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
of ours but one small Pynace nor any man of name saue onely Captaine Cocke who dyed with honour amidst his Company The greatest dammage that as I remember they caused to any of our Shippes was to the Swallow of her Maiestie which I had in that action vnder my Charge with an Arrow of fire shott into her Beake-head which we saw not because of the sayle till it had burned a hole in the Rose as bigge as a mans head the Arrow falling out and driving alongst by the Shippes side made vs doubt of it which after we discovered SECT XL. IN many occasions notwithstanding it is most preiudiciall to dissemble the reprehension and punishment of murmurings and mutterings when they carry a likelihood to grow to a mutenie seeme to leane to a faction or that a person of regard or merite favoureth the intention or contradicteth the Iustice c. and others of like qualitie The prudent Governour is to cut off this Hydra's head in the beginning and by prevention to provide remedie with expedition and this sometimes with absolute authoritie although the best be ever to proceed by Counsell if necessitie and occasion require not the contrary for passion many times over-ruleth but that which is sentenced and executed by consent is iustified although sometimes erronious March 29. 1594. SECT XLI FRom Cape Desire some foure leagues North-west lye foure Ilands which are very small and the middlemost of them is oâ— the fashion of a Sugar-loafe We were no sooner cleare of Cape Desire and his ledge of Rockes which lie a great way off into the Sea but the wind tooke vs contrary by the North-west and so we stood off into the Sea two dayes and two nights to the Westwards In all the Straites it ebbeth and floweth more or lesse and in many places it higheth very little water but in some Bayes where are great indraughts it higheth eight or ten foote and doubtlesse further in more If a man be furnished with wood and water and the winde good he may keepe the mayne Sea and goe round about the Straites to the Southwards and it is the shorter way for besides the experience which we made that all the South part of the Straites is but Ilands many times having the Sea open I remember that Sir Francis Drake told me that having short the Straites a storme tooke him first at North-west and after vered about to the South-west which continued with him many dayes with that extremitie that he could not open any Sayle and that at the end of the storme he found himselfe in fiftie degrees which was sufficient testimony and proofe that he was beaten round about the Straites for the least height of the Straites is in fiftie two degrees and fiftie minutes in which stand the two entrances or mouths And moreover he sayd that standing about when the winde changed he was not well able to double the Southermost Iland and so anchored vnder the lee of it and going a-shore carried a Compasse with him and seeking out the Southermost part of the Iland cast himselfe downe vpon the vttermost poynt groveling and so reached out his bodie over it Presently he imbarked and then recounted vnto his people that he had beene vpon the Southermost knowne land in the world and more â—urther to the Southwards vpon it then any of them yea or any man as yet knowne These testimonies may suffice for this truth vnto all but such as are incredulous will beleeue nothing but what they see for my part I am of opinion that the Straite is navigable all the yeare long although the best time be in November December and Ianuary and then the winds more favourable which other times are variable as â—n all narrow Seas Being some fiftie leagues a Sea-boord the Straites the winde vering to the West-wards we cast about to the North-wards and lying the coast along shaped our course for the Iland Mocha About the fifteenth of Aprill we were thwart of Baldivia which was then in the hands of the Spaniards but since the Indians in Anno 1599. dispossessed them of it and the Conception which are two of the most principall places they had in that Kingdome and both Ports Baldivia had its name of a Spanish Captaine so called whom afterwards the Indians tooke Prisoner and it is said they required of him the reason why he came to molest them and to take their Country from them having no title nor right therevnto he answered to get Gold which the barbarous vnderstanding caused Gold to be molten and powred downe his throat saying Gold was thy desire glut thee with it It standeth in fortie degrees hath a pleasant River and navigable for a Ship of good burden may goe as high vp as the Cittie and is a goodly wood Country Here our Beefe beganne to take end and was then as good as the day wee departed from England it was preserved in Pickell which though it be more chargeable yet the profit payeth the charge in that it is made durable contrary to the opinion of many which hold it impossible that Beefe should be kept good passing the Equinoctiall lyne And of our Porke I eate in the house of Don Beltran de Castro in Lyma neere foure yeares old very good preserved after the same manner notwithstanding it had lost his Pickle long before Some degrees before a man come to Baldivia to the South-wards as Spaniards haue told me lyeth the Iland Chule not easily to be discerned from the mayne for he that passeth by it cannot but thinke it to be the mayne It is said to be inhabited by the Spaniards but badly yet rich of gold The 19. of Aprill being Easter-euen we anchored vnder the Iland Mocha It lyeth in 39. degrees it may be some foure leagues over and is a high mountainous hill but round about the foote thereof some halfe league from the Sea-shore it is Champion ground well inhabited and manured From the Straites to this Iland we found that either the coast is set out more westerly then it is or that we had a great current which put vs to the west-wards for we had not sight of land in three dayes after Our reckoning was to see it but for that we coasted not the land I cannot determine whether it was caused by the current or lying of the land But Spaniards which haue sayled alongst it haue told me that it is a bold and safe coast and reasonable sounding of it In this Iland of Mocha we had communication and contratation with the inhabitants but with great vigilancie and care for they and all the people of Chily are mortall enemies to the Spaniards and held vs to be of them and so esteemed Sir Francis Drake when he was in this Iland which was the first land also that he touched on this coast They vsed him with so fine a trechery that they possessed themselues of all the Oares in his Boate saving two and
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
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
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
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-land Before a man fall with this land some twentie or thirtie leagues he shall meete with bedds of Oreweed driving to and fro in that Sea with white flowers growing vpon them and sometimes farther off which is a good show and signe the land is neere whereof the Westermost part lyeth some threescore leagues from the neerest land of America With our fayre and large Winde we shaped our course for the Straites and the tenth of February we had sight of land and it was the head land of the Straites to the North-wards which agreed with our height wherein we found our selues to be which was in thirtie two degrees and fortie minutes Within a few houres we had the mouth of the Straites open which lyeth in 52. degrees and 50. minuts It riseth like the North foreland in Kent and is much like the land of Margates It is not good to borrow neere the shore but to giue it a fayre birth within a few houres we entred the mouth of the Straites which is some six leagues broad and lyeth in 52. degrees and 50. minutes doubling the poynt on the Star-board which is also flat of a good birth we opened a fayre Bay in which
