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
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
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
Seale stinking ripe These houses are made in faâ—hion of an Oven seven or eight foote broad with boughes of trees and covered with other boughes as our Summer houses and doubtles do serve them but for the Summer time when they come to fish and profit themselues of the Sea For they retyre themselues in the Winter into the Country where it is more temperate and yeeldeth better sustenance for on the Mayne of the Straits wee neyther saw beast nor fowle Sea fowle excepted and a kind of Blacke-bird and two hoggs towards the beginning of the Straites Here our ship being well moored we began to supply our wood and water that we had spent Which being a dayes worke and the winde during many dayes contrary I endevoured to keepe my people occupied to divert them from the imagination which some had conceived that it behooved we should returne to Brasill and winter there and so shoot the Straites in the spring of the yeare So one day we rowed vp the River with our boat and light horseman to discover it and the in-land where having spent a good part of the day and finding shold water and many Trees fallen thwart it and little fruite of our labour nor any thing worth the noting we returned Another day we trayned our people a-shore being a goodly sandie Bay another we had a hurling of Batchelers against married men This day we were busied in wrestling the other in shooting so we were never idle neyther thought we the time long SECT XXXIIII AFter we had past here some seven or eight dayes one Evening with a flawe from the shore our Ship droue off into the channell and before we could get vp our Anchor and set our sayles we were driven so farre to lee-wards that we could not recover into the bay and night comming on with a short sayle wee beate off and on till the morning At the breake of the day conferring with the Captaine and Master of my ship what was best to be done we resolved to seeke out Tobias Coue which lyeth over against Cape Fryo on the Southerne part of the Straites because in all the reaches of the Straites for the most part the winde bloweth trade and therfore little profit to be made by turning to winde-wards And from the Ilands of the Pengwins to the ende of the Straites towards the south Sea there is no anchoring in the channell and if we should be put to lee-wards of this Coue we had no succour till we came to the Ilands of Pengwins and some of our Company which had bin with master Thomas Candish in the Voyage in which he died and in the same Coue many weekes vndertooke to be our Pilots thither Wherevpon we bare vp being some two leagues thither having so much winde as we could scarce lye by it with our course and bonnet of each but bearing vp before the winde wee put out our Topsayles and Spritsayle and within a little while the winde began to fayle vs and immediately our Shippe gaue a mightie blow vpon a Rocke and stucke fast vpon it And had wee had but the fourth part of the wind which we had in all the night past but a moment before we strucke the Rocke our Shippe doubtlesse with the blow had broken her selfe all to peeces But our provident and most gracious God which commaundeth wind and Sea watched over vs and delivered vs with his powerfull hand from the vnknowne danger and hidden destruction that so we might prayse him for his fatherly bountie and protection and with the Prophet David say Except the Lord keepe the Cittie the watch-men watch in vaine for if our God had not kept our Shippe we had bin all swallowed vp aliue without helpe or redemption and therefore he for his mercies sake grant that the memoriall of his benefits doe never depart from before our eyes and that we may evermore prayse him for our wonderfull deliverance and his continuall providence by day and by night My company with this Accident were much amazed and not without iust cause Immediately we vsed our endevour to free our selues and with our boates â—ounded round about our Shippe in the meane time assaying our pumpe to know if our Shippe made more water then her ordinary we found nothing increased and round about our Shippe deepe water saving vnder the mid-shippe for shee was a floaâ—e a bead and a â—terne and bearing some fathome before the mayne Must and inâ—o other part was like to be our destruction for being â—bbing water the waight in the head and sterne by fayling of the water began to open her plankes in the middest and vpon the vpper Decke they were gone one from another some two fingers some more which we sought to ease and remedie by lightning of her burden and throwing into the Sea all that came to hand and laying out an Anchor we sought to wend her off and such was the waâ— and force we put to the Capsten and Tackles fastned vpon the 〈◊〉 that we plucked the ring of the Anchor out of the eye but after recovered it though not serviceable All our labour was fruitlesse till God was pleased that the flood came and then we had her off with great ioy and comfort when finding the current favoâ—â—able with vs we stood over to English bay and serching it â—â—e aâ—chored there having beene some three houres vpon the Rocke and wiâ—h the blow as after we saw when our Ship was brought a ground in Pericâ— which is the Port of Panama a great part of her sheathing was beaten off on both sides in her Bulges and some foure foote long and a foote square of her false stemme ioyning to the Keele wrested a crosse like vnto a Hogges yoake which hindered her sayling very much Here we gaue God prayse for our deliverance and afterward procured to supply our wood and water which we had throwne overbourd to case our Shippe which was not much that supplyed it pleased God who is not ever angry to looke vpon vs with comfort and to send vs a fayre and large wind and so we set Sayle once againe in hope to disemboke the Straite but some dozen leagues before we came to the mouth of it the wind changed and forced vs to seeke out some Cove or Bay with our Boates to ride in neere at hand that we might not be forced to returne farre backe into the Straites They sounded a Cove some sixteene leagues from the mouth of the Straite which after we called Crabby Cove It brooked his name well for two causes the one for that all the water was full of a small kinde of redd Crabbes the other for the crabbed mountaines which over-topped it a third we might adde for the crabbed entertainement it gaue vs. In this Cove we anchored but the wind freshing in and three or foure hilles over-topping like Sugar-loaues altered and straightned the passage of the wind in such manner as
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
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
often happeneth to those that make the land in foggie weather and vse not good diligence by sound by lying off the land and other circumstances to search the truth and is cause of the losse of many a Ship and the sweete liues of multitudes of men That evening we anchored in the range of Dartmouth till the floud was spent and the ebbe come wee â—et Sayle againe And the next morning early being the 26. of Aprill wee harboured our selues in Plimouth My Ship at an Anchor and I ashore I presently dispatched a messenger to London to advise my Father Sir Iohn Hawkins what had past which not onely to him but to all others that vnderstood what it was seemed strange That the wind contrary and the weather such as it had beene wee could be able to gaine Plimouth But doubtlesse the Daintie was a very good Sea ship and excellent by the winde which with the neap streames and our diligence to benefit our selues of all advantages made sezible that which almost was not to be beleeved And in this occasion I found by experience that one of the principall parts required in a Mariner that frequenteth our coastes of England is to cast his Tydes and to know how they set from poynt to poynt with the difference of those in the Channell from those of the shore SECT VI. NOw presently I began to prepare for my Dispatch and to hasten my Departure and finding that my Ship which I expected from the Straites came not and that shee was to goe to London to discharge and vncertaine how long shee might stay I resolved to take another