night from the sight of the Compasse and haue another before them whereby they see what they doe and are ever witnesses of the good or bad Steeridge of all men that take the Helme This I haue seene neglected in our best Shippes yet nothing more necessary to be reformed For a good Helme-man may be overcome with an imagination and so mis-take one poynt for another or the Compasse may erre which by another is discerned The inconveniences which hereof may ensue all experimented Sea-men may easily conceiue and by vs take warning to avoyd the like SECT XXIIII THe next day about tenne of the Clocke wee were thwart of Cape Blanco which is low sandie Land and perilous for foure Leagues into the Sea thwart it lye banks of sand which haue little water on them on a sudden we found our selues amongst them in lesse then three fathome water but with our Boat and Shalope we went sounding and so got cleare of them The next day following we discovered the Ilands where wee purposed to refresh our selues They are two and some call them Saint Iames his Ilands and others Saint Annes They lie in two and twentie degrees and a halfe to the South-wards of the lyne and towards the evening being the fifth of November we anchored betwixt them and the Mayne in six fathome water where wee found our other Shippes All which being well Moored we presently began to set vp Tents and Booths for our sicke men to carry them a shore and to vse our best diligence to cure them For which intent our three Surgeans with their servants and adherents had two Boates to wayte continually vpon them to fetch whatsoever was needfull from the Shippes to procure refreshing and to Fish either with Netts or Hookes and Lynes Of these implements wee had in aboundance and it yeelded vs some refreshing For the first dayes the most of those which had health occupied themselues in romeging our Ship in bringing a shore of emptie Caske in filling of them and in felling and cutting of Wood which being many workes and few hands went slowly forwards Neere these Ilands are two great Rockes or small Ilands adioyning In them we found great store of young Gannetts in their nests which we reserved for the sicke and being boyled with pickled Porke well watered and mingled with Oatmeale made reasonable Pottage and was good refreshing and sustenance for them This provision fayled vs not till our departure from them Vpon one of these Rocks also we found great store of the hearbe Purslane which boyled and made into Sallets with oyle and vineger refreshed the sicke stomackes and gaue appetite With the ayre of the shore and good cherishing many recovered speedily Some died away quickly and others continued at a stand We found here some store of fruits a kind of Cherry that groweth vpon a tree like a Plum-tree red of colour with a stone in it but different in making to ours for it is not altogether round and dented about they haue a pleasing taste In one of the Ilands we found Palmito trees great and high and in the toppe a certaine fruit like Cocos but no bigger then a Wallnut We found also a fruit growing vpon trees in codds like Beanes both in the codd and the fruit Some of my Company proved of them and they caused vomits and purging as any medicine taken out of the Apothecaries shop according to the quantitie received They haue hudds as our Beanes which shaled off the kernell parteth it selfe in two and in the middle is a thin skinne like that of an Onion said to be hurtfull and to cause exceeding vomits and therefore to be cast away Monardus writing of the nature and propertie of this fruit as of others of the Indies for that it is found in other parts also calleth them Havas purgativas and sayth that they are to be prepared by peeling them first and then taking away the skinne in the middle and after beaten into powder to take the quantitie of fiue or sixe either with Wine or Sugar Thus they are good against Fevers and to purge grosse humors against the Collicke and payne of the ioynts in taking them a man may not sleepe but is to vse the dyet vsuall as in a day of purging One other fruit we found very pleasant in taste in fashion of an Artechoque but lesse on the outside of colour redd within white and compassed about with prickles our people called them Prick-peares no Conserue is better They grow vpon the leaues of a certaine roote that is like vnto that which we call semper viva and many are wont to hang them vp in their houses but their leaues are longer and narrower and full of Prickes on either side The fruit groweth vpon the side of the leafe and is one of the best fruites that I haue eaten in the Indies In ripening presently the Birds or Vermine are feeding on them a generall rule to know what fruit is wholsome and good in the Indies and other parts Finding them to be eaten of the Beasts or Fowles a man may boldly eate of them The water of these Ilands is not good the one for being a standing water and full of venemous Wormes and Serpents which is neare a Butt-shot from the Sea shore where we found a great Tree fallen and in the roote of it the names of sundry Portingalls Frenchmen and others and amongst them Abraham Cockes with the time of their being in this Island The other though a running water yet passing by the rootes of certaine trees which haue a smell as that of Garlique taketh a certaine contagious sent of them Here two of our men dyed with swelling of their bellies The accident we could not attribute to any other cause then to this suspitious water It is little and falleth into the sand and soketh through it into the Sea and therefore we made a well of a Pipe and placed it vnder the rocke from which it falleth and out of it filled our Caske but we could not fill aboue two Tunnes in a night and a day SECT XXV SO after our people began to gather their strength wee manned our Boates and went over to the Mayne where presently we found a great Ryver of fresh and sweete water and a mightie Marish Countrie which in the Winter seemeth to be continually over-flowne with this River and others which fall from the mountaynous Country adiacent We rowed some leagues vp the Ryver and found that the further vp we went the deeper was the River but no fruit more then she sweate of our bodies for the labour of our handes At our returne wee loaded our Boate with Water and afterwardes from hence wee made our Store SECT XXVI THe sicknesse having wasted more then the one halfe of my people we determined to take out the victualls of the Hawke and to burne her which wee put in execution And being occupied
as big as Wal-nuts but round and smooth and grow in great clusters the trees in forme are all one and the meate in the nut better but they haue no water Another kinde of great Cocos groweth in the Andes of Peru which haue not the delicate meate nor drinke which the others haue but within are full of Almonds which are placed as the graines in the Pomegrannet being three times bigger then those of Europe and are much like them in tast In these Ilands are Cyvet-Cats which are also found in parts of Asia and Afrique esteemed for the Civet they yeelde and carry about them in a cod in their hinder parts which is taken from them by force In them also are store of Monkies and the best proportioned that I haue seene and Parrots but of colour different to those of the west Indies for they are of a russet or gray colour and great speakers SECT XIIII WIth a faire and large winde we continued our course till we came within fiue degrees of the Equinoctiall lyne where the winde tooke vs contrary by the Southwest about the twentie of Iulie but a fayre gale of wind and a smooth Sea so that wee might beare all a taunt and to advantage our selues what wee might wee stoode to the East-wards being able to lye South-east and by South The next day about nine of the Clocke my companie being gathered together to serue God which wee accustomed to doe every morning and evening it seemed vnto me that the coulour of the Sea was different to that of the daies past and which is ordinarily where is deepe water and so calling the Captaine and Master of my Ship I told them that to my seeming the water was become very whitish and that it made shewe of Sholde water Wherevnto they made answere that all the lynes in our Shippes could not fetch ground for wee could not be lesse then threescore and tenne Leagues off the Coast which all that kept reckoning in the Ship agreed vpon and my selfe was of the same opinion And so wee applyed our selues to serue God but all the time that the service endured my heart could not be at rest and still me thought the water began to waxe whiter and whiter Our prayers ended I commanded a lead and a lyne to be brought and having the lead in foureteene fathoms wee had ground which put vs all into a maze and sending men into the toppe presently discovered the land of Guynne some fiue Leagues from vs very low Land I commanded a Peece to be shott and lay by the lee till my other Shippes came vp Which hayling vs wee demanded of them how farre they found themselues off the Land who answered some threescore and tenne or fourescore Leagues