weapons and armes had they not their throates cut haue you forgotten how they dealt with Iohn Oxtiam and his Company in this Sea yeeldeth vpon composition and how after a long imprisonment and many miseries being carryed from Panama to Lyma and there hanged with all his Company as Pyrates by the Iustice And can you forget how dayly they abuse our noble natures which being voyde of malice measure all by sinceritie but to our losse for that when we come to demand performance they stoppe our mouthes Either with laying the inquisition vpon vs or with deliuering vs into the hands of the ordinary Iustice or of the Kings ministers And then vrged with their promises they shrinke vp to the shoulders and say That they haue now no further power ouer vs They sorrow in their hearts to see their promise is not accomplished but now they cannot doe vs any good office but to pray to God for vs and to entreat the ministers in our behalfe Came we into the South-sea to put out flagges of truce And left we our pleasant England with all her contentments with intention or purpose to avayle our selues of white ragges and by banners of peace to deliuer our selues for slaues into our enemies hands or to range the world with the English to take the law from them whom by our swords prowesse and valour we haue alwaies heretofore bin accustomed to purchase honour riches and reputation If these motiues be not sufficient to perswade you then I present before your eyes your wiues and children your parents and friends your noble and sweete countrey your gracious Soueraigne of all which accompt your selues for euer depriued if this proposition should be put in execution But for all these and for the loue and respect you owe me and for al besides that you esteeme and hold deare in this world and for him that made vs and all the world banish out of your imagination such vaine and base thoughts and according to your woonted resolution prosecute the defence of your shippe your liues and libertie with the liues and libertie of your companions who by their wounds and hurts are disabled and depriued of all other defence and helpe saue that which lyeth in your discretions and prowesse And you Captaine of whom I made choise amongst many to be my principall assistant and the person to accomplish my dutie if extraordinary casualtie should disable me to performe and prosecute our voyage Tender your obligation and now in the occasion giue testimony and make proofe of your constancie and valour according to the opinion and confidence I haue euer hâ—ld of you Whereunto he made answere my good Generall I hope you haue made experience of my resolution which shall be euer to put in execution what you shall be pleased to command me and my actions shall giue testimonie of the obligation wherein I stand bound vnto you What I haue done hath not proceeded from faintnesse of heart nor from a will to see imaginations put in execution for besides the losse of our reputation liberty and what good else we can hope for I know the Spaniard too too well and the manner of his proceedings in discharge of promises but only to giue satisfaction to the rest of the Company which importuned me to mooue this point I condiscended to that which now I am ashamed of and grieue at because I see it disliking to you And here I vowe to fight it out till life or lymmes fayle me Bee you pleased to recommend vs to Almightie God and to take comfort in him whom I hope will giue vs victory and restore you to health and strength for all our comforts and the happy accomplishing and finishing of our voyage to his glory I replyed this is that which beseemeth you this sorteth to the opinion I euer held of you and this will gaine you with God and man a iust reward And you the rest my deere companions and friends who euer haue made a demonstration of desire to accomplish your duties remember that when we first discryed our enemy you shewed to haue a longing to prooue your valours against him Now that the occasion is offered lay hold of the fore-locke For if once shee turne her backe make sure accompt neuer after to see her face againe and as true English men and followers of the steppes of our forefathers in vertue and valour sell your bloods and liues deerely that Spaine may euer record it with sadnesse and griefe And those which surviue reioyce in the purchase of so noble a victory with so small meanes against so powerfull an enemy Hereunto they made answer that as hitherto they had beene conformable to all the vndertakings which I had commanded or counselled so they would continue in the selfe same dutie and obedience to the last breath vowing either to remaine Conquerours and Free-men or else to sell their liues at that price which their enemies should not willingly consent to buy them at And with this resolution both Captaine and company tooke their leaue of me euery one particularly and the greater part with teares and and imbracings though we were forthwith to depart the world and neuer see one the other againe but in heauen promising to cast all forepassed imaginations into oblivion and never more to speake of surrendry In accomplishment of this promise and determination they persevered in sustaining the fight all this night with the day and night following and the third day after In which time the Enemie never left vs day nor night beating continually vpon vs with his great and small shott Saving that every morning an hower before breake of day hee edged a little from vs to breath and to remedie such defects as were amisse as also to consult what they should doe the day and night following This time of interdiction we imployed in repayring our sayles and tacklings in stopping our leakes in fishing and wolling our mastes and yards in mending our pumpes and in fitting and providing our selues for the day to come though this was but little space for so many workes yet gaue it great reliefe and comfort vnto vs and made vs better able to endure the defence for otherwise our shippe must of force haue suncke before our surrendry having many shot vnder water and our pumpes shot to peeces every day In all this space not any man of either part tooke rest or sleepe and little sustenance besides bread and wine In the second dayes fight the Vice-admirall comming vpon our quarter William Blanch one of our Masters mates with a luckie hand made a shot vnto her with one of our sterne peeces it caried away his maine Mast close by the decke wherewith the Admirall beare vp to her to see what harme shee had received and to giue her such succour as shee was able to spare which we seeing were in good hope that they would haue now left to molest vs any longer having wherewithall to