of mine owne in her place though lesser called the Hawke onely for a Victualler purposing in the coast of Brasill or in the Straites to take out her men and Victualls and to cast her off SECT VII WIth my continuall travell the helpe of my good friends and excessiue charge which none can easily beleeue but those which haue prooved it towardes the end of May I was readie to set sayle with my three Ships drawne out into the sound and began to gather my Company aboord The 28. of May as I remember began a storme of winde Westerly the two lesser shippes presently harboured themselues and I gaue order to the master of the Daintie called Hugh Cornish one of the most sufficientest men of his coate to bring her also into Catt-water which he laboured to doe but being neere the mouth of the harbour and doubting least the Anchor being weighed the Ship might cast the contrary way and so run on some perill entertained himselfe a while in laying out a warpe and in the meane time the wind freshing and the ship riding by one Anchor brake the flooke of it and so forced them to let fall another by which and by the warpe they had layd out they rydd The storme was such as being within hearing of those vpon the shore we were not able by any meanes to send them succour and the second day of the storme desiring much to goe aboord there ioyned with me Captaine William Anthony Captaine Iohn Ellis and master Henry Courton in a Light-Horsman which I had all men exercised in charge and of valour and sufficiencie and from their youth bred vp in businesse of the Sea which notwithstanding and that wee laboured what we could for the space of two houres against waues and wind we could finde no possibilitie to accomplish our desire which seene we went aboord the other Shippes and put them in the best securitie wee could thus busied we might see come driving by vs the mayne Mast of the Daintie which made me to feare the worst and so hasted a-shore to satisfie my longing And comming vpon Catt-downe wee might see the Ship heaue and sett which manifestly shewed the losse of the Mast onely which was well imployed for it saved the ship men and goods For had shee driven a ships length more shee had no doubt beene cast away and the men in that place could not chuse but run into danger Comming to my house to shift me for that we were all wett to the skinne I had not well changed my Clothes when a servant of mine who was in the Pynace at my comming ashore enters almost out of breath with newes that shee was beating vpon the Rockes which though I knew to be remedilesse I put my selfe in place where I might see her and in a little time after shee sunke downe right These losses and mischances troubled and grieved but nothing daunted me for common experience taught me that all honourable Enterprises are accompanied with difficulties and daungers Si fortuna me tormenta Esperanca me contenta Of hard beginnings many times come prosperous and happie events And although a well-willing friend wisely foretold me them to be presages of future bad successe and so disswaded me what lay in him with effectuall reasons from my Pretence yet the hazard of my credite and danger of disreputation to take in hand that which I should not prosecute by all meanes possible was more powerfull to cause me to goe forwardes then his graue good counsell to make me desist And so the storme ceasing I beganne to get in the Daintie to Mast her a-new and to recover the Fancy my Pynace which with the helpe and furtherance of my Wines Father who supplyed all my wants together with my credit which I thanke God was vnspotted in ten dayes put all in his former estate or better And so once againe in Gods name I brought my Shippes out into the found the Wind being Easterly and beganne to take my lâ—aue of my friends and of my dearest friend my second â—elfe whose vnfeyned teares had wrought me vnto irresolution and sent some other in my roome had I not considered that he that is in the Daunce must needs daunce on though he doe but hopp except he will be a laughing stocke to all the lookers on So remembring that many had their eyes set vpon me with diverse affections as alsâ— the hope of good successe my intention being honest and good I shut the doore to all impediments and mine eare to all contrary counsell and gaue place to voluntary banishment from all that I loued and esteemed in this life with hope thereby better to serue my God my Prince and Countrie then to encrease my Tallent any way And so began to gather my companie aboord which occupied my good friends and the Iustices of the Towne two dayes and forced vs to search all Lodgings Tavernes and Ale-houses For some would ever be taking their leaue and never depart some drinke themselues so drunke that except they were carried aboord they of themselues were not able to goe one steppe others knowing the necessitie of the time fayned themselues sicke others to be indebted to their Hostes and forced me to ransome them one his Chest another his Sword another his Shirts another his Carde and Instruments for Sea And
yet found that these courrants keepe any certaine time or run so many dayes or moneths one way as another as doth the course of ebbing and flowing well knowne in all Seas onely neere the shore they haue small force partly because of the reflux which the coast causeth and partly for the ebbing and slowing which more or lesse is generall in most seas When the currant runneth North or South it is easily discovered by augmenting or diminishing the height but how to know the setting of the currant from East to West in the mayne Sea is difficult and as yet I haue not knowne any man or read any Authour that hath prescribed any certaine meane or way to discover it But experience teacheth that in the mayne Sea for the most part it is variable and therefore the best and safest rule to prevent the danger which the vncertainty and ignorance heereof may cause is carefull and continuall watch by day and night and vpon the East and west course ever to bee before the shipp and to vse the meanes possible to know the errour by the rules which newe Authours may teach beating off and on sometimes to the west-wards sometimes to the East-wards with a fayre gale of winde SECT XVI BEing betwixt three or foure degrees of the Equinoctiall line my Company within a fewe dayes began to fall sicke of a disease which Sea-men are wont to call the Scurvey and seemeth to bee a kinde of dropsie and raigneth most in this Climate of any that I haue heard or read of in the World though in all Seas it is wont to helpe and increase the miserie of man it possesseth all those of which it taketh hold with a loathsome sloathfulnesse even to eate they would be content to change their sleepe and rest which is the most pernicious Enemie in this sicknesse that is knowne It bringeth with it a great desire to drinke and causeth a generall swelling of all parts of the body especially of the legs and gums and many times the teeth fall out of the iawes without paine The signes to know this disease in the beginning are divers by the swelling of the gummes by denting of the flesh of the leggs with a mans finger the pit remayning without filling vp in a good space Others show it with their lasinesse Others complaine of the cricke of the backe c. all which are for the most part certaine tokens of infection The cause of this sicknes some attribute to sloath some to conceite and divers men speake diversly that which I haue observed is that our Nation is more subiect vnto it then any other because being bred in a temperate Clymate where the naturall heate restrayned giveth strength to the stomacke sustayning it with meates of good nourishment and that in an wholsome ayre whereas comming into the hot Countries where that naturall heate is dispersed through the whole body which was wont to be proper to the stomacke and the meates for the most part preserved with Salt and its substance thereby diminished and many times corrupted greater force for digestion is now required then in times past but the stomacke â—inding lesse vertue to doe his office in reparting to each member his due proportion in perfection which either giveth it rawe or remayneth with it indigested by his hardnes or cruditie infeebleth the body and maketh it vnlusty and vnfit for any thing