the Sea of Edom the Hebrewes call it Zuph or Saph or Mare Algosum from Sea weeds or Sargassoes here abounding Some Mare Elanixicum from Aelana a neighbouring Port and Towne and others the Gulph of Mecca and Arabia fictitious Thevet calls it Zocoroph Bohar Colzun the Arabs Zahara some and others Brachia a Sea most memorable for the miraculous passage Almighty God gave Moses and the Israelites neere the Sues of old Arsinoe and for Solomons fleet at Ezion Geber or Moha thence setting out for the gold of Ophyr To returne when the Portugalls had got Socotora and a hundred other places in India and Araby Albuquerque their Golias by much adoe anno 1520 took Aden boasting that he was then sole Emperour of India Qua victa saith Osorius putabat Indiae Imperium fore sempiternum Humanum est errare or else Albuquerk might be blemished for in few yeares they not only lost this but many other Forts of greater consequence in India October 18 we had the wind pretty faire Our observation that day being 17 degrees our longitude 19 from Mohelia the wind less'ned and weather grew flaming hot no Stove or Sudatory exceeding it it made us very faint yet having past through as bad it seemed lesse torment to us But Mahomet the Persian Merchant whose father Hodgee Suare died in London the yeare before could hold out no longer a Feaver drawing him through the path of death Mahomet converted a happy man if throwing away the raggs of Mawmetry hee roab'd his soule with true faith in Christ they say he call'd upon him twice happy man if unfaignedly At his putting into the Sea the Captain honour'd his funeral with the sky rending clamour of foure Culverin shot leaving his carcasse to the mercy of the Sea and Fish a sure treasurie till the resurrection The seventeenth of November to our comfort we descried terra ter ex optata the coast of India in fifteene degrees latitude and 32 of longitude the ill weather having driven us to Lee-ward many leagues that very place where Goa Barigaza of old is seated the bravest best defended Citie in the Orient the Magazeen refuge seat of Justice of the insolent and gold-thirsty Portugall The Citie is not visible to such as Navigate in the Ocean being built three houres journey within the land in Tilsoare an I le of 30 miles circuit surrounded by a river streaming from the mighty mountaine Bellaguate Goa is compast with a strong and beautifull wall proud in her aspiring Turrets dreadfull in many sorts of tormenting Cannons her strength and beauty begun from the Decan Emperours Zabaym and Idalcan Goa from whom anno 1509 Albuquerque conquer'd it but agrandiz'd from the Lusitanian the great Buzzar or Market is in center of the Towne richly built pleasant and capacious The other streets are after the Indian mode narrow and nasty the buildings in generall are spatious and comly dark within tarrassed and sutable to the seasons 't is watered with a delicious streame which by benevolence of the ayre refreshes the fields forcing Flora to dismantle the gardens be also fill'd with variety of sweet and eye-pleasing flowers the whole I le abounds with grasse corne groves cattell fruits and such sence ravishing delights a reasonable man can require above 20 little Townes are seene in this 30 miles compasse In Goa is nothing more observable than the fortifications the Viceroy and Archbishops Pallaces and the Churches Field peeces here are numbred above 300 the Pallaces are strong of good stone furnisht within with rich Arras and painting the Churches of best rank are that dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mother of God in which is kept the bones and skull of Saint Thomas the Apostle holy Reliques brought 50 yeares agoe from Meliapore by Emanuel Frias at command of Iohn successour to Emanuel Kings of Portugall St. Pauls St. Dominie St. Katherine St. Savior and others in which are prest downe the bones of restlesse Albuquerque buried in the yeare 1516 of d' Acugnia of Don Francisco and that late canonized Chyna St. Francis Shyvier the Navarrean Jesuit who died anno 1552. 4 December aged 55 and rubricated by Pope Gregory 15. 12 March 1622 when many more were Sainted We hasted hence towards Swally judging the worst past the Indian shoare all our way in view us and the sea every where 20 leagues from land anchorable But sure all peace comes from above and mans heart abounds with vanity for upon a sudden the element grew dreadfull the wind to rore the sea sublime and wrathfull for three dayes space raging incessantly with such fury that we verily beleeved a Tuffon or Herocane was begun a Tempest of 30 dayes continuance so terrible that houses and trees are like dust afore it many great ships having beene blowne a shoare and shattered once in nine yeares it uses to thunder among them presag'd by birds and beasts who three or foure dayes before it bluster cry out and runne under ground for shelter as if an overture of all the world were ensuing But praised be God wee were deceived we mist a Tuffon but not a second disadventure this storme forcing a Mallabar Junck a Pirat in view of us our Ordnance could not reach them though the longest Saker we had vomited the fire of defiance at them whereby we were forced in way of honour to chase her with Barges mann'd with fifty Musquetiers But Vela damus quamvis remige Navis eat We made too much haste in boarding her being entertain'd with such store of Fire-works and Granados a volley of cruell shafts in a word we were opposed with so much desperate courage that after small hurt to them wee retreated with shame the better halfe slaine hurt and scalded our ships all the while being made an unwilling Theater of this Affront the wind forbidding them to retaliate The 22 of November the wind abated and wee found ground at forty fadomes many Snakes swimming about our ships which with the waters changing colour assured us we were neere the shoare the last storme had puzled us and soone after we discerned land in 19 degrees 35 minutes latitude and 29 in longitude which by its towring height we knew to be Dabul and then St. Iohn de vacas a Towne subject to the Portugall at the South end especially mounting in an ambitious piramid of Natures work named Saint Valentin's peake the land continuing high from thence to Gundavee a hill six leagues short of Swalley road a round hillock and bay of importance unto Mariners St. John The seven and twentieth day of November we hal'd an Indian piscadoro abord us never was Antick better habited he told us of many enemies but we were fearelesse after long toyle tiding up with streame anchors every sixt houre weighing and dropping in short time we got to Choul and then against Daman a lovely towne lorded by the Portugalls and conspicuous to passengers at the North end it has a Castle large strong and daring the