neglect thereof and haue beene most lamentable spectacles and examples vnto vs Experiments in the great Harry Admirall of England which was over-set and suncke at Ports-mouth with her Captaine Carew and the most part of his company drowned in a goodly Summers day with a little flawe of winde for that her ports were all open and making a small hele by them entred their destruction where if they had beene shut no wind could haue hurt her especially in that place In the River of Thames Master Thomas Candish had a small Ship over-set through the same negligence And one of the Fleete of Syr Francis Drake in Santo Domingo Harbour turned her keele vpward likewise vpon the same occasion with many others which wee never haue knowledge of And when this commeth to passe many times negligence is cloaked with the fury of the winde which is a double fault for the truth being knowne others would bee warned to shun the like neglects for it is a very bad Ship whose Masts crackt not asunder whose Sayles and tackling flie not in peeces before shee over-set especially if shee be English built And that which over-setteth the Ship is the waight of the water that presseth downe the side which as it entreth more and more increaseth the waight and the impossibilitie of the remedie For the water not entring with casing of the sheate or striking the sayles or putting the Ship before the winde or Sea or other diligences as occasion is offered and all expert Mariners know remedie is easily found With this mischaunce the Mariners were so daunted that they would not proceede with the Ship any further except shee were lighted which indeede was needelesse for many reasons which I gaue but Mariners are like to a stiffe necked Horse which taking the bridle betwixt his teeth forceth his Rider to what him list maâ—ger his will so they hauing once concluded and resolved are with great difficultie brought to yeelde to the raynes of reason And to colour their negligence they added cost trouble and delay In fine seeing no other remedie I dispatched that night a servant of mine to giue account to my Father of that which had past and to bring mee presently some Barke of London to goe along with mee to Plymouth which not finding he brought me a Hoye in which I loaded some sixe or eight tunns to giue content to the company and so set sayle the 13. of Aprill and the next day wee put in at Harwich for that the winde was contrary and from thence departed the 18. of the sayd Moneth in the morning When wee were cleere of the Sands the winde vered to the South-west and so we were forced to put into Margat Roade whether came presently after vs a Fleete of Hollanders of aboue an hundreth Sayle bound for Rochell to loade salt and in their companie a dozen ships of Warre their wasters very good ships and well appointed in all respects All which came alongst by our ship and â—â—â—ured vs as is the custome of the Sea some with three others with fiue others with more peeces of Ordinance The next morning the winde vering Easterly I set sayle and the Hollanders with me and they with the flood in hand went out at the North-sands-head and I through the Gulls to shorten my way and to set my Pilates shore Comming neere the South-sore-land the winde began to vere to the South-east and by south so as we could not double the point of the Land and being close abourd the shore and putting our ship to slay what with the chapping Sea and what with the Tide vpon the Bowe shee mist staying and put vs in some daunger before wee could flact about therefore for doubling the point of any land better is ever a short bourd then to put all in perill Being tacked about wee thought to anchor in the Downes but the sayles set we made a small bourd and after casting about againe doubled the foreland and ran alongst the Coast till we came to the I le of Wight where being becalmed wee sent a shore Master Thomson of Harwich our Pilot not being able before to set him on shore for the perversnes of the winde Being cleere of the Wight the winde vered Southerly and before wee came to port-Port-land to the west South-west but with the helpe of the ebbe wee recovered port-Port-land ronde where we anchored all that night and the next morning with the ebbe wee set sayle againe the winde at west South-west purposing to beare it vp all the ebbe and to stop the flood being vnder sayle SECT III. THe Fleete of Flemings which had beene in our company before came towring into the road which certainly was a thing worth the notiâ—g to behold the good order the Masters observed in guard of their fleete The Admirall headmost the râ—st of the men of Warre spread alongst to wind-ward all saving the vice-Admirall and her consort which were lee-most and stern-most of all and except the Admirall which was the first that came to an Anchor None of the other men of warre anchored before all the Fleete was in safetie and then they placed themselues round about the Fleete the Vice-Admirall Seamost and Leemost which we haue taught vnto most Nations and they obserue it now a dayes better then we to our shame that being the Authors and reformers of the best Discipline and Lawes in Sea causes are become those which doe now worst execute them And I cannot gather whence this contempt hath growne except of the neglect of Discipline or rather in giuing commands for favour to those which want experience of what is committed to their charge Or that there hath beene little curiositie in our countrey in writing of the Discipline of the Sea which is not lesse necessary for vs then that of the Law And I am of opinion that the want of experience is much more tollerable in a Generall by Land then in a Gouernour by Sea For in the field the Lieutenant Generall the Sergeant Maior and the Coronels supply what is wanting in the Generall for that they all command and ever there is place for Counsell which in the Sea by many accidents is denied and the head is he that manageth all in whom alone if there be defect all is badly governed for by ignorance how can errors be iudged or reformed And therefore I wish all to take vpon them that which they vnderstand and refuse the contrary As Sir Henry Palmer a wise and valiant Gentleman a great commander and of much experience in Sea causes being appoynted by the Queenes Maiesties Counsell to goe for Generall of a Fleete for the coast of Spaine Anno 1583. submitting himselfe to their Lordships pleasure excused the charge saying that his trayning vp had beene in the narrow Seas and that of the other he had little experience And therefore was in dutie bound to intreate their Honours to make choice of some other person that was