for the stomacke being strong though all parts els be weake there is ever a desire to feede and aptnes to performe whatsoever can bee required of a man but though all other members be strong and sound if the Stomacke be opprest or squemish all the body is vnlustie and vnfit for any thing and yeeldeth to nothing so readily as to sloathfulnes which is confirmed by the common answere to all questions As will you eate will you sleepe will you walke will you play The answere is I haue no stomacke which is as much as to say no not willingly thereby confirming that without a sound and whole stomacke nothing can bee well accomplished nor any sustenance well digested The seething of the meate in Salt water helpeth to cause this inâ—irmitie which in long Voyages can hardly be avoyded but if it may be it is to be shunned for the water of the Sea to mans body is very vnwholsome The corruption of the victuals and especially of the bread is very pernicious the vapours and ayre of the Sea also is nothing profitable especially in these hot Countries where are many calmes And were it not for the moving of the Sea by the force of windes tydes and currants it would corrupt all the world The experience I saw in Anno 1590. lying with a Fleete of her Maiesties ships about the Ilands of the Azores almost six moneths the greatest part of the time we were becalmed with which all the Sea became so replenished with severall sorts of gellyes and formes of Serpents Adders and Snakes as seemed wonderfull some greene some blacke some yellow some white some of divers coulours and many of them had life and some there were a yard and halfe and two yards long which had I not seene I could hardly haue beleeved And hereof are witnesses all the Companies of the Ships which were then present so that hardly a man could draw a Buckett of water cleere of some corruption In which Voyage towards the end thereof many of every Ship saving of the Nonpereli which was vnder my charge and had onely one man sicke in all the Voyage fell sicke of this disease and began to die apace but that the speedie passage into our Country was remedie to the crazed and a Preservatiue for those that were not touched The best prevention for this disease in my iudgement is to keepe cleane the Shippe to be sprinkle her ordinarily with Vineger or to burne Tarre and some sweet savours to feed vpon as few salt Meats in the hot Country as may be and especially to shunne all kindes of salt Fish and to reserue them for the cold Climates and not to dresse any meat with salt water nor to suffer the companie to wash their Shirts nor Cloathes in it nor to sleepe in their Cloaths when they are wett For this cause it is necessarily required that provision be made of apparell for the Company that they may haue wherewith to shift themselues Being a common calamitie amongst the ordinary sort of Mariners to spend their thrift on the shore and to bring to Sea no more Cloaths then they haue backes for the bodie of man is not refreshed with any thing more then with shifting cleane Cloaths a great preservatiue of health in hott Countries The second Antidote is to keepe the companie occupied in some bodily exercise of worke of agilitie of pastimes of dauncing of vse of Armes these helpeth much to banish this infirmitie Thirdly In the morning at discharge of the watch to giue
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
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
our light horseman for with haling her vp to step into her out of the boate he split her asunder and so wee were forced to cut her off which was no small heartes griefe vnto me â—or that I knew and all my company felt and many times lamented the losse of her The storme tooke end and wee shaped our course for the Iland of Saint Maries which lyeth in thirtie seaven Degrees and forty minuts and before you come vnto the Iland some two leagues in the trade way lyeth a rocke which a farre off seemeth to be a Shippe vnder sayle This Iland is little and low but fertill and well peopled with Indians and some fewe Spaniards in it Some ten leagues to the North-wards of this Iland lyeth the Citty Conception with a good Port from this wee coasted alongst till wee came in thirty three degrees and forty minutes In which height lay the Ilands of Ivan Fernandes betwixt threescore and fourescore Leagues from the shore plentifull of fish and good for refreshing I purposed for many reasons not to discover my selfe vpon this coast till wee were past Lyma otherwise called Cividad de los Reyes for that it was entered by the Spaniard the day of the three Kings but my Company vrged me so farre that except I should seeme in all things to over-beare them in not condiscending to that which in the opinion of all but my selfe seemed profitable and best I could not but yeelde vnto though it carried a false colour as the ende prooued for it was our perdition This all my Company knoweth to be true whereof some are yet living and can giue testimonie But the Mariner is ordinarily so carried away with the desire of Pillage as sometimes for very appearances of small moment hee looseth his voyage and many times himselfe And so the greedines of spoyle onely hoped for in shippes of trade which goe too and fro in this coast blinded them from forecasting the perill whereinto wee exposed our voyage in discovering our selues before wee past the coast of Callaâ— which is the Port of Lyma To be short wee haled the coast aboord and that Evening we discovered the Port of Balparizo which serveth the Citty of Saint Iago standing some twenty leagues into the Countrey when presently we descried foure shippes at an Anchor wherevpon wee manned and armed our boate which rowed towards the Shippes they seeing vs turning in and fearing that which was ran a shore with that little they could saue and leaft vs the rest whereof we were Masters in a moment and had the rifling of all the storâ—houses on the shoare This night I set a good guard in all the shippes longing to see the light of the next morning to put all things in order which appearing I began to survay them and found nothing of moment saue fiue hundreth Botozios of Wine two or three thousand of Hennes and some refreshing of Bread Bacon dried Beefe Waxe Candles and other necessaries The rest of their lading was plankes Spares and Tymber for Lyma and the valleyes which is a rich trade for it hath no Tymber but that which is brought to it from other places They had also many Packes of Indian Mantles but of no value vnto vs with much Tallow and Manteca de Puerco and aboundance of great new Chests in which wee had thought to be some great masse of wealth but opening them found nothing but Apples therein all which was good Marchandize in Lyma but to vs of small accompt The Marchandize on shore in their Store-houses was the like and therefore in the same predicament The owners of the Shippes gaue vs to vnderstand that at a reasonable price they would redeeme their Shippes and loading which I harkened vnto and so admitted certaine persons which might treat of the matter and concluded with them for a small price rather then to burne them saving for the greatest which I carryed with me more to giue satisfaction to my people then for any other respect because they would not be perswaded but that there was much Gold hidden in her otherwise shee would haue yeelded vs more then the other three Being in this treatie one morning at the breake of day came another Shippe touring into the Harbour and standing into the shore but was becalmed Against her we manned a couple of Boates and tooke her before many houres In this Shippe we had some good quantitie of Gold which shee had gathered in Baldivia and the Conception from whence shee came Of this Shippe was Pilot and part owner Alonso Perezbueno whom we kept for our Pilot on this coast till moved with compassion for that he was a man charged with wife and children we set him a shore betwixt Santa and Truxillo Out of this Shippe we had also store of good Bacon and some provision of Bread Hennes and other Victuall And for that shee had brought vs so good a portion and her owner continued with vs the better to animate him to play the honest man though we trusted him no further then we saw him for we presently discovered him to be a cunning fellow and