and North to another Island lying fiue or sixe leagues from the firme land on the Northside of the Streight where they ankered about a quarter of a league from the land in twelue fathome water This Island is small and lowe land and full of Indians the Island being altogether possessed and inhabited by them where they hoysed out their boate wherein the Admirall and twelue Englishmen entred going to fetch fresh water and to seeke for victuals and being landed vpon the Island the Indians in exchange of other things brought two Spanish sheepe and a little Maiz or rootes whereof they make bread and because it was late they returned againe vnto their ship without doing any other thing for that day The next day the said Captaine with the aforesaid twelue men being harquebusiers rowed to land againe and set two of their company on shore with their vessels to fetch fresh water and by the place where they should fill their water there lay certaine Indians secretly hidden that fell vpon the two Englishmen and tooke them which they in the boat perceiuing went out to helpe them but they were so assailed with stones arrowes that all or the most part of them were hurt the Captaine himselfe being wounded with an arrow on the face and with another arrow in the head whereby they were constrained to tuâne backe againe without once hurting any of the Indians and yet they came so neere the boate that they tooke foure of their oares from them This done they set saile againe running along the coast with a South winde sailing so for the space of sixe dayes passing by the hauen called Sant Iago and put into another hauen and
went about and stoode off South southwest one watch then the wind shrinked to the Southwest that we could lye but South southwest sixe glasses so that at three a clocke wee cast about and lay Northwest sixe glasses and North northwest a watch being then eight a clocke the next day The 26. day wee lay as nigh as wee coulde betweene the North and the North northeast and saw the same land againe and made it to bee the foreland of Fontenay and the ragges to bee the Seames which bare now East Northeast of vs and wee stoode on till tenne a clocke then being within two leagues of the rockes and lesse wee cast about and stoode off Southwest because wee could not double the vttermost rockes when we were about we draue to the Southwards very faste for the ebbe set vs West southwest and being spring tides it horsed vs a pace to leewards for the space of one houre then with the flood which was come we draue againe to windewards at twelue at noone it was calme till 6. afternoone then wee stoode about larbord tacked South southwest one watch then at midnight wee cast about and stoode ouer North till foure aforenoone The 27. day hauing brought the land East southeast of vs we made it to be Sylly being before deceiued and went hence East by North to double Grimsbie leauing The bishop and his clearks to the Southwestwards which we before tooke to be The Seames At 7. a clocke in the afternoone we sawe the lands end of England which bare East by North off vs and is 7. leagues off from Sylly The 29. day at sixe a clocke beforenoone we had brought the Ramhead North of vs and were within a league of it and went in Northeast next band being thicke and foggie and little winde so that at eleuen a clocke we got in within the yland and there by mistaking of a sounding our ship came aground betweene the yle and the maine and there sate till 4. a clocke in the afternoone that it was halfe flood The 30. day about 9. a clocke with much adoe I furnished away P. Ieffries M. Symberbe and William Towreson with letters after dined at M. Blaccollers and made many salutations with diuers gentlemen The 31. I wrought abord all day and put our ship and things in order Afternoone I hauing pitie of some poore men of Milbrooke which were robbed the night before by a pirate named Purser which rid in Cawson bay I consented to goe out with the Edward in company of a small shippe which they had furnished to bee their Master so about fiue of the clocke in the afternoone came a hundreth men of theirs abord of mee About twelue a clocke wee set saile and by three afore day wee were gotten to the windwards of him then bee set saile and went hence to the Eastwards and outsailed vs because our consort would not come neere him after a small chase which we gaue him to no effect wee returned into our old road and there moared the ship about nine of the clocke in the forenoone and hence went all the Milbrooke men agaiâe ashore from mee And thus I ended a trouble some voyage The voyage set out by the right honourable the Earle of Cumberland in the yere 1586. intended for The South sea but performed no farther then the latitude of 44 degrees to the South of the Equinoctial Written by M. Iohn Sarracoll marchant in the same voyage THe 26. day of Iune in the yeere 1586. and in the 28. yeere of the Queenes maiesties raigne wee departed from Grauesend in two ships the Admirall called The red dragon and the other The barke Clifford the one of the burden of 260. tunnes with 130. men and the other of the burden of 130. tunnes with 70. men the Captaine of the Admirall was M. Robert Withrington Of the vice-admirall M. Christopher Lister both being furnished out at the costs and charges of the right honorable the Erle of Cumberland hauing for their masters two brethren the one Iohn Anthonie and the other William Anthonie The 24. of Iuly wee came into the sound of Plimmouth and being there constrained by Westerly winds to stay till the 17. of August wee then departed with another ship also for our Rear-admirall called the Roe whereof M. Hawes was Captaine and a fine pinnesse also called the Dorothie which was sir Walter Raleghs We foure being out in the sea met the 20. of August with 16. sailes of hulkes in the Sleeue who named themselues to bee men of Hamborough laden and come from Lisbone Our Admirall hailed their Admirall with courteous wordes willing him to strike his sailes and to come abord to him onely to know some newes of the countrey but hee refused to do so onely stroke his flag tooke it in The vice-admirâl of the hulkes being a head would neither strike flagge nor saile but passed on without budging whereupon our Admirall lenâ him a piece of Ordinance which they repayed double so that we grew to some little quarel whereupon one of the sternemost hulkes being as I suppose more afraide then hurt stroke amaine our Admirall being neere him laid him abord and entred with certaine of his men how many I know not for that we were giuing chase to the Windermost men thinking our Admirall would haue come vp againe to vs to haue made them all to haue stroke but the weather growing to be very thicke and foggie with small raine he came not vp but kept with another of the hulkes which Captaine Hawes had borded and kept all night and tooke out of her some prouision that that they best liked They learned of the men that were in the hulke that there were 7. hulkes laden in Lisbone with Spaniards goods and because their lading was very rich they were determined to go about Ireland and so they let her goe againe like a goose with a broken wing The next day after being the 21. day wee espied 5. sailes more which lay along to the Eastwards but by reason of the night which then was neere aâ hand wee could hardly come to them Yet at last we hailed one of the biggest of them they tolde vs that they were al of Hamborough but another saide shee was of Denmarke so that indeede they knew neither what to say nor what to do Our Admirall being more desirous to folow his course then to linger by chasing the hulks called vs from pursuing them with his trumpet and a piece of Ordinance or els wee would haue seene what they had bene and wherewith they had bene laden The 22. day because of contrary winde wee put into Dartmouth all 4. of vs and caried there seuen dayes The 29. we departed thence and put out to Sea and began our voyage thinking at the first to haue runne along the coast of Spaine to see if wee could haue mette with sâme good prize to haue sent home to my Lord but our Captaine thought
height of 28. degrees to the Southward of the Line The 4. day wee fell with the shoare high and bold being in 30. degrees and a terse little more or lesse All of it to the Northward was a high land but to the Southward it did presently faile and was a very low land and all sandie About sixe leagues from the shoare wee sounded and had about fifteene or sixteene fathome water and blacke sandie oze We thought to haue gone to the shoare and to haue watered but we could not discerne any good harbour and therefore we cast off to seaward againe The 12. day wee found our selues in 32. degrees and 27. minutes From the day of the Natiuitie of Christ till the 13. day of this moneth although the Sunne was very neere vnto vs yet we found no want of winds but variable as in England not so hot but that a mans shoulders might well disgest a frize gowne and his bellie the best Christmas cheere in England yet wee for our parts had no want but such as might content honest men The tenth day being about 8. leagues from the shoare and a little short of the Riuer of Plate it was my good happe to espie a saile which was a small Portugal bound for the Riuer to a towne called Santa Fee and from thence by horse and carts the marchants and part of their goods were to bee transported into Peru. This shippe being about the burthen of 45. or 50. tunnes wee tooke that day about three of the clocke wherein there was for Master of Pilote and Englishman called Abraham Cocke borne in Lee. We examined him and the rest concerning the state of the Riuer and they told vs that there were in the Riuer fiue townes some of 70. housholds and some of more The first towne was about 50. leagues vp the Riuer called Buenos Ayres the rest some 40. some 50. leagues one from another so that the vppermost towne called Tucaman is 230. leagues from the entrance of the Riuer In these townes is great store of corne cattell wine and sundry fruits but no money of gold or siluer they make a certaine kinde of slight cloth which they giue in trucke of sugar rice Marmalade and Sucket which were the commodities that this shippe had They had abord also 45. Negros whereof euery one in Peru yeeldeth 400. duckets a piece and besides these there were as passengers in her two Portugal women and a childe The 11. day wee espied another saile which was the consort of this Portugall and to him also we gaue chase and tooke him the same day Hee was of the burthen of the other and had in him good store of sugar Marmalade and Sucâats with diuers other things which we noted downe our booke In this ship also we found about 35. Negro women and foure or fiue friers of which one was an Irish man of the age of three or foure and twentie yeeres and two Portugal women also which were borne in the riuer of Ienero Both these ships were bought in Brasil by a yong man which was Factor for the bishop of Tucaman and the friers were sent for by that bishop to possesse a new Monasterie which the bishop was then a building The bookes beads and pictures in her cost as one of the Portugals confessed aboue 1000. duckats Of these ships we learned that M. Iohn Drake who went in consort with M. Fenton had his Barke cast away a little short of the Riuer of Plate where they were taken captiues by the Sauages all sauing them which were slaine in the taking the Sauages kept them for a time and vsed them very hardly yet at the last Iohn Drake and Richard Faireweather and two or three more of their company with them got a Canoa and escaped and came to the first towne of the Spaniards Faireweather is maried in one of the townes but Iohn Drake was carried to Tucaman by the Pilot of this ship and was liuing and in good health the last yeere Concerning this voyage of the Portugals they tolde vs that it was the thirde voyage that was made into the Riuer of Plate these 30. yeeres The 12. of Ianuary wee came to Seale yland and the 14. day to the Greene yland where going in we found hard abord the maine 8. fathome 7. and 6. and neuer lesse then fiue fathome There lies a ledge of rocks in the faire way betwixt the yland and the maine so that you must bee sure to borrow hard abord the maine and leaue the ledge on the larbord side One of the Portugals which wee caried along with vs in our shippe seemed to bee a man of experience and I entred into speach with him concerning the state of the Riuer hee tolde mee that the towne of Buenos Ayres is from the Greene yland about seuentie leagues standing on the Southside of the Riuer and from thence to Santa Fee is 100. leagues standing on the same side also At which towne their shippes doe discharge all their goods into small Barkes which rowe and towe vp the Riuer to another towne called Ascension which is from Santa Fee 150 leagues where the boats discharge on shoare and so passe all the goods by carts and horses to Tucaman which is in Peru. The towne of Ascension stands in a very fertile place reaping corne twise in the yeere with abundance of wine cattell and fruits In the townes of Ascension and Tucaman a rapier of 20. rials of plate is worth 30. duckats a boxe of Marmalade 20. duckats a looking glasse a foote ouer is worth 30. li. pictures in tables of 14. inches 30. and 40. li. a piece The 16. day wee went from Greene yland to the watering place which is about a league to the Westward where wee tooke in about 18. tunnes of water and the 22. day came againe to Seale yland to make prouision of Seales where a storme arose which put vs in some danger by the breaking of our anckers and cables and the winde blew so colde that wee much marueiled at it considering the height of the place I must needes in this place finde fault with our selues and the whole company that riding in this Riuer 16. dayes the chanell was not sounded nor the way made perfect The 29. day wee tooke into our ship one Miles Philips which was left in the West Indies by M. Hawkins The first of February I tooke the Sunne in 38. degrees And the 3. day of I tooke it againe and found it to be in 41. degrees The 7. day of February our Captaine master Lister being in one of the prizes hoysed ouer bord his Gundelo and went abord the Admirall and being there they sent their Gundelo abord vs for our Master master Collins and my selfe at our comming we were called into the Captaines cabbin where were set in counsell for matters touching the state of our voyage these men whose names are vnder written
