THE OBSERVATIONS OF S IR RICHARD HAVVKINS KNIGHT IN HIS VOIAGE INTO THE South Sea Anno Domini 1593. Per varios Casus Artem Experientia fecit Exemplo monstrante viam Manil. li. 1. PRINCEPS SVBDITORUM INCOLVMITATEM PROCVRANS ID LONDON Printed by I.D. for IOHN IAGGARD and are to be sold at his shop at the Hand and Starre in Fleete-streete neere the Temple Gate 1622. TO THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS AND MOST EXCELLENT Prince CHARLES Prince of Wales DVKE of CORNEWALL EARLE of CHESTER c. AMongst other Neglects preiudiciall to this State I haue observed that many the worthy and Heroyque Acts of our Nation haue beene buried and forgotten The Actors themselues being desirous to shunne emulation in publishing them and those which ouerlived them fearefull to adde or to dimnish from the Actors worth Iudgement and valour haue forborne to write them By which succeeding ages haue beene deprived of the Fruits which might haue beene gathered out of their Experience had they beene committed to Record To avoyd this Neglect and for the Good of my Country I haue thought it my duty to publish the Observations of my South-sea-Voyage and for that vnto your Highnesse you Heires and Successors it is most likely to be advantagious hauing brought on me nothing but losse and misery I am bold to vse your Name a protection vnto it and to offer it with all humblenes and duty to your Highnesse approbation which if it purchase I haue attained my desire which shall ever ayme to performe dutie Your Highnesse humble and devoted servant RICHARD HAVVKINS ⧠To the Reader HAd that worthie Knight the Authour lived to haue seene this his Treatise published he would perhaps himselfe haue giuen the account thereof For by his owne directions it was put to the Presse though it pleased God to take him to his mercy during the time of the Impression His purpose was to haue recommended both it and himselfe vnto our most Excellent Prince CHARLES and himselfe wrote the Dedication which being imparted vnto me I conceited that it stood not with my dutie to suppresse it Touching the discourse it selfe as it is out of my element to iudge so it is out of my purpose to say much of it This onely I may boldly promise that you shall heere find an expert Sea man in his owne Dialect deliver a true relation of an vnfortunat Voyage which howsoever it proved lamentable and fatall to the Actors may yet proue pleasing to the Readers it being an itch in our natures to delight in newnes and varietie be the subiect never so grievous This if there were no more were yet worthy your perusall and is as much as others haue with good acceptance afforded in relations of this nature Howbeit besides the bare series and Context of the storie you shall heere finde interweaved sundry exact descriptions of Countries Townes Capes Promontories Rivers Creekes Harbors and the like not vnprofitable for Navigators besides many notable observations the fruites of a long experience that may giue light touching Marine accidents even to the best Captaines and Commaunders who if they desire to learne by precepts shall here finde store but if examples prevaile more with them here are also aliena pericula if you believe mee not reade and iudge Farewell THE OBSERVATIONS OF S IR RICHARD HAWKINS KNIGHT in his VOYAGE into the South SEA ANNO DOMINI 1593. SECT I. WITH the COVNSELS consent and helpe of my Father Sir Iohn Hawkins Knight I resolved a Voyage to be made for the Ilands of Iapan of the Phillippinas and Molueas the Kingdomes of China and East Indies by the way of the Straites of Magelan and the South Sea The principall end of our Designements was to make a perfect Discovery of all those parts where I should arriue as well knowne as vnknowne with their Longitudes and Latitudes the lying of their Coasts their Head-lands their Pons and Bayes their Citties Townes and Peoplings their manner of Government with the Commodities which the Countries yeelded and of which they haue want and are in necessitie For this purpose in the end of Anno 1588. returning from the iourney against the Spanish Armado I caused a Ship to be builded in the river of Thames betwixt three and foure hundred tunnes which was finished in that perfection as could be required For shee was pleasing to the eye profitable for Stowage good of Sayle and well conditioned The day of her Lanching being appoynted the Lady Hawkins my Mother in Law craued the naming of the Ship which was easily granted her who knowing what Voyage was pretended to be vndertaken named her the Repentance what her thoughts were was kept secret to her selfe And although many times I expostulated with her to declare the reason for giving her that vncouth name I could never haue any other satisfaction then that repentance was the safest Ship we could sayle in to purchase the haven of Heaven Well I know shee was no Prophetesse though a religious and most vertuous Lady and of a very good vnderstanding Yet too propheticall it fell out by Gods secret Iudgementes which in his Wisedome was pleased to reveale vnto vs by so vnknowne a way and was sufficient for the present to cause me to desist from the Enterprise and to leaue the Ship to my Father who willingly tooke her and paid the entire charge of the building and furnishing of her which I had concorted or paid And this I did not