for that his other partner had lost the greatest part of Gold and seemed to be an honest man as after he prooved by his thankefulnesse in Lyma we gaue them the ship and the greatest part of her loading freely Here we supplied our want of Anchors though not according to that which was requisite in regard of the burden of our Shippe for in the South Sea the greatest Anchor for a Shippe of sixe or eight hundreth Tunnes is not a thousand waight partly because it is little subiect to stormes and partly because those they had till our comming were all brought out of the North sea by land for they make no Anchors in those Countries And the first Artillerie they had was also brought over land which was small the carriage and passage â—â—om Nombre de Bios or Porto Velo to Panama being most difficult and steepe vp hill and downe hill they are all carried vpon Negroes backes But some yeares beâ—ore my imprisonment they fell to making of Artillery and since they forge Anchors also Wee furnished our Shippe also with a shift of Sayles of Cotton cloth which are farre better in that Sea then any of our double Sayles for that in all the Navigation of that Sea they haue little rayne and few stormes but where rayne and stormes are ordinary they are not good for with the wett they grow so stiffe that they cannot be handled SECT XLIII I Concluded the ransome of the Shippes with an auncient Captaine and of Noble blood who had his daughter there ready to be imbarked to goe to Lyma to serue Donia Teruza de Castro the Vice-royes wife and sister to Don Beliran de Castro Her apparell and his with divers other things which they had imbarked in the greatest Shippe we restored for the good office
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
entertaine themselues in redressing their owne harmes And so we stood away from them close by as we could which wee should not haue done but prosecuted the occasion and brought our selues close vpon her weather gage and with our great and small shot hindered them from repairing their harmes if we had thus done they had beene forced to cut all by the bourd and it may bee lying a hull or to le-wards of vs with a few shot wee might haue suncke her At the least it would haue declared to our enemies that wee had them in little estimation when able to goe from them we would not and perhaps bin a cause to haue made them to leaue vs. But this occasion was let slip as also that other to fight with them sayling quarter winds or before the winde for having stood off to Sea a day and a night we had scope to fight at our pleasure and no man having sea roome is bound to fight as his enemie will with disadvantage being able otherwise to deale with equalitie contrariwise every man ought to seeke the meanes hee can for his defence and greatest advantage to the annoyance of his contrarie Now wee might with our fore-saile low set haue borne vpp before the winde and the enemie of force must haue done the like if hee would fight with vs or keepe vs company and then should wee haue had the advantage of them For although their Artillery were longer waightier and many more then ours and in truth did pierce with greater violence yet ours being of greater bore and carrying a waightier and greater shot was of more importance and of better effect for sinking and spoyling For the smaller shot passeth through and maketh but his whole and harmeth that which lyeth in his way but the greater shaketh and shivereth all it meeteth and with the splinters or that which it encountreth many times doth more hurt then with his proper circumference as is plainely seene in the battery by land when the Saker the Demy-Colverin the Colverin and demi-Canon being peeces that reach much further point blanke then the Cannon are nothing of like importance for making the breach as is the Cannon for that this shot being ponderous pierceth with difficultie yea worketh better effects tormenting shaking and overthrowing all whereas the others with their violence pierce better and make onely their hole and so hide themselues in the Wooll or Rampire Besides our Ship being yare and good of fleeridge no doubt but we should haue played better with our Ordinance and with more effect then did our enemies which was a great errour being able to fight with lesse disadvantage and yet to fight with the most that could be imagined which I knew not off neither was able to direct though I had knowne it being in a manner senselesse what with my woonds and what with the agony of the surrendry propounded for that I had seldome knowne it spoken of but that it came afterwards to be put in execution The Generall not being able to succour his Vice-admirall except he should vtterly leaue vs gaue them order to shift as well as they could â—or the present and to beare with the next Port and there to repayre their harmes Himselfe presently followed the Chase and in short space fetched vs vp and beganne a fresh to batter vs with his great and small shott The Vice-admirall hauing saued what they could cutt the rest by the bourd and with Fore-sayle and My son came after vs also and before the setting of the Sunne were come vpon our broad side wee bearing all our Sayles and after kept vs company lying vpon our weather quarter and annoying vs what shee could Here I hold it necessary to make mention of two things which were most preiudiciall vnto vs and the principall causes of our perdition the errours and faults of late dayes crept in amongst those who follow the Sea and learned from the Flemings and Easterlings I wish that by our misfortunes others would take warning and procure to redresse them as occasions shall be offered The one is to fight vnarmed where they may fight armed The other is in comming to fight to drinke themselues drunke Yea some are so madd that they mingle Powder with Wine to giue it the greater force imagining that it giueth spirit strength and courage and taketh away all feare and doubt The latter is for the most part true but the former is false and beastly and altogether against reason For though the nature of Wine with moderation is to comfort and reviue the heart and to fortifie and strengthen the spirit yet the immoderate vse thereof worketh quite contrary effects In fights all receipts which adde courage and spirit are of great regard to be allowed and vsed and so is a draught of Wine to be giuen to euery man before he come to action but more then enough is pernicious for exceeding the meane it offendeth and infeebleth the sences converting the strength which should resist the force of the enemy into weakenesse it dulleth and blindeth the vnderstanding and consequently depraueth any man of true valour For that he is disenabled to iudge and apprehend the occasion which may be offered to assault and retyre in time convenient the raynes of reason being put into the hands of passion and disorder For after I was wounded this nimium bred great disorder and inconvenience in our Shippe the pott continually walking infused desperate and foolish hardinesse in many wâ—o blinded with the fume of the liquor considered not of any danger but thus and thus would stand at hazard some in vaine glory vaunting themselues some other rayling vpon the Spaniards another inviting his companion to come and stand by him and not to budge a foote from him which indiscreetly they put in execution and cost the liues of many a good man slaine by our enemies Muskettiers who suffered not a man to shew himselfe but they presently overthrew him with speed and watchfullnesse For prevention of the second errour although I had great preparation of Armours as well of proofe as of light Coâ—â—eletts yet not a man would vse them but esteemed a pott of Wine a better defence then an Armour of proofe Which truely was great madnesse and a lamentable fault worthy to be banished from amongst all reasonable people and well to be weighed by all Commanders For if the Spaniard surpasseth vs in any thing it is in his temperance and suffering and where he hath had the better hand of vs it hath beene for the most part through our owne folly for that we will fight vnarmed with him being armed And although I haue heard many men maintaine that in Shipping Armour is of little profit All men of good vnderstanding will condemne such desperate ignorance For besides that the sleightest Armour secureth the parts of a mans body which it covereth from Pike Sword and all hand weapons it likewise giueth boldnesse and