returne or send some answere within ten dayes for that we told him we were Marchants and would traffique with them but we neuer receiued answere from him any more and seeing that he came not according to appoyntment our businesse being dispatched wee weyed anchor and set sayle from S. Sebastian on the 23. of Nouember The 16. day of December we fell with the coast of America in 47. degrees â
the land bearing West from vs about 6. leagues off from which place we ran along the shore vntill we came into 4â degrees It is a steepe beach all along The 17. day of December in the afternoone we entred into an harborough where our Admirall went in first wherefore our General named the said harborough Port Desiâe in which harborough is an Iland or two where there is wonderful great store of Seales and another Iland of birds which are grey guls These Seales are of a wonderful great bignesse huge and monstrous of shape and for the fore-part of their bodies cannot be compared to any thing better then to a lion their head and necke and fore-parts of their bodies are full of rough haire their feete are in maner of a finne and in forme like vnto a mans hand they breed and cast euery moneth giuing their yong milke yet continually get they their liuing in the sea and liue altogether vpon fish their yong are marueilous good meate and being boyled or rosted are hardly to be knowen from lambe or mutâon The olde ones be of such bignesse and force that it is as much as 4. men are able to doe to kill one of them with great âowle-sâaues and hee must be beaten downe with striking on the head of him for his body is of that bignesse that foure men could neuer kill him but only on the head For being shotte through the body with an Harquebuze or a Musket yet he will goe his way into the sea and neuer care for it at the present Also the fowles that were there were very good meate and great store of them they haue burrowes in the ground like conies for they cannot flie They haue nothing but downe vpon their pinions they also fish and feede in the sea for their liuing and breede on shore This harborough is a very good place to trimme ships in and to bring them on ground and graue them in for there ebbeth and floweth much water therefore wee graued and trimmed all our ships there The 24. of December being Christmas Euen a man and a boy of the Rere-admirall went some fortie score from our ships vnto a very faire greene valley at the foote of the mountaines where was a litle piââe or well which our men had digged and made some 2. or 3. dayes before to get fresh water for there was none in all the Harborough and this was but brackish therefore this man and boy came thither to wash their linnen and beeing in washing at the sayde Well there were great store of Indians which were come downe and found the sayd man and boy in washing These Indians being diuided on eche side of the rockes shotte at them with their arrowes and hurt them both but they fledde presently beeing about fiftie or threescore though our Generall followed them but with 16â or 20. men The mans name which was hurt was Iohn Garge the boyes name was Lutch the man was shot cleane through the knee the boy into the shoulder either of them hauing very sore wounds Their arrowes are made of litle canes and their heads are of a flint stone set into the caue very artificially they seldome or neuer see any Christians they are as wilde as euer was a bucke or any other wilde beast for wee followed them and they ranne from vs as it had bene the wildest thing in the worlde Wee tooke the measure of one of their feete and it was 18. inches long Their vse is when any of them dye to bring him or them to the cliffes by the sea-side and vpon the toppe of them they burie them and in their graues are buryed with them their bowes and arrowes and all their iewels which they haue in their life time which are sine shelles which they finde by the sea side which they cut and square after an artificiall maner and all is layd vnder their heads The graue is made all with great stones of great length and bignesse being set all along full of the dead mans dartes which he vsed when he was liuing And they colour both their darts and their graues with a red colour which they vse in colouring of themselues The 28. of December we departed out of the Port of Desire and went to an Iland which lieth 3. leagues to the Southward of it where we trimmed our saued pengwins with salt for victual all that and the next day and departed along the coast Southwest and by South The 30. day we fell with a rocke which lieth about 5. leagues from the land much like vnto Ediâstone which lieth off the âound of Plimouth and we sounded and had 8. fathoms rockie ground within a mile thereof the rocke bearing West Southwest Wee went coasting along South Southwest and sound great store of Seales all along the coast This rocke standeth in 48. degrees ½ to the Southward of the line The 2. day of Ianuarie wee fell with a very faire white Cape which standeth in 51. degrees and had 7. fathoms water a league off the land The third day of the foresayd moneth we fell with another great white cape which standeth in 52. degrees and 45. minutes from which Cape there runneth a lowe beach about a league to the Southward and this beach reacheth to the opening of the dangerous Streight of Magellan wâich is in diuers places 5. or 6. leagues wide and in two seuerall places more narrow Under this Cape wee anchored and lost an anchor for it was a great storme of foule weaâher and lastâd three daâes very dangerous The 6. day we put in for the Streights The 7. day betweene the mouth of the Streights and the narrowest place thereof wee tooke a Spaniard whose name was Heânando who was there with 23. Spaniards more which were all that remayned of foure hundred which werâ left there three yeeres before in these streights of Magellan all the rest being dead with famine And the same day we passed through the narrowâst of the Streights where the aforesayd Spanyard shewed vs the hull of a small Barke which we iudged to be a Barke called The Iohn Thomas It is from the mouth oâ the streights vnto the narrowest of the Streights 14. leagues and the course lieth West and by North. The mouth of the streights standeth in 52. degrees From the narrowest of the Streights vnto Pengwin Iland is 10. leagues and lyeth West Southwest somewhat to the Southward where wee anchored the 8. day and killed and salted great store of Pengwins for victuals
The ninth day wee departed from Pengwin Ilande and ranne South Southwest to King Philips citie which the Spaniards had built which Towne or citie had foure Fortes and euery Fort had in it one cast peeâe which pâââes were buryed in the ground the cariages were standing in their places vnburied wee digged for them and had thâm all They had contriâed their Citie veây well and seated it in the best place of the Stâeights for wood and water they hâd builded vp their Churches by themselues they had Lawes very seuere among themselues for they had ârecâed a Gibeâ whereon they had done execution vpon some of their company It seemed vnto vs that thâir whole liuing for a greaâ space was altogethâr vpon muskles and lympits for there was not any thing else to bee had except some Deere which came out of the mâuntaines downe to the fresh riuers to drinke These Spaniards which were there were only come to forââfie the Streights to the ende that no other nation should haue passage through into the Sâuâh sea sauing onely their owne but as it appeared it was not Gods will so to haue it For during the time that they were there which was two yeeres at the least they could neuer haue any thing to growe or in any wise prosper And on the other side the Indians oftentimes preyed vpon them vntill their victuals grewe so short their store being spent which they had brought with them out of Spaine and hauing no meanes to renew the same that they dyed like dogges in their houses and in their clothes wherein we found them still at our comming vntill that in the ende the towne being wonderfully taynted with the smell and the sauour of the dead people the rest which remayned aliue were driuen to burie such things as they had therein their towne either for prouision or for furniture and so to forsake the towne and to goe along the sea-side and seeke their victuals to preserue them from steruing taking nothing with them but euery man his harquebuze and his furniture that was able to cary it for some were not able to cary them for weakenesse and so liued for the space of a yeere and morâ with rootes leaues and sometimes a foule which they might kill with their peece To conclude they were determined to haue trauailed towards the riââr of Plate only bâing left aliue 23. persons wââreof two were wâmen which were the râmâinder of 4. hundred In this place we watered and woodded wâll and quietly Our Generall named this towne Port famine it standeth in 53. degrees by obseruation to the Southward The 14. day we departed from this place and ran South southwest and from thence southwest vnto cape Froward 5. leagues West Southwest which Cape is the Southermost part of all the streights and standeth in the latitude of 54. degrees Frâm which cape we ran Wâst and by north 5. leagues and put into a bay or Coue on the south side which we called Muskle-Coâe because there were great store of them we ridde therein 6. dayes the wind being still Westerly The 21. day of Ianuarie we departed from Muskle-âoue and went Northwest and by West 10. leagues to a very faire sandie Baye on the North side which our Generall called Elizabeth Baye and as wee ridde there that night one of our men dyed which went in the Hugh Gallant whose name was Grey a Carpenter by his occupation and was buryed there in that Baye The 22. wâe departed from Elizabeth Bay in the afternoone and went about 2. leagues from that place where there was a fresh water riuer where our Generall went vp with the ship-boate about three myles which riuer hath very good and pleasant ground about it and it is lowe and champion soyle and so we saw none other ground els in all the Streights but that was craggie rocks and monstrous high hilles and mountaines In this riuer are great store of Sauages which wee sawe and had conference with them They were men-âaterâ and fedde altogâther vpon rawe flesh and other filthie foode which people had preyed vpon some of the Spaniardes before spoken of For they had gotten kniues and peeces of Rapiers to make darces of They vsed all the meanes they could possibly to haue allured vs vp farther into the riuer of purpose to haue betrayed vs which being espyed by our Generall hee caused vs to shoote at them with our harquebuzes whereby we killed many of them So wee sayled from this riuer to the Chaneâl of Saint âerome which is 2. leagues off From the riuer of Saint Ierome about three or foure leagues wee ranne West vnto a Cape which is on the North side and from that Cape vnto the mouth of the Streights the course lyeth Northwest and by West and Northwest Betweene which place and the mouth of the Streights to the Southward we lay in Harborough vntill the three and twentieth of Februarie by reason of contrary windes and most vile and filthie fowle weather with such rayne and vehement stormie windes which came downe from the mountaines and high hilles that they hazarded the best cables and anchors that we had for to holde which if they had fayled wee had bene in great danger to haue bene cast away or at the least famished For during this tâme which was a full moneth we fedde almost altogether vpon muskles and limpits and birds or such as we could get on shore seeking euery day for them as the fowles of the ayre doe where they can finde foode in continuall raynie weather There is at euery myle or two myles ende an Harborough on both sides of the land And there we betweene the riuer of Saint Ierome and the mouth of the Streights going into the South sea about 34. leagues by estimation So that the length of thâ whole Sreights is about 90. leagues And the said mouâh of the Streights standeth in the same hââght that the entrance standeth in when we passe out of the North sea which is about 52. degrees and â
to the Southward of the line The 24. day of February wee entred into the South sea and on the South side of the going out of the Streights is a faire high Cape with a lowe poynt adioyning vnto it and on the North side are 4. or 5. Ilands which lye 6. leagues off the mayne and much broken and sunken ground about them by noone the same day wee had brought these Ilands East of vs 5. leagues off the winde being Southerly The first of March a storme tooke vs at North which night the ships lost the company of the Hugh Gallant beeing in 49. ½ and 45. leagues from the land This storme continued 3. or 4. dayes and for that time we in the Hugh Gallant being separated from the other 2. ships looked euery houre to sinke our barke was so leake and our selues so diluered and weakened with freeing it of water that