their teeth and tongues are mortally venemous the other parts eaten without hurt If ere the Salamander hap to bite thee Thy coffin and thy winding sheet invite thee Si mordu t' a une Arissade Pren's ton linceul é la flassade We have said enough let my vale-dictum now be this the Land mournes to see it selfe so trod upon by a people strangers to God and vertue concealing such usefull treasures and making unusefull so many ports obscured farre beyond her meriting seated so advantagiously for traffique with all the world both the Indies possible to be awed by her and vicinating those golden countries of Mozambiq ' Quiloa Soffala Mombassa Magadoxa and other parts of Aegisimba proffering also many petty Ilands under her as those of Cumrho Primero Mascarenas Castle I le Moritius Dygarrois and Englands Forrest environing and in a sort defending her upon occasions Mozambique Vndique dant saltus multaque aspergine rorant Emerguntque itetum redeuntque sub aequora rursus Inque chori ludunt speciem lascivaque jactant Corpora acceptum patulis mare maribus efflant On every side they leap and dew their fyn Advance from Sea and bathe againe therein In sport and measur'd dances nimbly fling Themselves whilst seas do from their nostrils spring Six leagues North-East from the last land we discried another Ile full of Palmeto trees the current here set us 20 leagues forward in 24 houres the latitude of this Ile 16 degrees and a halfe longitude 21 degrees and 28 min. thus shaped Castle Iland The 7 of September we discried land it prov'd Meortey one of the Iles of Chumro seated at the North end of Madagascar It rises very high to the East as we sailed by it mounts in a piramid and views far into the Ocean It s latitude is 12 degr 56 min. South and longitude 23 degr 59 min. in this shape profering it selfe unto my Table book Meottys Ile These Iles call'd the Iles of Cumro be 5 either because Chumro or Cumr-yne the Welshmens Ile is greater than the rest or that it was first discovered named Cumro Meottis Ioanna Mohelia Gazidia by others thus St. Iohn di Castro Spirito Sancto Sancto Christofero Anguzezia and Mayotto each of them excellent for refreshing passengers abounding with delicate fruit and such cattell as are had at easie prices none of them are above a hundred miles about yet very populous and full of natures blessings Chumro is the highest and best land but branded with the most subtle and bloody Savages Ioanna has courteous people and such as readily help strangers in necessity It lately obeyed a Queen rectrix much commended for sagacity but now submits to a King who tho tyrannicall yet better so as Tacitus protests than be anarchicall to these Iles we sent our boates ashoare intending to ride at Mohelia and returned with Oxen and Buffolls Goats and variety of Fruits all which were very heartily wellcomed And tho our Randezvous be now in sight suffer me whiles in memory to tell you of a fish or 2 which in these seas were obvious The Sea Tortoise is not much differing from those at land her house or shell is only flatter Sea Tortoyse by overturning them they are easily taken disabled then to sinck or help themselves some we tooke for pastime more than food they taste waterish and inforce fluxes they superabound in eggs in those we took every one having neere 2000 pale and round but never made hard though extremely boyled some eat them and the flesh or fish as you please to call it but by the Leviticall law it was forbidden and tho our religion consists not in ceremonies ending in the prototipe our Saviour yet except famine or novelty so invite mee with such cates my pallat craves not to be refreshed The Mannatee is good meat and from their using the shoare have a fleshie taste resembling in shew and eating Veale Mannaty a strange fish the intralls differing little from a Cow and from whom in respect of its phisnomy some new name her her face is like a Buffolos her eyes small and round hard gums in stead of teeth the stone generated in the head is most valuable soveraigne against choler adust the stone chollick and dissentery so it be beat small infus'd in wine and drunk fasting the body of this fish is commonly 3 yards long and one broad slow in swimming wanting fins in their place ayded with 2 paps which are not only suckles but stilts to creep a shoare upon such time shes grazes where shes sleep long sucking the coole Ayre unable contrary to other watery inhabitants to be halfe an houre under water are famoused like Lizards for their love to man whose face they delight to look upon and in weaknesse have refreshed them tho most unhappy to our Captaine Andrew Evans who by striking one at the Moritius with his harping-iron and leaping into the sea to make short work with his steletto was so crusht that he dyed shortly after as I speak in our description of St. Helena were we intombed him The Carvel The Carvell is a meere sea fome every where floating upon the surface of the Ocean of a globous forme like so many lines throwing abroad her strings which she can spread at pleasure angling for small fishes which she captivates at leisure a sea spider she may be cal'd for when she sees her webb too weak she can blow an infectious breath foming death or such a sting as if she had borrowed it from the Scorpion We are now ready to cast Anchor hopefull of fresh refreshment September the eleventh we rode in five and twenty fadoms the ensuing morne wafting neerer shoare dropping it againe in seventeene fathoms at the West side of Mohelia a bow shot from a small scatter'd village of straw unworthy a name yet called Meriangwy governed by a Sha-bander Alicusary by name a blacke big-bon'd knave savage in shew but slie and crafty in curtesie and bartring Mohelyae pars Insulae Mohelia elevates the Pole Antartick twelve degrees fifteene minutes has longitude from the Meridian of the Cape of good Hope foure and twenty degrees and variation of the Compasse 16 degrees 20 minutes is about threescore miles in circuit from Cumroh South East 14 leagues and from Ioannae East and by South about 10 the Marittim places rising gently the inland woody and mountanous a little village here and there scattered the houses are of reeds and straw fitted to the heat of such a torrid climate Moella some pronounce it Molala others and worst of all one Best thinking the derivation would carry it Mal-Ilha or bad Ile an incongruity that from his ill judgement so sweet and usefull a place should be defamed From Madagascar it is removed about 50 leagues from Quiloa in the Africk continent sixty the Inhabitants are a mixture of Gentiles and Mahomitans the Portugall has preacht Christ but have few Proselites some fragments of their language take thus