our Captaine very sore in the thigh and maimed one of our Masters Mates called Hugh Maires in one of his Armes but after knowing vs to be rendred hee secured vs And we satisfying them that wee could not hoise out our boate nor strike our sayles the Admirall layd vs abourd buâ— before any man entred Iohn Gomes went vnto the Generall who receiued him with great curtesie and asked him what we required whereunto he made answere that my demaund was that in the Kings name he should giue vs his faith and promise to giue vs our liues to keepe the Lawes of fayre warres and quarter and to send vs presently into our countrey and in confirmation hereof that I required some pledge whereunto the Generall made answere that in the Kingâ— Maiesties name his Master hee received vs a buena querra and swore by God Almightie and by the habit of A cautara whereof he had received knighthood and in token whereof hee wore in his breast a greene crosse which is the ensigne of that order that he would giue vs our liues with good entreatie and send vs as speedily as he could into our owne countrey In confirmation whereof he tooke of his gloue and sent it to mee as a pledge With this message Iohn Gâ—mes returned and the Spaniards entred and tooke possession of our shippe every one crying buena querra buena querra oy pâ—r in maniana porti with which our Company began to secure themselues The Generall was a principall Gentleman of the ancient Nobilitie of Spaine and brother to the Conde de Lemos whose intention no doubt was according to his promise and therefore considering that some bad intreaty and insolency might be offered vnto me in my shippe by the common Souldiers who seldome haue respect to any person in such occasions espâ—cially in the case I was whereof hee had enâ—ormed himselfe for prevention hee sent a principal Captaine brought vp long time in Flaunders called Pedro Alueres de Pulgar to take care of me and whilest the shippes were one abourd the other to bring me into his ship which hee accomplished with great humanitie and courtesiâ— dâ—spising the barres of gold which were shared before his face which hee might alone haue enioyed if hee would And truely hee was as after I found by tryall a true Captaine a man worthy of any charge and of the noblest condition that I haue knowne any Spaniard The Generall received me with great courtesie and compassion even with teares in his eyes and words of great consolation and commaunded mee to bee accommodated in his owne Cabbine where hee sought to cure and comfort mee the best he could the like hee vsed with all our hurt men sixe and thirtie at least And doubtlesse as true courage valour and resolution is requisit in a Generall in the time of battle So humanitie mildnes and courtesie after victorie SECT LXIII WHilst the shippes were together the maine-mast of the Daintieâ—ell â—ell by the bourd and the people being occupied in ransacking and seeking for spoile and Pillage neglected the principall whereof ensued that within a short space the Dainâ—ie grew so deepe with water which increased for want of prevention that all who were in her desired to forsake her and weaved and cryed for succour to bee saved being out of hope of her recoverie Whereupon the Generall calling together the best experimented men hee had and consulting with them what was best to bee done it was resolued that Generall Michaell Angell should goe abourd the Daintie and with him threescore Marriners as many Souldiers and with them the English men who were able to labour to free her from water and to put her in order if it were possible and then to recover Perico the port of Panama for thâ—t of those to wind wards it was impossible to turne vp to any of them and neerer then to le-ward was not any that could supply our necessities and wants which lay from vs east north east aboue two hundreth leagues Michaell Angell being a man of experience and care accomplished that he tooke in hand although in clearing and bayling the water in placing a pumpe and in fitting and mending her fore-saile he spent aboue sixe and thirtie howers During which time the shippes lay all a hull but this worke ended they set sayle directed their coursâ— for the Iles of Pearles And for that the Daintie sayled badly what for want of her maine-sayle and with the advantage which all the south-sea shippes haue of all those built in our-North sea The Admirall gaue her a tâ—we which notwithstanding the wind calming with vs as we approached neerer to the land twelue dayes were spent before we could fetch sight of the Ilands which lye alongst the coast beginning some eight leagues West south-west from Panama and run to the south-wards neere thirtie leagues They are many and the most vnhabited and those which haue people haue some Negroes slaues vnto the Spaniards which occupie themselues in labour of the land or in fishing for Pearles In times past many inriched themselues with that trade but now it is growne to decay The maner of fishing for Pearles is with certaine long Pinaces or small barkes in which there goe foure fiue sixe or eight Negroes expert swimmers and great deevers whom the Spaniards call Busos with tract of time vse and continuall practise having learned to hold their breath long vnder water for the better atchieving their worke These throwing themselues into the Sea with certaine instruments of their art goe to the bottome and seeke the bankes of the Oysters in which the Pearles are ingendered and with their force and art remoue them from their foundation in which they spend more or lesse time according to the resistance the firmenes of the ground affordeth Once loosed they put them into a bagge vnder their armes and after bring them vp into their boates having loaden it they goe to the shoare there they open them and take out the Pearles they lie vnder the vttermost part of the circuite of the Oyster in rankes and proportions vnder a certaine part which is of many pleights and folds called the Ruffe for the similitude it hath vnto a Ruffe The Pearles increase in bignes as they be neerer the end or ioynt of the Oyster The meate of those which haue these pearles is milkie and not very wholesome to be eaten In Anno 1583. In the Iland of Margarita I was at the dregging of Pearle Oysters after the maner we dregge Oysters in England and with mine owne hands I opened many tooke out the pearles of them some greater some lesse and in good quantitie How the Pearle is ingendred in the Oyster or Mussell for they are found in both divers and sundry are the opinions but some ridiculous whereof because many famous and learned men haue written largely I will speake no more then hath beene formerly spoken but referre their curious desires to
into obedience till by composition they had a place limmitted them for their freedome where they should liue quietly by themselues At this day they haue a great habitation neere Panama called Saint Iago de los Negros well peopled with all their Officers and Commaunders of their owne saue onely a Spanish Governour By the assistance of these Symarons hee brought to the head of this River by peecemeale and in many iourneyes a small pinnace hee fitted it by time in warlike manner and with the choice of his Company put himselfe into the South Sea where his good haâ— was to meete with a cople of shippes of trade and in the one of them a great quantitie of gold And amongst other things two peeces of speciall estimation the one a Table of massie gold with Emralds sent for a present to the King the other a Lady of singular beautie married and a mother of Children The latter grewe to be his perdition for hee had capitulated with these Symarons that their part of the bootie should be onely the prisoners to the ende to execute their malice vpon them such was the rancor they had conceived against them for that they had beene the Tyrants of their libertie But the Spaniards not contented to haue them their slaues who lately had beene their Lords added to their servitude cruell intreaties And they againe to feede their insatiable revenges accustomed to rost and eate the hearts of all those Spaniards whom at any time they could lay hand vpon Iohn Oxman