when wee told them wee had sounded and found but foureteene Fathomes and that we were in sight of Land they began to wonder But having consulted what was best to be done I caused my Shalop to be manned which I towed at the Sterne of my Ship continually and sent her and my Pynace a head to sound and followed them with an easie Sayle till we came in seaven and six fathome Water and some two Leagues from the shore anchored in hope by the Sea or by the Land to find some refreshing The Sea we found to be barren of Fish and my Boates could not discover any landing place though a whole day they had rowed alongst the Coast with great desire to set foote on shore for that the sedge was exceeding great and dangerous Which experienced wee set sayle notwithstanding the contrarietie of the winde sometimes standing to the West-wards sometime to the East-wards according to the shifting of the wind SECT XV. HEre is to be noted that the error which we fell into in our accompts was such as all men fall into where are currants that set East or West and are not knowne for that there is no certaine rule yet practised for triall of the longitude as there is of the latitude though some curious and experimented of our Nation with whom I haue had conference about this poynt haue shewed me two or three manner of wayes how to know it This some yeares before was the losse of the Edward Cotton bound for the Coast of Brasill which taken with the winde contrary neere the lyne standing to the East-wards and making accompt to be fiftie or sixtie Leagues off the Coast with all her Sayles standing came suddenly a ground vpon the sholes of Madrebombat and so was cast away though the most part of their company saved themselues vpon Raffes But with the contagion of the Countrie and bad entreatie which the Negros gaue them they died so that there returned not to their Country aboue three or â—oure of them But God Almightie dealt more mercifully with vs in shewing vs our error in the day and in time that wee might remedie it to him be evermore glory for all This currant from the line Equinoctiall to twentie degrees Northerly hath grâ—at force and setteth next of any thing East directly vpon the shore which we found by this meanes Standing to the Westwards the wind Southerly when we lay with our Ships head West and by South we gayned in our heith more then if wee had made our way good west south-west for that the currant tooke vs vnder the bow but lying west or west and by north we lost more in twelue houres then the other way we could get in foure and twentie By which plainly we saw that the currant did set East next of any thing Whether this currant runneth ever one way or doth alter and how we could by no meanes vnderstand but tract of time and observation will discover this as it hath done of many others in sundry Seas The currant that setteth betwixt New-found-land and Spaine runneth also East and West and long time deceived many and made some to count the way longer and others shorter according as the passage was speedie or slowe not knowing that the furtherance or hinderance of the currant was cause of the speeding or slowing of the way And in sea Cardes I haue seene difference of aboue thirtie Leagues betwixt the Iland Tercera and the Mayne And others haue recounted vnto me that comming from the India's and looking out for the Ilands of Azores they haue had sight of Spaine And some haue looked out for Spaine and haue discovered the Ilands The selfe same currant is in the Levant Sea but runneth trade betwixt the Maynes and changeable sometimes to the East-wards sometimes to the West-wards In Brasill and the South Sea the currant likewise is changeable but it runneth ever alongst the Coast accompanying the winde and it is an infallible rule that twelue or twentie foure houres before the Wind alters the currant begins to change In the West Indies onely the currant runneth continually one way and setteth alongst the Coast from the Equinoctiall lyne towards the North. No man hath
necessary for our provision and fired her Thwart of Truxille wee set the companie of her a shoare with the Pilot which wee had taken in Balparizo reserving the Pilot of the burnt shippe and a Greeke who chose rather to continue with vs then to hazard their liues in going a shore for that they had departed out of the Port of Santa which is in eight Degrees being required by the iustice not to weigh anchor before the Coast was knowne to be 〈◊〉 It is a thing worthy to be noted and almost incredible with how few men they vse to sayle a shippe in the south Sea for in this prise which was aboue an hundred Tuns were but eight persons and in a shippe of three hundreth Tuns they vse not to put aboue foureteene or fifteene persons yea I haue beene credibly enformed that with foureteene persons a shippe of fiue hundreth Tuns hath beene carried from Guayaquil to Lyma deepe loaden which is aboue two hundreth Leagues and are forced ever to gaine their Voyage by turning to wind-wards which is the greatest toyle and labour that tâ—e Marriners haue and slow sometimes in this voyage foure or fiue moneths which is generall in all the navigations of this coast But the security from stormes and certainty of the Brese with the desire to make their gaine the greater is the cause that every man forceth himselfe to the vttermost to doe the labour of two men SECT L. IN the height of this Port of Santa some seaven hundreth and fiftie leagues to the west-wards lie the Ilands of Salomon of late yeares discovered At my being in Lyma a Fleete of foure sayle was sent from thence to people them which through the emulation and discord that arose amongst them being landed and setled in the Countrey was vtterly overthrowne onely one shippe with some few of the people after much misery got to the Philippines This I came to the knowledge of by a large relation written from a person of credit and sent from the Philippines to Panama I saw it at my being there in my voyage towards Spaine Having edged neere the coast to put the Spaniards on shore a thicke fogge tooke vs so that wee could not see the Land but recovering our Pinnace and Boate wee sayled on our course till we came thwart of the Port called Malabrigo It lieth in seaven Degrees In all this coast the currant runneth with great force but never keepeth any certaine course saving that it runneth alongst the coast sometimes to the South-wards sometimes to the North-wards which now running to the North-wards forced vs so farre into the Bay which a point of the land causeth that they call Punta de Augussa as thinking to cleere our selues by roving North-west wee could not double this point making our way North North-west Therefore speciall care is ever to bee had of the current and doubtlesse if the providence of Almighty God had not freede vs wee had runne ashore vpon the Land without seeing or suspecting any such danger His name bee ever exalted and magnified for delivering vs from the vnknowne daunger by calming the winde all night the Sunnes rising manifested vnto vs our errour and peril by discovering vnto vs the Land within 2 leagues right a head The current had caried vs without any wind at the least 4. leagues which seene and the winde beginning to blow wee brought our tackes abourd and in short time cleared our selues Thwart of this point of Augussa lie two desert Ilandes they call them Illas de Lobos for the the multitude of Seales which accustome to haunt the shore In the bigger is very good harbour and secure they lie in sixe Degrees and thirtie minutes The next day after wee lost sight of those Ilands being thwarâ— of Payta which lyeth in fiue Degrees and having manned our Pinnace and Boate to search the Port wee had sight of a tall shippe which having knowledge of our being on the Coast and thinking her selfe to be more safe at Sea then in the harbour put her selfe then vnder sayle to her wee gaue chase all that night and the next day but in fine being better of sayle then wee shee freed her selfe Thus being too lee-ward of the Harbour and discovered we continued our course alongst the shore That Evening wee were thwart of the River of Guayaquill which hath in the mouth of it two Ilands the Souther-most and biggest called Puma in three Degrees and the other to the North-wards Santa clara Pâ—ma is inhabited and is the place where they build their principall shipping from-his River Lima and all the valleys are furnished with Timber for they haue none but that which is brought from hence or from the kingdome of Chile By this River passeth the principall trade of the Kingdome of Quito it is Navigable some leagues into the Land and hath great abundance of Timber Those of the Peru vse to ground and trim their shippes in Puma or in Panama and in all other partes they are forced to carene their shippes In Puma it higheth and falleth fifteene or sixteene foote water and from this Iland till a man come to Panama in all the coast it ebbeth and floweth more or lesse keeping the ordinarie course which the Tides doe in all Seas The water of this River by experience is medicinable for all