Shipps being all deepe loaden began to feele the Tempest so that wee not able to lye by it neither a hull nor a try and so with an easie Sayle bare vp before the Wind with intent to put into Falmouth but God was pleased that comming within tenne leagues of Sylly the wind vered to the North-east and so we went on in our Voyage Thwart of the Flees of Bayon wee met with a small Ship of Master Waltre of London called the Elizabeth which came out of Plimouth some eyght dayes after vs of whom wee enformed our selues of some particularities and wrote certaine Letters to our Friends making Relation of what had past till that day and so tooke our farewell each of the other The like we did with a small Carvell of Plimouth which wee meet in the height of the Rocke in Portingall From thence wee directed our course to the Ilands of Madera and about the end of Iune in the sight of the Ilands we descryed a Sayle some three leagues to the East-wards and a league to Wind-ward of vs which by her manner of working and making gaue vs to vnderstand that shee was one of the Kings Frigarts For shee was long and snugg and spread a large Clewe and standing to the West-wards and weâ— to the East-wards to recover her Wake when we east about shee beganne to â—eco shete and to goe away lasking and within two glasses iâ— was plainely seene that shee went from vs and so we followed on our course and shee seeing that presently stroke her Topsayles which our Pynace perceiving and being within shot continued the Chase till I shot off a Peece and called her away which fault many runne into thinking to get thereby and sometimes loose themselues by being too bold to venture from their Fleete for it was impossible for vs being to leeward to take her or to succour our owne shee being a Ship of about two hundreth Tunnes And Pynaces to meddle with Ships is to buy Repentance at too deare a rate For their office is to wayte vpon their Fleete in calmes with their Oares to follow a Chase and in occasions to Anchor neere the shore when the greater Ships cannot without perill Aboue all to be readie and obedient at every call Yet will I not that any wrest my meaning neither say I that a Pynace or small Ship armed may not take a great Ship vnarmed for daily experience teacheth vs the contrary The Madera Ilands are two the greater called La madera and the other Porto Santo of great fertilitie and rich in Sugar Conserves Wine and sweet Wood whereof they take their name Other commodities they yeeld but these are the principall The chiefe Towne and Port is on the Souther side of the Madera well fortified they are subiect to the Kingdome of Portingall the Inhabitants and Garrison all Portingalles The third of Iuly we past along the Ilands of Canaria which haue the name of a Kingdome and containe these seaven Ilands Grand Canaria Tenerifa Palma Gomera Lancerota Forteventura and Fierro These Ilands haue abundance of Wine Sugar Conserues Orcall Pitch Iron and other Commodities and store of Cattell and Corne but that a certaine Worme called Gorgoshâ— breedeth in it which eateth out the substance leaving the huske in manner whole The head Iland where the Iustice which they call Audiencia is resident and whither all sutes haue their appealation and finall sentence is the Grand Canaria although the Tenerifa is held for the better and richer Iland and to haue the best Sugar and the Wine of the Palma is reputed for the best The Pitch of these Ilands melteth not with the Sunne and therefore is proper for the higher workes of Shipping Betwixt Forteventura and Lancerota is a goodly found fit for a meeting place for any Fleete Where is good Anchoring and aboundance of many sorts of Fish There is water to be had in most of these Ilands but with great vigilance For the naturalls of them are venturous and hardie and many times clime vp and downe the steepe Rockes and broken hills which seeme impossible which I would hardly haue beleeved had I not seene it and that with the greatest art and agilitie that may be Their Armes for the most part are Launces of nine or ten foote with a head of a foote and halfe long like vnto Boare-Speares saue that the head is somewhat more broad Two things are famous in these Ilands the Pike of Tenerifa which is the highest Land in my iudgement that I haue seene and men of credit haue told they haue seene it more then fortie leagues off It is like vnto a Sugar loafe and continually covered with Snow and placed in the middest of a goodly vallie most fertile and temperate round about it Out of which going vp the pike the colde is so great that it is insufferable and going downe to the Townes of the Iland the heate seemeth most extreame till they approach neere the coast The other is a Tree in the Iland Fierro which some write and affirme with the dropping of his leaues to giue water for the suâ—tenance of the whole Iland which I haue not seene although I haue beene on shoare on the Iland but those which haue seene it haue recounted this misterie differently to that which is written in this maner That this Tree is placed in the bottome of a Valley ever florishing with broad leaues and that round about it are a multitude of goodly high Pynes which over-top it and as it seemeth were planted by the divine providence to preserue it from Sunne and Wind. Out of this Valley ordinarily rise every day great vapours and exhalations which by reason that the Sunne is hindered to worke his operation with the height of the Mountaines towards the South-east convert themselues into moysture and so bedewe all the Trees of the Valley and from those which over-top this Tree drops downe the dewe vpon his leaues and so from his leaues into a round Well of Stone which the Naturals of the land haue made to