better acquainted and experimented in those Seas that her Maiestie and their Lordships might be the better served His modestie and discretion is doubtlesse to be had in remembrance and great estimation For the ambition of many which covet the command of Fleetes and places of government not knowing their Compasse nor how nor what to command doe purchase to themselues shame and losse to those that employ them Being required in a Commander at Sea a sharpe wit a good vnderstanding experience in shipping practise in mannagement of Sea busines knowledge in Navigation and in command I hold it much better to deserue it and not to haue it then to haue it not deserving it SECT IV. THe fruits and inconveniences of the latter we daily partake of to our losse and dishonor As in the Fleete that went for Burdieux Anno 1592. which had six Gallant Ships for Wasters At their going out of Plimouth the Vice-admirall that should haue beene starnmost of all was the headmost and the Admirall the light and he that did execute the office of the Vice-admirall lanching off into the Sea drew after him the greater part of the Fleete and night comming on and both bearing lights caused a separation so that the head had a quarter of the bodie and the Fleete three quarters and he that should goe before came behinde Whereof ensued that the three parts meeting with a few Spanish Men of Warre wanting their head were a prey vnto them For the Vice-admirall and other Wasters that should be the Shepheards to guard and keepe their flocke and to carry them in safetie before them were headmost and they the Men who made most hast to flie from the Wolfe Whereas if they had done as they ought in place of losse and infamie they had gained honor and reward This I haue beene enformed of by the Spanish and English which were present in the occasion And a ship of mine being one of the Starnmost freed her selfe for that shee was in warlike manner with her false Netting many Pendents and Streamers and at least 16. or 18. Peeces of Artillery the enemie thinking her to be a Waster or Ship of warre not one of them durst lay her aboord and this the Master and company vaunted of at their returne In the same Voyage in the river of Burdieux as is credibly reported if the six Wasters had kept together they had not onely not received domage but gotten much Honour and Reputation For the Admirall of the Spanish Armado was a Flemish Shippe of not aboue 130. Tunnes and the rest Flie-boates and small shipping for the most part And although they were 22. Sayle in all what manner of Ships they were and how furnished and appoynted is well knowne with the difference In the Fleete of her Maiestie vnder the charge of my Father Sir Iohn Hawkins Anno 1590. vpon the coast of Spaine the Vice-admirall being a head one morning where his place was to be a Sterne lost vs the taking of eight men of Warre loaden with Munition Victuals and Provisions for the supplie of the Souldiers in Britaine and although they were seaven or eight Leagues from the Shore when our Vice-admirall began to fight with them yet for that the rest of our Fleete were some foure some fiue Leagues and some more distant from them when we beganne to giue chase the Spaniards recovered into the Harbour of Monge before our Admirall could come vp to giue direction yet well beaten with losse of aboue two hundreth men as they themselues conâ—essed to me after And doubtlesse if the winde had not over-blowne and that to follow them I was forced to shut all my lower ports the ship I vndertooke doubtles had never endured to come to the Port but being doubble Fli-boates and all good of Sayle they bare for their liues and we what we could to follow and fetch them vp In this poynt at the I le of Flores Sir Richard Greenfield got eternall honour and reputation of great valour and of an experimented Souldier chusing rather to sacrifice his life and to passe all danger whatsoeuer then to sayle in his Obligation by gathering together those which had remained a shore in that place though with the hazard of his ship and companie And rather we ought to imbrace an honourable death then to liue with infamie and dishonour by fayling in dutie and I account that he and his Country got much honor in that occasion for one ship and of the second sort of her Maiesties sustained the force of all the Fleete of Spaine and gaue them to vnderstand that they be impregnible for having bought deerely the boording of her divers and sundry times and with many ioyntly and with a continuall fight of 14. or 16. houres at length leaving her without any Mast standing and like a Logge in the Seas shee made notwithstanding a most honourable composition of life and libertie for aboue two hundreth and sixtie men as by the Pay-booke appeareth which her Maiestie of her free grace commanded in recompence of their service to be given to every one his six moneths wages All which may worthily be written in our Chronicles in letters of Gold in memory for all Posterities some to beware and others by their example in the like occasions to imitate the true valour of our Nation in these Ages In point of Providence which Captaine Vavisor in the foresight gaue also good proofe of his valour in casting about vpon the whole Fleete notwithstanding the greatnesse and multitude of the Spanish Armadâ— to yeeld that succour which he was able Although some doe say and I consent with them that the besâ— valour is to obey and to follow the head seeme that good or bad which is commanded For God himselfe telleth vs that obedience is better then sacrifice Yet in some occasions where there is difficultie or impossibilitie to know what is commanded many times it is great discretion and obligation iudiciously to take hold of the occasion to yeeld succour to his associats without putting himselfe in manifest dangâ—râ— But to our Voyage SECT V. BEing cleare of the race of Portland the Wind began to suffle with fogge and misling rayne and forced vs to a short sayle which continued with vs three dayes the Wind never vering one poynt nor the fogge suffering vs to see the Coast. The third day in the fogge we met with a Barke of Dartmouth which came from Rochell and demanding of them if they had made any land answered that they had onely seene the Edie stone that morning which lyeth thwart of the sound of Plimouth and that Dartmouth as they thought bare off vs North North-east which seemed strange vnto vs for we made account that wee were thwart of Exmouth within two houres after the Weather beganne to cleare vp and we found our selues thwart of the Berry and might see the small Barke bearing into Torbay having over-shot her port which error
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
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
which time I lived in a great perplexitie for that I knew our owne weaknesse and what they might doe vnto vs if that they had knowne so much For any man that putteth himselfe into the enemies Port had need of Argus eyes and the wind in a bagge especially where the enemie is strong and the tydes of any force For with either ebbe or flood those who are on the shore may thrust vpon him inventions of fire and with swimming or other devises may cut his Cables A common practise in all hott Countries The like may be effected with Raffes Cannoas Boates or Pynaces to annoy and assault him and if this had beene practised against vs or taken effect our Shippes must of force haue yeelded themselues for they had no other people in them but sicke men but many times opinion and feare preserveth the Shippes and not the people in them Wherefore it is the part of a provident Governour to consider well the daungers that may befall him before he put himselfe into such places So shall he ever be provided for prevention In Saint Iohn de Vlua in the New-Spaine when the Spanyards dishonoured their Nation with that foule act of periury and breach of faith given to my Father Sir Iohn Hawkins notorious to the whole world the Spanyards fired two great Shippes with intention to burne my Fathers Admirall which he prevented by towing them with his Boates another way The great Armado of Spaine sent to conquer England Anno 1588. was with that selfe same industry overthrowne for the setting on â—ire of six or seaven shippes whereof two were