lesse than two houres being fild with nasty raine ending in thunder and flash mingling terribly Tornathos a great while the Tornado troubling us a weather so incertaine and variable as is admirable now blowing fresh and faire and forthwith storming outragiously in one houres space the wind veering about every point of the compasse The winds from East West North and South advance Their force and urge the furious waves to dance Vna Eurusque Notusque ruunt Zephirusque maligne flumine tum Boreas The infectious raines most damnifying the poore saylers who must be upon the decks to hand in their sailes abiding the brunt and which is worse commonly get forthwith into their beds or hamackoes resting their tyred bodies in wet nasty clothes thereby breeding many furious and mortall diseases as burning Feavers Calentures Fluxes Aches Scurvy and the like which doubtlesse did they moderate their bibbing strong waters and shift their filthy apparell might be prevented Other unlucky accidents happen in these seas to vexe them as when in most becalmings they swim in the bearing Ocean the greedy Tuberon or Shark arm'd with a double row of venemous teeth pursues them directed by a little Rhombus Musculus or pilot-fish that scuds to and fro to bring intelligence His body is right faire though seeming small And fitly him by name of Guide they call Musculus est parvus visu sed corpore pulchro Hinc piscem vero ductorem nomine dicunt the Shark for his kindnesse suffring it to suck when it pleaseth Many have beene devoured by this ravenous Dogge-fish more have suffered in their members whose shape mistaken in the posture by the Ingraver is thus resembled a Sharke fish By this under 13. degrees we are parrellel with Sierra Leon a Cape land upon the Lybian shoare by old Geographers improperly cal'd Deorum currus Frons Africae Tagazza and Zanguebai in Thevet and Marmolius strengthned by a Castle built by the Spaniard famoused for refreshing our English Neptune Drake at his returne from circumnavigating the body of the whole Earth and that thence to Bab-mandel the entrance into the red Sea Africk is no where broader The Inhabitants here along the Guinea coast Bynnin Cape Palmas Lopez Gonzalvo c. know no God nor are willing to bee instructed by Nature Scire nihil jucundissimum Howbeit the divell who will not want his ceremony has infused demonomy and prodigious idolatry into their hearts enough to rellish the divells pallat and agrandize their owne tortures when hee gets power to fry their soules as the raging Sunne has scorcht their bodies A Ship of ours coasting along and landing for discovery was so admired at by the Salvages as if they never had seene men nor Ship afore Two of our men adventured the shoare some hostages kept in the boat till they return'd and are welcom'd by thousands of those naked black skind Aethiopians who were so farre from injury that they loaded them with Flowers Fruits Toddy and what they judged acceptable after immeasurable admirations returning them safe aboard all contented Cape Verd. April the 18. wee had 15. degrees and ere morne were in height of Cape Verd in 14. degr so named by Florian Hesperion cornu Surrentium in Pliny Lybiae promontorium in Strabo of old cald Arsinarium at this day by the Negroes Mandangan Hacdar by the Alfarabes Discovered by Dio Fernandezo or Antonio di Nolle a Genoan Hesperidae Anno 1445. at the charge of King Alphonsus 5. Famoused especially in the Hesperian Garden enricht with Golden Apples robd by Alcides in despight of that hundred-headed Dragon engendred by Typhon on Echydna 'T was a Greeke fable who surpast for lyes The morall this The garden was a spacious greene and pleasant Field the apples of gold good sheep worth gold such sheep and fleece as Iason had the errour partly arising from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admitting a double construction sheep and apple The Dragon no other than a meare or fluxe of the Sea in forme or nature of a Dragon or Serpent invironing it swelling in 100 armes or sluces which Hercules to enrich Spaine passed over and exported The three faire daughters of Hesperus were three honest Ilands in the West adjoyning this garden their names Aeglae Arethusa and Hesperthusa now new named Mayo Sal and Bonavista three other neighbouring them the Atlantiades which we have no leisure now to treat of the magnifique Fabrick of Anthaeus calling us away to look upon but alas we find nothing extant save memory a pallace doubtlesse brave and capacious the Lord of it being no meane nor little man he grew 70. cubits high a dozen ordinary mens proportion a proper man and an excellent log for Hercules to smite at yet the Greekes perswade us his sword could not conquer nor was he overcome when by prodigious force Ioves sonne threw him thrice upon the ground the Earth his mother still reanimating him till being perceiv'd he strangled or choakt him in the helplesse Aire Extreame heat April 21. Aeolus was a sleep one breath of Ayre not comforting us the Sunne over-topping us and darting out such fiery beames that the Ayre inflamed the Seas seemed to burne our Ship sulphureous no decks no awnings nor invention possible able to refresh us so that for 7 dayes 70. are better endured in a zone more temperate wee sweat and broyle unable to sleep rest eat or drink without much faintnesse in this space our Ship making no way no current is felt in the vast Ocean till the fift day the billowes began to rowle and the Ayre troubled travelling with an abortive cloud which suddenly fell downe in forme of an inverted Piramid wonderfull and dangerous A cloud as I apprehend exhaled by the Sun a powerfull Magnet not agitated by the wind and missing the retentive property in the lowest region distills not in sweet drops but diffudes or falls hideously the whole cloud together so impetuously into the Ocean Spouts of raine that many great ships as if a thousand milstones or cataracts had fallen have beene dasht and sunke past all recovery and what 's little lesse formidable the stinking raine is no sooner in the Sea but as a fearefull farwell a whirlewind circles with such violence as helps the cloud to lash the murmuring Seas so furiously that oftimes the waves or surges rebound top gallant height as if it meant to retaliate the Ayre in another region God be praised we mist the rage of raine the gust somewhat affrighted us but it contraried Seneca's Philosophy Finis alterius mali gradus est futuri a pleasant Breese first increasing into a happy gale cooled the Ayre and posted us out of those exuberances of nature so that on May day we crost under the Aequinoctiall Aequator a circle imagined to divide the world into two equalls from either Pole ninety degrees and where we lost sight of the Sydus salutare the Pole-starre of a third magnitude fixt in