receiue the water of which the people and cattle haue great releife but sometimes it raineth and then the Inhabitants doe reserue water for many dayes to come in their Cisterns and Tynaxes which is that they drinke of and wherewith they principally sustaine themselues The Citty of the Grand Canaria and chiefe Port is on the west side of the Iland the head Towne and Port of Tenerifa is towards the south part and the Port and Towne of the Palma and Gomera on the East side In Gomera some three Leagues south-ward from the Towne is a great River of water but all these Ilands are perilous to land in for the seege caused by the Ocean sea which alwayes is forcible and requireth great circumspection whosoever hath not vrgent cause is either to goe to the East-wards or to the west-wards of all these Ilands as well to avoyd the calmes which hinder sometimes eight or
in this Worke we saw a Shippe turning to Windwards to succour her selfe of the Ilands but having discryed vs put off to Sea-wards Two dayes after the wind changing we saw her againe running alongst the coast and the Daintie not being in case to goe after her for many reasons we manned the Fancie and sent her after her who about the setting of the Sunne â—etched her vp and spake with her when finding her to be a great Fly-boat of at least three or foure hundreth Tunnes with 18. Peeces of Artillery would haue returned but the wind freshing in put her to Leewards and standing in to succour her selfe of the land had sight of another small Barke which after a short chase shee tooke but had nothing of moment in her for that she had bin vpon the great Sholes of Abreoios in 18. degrees and there throwne all they had by the board to saue their liues This and the other chase were the cause that the Fancie could not beat it vp in many dayes but before we had put all in a readinesse the wind changing shee came vnto vs and made Relation of that which had past and how they had given the small Barke to the Portingalls and brought with them onely her Pilot and a Marchant called Pedro de escalante of Potosi SECT XXVII IN this Coast the Portingalls by industrie of the Indians haue wrought many feats At Cape Frio they tooke a great French Ship in the night the most of her company being on the shore with Cannoas which they haue in this Coast so great that they carry seventie and eightie men in one of them And in Isla grand I saw one that was aboue threescore foote long of one tree as are all that I haue seene in Brasill with provisions in them for twentie or thirtie dayes At the Iland of San-sebastian neere Saint Vincent the Indians killed about eightie of master Candish his men and tooke his Boat which was the overthrow of his Voyage There commeth not any Ship vpon this Coast whereof these Cannoas giue not notice presently to every place And wee were certified in Isla grand that they had sent an Indian from the River of Ienero through all the Mountaines and Marishes to take a view of vs and accordingly made a Relation of our Shippes Boates and the number of men which we might haue But to prevent the like danger that might come vpon vs being carelesse and negligent I determined one night in the darkest and quietest of it to see what watch our Company kept on the shore man'd our Light-horsman and Boat armed them with Bowes and Targetts and got a shore some good distance from the places where were our Boothes and sought to come vpon them vndiscovered wee vsed all our best endevours to take them at vnawares yet comming within fortie paces we were discovered the whole and the sicke came forth to oppose themselues against vs. Which wee seeing gaue them the Hubbub after the manner of the Indians and assaulted them and they vs but being a close darke night they could not discerne vs presently vpon the Hubbub From our Shippe the Gunner shott a peece of Ordinance over our heads according to the order given him and thereof we tooke occasion to retyre vnto our Boates and within a little space came to the Boothes and landing places as though wee came from our Shippes to ayde them They began to recount vnto vs how that at the wester poynt of the Iland out of certaine Cannoas had landed a multitude of Indians which with a great out-cry came vpon thâ—m and â—ssaulted them fiercely but finding better resistance then they looked for and seeing themselues discovered by the Shippes tooke themselues to their heeles and returned to their Cannoas in which they imbarked themselues and departed One affirmed he saw the Cannoas another their long hayre a third their Bowes a fourth that it could not be but that some of them had their payments And it was worth the sight to behold those which had not moved out of their beds in many Moneths vnlesse by the helpe of others gotten some a bow-shoot off into the Woods others into the toppes of Trees and those which had any strength ioyned together to fight for their liues In fine the Booths and Tents were left desolate To colour our businesse the better after we had spent some houre in seeking out and ioyning the Companie together in comforting animating and commending them I left them an extraordinary Guard for that night and so departed to our Shippes with such an opinion of the assault given by the Indians that many so possessed through all the Voyage would not be perswaded to the contrary Which impression wrought such effect in most of my Companie that in all places where the Indians might annoy vs they were after most carefull and vigilant as was convenient In these Ilands it heigheth and falleth some fiue or six foot water and but once in two and twentie houres as in all this Coast and in many parts of the West Indies as also in the coast of Perew and Chely saving where are great Bayes