we slept not in three dayes and three nights The 15. of March in the morning the Hugh Gallant came in betweene the Iland of S. Mary and the mayne where she met with the Admiral and the Content which had rid at the Iland called La Mocha 2. dayes which standeth in the Southerly latitude of 38. degrees at which place some of our men went on shore with the Uice-admirals boate where the Indians fought with them with their bowes and arrowes and were marueilous warie of their Caliuers These Indians were enemies to the Spaniards and belonged to a great place called Arauco and tooke vs for Spaniards as afterward we learned This place which is called Arauco is wonderfull rich and full of golde mynes and yet could it not be subdued at any time by the Spaniards but they alwayes returned with the greatest losse of men For these Indians are marueilous desperate and carelesse of their liues to liue at their owne libertie and freedome The 15. day aforesayde in the afternoone wee weighed anchor and ranne vnder the West side of Saint Marie Iland where we ridde very well in 6. fathoms water and very faire ground all that night The 16. day our General went on shore himselfe with 70. or 80. men euery one with his furniture there came downe to vs certaine Indians with two which were the principals of the Iland to welcome vs on shore thinking we had bin Spaniards for it is subdued by them who brought vs vp to a place where the Spaniards had erected a Church with crosses altars in it And there were about this Church 2. or 3. store houses which were full of wheate and barley ready threshed and madâ vp in cades of strawe to the quantitie of a bushel of corne in euery cade The wheate and barly was as faire as cleane and euery way as good as any we haue in England There were also the like cades ful of potato rootes which were very good to eate ready made vp in the store houses for the Spaniards against they should come for their tribute This Iland also yeeldeth many sorts of fruits hogs and hens These Indians are held in such slauery by them that they dare not eate a hen or an hogge themselues But the Spaniards haue made them all in that Iland Christians Thus we fitted our selues here with corne asmuch as we would haue and as many hogges as we had salt to powder them withall and great store of hennes with a number of bags of Potato rootes and about 500. dried dogge-fishes and Guinie wheate which is called Maiz. And hauing taken as much as we would haue yet wâ left marueilous great store behind vs. Our General had the two principals of the Iland aboord our shippe and prouided great cheere for them and made them merie with wine and they in the ende perceiuing vs to bee no Spaniards made signes as neere as our Generall could perceiueâ that if wee would goe ouer vnto the mayne land vnto Arauco that there was much Golde making vs signes that we should haue great store of riches But because we could not vnderstand them our Generall made some haste and within 2. or thrâe dayes we furnished our selues The 18. day in the morning we departed from this place and ran all that day Northnortheast about 10. leagues and at night lay with a short sayle off and on the coast The 19. wee ranne in East Northeast with the land and bare in with a place called The Conception where wee anchored vnder an Iland and departed the next morning without going oâ land The 20. wee departed from The Conception and went into a litle Baye which was sandie where we saw fresh water and cattell but we stayed not there The 30. day we came into the Bay of Quintero which standeth in 33. degrees 50 minutes The said day presently after we were come vnto an ancre in the Bay there was a Netcherd or one that kept cattle which lay vpon the point of the hill asleepe which when he awaked and had espied three shippes which were come into the Bay before wee could get on shore he had caught an horse which was feeding by and rode his may as fast as euer hee might and our Generall with 30. shot with him went on shore He had not bene on land one houre but there came 3. horsemen with bright swords towards vs so hard as they might ride vntill they came within some twentie or thirtie score of vs and so stayed and would come no neerer vnto vs so our Generall sent vnto them a couple of our men with their shotte and one Fernando which was the Spaniard that wee had taken vp at the mouth of the Streights which was one of the 400. that were sterued there But the Spaniards would not suffer our men to come neere with their shot but made signes that one of our men should come alone vnto them so the said Fernando the Spaniard went vnto them and our two men stood not farre from them They had great conference and in the end Fernando came backe from them and told our Generall that he had parled with them for some victuals who had promised as much as we would haue Our General sent him back againe with another message and another shotte with him and being come neere vnto them they would not suffer any more then one to approch them whereupon our men let the Spaniard goe vnto them alone himselfe who being some good distance from them they stayâd but a small time together but that the said Fernando leaped vp behind one of them and rid away with them for all his deepe and damnable othes which he had made continually to our general and alâ his company neuer to forsake him but to die on his side before he would be false Our Generall seeing how he was dealt withall filled water all that day with good watch and caried it aboord and night being come he determined the next day to send into the countrey to find their towne and to haue taken the spoyle of it and to haue fired it if they could haue found it The last of March Captaine Hauers went vp into the Countrey with 50. or 60. men with their shot and furniture with them and we trauailed 7. or 8. miles into the land and as we were marching along we espied a number of the herdes of cattell of kine and bullockes which were wonderfull wilde we saw also great store of horses mares and coltes which were very wilde and vnhandled there is also great store of hares and conies and plenty of partriges and other wildfoules The countrey is very fruitful with faire fresh riuers all along full of wilde foule of all sorts Hauing trauailed so farre that we could goe no further for the monstrous high mountaines we rested our selues at a very fayre fresh Riuer running in and alongst faire lowe medowes at the foote of
of fortie tunnes The tenth day of the same moneth wee set the Indians on shoare which we had taken before in a balsa as we were comming into the road of Puna The eleuenth day wee departed from the sayd Rio dolce The twelft of Iune wee doubled the Equinoctial line and continued our course Northwarde all that moneth The first of Iulie wee had sight of the coast of Nueua Espanna being foure leagues distant from land in the latitude of ten degrees to the Northward of the line The ninth of Iulie wee tooke a new ship of the burthen of 120 tunnes wherein was one Michael Sancius whom our Generall tooke to serue his turne to water along the coast for hee was one of the best coasters in the South sea This Michael Sancius was a Prouensal borne in Marseils and was the first man that tolde vs newes of the great ship called The Santa Anna which wee afterward tooke comming from the Philippinas There were sixe men more in this new shippe we tooke her sailes her ropes and fire-wood to serue our turnes set her on fire and kept the men The tenth we tooke another barke which was going with aduise of vs and our ships all along the coast as Michael Sancius tolde vs but all the companie that were in the barke were flodde on shoare None of both these ships had any goods in them For they came both from Sonsonate in the prouince of Guatimala the new shippe for feare we should haue taken her in the road and the barke to carrie newes of vs along the coast which barke also wee set on fire The 26 day of Iuly wee came to an anker at 10 fathoms in the riuer of Copalita where wee made account to water And the same night wee departed with 30 men in the pinnesse and rowed to Aguatulco which is but two leagues from the aforesayd riuer and standeth in 15 degrees 40 minutes to the Northward of the Equinoctial line The 27 in the morning by the breake of day wee came into the roade of Aguatulco where wee found a barke of 50 tunnes which was come from Sonsonate laden with cacaos and anile which they had there landed and the men were all fled on shoare Wee landed there and burnt their towne with the church and custome house which was very faire and large in which house were 600 bags of anile to dye cloth euery bag whereof was worth 40 crownes and 400 bags of cacaos euery bag whereof is worth ten crownes These cacaos goe among them for meate and money For 150 of them are in value one rial of plate in ready payment They are vâry like vnto an almond but are nothing so pleasant in taste they eate them and make drinke of them This the owner of the shippe tolde vs. I found in this towne before wee burnt it a flasket full of boxes of balme After we had spoyled and burnt the towne wherein there were some hundred houses the owner of the shippe came downe out of the hilles with a flag of truce vnto vs which before with the rest of all the townesmen was âun away at our first comming and at length came abourd our pinnesse vpon Captaine Hauers worde of safe returne We caâriâd him to the riuer of Copalita where our shippes rode and when hee came to our Generall hee caused him to bee set on shoare in safetie the same night because hee came vpon the captaines word The 28 day we set saile from Copalita because the sea was so great there that wee could not fill water and ran the same night into the roade of Aguatulco The 29 our Generall landed and went on shoare with thirtie men two miles into the woods where wee tooke a Mestizo whose name was Michael de Truxillo who was customer of that towne and wee found with him two chambers full of his sluffe wee brought him and his sâuffe abourd And whereas I say he was a Mestizo it is to be vnderstood that a Mestizo is one which hath a Spaniard to his father and an Indian to his mother The second day of August we had watered and examined the said Mestizo and set him on shore againe and departed from the port of Aguatulco the same night which standeth as I sayd before in 15 degrees and 40 minuts to the Northward of the lyne Here wee ouerslipped the hauen of Acapulco from whence the shippes are set foorth for the Philippinas The foure and twentieth day of August our Generall with 30 of vs went with the pinnesse vnto an hauen called Puerto de Natiuidad where wee had intelligence by Michael Sancius that there should bee a pinnesse but before wee could get thither the sayde pinnesse was gone to fish for pearles 12 leagues farther as we were informed by certaine Indians which we found there We tooke a mullato in this place in his bedde which was sent with letters of aduise concerning vs along the coast of Nueua Galicia whose horse wee killed tooke his letters left him behinde set fire on the houses and burnt two newe shippes of 200 tunnes the piece which were in building there on the stockes and came abourd of our shippes againe The sixe and twentie day of August wee came into the bay of S. Iago where wee watered at a fresh Riuer along which riuer many plantans are growing here is great abundance of fresh fish Heere also certaine of our companie dragged for pearles and caught some quantitie The second of September wee departed from Sant Iago at foure of the clocke in the euening This bay of Sant Iago standeth in nineteene degrees and eighteene minuts to the Northward of the lyne The 3 of September wee arriued in a litle bay a league to the Westwarde off Port de Nauidad called Malacca which is a very good place to ride in and the same day about twelue of the clocke our Generall landed with thirtie men or there about and went vp to a towne of Indians which was two leagues from the road which towne is called Acatlan there were in it about 20 or 30 houses and a Church which we defaced and came abourd againe the same night All the people were fled out of the towne at the sight of vs. The fourth of September wee departed from the roade of Malacca and sayled along the coast The 8 we came to the roade of Chaccalla in which bay there are two litle houses by the waters side This bay is 18 leagues from the Cape de los Corrientes The 9 in the morning our Generall sent vp Captaine Hauers with fortie men of vs before day and Michael Sancius being our guide wee went vnto a place about two leagues vp into the countrey in a most villanous desert path through the woods and wildeânesse and in the ende we came to a place where wee tooke three housholders with their wiues