aches of the bones for the stone and strangurie the reason which is given is because all the bankes and low land adioyning to this River are replenished with Salsaperillia which lying for the most part soaking in the water it participateth of this vertue and giveth it this force In this River and all the Rivers of this coast are great abundance of Alagartoes and it is sayd that this exceedeth the rest for persons of credit haue certified mee that as small fishes in other Rivers abound in scoales so the Alagartoes in this they doe much hurt to the Indians and Spaniards and are dreadfull to all whom they catch within their clutches SECT LI. SOme fiue or sixe Leagues to the North-wards of Puma is la Punta de Santa Elena vnder which is good anchoring cleane ground and reasonable succour Being thwart of this point wee had sight of a shippe which we chased but being of better saile then we and the night comming on we lost sight of her and so anchored vnder the Isla de plata to recover our Pinnace and Boate which had gone about the other point of the Iland which lyeth in two Degrees and fortie minutes The next day we past in sight of Puerto Viejo in two degrees ten minutes which lying without shipping wee directed our course for Cape Passaos It lyeth directly vnder the Equinoctiall line some fourescore leagues to the west-wards of this Cape lyeth a heape of Ilands the Spaniards call Illas de los Galapagos They are desert and beare no fruite from Cape Passaos wee directed our course to Cape Saint Francisco which lyeth in one degree to the
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
ten dayes sayling as the contagion which their distemperature is wont to cause and with it to breede Calenturas which wee call burning Fevers These Ilands are sayd to be first discovered by a French-man called Iohn de Betancourt about the yeare 1405. They are now a Kingdome subiect to Spaine SECT XIII BEing cleare of the Ilands wee directed our course for Cape Blauce and two howres before Sunne set we had sight of a Carvell some League in the winde of vs which seemed to come from Gynea or the Ilands of Cape de Verde and for that hee which had the sery-watch neglected to look out being too lee-ward of the Ilands and so out of hope of sight of any shipp for the little trade and contrariety of the winde that though a man will from few places hee can recover the Ilands comming from the south-wards wee had the winde of her and perhaps the possession also whereof men of Warre are to haue particular care for in an houre and place vnlookt for many times chance accidents contrary to the ordinary course and custome and to haue younkers in the top continually is most convenient and necessary not onely for descrying of sayles and land but also for any sudden gust or occasion that may be offered Seeing my selfe past hope of returning backe without some extraordinary accident I began to set order in my Companie and victuals And for thaâ— to the south-wards of the Canaries is for the most part an idle Navigation I devised to keepe my people occupied as well to continue them in health for that too much case in hott Countries is neither profitable nor healthfull as also to divert them from remembrance of their home and from play which breedeth many inconveniences and other bad thoughts and workes which idlenes is cause of and so shifting my company as the custome is into Starboord and Larboord men the halfe to watch and worke whilest the others slept and take rest I limited the three dayes of the weeke which appertayned to each to be imployed in this manner the one for the vse and clensing of their Armes the other for roomeging making of Sayles Nettings Decking and Defences for our Shippes and the third for clensing their bodies mending and making their apparell and necessaries which though it came to be practised but once in seaven dayes for that the Sabboth is ever to be reserved for God alone with the ordinary Obligation which each person had besides was many times of force to be omitted And thus wee entertained our time with a fayre Wind and in few dayes had sight of the Land of Barbary some dozen Leagues to the Northwards of Cape Blacke Before we came to the Cape wee tooke in our Sayles and made preparation of Hookes and Lines to Fish For in all that Coast is great abundance of sundry kinds of Fish but especially of Porgus which wee call Breames many Portingalls and Spaniards goe yearely thither to fish as our Country-men to the New-found-land and within Cape Blacke haue good Harbour for reasonable shipping where they dry their Fish paying a certaine easie tribute to the Kings Collector In two houres wee tooke store of Fish for that day and the next but longer it would not keepe good and with this refreshing set Sayle againe and directed our course betwixt the Ilands of Cape de Verd and the Maine These Ilands are held to be scituate in one of the most vnhealthiest Climates of the world and therefore it is wisedome to shunne the sight of them how much more to make abode in them In two times that I haue beene in them either cost vs the one halfe of our people with Fevers and Fluxes of sundry kinds some shaking some burning some partaking of both some possest with frensie others with sloath and in one of them it cost me six moneths sicknesse with no small hazard of life which I attribute to the distemperature of the ayre for being within foureteene degrees of the Equinoctiall lyne the Sunne hath great force all the yeare and the more for that often they passe two three and foure yeares without rayne and many times the earth burneth in that manner as a man well shodd cannot endure to goe where the Sunne shineth With which extreame heate the bodie fatigated greedily desireth refreshing and longeth the comming of the Breze which is the North-east winde that seldome fayleth in the after-noone at foure of the clocke or sooner which comming cold and fresh and finding the poores of the body open and for the most part naked penetrateth the very bones and so causeth sudden distemperature and sundry manners of sicknesse as the Subiects are divers wherevpon they worke Departing out of the Calmes of the Ilands and comming into the fresh Brese it causeth the like and I haue seene within two dayes after that we haue partaked of the fresh ayre of two thousand men aboue a hundreth and fiftie haue beene crazed in their health The Inhabitants of these Ilands vse a remedie for this which at my first being amongst them seemed vnto me ridiculous but since time and experience hath taught to be grounded vpon reason And is that vpon their heads they weare a Night-capp vpon it a Moutero and a Hat over that and on their bodies a sute of thicke Cloth and vpon it a Gowne furr'd or lyned with Cotton or Bayes to defend them from the heate in that manner as the Inhabitants oâ— cold Countries to guard themselues from the extreamitie of the colde Which doubtlesse is the best diligence that any man can vse and whosoever prooveth it shall find himselfe lesse annoyed with the heate then if he were thinly Cloathed for that where the cold ayre commeth it peirceth not so subtilly The Mâ—one also in this Climate as in the coast of Guyne and in all hott Countries hath forcible operation in the body of man and therefore as the Plannet most preiudiciall to his health is to be shunned as also not to sleepe in the open Ayre or with any Scuttle or Window open whereby the one or the other may enter to hurt For a person of credit told me that one night in a river of Guyne leaving his Window open in the side of his Cabin the Moone shining vpon his shoulder left him with such an extraordinary paine and furious burning in it as in aboue twentie houres he was like to runne madde but in fine with force of Medicines and cures after long torment he was eased Some I haue heard say and others write that there is a Starre which never seperateth it selfe from the Moone but a small distance which is of all Starres the most beneficiall to man For where this Starre entreth with the Moone it maketh voyde her hurtfull enfluence and where not it is most perilous Which if it be so is a notable secret of the divine Providence and a speciall cause amongst infinite others to moue vs to