or indraughts and there the tydes keepe their ordinary course of twice in foure and twentie houres In the lesser of these Ilands is a Caue for a small Ship to ride in Land-lockt and shee may moore her selfe to the trees of either side this we called Palmito Iland for the aboundance it hath of the greater sort of Palmito trees the other hath none at all A man may goe betwixt the Ilands with his Ship but the better course is out at one end In these Ilands are many Scorpions Snakes and Adders with other venemous Vermine They haue Parotts and a certaine kinde of fowle like vnto Phesants somewhat bigger and seeme to be of their nature Here we spent aboue a moneth in curing of our sicke men supplying our wants of Wood and Water and in other necessary workes And the tenth of December all things put in order we set sayle for Cape Frio having onely six men sicke with purpose there to set ashore our two Prisoners before named and anchoring vnder the Cape we sent our Boat a shore but they could not finde any convenient place to land them in and so returned the Wind being Southerly and not good to goe on our voyage we succoured our selues within Isla Grand which lyeth some dozen or foureteene Leagues from the Cape betwixt the West and by South and West South-west the rather to set our Prisoners a shore In the mid way betwixt the Cape and this Iland lyeth the River Ienero a very good Harbour fortified with a Garrison and a place well peopled The Isla Grand is some eight or ten Leagues long and causeth a goodly Harbour for Shipping It is full of great sandie Bayes and in the most of them is store of good water within this Iland are many other smaller Ilands which cause divers
knâ—cke them on the head for though a man gaue them many blowes on the body they diâ—d not Besides the flesh brused is not good to keepe The Massaker ended presently they cut off their heads that they might bleede well such as we determined to keepe for store wee saved in this maner First we split them and then washed them well in sea water then salted them having layne some sixe howres in salt wee put them in presse eight howres and the blood being soaked out we salted them againe in our other caske as is the custome to salt beefe after this maner they continued good some two moneths and served vs in stead of beefe The Gulls and Gannets were not in so great quantitie yet we wanted not young Gulles to eate all the time of our stay about these Ilands It was one of the delicatest foodes that I haue eaten in all my life The Ducks are different to ours and nothing so good meate yet they may serue for necessitie They were many and had a part of the Iland to themselues severall which was the highest hill and more then a Musket shott over In all the dayes of my life I haue not seene greater Art and curiositie in creatures voyd of reason then in the placing and making of their nestes all the hill being so full of them that the greatest Mathematician of the world could not devise how to place one more then there was vpon the hill leaving onely one path-way for a fowle to passe betwixt The hill was all levell as if it had beene smoothed by Art the neâ—tes made onely of earth and seeming to be of the selfe same mould for the nests and the soyle is all one which with water that they bring in their Beakes they make into Clay or a certaine dawbe and after fashion them round as with a Compasse In the bottome they containe the measure of a foote in the height about eight inches and in the toppe the same quantitie over there they are hollowed in somewhat deepe wherein they lay their eggs without other prevention And I am of opinion that the Sunne helpeth them to hatch their young their nests are for many yeares and of one proportion not one exceeding another in bignesse in height nor circumference and in proportionable distance one from another In all this hill nor in any of their nestes was to be found a blade of grasse a straw a sticke a feather a moate no nor the filing oâ— any â—owle but all the nestes and passages betwixt them were so smooth and cleane as if they had beene newly swept and washed All which are motiues to prayse and magnifie the vniversall Creator who so wonderfully manifesteth his wisedome bountie and providence in all his Creatures and especially for his particular loue to ingratefull mankinde for whose contemplation and service he hath made them all SECT XXXI ONe day having ended our hunting of Pengwins one of our Mariners walking about the Iland discovered a great company of Seales or Sea-wolues so called for that they are in the Sea as the Wolues on the Land advising vs that he left them sleeping with their bellies rosting against the Sunne wee provided our selues with staues and other weapons and sought to steale vpon them at vnawares to surprise some of them and comming downe the side of a hill wee were not discovered till we were close vpon them notwithstanding their Sentinell before we could approach with a great howle waked them wee got betwixt the Sea and some of them but they shunned vs not for they came directly vpon vs and though we dealt here and there a blow yet not a man that withstood them escaped the overthrow They reckon not of a Musket shott a sword peirceth not their skinne and to giue a blow with a staffe is as to smite vpon a stone onely in giving the blow vpon his snowt presently he falleth downe dead After they had recovered the water they did as it were scorne vs defie vs and daunced before vs vntill we had shot some Musket shott through them and so they appeared no more This Fish is like vnto a Calfe with foure leggs but not aboue a spanne long his skinne is hayrie like a Calfe but these were different to all that ever I haue seene yet I haue seene of