Aguatulco in sixe fadoms waâer and a Southsouthwest winde is the woorst Item You may anker in the port of S. Iago in 6 fadoms water and a Westsouthwest winde is the woorst Item You may anker in the port of Natiuidad in 8 fadoms water and a Southeast winde is the woorst Item You may anker in the bay of Xalisco in 9 fadoms water and a Westsouthwest winde is the woorst Item You may anker on the Northwest part of the island of S. Andrew in 17 fadoms water Item You may anker vnder the island of Chiametlan in 4 fadoms water and a Southeast winde is the woorst Item You may anker in the port of S. Lucas on the Cape of California in 12 fadoms water and a Southeast winde is the woorst A note of what depths we ankered in among the ilands of the Philippinas ITem You may anker on the Southwest part of the island of Capul in 6 fadoms water and a Wesâsouthwest winde is the woorst Item You may anker all along the South part of the island of Panna in shoald water in the depth of 10 or 12 fadoms Item You may anker in the bay of Lago grande in seuen fadoms water which bay is on the South side of the island of Panna Item You may anker at the East end of Iaua maior in 16 fadoms water and an Eastsoutheast winde is the woorst Item You may anker on the North part of the island of Santa Helena in 12 fadoms water A note of our finding of the winds for the most part of our voyage 1586. IN primis From the 21 day of Iuly vnto the 19 day of August we found the winde at Northnortheast being in the latitude of 7 degrees Item From the 19 day of August vnto the 28 day of September wee found the wind for the most part betweene the West and the Southwest being in 24 degrees Item From the 28 day of September vnto the 30 day of October we found the windes betweene the Northeast and the Eastnortheast Item From the 23 of Nouember from the island of S. Sebastian vnto the 30 day of Nouember we found the winde betweene the Southeast and the Southsoutheast being in 36 degrees Item From the 30 day of Nouember vnto the 6 day of December we found the windes to be betweene the West and the Southwest Item From the 6 day of December vnto the first day of Ianuary we found the winds for the most part betweene the North and the Northeast bring then in the latitude of 52 degrees Item From the first day of Ianuary vnto the 23 day of February we found the windes to be betweene the Northwest and the Westsouthwest wee being all that time in the Streights of Magellan Item From the 23 day of February vnto the first day of March we found the winds to be betweene the South and the Southeast being then in the South sea in the latitude of 48 degrees Item From the first day of March vnto the 7 day of March we found the winde to be at the North and the Northnortheast in the latitude of 43 degrees Item From the 7 day of March vnto the 14 day of March wee found the windes to be betweene the South and the Southwest in the latitude of 37 degrees Item From the 14 day of March vnto the 28 day of May we found the winds to be betweene the South and the Southwest in the latitude of 3 degrees to the South of the Line A note of the varying of our windes to the North of the Equinoctiall line on the coast of New Spaine ITem From the 28 day of May vnto the 5 day of Iuly we found the winds for the most part to be betweene the Southsoutheast and the Southsouthwest being in the latitude of 10 degrees to the Northward of the Line on the coast of New Spaine Item From the 5 day of Iuly vnto the 14 day of October we found the windes for the most part to be at the Eastnortheast in the latitude of 23 degrees Northward and almost vnder the tropicke of Cancer A note of the windes which we found betweene the coast of New Spaine and Islands of the Philippinas on the coast of Asia IN the yeere of our Lord 1587 we departed from the cape of Santa Clara on the coast of California the 19 day of Nouember and we found the winds to be betweene the East and the Eastnortheast vntill the 29 day of Ianuary departing then from the ilands of the Philippinas being in the latitude of 9 degrees Item From the 29 day of Ianuary vnto the 19 day of March wee found the windes for the most part betweene the Northnortheast and the Northwest being then among the Ilands of Maluco in the latitude of 9 degrees Item From the 19 day of March vnto the 20 day of May wee found the windes for the most part betweene the South and the Eastsoutheast being then betweene the Ilands of Maluco and the cape of Buena Esperança in the latitude of 34 degrees to the South of the Line Item From the 20 day of May vnto the 11 day of Iuly we found the winds for the most part betweene the South and the Southeast being then betweene the cape of Buena Esperança and and 15 degrees vnto the Southward of the line Item From the 11 day of Iuly vnto the 18 day of August we found the winds for the most part betweene the Northeast and Eastnortheast bring then betweene the latitude of 15 degrees to the Southward of the line and 38 degrees vnto the Northwards of the line A letter of M. Thomas Candish to the right honourable the Lord Hunsdon Lord Chamberlaine one of her Maiesties most honourable Priuy Councell touching the successe of his voyage about the world RIght honourable as your fauour heretofore hath bene most greatly extended towards me so I humbly desire a continuance thereof and though there be no meanes in me to deserue the same yet the vttermost of my seruices shall not be wanting whensoeuer it shall please your honour to dispose thereof I am humbly to desire your honour to make knowen vnto her Maiesty the desire I haue had to doe her Maiesty seruice in the performance of this voyage And as it hath pleased God to giue her the victory ouer part of her enemies so I trust yer long to see her ouerthrow them all For the places of their wealth whereby they haue mainteined and made their warres are now perfectly discouered and if it please her Maiesty with a very small power she may take the spoile of them all It hath pleased the Almighty to suffer mee to circompasse the whole globe of the world entring in at the Streight of Magellan and returning by the cape de Buena Esperança In which voyage I haue either discouered or brought certeine intelligence of all the rich places of the world that euer were knowen or discouered by any
hath 483383 great houses which pay tribute and 39400 men of warre The port of Cauchinchina standeth in the latitude of sixteene degrees and a halfe to the Northward The citie Champa standeth in foureteene degrees to the Northwards of the Equinoctiall The prouince of Enam hath 7. great cities and 13. small and 90. townes and castles and is 88. leagues broad and hath 589296. great houses that pay tribute and 15100. souldiers Horsemen 454528. Footmen 7459057. The totall summe 7923785. A briefe relation of a voyage of The Delight a ship of Bristoll one of the consorts of M. Iohn Chidley esquire and M. Paul Wheele made vnto the Straight of Magellan with diuers accidents that happened vnto the company during their 6. weekes abode there Begun in the yeere 1589. Written by W. Magoths THe fift of August 1589. the worshipfull M. Iohn Chidley of Chidley in the countie of Deuon esquire with M. Paul Wheele and Captaine Andrew Mericke set forth from Plimmouth with three tall ships and one called The wilde man of three hundred tunnes wherein went for General the aforesaid M. Iohn Chidley and Beniamin Wood as Master the other called The white Lion whereof M. Paul Wheele was captaine and Iohn Ellis Master of the burthen of 340. tunnes the third The delight of Bristol wherein went M. Andrew Merick as Captaine and Robert Burnet Master with two pinnesses of 14. or 15. tunnes a piece The Generall in his ship had 180. persons M. Paul Wheele had 140 in our owne ship we were 91. men and boyes Our voyage was intended by The Streight of Magellan for The South Sea and chiefly for the famous prouince of Arauco on the coast of Chili We kept company together to the yles of the Canaries and so forward to Cape Blanco standing neere the Northerly latitude of 20. degrees on the coast of Barbarie where some of our people went on shoare finding nothing to their content Within 12. dayes after our departure from this place The Delight wherein I William Magoths was lost the company of the other two great ships and the two small pinnesses Howbeit we constantly kept our course according to our directions along the coast of Brasil and by the Riuer of Plate without touching any where on land vntill we came to Port desire in the latitude of 48. degrees to the Southward of the Equinoctial Before we arriued at this place there died of our company by Gods visitation of sundry diseases 16. persons Wee stayed in this harborough 17. dayes to graue our ship refresh our wearied people hoping here to haue met with our consorts which fell out contrary to our expectations During our abode in this place we found two little springs of fresh water which were vpon the Northwesterly part of the land lighted vpon good store of seales both old and yong From hence we sailed toward the Streight of Magelan and entred the same about the first of Ianuary And comming to Penguin yland within the Streight we tooke and salted certaine hogsheads of Penguins which must be eaten with speed for wee found them to be of no long continuance we also furnished our selues with fresh water And here at the last sending off our boat to the yland for the rest of our prouision wee lost her and 15. men in her by force of foule weather but what became of them we could not tel Here also in this storme we lost two anckers From hence we passed farther into the Streight and by Porâ famine we spake with a Spaniard who told vs that he had liued in those parts 6. yeeres and that he was one of the 400. men that were sent thither by the king of Spaine in the yere 1582. to fortifie and inhabit there to hinder the passage of all strangers that way into the South sea But that and the other Spanish colonie being both destroyed by famine he said he had liued in an house by himselfe a long time and relieued himselfe with his âalâ euer vntil our comming thither Here we made a boat of the bords of our chests which being finished wee sent 7. armed men in the same on land on the North shore being wafted on land by the Sauages with certaine white skinnes who as soone as they came on shore were presently killed by an 100. of the wilde people in the sight of 2. of our men which rowed them on shoare which two onely escaped backe againe to vs with the boaâ After this traiterous slaughter of our men we fell backe againe with our ship to the Northeastward of Port famine to a certaine road where we refreshed our selues with muskles and tooke in water wood At this time wee tooke in the Spaniard aforesaid and so sailed forward againe into the Streight Wee passed 7. or 8. times 10. leagues Westward beyond Cape Froward being still encountered with mightie Northwest winds These winds and the current were so vehement against vs that they forced vs backe asmuch in two houres as we were getting vp in 8. houres Thus after wee had spent 6. weekes in the Streight striuing against the furie of the elements and hauing at sundry times partly by casualtie and partly by sicknes lost 38. of our bestmen and 3. anckers and nowe hauing but one ancker left vs and small store of victuals and which was not the least mischiefe diuers of our company raising dangerous mutinies we consulted though some what with the latest for the safegard of our liues to returne while there was some small hope remayning and so set saile out of The Streight homeward about the 14. of Februarie 1590. We returned backe againe by The riuer of Plate and sailing neere the cost of Brasill we met with a Portugal ship of 80. tunnes which rode at an ancker vpon the coast who as soone as she descried vs to chase her incontinently weyed ran her selfe on ground betwene the yland of S. Sebastian and the maine land But we for want of a good boat and by reason of the foule weather were neither able to bord her nor to goe on shore Thence in extreme misery we shaped our course for the yles of Cape Verde and so passing to the yles of The Açores the Canaries being something out of our course the first land that wee mette withall in our Narrow sea was The yle of Alderney And hauing now but sixe men of all our company left aliue the Master and his two mates and chiefe Mariners being dead wee ran in with Monuille de Hage eight miles to the West of Cherbourg in Normandie Where the next day after our comming to an ancker hauing but one in all left being the last of August 1590. by the foule weather that rose the ancker came home and our ship draue on the rocks And the Normaâs which were commanded by the gouernour of Cherbourg who came downe to vs that night to haue layd out another ancker