continuall thankesgiving for that he hath so extraordinarily compassed and fenced vs from infinite miseries his most vnworthie and vngratefull Creatures Of these Ilands are two pyles the one of them lyeth out of the way of Trade more Westerly and so little frequented the other lyeth some fourescore Leagues from the Mayne and containeth six in number to wit Saint Iago Fuego Mayo Bonavisto Sal and Bravo They are belonging to the Kingdome of Portingall and inhabited by people of that Nation and are of great trade by reason of the neighbour-hood they haue with Guyne and Bynne but the principall is the buying and selling of Negros They haue store of Sugar Salt Rice Cotton-wooll and Cotton-Cloth Amber-greece Cyvit Oliphants teeth Brimstone Pummy stone Spunge and some Gold but little and that from the mayne Saint Iago is the head Iland and hath one Citie and two Townes with their Ports The Cittie called Saint Iago whereof the Iland hath his Name hath a Garrison and two Fortes scituated in the bottome of a pleasant Valley with a running streame of water passing through the middest of it whether the rest of the Ilands come for Iustice being the seat of the Auaiencia with his Bishop The other Townes are Playa some three Leagues to the Eastwards of Saint Iago placed on high with a goodly Bay whereof it hath his name and Saint Domingo a small Towne within the Land They are on the Souther part of the Iland and haue beene sacked sundry times in Anno 1582. by Manuel Serades a Portingall with a Fleete of French-men in Anno 1585. they were both burnt to the ground by the English Sir Francis Drake being Generall and in Anno 1596. Saint Iago was taken and sacked by the English Sir Anthony Shyrley being Generall The second Iland is Fuego so called for that day and night there burneth in it a Vulcan whose flames in the night are seene twentie Leagues off in the Sea It is by nature fortified in that sort as but by one way is any accesse or entrance into it and there cannot goe vp aboue two men a brest The Bread which they spend in these Ilands is brought from Portingall and Spaine saving that which they make of Rice or of Mayes which wee call Guynne-wheate The best watering is in the I le of Bravo on the west part of the Iland where is a great River but foule Anchoring as is in all these Ilands for the most part The fruits are few but substantiall as Palmitos Plantanos Patatos and Coco Nutts The Palmito is like to the Date tree and as I thinke a kinde of it but wilde In all parts of Afrique and America they are found and in some parts of Europe and in divers parts different In Afrique and in the West Indies they are small that a man may cut them with a knife and the lesser the better But in Brasill they are so great that with difficultie a man can fell them with an Axe and the greater the better one foote within the top is profitable the rest is of no value and that which is to be eaten is the pith which in some is better in some worse The Plantane is a tree found in most parts of Afrique and America of which two leaues are sufficient to cover a man from top to toe It beareth fruit but once and then dryeth away and out of his roote sprouteth vp others new In the top of the tree is his fruit which groweth in a great bunch in the forme and fashion of puddings in some more in some lesse I haue seene in one bunch aboue foure hundred Plantanes which haue weighed aboue fourescore pound waight They are of divers proportions some great some lesser some round some square some triangle most ordinarily of a spanne long with a thicke skinne that peeleth easily from the meate which is either white or yellow and very tender like Butter but no Conserue is better nor of a more pleasing taste For I never haue seene any man to whom they haue bred mis-like or done hurt with eating much of them as of other fruites The best are those which ripen naturally on the tree but in most partes they cut them off in braunches and hange them vp in their houses and eate them as they ripe For the Birds and Vermine presently in ripning on the tree are feeding on them The best that I haue seene are in Brasill in an Iland called Placentia which are small and round and greene when they are ripe whereas the others in ripning become yellow Those of the West Indies and Guynne are great and one of them sufficient to satisfie a man the onely fault they haue is that they are windie In some places they eate them in stead of bread as in Panama and other parts of Tierra firme They grow and prosper best when their rootes are ever covered with water they are excellent in Conserue and good sodden in different manners and dried on the tree not inferior to Suckett The Coco nutt is a fruit of the fashion of a Hassell nutt but that it is as bigge as an ordinary Bowle and some are greater It hath two shells the vttermost framed as it were of a multitude of threeds one layd vpon another with a greene skinne over-lapping them which is soft and thicke The innermost is like to the shell of a Hazell nutt in all proportion saving that it is greater and thicker and some more blacker In the toppe of it is the forme of a Munkies face with two eyes his nose and a mouth It containeth in it both meate and drinke the meate white as milke and like to that of the kernell of a Nutt and as good as Almonds blancht and of great quantitie The water is cleare as of the fountaine and pleasing in taste and somewhat answereth that of the water distilled of Milke Some say it hath a singular propertie in Nature for conserving the smoothnesse of the skinne and therefore in Spaine and Portingall the curious Dames doe ordinarily wash their faces and neckes with it If the holes of the shell be kept close they keepe foure or six moneths good and more but if it be opened and the water kept in the shell in few dayes it turneth to Vineger They grow vpon high Trees which haue no boughes onely in the top they haue a great cap of leaues and vnder them groweth the fruite vpon certaine twigs And some affirme that they beare not fruite before they be aboue fortie yeares old they are in all things like to the Palme trees and grow in many partes of Asia Afrique and America The shels of these nuts are much esteemed for drinking cups and much cost and labour is bestowed vpon them in carving graving and garnishing them with silver gold and precious stones In the Kingdome of Chile and in Brosill is another kinde of these which they call Coquillos as wee may interpret little Cocos and are
every man a bit of bread and a draught of drinke either Beere or Wine mingled with water at the least the one halfe or a quantitie mingled with Beere that the pores of the bodie may be full when the vapours of the Sea ascend vp The morning draught should be ever of the best and choysest of that in the ship Pure wine I hold to be more hurtfull then the other is profitable In this others will be of a contrary opinion but I thinke partiall If not then leaue I the remedies thereof to those Physitions and Surgeons who haue experience And I wish that some learned man would write of it for it is the plague of the Sea and the spoyle of Mariners doubtlesse it would be a meritorious Worke with God and man and most beneficiall for our Countrie for in twentie yeares since that I haue vsed the Sea I dare take vpon me to giue accompt of ten thousand men consumed with this disease That which I haue seene most fruitfull for this sicknesse is sower Oranges and Lemmons and a water which amongst others for my particular provision I carryed to the Sea called Doctor Stevens his Water of which for that his vertue was not then well knowne vnto me I carryed but little and it tooke end quickly but gaue health to those that vsed it The oyle of Vitry is beneficiall for this disease taking two drops of it and mingled in a draught of water with a little Sugar It taketh away the thirst and helpeth to clense and comfort the stomacke But the principall of all is the ayre of the Land for the Sea is naturall for fishes and the Land for men And the oftner a man can haue his people to land not hindering his voyage the better it is and the profitablest course that he can take to refresh them SECT XVII HAving stood to the westwards some hundreth leagues and more the wind continuing with vs contrarie and the sicknesse so fervent that every day there dyed more or lesse my Companie in generall began to dismay and to desire to returne homewards which I laboured to hinder by good reasons and perswasions As that to the West Indies we had not aboue eight hundreth leagues to the Ilands of Azores little lesse and before we come to the Ilands of Cape de Verde that we should meete with the Breze for every night we might see the reach goe contrary to the winde which wee sayled by verifying the old Proverbe amongst Mariners That he hath need of a long Mast that will sayle by the Reach and that the neerest land and speediest refreshing wee could looke for was the coast of Brasill and that standing towards it with the winde we had we shortned our way for the Indies and that to put all the sicke men together in one Shippe and to send her home was to make her their graue For we could spare but few sound men who were also subiect to fall sicke and the misery notwithstanding remedilesse with which they were convinced and remained satisfied So leaving all to their choyse with the consideration of what I perswaded they resolved with me to continue our course till that God was pleased to looke vpon vs with his Fatherly eyes of mercie As we approached neerer and neerer the coast of Brasill the wind began to vere to the East-wardes and about the middle of October to be large and good for vs and about the 18. of October we were thwart of Cape Saint Augustine which lyeth in sixe degrees to the Southwards of the lyne and the 21. in the height of Farnambuca but some fourescore leagues from the Coast the twentie foure in the height of Bayea de todos Santos neere the end of October betwixt 17. and 18. degrees we