for any superstition I haue in names or for that I thinke them able to further or hinder any thing for that all immediately dependeth vpon the Providence of Almightie God and is disposed by him alone Yet advise I all persons ever as neere as they can by all meanes and in all occasions to presage vnto themselues the good they can and in giving names to terrestriall Workes especially to Ships not to giue such as meerly represent the celestiall Character for few haue I knowne or seene come to a good end which haue had such attributes As was plainely seene in the Revenge which was ever the vnfortunatest Ship the late Queenes Maiestie had during her Raigne for comming out of Ireland with Sir Iohn Parrot shee was like to be cast away vpon the Kentish Coast. After in the Voyage of Sir Iohn Hawkins my Father Anno 1586. shee strucke aground comming into Plimouth before her going to Sea Vpon the coast of Spaine shee left her Fleete readie to sinke with a great Leake At her returne into the Harbour of Plimouth shee beate vpon Winter stone and after in the same Voyage going out of Portsmouth Haven shee ranne twice a-ground and in the latter of them lay twentie two houres beating vpon the shore and at length with eight foote of water in hold shee was forced off and presently ranne vpon the Oose and was cause that shee remained there with other three Ships of her Maiesties six moneths till the Spring of the yeare
never suspected that any thing could make them forsake vs So we much lamented them The storme ceasing and being out of all hope we set sayle and went on our course During this storme certaine great fowles as big as Swannes soared aboue vs and the winde calming setled themselues in the Sea and fed vpon the sweepings of our Ship which I perceiving and desirous to see of them because they seemed farre greater then in truth they were I caused a hooke and lyne to be brought me and with a peece of a Pilchard I bayted the hook a foot from it tyed a peece of corke that it might not sinke deepe and threw it into the Sea which our ship driving with the Sea in a little time was a good space from vs and one of the Fowles being hungry presently seized vpon it and the hooke in his vpper beake It is like to a Faulcons bill but that the poynt is more crooked in that maner as by no meanes he could cleare himselfe except that the lyne brake or the hooke righted Plucking him towards the ship with the waving of his wings he eased the waight of his body and being brought to the sterne of our ship two of our Company went downe by the Ladder of the poope and seized on his necke and wings but such were the blowes he gaue them with his Pinnions as both left their hand-fast being beaten blacke and blew we cast a snare about his necke and so tryced him into the Ship By the same manner of Fishing we caught so many of them as refreshed and recreated all my people for that day Their bodies were great but of little flesh and tender in taste answerable to the food whereon they feed They were of two colours some white some gray they had three ioynts in each wing and from the poynt of one wing to the poynt of the other both stretched out was aboue two fathomes The wind continued good with vs till we came to 49. degrees and 30. minuts where it tooke vs Westerly being as we made our accompt some fiftie leagues from the shore Betwixt 49. and 48. degrees is Port Saint Iulian a good Harbour and in which a man may graue his Ship though shee draw fifteene or sixteene foote water But care is to be had of the people called Pentagones They are treacherous and of great stature so the most giue them the name of Gyants The second of February about nine of the Clocke in the morning we discryed land which bare South-west of vs which wee looked not for so timely and comming neerer and neerer vnto it by the lying wee could not coniecture what land it should be for we were next of any thing in 48. degrees and no Platt nor Sea-card which we had made mention of any land which lay in that manner neere about that height In fine wee brought our Lar-bord tacke aboord and stood to the North-east-wardes all that day and night and the Winde continuing Westerly and a fayre gale wee continued our course alongst the coast the day and night following In which time wee made accompt we discovered well neere three-score leagues off the coast It is bold and made small shew of dangers The land is a goodly Champion Country and peopled we saw many fires but could not come to speake with the people for the time of the yeare was farre spent to shoot the Straites and the want of our Pynace disabled vs for finding a Port or Roade not being discretion with a ship of charge and in an vnknowne coast to come neere the shore before it was sounded which were causes together with the change of the winde good for vs to passe the Straite that hindered the further discovery of this Land with its secrets This I haue sorrowed for many times since for that it had likelihood to be an excellent Countrie It hath great Rivers of fresh waters for the out-shoot of them colours the Sea in many places as we ran alongst it It is not mountaynous but much of the disposition of England and as temperate The things we noted principally on the coast are these following the westermost poynt of the land with which we first fell is the end of the land