the tip of the little Beares tayle the Sunne at this time was in the 19. degree of Taurus in Artick declination 17. degrees 31. minutes May 6. We had some thunder and lightning or corpo sanctos such as seeme good Omens to the superstitious Portugalls and at night past by Santo croix the holy crosse every houre expecting the Monzoon Monzoons an anniversary wind that blowes one way six moneths and the other halfe yeer the contrary way constantly which if Sea-men neglect they lose their happy passage into India But how preposterous the yeere and wind proved elsewhere I know not doubtlesse it is the Emblem of inconstancy experience taught it us so long time proving our Antagonist that our passage to the Cape of good Hope became sixe weekes longer than we looked for forc't to runne into much more longitude than we desired An Inhabitant of Angola The slaughter of a man doth not suffice These caniballs we see but breasts armes eyes Like dainty meat they eat Aspicimus populos quorum non sufficit itae Occidisse aliquem sed pectora brachia vultum Crediderint genus esse cibi Nothing commendable in them but their Archery in which they excell shooting a dozen shafts ere the first touch ground their Amazonian neighbours forcing their care and diligence The only ornament they have is slashing and cutting their skinne and faces the Sunne and Moone are man and wife the Starres their children in their religion the divell is their Oracle May 24. We had 19 degrees and a halfe from whence to the thirtieth degr the wind was large and prosperous nothing in that great distance observable save that on the 26 day our Admirall the Mary in which one Hall commanded early discryed a saile which he made after with his barge long boat and 80. men at two leagues distance they perceived her a Carrack of 1500 Tun who durst not adventure her hulk against our shot and therefore made all sailes draw and that night escaped tho to grapple her our fleet divided all night but saw her not till the 27. day and but saw her her velocity so much excelled ours till the 7. of Iune she againe deluded us after two houres chase as a phantasma vanishing towards God Vpon May day we crost the line and last of May the Tropick of Capricorne Tropicus Capricorni the utmost limit of Apollo's progresse towards the Antartick and 53 dayes we swet within the burning Zone ere we past under both the Tropiques The first of Iune our observation was in 24 degrees 42 minutes South latitude Iunij 1. the Sunne then in 23. degrees 8l. North in the 20. degree of Gemini In which height we had many sudden and violent gusts and stormes contrary to our desires unable thereby to direct our course being driven to Lee-ward 100 leagues upon the coast of Brazeel to 25. degr latitude and 27. of longitude from the Lizard Howbeit post multos sequitur una serena dies for on the 13. day in the first watch our long lookt for Favonius blew sweetly upon us The West wind most men know From the vast sea is ever felt to blow Semper lenis aura Favoni Spirat ab Oceano At which time some Boobyes weary of flight made our Ship their pearch an animall so simple as suffers any to take her without feare as if a stupid sense made her carelesse of danger which to sympathize I have as simply for your sport depicted A Boobie T is not long since I told you how favourably Aeolus entertained us but his other adjunct is inconstancy for veering into another quarter he began to puffe and bluster yea so furiously that Neptune sweld with rage in such impatience that the Tritons Marriners grew agast not without reason the Cape land thought not neere enough and yet too neere us for foure dayes and nights not daring to beare any saile but lay ahull driving whither the storme compelled us all that while the sea surges so sublime and impetuous that wee were tost up into the Ayre and forth with throwne downe as into an Abisse sometimes dancing upon the liquid ridge of a dreadfull wave and anon inveloped with many others all seeming to swallow us heaven and sea roaring and commixing in an undivided manner yet the Lord be praised having Sea roome and good tite Ships his providence saved us in 16 dayes more meeting together joyfully at the Cape of good hope and I confesse ingeniously not till then did I feele that Ironic Satyre of Iuvenal biting us I nunc ventis animam committe doloso Confisus ligno Digitis â morte remotus Quattuor aut septem si sit latissimataeda Goe now and to the winds thy life commit Trust the smooth wood foure or seven fingers set From death the broadest heart of Pine admit Iune 24. Wee rais'd the Pole Antartick six and thirty degrees our longitude from the Meridian of the Lyzard five and twenty degrees wanting three to the Cape variation three degrees our course E. S. E. the Sunnes declination two and twenty degrees twenty sixe minutes and as many seconds North in the 17. degree of Gemini The same time mid-summer in England and mid-winter with us in those South clymats The 7. of Iuly betimes wee descried land and tho threescore miles distant from its height seemed very nigh us proving the place wee aimed at that famous promontory now no longer Tormentozo but of good Hope Howbeit we could not flie upon the wings of desire the wind withstanding our hast wherby we let fall our Anchor 14 leagues short of the Bay of Soldania and went a shore upon a little Ile 3 miles round corruptly cal'd Cony I le from the Welsh Cain-yne or white Ile where we kil'd many Conies or Cats rather great and rammish bad and waterish commended for dainty meat by hungry Sailers Ie junus raro stomachus vulgaria temnit It also superabounds with Seales piscis marinus as big as Lyons and though doggedly visaged can out barke them yea bellow like Bulls and from such as not till then see any may challenge wonder They turne to oyle and give their skins for buffe coates soft and serviceable Here are also birds cal'd Pen-gwins white-head in Welch like Pigmies walking upright their sinns or wings hanging very orderly downe like sleeves a creature fish and flesh participating sea and shore feeding in the one breeding in the other easie to be caught on land but that their undermining the sandy ground for habitacles makes the passage bad at sea diving like a Duck swift as a Dolphin fat but oylie some dare eat them curiosity may invite a taste but to make a meale on unsapory and offensive to which May-game of nature I may inculcate that made on her acquaintance Divide her I desire but neck and brest They savour well the Cooke may eat the rest Tota quidem ponatur anas sed pectore tantum cervice sapit caetera redde coquo