were in 16. fathomes sounding of the great Sholes which lye alongst the Coast betwixt the Bay of todos Santos and the Port of Santos alias ura senora de Vitoria which are very perilous But the divine Providence hath ordayned great flockes of small Birds like Snytes to liue vpon the Rockes and broken lands of these Sholes and are met with ordinarily twentie leagues before a man come in danger of them It shall not be amisse here to recount the Accidents which befell vs during this contrary winde and the curiosities to be observed in all this time Day and night we had continually a fayre gale of winde and a smooth Sea without any alteration one day the Carpenters having Calked the Decke of our Shippe which the Sunne with his extreame heate had opened craved licence to heate a little Pitch in the Cook-roome which I would not consent vnto by any meanes for that my Cook-roomes were vnder the Decke knowing the danger vntill the Master vndertooke that no danger should come thereof But he recommended the charge to another who had a better name then experience He suffered the Pitch to rise and to runne into the fire which caused so furious a flame as amazed him and forced all to flie his heate one of my Company with a double payre of Gloues tooke off the Pitch-pot but the fire forced him to let slip his hold-fast before he could set it on the Hearth and so overturned it and as the Pitch began to runne so the fire to enlarge it selfe that in a moment a great part of the Shippe was on a light fire I being in my Cabin presently imagined what the matter was and for all the hast I could make before I came the fire was aboue the Decke for remedie whereof I commanded all my Companie to cast their Ruggegownes into the Sea with Ropes fastened vnto them These I had provided for my people to watch in for in many hott Countries the nights are fresh and colde and devided one Gowne to two men a Starboord and a Larboord man so that he which watched had ever the Gowne for they which watched not were either in their Cabins or vnder the Decke and so needed them not The Gownes being well soked every man that could tooke one and assaulted the fire and although some were singed others scalded and many burned God was pleased that the fire was quenched which I thought impossible And doubtlesse I never saw my selfe in greater perill in all the dayes of my life Let all men take example by vs not to suffer in any case Pitch to be heate in the Ship except it be with a shott heate in the fire which cannot breed daunger nor to permit fire to be kindled but vpon meere necessitie for the inconvenience thereof is for the most part remedilesse With drinking of Tobacco it is said that the Roebucke was burned in the range of Dartmouth The Primrose of London was fired with a Candle at Tilbery-hope and nothing saved but her Kele And another Ship bound for Barbary at Wapping The Iesus of Lubecke had her Gunner-roome set on fire with a Match and had
beene burnt without redemption if that my Father Sir Iohn Hawkins Knight then Generall in her had not commaunded her Sloppers to be stopt and the men to come to the Pumpes whereof shee had two which went with chaynes and plying them in a moment there was three or foure inches of water vpon the Decke which with Scoopes Swabbles and Platters they threw vpon the fire and so quenched it and delivered both Ship and men out of no small danger Great care is to be had also in cleaving of Wood in Hooping or Scutling of Caske and in any businesse where violence is to be vsed with instruments of Iron Steele or Stone and especially in opening of Powder these are not to be vsed but Mallets of Wood for many mischances happen beyond all expectation I haue beene credibly enformed by divers persons that comming out of the Indies with Scutling a Butt of water the water hath taken fire and flamed vp and put all in hazard And a servant of mine Thomas Gray told me that in the Shippe wherein he came out of the Indies Anno 1600. there happened the like and that if with Mantles they had not smoothered the fire they had bin all burned with a Pipe of Water which in Scutling tooke fire Master Iohn Hazlelocke reported that in the Arsenall of Venice happened the like he being present For mine owne part I am of opinion that some waters haue this propertie and especially such as haue their passage by Mines of Brimstone or other Mineralls which as all men know giue extraordinary properties vnto the waters by which they runne Or it may be that the water being in wine Caske and kept close may retayne an extraordinary propertie of the Wine Yea I haue drunke Fountaine and River waters many times which haue had a savour as that of Brimstone Three leagues from Bayon in France I haue proved of a fountaine that hath this savour and is medicinable for many diseases In the South Sea in a River some fiue Leagues from Cape Saint Francisco in one degree and a halfe to the Northwardes of the lyne in the Bay of Atacames is a River of fresh water which hath the like savour Of this I shall haue occasion to speake in another place treating of the divers properties of Fountaines and Rivers and therefore to our purpose SECT XVIII WEe had no small cause to giue God thankes and prayse for our deliverance and so all our Ships once come together wee magnified his gloririous Name for his mercie towards vs and tooke an occasion hereby to banish swearing out of our Shippes which amongst the common sort of Mariners and Sea-faring men is too ordinarily abused So with a generall consent of all our companie it was ordayned that in every Ship there should be a Palmer or Ferula which should be in the keeping of him who was taken with an oath and that he who had the Palmer should giue to every other that he tooke swearing in the Palme of the hand a Palmada with it and the Ferula And whosoever at the time of evening or morning Prayer was found to haue the Palmer should haue three blowes given him by the Captaine or Master and that he should be still bound to free himselfe by taking another or else to runne in daunger of continuing the penaltie which executed few dayes reformed the Vice so that in three dayes together was not one oath heard to be sworne This brought both Ferula's and swearing out of vse And certainly in vices custome is the principall sustenance and for their reformation it little availeth to giue good counsell or to make good Lawes and Ordenances except they be executed SECT XIX IN this time of contrary Wind those of my Company which were in health recreated themselues with Fishing and beholding the Hunting and Hawking of the Sea and the Battell betwixt the Whale and his enemies which truely are of no small pleasure And therefore for the curious I will spend some time in Declaration of them Ordinarily such Ships as Navigate betweene the Tropiques are accompanied with three sorts of Fish The Dolphin which the Spaniards call Dozado The Bonito or Spanish Makerell and the Sharke alias Tiberune The Dolphin I hold to be one of the swiftest Fishes in the Sea He is like vnto a Breame but that he is longer and thinner and his scales very small He is of the coulour of the Rayn-bow and his head different to other Fishes for from his mouth halfe a spanne it goeth straight vpright as the head of a Wherry or the Cut-water of a Ship He is very good meate if he be in season but the best part of him is his head which is great They are some bigger some lesser the greatest that I haue seene might be some foure foote long I hold it not without some ground that the auncient Philosophers write that they be enamoured of a man for in meeting with Shipping they accompany them till they approach to colde Climates this I haue noted divers times For disembarking out of the West Indies Anno 1583. within three or foure dayes after we mett a Scole of them which left vs not till we came to the Ilands of Azores nere a thousand Leagues At other times I haue noted the like But some may say that in the Sea are many Scoles of this kinde of Fish and how can a man know if they were the same Who may be thus satisfied that every day in the morning which is the time that they approach neerest the Ship we should see foure fiue and more which had as it were our â—are-marke one hurt vpon the backe another neere the tayle another about the fynnes which is sufficient proofe that they were the same For if those which had received so bad entertainment of vs would not forsake vs much lesse those which we had not hurt yet that which makes them most in loue with Ships and Men are the scrappes and refreshing they gather from them The Bonito or Spanish Makerell is altogether like vnto a Makerell but that it is somewhat more growne he is reasonable foode but dryer then a Makerell Of them there are two sorts the one is this which I haue described the other so great as hardly one man can lift him At such times as wee haue taken of these one sufficed for a meale for all my company These from the fynne of the tayle forwards haue vpon the chyne seven small yellow hillockes close one to another The Dolphins and Bonito's are taken with certaine instruments of Iron which we call Vysgeis in forme of an Eâ—le-speare but that the blades are round and the poynts like vnto the head of a broad Arrow these are fastned to long Staues of ten or twelue foote long with lynes tyed vnto them and so shott to the Fish from the Beake-head the Poope or other parts of the Shippe as occasion is ministred They are also caught with Hookes and