them in many parts for these were greater and in their former parts like vnto Lyons with shagge hayre and mostaches They liue in the Sea and come to sleepe on the Land and they ever haue one that watcheth who adviseth them of any accident They are beneficiall to man in their skinnes for many purposes In their mostaches for Pick-tooths and in their fatt to make Traine-oyle This may suffice for the Seale for that he is well knowne SECT XXXII ONe day our Boates being loaden with Pengwins and comming aboord a sudden storme tooke them which together with the fury of the tyde put them in such great danger that although they threw all their loading into the Sea yet were they forced to goe before the wind and Sea to saue their liues Which we seeing and considering that our welfare depended vpon their safetie being impossible to weigh our Anchor fastned an emptie Barrell well pitched to the end of our Cable in stead of a boy and letting it slip set sayle to succour our Boates which in short space wâ—e recovered and after returned to the place where we ryd before The storme ceasing we vsed our diligence by all meanes to seeke our Cable and Anchor but the tyde being forcible and the weeds as in many partes of the Straites so long that riding in foureteene fathome water many times they streamed three and foure fathomes vpon the ryme of the water these did so inrole our Cable that we could never set eye of our boy and to sweepe for him was but lost labour because of the weeds which put vs out of hope to recover it And so our forcible businesse being ended leaving instructions for the Fancie our Pynace according to appointment where to finde vs we inroled them in many folds of Paper put them into a barrell of an old Musket and stopped it in such manner as no wett could enter then placing it an end vpon one of the highest hills and the most frequented of all the Iland wee imbarked our selues and set sayle with the wind at North-west which could serue vs but to the end of that reach some dozen leagues long and some three or foure leagues broad It lyeth next of any thing till you come to Cape Agreda South-west from this Cape to Cape Froward the coast lyeth West South-west Some foure leagues betwixt them was the second peopling of the Spaniards and this Cape lyeth in fiftie fiue degrees and better Thwart Cape Froward the wind larged with vs and we continued our course towards the Iland of Elizabeth which lyeth from Cape Froward some foureteene leagues West and by South This
we might discry the hull of a Ship beaten vpon the Beach It was of the Spanish Fleete that went to inhabite there in Anno 1582. vnder the charge of Pedro Sarmiento who at his returne was taken Prisoner and brought into England In this Bay the Spaniards made their principall habitation and called it the Cittie of Saint Philip and left it peopled But the cold barrennes of the Countrie and the malice of the Indians wiâ—h whom they badly agreed made speedie end of them as also of those whom they left in the middle of the Straites three leagues from Cape Froward to the East-wards in another habitation We continued our course alongst this reach for all the Straites is as a River altering his course sometimes vpon one poynt sometimes vpon another which is some eight Leagues long and lyeth West North-west From this we entred into a goodly Bay which runneth vp into the land Northerly many Leagues and at first entrance a man may see no other thing but as it were a maine Sea From the end of this first reach you must direct your course West South-west and some foureteene or fifteene leagues lyeth one of the narrowest places of all the Straites This leadeth vnto another reach that lyeth west and by north some six leagues Here in the middle of the reach the wind tooke vs by the north-west and so we were forced to anchor some two or three dayes In which time we went a shore with our Boates and found neere the middle of this reach on the Star-boord side a reasonable good place to ground and trimme a small Ship where it higheth some nine or ten foote water Here we saw certaine Hogges but they were so farre from vs that wee could not discerne if they were of those of the Countrie or brought by the Spaniards these were all the Beasts which we saw in all the time we were in the Straites In two tydes we turned through this reach and so recovered the Ilands of Pengwins they lye from this reach foure leagues South-west and by west Till you come to this place care is to be taken of not comming too neere to any poynt of the Land for being for the most part sandie they haue sholding off them and are somewhat what dangerous These Ilands haue beene set forth by some to be three we could discover but two And they are no more except that part of the Mayne which lyeth over against them be an Iland which carrieth little likelihood and I cannot determine it A man may sayle betwixt the two Ilands or betwixt them and the Land on the laâ—boord side from which land to the bigger Iland is as it were a bridge or ledge on which is foure or fiue fathome water and to him that commeth neere it not knowing thereof may iustly cause feare for it sheweth to be shold water with his rypling like vnto a race Betwixt the former reach and these Ilands runneth vp a goodly Bay into the Country to the North-wards It causeth a great indraught and aboue these Ilands runneth a great tide from the mouth of the Straites to these Ilands the land on the larboord-side is low land and sandy for the most part and without doubt Ilands for it hath many openings into the Sea and forcible indraughts by them and that on the starboord side is all high mountaynous land from end to end but no wood on eyther side Before wee passed these Ilands vnder the lee of