to the West-wardes as we found afterwards If a man bring this poynt south-South-west it riseth in three mounts or round hillockes bringing it more Westerly they shoot themselues all into one and bringing it Easterly it riseth in two hillocks This we called poynâ— Tremountaine Some twelue or foureteene leagues from this poynt to the East-wardes fayre by the shore lyeth a low flat Iland of some two leagues long we named it Fayre Iland â—or it was all over as greene and smooth as any Meddow in the spring of the yeare Some three or foure leagues Easterly from this Iland is a goodly opening as of a great River or an arme of the Sea with a goodly low Countrie adiacent And eight or tenne leagues from this opening some three leagues from the shore lyeth a bigge Rocke which at the first wee had thought to be a Shippe vnder all her Sayles but after as we came neere it discovered it selfe to be a Rocke which we called Condite-head for that howsoever a man commeth with it it is like to the Condite heads about the Cittie of London All this coast so farre as wee discovered lyeth next of any thing East and by North and West and by South The land for that it was discovered in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth my soveraigne Lady and Mistris and a maiden Queene and at my cost and adventure in a perpetuall memory of her chastitie and remembrance of my endevours I gaue it the name of HAVVKINS maiden-land Before a man fall with this land some twentie or thirtie leagues he shall meete with bedds of Oreweed driving to and fro in that Sea with white flowers growing vpon them and sometimes farther off which is a good show and signe the land is neere whereof the Westermost part lyeth some threescore leagues from the neerest land of America With our fayre and large Winde we shaped our course for the Straites and the tenth of February we had sight of land and it was the head land of the Straites to the North-wards which agreed with our height wherein we found our selues to be which was in thirtie two degrees and fortie minutes Within a few houres we had the mouth of the Straites open which lyeth in 52. degrees and 50. minuts It riseth like the North foreland in Kent and is much like the land of Margates It is not good to borrow neere the shore but to giue it a fayre birth within a few houres we entred the mouth of the Straites which is some six leagues broad and lyeth in 52. degrees and 50. minutes doubling the poynt on the Star-board which is also flat of a good birth we opened a fayre Bay in which
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
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-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
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
water and with his tayle thresheth vpon the head of the Whale till hee force him to giue way which the Sword fish perceiving receiveth him vpon his sword and wounding him in the belly forceth him to mount vp againe besides that he cannot abide long vnder water but must of force rise vpp to breath and when in such maner they torment him that the sight is sometimes heard aboue three leagues distance and I dare affirme that I haue heard the blowes of the Thresher two leagues off as the report of a peece of Ordinance the Whales roaring being heard much farther It also happeneth sundry times that a great part of the water of the Sea round about them with the blood of the Whale changeth his colour The best remedy the Whale hath in this extremitie to helpe himselfe is to get him to land which hee procureth as soone as hee discoverth his adversaries and getting the shore there can fight but one with him and for either of them hand to hand he is too good The Whale is a fish not good to be eaten hee is almost all fat but esteemed for his trayne and many goe to the New-found-land greene-Greene-land and other parts onely to fish for them which is in this maner when they which seeke the Whale discover him they compasse him round about with Pynaces or Shalops In the head of every Boat is placed a man with a harping Iron and a long Lyne the one end of it fastned to the harping iron and the other end to the head of the Boat In which it lyeth finely coyled and for that he cannot keepe long vnder water he sheweth which way he goeth when rising neere any of the Boats within reach he that is neerest darteth his harping Iron at him The Whale finding himselfe to be wounded swimmeth to the bottome and draweth the Pynace after him which the Fisher men presently forsake casting themselues into the Sea for that many times he draweth the Boat vnder water those that are next procure to take them vp For this cause all such as goe for that kinde of Fishing are experimented in swimming When one harping Iron is fastned in the Whale it is easily discerned which way he directeth his course and so ere long they fasten another and another in him When he hath three or foure Boats dragging after him with their waight his bleeding and fury he becommeth so over-mastred that the rest of the Pynaces with their presence and terror driue him to the place where they would haue him nature instigating him to covet the shore Being once hurt there is little need to force him to land Once on the shore they presently cut great peeces of him and in great Cauldrons seeth them The vppermost