in the second Logg into the other Spowter and with all the force he can keepeth it in The Whale not being able to breath swimmeth presently ashore and the Indian a cock-horse vpon him which his fellowes discovering approach to helpe him and to make an end of him it serveth them for their foode many dayes after Since the Spaniards haue taught them the estimation of Amber greece they seeke curiously for it sell it to them and others for such things as they best fancie and most esteeme which are as I haue beene enformed all sortes of edge-tooles Copper Glasses Glasse-beads red Caps Shirts and Pedlery ware Vpon this subiect divers Spaniards haue discoursed vnto mee who haue beene eye witnesses thereof declaring them to be valorous ventrous and industrious otherwise they durst not vndertake an enterprise so difficult and full of danger SECT XX. FRom the Tropike of Cancer to three or foure degrees of the Equinoctiall the breze which is the North-east winde doth raigne in our Ocean sea the most part of the yeare except it be neere the shore and then the winde is variable In three or foure degrees of eyther side the line the winde hangeth Southerly in the moneths of Iuly August September and October all the rest of the yeare from the Cape bona esperança to the Ilands of Azores the breze raygneth continually and some yeares in the other moneths also or calmes but he that purposeth to crosse the lyne from the North-wards to the South-wards the best and surest passage is in the moneths of Ianuary February and March In the moneths of September October and November is also good passage but not to sure as in the former SECT XXI BEtwixt nineteene and twenty degrees to the South-wards of the lyne the winde tooke vs contrary which together with the sicknes of my people made mee to seeke the shore and about the end of October we had sight of the Land which presenlty by our height and the making of it discovered it selfe to be the port of Santos alias nostra Senora de Victoria and is easie to be knowne for it hath a great high hill over the Port which howsoever a man commeth with the land riseth like a bell and comming neere the shore presently is discovered a white Tower or Fort which standeth vpon the top of a hill over the Harbour and vpon the seamost land It is the first land a man must compasse before he enter the Port comming within two Leagues of the shore we anchored and the Captaynes and Masters of my other ships being come aboord it was thought convenient the weakenes of our men considered for wee had not in our three ships twenty foure men sound and the winde vncertaine when it might change we thought with pollicie to procure that which wee could not by force and so to offer traffique to the people of the shore by that meanes to proue if wee could attayne some refreshing for our sicke Company In execution whereof I wrote a letter to the Governour in Latine and sent him with it a peece of crymson Velvet a bolt of fine Holland with divers other things as a present and with it the Captaine of my ship who spake a little broken Spanish giving the Governour to vnderstand that I was bound to the East Indies to traffique in those parts and that contrary windes had forced me vpon that Coast If that hee were pleased to like of it for the commodities the Countrie yeelded in aboundance I would exchange that which they wanted With these instructions my Captaine departed about nine of the clocke in the morning carrying a flagge of truce in the head of the boate and sixteene men well armed and provided guided by one of my Company which two yeares before had beene Captaine in that place and so was a reasonable Pilot. Entring the Port within a quarter of a myle is a small Village and three Leagues higher vp is the chiefe Towne where they haue two Forts one on eyther side of the Harbour and within them ride the Ships which come thither to discharge or loade In the small Village is ever a Garrison of a hundreth Souldiers whereof part assist there continually and in the white Tower vpon the top of the hill which commaundeth it Heere my Captaine had good entertainement and those of the shore received his message and Letter dispatching it presently to the Governour who was some three Leagues off in another place at least they beare vs so in hand In the time that they expected the Post my Captaine with one other entertained himselfe with the Souldiers a shore who after the common custome of their profession except when they be hesonios sought to pleasure him and finding that he craved but Oranges Lemmons and matters of smal moment for refreshing for his Generall they suffered the women and Children to bring him what hee would which hee gratified with double Pistolets that I had given him for that purpose So got hee vs two or three hundreth Oranges and Lemmons and some fewe Hennes All that day and night and the next day till nine of the clocke wee waited the returne of our boate which not appearing bred in me some suspition and for my satisfaction I man'd a light horseman which I had and the Fancie the best I could shewing strength where was weakenesse and infirmity and so set sayle towardes the Port our Gunner taking vpon him to bee Pilote for that hee had beene there some yeares before Thus with them we entred the Harbour my Captaine having notice of our being within the Barre came aboord with the Boat which was no small ioy to me and more to see him bring vs store of Oranges and Lemmons which was that we principally sought for as the remedie of our diseased Company He made relation of that had past and how they expected present answere from the governour We anchored right against the village and within two houres by a Flagge of Truce which they on the shore shewed â—s wee vnderstood that the Messenger was come our Boat went for the answere of the governour who said he was sorry that he could not accomplish our desire being so reasonable and good for that in consideration of the warre betwixt Spaine and England he had expresse order from his King not to suffer any English to trade within his iurisdiction no nor to land or to take any refreshing vpon the shore And therefore craved pardon and that wee should take this for a resolute answere And further required vs to depart the Port within three dayes which he said he gaue vs for our courteous manner of proceeding If any of my people from that time forwards should approach to the shore that he would doe his best to hinder and annoy them With this answere wee resolved to depart and before it came with the first faire wind we determined to be packing but the wind suffered vs not all that night nor the next day In
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-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-maiden-land hawkins-maidâ—n- 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
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
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
our Captaine very sore in the thigh and maimed one of our Masters Mates called Hugh Maires in one of his Armes but after knowing vs to be rendred hee secured vs And we satisfying them that wee could not hoise out our boate nor strike our sayles the Admirall layd vs abourd buâ— before any man entred Iohn Gomes went vnto the Generall who receiued him with great curtesie and asked him what we required whereunto he made answere that my demaund was that in the Kings name he should giue vs his faith and promise to giue vs our liues to keepe the Lawes of fayre warres and quarter and to send vs presently into our countrey and in confirmation hereof that I required some pledge whereunto the Generall made answere that in the Kingâ— Maiesties name his Master hee received vs a buena querra and swore by God Almightie and by the habit of A cautara whereof he had received knighthood and in token whereof hee wore in his breast a greene crosse which is the ensigne of that order that he would giue vs our liues with good entreatie and send vs as speedily as he could into our owne countrey In confirmation whereof he tooke of his gloue and sent it to mee as a pledge With this message Iohn Gâ—mes returned and the Spaniards entred and tooke possession of our shippe every one crying buena querra buena querra oy pâ—r in maniana porti with which our Company began to secure themselues The Generall was a principall Gentleman of the ancient Nobilitie of Spaine and brother to the Conde de Lemos whose intention no doubt was according to his promise and therefore considering that some bad intreaty and insolency might be offered vnto me in my shippe by the common Souldiers who seldome haue respect to any person in such occasions espâ—cially in the case I was whereof hee had enâ—ormed himselfe for