For whose further satisfaction the Idaea I present you not drawne by Phydias A Pen-gwin Pen-gwin I le is 6 or 7 leagues from the continent which when wee got afterne we grew becalm'd land-lockt in a sort and were sported all the way till we dropt anchor by Whales the Seas Leviathan who after their manner thundred our welcome into Aethiopia fuzzing or spouting part of the briny Ocean in wantonnesse out of their oylie pipes bored by nature a top their prodigious shoulders like so many floating Ilands concomitating us The 1. of Iuly wee anchor'd with safety in the Soldania Bay 12 leagues short of the utmost Cape a Road worthily cald good Hope by King Iohn 2. of Portugall rejecting that of Tempestuous first imposed by Gama in that if any attaine hither their Indian voyage is halfe done and the other part lesse solitary so many excellent Ilands entertaining them The Soldania Bay is of a semi-lunary forme large and safe high 5 or 6 miles from the sea towards the shoare low and fruitfull Where we pitch our Tents is a small streame of Chrystallin water exceeding sweet trickling from a mighty mountaine 4 miles from the Sea and in a perpendicular eleven thousand eight hundred and sixty foot from its resemblance commonly cald the Table the ascent uneasie but most pleasant at the top discerning thence 100 miles into the Ocean and looking S. S. W. we see the Cape or extreame point of Africk 12 leagues off whose character in the inhabitants seemes long since to be drawne in this same distich Extremique hominum maris ad vadasalsa seorsim Degimus ac nobiscum nemo negocia miscet By salt seas limited the Worlds end wee Inhabit none with us to trade agree And from this Table or from Herberts mount a Piramid adjoyning like the Sugar loafe another hill so named we see Cape Falso S. and by E. ten leagues either of these great Promontories are divided by a Bay but inconvenient to ride in the distance of each Cape is 10 miles from North to South either side environed with mountaines so lofty as seeme to penetrate the middle region with their aspiring foreheads where they find sufficient moysture to coole their ambition another river cal'd Iaquelina streames upon the N. side of the roade halfe a league from our Tents under King Iames his mount we usually pitch them broader than our rio dulce but by a low course and too long sporting with the briny Ocean it tasts brackish and insalubrious it is foordable without boate or Elephant and gives variety of Shell-fish as Tortoises Limpits Mussels Cockels Crabs Rock-fish and Mullets Crafish Thornback Gudgeon Eeeles c. The Earth abounds with roots herbs and grasse aromatique redolent and beneficiall such as I took notice of I may dare to name Agrimony Mynt Calamint Betony Plantain Ribwort Spinage Sorell Scabious Holy Thistle and of which beware Coliquintida all the yeer long nature roabing the fruitfull earth with her choisest Tapistry Flora seeming to dresse her selfe with artlesse Garlands Alcinoe and Tempe serving as Emblems to this Elysium Quamvis enim montosa appareat collibus multis distincta interim tamen multis vallibus silvis pratisque decorata est gramina flores suavissimè olentes magna copia producit Cervosque faeras leones multo numero nutrit quae omnia visu aspectu longe jucundissime existunt preterea limpidissimis fontibus scatet quamplurimis qui non sine gratissimo susurro de montibus altis prorumpentes fluminibus sese passim insinuant cum eis postmodum in mare exonerantur The Mountaines without doubt abound with Marquisate and all rich Mineralls which for want of search are yet undilucidated the chiefe refreshment we get here is water bunch-backt Buffolos and Sheep not of Iasons race these in leiw of wooll have haire parti-coloured long leg'd leane bodied not caus'd by want of pasture rather from too high feeding or from restlesse moving with their tripping Masters But the land exuberates in many other Animalls Lyons which usually steale Beefe out of the water when Ships are here fire or a lighted match only scaring thē Dromidaries Antilopes Apes Baboons venerious ones Zebrae Wolves Foxes Iackalls Doggs Cats and others and in birds as Estriches Vultures Cranes and Passe flemingoes whose feathers equallizing the birds of Paradise are rich crimson and pure white so amiably commixed that above others it inticed my pains to present it you which shall terminate our curiosity touching the earth commence an Anatomy lecture of the most savage of all savage inhabitants Pasche-Flemingo The Cape of good Hope elevates the Antartick-Pole foure and thirty degrees 3 minutes has longitude from the Meridian of the Lyzard 28 degrees and Westerly variation one degree and about forty minutes distant from England about 6600 miles English or 2200 leagues which at Sea we usually reckon by from Saint Helena S.E. 600 leagues from Iava major 1850 leagues from Surat 1800. This land is the furthest part of the old knowne world god Terminus here especially triumphing Afrique in holy writ is called from Cham Chamesia Lybia by the Greeks Besecath by the Indians by Leo Iphrychia by Thevet Alkebulan by Pliny Atlantia Aetheria Aphrica and Aethiopia in their Etimon are not discrepant the first from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without cold the other from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to scorch the face but some would have the one from Afer sonne of Abram and Getura the other from Aethiops sonne of Cham or Vulcan That it is part of Aethiopia wee must prove against inconsiderat Laudinus who will not be perswaded any part so nam'd exceeds the Tropicks Aethiopia is therefore either superiour from 6 degrees North to the Ne plus ultra comprising Mauritania Lybia Guiney Cape Verd c. or inferiour from thence stretching South to this promontory by Zanzibar Monomotapa Manicongo Angola Caffaria c. by Homer also divided into two extra et intra allowing it the better halfe of Africk terminated saith he on East West and South by the Ocean Aethiopes Aetherij Macrobij qui Africum ad Australe mare habitant Herod lib. 3. admitting which it must needs transcend the Tropicks the most Authentique of Poets is of this opinion Od. 13. The utmost sort of people knowne to man Is the divided Aethiopian Extremos homin ûm Aethiopes geminisque diremptos partibus Let us then examine the discoverer Ptolomy nor Pliny knew it not that report of Herodotus gayning little credit who labours to perswade us in his fourth book how Pharao Necho after his losse of 1200000 men imploy'd to make the red and mid-land Sea as one incouraged the Phoenicians then proud of their Art in Navigation to surround Afrique which to please him but more for glory they undertook and in three yeares effected But sure so excellent an adventure if it had beene so could not have escaped the busie