the bigger Iland we anchored the wind being at North-east with intent to refresh our selues with the fowles of these Ilands They are of divers sorts and in great plentie as Pengwins wilde Ducks Gulles and Gannets of the principall we purposed to make provision and those were the Pengwins which in Welsh as I haue beene enformed signifieth a white head From which derivation and many other Welsh denominations given by the Indians or their predecessors some doe inferre that America was first peopled with Welsh-men and Motezanna King or rather Emperour of Mexico did recount vnto the Spaniards at their first comming that his Auncestors came from a farre Countrie and were white people Which conferred which an auncient Cronicle that I haue read many yeares since may bee coniectured to bee a Prince of Wales who many hundreth yeares since with certaine shippes sayled to the westwards with intent to make new discoveries Hee was never after heard of The Pengwin is in all proportion like vnto a Goose and hath no feathers but a certaine doune vpon all parts of his body and therefore cannot flie but avayleth himselfe in all occasions with his feete running as fast as most men He liveth in the Sea and on the Land feedeth on fish in the Sea and as a Goose on the shore vpon grasse They harbour themselues vnder the ground in burrowes as the Connies and in them hatch their young All parts of the Iland where they haunted were vndermined saue onely one valley which it seemeth they reserved for their foode for it was as green as any Medowe in the moneth of Aprill with a most fine short grasse The flesh of these Pengwins is much of the savour of a certaine fowle taken in the Ilands of Lundey and Silley which wee call Puffins by the tast it is easily discerned that they feede on fish They are very fatt and in dressing must be flead as the Byter they are reasonable meate rosted baked or sodden but best rosted We saltâ—d some dozen or 16. hogsheads which served vs whilest they lasted in steede of powdred beefe The hunting of them as we may well terme it was a great recreation to my Company and worth the sight for in determining to catch them necessarily was required good store of people every one with a cudgell in his hand to compasse them round about to bring them as it were into a ring if they chanced to breake out then was the sport for the ground being vndermined at vnawares it fayled and as they ran after them one fell here another there another offering to strike at one lifting vp his hand sunke vpp to the arme pits in the earth another leaping to avoyd one hole fell into another And after the first slaughter in seeing vs on the shore they shunned vs and procured to recover the Sea yea many times seeing themselues persecuted they would tumble downe from such high rocks mountaines as it seemed impossible to escape with life Yet as soone as they came to the beach presently wee should see them runne into the Sea as though they had no hurt Where one goeth the other followeth like sheepe after the Bel-wether but in getting them once within the ring close together few escaped saue such as by chance hid themselues in the borrowes and ordinarily there was no droue which yeelded vs not a thousand and more the maner of killing them which the hunters vsed being in a cluster together was with their cudgels to
reach is foure or fiue leagues broad and in it are many channells or openings into the Sea for all the land on the Souther part of the Straites are Ilands and broken land and from the beginning of this reach to the end of the Straites high mountaynous land on both sides in most parts covered with snow all the yeare long Betwixt the Iland Elizabeth and the Mayne is the narrowest passage of all the Straites it may be some two Musket shott from side to side From this Straite to Elizabeth bay is some foure leagues and the course lyeth North-west and by west This bay is all sandie and cleane ground on the Easter part but before you come at it there lyeth a poynt of the shore a good byrth off which is dangerous And in this reach as in many parts of the Straites runneth a quicke and forcible tyde In the Bay it higheth eight or nine foote water The Norther part of the Bay hath foule ground and rocks vnder water and therefore it is not wholsome borrowing of the mayne One of master Thomas Candish his Pynaces as I haue beene enformed came a-ground vpon one of them and he was in hazard to haue left her there From Elizabeth Bay to the River of Ieronimo is some fiue leagues The course lyeth West and by North and West Here the Wind scanted and forced vs to seeke a place to anchor in Our Boates going alongst the shore found a reasonable Harbour which is right against that which they call River Ieronimo but it is another channell by which a man may disemboake the Straite as by the other which is accustomed for with a storme which tooke vs one night suddenly we were forced into that opening vnwittingly but in the morning seeing our error and the wind larging with two or three bourds wee turned out into the old channell not daring for want of our Pynace to attempt any new discoverie This Harbour we called Blanches Bay for that it was found by William Blanch one of our Masters mates Here having moored our shippe we began to make our provision of wood and water whereof was plentie in this Bay and in all other places from Pengwin Ilands till within a dozen leagues of the mouth of the Straites Now finding our Deckes open with the long lying vnder the lyne and on the coast of Brasill the Sunne having beene in our Zenith many times we calked our ship within bourd and without aboue the Decks And such was the diligence we vsed that at foure dayes end we had aboue threescore Pipes of water and