prevention hee sent a principal Captaine brought vp long time in Flaunders called Pedro Alueres de Pulgar to take care of me and whilest the shippes were one abourd the other to bring me into his ship which hee accomplished with great humanitie and courtesiâ— dâ—spising the barres of gold which were shared before his face which hee might alone haue enioyed if hee would And truely hee was as after I found by tryall a true Captaine a man worthy of any charge and of the noblest condition that I haue knowne any Spaniard The Generall received me with great courtesie and compassion even with teares in his eyes and words of great consolation and commaunded mee to bee accommodated in his owne Cabbine where hee sought to cure and comfort mee the best he could the like hee vsed with all our hurt men sixe and thirtie at least And doubtlesse as true courage valour and resolution is requisit in a Generall in the time of battle So humanitie mildnes and courtesie after victorie SECT LXIII WHilst the shippes were together the maine-mast of the Daintieâ—ell â—ell by the bourd and the people being occupied in ransacking and seeking for spoile and Pillage neglected the principall whereof ensued that within a short space the Dainâ—ie grew so deepe with water which increased for want of prevention that all who were in her desired to forsake her and weaved and cryed for succour to bee saved being out of hope of her recoverie Whereupon the Generall calling together the best experimented men hee had and consulting with them what was best to bee done it was resolued that Generall Michaell Angell should goe abourd the Daintie and with him threescore Marriners as many Souldiers and with them the English men who were able to labour to free her from water and to put her in order if it were possible and then to recover Perico the port of Panama for thâ—t of those to wind wards it was impossible to turne vp to any of them and neerer then to le-ward was not any that could supply our necessities and wants which lay from vs east north east aboue two hundreth leagues Michaell Angell being a man of experience and care accomplished that he tooke in hand although in clearing and bayling the water in placing a pumpe and in fitting and mending her fore-saile he spent aboue sixe and thirtie howers During which time the shippes lay all a hull but this worke ended they set sayle directed their coursâ— for the Iles of Pearles And for that the Daintie sayled badly what for want of her maine-sayle and with the advantage which all the south-sea shippes haue of all those built in our-North sea The Admirall gaue her a tâ—we which notwithstanding the wind calming with vs as we approached neerer to the land twelue dayes were spent before we could fetch sight of the Ilands which lye alongst the coast beginning some eight leagues West south-west from Panama and run to the south-wards neere thirtie leagues They are many and the most vnhabited and those which haue people haue some Negroes slaues vnto the Spaniards which occupie themselues in labour of the land or in fishing for Pearles In times past many inriched themselues with that trade but now it is growne to decay The maner of fishing for Pearles is with certaine long Pinaces or small barkes in which there goe foure fiue sixe or eight Negroes expert swimmers and great deevers whom the Spaniards call Busos with tract of time vse and continuall practise having learned to hold their breath long vnder water for the better atchieving their worke These throwing themselues into the Sea with certaine instruments of their art goe to the bottome and seeke the bankes of the Oysters in which the Pearles are ingendered and with their force and art remoue them from their foundation in which they spend more or lesse time according to the resistance the firmenes of the ground affordeth Once loosed they put them into a bagge vnder their armes and after bring them vp into their boates having loaden it they goe to the shoare there they open them and take out the Pearles they lie vnder the vttermost part of the circuite of the Oyster in rankes and proportions vnder a certaine part which is of many pleights and folds called the Ruffe for the similitude it hath vnto a Ruffe The Pearles increase in bignes as they be neerer the end or ioynt of the Oyster The meate of those which haue these pearles is milkie and not very wholesome to be eaten In Anno 1583. In the Iland of Margarita I was at the dregging of Pearle Oysters after the maner we dregge Oysters in England and with mine owne hands I opened many tooke out the pearles of them some greater some lesse and in good quantitie How the Pearle is ingendred in the Oyster or Mussell for they are found in both divers and sundry are the opinions but some ridiculous whereof because many famous and learned men haue written largely I will speake no more then hath beene formerly spoken but referre their curious desires to
into obedience till by composition they had a place limmitted them for their freedome where they should liue quietly by themselues At this day they haue a great habitation neere Panama called Saint Iago de los Negros well peopled with all their Officers and Commaunders of their owne saue onely a Spanish Governour By the assistance of these Symarons hee brought to the head of this River by peecemeale and in many iourneyes a small pinnace hee fitted it by time in warlike manner and with the choice of his Company put himselfe into the South Sea where his good haâ— was to meete with a cople of shippes of trade and in the one of them a great quantitie of gold And amongst other things two peeces of speciall estimation the one a Table of massie gold with Emralds sent for a present to the King the other a Lady of singular beautie married and a mother of Children The latter grewe to be his perdition for hee had capitulated with these Symarons that their part of the bootie should be onely the prisoners to the ende to execute their malice vpon them such was the rancor they had conceived against them for that they had beene the Tyrants of their libertie But the Spaniards not contented to haue them their slaues who lately had beene their Lords added to their servitude cruell intreaties And they againe to feede their insatiable revenges accustomed to rost and eate the hearts of all those Spaniards whom at any time they could lay hand vpon Iohn Oxman I say was taken with the loue of this Lady and to winne her good will what through her teares and perswasions and what through feare and detestation of their barbarous inclinations breaking promise with the Symarons yeelded to her request which was to giue the prysoners liberty with their ships for that they were not vsefull for him notwithstanding Oxman kept the Lady who had in one of the restored shippes eyther a Sonne or a Nephew This Nephew with the rest of the Spaniards made all the hast they could to Paâ—amâ— and they vsed such diligence as within fewe howers some were dispatched to seeke those who little thought so quickly to bee overtaken The pursuers approaching the River were doubtfull by which of the afore-remembred three mouths they should take their way In this wavering one of the Souldiers espied certaine feathers of Henns and some boughes of trees which they had cut off to make their way swmming downe one of the Outlets This was light sufficient to guide them in their course they entred the River and followed the tracke as farre as their Frigats had water sufficient and then with part of their Souldiers in their boates and the rest on the bankes on eyther side they marched day and night in pursuite of their enemies and in fine came vppon them vnexpected at the head of the River making good cheare in their Tents and devided in two partialities about the partition and sharing of their gold Thus were they surprised and not one escaped Some say that Iohn Oxman fled to the Symarons but they vtterly denyed to receiue or succour him for that he had broken his promise the onely Obiection they cast in his teeth was that if he had held his word with them hee never had fallen into this extremitie In fine hee was taken and after his shippe also was possessed by the Spaniards which he had hid in a certaine Coue and covered with boughes of trees in the guard and custodie of some foure or fiue of his followers All his Company were conveyed to Panama and there were ymbarked for Lyma where a processe was made against them by the Iustice and all condemned and hanged as Pirates This may be a good example to others in like occasions first to shunne such notorious sinnes which cannot escape punishment in this life nor in the life to come for the breach of faith is reputed amongst the greatest faults which a man can commit Secondly not to abuse another mans wife much lesse to force her both being odious to God and man Thirdly to beware of mutenies which seldome or never are seene to come to better ends for where such trees flourish the fruite of force must eyther bee bitter sweete or very sower And therefore seeing wee vaunt our selues to bee Christians and make profession of his law who