mine and letting them drive with the flood forced them to cut their Cables and to put to Sea to seeke a new way to Spaine In which the greatest part of their best Shippes and men were lost and perished For that my people should not bâ— dismayed I dispatched presently my Light-horsman with onely foure men and part of the refreshing advising them that with the first calme or slent of wind they should come off The next night the wind comming off the shore wee set sayle and with our Boates and Barkes founded as we went It flowed vpon the Barre not aboue foure foote water and once in foure and twentie houres as in some parts of the West Indies at full Sea there is not vpon the barre aboue 17. or 18. foote water The harbour runneth to the South-westwards He that will come into it is to open the harbours mouth a good quarter of a league before he beare with it and be bolder of the wester side for of the Easterland lyeth a great ledge of Rockes for the most part vnder water which sometimes breake not but with small shipping a man may goe betwixt them and the poynt Comming aboord of our Shippes there was great ioy amongst my Company and many with the sight of the Oranges and Lemmons seemed to recover heart This is a wonderfull secret of the power and wisedome of God that hath hiddeâ— so great and vnknowne vertue in this fruit to be a certaine remedie for this infirmitie I presently caused them all to be reparted amongst our sicke men which were so many that there came not aboue three or foure to a share but God was pleased to send vs a prosperous winde the next day so much to our comfort that not any one dyed before we came to the Ilands where we pretended to refresh our selues And although our fresh water had fayled vs many dayes before we saw the shore by reason of our long Navigation without touching any land and the excessiue drinking of the â—icke and diseased which could not be excused yet with an invention I had in my Shippe I easily drew out of the water of the Sea sufficient quantitie of fresh water to sustaine my people with little expence of fewell for with foure Billets I stilled a Hogshead of water and therewith dressed the meat for the sicke and whole The water so distilled we found to be wholesome and nourishing SECT XXII THe Coast from Santos to Cape Frio lyeth west and by South Southerly So we directed our course West South-west The night comming on and directions given to our other Shippes we sett the watch having a fayre fresh gale of wind and large My selfe with the Master of our Ship having watched the night past thought now to giue Nature that which shee had beene deprived of and so recommended the care of Steeridge to one of his Mates who with the like travell past being drowsie or with the confidence which he had of him at the Helme had not that watchfull care which was required he at the Helme steered West and West and by South and brought vs in a little time close vpon the shore doubtlesse he had cast vs all away had not God extraordinarily delivered vs for the Master being in his dead sleepe was suddenly awaked and with such a fright that he could not be in quiet wherevpon waking his youth which ordinarily slept in his Cabin by him asked him how the watch went on who answered that it could not be aboue an houre since he layd himselfe to rest He replyed that his heart was so vnquiet that he could not by any meanes sleepe and so taking his Gowne came forth vpon the Decke and presently discovered the Land hard by vs. And for that it was sandie and low those who had their eyes continually fixed on it were dazeled with the reflection of the Starres being a fayre night and so were hindered from the true discovery thereof But he comming out of the darke had his sight more forcible to discerne the difference of the Sea and the shore So that forthwith he commaunded him at the Helme to put it close a starbourd and tacking our Ship wee edged off and sounding found scant three fathome water whereby we saw evidently the miraculous mercie of our God that if he had not watched over vs as hee doth continually over his doubtlesse we had perished without remedie To whom be all glory and prayse everlastingly world without end Immediatly we shot off a Peece to giue warning to our other Shippes who having kept their direct course and far to wind-wards and Sea-wards because we carried no light for that we were within sight of the shore could not heare the report and the next morning were out of sight SECT XXIII IN this poynt of Steeridge the Spaniards and Portingalls doe exceede all that I haue seene I meane for their care which is chiefest in Navigation And I wish in this and in all their workes of Discipline and reformation we should follow their examples as also those of any other Nation In every Ship of moment vpon the halfe decke or quarter decke they haue a chayre or seat out of which whilst they Navigate the Pilot or his Adiutants which are the same officers which in our Shippes we terme the Master and his Mates never depart day nor
we might discry the hull of a Ship beaten vpon the Beach It was of the Spanish Fleete that went to inhabite there in Anno 1582. vnder the charge of Pedro Sarmiento who at his returne was taken Prisoner and brought into England In this Bay the Spaniards made their principall habitation and called it the Cittie of Saint Philip and left it peopled But the cold barrennes of the Countrie and the malice of the Indians wiâ—h whom they badly agreed made speedie end of them as also of those whom they left in the middle of the Straites three leagues from Cape Froward to the East-wards in another habitation We continued our course alongst this reach for all the Straites is as a River altering his course sometimes vpon one poynt sometimes vpon another which is some eight Leagues long and lyeth West North-west From this we entred into a goodly Bay which runneth vp into the land Northerly many Leagues and at first entrance a man may see no other thing but as it were a maine Sea From the end of this first reach you must direct your course West South-west and some foureteene or fifteene leagues lyeth one of the narrowest places of all the Straites This leadeth vnto another reach that lyeth west and by north some six leagues Here in the middle of the reach the wind tooke vs by the north-west and so we were forced to anchor some two or three dayes In which time we went a shore with our Boates and found neere the middle of this reach on the Star-boord side a reasonable good place to ground and trimme a small Ship where it higheth some nine or ten foote water Here we saw certaine Hogges but they were so farre from vs that wee could not discerne if they were of those of the Countrie or brought by the Spaniards these were all the Beasts which we saw in all the time we were in the Straites In two tydes we turned through this reach and so recovered the Ilands of Pengwins they lye from this reach foure leagues South-west and by west Till you come to this place care is to be taken of not comming too neere to any poynt of the Land for being for the most part sandie they haue sholding off them and are somewhat what dangerous These Ilands haue beene set forth by some to be three we could discover but two And they are no more except that part of the Mayne which lyeth over against them be an Iland which carrieth little likelihood and I cannot determine it A man may sayle betwixt the two Ilands or betwixt them and the Land on the laâ—boord side from which land to the bigger Iland is as it were a bridge or ledge on which is foure or fiue fathome water and to him that commeth neere it not knowing thereof