from the religion they suckt from their cradle amongst Panyms from that rule of Nature Use others as thou would'st others should use thee The Christians in these parts differ in some things from us and the Papacie yet retaine many principles of the Orthodox and Catholick doctrine Le ts enter their Temples Their Churches are low and but poorely furnished their vassalage will reach no further whether from their subjection or that so the Temples of their bodies bee replenisht with vertue the excellency of buildings conferre not holinesse I know not neat they are and sweetly kept matted without seats and insteed of Images have some select and usefull texts of holy Writ obviously writ or painted They assemble and haste to Church each Lords day with great alacrity at their entring they shut their eyes and contemplate the holinesse of the place the exercise they come about and their owne unworthinesse as they kneele they look towards the Altar or Table neere which the Bishop or Preist is seated whom they salute with a low and humble reverence who returnes his blessing by the up-lifting of his hands and eyes at a set houre they begin prayers above two houres seldome continuing first they have a short generall confession which they follow the Priest in and assent in an unanim Amen then followes an Exposition of some part or text of holy Scripture during which their attention dejected lookes and silence is admirable they sing an hymne and at parting out of Church re-salute the Minister who ceases not till all be gone out to elate his hands and blesse them When they are come home they read a chapter in either Testament both which they suppose they have incorrupt after the Originalls and translated for them by Saint Thomas the Apostle and patron of the Orient they have it also in the Chaldy but none save the Clergie understand it every first Sonday in the Month the Priest reads a Sermon out of an old Homily writ as they say by the Apostle or some of his Disciples they Baptise commonly at the 40 day if the Parents do no sooner desire it they first signe the Infant on the forehead with the Crosse and then wash it all over with water the Sacrament of the Lords holy Supper they administer in both kinds the Communicants receive it reverently kneeling they observe two dayes strict preparation during which they eat no flesh revell not accompanie with no women in the Church they confesse their sinnes and demerits with great reluctancy They marry as wee do the Clergie marry but once the Layety but twice widdowes if they marry before the yeere be expired after which their husbands dyed are ill reported of and hazard their joyncture none save for adultery have lycence to part till death sever them In sicknesse the Priest is sent for to comfort them and to give the Eucharist if it bee heartily desired that done they take farwell of their wife and children and all others and so rid themselves of carnall distractions which too oft hinder the desired meditation of the misery of worldlings and by a holy contemplation of the ineffable joyes of heaven strive to mitigate the pangs of their disease yea the grim aspect of approaching Death and the survivers rather joy than mourne as they solemnize his funeral they first wash then wrap the Corps in clean linnen a few selected friends concomitate it to the grave wherein they place it looking not East but West towards Ierusalem five dayes after that they visit his Family They feast and fast as we their Lent or abstinence from flesh and the like begins each spring and is strictly observed fortie dayes without banquet or bravery their yeare is Soli-genian our three cheefe Feastivalls they celebrate in July they commemorate the martyrdome of Saint Thomas they have many Patriarchs or Protomists the cheife resides at a house built upon a high mountaine nine miles from Cranganor Since the Portugalls traded Indya they have shaven their heads the Layicks pay Decimae or Tythes willingly they affect justice truth peace humility obedience c. and acknowledge Saint Thomas some the Eunuch of Arabia converted by Philip their Tutelary Saint and Patron They beleeve no Purgatory May 7 we had 8 degrees and ere Sunne-set darted our eyes upon that high mountaine commonly called Brin Iohn i. e. the Mount of Iohn and revives the British Antiquity Next day we had 7 degrees 30 minutes variation 14 degrees than which that famous Promontory of East-India extends no further towards the Aequator Next day wee sailed by the Maldyvae Iles memoriz'd by Pyrard de Laval who lived there and reports that the King there styles himselfe Emperour of thirteene Provinces and 12000 Ilands most and least any King in the world is owner of Neere these are other Iles Candu Nicubar and Sumbrero by name in the view of Zeyloon and Sumatra to which place and many other I must guide your patience of Zeyloon ZEyloon or Ceylon one of those five Iles Ptolomy calls Barussae was not innominate to the Antients By Ptolomy cald Panigarensis since him in Arab. Authors Sisuara Tenarisis and Nanigeris At this day Zeyloon by us Chingall by the inhabitants an I le spatious rich and famous severed from the Asiatick continent by a small sea not forty Leagues over It is limitted from 8 to 11 deg of latit North the length is about 70 leagues breadth 40 and circuit 250 or thereabouts an I le famous in some old conjectures as that Paradise was here that K. Salomon had hence his obrize gold or gold of Ophyr but I beleeve neither in regard most writers fix the ruines of the one in Mesopotamia and the other rather in Pegu Iava those wealthy places The most memorable is this That Meleck or Melchior Pyramal King of this Iland is thought one of those wise-men premonisht by that prophesy of Balaam the Edomite in Num. 24. 17. that brought as to a King a Priest a Prophet Gold Frank-insence and Myrrh unto our blessed Saviour foretold also by the Persian Sybill and by a new made Starre guided by the finger of God miraculously directed and who at his returne made knowne the mystery of Gods Incarnation for mans redemption by his laborious teaching made many Proselites some to this day by tradition memorising him and reteining somewhat of Christian knowledge though the greatest part bee Apostats and drunk with abominable demonomy and superstition But whether Melchyor returned upon Saint Thomas his arrivall and with the other two came into Europe and whether those three buried in Cullen be fictitious or no it is not pertinent to a Travellers curiosity to insist upon But this is obvious in History That Candaces Noble Eunuch baptised by Philip left her service to preach Christ whom very fruitfully he made knowne to many parts of Araby and sundry Iles as Socotora this and Tabrobane or Sumatra as Dorotheus Bishop of Tyre in the dayes of the great