in the Cauldrons is the fatt which they skimme off and put it into Hogsheads and Pipes This is that they call Whales oyle or Traine oyle accompted the best sort of Traine oyle It is hard to be beleeved what quantitie is gathered of one Whale Of the tongue I haue beene enformed haue many Pipes beene filled The fynnes are also esteemed for many and sundry vses as is his spawne for divers purposes This wee corruptly call Parmacittie of the Latine word Sperma Ceti And the precious Amber-greece some thinke also to be found in his bowells or voyded by him but not in all seas yea they maintaine for certaine that the same is ingendred by eating an hearbe which groweth in the Sea This hearbe is not in all Seas say they and therefore where it wanteth the Whales giue not this fruit In the coast of the East Indies in many partes is great quantitie In the coastes of Guyne of Barbary of the Florida in the Ilands of Cape de Verde and the Canaries Amber-greece hath beene many times found and sometimes on the coast of Spaine and England Wherevpon it is presumed that all thâ—se Seas haue not the hearbe growing in them The cause why the Whale should eate this hearbe I haue not heard nor read It may be surmised that it is as that of the Becunia and other Beasts which breed the Beazer stone who feeding in the valleyes and mountaines where are many venemous Serpents and hearbes when they find themselues touched with any poyson forthwith they runne for remedie to an hearbe which the Spaniards call Contra yerva that is to say contrary to poyson which having eaten they are presently cured but the substance of the hearbe converteth it selfe into a medicinable stone So it may be that the Whale feeding of many sorts of fishes and some of them as is knowne venemous when he findeth himselfe touched with this hearbe he cureth himselfe and not being able to digest it nature converteth it into this substance provoketh it out or dyeth with it in his belly and being light the Sea bringeth it to the Coast. All these are imaginations yet instruments to mooue vs to the glorifying of the great and vniversall Creatour of all whose secret wisedome and wonderfull workes are incomprehensible But the more approved generation of the Amber greece and which carrieth likliest probabilitie is that it is a liquor which issueth out of certaine Fountaines in sundry Seas and being of a light and thicke substance participating of the ayre suddenly becommeth hard as the yellow Amber of which they make Beads which is also a liquor of a Fountaine in the Germayne Sea In the bottome it is soft and white and partaking of the ayre becommeth hard and stonie Also the Corrall in the Sea is soft but comming into the ayre becommeth a stone Those who are of this former opinion thinke the reason why the Amber greece is sometimes found in the Whale to be for that he swalloweth it as other things which he findeth swimming vpon the water and not able digest it it remaineth with him till his death Another manner of fishing and catching the Whale I cannot omit vsed by the Indians in Florida worthy to be considered in as much as the barbarous people haue found out so great a secret by the industry and diligence of one man to kill so great and huge a Monster it is in this manner The Indian discovering a Whale procureth two round billets of wood sharpneth both at one end and so binding them together with a cord casteth himselfe with them into the Sea and swimmeth towards the Whale if he come to him the Whale escapeth not for he placeth himselfe vpon his necke and although the Whale goeth to the bottome he must of â—orce rise presently to breath for which nature hath given him two great holes in the toppe of his head by which every time that he breatheth he spouteth out a great quantitie of water the Indian forsaketh not his holde but riseth with him and thrusteth in a Logg into one of his Spowters and with the other knocketh it in so fast that by no meanes the Whale can get it out That fastned at another opportunitie he thrusteth
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
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
Seale stinking ripe These houses are made in faâ—hion of an Oven seven or eight foote broad with boughes of trees and covered with other boughes as our Summer houses and doubtles do serve them but for the Summer time when they come to fish and profit themselues of the Sea For they retyre themselues in the Winter into the Country where it is more temperate and yeeldeth better sustenance for on the Mayne of the Straits wee neyther saw beast nor fowle Sea fowle excepted and a kind of Blacke-bird and two hoggs towards the beginning of the Straites Here our ship being well moored we began to supply our wood and water that we had spent Which being a dayes worke and the winde during many dayes contrary I endevoured to keepe my people occupied to divert them from the imagination which some had conceived that it behooved we should returne to Brasill and winter there and so shoot the Straites in the spring of the yeare So one day we rowed vp the River with our boat and light horseman to discover it and the in-land where having spent a good part of the day and finding shold water and many Trees fallen thwart it and little fruite of our labour nor any thing worth the noting we returned Another