may iustly cause feare for it sheweth to be shold water with his rypling like vnto a race Betwixt the former reach and these Ilands runneth vp a goodly Bay into the Country to the North-wards It causeth a great indraught and aboue these Ilands runneth a great tide from the mouth of the Straites to these Ilands the land on the larboord-side is low land and sandy for the most part and without doubt Ilands for it hath many openings into the Sea and forcible indraughts by them and that on the starboord side is all high mountaynous land from end to end but no wood on eyther side Before wee passed these Ilands vnder the lee of the bigger Iland we anchored the wind being at North-east with intent to refresh our selues with the fowles of these Ilands They are of divers sorts and in great plentie as Pengwins wilde Ducks Gulles and Gannets of the principall we purposed to make provision and those were the Pengwins which in Welsh as I haue beene enformed signifieth a white head From which derivation and many other Welsh denominations given by the Indians or their predecessors some doe inferre that America was first peopled with Welsh-men and Motezanna King or rather Emperour of Mexico did recount vnto the Spaniards at their first comming that his Auncestors came from a farre Countrie and were white people Which conferred which an auncient Cronicle that I haue read many yeares since may bee coniectured to bee a Prince of Wales who many hundreth yeares since with certaine shippes sayled to the westwards with intent to make new discoveries Hee was never after heard of The Pengwin is in all proportion like vnto a Goose and hath no feathers but a certaine doune vpon all parts of his body and therefore cannot flie but avayleth himselfe in all occasions with his feete running as fast as most men He liveth in the Sea and on the Land feedeth on fish in the Sea and as a Goose on the shore vpon grasse They harbour themselues vnder the ground in burrowes as the Connies and in them hatch their young All parts of the Iland where they haunted were vndermined saue onely one valley which it seemeth they reserved for their foode for it was as green as any Medowe in the moneth of Aprill with a most fine short grasse The flesh of these Pengwins is much of the savour of a certaine fowle taken in the Ilands of Lundey and Silley which wee call Puffins by the tast it is easily discerned that they feede on fish They are very fatt and in dressing must be flead as the Byter they are reasonable meate rosted baked or sodden but best rosted We saltâ—d some dozen or 16. hogsheads which served vs whilest they lasted in steede of powdred beefe The hunting of them as we may well terme it was a great recreation to my Company and worth the sight for in determining to catch them necessarily was required good store of people every one with a cudgell in his hand to compasse them round about to bring them as it were into a ring if they chanced to breake out then was the sport for the ground being vndermined at vnawares it fayled and as they ran after them one fell here another there another offering to strike at one lifting vp his hand sunke vpp to the arme pits in the earth another leaping to avoyd one hole fell into another And after the first slaughter in seeing vs on the shore they shunned vs and procured to recover the Sea yea many times seeing themselues persecuted they would tumble downe from such high rocks mountaines as it seemed impossible to escape with life Yet as soone as they came to the beach presently wee should see them runne into the Sea as though they had no hurt Where one goeth the other followeth like sheepe after the Bel-wether but in getting them once within the ring close together few escaped saue such as by chance hid themselues in the borrowes and ordinarily there was no droue which yeelded vs not a thousand and more the maner of killing them which the hunters vsed being in a cluster together was with their cudgels to
knâ—cke them on the head for though a man gaue them many blowes on the body they diâ—d not Besides the flesh brused is not good to keepe The Massaker ended presently they cut off their heads that they might bleede well such as we determined to keepe for store wee saved in this maner First we split them and then washed them well in sea water then salted them having layne some sixe howres in salt wee put them in presse eight howres and the blood being soaked out we salted them againe in our other caske as is the custome to salt beefe after this maner they continued good some two moneths and served vs in stead of beefe The Gulls and Gannets were not in so great quantitie yet we wanted not young Gulles to eate all the time of our stay about these Ilands It was one of the delicatest foodes that I haue eaten in all my life The Ducks are different to ours and nothing so good meate yet they may serue for necessitie They were many and had a part of the Iland to themselues severall which was the highest hill and more then a Musket shott over In all the dayes of my life I haue not seene greater Art and curiositie in creatures voyd of reason then in the placing and making of their nestes all the hill being so full of them that the greatest Mathematician of the world could not devise how to place one more then there was vpon the hill leaving onely one path-way for a fowle to passe betwixt The hill was all levell as if it had beene smoothed by Art the neâ—tes made onely of earth and seeming to be of the selfe same mould for the nests and the soyle is all one which with water that they bring in their Beakes they make into Clay or a certaine dawbe and after fashion them round as with a Compasse In the bottome they containe the measure of a foote in the height about eight inches and in the toppe the same quantitie over there they are hollowed in somewhat deepe wherein they lay their eggs without other prevention And I am of opinion that the Sunne helpeth them to hatch their young their nests are for many yeares and of one proportion not one exceeding another in bignesse in height nor circumference and in proportionable distance one from another In all this hill nor in any of their nestes was to be found a blade of grasse a straw a sticke a feather a moate no nor the filing oâ— any â—owle but all the nestes and passages betwixt them were so smooth and cleane as if they had beene newly swept and washed All which are motiues to prayse and magnifie the vniversall Creator who so wonderfully manifesteth his wisedome bountie and providence in all his Creatures and especially for his particular loue to ingratefull mankinde for whose contemplation and service he hath made them all SECT XXXI ONe day having ended our hunting of Pengwins one of our Mariners walking about the Iland discovered a great company of Seales or Sea-wolues so called for that they are in the Sea as the Wolues on the Land advising vs that he left them sleeping with their bellies rosting against the Sunne wee provided our selues with staues and other weapons and sought to steale vpon them at vnawares to surprise some of them and comming downe the side of a hill wee were not discovered till we were close vpon them notwithstanding their Sentinell before we could approach with a great howle waked them wee got betwixt the Sea and some of them but they shunned vs not for they came directly vpon vs and though we dealt here and there a blow yet not a man that withstood them escaped the overthrow They reckon not of a Musket shott a sword peirceth not their skinne and to giue a blow with a staffe is as to smite vpon a stone onely in giving the blow vpon his snowt presently he falleth