dozens died into skarlet LondoÌ clothes much talked of in Persia. Much Venice cloth worne in Persia. The second admission to the Shaughs presence the 29. of Iune 1566. at which time he receiued the priuiledge The Shaughs promise to increase the priuiledge Aleppo a citie of great trade Armenians barter with the Venetians The distance from Shamaky to Aleppo Armenians and other desirous to barter silke and spices for karsies The Shaugh desirous to bargaine for our commodities 2000. pieces of karsies to be sent into Persia He departed from Casbin the 15. of Iuly Rich. Iohnsons great negligence Cozomomet was Arthur Edwards friend to the Shaugh Victuals and all things dear at Casbin The Ambassador of y e prince of Gilan Gilan but fiue dayes riding from Casbin Gals Grainâ Ormus Aleppo M. Anthonie Ienkinsons offer to the Persian M. Anthonie Ienkinson commended The Shaughs letters to the Moscoup companie * By the word Karangies I thinke they meane karsles Fishing for Sturgeon for 3. moneths The Englishmen in making of cables set on worke a 100. men in Russia Sosnoua tree excellent for the ãâã of the wolfe The description of Rose Island A verst is but 3. quarters of an english mile At this towne Newnox Richard Chanceller in his first voyage with âis companie a shipboard were relieued August The riuer Owiga The fall of a riuer A lake very ful of Islands The famous lake of Onega S. Clement his Monasterie â Or. Sermaxe The riuer of Volhuski The lake of Ladiskai The Monasterie of Gosnopoli The Citie of Nouogrod Trauel by Sleds 2000. Sleds belongiâg to one towne A good caueat for seasonable trauell Nouogrod within 180. miles of the Narue This is meant by Alderman Bond the elder English Merchants for discouery of new trades Triall by lots The riuer of Ob traffikable The vse of furres wholesome delicate graue and comely The trade to S. Nicholas offensiue to diuers princes states Eastward Smolenâco won by the Russe Polotzko taken Polotzko recouered by Stephanus Batore 1568 In this voyage went Thomas Bannister Geofrey Ducket for their voyage into Persia. The abbey of S. Nicholas of 20 Monks The English house at S. Nâcholas The riuer of Dwina Colmogro An English house with lands at Colmogro The description of the inland of Moscouie âis arriuall at Mosco A special house at Mosco built for Ambassadours Two Pristaues His admission to the Emperors presence The Queenes present The Emperoâs speech to the Ambassadour A second conference with the Emperor Andrew Sauia Ambassadour to the Queene Oâârhosân sâor Cara Recâ Naramsi Reca Their arriual at Bilbil the 14. of August 1568. Prince Erasbec Christopher Faucet and Richard Pingle Warre against the Portingals at Ormuz The gouernour of Grozin his Merchant The generall inconstancie in the merchants and dealers of those parts The trade betweene the Venetians and the Armenians not easily to be broken Babylon 15. dayes iourneâ from Casbin His voyage to Gilan The malice of the Turkish merchants The price of spices Londro Loâdon The Venetians traffike in England The English Barke assaulted neere Astracan by the Nagaian Tartars Astraâan besâeged by 70000. Turks and Tartars The death of Thomas Banister and Laurence Chapman Humfrey Greensell burnt at Ormus The English ship taken by the Cassaks Ice in the beginning of October 1574 Grosin or Georgia How strangers are vsed A goodly and well grounded religion Their opinion of Christ. Their money Their bookes and learning Such was the law of the Macedonians for treason Dissention for religion Their priests and preaching Their Lent Their saints and holy men Pilgrimage Their praier worshipping of God and Mahumet Washing and outward clenlinesse Their swearing The kings magnificence Pursuiuants The kings company with his wiues and concubines The succession of y â kingdom Circumcision Their houses and maner of eating Bondmen and bondwomen Women bought sold and let to hire Abundance of oile issuing out of the ground Oleum Petroleum Two sorts of kine Foxes in great plenty Fiue ships of Freeboters taken 1571 The citie of Mosco burnt by y â Crimme Englishmen smothered at the burning of Mosco M. Glouer and M. Rowley preserued Andrew Sauinâ Ambassadour from the Emperour The causes of the Emperors displeasure He maruelleth the company do not coÌferre with him of Lappia 1574. 5 English men wintered in Lappia Christopher Colt a simple marchant Good trade in winter in Lappia Henry Cocknedge honest but ignorant Roger Leche expert of Lappia If the companie do not enter into the trade of Lappia others wil preuent them The trade of Vedagoba He can say somewhat though not much 1183 barrels of oyle bought by others Colt sold 27 barrels to a Hollander The first Interrogatorie The deponents answeâ Pechingo abbey The second Interrogatorie The deponents answer Note Hull the best market of England for sale of fish â 1568 pag. 394. Yeraslaue Great store oâ Licoris Perauolok Astracan Peter Garrard Ice at Astracan for foure moneths Anno 1580. Astracan situate vpon an IslaÌd The variation oâ the compas in Aââracan was 13. deg 40. minuts May. Vchoog Shoald water Flats Chetera Boâgorâ The Caspiaâ sea 45. degrees 20. minuts The first obseruâtion in the Caspian sea Brackish water farre within the sea 43. degrees 15. minuts 41. degrees 32. minuts 40. degrees 54. minuts Bilbill Bachu port Thomas Hâdson oâ Limehouse maister of the English barke M. Christopher Burrough The receiuing of the English into Derbent The latitude of Bildih 40. deg 25 min. The variation of the compas 10 deg 40. min. Zeâe Island The English suffer shipwracke Arthur Edwards dieth at Astâacan Septâmber The Armenian village The Turke his treasure sent to Derbent Osman Basha Derbent built by Alexander the great The latitude of Derbent 41. deg 52. min. The variation of the Compasse Nezauoo Two Spaniards deliuered by our English men A strange accident of prouision for their reliefe Nouember Ice the 13 of Nouember in the mouth of the riuer of Volga The 16 day Trauaile vpâ on the yce Chetera Babbas The English ship cut in pieces with yce December Their returne to Astracan The breaking vp of the yce Morgan Hubblethorne dier sent into Persia. May. Borroughs streiâs The land of Samoeda The Queenes letters The Queenes letters The Citie of Siberia Willoughbies land How to note downe in his Iornall of the voyage his dead reckoning and other obseruations For noting the shape and view of the land at first discouery c. For obseruing of tides and currants To take the platformes of places witâin compasse of view vpon land M. d ee gaue them a Chart of his owne making which here he refers them vnto A good consideration Ingens Sinus post Insulam Vaigats Nouâm Zemblam Tabin promontorium ingens Quo propius ad polum acceditur eò directorium Nauticum magis a Septeouiorâ deuiat Bautisus Oechardus maxima fluâina in hunc Sinum illabuntur Postulata Mercatoris de quibus certior fieri cupit
day A full reuoluâion of the Monne aboue their Horizon The colleagues of the fellowship for the discouery of the Northwest passage Free Denization granted This Patent remaiâed in force fiue yeeres Authoritie to proceede at Sea against mutiners 1583. Musicians They depart from Silley Iuly Great store of whales The râuling of the yce together made a great roaring Yce turned into water The Land of Desolation Very blacke water Floting wood Colde by âeason of yce They saile Northwestward aboue foure dayes Land in 64 degrees 15 min. The sound where our ships did ride was called Gilberts sound Musicians The people of the countrey came and conferred with our men Thirty seuen Canoas Their musike Great familiârity with the Sauagesâ Diuers sorts oâ wood They may make much ârame if they had meanes how to vse itâ Moscouie glasse A fruit like corinths August Land in 66 degrees 40 min. Foure white beares A huge whiâe beare Timber sawen Fowle An image Probabilities for the passage Wee neuer came into any baâ before or after but the waters colour was altered very blackish Faulcons Their returne September They saile from The land of desolation to England in 14. dayes Land discouered in 60. degrees Gentle and louing Sauages In 100 Canoââ with diuers commodities Images trane ople and Seale skins in tan tubs A plaine champion countrey A goodly riuer A graue with a crosse layd ouer The Tartars and people of Iapon are also smal eyed Their manâr of kindling fire like to theirs in America A fire made of turfes Great theeues Their rude diet Their weapons Strange nets These Islanders warre with the people of the maine Copper oare Their language Muscles A strange whirlewinde Great Ilands Slings One oâ the people taken which afteâ dyed â huge quantitie of yce in 63. degrees of latitudâ The nature of foggâs Great heat 66. degrees 19. minutes Great hopâ oâ a passage 64. degr 20 min. A great âurrent to the West Ilandsâ They rânne 8. dayes Southward ârom 67 to 57. degrees vpon the coast A harborough in 56. degrees Faire woods Store of cod A perfect hope oââhe passage about 54. degrâes and an halfe Two oâ our men slaine by the Sauages May. M. Dauis in the latitude of 60. deg diuideth his fleete into 2. parts The 7. of Iune Island descryâd 66. degrees Their commodities Their dwellings Their boats M. Iohn Roydon of Ipâwich They departed from Island Northwest Iuly Groneland diââcouered The land of Desolation Groenland coasted from âhe 7. till the last of Iuly August The houses of Gronland Our men play at footeball with the Sauages Sweete wood found A skirmish between the Sauages and our men September The pinnesse neuer reâurned home Land descrââââ Salt kerned oâ the rockes Isles in 64. degrees Store oâ Whales in 67. degrees 7â deg 12. min. The great variation of the compasse London coast Betweene Gâonland the Noâth of America aboue 40. leagues A mighâie banke of yeâ lying North and South Extreme heatâ of the Sunne They were driuen West sixe points out of their course in 67. degrees 45. minutes Mount Raleigh The Earle oâ Cumbeâlands Isles The variation of the compasse 30. deg Westward The land trendeth from this place Southwest and by South My lord Lumleys Inlet Warwicks Foreland A very forciblâ current Westward ââidleys cape The lord Daâcies Island The fishing place betweene 54 and 55 degrees of latitude Abundance of whales in 52 degrees They arriue at Dartmouth the 15 of September The 1. voyage The 2. voyage The North parts of Americâ all Islands The 3. voyage The ship of M. N. Zeno casâ away vpon ârisland in Annâ 1380. A forraine prince hapning to be in Frisland with armed men when M. Zenâ suffered shipwracke therâ came vnto him and spakâ Latine Zichmni princâ of Poâland or Duke of Zorani ârisland the âing oâ Norâayeâ N. Zeno made ânight by Zichmni Ships laden with fish at Frisland âor Flanders Bâitain England Scotland Noâway and Denmarke But not to bâ proued that eâer any came thence A letter sent by M. N. Zeno from Fâisland to his brother M. Antonio in Venice The end of the first letter Engâonâlânâ Pâeaching Fryârs of Saint Thomââ Winter oâ 9. moneths Trade in summer âime from Trondon to S. Thomas Friers in Groneland Resâât of Fryârs from Norway and Sueden to the Monastery in Engroneland called S. Tho. M. Fâobisheâ brought these kinde of boats from âhese parâs inââ England In the Monastery of Saint Thomâs most of them spake the Latine tongue The end of the â letter N. Zeno dyed in Frisland The discouerie of Estoâiland Westward Sixe fishermen taken Fishermen of Frisland speake Latine Sixe were fiue ââeres in Esâotiland One of the fisherâ of Frisland reporteth of Estotiland Estotiland rich abounding with all âhe commodities of the world Abundance of golde Trade from Estotilând to Engroneland â Skins brimstone and pitch golde corne and âeere or ale Many cities and castles A countrey called Doâgio The 6 fishermen of Frisland onâly saued by shewing the maner to take fish The chiefest oâ the 6 fishers specified before and his companions In the space of 13 yeeres he serued 25 lords of Drogio He returned from Estotiland to Frisland Zichmni minded to send M. Antonio Zeno with a fleete towards thâsâ parts of Esâotiland The 4 letter The fisherman dyed that should haue bene interpreter Certaine mariners taken in his sâeede which came with him from Estotiland Isle Ilose Zichmni his discouerie of the Island Icaâia An Island man in Icaâia The kings of of Icaria called Icari after the name of the first king of that place who as they report was sonne to Dedalus king of Scots Icarian Sâa The people of Icaria destrous of the Italian tongue Ten men of ten sundry nations Infinite multitudes of armed men in Icaâiâ Zichmni departed from Icaria Wâstwards 100 men sent to discrie the countreâ The 100 souldiers returned which had bene through âhe Island report what they saw and found M. Anâonio Zeno made chiefâ captaine of those ships which went back to Frâsland The 5 letter Estotiland first discouered The second discouerie thereof Dâogio M. Aâmigil Wade Cape Briâon The Island of Penguin standeth about the latitude of 30. degrees M. Dawbneys report to M. Richard Hakluyt of the Temple They beheld the Sauges âf Newfounland Extrâme famine Our men âaâe one another foâ famine The Capâaines Oration The English surprise a French ship wherein they returned home Haâkes and other foules Foules supposed âo be storkes The French royally recompencâd by king Henry the 8. English Spaniards Portugals French Britons The fertility of Newfoundland Seueral sortes â of fish Called by the Spaniards Anchunas and by the Portugals Capelinas ãâã Albioâ Hugo Willobeius eques auratus Martinus Fâobisherus eques âuratuââ Antonius Ienkinsonuâ Franciscus Dracus eques ãâã Sebastianuâ Cabotus The coasts froÌ Fâorida Northward fiââ discouâred bâ the English natioÌ A ãâã consideration Probable confectâââ y t these lands North of Florida are