of farre greater extent and power fifty yeeres ago till the Syamite pluckt forceably from her Dyadem many brave and wealthy Seigniories howbeit she is yet commandresse of many Ilands Monym Barongo Nogomello Duradura Cocos c. Pegu by Castaldus supposed that old City Triglipton in Ptolomy has Artique elevation 16 degrees 40 minutes a Citie walld with good stone beautified with many Turrets and parrapets and to issue out and enter in shewes foure faire Gates and twelve posternes prettily built and made more safe by that deep Moat or Trench fild with Crocodiles that circumvolves her the streets are not many but large and broad they are and seldome crooking afore every doore the houses are all low growes a pleasant tree whose fruit and wholsome shade makes them double usefull It is divided into two the new Towne and the old the old is most great and best inhabited The Varellaes or Temples and Sudatories are observable each Varella farcinated with ugly but guilded Idolls that at Dogonnee is not a little memorable for structure and ornament out-braving any other in the Orient the wildernesse about it and antick superstition might chalenge a copious description which I forbeare having other things to denotate This Kingdom is full of al earthly delights blessings of Nature Gold Silver Lead Iron also Smaragds Topaz Rubies Saphyres Garnats Emralds Espinells and Cats-eyes as also Ryce Caravances long Pepper Sugar Benoyn Musk Gum-lack Cotton Callicoes and what else a reasonable man can lust after But all these if they were centuplied are not able to make them truly happy wanting the true pearle that which the godly Merchant bought though to obtaine it he sold all his fraile wealth and possessions for albeit the holy Apostle Saint Thomas brought them blessed tidings of salvation yet they quickly lost the true light delighting to this day in obscure and loathed sinnes the Kyacks fild with base Idolatry insomuch that father Bomferrus an old Franciscan after foure tedious yeeres labour to reduce them to some knowledge of the Church of Rome came home desiring rather as did S. Anthony to preach among piggs than such a swinish generation The truth is they beleeve they know not what and Quaenam est ista simplicitas neseire quod credas sayes Hierom against the Luciferians yet some what if all be true he tells us wee gather from his observation that they beleeve the world consisting of Heaven Sea and Earth had foure Creations and for impiety was foure times destroyed by Fire by Wind by Water and by Earthquakes each Age or World governed by a severall tutelarie Numen or God miserable only in this that he was transitory and not omnipotent nor immortall they reckon that the last destruction of the world death of their last God was thirty thousand yeeres ago and that in Plato's great yeere all shall once more suffer a chaos They imagine a great Lord omniscient omnipotent and immortall lives and rules in Heaven but they do not worship him in that Satan tels them he desires it not they beleeve a revivification of the body after death and co-union with the soule and Bomferrus beleeves it confesse a three-fold receptacle of soules departed Nashac Nishac and Schua Heaven Hell and Purgatory by which that holy Frier convinces us of more ignorance than these Pagans but wee beleeve it never the sooner since the Devill is their instructer yea who dictates their profession Their habit is thin and fine it differs little from that they have in Industant and Syam but in this they varie they weare no beards they dye their teeth black in that Dogs teeth are white whom they hate to imitate they also cut and pluck their flesh to become braver than other Nations I have told you the best of Pegu the worst is also memorable In lesse than a hundred yeeres ago the Peguan Monark was farre more powerfull and formidable than at this present his Dyadem then sparkled with a gallent lustre twelve wealthy Kingdomes at that time acknowledged Pegu their Soveraigne Some of those Provinces are well knowne to us as Syam Auva Kavelan Barmaw Iangomer Tangram Cablan Lawran Meliotalk c. out of which hee yeerely extracted as tribute-money two Millions of crownes and had a Million of men to serve him at all occasions but this hardly could content him for by a two losty conceit of his Monachick greatnesse he grew efflated and to contemne others as too base to fix his eyes upon Tyranny succeeded his pride and decadence or destruction of his Empire Tyranny for the Auvan King when he found no priviledge by being Uncle to the Emperour of Pegu nor that he was his loyall subject he swells with rage and breaks asunder his silver yoak of hated servitude howeit ere hee could ripen his designes the Peguan has notice and so suddenly arrests him that in amazement he acknowleges his fault and begs his mercy but the Peguan King forthwith beheads him and to terrifie others by his example makes no difference 'twixt nocent and innocent his wife his children and forty other whom he most respected concomitating the miserable Auvan King in that sad Tragedy It was terrible Justice no doubt but rather exasperated others to new rebellions the most incenst and greatest in power was the Siam King who seeing his owne incertaine standing any occasion breeding jealousie and the least jealousie bringing death from his conquerour hee suddenly breaks out and with all the forces he could make by money or promises ere the Peguan was return'd from Auva in short time enters Pegu and apparantly made knowne his high rebellion the Peguan threatens terrible things and to effect them opposes the Siamite with an Armie of nine hundred thousand fighting men but that world of men could not contrarie the decree of a more powerfull King for such was the confused haste he made precipitated by furie such the hate his crueltie had defam'd him with and such the affright his uncles Malus Genius as Caesars did Brutus every where opposed him with that in three houres fight his monstrous multitude turne raile and willingly yeeld themselves a prey to the inraged axe of war chosing rather to dy than any way to increase the Paguan's pride so as the Siamite triumphs the Peguan hastens back to raise more men to trie a second fortune The Siamite not willing to ingage himselfe too far returnes the Peguan is almost there as soone as he all the way burning and destroying all he met with the Siam King armes himselfe with the Foxes skin he refused to fight not that he feared but that he knew an easier way whereby to assure his conquest the Pegu darts many fiery defiances calls him rebell coward and what not not dreaming of his stratagems for ere hee could leave his trenches the swift and mighty river Suhan Mean some call it sweld desperately broke ore her bancks and flasht so violent into the Peguan army that for want of boates and others