twentie Boats of wood stowed in our Ship no man was idle nor otherwise busied but in necessary workes some in felling and cleaving of wood some in carrying of water some in romaging some in washing others in baking one in heating of pitch another in gathering of Mussells no man was exempted but knew at evening wherevnto he was to betake himselfe the morning following Some man might aske me how we came to haue so many emptie Caske in lesse then two moneths for it seeemeth much that so few men in such short time and in so long a Voyage should waste so much Whereto I answere that it came not of excessiue expence for in health we never exceeded our ordinary but of a mischance which befell vs vnknowne in the Iland of Saint Iames or Saint Anne in the coast of Brasill where we refreshed our selues and according to the custome layd our Caske a shore to trimme it and after to fill it the place being commodious for vs. But with the water a certaine worme called Broma by the Spaniard and by vs Arters entred also which eat it so full of holes that all the water soaked out and made much of our Caske of small vse This we remedied the best wee could and discovered it long before we came to this place Hereof let others take warning in no place to haue Caske on the shore where it may be avoyded for it is one of the provisions which are with greatest care to be preserved in long Voyages and hardest to be supplyed These Arters or Broma in all hot Countries enter into the plankes of Shippes and especially where are Rivers of fresh water for the common opinion is that they are bred in fresh water and with the current of the Rivers are brought into the Sea but experience teacheth that they breed in the great Seas in all hott Clymates especially neere the Equinoctiall lyne for lying so long vnder and neere the lyne and towing a Shalop at our sterne cōming to clense her in Brasil we found her all vnder water covered with these wormes as bigge as the little finger of a man on the outside of the planke not fully covered but halfe the thicknes of their bodie like to a gelly wrought into the planke as with a Gowdge And naturall reason in my iudgement confirmeth this for creatures bread and nourished in the Sea comming into fresh water die as those actually bred in Ponds or fresh Rivers die presently if they come into Salt water But some man may say this fayleth in some Fishes and Beasts Which I must confesse to be true but these eyther are part terrestryall and part aquatile as the Mare-maide Sea-horse and other of that kind or haue their breeding in the fresh and growth or continuall nourishment in the Salt water as the Salmond and others of that kinde In little time if the Shippe be not sheathed they put all in hazzard for they enter in no bigger then a small Spanish Needle and by little and little their holes become ordinarily greater then a mans finger The thicker the planke is the greater he groweth yea I haue seene many Shippes so eaten that the most of their plankes vnder water haue beene like honey combes and especially those betwixt wind and water If they had not beene sheathed it had bin impossible that they could haue swomme The entring of them is hardly to be discerned the most of them being small as the head of a Pinne Which all such as purpose long Voyages are to prevent by sheathing their Shippes And for that I haue seene divers manners of sheathing for the ignorant I will set them downe which by experience I haue found best In Spaine and Portingall some sheath their Shippes with Lead which besides the cost and waight although they vse the thinnest sheet-lead that I haue seene in any place yet it is nothing durable but subiect to many casualties Another manner is vsed with double plankes as thicke without as within after the manner of furring which is little better then that with Lead for besides his waight it dureth little because the worme in small time passeth through the one and the other A third manner of sheathing hath beene vsed amongst some with fine Canvas which is of small continuance and so not to be regarded The fourth prevention which now is most
our light horseman for with haling her vp to step into her out of the boate he split her asunder and so wee were forced to cut her off which was no small heartes griefe vnto me â—or that I knew and all my company felt and many times lamented the losse of her The storme tooke end and wee shaped our course for the Iland of Saint Maries which lyeth in thirtie seaven Degrees and forty minuts and before you come vnto the Iland some two leagues in the trade way lyeth a rocke which a farre off seemeth to be a Shippe vnder sayle This Iland is little and low but fertill and well peopled with Indians and some fewe Spaniards in it Some ten leagues to the North-wards of this Iland lyeth the Citty Conception with a good Port from this wee coasted alongst till wee came in thirty three degrees and forty minutes In which height lay the Ilands of Ivan Fernandes betwixt threescore and fourescore Leagues from the shore plentifull of fish and good for refreshing I purposed for many reasons not to discover my selfe vpon this coast till wee were past Lyma otherwise called Cividad de los Reyes for that it was entered by the Spaniard the day of the three Kings but my Company vrged me so farre that except I should seeme in all things to over-beare them in not condiscending to that which in the opinion of all but my selfe seemed profitable and best I could not but yeelde vnto though it carried a false colour as the ende prooued for it was our perdition This all my Company knoweth to be true whereof some are yet living and can giue testimonie But the Mariner is ordinarily so carried away with the desire of Pillage as sometimes