âond 40 tunâ ãâã wine taken Foure tweÌty sailes of shipâ of carauels taken by the Salomon Maio. A gally-ârigaâ caried out of England in pââces The gally-frâgat set vp Cape S. Augâstine Fernambuck The 29 of March The fort of Pernambuck taken Abraham Cocke going for the âiuer of Plate met withall Peranjeu 40. leagues northward of Fernambuck Peranjeâ a very good harbour The king of Spaines resolution to proceed in the discouerie conquest of Rio Grande The Captaineship of Paraiua standeth in sixe degr 45 miu of Southerly latitude The castle of Cabodelo besleged by the French The garison of Fernambuck The countrey of Petiguar rebelleth against the Portugals A rich siluer mine found at Copaoba within sixe dayes iourney of Paraiua All the Canibals of Petiguar ioyne with the Frenchmen against the Portugals French ships laden with great sâore of siluer oare The conquest of Rio Grande Two Forts to be builded at Cabodelo The countrey of Paraiua in danger dayly to be lost The warres of Petiguar A new captain appoâââed in Cabodelo A ãâã controâersie touching the gouernment of the Indian townes The towne of S Augustine He that will sayle to Brasil must not come ãâã 60 or 70 leagues of the coast of Guinea * Of Southerly latitude The height of y e cape of S. Augustine of Olinda Fernambuck In what height they thou seeke land that depart froÌ Lisbon in February or March How to know the cape of S. Augustine Isla de Santo Alexio The height of Bahia de Todos os Santos in 13 degrees and one third part The situation of the Isle of Tapaon When a man ãâã âeare in with Bahia The distance of O morro de San Paulo froÌ Bahia Rio de Tinsare a verâ good riuer A dangerous bay in 13 degrees and a halfe The height of the bay called A Enseada de Vazabaris Baia de todoâ Santos in 13 degrees Baia das Ilhas lieth in 15 degrees lacking a quarter A round hil In what height a man must fall with this place in time of the Northeast winds Ciemana Mangues The white sugar houses of Lucas Giraldo To auoide Oâ baixos dos Abâolhos Monte Pasqual The place of comming to an ankor before Porto Seguro which standeth in 16 deg one third 16 degrees A dangerous riuer in 16 degrees Baixos de Santo Antonio Monzoins are certaine set winds with which the tides set Markes on the North side of Spirito Santo The situation of la Sierra de Mestre Aluaro Rio dos Reyes magos A Sierra de Guariparim in 20 degrees A Sierra de Pero Cam. A Ilha de Repouso Spirito Santo standeth in 20 degrees Baia de Saluador 12 leagues North from Cabo frio Two small Islands The height of Cape from 23 degrees Rio de Ienero The situation of an hill like a man with long haire by Ienero The organs certaine high hilles Angra A Ilha de San Sebastiano The Isle of Alcatrarzas Saint Vincent in 24 degrees Many Islands about y e mouth of S Vincent one out to the seaward Cananea Rio de San Francisco Boca de Ouerniron Ilha de Aruoredâ Santa Catalina a great Island Porto de Patos Porto de Don Roderigo Laguna Rio de Martin de Sousa Rio de S. Pedro. Cabo de Santa Maria. Baixos de los Castellanos Cabo de Arenas Gordas Rio de S. Anna. Cape de S. André Baia Anegada Punta de Tierra Ilanâ Baia sin fondo Cabo redonâo Puerto de los leones Puerto de los leones in 44 degrees better Take good heede of âhese little rocks Cabo de Matas Rio de Camarones Cabo redondo in 45 degrees a halfe large Cabo Blanco and Barancas Ploncas in 47 degrees People to betaken heed of A good harbour The port of Saint Iâliââ Ilhas de Ascension Moââo de Sanâ Yues in 50 degrees large Rio de Câââ Rio de Galegos and the marked thereof In the mouââ of Rio de Galegos it ebbeth and floweth 12 fathomes Cabo de la virgin Maria Ciudad de Nombre de lesus âaâled by M. Caâdish Port Famine because he sound al the Spaniards âamished and the towne itselfe vtterly abandoned and runââed Where Nombre de Iesus stood Southwest winds raigne much here in Sommer From March forward the winds are faâorable for the Streitââ Cabo de San Gregorio a good road-stead for any windâ from the Northwest to the Southwest The Indians aboue Cape de San Gregoriâ in the Streits are very trecherous The second streit callâd Nuestra Sennora de gracia Punta de Santa Anna in 53 deg and a halfe La Ciudad dâl Don ãâã which is ãâ¦ã This was the fleete wherein Caboâ discouered the âââer of Flâte ââ26 Two Englishmen wâââ with Cabot in this discouery The Islands of the Malucos The New found Islands discouered by the English Fleete ships of ãâ¦ã Spaine This fleete wintred in the riuer of Ienero M. Fenton âââ these fryers A fight betwixt one 2 English ships three Spanish shipâ They victual at Spirito Santo Iohn Drake proceedeth on to the riuer of Plate Richard Faire-weather remayneth in the riuer of ãâã Iohn Drake senâ to the Uiceroy of Peru. The Isle of Santa Câtelina Râo ââanâe Puerto de Biaza or Laguna ãâã de âââaro Râo Grande Certaine Iâlanâs 12. leagues distant from the mouth of the riuer of Plate which are 3 in number The Cape of S Marie An Island a league an haâfe from Cape Saint Mâââe Isla de Lobos The way to enter into âhe riuer of Plate Rio de Sâlâs to leagues within the Cape Lâs âres Mogotes â leagues Saint Grauiel Stragues Râo de S. Iuan â leagues The Isle of Martin Garâia 3. leagues Rio de Buenoâ Aërââ on the southside of the riuer of Plate The first Spanish colonie was planted in the riuer of Buenos Aëres The Iâââe of San Lazaro Rio Vâuay Parana is the great riuer Rio de las Palmas Cape Blanco on the South sidâ oâ the mouth of the riuer of Plate a very low and euen land Man eaters vpon the soutâ shore Sant Saâuador an Island ten leagues off Sebastian Cabota 16. Leaguââ Santo Spirito 50 leagues ârom Rio de Palmaâ Los Tenbuis a people 15. Leagues The Quiloacas 20. leagues This towne perhaps may be the towâe of Santa Anna 15. leagues The Mequaretââ a people 20 leagues The Mepenes 30 leagues 8. leagues The riuer Pâraguai The 7. currents The towne of Pâââââi or Picora 1â0 leagues vp the riuer of Paâana The Citie of Assumption or Ascension 60. leagues from the mouth of Paâaguai 200. leagues from Assumption subiect to the Spaniard to the citie of Xaraes The Isle of Mogador on the coast of Barbarie Ianuarie The Isle of Mayo Ripe grapes in Winter The description of the tree that beareth Cocos * Oâ goateâ The Isle ãâã S. Iago Tââ Iâle oâ âogo ââââl 33. Degrees The Câpe of ãâã Their entraÌce âââo the rââer of Pâaââ Abundance of Seales May. The ãâ¦ã the counââââ The
hangeâ for his trecherie The maner ââ the people of Capul A stranââ thing Circumcisââ The inhabitants of Capââ with all the islands adioyning promiâe to ayde the English against the Spaniardâ Our departurâ from the islanâ of Capul The isle of Maâbaâ The island ââ Panamaâ Markes of shallow water A Baâsa is a great canoa A Spaniard of Manilla taken 50 or 60 Spaniards shâw themâelues A newe shippe of the kings in building They manned out a Frigate after vâ An hospitall in Manilla Mânes of very fine gold in the Island of Panama The island of Negros in 9 dâgrees Their departure from the Philippinas Batochina 11 or 12. small ylands in 3. degrees 10 min. to the Southward Islands in 4 degrees southward oâ the line The death of captaine Haâers March 158â Our arriual ââ Iaua maior The Morisââ or Arabian tongue common in Iauâ A King of Iaua his Secretary Nipeâ wiââ Cloues pepper sugar and many other commodities in Iaua maiorâ Nine or 10. of the Kings canoas Two Porâugales in Iaua ânquiriâ of Don Antoniâ The state oâ Iauâ Raia Balamboam The wiues kill themselues after their husbands deaths A strange order Faire women ân Iaua Don Antonio might be receiued as King in the âast Indiââ They depart from Iaua the 16 of March 1588. Cabo ãâã They doâoâ the Cape de Bona Speranzâ From Iaua tâ the Cape of Bona Speranââ is but 1850. leagues Iune 158â They anker ââ the yland of Sâ Helena the â ââ Iune S. Helena is ââ the latitude oâ 15. degrees ââ min. to the Southward The greaâ store of diuers excellent fruiââ in S. Heleââ Abundance of partridges in S. Helenaâ Great store of fesants Turkies in great quantitie Exceeding numbers of goats Plentie of swine Our departure from S. Helena Iuly 1588. Coruo anâ flâres two ylanâ of the ãâã * * Or âuatulco * * Or Panama * To the Southwards of the â me The enâraââ of the streighâ The ãâã of ãâã streighâ Thâ ãâ¦ã 33 deg ãâã In whicâââââht staâââth Quinâeââ 27 dâg 40 mâ In which height standeth Coââââo 23 deg 30 mââ In which height standeth Moriâ motenâ 18 deg 30. mi. In which height standeth Arica 13 deg 30 mââ In which height stand Paraca Pisââ 11 deg 50 ââ In which hâigh stand the ilands of Lobos 5. degrees In which height âtandâth Paââa 2 deg 50 min. In which height standâth the iland of Punâ Leagues 25. Leagues 1â ââaguâs 80. Leaguââ 7. ââagues 7â Leagues 55. Leagues 70. Leagues 90. Leagues 120. Leagues 35. Leagues 90. Leagues 45. Leagues 25. Leagues 25. Leagues in all are 751. Leagues 60. Leagues 40. Leagues 160. Leagues 8. Leagues 17. Leagues 40 Leagues 14 Leagues 60 Leagues 160 Leagues 2 Leagues 12 Leagues 78 Leagues 80 Leagues 7 Leagues 10 Leaguââ 30 Leagues 18 Leagues 30 Leagues 20 Leagues 108 Leagues 1850 Oâ Guânâ Leagues 320 Leagueâ 15 Leagues 6 Leagues 15 Leagues 15 Leagues in all 2414 Leagues 22. Leagues 18. Leagues 6. Leagues 10. Leagues 30. Leagues 26. Leagues 1â Leagues 100. Leagues 220. Leagues 18. * This is âhe isle oâ Baly Leagues 1800 Leagues 30. Leagues in all are 2292. Leagues 600. Leagues 1200 Of our abode tenne dayes where we watered Of our abode foure twenty dayes where we watered Of our abode eleuen dayes where we graâed our ships Of our abode two fiftie dayes where we watered Of our abode foure dayes Of our abode 6 dayes where we watered Of our abode three dayes Of our abode two dayes Of our abode sixe dayes Of our abode one day Of our abode 9 daies where we watered Of our abode 8 dayes where we watered Of our abode 7 daies where we watered Of our abode one day Of our abode three dayes Of our abode fiue dayes Of our abode 2 dayâs where we watered Of our abode twelue dayes where we watered Of our abode 14 dayes where we waâered * Ouaââ Of our abode nine dayes Spaniards building of a new ship in the Philippinas Dayes 30. Of our abode elââen dayes where we watered Iaua mââor Dayeâ 56. The cape of Buena Espeâanza Of our abode twelue dayes where we watered Dayes 14. The space of our âauigation betweene those ilands was threescore fiue dayes Fadoms 10. Fadoms 6. Fadoms 10. Fadoms 5. Fadoms 7 Fadoms 25. Fadoms 16. Fadoms 7 Fadoms 6. Fadoms 12. Fadoms 8. Fadoms 8. Fadoms 9. Fadoms 9. Fadoms 7. Fadoms 6. Fadoms 5. Fadoms 8. Fadoms 7. Fadoms 4. Fadoms 10. Fadoms 6. Fadoms 6. Fadoms 8. Fadoms 9. Fadoms 17. Fadoms 4. Fadoms 12. Fadoms 6. Fadoms 10 Fadoms 16 Fadoms 12 * To y e South side of the Equinoctiall 1587. It is as colds at Paquin as in Flanders * Or Quiebeâ Garisons against the Iapons M. Chidleys voyage intended partly for Arauco in Chili Cape Blanco The Delight looseth the company of the rest of the Fleet. Port desire Two springs of fresh water found at Port desire They enter me to the Streight of Magelan They loose 15. of their men by tempest A Spaniard taken at Port famine Seuen of our men killed by the treason of the Sauages on the North shore They passed 7 or 8 times ten leagues Westward of Cape Froward They returne homeward The yle of S. Sebastian in 24 degr of southerly latitude on the coast of Brasil They land at Monuille de Hage 8. miles West of Cheâbourg The wracke of the ship ãâã the malice of the Normans Theâ arriue in Bogland The Spaniard taken in at Port Famine Bâya de Saluador A barke taken Cabo Frio Lila de Placencia Isle de S. Sebastian The towne of Santos taken The towne of S. Vincent burnt They artiue at Port Desire M. Adrian Gilberts barke returneth for England A pinnesse built at Santos They fall with the Streights of Magellan They returne from the Streights of Magellan The occasion of losing the Generall Then come againe to Port Desire the 26. of May. A quiâe road A poole of fresh water on the South side of Port Desire Abundance of muskles and smelts A dangerous ãâã The maner how they lost their Generall An Isle neere Port Desire bounding with seales and penguins They depart the second ãâã from Port Desire ãâã The Streights of Magellan Certaine Isles neuer before discouered fifty leagues northeast off The Streights The first and secoÌd Streight Cape Froward Saluage cooue The northwest or last reach of the streights Their first enterance into â South sea They enter the South sea the second time This Santoâ standeth vpon the coast of Peru in 9 deg of Southerly latitude They enter the South sea the third time The blacke pinnesse lost in the South sea The Cape Deseado most dangerously doubled after they had been nine dayes in the South sea An excellent plat of the Streights of Magellan Penguin isle within three leagâes of Port Desire They enâer Port Desire the ââârd time Penâuin Isle scarâe a mile frâ the maine âine men lost A great multitude of Saluaâes with vizards or faces like vnto dogs âaceâ The riâer of Port Desire but 20 miles passable by boate The great benefit of the herbe called Scuruy grasse They stayed 7 weekes in Port Desire A prety deuise ãâã make salt A pooâe allowance of victualâ The I le of Plâcencia in Brasilâ Ommens and forewarning dreames Thirteene men lost at the I le of Placencia by their owne ââtreme negligânce Cabo Frio 30 leagues easâ oâ the I le of Plââcenciâ A most strange and noâsome kind of worme bâed of vnsalted Penguins They arriue at Bear-hauen in Iâeland the 11 of Iune 1593. Ximo Coray contineÌt land with Paqui From Coray an armie may passe by land in few dayeâ to Paqui the chiefe citiâ of China A description of Coray A meane to keepe head birds sweete in their feathers a long time A Fleete of 800. ships Short gunnes charged with forked arrowes The signification oâ Miacó The length and bredth of Coray The people of Coray and China stronger in shipping then they of Iapan The king of Coray freth out of his principall citie Iâânds neerââââo Coray A mighty riâer of 3. ââags broad The warre of Iââan against ãâã and China The Isle of Mateumai Ieââ a nation of Tartars dwelliâg on the ãâ¦ã to the North of Chinâ vsing cloth The Piloâ The Master The Purser A Romagâr The Masters mate The chiefe Iudges of the Contractation house ãâã bâing skilfull mariners The names and markes of men taken The Pragmatica oâ orders of the Contractation house Prouision of vicâuals vpon othe The Register of euery ship The two ships of warâââ to draft âhe fleet ãâã of peace Note A Caâtaine in euery ship Sixe Iudges Foure visitours The âeader of tââ arte of Nauigation The booke of ââârs âââed iâ Sâaâiâh Pâagâmatiâa ãâã wrâting amoâg the masters âalking with tâinne plates of âeaâ The Calker or Carenero Alonso de Chiâuez Piloto mayor Rodrigo Zamorano Cathedratico La Sala del exameâ La manââa de âlecion de los maestrâs y pilotos Carta del examen Sueldo de loâ pilotos Maestros y suâ oâficios Loâ quatro visitadores y su officio Prematicâ Escâiâââo y ãâã officio Primero nauâo de acilo Legando nauio de âuâlo D. sâaoâ de guââia The witnesse of fiue or sixe pilots The pilots admission to the leâturââ of the kings reader They heare the kings readers lectures two houres a day âoâ two moneths Their disputations of the art of nauigation before the kings reader who is their moderatour The hall of examination The maner of the yong pilotâ examination The maner of their election Letters testimoniall of euery new pilots examination and appâobation vnder the hands of the Pilot maior the kings reader and the secretary and seale of the Contractation house Foure visitoure The orders of the Contractation house The first barke of Auiso The second barke of Auiso A table of rates c. set by in the Contractation house