a-far off with other poynts and circumstances as the occasions shall minister matter different at the discretion of the wise Commander But some one may say vnto me that in all occasions it is not convenient to giue Directions for that if the enemy happen vpon any of the Fleete or that there be any treacherous person in the company their Designements may be discovered and so prevented To this I answere that the prudent Governour by good consideration may avoyde this by publication of that which is good and necessarie for the guide of his Fleete and people by all secret instructions to giue them sealed and not to be opened but comming to a place appoynted after the manner of the Turkish direction to the Bashawes who are their Generalls and in any eminent perill to cast them by the boord or otherwise to make away with them For he that setteth Sayle not giving directions in writing to his Fleete knoweth not if the night or day following he may be separated from his Company which happeneth sometimes and then if a place of meeting be not knowne he runneth in danger not to ioyne them together againe And for places of meeting when seperation happeneth I am of opinion to appoynt the place of meeting in such a height twentie or thirtie or fortie Leagues off the Land or Iland East or West is not so fitting if the place affoord it as some sound betwixt Ilands or some Iland or Harbour It may be alledged in contradiction and with probable reason that it is not fit for a Fleete to stay in a Harbour for one Ship nor at an Anchor at an Iland for being discovered or for hinderance of their Voyage Yet it is the best for when the want is but for one or two ships a Pynace or Ship may wayte the time appoynted and remaine with direction for them But commonly one Ship though but a bad Sayler maketh more hast then a whole Fleete and is at the meeting place first if the accident be not very important The place of meeting if it might be would be able to giue at the least refreshing of water and wood SECT IX LAnching out into the Channell the wind being at East and by South and East South East which blowing hard and a flood in hand caused a chapping Sea and my Vice-admirall bearing a good Sayle made some water and shooting off a peece of Ordinance I edged towardes her to know the cause who answered me that they had sprung a great Leake and that of force they must returne into the sound which seeing to be necessary I cast about where Anchoring and going aboord presently found that betwixt Wind and Water the Calkers had left a seame vncalked which being filled vp with Pitch onely the Sea labouring that out had beene sufficient to haue sunke her in short space if it had not beene discovered in time And truely there is little care vsed now adaies amongst our countrimen in this Profession in respect of that which was vsed in times past and is accustomed in France in Spaine and in other parts Which necessitie will cause to be reformed in time by assigning the portion that every workeman is to Calke that if there bee dammage through his default he may be forced to contribute towards the losse occasioned through his negligence And for more securitie I hold it for a good custome vsed in some parts in making an end of calking and pitching the ship the next tide to fill her with water which will vndoubtedly discover the defect for no pitcht place without calking can suffer the force and peaze of the water In neglect whereof I haue seene great damage and danger to ensue The Arke Royall of his Maiesties may serue for an example which put all in daunger at her first going to the Sea by a trivuell-hole left-open in the post and covered onely with pitch In this point no man can be too circumspect for it is the security of ship men and goods SECT X. THis being remedied I set sayle in the morning and ran South-west till we were cleere of Vsshent and then South south-west till we were some hundred Leagues off where wee met with a great Hulke of some fiue or sixe hundred tunnes well appointed the which my company as is naturall to all Mariners presently would make a prize and loaden with Spaniards goods and without speaking to her wished that the Gunner might shoote at her to cause her to amaine Which is a bad custome received and vsed of many ignorant persons presently to gun at all whatsoever they discover before they speake with them being contrary to all discipline and many times is cause of dissention betwixt friends and the breach of Amitie betwixt Princes the death of many and sometimes losse of Shippes and all making many obstinate if not desperate whereas in vsing common courtesie they would better bethinke themselues and so with ordinarie proceeding iustified by reason and the custome of all well disciplined people might perhaps many times breede an increase of Amitie a succour to necessity and excuse divers inconveniencies and sutes which haue impoverished many for it hath chanced by this errour that two English