downe dead After they had recovered the water they did as it were scorne vs defie vs and daunced before vs vntill we had shot some Musket shott through them and so they appeared no more This Fish is like vnto a Calfe with foure leggs but not aboue a spanne long his skinne is hayrie like a Calfe but these were different to all that ever I haue seene yet I haue seene of them in many parts for these were greater and in their former parts like vnto Lyons with shagge hayre and mostaches They liue in the Sea and come to sleepe on the Land and they ever haue one that watcheth who adviseth them of any accident They are beneficiall to man in their skinnes for many purposes In their mostaches for Pick-tooths and in their fatt to make Traine-oyle This may suffice for the Seale for that he is well knowne SECT XXXII ONe day our Boates being loaden with Pengwins and comming aboord a sudden storme tooke them which together with the fury of the tyde put them in such great danger that although they threw all their loading into the Sea yet were they forced to goe before the wind and Sea to saue their liues Which we seeing and considering that our welfare depended vpon their safetie being impossible to weigh our Anchor fastned an emptie Barrell well pitched to the end of our Cable in stead of a boy and letting it slip set sayle to succour our Boates which in short space wâ—e recovered and after returned to the place where we ryd before The storme ceasing we vsed our diligence by all meanes to seeke our Cable and Anchor but the tyde being forcible and the weeds as in many partes of the Straites so long that riding in foureteene fathome water many times they streamed three and foure fathomes vpon the ryme of the water these did so inrole our Cable that we could never set eye of our boy and to sweepe for him was but lost labour because of the weeds which put vs out of hope to recover it And so our forcible businesse being ended leaving instructions for the Fancie our Pynace according to appointment where to finde vs we inroled them in many folds of Paper put them into a barrell of an old Musket and stopped it in such manner as no wett could enter then placing it an end vpon one of the highest hills and the most frequented of all the Iland wee imbarked our selues and set sayle with the wind at North-west which could serue vs but to the end of that reach some dozen leagues long and some three or foure leagues broad It lyeth next of any thing till you come to Cape Agreda South-west from this Cape to Cape Froward the coast lyeth West South-west Some foure leagues betwixt them was the second peopling of the Spaniards and this Cape lyeth in fiftie fiue degrees and better Thwart Cape Froward the wind larged with vs and we continued our course towards the Iland of Elizabeth which lyeth from Cape Froward some foureteene leagues West and by South This
accompted of is to burne the vtter planke till it come to be in every place like a Cole and after to pitch it this is not bad In China as I haue beene enformed they vse a certaine Betane or Varnish in manner of an artificiall pitch wherewith they trim the outside of their shippes It is said to be durable and of that vertue as neither worme nor water peirceth it neither hath the Sunne power against it Some haue devised a certaine Pitch mingled with Glasse and other ingredients beaten into powder with which if the Shippe be pitched it is said the worme that toucheth it dyeth but I haue not heard that it hath beene vsefull But the most approved of all is the manner of sheathing vsed now adayes in England with thin bourds halfe inch thicke the thinner the better and Elme better then Oake for it ryveth not it indureth better vnder water and yeeldeth better to the Shippes side The invention of the materialles incorporated betwixt the planke and the sheathing is that indeed which avayleth for without it many plankes were not sufficient to hinder the entrance of this worme this manner is thus Before the sheathing board is nayled on vpon the inner side of it they smere it over with tarre halfe a finger thicke and vpon the tarre another halfe finger thicke of hayre such as the Whitelymers vse and so nayle it on the nayles not aboue a spanne distance one from another the thicker they are driven the better Some hold opinion that the tarre killeth the worme others that the worme passing the sheathing and seeking a way through the hayre and the tarre so involue him that he is choked therewith which me thinkes is most probable this manner of sheathing was invented by my Father and experience hath taught it to be the best and of least cost SECT XXXIII SVch was the diligence we vsed for our dispatch to shoot the Straites that at foure dayes end wee had our water and wood stowed in our Shippe all our Copper-worke finished and our shippe Calked â—rom Post to Stemme the first day in the morning the wind being fayre we brought our selues into the Channell and sayled towards the mouth of the Straites praising God and beginning our course with little winde we descryed a fire vpon the shore made by the Indians for a signe to call vs which seene I caused a Boat to be man'de and we rowed ashore to see what their meaning was and approaching neere the shore wee saw a Cannoa made fast vnder a Rocke with a wyth most artificially made with the rindes of Trees and sowed together with the synnes of Whales at both ends sharpe and turning vp with a greene bough in â—ither end and ribbes for strengthening it After a little while we might discerne on the fall of the mountaine which was â—ull of trees and shrubbes two or three Indians naked which came out of certaine Caues or coates They spake vnto vs and made divers signes now poynting to the Harbour out of which we were come and then to the mouth of the Straites But wee vnderstood nothing of their meaning Yet left they vs with many imaginations suspecting it might be to advise vs of our Pynace or some other thing of moment but for that they were vnder covert and might worke vs some treacherie for all the people of the Straites and the land nere them vse all the villany they can towards white people taking them for Spaniards in revenge of the deceit that Nation hath vsed towards them vpon sundry occasions as also for that by our stay we could reape nothing but hinderance of our Navigation wee hasted to our Shippe and sayled on our course From Blanches Bay to long reach which is some foure leagues the course lyeth West South-west entring into the long reach which is the last of the Straits and longest For it is some thirty two leagues and the course lyeth next of any thing North-west Before the setting of the Sunne wee had the mouth of the Straits open and were in great hope the next day to be in the South sea but about seaven of the clocke that night wee saw a great cloud rise out of the North-east which began to cast forth great flashes of lightnings and sodainely sayling with a fresh gale of wind at north-east another more forcible tooke vs astayes which put vs in danger for all our sayles being a tant it had like to haue overset our ship before we could take in our sayles And therefore in all such semblances it is great wisedome to carry a short sayle or to take in all sayles Heere we found what the Indians forwarned vs of for they haue great insight in the change of weather and besides haue secret dealing with the Prince of Darkenesse who many times declareth vnto them things to come By this meanes and other witch-crafts which he teacheth them hee possesseth them and causeth them to doe what pleaseth him Within halfe an houre it began to thunder and raine with so much