for very appearances of small moment hee looseth his voyage and many times himselfe And so the greedines of spoyle onely hoped for in shippes of trade which goe too and fro in this coast blinded them from forecasting the perill whereinto wee exposed our voyage in discovering our selues before wee past the coast of Callaâ— which is the Port of Lyma To be short wee haled the coast aboord and that Evening we discovered the Port of Balparizo which serveth the Citty of Saint Iago standing some twenty leagues into the Countrey when presently we descried foure shippes at an Anchor wherevpon wee manned and armed our boate which rowed towards the Shippes they seeing vs turning in and fearing that which was ran a shore with that little they could saue and leaft vs the rest whereof we were Masters in a moment and had the rifling of all the storâ—houses on the shoare This night I set a good guard in all the shippes longing to see the light of the next morning to put all things in order which appearing I began to survay them and found nothing of moment saue fiue hundreth Botozios of Wine two or three thousand of Hennes and some refreshing of Bread Bacon dried Beefe Waxe Candles and other necessaries The rest of their lading was plankes Spares and Tymber for Lyma and the valleyes which is a rich trade for it hath no Tymber but that which is brought to it from other places They had also many Packes of Indian Mantles but of no value vnto vs with much Tallow and Manteca de Puerco and aboundance of great new Chests in which wee had thought to be some great masse of wealth but opening them found nothing but Apples therein all which was good Marchandize in Lyma but to vs of small accompt The Marchandize on shore in their Store-houses was the like and therefore in the same predicament The owners of the Shippes gaue vs to vnderstand that at a reasonable price they would redeeme their Shippes and loading which I harkened vnto and so admitted certaine persons which might treat of the matter and concluded with them for a small price rather then to burne them saving for the greatest which I carryed with me more to giue satisfaction to my people then for any other respect because they would not be perswaded but that there was much Gold hidden in her otherwise shee would haue yeelded vs more then the other three Being in this treatie one morning at the breake of day came another Shippe touring into the Harbour and standing into the shore but was becalmed Against her we manned a couple of Boates and tooke her before many houres In this Shippe we had some good quantitie of Gold which shee had gathered in Baldivia and the Conception from whence shee came Of this Shippe was Pilot and part owner Alonso Perezbueno whom we kept for our Pilot on this coast till moved with compassion for that he was a man charged with wife and children we set him a shore betwixt Santa and Truxillo Out of this Shippe we had also store of good Bacon and some provision of Bread Hennes and other Victuall And for that shee had brought vs so good a portion and her owner continued with vs the better to animate him to play the honest man though we trusted him no further then we saw him for we presently discovered him to be a cunning fellow and for that his other partner had lost the greatest part of Gold and seemed to be an honest man as after he prooved by his thankefulnesse in Lyma we gaue them the ship and the greatest part of her loading freely Here we supplied our want of Anchors though not according to that which was requisite in regard of the burden of our Shippe for in the South Sea the greatest Anchor for a Shippe of sixe or eight hundreth Tunnes is not a thousand waight partly because it is little subiect to stormes and partly because those they had till our comming were all brought out of the North sea by land for they make no Anchors in those Countries And the first Artillerie they had was also brought over land which was small the carriage and passage â—â—om Nombre de Bios or Porto Velo to Panama being most difficult and steepe vp hill and downe hill they are all carried vpon Negroes backes But some yeares beâ—ore my imprisonment they fell to making of Artillery and since they forge Anchors also Wee furnished our Shippe also with a shift of Sayles of Cotton cloth which are farre better in that Sea then any of our double Sayles for that in all the Navigation of that Sea they haue little rayne and few stormes but where rayne and stormes are ordinary they are not good for with the wett they grow so stiffe that they cannot be handled SECT XLIII I Concluded the ransome of the Shippes with an auncient Captaine and of Noble blood who had his daughter there ready to be imbarked to goe to Lyma to serue Donia Teruza de Castro the Vice-royes wife and sister to Don Beliran de Castro Her apparell and his with divers other things which they had imbarked in the greatest Shippe we restored for the good office