I say was taken with the loue of this Lady and to winne her good will what through her teares and perswasions and what through feare and detestation of their barbarous inclinations breaking promise with the Symarons yeelded to her request which was to giue the prysoners liberty with their ships for that they were not vsefull for him notwithstanding Oxman kept the Lady who had in one of the restored shippes eyther a Sonne or a Nephew This Nephew with the rest of the Spaniards made all the hast they could to Paâ—amâ— and they vsed such diligence as within fewe howers some were dispatched to seeke those who little thought so quickly to bee overtaken The pursuers approaching the River were doubtfull by which of the afore-remembred three mouths they should take their way In this wavering one of the Souldiers espied certaine feathers of Henns and some boughes of trees which they had cut off to make their way swmming downe one of the Outlets This was light sufficient to guide them in their course they entred the River and followed the tracke as farre as their Frigats had water sufficient and then with part of their Souldiers in their boates and the rest on the bankes on eyther side they marched day and night in pursuite of their enemies and in fine came vppon them vnexpected at the head of the River making good cheare in their Tents and devided in two partialities about the partition and sharing of their gold Thus were they surprised and not one escaped Some say that Iohn Oxman fled to the Symarons but they vtterly denyed to receiue or succour him for that he had broken his promise the onely Obiection they cast in his teeth was that if he had held his word with them hee never had fallen into this extremitie In fine hee was taken and after his shippe also was possessed by the Spaniards which he had hid in a certaine Coue and covered with boughes of trees in the guard and custodie of some foure or fiue of his followers All his Company were conveyed to Panama and there were ymbarked for Lyma where a processe was made against them by the Iustice and all condemned and hanged as Pirates This may be a good example to others in like occasions first to shunne such notorious sinnes which cannot escape punishment in this life nor in the life to come for the breach of faith is reputed amongst the greatest faults which a man can commit Secondly not to abuse another mans wife much lesse to force her both being odious to God and man Thirdly to beware of mutenies which seldome or never are seene to come to better ends for where such trees flourish the fruite of force must eyther bee bitter sweete or very sower And therefore seeing wee vaunt our selues to bee Christians and make profession of his law who forbiddeth all such vanities let vs faithfully shunne them that wee may partake the end of that hope which our profession teacheth and promiseth SECT LXVIII COmming in sight of the Ilands of Pearles the winde began to fresh in with vs and wee profited out selues of it but comming thwart of a small Iland which they call la Pacheta that lyeth within the Pearle Ilands close abourd the mayne and some eight or ten Leagues south and by west from Panama the wind calmed againe This Iland belongeth to a private man it is a round humock conteyning not a league of ground but most fertile Insomuch that by the owners industrie and the labour of some fewe slaues who occupie themselues in manuring it and two barkes which hee imployeth in bringing the fruit it giveth to Panama it is sayd to bee worth him every weeke one with another a barre of silver valued betwixt two hundreth and fiftie or three hundreth pezos which in English money may amount to fiftie or threescore pounds and for that which I saw at my being in Panama touching this I hold to be true In our course to fetch the Port of Panama we pâ—â— our selues betwixt the Ilands and the Maine which is a goodly Chanâ—ell of three foure and fiue leagues broad and without danger except a man come too neare the shoare on any side and that is thought the better course then to goe a sea-boord of the Ilands beâ—ause of the swift running of the tydes and the advantage to stop the ebbe As also for succour if a man should happen to bee becalmed at any time beyond expectation which happeneth sometimes The seaventh of Iuly wee had sight of Perico they are two little Ilands which cause the Port of Panama where all the shippes vse to ride It is some two Leagues west north-west of the Cittie which hath also a Pere in it selfe for small Barkes at full sea it may haue haueÌ„ some sixe or seaven foote water but at low water it is drie The ninth of Iuly we anokored vnder Perico and the Generall presently advised the Audiencia of that which had succeeded in his Journey which vnderstood by them caused bonfires to be made and every man to put luminaries in their houses the fashion is much vsed amongst the Spaniards in their feastes of ioy or for glad tidings placing many lights in their Churches in their windowes and Galleries and corners of their houses which being in the beginning of the night and the Cittie close by the sea shore showed to vs being farre off as
Shipps being all deepe loaden began to feele the Tempest so that wee not able to lye by it neither a hull nor a try and so with an easie Sayle bare vp before the Wind with intent to put into Falmouth but God was pleased that comming within tenne leagues of Sylly the wind vered to the North-east and so we went on in our Voyage Thwart of the Flees of Bayon wee met with a small Ship of Master Waltre of London called the Elizabeth which came out of Plimouth some eyght dayes after vs of whom wee enformed our selues of some particularities and wrote certaine Letters to our Friends making Relation of what had past till that day and so tooke our farewell each of the other The like we did with a small Carvell of Plimouth which wee meet in the height of the Rocke in Portingall From thence wee directed our course to the Ilands of Madera and about the end of Iune in the sight of the Ilands we descryed a Sayle some three leagues to the East-wards and a league to Wind-ward of vs which by her manner of working and making gaue vs to vnderstand that shee was one of the Kings Frigarts For shee was long and snugg and spread a large Clewe and standing to the West-wards and weâ— to the East-wards to recover her Wake when we east about shee beganne to â—eco shete and to goe away lasking and within two glasses iâ— was plainely seene that shee went from vs and so we followed on our course and shee seeing that presently stroke her Topsayles which our Pynace perceiving and being within shot continued the Chase till I shot off a Peece and called her away which fault many runne into thinking to get thereby and sometimes loose themselues by being too bold to venture from their Fleete for it was impossible for vs being to leeward to take her or to succour our owne shee being a Ship of about two hundreth Tunnes And Pynaces to meddle with Ships is to buy Repentance at too deare a rate For their office is to wayte vpon their Fleete in calmes with their Oares to follow a Chase and in occasions to Anchor neere the shore when the greater Ships cannot without perill Aboue all to be readie and obedient at every call Yet will I not that any wrest my meaning neither say I that a Pynace or small Ship armed may not take a great Ship vnarmed for daily experience teacheth vs the contrary The Madera Ilands are two the greater called La madera and the other Porto Santo of great fertilitie and rich in Sugar Conserves Wine and sweet Wood whereof they take their name Other commodities they yeeld but these are the principall The chiefe Towne and Port is on the Souther side of the Madera well fortified they are subiect to the Kingdome of Portingall the Inhabitants and Garrison all Portingalles The third of Iuly we past along the Ilands of Canaria which haue the name of a Kingdome and containe these seaven Ilands Grand Canaria Tenerifa Palma Gomera Lancerota Forteventura and Fierro These Ilands haue abundance of Wine Sugar Conserues Orcall Pitch Iron and other Commodities and store of Cattell and Corne but that a certaine Worme called Gorgoshâ— breedeth in it which eateth out the substance leaving the huske in manner whole The head Iland where the Iustice which they