Emperour to rule at Astracan who beeing arriued and hauing the number of 500. great boates vnder his conduct some laden with victuals souldiers and munition and other some with merchandise departed altogether the said 19. day from the said Nyse Nouogrod and the 22. we came vnto a castle called Vasiliagorod distant 25. leagues which we left vpon our right hand This towne or castle had his name of this Emperours father who was called Vasilius and gorod in the Russe tongue is as much to say as a castle so that Vasiliagorod is to say Vasilius castle and it was the furthest place that the said Emperour conquered from the Tartars But this present Emperour his sonne called Iuan Vasiliwich hath had great good successe in his warres both against the Christians and also the Mahometists and Gentiles but especially against the Tartars inlarging his Empire euen to the Caspian sea hauing conquered the famous riuer of Volga with all the countreis thereabout adiacent Thus proceeding on our iourney the 25. day of May aforesaide wee came to another castle called Sabowshare which wee left on our right hand distant from Vasiliagorod 16. leagues The countrey heereabout is called Mordouits and the habitants did professe the law of the Gentiles but nowe beeing conquered by this Emperour of Russia most of them are christened but lie in the woods and wildernesse without towne or habitation The 27. day we passed by another castle called Swyasko distant from Shabowshare aforesaid 25. leagues we left it on our right hand and the 29. came vnto an Island one league from the citie of Cazan from which falleth downe a riuer called Cazankareca entreth into the foresaide Volga Cazan is a faire town after the Russe or Tartar fashion with a strong castle situated vpon a high hill and was walled round about with timber earth but now the Emperour of Russia hath giuen order to plucke downe the old walles and to builde them againe of free stone It hath bene a citie of great wealth and riches and being in the hands of the Tartars it was a kingdome of it selfe and did more vexe the Russes in their warres then any other nation but 9. yeres past this Emperour of Russia conquered it and tooke the king captiue who being but young is nowe baptised and brought vp in his court with two other princes which were also kings of the said Cazan and being ech of theÌ in time of their raignes in danger of their subiects through ciuil discord came and rendred themselues at seueral times vnto the said Emperor so that at this present there are three princes in the court of Russia which had bene Emperours of the said Cazan whom the Emperour vseth with great honour We remained at Cazan till the 13. day of Iune and then departed from thence and the same day passed by an Island called the Island of merchants because it was woont to be a place where all merchants as well Russes and Cazanites as Nagayans and Crimmes and diuers other nations did resort to keepe mart for buying and selling but nowe it is forsaken and standeth without any such resort thither or at Cazan or at any place about it from Mosco vnto Mare Caspium Thus proceeding forward the 14. day we passed by a goodly riuer called Cama which we left on our left hand This riuer falleth out of the countrey of Permia into the riuer of Volga and is from Cazan 15. leagues and the countrey lying betwixt the said Cazan and the said riuer Cama on the left hand of Volga is called Vachen and the inhabitants be Gentiles and liue in the wildernesse without house or habitation and the countrey on the other side of Volga ouer against the said riuer Cama is called the land of Cheremizes halfe Gentiles halfe Tartars and all the land on the left hand of the said Volga from the said riuer vnto Astracan and so following the North and Northeast side of the Caspian sea to a land of the Tartars called Turkemen is called the countrey of Mangat or Nagay whose inhabitants are of the law of Mahomet and were all destroyed in the yeere 1558 at my being at Astracan through ciuill warres among them accompanied with famine pestilence and such plagues in such sort that in the said yeere there were consumed of the people in one sort and another aboue one hundred thousand the like plague was neuer seen in those parts so that the said countrey of Nagay being a countrey of great pasture remaineth now vnreplenished to the great contentation of the Russes who haue had cruel warres a long time together The Nagayans when they flourished liued in this maner they were diuided into diuers companies called Hords and euery Hord had a ruler whom they obeyed as their king and was called a Murse Towne or house they had none but liued in the open fields euery Murse or King hauing his Hords or people about him with their wiues children and cattell who hauing consumed the pasture in one place remooued vnto another and when they remooue they haue houses like tents set vpon wagons or carts which are drawen from place to place with camels therin their wiues children and all their riches which is very litle is caried about and euery man hath at the least foure or fiue wiues besides concubines Use of money they haue none but doe barter their cattell for apparell and other necessaries They delight in no arte nor science except the warres wherein they are expert but for the most part they be pasturing people and haue great store of cattel which is all their riches They eate much flesh and especially the horse and they drinke mares milke wherewith they be oftentimes drunke they are seditious inclined to theft and murther Corne they sowe not neither doe eate any bread mocking the Christians for the same and disabling our strengths saying we liue by eating the top of a weede and drinke a drinke made of the same allowing their great deuouring of flesh and drinking of milke to be the increase of their strength But now to proceed forward to my iourney All the countrey vpon our right hand the riuer Volga from ouer against the riuer Cama vnto the towne of Astracan is the land of Crimme whose inhabitants be also of the lawe of Mahomet and liue for the most part according to the fashions of the Nagayes hauing continual wars with the Emperour of Russia and are valiant in the fielde hauing countenance and support from the great Turke The 16. day of Iune we passed by certaine fishermens houses called Petowse twenty leagues from the riuer Cama where is great fishing for sturgeon so continuing our way vntill the 22. day and passing by another great riuer called Samar which falleth out of the aforesaide countrey and runneth through Nagay and entreth into the saide riuer of Volga The 28. day wee came vnto a great hill where was in times past
of the said Volga in the latitude of 46. degrees 54. minutes the coast lying neerest East and by South and West and by North. At the point of this land lieth buried a holy Prophet as the Tartars call him of their law where great deuotion is vsed of all such Mahometists as doe passe that way The nineteenth day the winde being West and we winding Eastsoutheast we sailed tenne leagues and passed by a great riuer called Iaic which hath his spring in the lande of Siberia nigh vnto the foresaid riuer Cama and runneth through the lande of Nagay falling into this Mare Caspium And vp this riuer one dayes iourney is a Towne called Serachick subiect to the aforesaid Tartar prince called Murse Smille which is nowe in friendship with the Emperour of Russia Here is no trade of merchandize vsed for that the people haue no vse of money and are all men of warre and pasturers of cattel and giuen much to theft and murther Thus being at an anker against this riuer Iaic and all our men being on land sauing I who lay sore sicke and fiue Tartars whereof one was reputed a holy man because he came from Mecka there came vnto vs a boate with thirtie men well armed and appointed who boorded vs and began to enter into our barke and our holy Tartar called Azy perceiuing that asked them what they would haue and with all made a prayer with that these rouers staied declaring that they were Gentlemen banished from their countrey and out of liuing came to see if there were any Russes or other Christians which they call Caphars in our barke To whom this Azi most stoutly answered that there were none auowing the same by great othes of their lawe which lightly they will not breake whom the rouers beleeued and vpon his words departed And so through the fidelitie of that Tartar I with all my company and goods were saued and our men being come on boord and the wind faire we departed from that place and winding East and Southeast that day being the 20. of August sailed 16. leagues The 21. day we passed ouer a Bay of 6. leagues broad and fell with a Cape of land hauing two Islands at the Southeast part thereof being a good marke in the sea doubling that Cape the land trended Northeast and maketh another Bay into which falleth the great riuer Yem springing out of the land Colmack The 22.23 and 24. dayes we were at an anker The 25. the winde came faire and wee sailed that day 20. leagues and passed by an Island of lowe land and thereabout are many flats and sands and to the Northward of this Island there goeth in a great Bay but we set off from this Island and winded South to come into deepe water being much troubled with shoalds flats and ran that course 10. leagues then East Southeast 20. leagues and fel with the maine land being full of copped hils and passing along the coast 20. leagues the further we sailed the higher was the land The 27. day we crossed ouer a Bay the South shore being the higher land and fel with a high point of land being ouerthwart the Cape there âose such a storme at the East that we thought verily we should haue perished this storme continued 3. dayes From this Cape we passed to a port called Manguslaue The place where we should haue arriued at the Southermost part of the Caspian sea is 12. leagues within a Bay but we being sore tormented and tossed with this forsaid storme were driuen vnto another land on y e other side the Bay ouerthwart the sayd Manguslaue being very lowe land and a place as well for the ill commoditie of the hauen as of those brute field people where neuer barke nor boate had before arriued not liked of vs. But yet here we sent certaine of our men to land to talke with the gouernour and people as well for our good vsage at their handes as also for prouision of camels to carry our goods from the sayd sea side to a place called Sellyzure being from the place of our landing fiue and twentie dayes iourney Our messengers returned with comfortable wordes and faire promises of all things Wherefore the 3. day of September 1558. we discharged our barke and I with my companie were gently entertained of the Prince of his people But before our departure from thence we found them to be very bad and brutish people for they ceased not daily to molest vs either by fighting stealing or begging raising the prise of horse and camels victuals double that it was woont there to be and forced vs to buy the water that we did drinke which caused vs to hasten away and to conclude with them as well for the hire of camels as for the prise of such as wee bought with other prouision according to their owne demaund So that for euery camels lading being but 400. waight of ours we agreed to giue three hides of Russia and foure wooden dishes and to the Prince or gouernour of the sayd people one ninth and two seuenths Namely nine seuerall things and twise seuen seuerall things for money they vse none And thus being ready the foureteenth of September we departed from that place being a Carauan of a thousand camels And hauing trauailed fiue dayes iourney we came to another Princes Dominion and vpon the way there came vnto vs certaine Tartars on horseback being well armed and seruants vnto the saide Prince called Timor Soltan gouernour of the said countrey of Manguslaue where wee meant to haue arriued and discharged our barke if the great storm aforesayd had not disappointed These aforesaid Tartars stayd our Carauan in the name of their Prince and opened our wares and tooke such things as they thought best for their saide prince without money but for such things as they tooke from me which as a ninth after much dissension I ridde vnto the same Prince and presented my selfe before him requesting his fauour and pasport to trauaile through his countrey and not to be robbed nor spoiled of his people which request he graunted me and intertained me very gently commaunding me to be well feasted with flesh and mares milke for bread they vse none nor other drinke except water but money he had none to giue mee for such things as he tooke of mee which might be of value in Russe money fifteene rubbles but he gaue me his letter and a horse woorth seuen rubbles And so I departed from him being glad that I was gone for he was reported to be a very tyrant and if I had not gone vnto him I vnderstoode his commaundement was that I should haue beene robbed and destroyed This Soltan liued in the fieldes without Castle or towne and sate at my being with him in a litle rounde house made of reedes couered without with felt and within with Carpets There was with him the great Metropolitan of that wilde