forbiddeth all such vanities let vs faithfully shunne them that wee may partake the end of that hope which our profession teacheth and promiseth SECT LXVIII COmming in sight of the Ilands of Pearles the winde began to fresh in with vs and wee profited out selues of it but comming thwart of a small Iland which they call la Pacheta that lyeth within the Pearle Ilands close abourd the mayne and some eight or ten Leagues south and by west from Panama the wind calmed againe This Iland belongeth to a private man it is a round humock conteyning not a league of ground but most fertile Insomuch that by the owners industrie and the labour of some fewe slaues who occupie themselues in manuring it and two barkes which hee imployeth in bringing the fruit it giveth to Panama it is sayd to bee worth him every weeke one with another a barre of silver valued betwixt two hundreth and fiftie or three hundreth pezos which in English money may amount to fiftie or threescore pounds and for that which I saw at my being in Panama touching this I hold to be true In our course to fetch the Port of Panama we pâ—â— our selues betwixt the Ilands and the Maine which is a goodly Chanâ—ell of three foure and fiue leagues broad and without danger except a man come too neare the shoare on any side and that is thought the better course then to goe a sea-boord of the Ilands beâ—ause of the swift running of the tydes and the advantage to stop the ebbe As also for succour if a man should happen to bee becalmed at any time beyond expectation which happeneth sometimes The seaventh of Iuly wee had sight of Perico they are two little Ilands which cause the Port of Panama where all the shippes vse to ride It is some two Leagues west north-west of the Cittie which hath also a Pere in it selfe for small Barkes at full sea it may haue haueÌ„ some sixe or seaven foote water but at low water it is drie The ninth of Iuly we anokored vnder Perico and the Generall presently advised the Audiencia of that which had succeeded in his Journey which vnderstood by them caused bonfires to be made and every man to put luminaries in their houses the fashion is much vsed amongst the Spaniards in their feastes of ioy or for glad tidings placing many lights in their Churches in their windowes and Galleries and corners of their houses which being in the beginning of the night and the Cittie close by the sea shore showed to vs being farre off as
though the Cittie had beene on a light fire About eight of the clocke all the Artillerie of the Citty was shott off which wee might discerne by the flashes of fire but could not heare the report yet the Armando being advised thereof and in a readinesse answered them likewise with all their Artillery which taking ende as all the vanities of this earth doe The Generall seâ—led himselfe to dispatch advise for the Kingâ— for the Vice-roy of Peru and for the Vice-roy of the Nova Spana for hee also had beene certified of our being in that sea and had fitted an Armado to seeke vs and to guard his coast But now for a farewell and note it Let me relate vnto you this Secret How Don Beltran shewed mee a Letter from the King his Master directed to the Vice-roy wherein he gaue him particular relation of my pretended voyage of the shippes their burden their munition thâ—ir number of men which I had in them as perfectly as it he had seene all with his owne eyes Saying vnto me Heereby may you discerne whether the King my Master haue friends in England and good and speedie advice of all that passeth Whereuâ—to I replyed It was no wonder for that he had plentie of gold and silver which worketh this and more strange effects for my iourney was publique and notorious to all the Kingdome whereunto hee replyed that if I thought it so convenient leaue should be given me to write into England to the Queenes Maiestie my Mistresse to my Father and to other personages as I thought good and leaving the Letters open that hee would send some of them in the Kings Packet others to his Vncle Don Rodrigo de Castro Cardinall and Archbishoppe of Sevill and to other friendes of his Not making any doubt but that they would be speedily in England For which I thanked him and accepted his courtesie and although I was my selfe vnable to write yet by the hands of a servant of mine I wrote three or foure coppies of one letter to my Father Sir Iohn Hawkins In which I briefly made relation of all that had succeeded in our voyage The dispatches of Spaine and new Spaine went by ordinary course in ships of advise but that for the Peru was sent by a kinseman of the Generalls called Don Francisco de la Cuena Which being dispatched Don Beltran hasted all that ever hee could to put his shippes in order to returne to Lyma Hee causâ—d the Daintie to be grounded and trimmed for in those Ilands it higheth and falleth some fifteene or sixteene foote water And the Generall with his Captaines and some Religious men being aboord her and new naming her named her the Visitation for that shee was rendred on the day on which they celebrate the visitation of the blessed Virgin Mary In that place the ground being plaine and without vantage whereby to helpe the tender sided and sharpe shippes they are forced to shore them on either side In the midest of their solemnity her props and shores of one side fayled and so shee fell over vpon that side suddenly intreating many of them which were in her very badly and doubtles had shee bin like the shippes of the South Sea shee had broken out her bulge but being without Mastes and empty for in the South Sea when they bring a ground a shippe they leaue neither mast balast nor any other thing abourd besides the bare hull her strength was such as it made no great show to haue received any domage but the feare shee put them all into was not little and caused them to runne out of her â—aster then a good pace In these Ilands is no succour nor refreshing onely in the one of them is one house of strawe and a little spring of small moment For the water which the shippes vse for their provision they fetch from another Iland two Leagues west north-west of these which they call Tabaga having in it some fruite and refreshing and some fewe Indians to inhabite it What succeeded to mee and to the rest during our Imprisoment with the rarities and particularities of the Peru and Tierra firme my voyage to Spaine and the successe with the time I spent in pryson in the Peru in the Tercera in Sevill and in Madrid with the accidents which befell me in them I leaue for a second part of this discourse if God giue life and convenient place and rest necessary for so tedious and troublesome a worke desiring God that is Almightie to giue his blessing to this and the rest of my intentions that it and they may bee fruitefull to his glory and the good of all then shall my desires be accomplished and I account my selfe most happie To whom be all glory and thankes from all eternitie FINIS Errata sic corrige FOlio 5. for recant read recount fol. 7. and 9. for wasters read waâ—ters fol. 9. line 7. for light read last fol. 15. for serue read saue fol. 23. for we not read we were not for the River of Ieromino read Ienero for rose read nose The litteralls are commended to favour The Table of the principall Observations conteined in this Booke A Advantage of obedience Folio 91 Advise by Land and Sea Folio 117 Advertisements for Commanders Folio 91 For servitors Folio 92 Agnanapes Folio 62 Noblenes of Alonso de soto Folio 103 Alcatrices Folio 44 Amber-grice Folio 46.47 Amitie of the Indians Folio 116 Mending of vnserviceable Anchors Folio 87 Light Anchors fit for the South Sea Folio 102 Arica Folio 114 Valour of the Arawcans Folio 107 Much commended for all sorts of fruit and gold Folio 106 Spanish Armado Folio 125 Arrogancy of the Spanish Generall Folio 140 Overcharging of Artillery Folio 115 Courses for Artillery after bourding Folio 145 Donna Austria in the narrow Seas Folio 21 B BAckwardnesse of Companies Folio 90 Evill consequences thereof ibid Baldivia Folio 96 English Bay Folio 82 The Bezar stone Folio 47 Beefe pickled 69. held good beyond the Equinoctiall ibid Blanches Bay Folio 77 Pollicies to avoid Bourding Folio 138 The Bonito Folio 42 Brasil knowne c. Folio 38 Bravo Folio 29 Description of Brasil Folio 64 Its Hauens Folio 64 Commodities and wants Folio 65 Bestial and discommodities ibid Losse of the Burdeaux Fleete Folio 9 C FAlse Calking Folio 18 Prevention thereof ibid Thomas Candish 85. surprised Folio 58 Canary Ilands Folio 24 Grand Canary Folio 25 Capâ— Blanco Folio 54 Ignoblâ— Captaines Folio 68 Disloyalties of Captaines Folio 112 Beverage of Cassavy Folio 62 Casâ—avi Meale Folio 61 Preparing thereof ibid S. Catelena Folio 66 Parts requisite in a Chieftain Folio 130 Two Chieftainâ— dangerous Folio 133 Cherries Folio 55 People of Chile Folio 98 Their weapons Folio 99 And hate to the Spaniards â—â—id Civil Catts Folio 31 Cittie of Conception Folio 100 Vnwillingnesse to follow couetous Commanders Folio 109 A Commander not to trust his officers Folio 127 Admonitions to Commanders Folio 128. Cocos and their kinds Folio 30.31