equally co-operates towards a generation of wind and raine in his progresse unto either Tropick Experience the Mistresse of Knowledge taught it us we found it so for from the South many gusts and stormes assailed us Ovid in his 4 lib. de Ponto is of Aristotles opinion to be granted in our Hemispheare Hic oritur Boreas Oraeque domesticus huic est et sumit vires à propiore loco At Notus adverso tepidus qui spirat ab Axe est procul et rarus languidiorque venit Rough Boreas our Domestique ruleth here And takes his vigour from a place more neere But the mild South from adverse Quarter sent Comes farre blowes gently and more impotent After threescore and ten dayes further saile wee came in view of Saint Helena so long were wee with faire winds 'twixt that I le and the Mauritius a very little Ile and strangely founded The spatious Ocean bellowes on every side so fretfully as it might feare an inundation had not the extraordinarie height but chiefly a Supreame providence which hath set the Sea its bounds safe-guarded it It has no neighbour Iles neither great nor small but seemes equally removed from those two famous Ports Rio Grandi and Cape Negro the one in Brazelia th' other in Congo in America the first in Africk the last both in one elevation and in the same parallel with Saint Helena from that in America distant above 400 leagues from this in Africk 300. But let us a shoare and search what she aboundeth in Of Helena SAINT HELENA is an I le was in-nominate till Iohn de Nova gave it one in the yeare after th'incarnation of our Saviour Christ 1502 and so named for that he discovered it in this returne from India to Lisbon the third of May a day consecrated to the memory of Helena the Empresse She that first found the Crosse she that was the most religious of Ladies in her time she that was mother to the first Christian Emperour great Constantine both of them glorious to the world Brittans both both bright Jems of this our Nation St. Helena is removed South from the Aequator sixteene degrees has longitude from the utmost promontory of South Africk two and twenty degrees the needle varies there five degrees and thirteene minutes From the lands end of England is distant 1500 leagues or 4500 English miles From the Cape of Good hope 580 leagues or 1740 miles From Madagascar 1000 leagues or 3000 miles From Surat 2200 leagues or 6600 miles And from Bantam in Iava 2300 leagues or 6900 miles or thereabouts The I le has this front in that Bay which takes name from the Chappell nigh which we anchored St Helena The I le is hard to be ascended not that the passage is craggie but precipitious the Sailers Proverb of it is A man may choose whither he will break his heart going up or his neck in comming down a merry jeast but let them choose it Once up no place yeelds a more delightfull object It is even and plaine above swelling no where to a deformed rising cloath'd with sweet grasse long and curious every where it gives a large prospect and horizon into the Ocean The Springs above are sweet but below are brackish the reason is they participate in their drilling discent of the salt hills through which it cuts a passage salt both by their owne composition and the salt breath the Sea perpetually evaporates There are but two rivolets in that I le the one bubbles down into the Chappell th' other into the Lemmon Vallyes They take their names frō a Lemon tree whence it arises and an old Chappell built at the very bottome by the Spaniard Anno 1571 and delapidated by the Dutch a place once intended for Gods glory but by malice of rude man made ruinous and a prophane nest of uncleane avarice The ruines of a little Towne demolisht lately shew themselves and serve to testifie a like Fate makes men and Villages dye Death and destruction makes both mortall and miserable Some say the Spanish King subverted it in that it became an unlawfull Magazein of Sea-mens Traffick turning and returning out of both the Indyes thereby losing his tribute in too apparent measure It is but lately made sociable the world is but beginning there no Monuments no Antique rarities are there found You see all if you looke upon the shatterd ribs of an old weather beaten Carrique and some broken peeces of great Ordnance left there against the Owners good liking and serve now in stead of Anchors The I le is desolate of reasonable Inhabitants Hoggs and Goats dwell there they agree well-favouredly and multiply in mighty numbers happy in their ease and safety till ships arrive there to banish hunger wee got also other good refreshment Phesants Powts Quailes Henns Partrich and which were as acceptable divers sorts of grasse roots Wood-sorrell three-leav'd-grasse Basil Parsly Mints Spinage Fennel Annys Radish Mustard-seed Tobacco and some others which by a willing hand directed by an ingenious eye may soone be gathered brought hither and here sowne by Fernandus Lupius an honest Portugall in the yeare of our Lord 1509. whose Country-men at this day dare hardly land there to over-see their Seminary or owne their labours lest the English or Hollander in the churlish language of a Cannon question them Anno 1588 Candish our Country-man landed here in his circum-navigating the earth I name him in this respect he reports he found here store of Lemmons Orenges Pomgranads Pomcitrons Figgs Dates c. but now are none of these fruits growing there that I could see or heare of a Lemmon tree excepted to conclude here wee buried in the old Chappell our honest Captaine Andrew Evans his deaths wound as I have told you was given him by a fish at the Mauritius Saint Hellena was a pleasant place but bad for us to stay too long in after six dayes commorance wee paid our reckning in a hearty Farwell and by benefit of a happy gale cut swiftly the yeelding billowes in a Northwest course whereby on the sixteenth of October wee made our selves Nadyr to the Sunne at that time in his Progresse towards the Antartique Tropick our latitude was 13 deg and 13 min the third day after that we got sight of Ascention I le nam'd so by Iohn de Nova in the yeare 1502 't is removed South from the Equinoctiall Circle seven degrees 40 minutes in circuit it is 30 English miles from St. Hellens Ile removed seven hundred and twenty little in it save wood and water observable On the seven and twentieth day we crost under the Aequator whence to nine degrees North latitude wee were pesterd with continuall Tornathes a variable weather compos'd of lowd blasts stinking showers and terrible thunders The eleventh of November we were parallel to Cape de Verd and with the GORGADES Isles famoused by antient Poets who say that the three Gorgons Medusa Stenia and Euryale the daughters of of King