degrees to the Northward of the Equinoctiall From which Cape of Comori vnto the aforesayd Ilands we ranne in sixe dayes with a very large wind though the weather were foule with extreme raine and gustes of windes These Ilands were missed through our masters default for want of due obseruation of the South starre And we fell to the Southward of them within the sight of the Ilands of Gomes Polo which lie hard vpon the great Iland of Sumatra the first of Iune and at the Northeast side of them we lay two or three dayes becalmed hoping to haue had a Pilote from Sumatra within two leagues whereof wee lay off and on Now the Winter comming vpon vs with much contagious weather we directed our course from hence with the Ilands of Pulo Pinaou where by the way is to be noted that Pulo in the Malaian tongue signifieth an Iland at which Ilands wee arriued about the beginning of Iune where we came to an anker in a very good harborough betweene three Ilands at which time our men were very sicke and many fallen Here we determined to stay vntill the Winter were ouerpast This place is in 6 degrees and a halfe to the Northward and some fiue leagues from the maine betweene Malacca and Pegu. Here we continued vntill the end of August Our refreshing in this place was very smal onely of oisters growing on rocks great wilks and some few fish which we tooke with our hookes Here we landed our sicke men on these vninhabited Ilands for their health neuerthelesse 26 of them died in his place whereof Iohn Hall our master was one and M. Rainold Golding another a marchant of great honestie and much discretion In these Ilands are abundance of trees of white wood so right and tall hat a man may make mastes of them being an hundred foote long The winter passed and hauing watered our ship and fitted her to goe to Sea wee had left vs but 33 men and one boy of which not past 22 were found for labour and helpe and of them not past a third part sailers thence we made sailâ to seeke some place of refreshing and went ouer to the maine of Malacca The next day we came to an anker in a Baie in six fadomes water some two leagues from the shore Then master Iames Lancaster our captaine and M. Edmund Barker his lieutenant and other of the companie manning the boat went on shore to see what inhabitants might be found And comming on land we found the tracking of some barefooted people which were departed thence not long before for we sawe their fire still burning but people we sawe none nor any other liuing creature saue a certaine kind of foule called oxe birds which are a gray kind of Sea-foule like a Snite in colour but not in beake Of these we killed some eight dozen with haile-shot being very tame and spending the day in search returned toward night aboord The next day about two of the clocke in the afternoone we espied a Canoa which came neere vnto vs but would not come aboord vs hauing in it some sixteen naked Indians with whom neuertheles going afterward on land we had friendly conference and promise of victuals The next day in the morning we espied three ships being all of burthen 60 or 70 tunnes one of which wee made to strike with our very boate and vnderstanding that they were of the towne of Martabam which is the chiefe hauen towne for the great citie of Pegu and the goods belonging to certaine Portugal Iesuites and a Biscuit baker a Portugal we tooke that ship did not force the other two because they were laden for marchants of Pegu but hauing this one at our command we came together to an anker The night folowing all the men except twelue which we tooke into our ship being most of them borne in Pegu fled away in their boate leauing their ship and goods with vs. The next day we weighed our anker and went to the Leeward of an Iland hard by and tooke in her lading being pepper which shee and the other two had laden at Pera which is a place on the maine 30 leagues to the South Besides the aforesaid three ships we tooke another ship of Pegu laden with pepper and perceiuing her to bee laden with marchants goods of Pegu onely wee dismissed her without touching any thing Thus hauing staied here 10 daies and discharged her goods into the Edward which was about the beginning of September our sicke men being somewhat refreshed and lustie with such reliefe as we had found in this ship we weighed anker determining to runne into the streights of Malacca to the Ilands called Pulo Sambilam which are some fiue and fortie leagues Northward of the citie of Malacca to which Ilands the Portugals must needs come from Goa or S. Thome for the Malucos China and Iapan And when wee were there arriued we lay too and agayne for such shipping as should come that way Thus hauing spent some fiue dayes vpon a Sunday we espied a saile which was a Portugall ship that came from Negapatan a towne on the maine of India ouer-against the Northeast part of the I le of Zeilan and that night we tooke her being of 250 tunnes she was laden with Rice for Malacca Captaine Lancaster commanded their captaine and master aboord our shippe and sent Edmund Barker his lieutenant and seuen more to keepe this prize who being aboord the same came to an anker in thirtie fadomes water for in that chanell three or foure leagues from the shore you shall finde good ankorage Being thus at an anker and keeping out a light for the Edward another Portugall ship of Sant Thome of foure hundred tunnes came and ankered hard by vs. The Edward being put to Leeward for lacke of helpe of men to handle her sailes was not able the next morning to fetch her vp vntil we which were in the prize with our boate went to helpe to man our shippe Then comming aboord we went toward the shippe of Sant Thome but our ship was so foule that shee escaped vs. After we had taken out of our Portugall prize what we thought good we turned her and all her men away except a Pilot and foure Moores We continued here vntill the sixt of October at which time we met with the ship of the captaine of Malacca of seuen hundred tunnes which came from Goa we shot at her many shot and at last shooting her maine-yard through she came to an anker and yeelded We commaunded her Captaine Master Pilot and Purser to come aboord vs. But the Captaine accompanied with one souldier onely came and after certaine conference with him he made excuse to fetch the Master and Purser which he sayd would not come vnlesse he went for them but being gotten from vs in the edge of the euening âhe with all the people which were to the number of about
for our discouery The sixt of August we discouered land in 66 degrees 40 minuts of latitude altogether void from the pester of ice we ankered in a very faire rode vnder a braue mount the cliffes whereof were as orient as golde This mount was named Mount Raleigh The rode where our ships lay at anker was called Toânes rode The sound which did compasse the mount was named Exeter sound The foreland towards the North was called Dierscape The foreland towards the South was named Cape Walsingham So soone as we were come to an anker in Totnes rode vnder Mount Raleigh we espied foure white beares at the foot of the mount we supposing them to be goats or wolues manned our boats aud went towards them but when we came neere the shore we found them to be white beares of a monstrous bignesse we being desirous of fresh victuall and the sport began to assault them and I being on land one of them came downe the hill right against me my piece was charged with hailshot a bullet I discharged my piece and shot him in the necke he roared a litle and tooke the water straight making small account of his hurtâ Then we followed him with our boat and killed him with boare-speares two more that night We found nothing in their mawes but we iudged by their dung that they fed vpon grasse because it appeared in all respects like the dung of an horse wherein we might very plainly see the very strawes The 7 we went on shore to another beare which lay all night vpon the top of an Island vnder Mount Raleigh and when we came vp to him he lay fast asleep I leuelled at his head and the stone of my piece gaue no fire with that he looked vp and layed downe his head againe then I shot being charged with two bullets and strooke him in the head he being but amazed fell backwards whereupon we ran all vpon him with boare-speares and thrust him in the body yet for all that he gript away our boare-speares and wenâ towards the water and as he was going downe he came backe againe Then our Master shot his boare-speare and strooke him in the head and made him to take the water and swimme into a coue fast by where we killed him and brought him aboord The breadth of his forefoot from one side to the other was foureteene inches ouer They were very fat so as we were constrained to cast the fat away We saw a rauen vpon Mount Raleigh We found withies also growing like low shrubs flowers like Primroses in the sayd place The coast is very mountainous altogether without wood grasse or earth and is onely huge mountaines of stone but the brauest stone that euer we saw The aire was very moderate in this countrey The 8 we departed from Mount Raleigh coasting along the shoare which lieth Southsouthwest and Eastnortheast The 9 our men fell in dislike of their allowance because it was too small as they thought wherupon we made a new proportion euery messe being fiue to a messe should haue foure pound of bread a day twelue wine quarts of beere six Newland fishes and the flesh dayes a gill of pease more so we restrained them from their butter and cheese The 11 we came to the most Southerly cape of this land which we named The Cape of Gods mercy as being the place of our first entrance for the discouery The weather being very foggy we coasted this North land at length when it brake vp we perceiued that we were shot into a very faire entrance or passage being in some places twenty leagues broad and in sâme thirty altogether void of any pester of ice the weather very tolerable and the water of the very colour nature and quality of the maine ocean which gaue vs the greater hope of our passage Hauing sailed Northwest sixty leagues in this entrance we discouered certaine Islands standing in the midst thereof hauing open passage on both sides Wherupon our ships diuided themselues the one sailing on the North side the other on the South side of the sayd Isles where we stayed fiue dayes hauing the winde at Southeast very foggy and foule weather The 14 we went on shoare and found signes of people for we found stones layed vp together like a wall and saw the skull of a man or a woman The 15 we heard dogs houle on the shoare which we thought had bene wolues and therefore we went on shoare to kill them When we came on land the dogges came presently to our boat very gently yet we thought they came to pray vpon vs and therefore we shot at them and killed two and about the necke of one of them we found a leatherne coller wherupon we thought them to be tame dogs There were twenty dogs like mastiâes with prickt eares and long bush tailes we found a bone in the pizels of their dogs Then we went farther and found two sleads made like ours in England the one was made of firre spruse and oken boords sawen like inch boords the other was made all of whale bone there hung on the tops of the steads three heads of beasts which they had killed We saw here larks rauens and partridges The 17 we went on shoare and in a little thing made like an ouen with stones I found many small trifles as a small canoa made of wood a piece of wood made like an image a bird made of bone beads hauing small holes in one end of them to hang about their necks other small things The coast was very barren without wood or grasse the rocks were very faire like marble full of vaines of diuers colours We found a seale which was killed not long before being fleane and hid vnder stones Our Captaine and Master searched still for probabilities of the passage and first found that this place was all Islands with great sounds passing betweene them Secondly the water remained of one colour with the maine ocean without altering Thirdly we saw to the West of those Isles three or foure whales in askull which they iudged to come from a Westerly sea because to the Eastward we saw not any whale Also as we were rowing into a very great sound lying Southwest froÌ whence these whales came vpon the sudden there came a violent counter-checke of a tide from the Southwest against the flood which we came with not knowing from whence it was mainteined Fiftly in sailing twenty leagues within the mouth of this entrance we had sounding in 90 fadoms faire gray osâe sand and the further we ran into the Westwards the deeper was the water so that hard aboord the shoare among these Isles we could not haue ground in 330 fadoms Lastly it did ebbe and flow sixe or seuen fadome vp and downe the flood comming from diuers parts so as we could not perceiue the chiefe maintenance thereof The 18 and 19 our Captaine and Master