call Audiencia is resident and whither all sutes haue their appealation and finall sentence is the Grand Canaria although the Tenerifa is held for the better and richer Iland and to haue the best Sugar and the Wine of the Palma is reputed for the best The Pitch of these Ilands melteth not with the Sunne and therefore is proper for the higher workes of Shipping Betwixt Forteventura and Lancerota is a goodly found fit for a meeting place for any Fleete Where is good Anchoring and aboundance of many sorts of Fish There is water to be had in most of these Ilands but with great vigilance For the naturalls of them are venturous and hardie and many times clime vp and downe the steepe Rockes and broken hills which seeme impossible which I would hardly haue beleeved had I not seene it and that with the greatest art and agilitie that may be Their Armes for the most part are Launces of nine or ten foote with a head of a foote and halfe long like vnto Boare-Speares saue that the head is somewhat more broad Two things are famous in these Ilands the Pike of Tenerifa which is the highest Land in my iudgement that I haue seene and men of credit haue told they haue seene it more then fortie leagues off It is like vnto a Sugar loafe and continually covered with Snow and placed in the middest of a goodly vallie most fertile and temperate round about it Out of which going vp the pike the colde is so great that it is insufferable and going downe to the Townes of the Iland the heate seemeth most extreame till they approach neere the coast The other is a Tree in the Iland Fierro which some write and affirme with the dropping of his leaues to giue water for the suâ—tenance of the whole Iland which I haue not seene although I haue beene on shoare on the Iland but those which haue seene it haue recounted this misterie differently to that which is written in this maner That this Tree is placed in the bottome of a Valley ever florishing with broad leaues and that round about it are a multitude of goodly high Pynes which over-top it and as it seemeth were planted by the divine providence to preserue it from Sunne and Wind. Out of this Valley ordinarily rise every day great vapours and exhalations which by reason that the Sunne is hindered to worke his operation with the height of the Mountaines towards the South-east convert themselues into moysture and so bedewe all the Trees of the Valley and from those which over-top this Tree drops downe the dewe vpon his leaues and so from his leaues into a round Well of Stone which the Naturals of the land haue made to receiue the water of which the people and cattle haue great releife but sometimes it raineth and then the Inhabitants doe reserue water for many dayes to come in their Cisterns and Tynaxes which is that they drinke of and wherewith they principally sustaine themselues The Citty of the Grand Canaria and chiefe Port is on the west side of the Iland the head Towne and Port of Tenerifa is towards the south part and the Port and Towne of the Palma and Gomera on the East side In Gomera some three Leagues south-ward from the Towne is a great River of water but all these Ilands are perilous to land in for the seege caused by the Ocean sea which alwayes is forcible and requireth great circumspection whosoever hath not vrgent cause is either to goe to the East-wards or to the west-wards of all these Ilands as well to avoyd the calmes which hinder sometimes eight or
ten dayes sayling as the contagion which their distemperature is wont to cause and with it to breede Calenturas which wee call burning Fevers These Ilands are sayd to be first discovered by a French-man called Iohn de Betancourt about the yeare 1405. They are now a Kingdome subiect to Spaine SECT XIII BEing cleare of the Ilands wee directed our course for Cape Blauce and two howres before Sunne set we had sight of a Carvell some League in the winde of vs which seemed to come from Gynea or the Ilands of Cape de Verde and for that hee which had the sery-watch neglected to look out being too lee-ward of the Ilands and so out of hope of sight of any shipp for the little trade and contrariety of the winde that though a man will from few places hee can recover the Ilands comming from the south-wards wee had the winde of her and perhaps the possession also whereof men of Warre are to haue particular care for in an houre and place vnlookt for many times chance accidents contrary to the ordinary course and custome and to haue younkers in the top continually is most convenient and necessary not onely for descrying of sayles and land but also for any sudden gust or occasion that may be offered Seeing my selfe past hope of returning backe without some extraordinary accident I began to set order in my Companie and victuals And for thaâ— to the south-wards of the Canaries is for the most part an idle Navigation I devised to keepe my people occupied as well to continue them in health for that too much case in hott Countries is neither profitable nor healthfull as also to divert them from remembrance of their home and from play which breedeth many inconveniences and other bad thoughts and workes which idlenes is cause of and so shifting my company as the custome is into Starboord and Larboord men the halfe to watch and worke whilest the others slept and take rest I limited the three dayes of the weeke which appertayned to each to be imployed in this manner the one for the vse and clensing of their Armes the other for roomeging making of Sayles Nettings Decking and Defences for our Shippes and the third for clensing their bodies mending and making their apparell and necessaries which though it came to be practised but once in seaven dayes for that the Sabboth is ever to be reserved for God alone with the ordinary Obligation which each person had besides was many times of force to be omitted And thus wee entertained our time with a fayre Wind and in few dayes had sight of the Land of Barbary some dozen Leagues to the Northwards of Cape Blacke Before we came to the Cape wee tooke in our Sayles and made preparation of Hookes and Lines to Fish For in all that Coast is great abundance of sundry kinds of Fish but especially of Porgus which wee call Breames many Portingalls and Spaniards goe yearely thither to fish as our Country-men to the New-found-land and within Cape Blacke haue good Harbour for reasonable shipping where they dry their Fish paying a certaine easie tribute to the Kings Collector In two houres wee tooke store of Fish for that day and the next but longer it would not keepe good and with this refreshing set Sayle againe and directed our course betwixt the Ilands of Cape de Verd and the Maine These Ilands are held to be scituate in one of the most vnhealthiest Climates of the world and therefore it is wisedome to shunne the sight of them how much more to make abode in them In two times that I haue beene in them either cost vs the one halfe of our people with Fevers and Fluxes of sundry kinds some shaking some burning some partaking of both some possest with frensie others with sloath and in one of them it cost me six moneths sicknesse with no small hazard of life which I attribute to the distemperature of the ayre for being within foureteene degrees of the Equinoctiall lyne the Sunne hath great force all the yeare and the more for that often they passe two three and foure yeares without rayne and many times the earth burneth in that manner as a man well shodd cannot endure to goe where the Sunne shineth With which extreame heate the bodie fatigated greedily desireth refreshing and longeth the comming of the Breze which is the North-east winde that seldome fayleth in the after-noone at foure of the clocke or sooner which comming cold and fresh and finding the poores of the body open and for the most part naked penetrateth the very bones and so causeth sudden distemperature and sundry manners of sicknesse as the Subiects are divers wherevpon they worke Departing out of the Calmes of the Ilands and comming into the fresh Brese it causeth the like and I haue seene within two dayes after that we haue partaked of the fresh ayre of two thousand men aboue a hundreth and fiftie haue beene crazed in their health The Inhabitants of these Ilands vse a remedie for this which at my first being amongst them seemed vnto