winde as wee were forced to lye a hull and so darke that we saw nothing but when the lightning came This being one of the narrowest reacheâ— of all the Straits wee were forced every glasse to open a little of our fore-sayle to cast about our ships head any man may conceiue if the night seemed long vnto vs what desire we had to see the day In fine Phoebus with his beautifull face lightned our Hemisphere and reioyced our hearts hauing driven aboue twenty foure leagues in twelue houres lying a hull whereby is to be imagined the force of the winde and current We set our fore-sayle and returned to our former harbour from whence within three or foure dayes we set sayle againe with a faire winde which continued with vs till we came within a league of the mouth of the Straite here the â—inde tooke vs againe contrary and forced vs to returne againe to our former port where being ready to anchor the winde scanted with vs in such maner as wee were forced to make a bourd In which time the winde and tide put vs so farr to lee-wards that we could by no meanes seize it So we determined to goe to Elizabeth Bay but before we came at it the night overtooke vs and this reach being dangerous and narrow we durst neither hull nor trye or turne to and againe with a short sayle and therefore bare alongst in the middest of the channell till we were come into the broad reach then lay a hull till the morning When we set sayle and ran alongst the coast seeking with our boate some place to anchor in some foure leagues to the West-wards of Cape Froward we found a goodly bay which wee named English bay where anchored we presently went a shore and found a goodly River of fresh water and an old Cannoa broken to peeces and some two or three of the houses of the Indians with peeces of
proverbe to bee falsely founded for that it was not to bee vnderstood that for erring it is better but because it is supposed that by hitting a man shall get emulation of the contradictors I encounâ—ered it with another that sayth better to be envied then pittied and well considering that being out of the Harbour if the winde tooke vs contrary to goe to Elizabeth Bay was better then to bee in the Port for a man must of force warpe in and out of it and in the time that the Shippe could be brought foorth into the Channell the winde being good a man might come from Elizabeth Bay to the Port and that there we should haue the wind first being more to the East-wardes and in an open Bay and moreover might set sayle in the night if the wind should rise in the Evening or in the Night whereas in the Port of force we must waite the light of the Day I made my selfe deafe to all murmurings and caused my commaund to be put in execution and doubtlesse it was Gods gracious inspiration as by the event was seene for being gotten into the Channell within an houre the winde came good and we sayled merrily on our Voyage and by the breake of the day wee had the mouth oâ— the Straites open and about foure of the Clocke in the afternoone wee were thwart of Cape Desire which is the westermost part of the Land on the Souther side of the Straites SECT XXXVIII HEre such as haue command may behold the many miseries that befall them not onely by vnexpected Accidents and mischances but also by contradictions and murmurs of their owne people of all calamities the greatest which can befall a man of discretion and valour and as difficult to be overcome for to require reason of the common sort is as the Philosopher sayth To seeke Counsell of a madd man Herein as I sayd before they resemble a stiffe necked Horse who taking the bridle in his teeth carrieth the rider whether he pleaseth so once possessed with any imagination no reason is able to convince them The best remedie I can propound is to wish our Nation in this poynt to be well advised and in especiall all those that follow the Sea ever having before their eyes the auncient Discipline of our Predecessors who in conformitiâ— and obedience to their Chiefes and Commanders haue beene a mirror to all other Nations with patience silence and suffering putting in execution what they haue beene Commanded and thereby gained the blessings due to such vertues and leaving to posteritie perpetuall memories of their glorious Victories A iust recompence for all such as Conquer themselues and subiect their most specious willes to the will of their Superiors SECT XXXIX IN apprehension whereof at land I cannot forbeare the Discipline thereof as at this day and in the dayes of late memory it hath beene practised in the States of Flaunders Fraunce and Brittayne wherâ— as the Spaniards Wallons Switzers and other Nations are daily full of murmurings and mutenies vpon every sleight occasion The like I also wish should be imitated by those who follow the Sea that is that those who are subiect to Command presume no further then to that which belongeth vnto them Qui nescit parere nescit imperare I speake this for that I haue sometimes seene vnexpert and ignorant persons yea vnable to iudge of any poynt appertaining to government or the guide of a Shippe or company of men presuming vpon their fine witts and enamored of their owne concâ—its contradict and dispute against graâ—e wise and experimented Governours many forward fellowes thinking themselues better worthie to command then to be commanded Such persons I advise not to goe but where they may command or els looking before they leapt to consider well vnder whom they place themselues seeing for the most part it is in their choyce to choose a Governour from whom they may expect satisfaction but choyce being once made to resolue with the patient wife in History That that day wherein shee married her selfe to an husband that very day shee had no longer any will more then the will of her husband And so he that by Sea or Land placeth himselfe to serue in any action must make reckoning that the time the iourney endureth he hath no other will nor dispose of himselfe then that of his Commander for in the Governors hand is all power to recompence and reward to punish or forgiue Likewise those who haue charge and Command must sometimes with patience or sufferance overcome their fury and misconceits according to occasions for it is a great poynt of wisedome especially in a generall murmuring where the cause is iust or that as often times it happeneth any probable accident may divert the minds of the discontented and giue hope of remedie or future event may produce Repentance to turne as they say the deafe eare and to winke at that a man seeth As it is saâ—d of Charles the fifth Emperour of Germany and King of Spaine who rounding his Campe one night disguised heard some Souldiers rayle and speake evill of him those which accompanied him were of opinion that he should vse some exemplary punishment vpon them not so sayth he for these now vexed with the miseries they suffer ease their hearts with their tongues but if occasion present it selfe they will not sticke to sacrifice their liues for my safetie A resolution worthy so prudent a Commander and so magnanimous a Prince The like is written of Fabius Maximus the famous Romayne who endured the attribute of Coward with many other infamies rather then he would hazard the safetie of his Countrie by rash and incertaine provocations No lesse worthy of perpetuall memory was the prudent pollicie and government of our English Navie in Anno 1588. by the worthy Earle of Nottingham Lord high Admirall of England who in like case with mature and experimented knowledge patiently withstood the instigations of many Couragious and Noble Captaines who would haue perswaded him to haue laid them aboord but well he foresaw that the enemy had an Armie aboord he none that they exceeded him in number of Shipping and those greater in Bulke stronger built and higher molded so that they who with such advantage fought from aboue might easily distresse all opposition below the slaughter peradventure prooving more fatall then the victory profitable by being overthrowne he might haue hazzarded the Kingdome whereas by the Conquest at most he could haue boasted of nothing but Glorie and an enemie defeated But by sufferance he alwayes advantaged himselfe of winde and tide which was the freedome of our Countrey and securitie of our Navie with the destruction of theirs which in the eye of the ignorant who iudge all things by the externall appearance seemed invincible but truely considered was much inferior to ours in all things of substance as the event prooved for we sunke spoyled and tooke of them many and they diminished