ships neither carrying flag for their perticular respects to change each with other a dozen payre of shott with hurt to both being after too late to repent their follie Yea a person of credit hath told mee that two English men of Warre in the Night haue layd each other aboord willingly with losse of many men and dammage to both onely for the fault of not speaking one to the other which might seeme to carrie with it some excuse if they had beene neere the shore or that the one had beene a Hull and the other vnder sayle in feare shee should haue escaped not knowing what shee was though in the night it is no wisedome to bourd with any ship but in the maine Sea and both desiring to ioyne was a sufficient declaration that both were seekers and therefore by day or night he that can speake with the Ship hee seeth is bound vpon payne to bee reputed voyd of good Governement to hayle her before hee shoote at her Some man may say that in the meane time shee might gaine the winde in such causes and many others necessity giveth exception to all Lawes and experience teacheth what is fit to bee done Master Thomas Hampton once Generall of a Fleete of Wasters sent to Rochell Anno 1585. with secret instructions considering and as a man of experience wisely vnderstanding his place and affaires in like case shut his Eare to the instigations and provocations of the common sort preferring the publique good of both Kingdomes before his owne reputation with the vulgar people And as another Fabius Maximus cunctando restituit rem non ponendo rumores ante salutem The French Kings Fleete comming where he was and to winde-ward of him all his
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
continuall thankesgiving for that he hath so extraordinarily compassed and fenced vs from infinite miseries his most vnworthie and vngratefull Creatures Of these Ilands are two pyles the one of them lyeth out of the way of Trade more Westerly and so little frequented the other lyeth some fourescore Leagues from the Mayne and containeth six in number to wit Saint Iago Fuego Mayo Bonavisto Sal and Bravo They are belonging to the Kingdome of Portingall and inhabited by people of that Nation and are of great trade by reason of the neighbour-hood they haue with Guyne and Bynne but the principall is the buying and selling of Negros They haue store of Sugar Salt Rice Cotton-wooll and Cotton-Cloth Amber-greece Cyvit Oliphants teeth Brimstone Pummy stone Spunge and some Gold but little and that from the mayne Saint Iago is the head Iland and hath one Citie and two Townes with their Ports The Cittie called Saint Iago whereof the Iland hath his Name hath a Garrison and two Fortes scituated in the bottome of a pleasant Valley with a running streame of water passing through the middest of it whether the rest of the Ilands come for Iustice being the seat of the Auaiencia with his Bishop The other Townes are Playa some three Leagues to the Eastwards of Saint Iago placed on high with a goodly Bay whereof it hath his name and Saint Domingo a small Towne within the Land They are on the Souther part of the Iland and haue beene sacked sundry times in Anno 1582. by Manuel Serades a Portingall with a Fleete of French-men in Anno 1585. they were both burnt to the ground by the English Sir Francis Drake being Generall and in Anno 1596. Saint Iago was taken and sacked by the English Sir Anthony Shyrley being Generall The second Iland is Fuego so called for that day and night there burneth in it a Vulcan whose flames in the night are seene twentie Leagues off in the Sea It is by nature fortified in that sort as but by one way is any accesse or entrance into it and there cannot goe vp aboue two men a brest The Bread which they spend in these Ilands is brought from Portingall and Spaine saving that which they make of Rice or of Mayes which wee call Guynne-wheate The best watering is in the I le of Bravo on the west part of the Iland where is a great River but foule Anchoring as is in all these Ilands for the most part The fruits are few but substantiall as Palmitos Plantanos Patatos and Coco Nutts The Palmito is like to the Date tree and as I thinke a kinde of it but wilde In all parts of Afrique and America they are found and in some parts of Europe and in divers parts different In Afrique and in the West Indies they are small that a man may cut them with a knife and the lesser the better But in Brasill they are so great that with difficultie a man can fell them with an Axe and the greater the better one foote within the top is profitable the rest is of no value and that which is to be eaten is the pith which in some is better in some worse The Plantane is a tree found in most parts of Afrique and America of which two leaues are sufficient to cover a man from top to toe It beareth fruit but once and then dryeth away and out of his roote sprouteth vp others new In the top of the tree is his fruit which groweth in a great bunch in the forme and fashion of puddings in some more in some lesse I haue seene in one bunch aboue foure hundred Plantanes which haue weighed aboue fourescore pound waight They are of divers proportions some great some lesser some round some square some triangle most ordinarily of a spanne long with a thicke skinne that peeleth easily from the meate which is either white or yellow and very tender like Butter but no Conserue is better nor of a more pleasing taste For I never haue seene any man to whom they haue bred mis-like or done hurt with eating much of them as of other fruites The best are those which ripen naturally on the tree but in most partes they cut them off in braunches and hange them vp in their houses and eate them as they ripe For the Birds and Vermine presently in ripning on the tree are feeding on them The best that I haue seene are in Brasill in an Iland