day we trayned our people a-shore being a goodly sandie Bay another we had a hurling of Batchelers against married men This day we were busied in wrestling the other in shooting so we were never idle neyther thought we the time long SECT XXXIIII AFter we had past here some seven or eight dayes one Evening with a flawe from the shore our Ship droue off into the channell and before we could get vp our Anchor and set our sayles we were driven so farre to lee-wards that we could not recover into the bay and night comming on with a short sayle wee beate off and on till the morning At the breake of the day conferring with the Captaine and Master of my ship what was best to be done we resolved to seeke out Tobias Coue which lyeth over against Cape Fryo on the Southerne part of the Straites because in all the reaches of the Straites for the most part the winde bloweth trade and therfore little profit to be made by turning to winde-wards And from the Ilands of the Pengwins to the ende of the Straites towards the south Sea there is no anchoring in the channell and if we should be put to lee-wards of this Coue we had no succour till we came to the Ilands of Pengwins and some of our Company which had bin with master Thomas Candish in the Voyage in which he died and in the same Coue many weekes vndertooke to be our Pilots thither Wherevpon we bare vp being some two leagues thither having so much winde as we could scarce lye by it with our course and bonnet of each but bearing vp before the winde wee put out our Topsayles and Spritsayle and within a little while the winde began to fayle vs and immediately our Shippe gaue a mightie blow vpon a Rocke and stucke fast vpon it And had wee had but the fourth part of the wind which we had in all the night past but a moment before we strucke the Rocke our Shippe doubtlesse with the blow had broken her selfe all to peeces But our provident and most gracious God which commaundeth wind and Sea watched over vs and delivered vs with his powerfull hand from the vnknowne danger and hidden destruction that so we might prayse him for his fatherly bountie and protection and with the Prophet David say Except the Lord keepe the Cittie the watch-men watch in vaine for if our God had not kept our Shippe we had bin all swallowed vp aliue without helpe or redemption and therefore he for his mercies sake grant that the memoriall of his benefits doe never depart from before our eyes and that we may evermore prayse him for our wonderfull deliverance and his continuall providence by day and by night My company with this Accident were much amazed and not without iust cause Immediately we vsed our endevour to free our selues and with our boates â—ounded round about our Shippe in the meane time assaying our pumpe to know if our Shippe made more water then her ordinary we found nothing increased and round about our Shippe deepe water saving vnder the mid-shippe for shee was a floaâ—e a bead and a â—terne and bearing some fathome before the mayne Must and inâ—o other part was like to be our destruction for being â—bbing water the waight in the head and sterne by fayling of the water began to open her plankes in the middest and vpon the vpper Decke they were gone one from another some two fingers some more which we sought to ease and remedie by lightning of her burden and throwing into the Sea all that came to hand and laying out an Anchor we sought to wend her off and such was the waâ— and force we put to the Capsten and Tackles fastned vpon the 〈◊〉 that we plucked the ring of the Anchor out of the eye but after recovered it though not serviceable All our labour was fruitlesse till God was pleased that the flood came and then we had her off with great ioy and comfort when finding the current favoâ—â—able with vs we stood over to English bay and serching it â—â—e aâ—chored there having beene some three houres vpon the Rocke and wiâ—h the blow as after we saw when our Ship was brought a ground in Pericâ— which is the Port of Panama a great part of her sheathing was beaten off on both sides in her Bulges and some foure foote long and a foote square of her false stemme ioyning to the Keele wrested a crosse like vnto a Hogges yoake which hindered her sayling very much Here we gaue God prayse for our deliverance and afterward procured to supply our wood and water which we had throwne overbourd to case our Shippe which was not much that supplyed it pleased God who is not ever angry to looke vpon vs with comfort and to send vs a fayre and large wind and so we set Sayle once againe in hope to disemboke the Straite but some dozen leagues before we came to the mouth of it the wind changed and forced vs to seeke out some Cove or Bay with our Boates to ride in neere at hand that we might not be forced to returne farre backe into the Straites They sounded a Cove some sixteene leagues from the mouth of the Straite which after we called Crabby Cove It brooked his name well for two causes the one for that all the water was full of a small kinde of redd Crabbes the other for the crabbed mountaines which over-topped it a third we might adde for the crabbed entertainement it gaue vs. In this Cove we anchored but the wind freshing in and three or foure hilles over-topping like Sugar-loaues altered and straightned the passage of the wind in such manner as