me ridiculous but since time and experience hath taught to be grounded vpon reason And is that vpon their heads they weare a Night-capp vpon it a Moutero and a Hat over that and on their bodies a sute of thicke Cloth and vpon it a Gowne furr'd or lyned with Cotton or Bayes to defend them from the heate in that manner as the Inhabitants oâ— cold Countries to guard themselues from the extreamitie of the colde Which doubtlesse is the best diligence that any man can vse and whosoever prooveth it shall find himselfe lesse annoyed with the heate then if he were thinly Cloathed for that where the cold ayre commeth it peirceth not so subtilly The Mâ—one also in this Climate as in the coast of Guyne and in all hott Countries hath forcible operation in the body of man and therefore as the Plannet most preiudiciall to his health is to be shunned as also not to sleepe in the open Ayre or with any Scuttle or Window open whereby the one or the other may enter to hurt For a person of credit told me that one night in a river of Guyne leaving his Window open in the side of his Cabin the Moone shining vpon his shoulder left him with such an extraordinary paine and furious burning in it as in aboue twentie houres he was like to runne madde but in fine with force of Medicines and cures after long torment he was eased Some I haue heard say and others write that there is a Starre which never seperateth it selfe from the Moone but a small distance which is of all Starres the most beneficiall to man For where this Starre entreth with the Moone it maketh voyde her hurtfull enfluence and where not it is most perilous Which if it be so is a notable secret of the divine Providence and a speciall cause amongst infinite others to moue vs to
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
reach is foure or fiue leagues broad and in it are many channells or openings into the Sea for all the land on the Souther part of the Straites are Ilands and broken land and from the beginning of this reach to the end of the Straites high mountaynous land on both sides in most parts covered with snow all the yeare long Betwixt the Iland Elizabeth and the Mayne is the narrowest passage of all the Straites it may be some two Musket shott from side to side From this Straite to Elizabeth bay is some foure leagues and the course lyeth North-west and by west This bay is all sandie and cleane ground on the Easter part but before you come at it there lyeth a poynt of the shore a good byrth off which is dangerous And in this reach as in many parts of the Straites runneth a quicke and forcible tyde In the Bay it higheth eight or nine foote water The Norther part of the Bay hath foule ground and rocks vnder water and therefore it is not wholsome borrowing of the mayne One of master Thomas Candish his Pynaces as I haue beene enformed came a-ground vpon one of them and he was in hazard to haue left her there From Elizabeth Bay to the River of Ieronimo is some fiue leagues The course lyeth West and by North and West Here the Wind scanted and forced vs to seeke a place to anchor in Our Boates going alongst the shore found a reasonable Harbour which is right against that which they call River Ieronimo but it is another channell by which a man may disemboake the Straite as by the other which is accustomed for with a storme which tooke vs one night suddenly we were forced into that opening vnwittingly but in the morning seeing our error and the wind larging with two or three bourds wee turned out into the old channell not daring for want of our Pynace to attempt any new discoverie This Harbour we called Blanches Bay for that it was found by William Blanch one of our Masters mates Here having moored our shippe we began to make our provision of wood and water whereof was plentie in this Bay and in all other places from Pengwin Ilands till within a dozen leagues of the mouth of the Straites Now finding our Deckes open with the long lying vnder the lyne and on the coast of Brasill the Sunne having beene in our Zenith many times we calked our ship within bourd and without aboue the Decks And such was the diligence we vsed that at foure dayes end we had aboue threescore Pipes of water and twentie Boats of wood stowed in our Ship no man was idle nor otherwise busied but in necessary workes some in felling and cleaving of wood some in carrying of water some in romaging some in washing others in baking one in heating of pitch another in gathering of Mussells no man was exempted but knew at evening wherevnto he was to betake himselfe the morning following Some man might aske me how we came to haue so many emptie Caske in lesse then two moneths for it seeemeth much that so few men in such short time and in so long a Voyage should waste so much Whereto I answere that it came not of excessiue expence for in health we never exceeded our ordinary but of a mischance which befell vs vnknowne in the Iland of Saint Iames or Saint Anne in the coast of Brasill where we refreshed our selues and according to the custome layd our Caske a shore to trimme it and after to fill it the place being commodious for vs. But with the water a certaine worme called Broma by the Spaniard and by vs Arters entred also which eat it so full of holes that all the water soaked out and made much of our Caske of small vse This we remedied the best wee could and discovered it long before we came to this place Hereof let others take warning in no place to haue Caske on the shore where it may be avoyded for it is one of the provisions which are with greatest care to be preserved in long Voyages and hardest to be supplyed These Arters or Broma in all hot Countries enter into the plankes of Shippes and especially where are Rivers of fresh water for the common opinion is that they are bred in fresh water and with the current of the Rivers are brought into the Sea but experience teacheth that they breed in the great Seas in all hott Clymates especially neere the Equinoctiall lyne for lying so long vnder and neere the lyne and towing a Shalop at our sterne cōming to clense her in Brasil we found her all vnder water covered with these wormes as bigge as the little finger of a man on the outside of the planke not fully covered but halfe the thicknes of their bodie like to a gelly wrought into the planke as with a Gowdge And naturall reason in my iudgement confirmeth this for creatures bread and nourished in the Sea comming into fresh water die as those actually bred in Ponds or fresh Rivers die presently if they come into Salt water But some man may say this fayleth in some Fishes and Beasts Which I must confesse to be true but these eyther are part terrestryall and part aquatile as the Mare-maide Sea-horse and other of that kind or haue their breeding in the fresh and growth or continuall nourishment in the Salt water as the Salmond and others of that kinde In little time if the Shippe be not sheathed they put all in hazzard for they enter in no bigger then a small Spanish Needle and by little and little their holes become ordinarily greater then a mans finger The thicker the planke is the greater he groweth yea I haue seene many Shippes so eaten that the most of their plankes vnder water haue beene like honey combes and especially those betwixt wind and water If they had not beene sheathed it had bin impossible that they could haue swomme The entring of them is hardly to be discerned the most of them being small as the head of a Pinne Which all such as purpose long Voyages are to prevent by sheathing their Shippes And for that I haue seene divers manners of sheathing for the ignorant I will set them downe which by experience I haue found best In Spaine and Portingall some sheath their Shippes with Lead which besides the cost and waight although they vse the thinnest sheet-lead that I haue seene in any place yet it is nothing durable but subiect to many casualties Another manner is vsed with double plankes as thicke without as within after the manner of furring which is little better then that with Lead for besides his waight it dureth little because the worme in small time passeth through the one and the other A third manner of sheathing hath beene vsed amongst some with fine Canvas which is of small continuance and so not to be regarded The fourth prevention which now is most