profit themselues of their labour and trauell and recompence them badly they are in worse condition then their slaues for to those they giue sustenance house-roome and clothing and teach them the knowledge of God but the other they vse as beastes to doe their labour without wages or care of their bodies or soules SECT XLVIII THwart of Ariquipa the shippe we brought with vs from Balparizo being very leake and my Companie satisfied that their hope to find any thing of worth in her was vaine having searched her from post to stemme condiscended to fire her and the rather to keepe our Company together which could not well suffer any devision more then of meere necessity so by generall accord we eased our selues of her and continued our course alongst the coast till we came thwart of the Bay of Pisco which lyeth within 15. Degrees and 15. minuts Presently after wee were cleare of Cape Sangalean and his Ilands wee ranged this Bay with our Boate and Pinnace It hath 2. small Ilands in it but without fruite and being becalmed we anchored two dayes thwart of Chilec By Sea and by Land those of Clyly had given advise to Don Garcia Hurtado de Mendâ—ca Marquis of Cavete Vice-Roy of Peru resident in Lima of our being on the Coast. Hee presently with all possible diligence put out sixe shippes in warlike order with well neere two thousand men and dispatched them to seeke vs and to fight with vs vnder the conduct of Don Beltrian de Castro Y delaluca his wiues brother who departing out of the Port of Callao turned to wind-ward in sight over the shore from whence they had dayly intelligence where wee had beene discovered And the next day after our departure out of Chilca about the middle of May at breake of day wee had sight each of other thwart of Cavete wee being to wind-wards of the Spanish Armado some two leagues and all with little or no winde Our Pinnace or prise being furnished with Oares came vnto vs out of which we thought to haue taken our men and so to leaue her but being able to come vnto vs at all times it was held for better to keepe her till necessity forced vs to leaue her and so it was determined that if we came to likelihood of boording shee should lay our Boate aboord and enter all her men and from thence to enter our shippe and so to forsake her Although by the event in that occasion this proved good notwithstanding I hold it to bee reproved where the Enemie is farre superior in multitude and force and able to come and bourd if hee list and that the surest course is to fortifie the principall the best that may bee and to cut-of all impediments where a man is forced to defence for that no man is assured to haue time answerable to his purpose and will and vpon doubt whether the others in hope to saue themselues will not leaue him in greatest extremitie SECT XLIX WEe presently put our selues in the best order wee could to fight and to defend our selues our prayers we made vnto the Lord God of battails for his helpe and our deliverance putting our selues wholy into his hands About nine of the Clocke the Brese began to blow and wee to stand off into the Sea the Spaniards cheeke by iole with vs ever getting to the wind-wards vpon vs for that the shipping of the South-sea is euer moulded sharpe vnder water and long all their voyages depending vppon turning to wind-wardes and the Brese blowing ever Southerly As the Sunne began to mount aloft the wind began to fresh which together with the Rowling Sea that ever beateth vpon this Coast comming out of the westerne-bourd caused a chapping Sea wherewith the Admirall of the Spaniards snapt his maine Mast asunder and so began to lagge a sterne and with him other two shippes The Vice-admirall split her maine-sayle being come within shott of vs vpon our broad side but to le-wards the Reare-admirall cracked her maine-yard asunder in the middest being a head of vs. One of the Armado which had gotten vpon the broad side of vs to wind-wards durst not assault vs. With these disgraces vpon them and the hand of God helping and dâ—livering vs night comming we began to consult what course was best to be taken to free our selues wherein were divers opinions some sayd it was best to stand off to the Sea close by all the night others to lye it a hull others to cast about to the shoare-wards two glasses and after all the night to stand off to Sea close by The Admirall of the Spaniards with the other two were a sterne of vs some foure leagues the Vice-Admirall a mile right to le-wards of vs the Reare-Admirall in a manner right a head some Culvering shott and one vpon our loose within shott also the Moone was to rise within two houres After much debating it was concluded that wee should beare vp before the winde and seeke to escape betwixt the Amirall and the Vice-Admirall which wee put in execution not knowing of any other disgrace befallen them but that of the Reare-Admirall till after our surrender when they recounted vnto vs all that had past In the Morning at breake of day wee were cleere of all our Enemies and so shaped our course alongst the Coast for the Bay of Atacumes where we purposed to trim our Pinnace and to renue our wood and water and so to depart vpon our Voyage with all possible speede The Spanish Armado returned presently to Callao which is the Port of Lyma or of the Citty of the Kings It was first named Lyma and retayneth also that name of the River which passeth by the Citty called Lyma the Spanish Armado being entred the Port the people began to goe ashore where they were so mocked and scorned by the women as scarce any one by day would shew his face they reviled them with the name of cowards and golnias and craved licence of the Vice-roy to bee admitted in their roomes and to vndertake the surrendry of the English Shippe I haue beene certified for truth that some of them affronted their Souldiers with Daggers and Pistols by their sides This wrought such effects in the hearts of the disgraced as they vowed eyther to recover their reputation lost or to follow vs into England and so with expedition the Vice-roy commaunded two shippes and a Pinnace to bee put in order and in them placed the chiefe Souldiers and Marriners of the rest and furnished them with victuals and munition The foresayd Generall is once againe dispatched to seeke vs who ranged the Coastes and Ports enforming himselfe what hee could Some fiftie leagues to the North-wards of Lyma in sight of Mongon wee tooke a shippe halfe loaden with wheate sugar miell de Canas and Cordovan skins which for that shee was leake and sayled badly and tackled in such maner as the Marriners would not willingly put themselues into her wee tooke what was
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