he did vs and the confidence he had of vs comming and going onely vpon my word for which he was ever after thankefull and deserved much more Another that treated with me was Captaine Ivan Contreres owner of one of the Shippes and of the Iland Santa Maria in thirtie seaven degrees and fortie minutes In treating of the ransomes and transporting and lading the provisions we made choyce of wee spent some sixe or eight dayes at the end whereof with reputation amongst our enemies and a good portion towards our charges and our Shippe as well stored and victualled as the day we departed from England we set sayle The time wee were in this Port I tooke small rest and so did the Master of our Shippe Hugh Cornish a most carefull orderly and sufficient man because we knew our owne weaknesse for entring into the Harbour we had but seaventie fiue men and boyes fiue Shippes to guard and every one moored by himselfe which no doubt if our enemies had knowne they would haue wrought some Stratagem vpon vs for the Governour of Chily was there on shore in view of vs an auncient Flanders souldier and of experience wisedome and valour called Don Alonso de Soto Mayor of the habit of Saint Iago who was after Captaine generall in Terra firme and wrought all the inventions vpon the River of Chagree and on the shore when Sir Francis Drake purposed to goe to Panama in the Voyage wherein he died As also at my comming into Spaine he was President in Panama and there and in Lyma vsed me with great courtesie like a noble Souldier and liberall Gentleman he confessed to me after that he lay in ambush with three hundreth horse and foote to see if at any time wee had landed or neglected our watch with Balsas which is a certaine Raffe made of Mastes or Trees fastened together to haue attempted something against vs. But the enemy I feared not so much as the Wine which notwithstanding all the diligence and prevention I could vse day and night overthrew many of my people A foule fault because too common amongst Sea-men and deserveth some rigorous punishment with severitie to be executed for it hath beene and is daily the destruction of many good Enterprises amidst their best hopes And besides the ordinary fruites it bringeth forth of beggery â—hame and sicknesse it is a most deadly sinne A drunkard is vnfit for any government and if I might be hired with many thousands I would not carry with me a man knowne to put his felicitie in that vice instiling it with the name of good fellowship which in most well governed Common-wealths hath beene a sufficient blemish to depriue a man of office of honour and estimation It wasteth our Kingdome more then is well vnderstood as well by the infirmities it causeth as by the consumption of wealth to the impoverishing of vs and the enriching of other Kingdomes And though I am not old in comparison of other auncient men I can remember Spanish wine rarely to be found in this Kingdome Then hot burning Feavers were not knowne in England and men lived many moe yeares But since the Spanish Sacks haue beene common in our Tavernes which for conservation is mingled with Lyme in its making our Nation complaineth of Calenturas of the Stone the Dropsie and infinite other Diseases not heard of before this Wine came in frequent vse or but very seldome To confirme which my beliefe I haue heard one of our learnedst Physitians affirme that he thought there died more persons in England of drinking Wine and vsing hot Spices in their meats and drinkes then of all other diseases Besides there is no yeare in which it wasteth not two millions of Crownes of our substance by convayance into forraine Countries which in so well a governed Common-wealth as ours is acknowledged to be through the whole world in all other constitutions in this onely remaineth to be looked into and remedied Doubtlesse whosoever should be the Author of this reformation would gaine with God an everlasting reward and of his Country a Statua of Gold for a perpetuall memory of so meritorious a Worke. SECT XLIIII A League or better before a man discover this Bay to the South-wards lyeth a great Rocke or small Iland neere the shore vnder which for a need a man may ride with his Shippe It is a good marke and sure signe of the Port and discovering the Bay a man must giue a good birth to the poynt of the Harbour for it hath perilous Rockes lying a good distance off It neither ebbeth nor floweth in this Port nor from this till a man come to Guayaquill which is three degrees from the Equinoctiall lyne to the South-wards Let this be considered It is a good Harbour for all windes that partake not of the North for it runneth vp South and by West and South South-west but it hath much fowle ground In one of these Shippes wee found a new devise for the stopping of a sodaine Leake in a Shippe vnder water without board when a man cannot come to it within board which eased vs of one that we had from the day we departed from Detford caused by the touching a-ground of our Shippe at low water being loaden and in the neape streames comming a-ground in the sterne the force of the tyde caused to cast thwart wrested her slegg and that in such sort as it made a continuall Leake though not much And for that others may profit themselues of the like I thinke it good to set downe the manner of it which was taking a round wicker Basket and to fill it with peeces of a Iunke or Rope chopped very small and of an inch long and after tozed all as Oacombe then the Basket is to be covered with a Nett the meshes of it being at the least two inches square and after to be tied to a long Pike or Pole which is to goe a crosse the Baskets mouth and putting it vnder water care is to be had to keepe the Baskets mouth towardes the Shippes side if the Leake be any thing great the Oacombe may be somewhat longer and it carrieth likelihood to doe good seemeth to be better then the stitching of a Bonnet or any other diligence which as yet I haue seene Another thing I noted of these Shippes which would be also vsed by vs that every Shippe carrieth with her a spare Rudder and they haue them to hange and vnhange with great facilitie and besides in some part of the Shippe they haue the length breadth and proportion of the Rudder marked out for any mischance that may befall them which is a very good prevention Tenne leagues to the North-wards of this Harbour is the bay of Quintera where is good anchoring but an open bay where master Thomas Candish for the good he had done to a Spaniard in bringing him out of the Straits of Magellan where otherwise he