called Placentia which are small and round and greene when they are ripe whereas the others in ripning become yellow Those of the West Indies and Guynne are great and one of them sufficient to satisfie a man the onely fault they haue is that they are windie In some places they eate them in stead of bread as in Panama and other parts of Tierra firme They grow and prosper best when their rootes are ever covered with water they are excellent in Conserue and good sodden in different manners and dried on the tree not inferior to Suckett The Coco nutt is a fruit of the fashion of a Hassell nutt but that it is as bigge as an ordinary Bowle and some are greater It hath two shells the vttermost framed as it were of a multitude of threeds one layd vpon another with a greene skinne over-lapping them which is soft and thicke The innermost is like to the shell of a Hazell nutt in all proportion saving that it is greater and thicker and some more blacker In the toppe of it is the forme of a Munkies face with two eyes his nose and a mouth It containeth in it both meate and drinke the meate white as milke and like to that of the kernell of a Nutt and as good as Almonds blancht and of great quantitie The water is cleare as of the fountaine and pleasing in taste and somewhat answereth that of the water distilled of Milke Some say it hath a singular propertie in Nature for conserving the smoothnesse of the skinne and therefore in Spaine and Portingall the curious Dames doe ordinarily wash their faces and neckes with it If the holes of the shell be kept close they keepe foure or six moneths good and more but if it be opened and the water kept in the shell in few dayes it turneth to Vineger They grow vpon high Trees which haue no boughes onely in the top they haue a great cap of leaues and vnder them groweth the fruite vpon certaine twigs And some affirme that they beare not fruite before they be aboue fortie yeares old they are in all things like to the Palme trees and grow in many partes of Asia Afrique and America The shels of these nuts are much esteemed for drinking cups and much cost and labour is bestowed vpon them in carving graving and garnishing them with silver gold and precious stones In the Kingdome of Chile and in Brosill is another kinde of these which they call Coquillos as wee may interpret little Cocos and are
as big as Wal-nuts but round and smooth and grow in great clusters the trees in forme are all one and the meate in the nut better but they haue no water Another kinde of great Cocos groweth in the Andes of Peru which haue not the delicate meate nor drinke which the others haue but within are full of Almonds which are placed as the graines in the Pomegrannet being three times bigger then those of Europe and are much like them in tast In these Ilands are Cyvet-Cats which are also found in parts of Asia and Afrique esteemed for the Civet they yeelde and carry about them in a cod in their hinder parts which is taken from them by force In them also are store of Monkies and the best proportioned that I haue seene and Parrots but of colour different to those of the west Indies for they are of a russet or gray colour and great speakers SECT XIIII WIth a faire and large winde we continued our course till we came within fiue degrees of the Equinoctiall lyne where the winde tooke vs contrary by the Southwest about the twentie of Iulie but a fayre gale of wind and a smooth Sea so that wee might beare all a taunt and to advantage our selues what wee might wee stoode to the East-wards being able to lye South-east and by South The next day about nine of the Clocke my companie being gathered together to serue God which wee accustomed to doe every morning and evening it seemed vnto me that the coulour of the Sea was different to that of the daies past and which is ordinarily where is deepe water and so calling the Captaine and Master of my Ship I told them that to my seeming the water was become very whitish and that it made shewe of Sholde water Wherevnto they made answere that all the lynes in our Shippes could not fetch ground for wee could not be lesse then threescore and tenne Leagues off the Coast which all that kept reckoning in the Ship agreed vpon and my selfe was of the same opinion And so wee applyed our selues to serue God but all the time that the service endured my heart could not be at rest and still me thought the water began to waxe whiter and whiter Our prayers ended I commanded a lead and a lyne to be brought and having the lead in foureteene fathoms wee had ground which put vs all into a maze and sending men into the toppe presently discovered the land of Guynne some fiue Leagues from vs very low Land I commanded a Peece to be shott and lay by the lee till my other Shippes came vp Which hayling vs wee demanded of them how farre they found themselues off the Land who answered some threescore and tenne or fourescore Leagues when wee told them wee had sounded and found but foureteene Fathomes and that we were in sight of Land they began to wonder But having consulted what was best to be done I caused my Shalop to be manned which I towed at the Sterne of my Ship continually and sent her and my Pynace a head to sound and followed them with an easie Sayle till we came in seaven and six fathome Water and some two Leagues from the shore anchored in hope by the Sea or by the Land to find some refreshing The Sea we found to be barren of Fish and my Boates could not discover any landing place though a whole day they had rowed alongst the Coast with great desire to set foote on shore for that the sedge was exceeding great and dangerous Which experienced wee set sayle notwithstanding the contrarietie of the winde sometimes standing to the West-wards sometime to the East-wards according to the shifting of the wind SECT XV. HEre is to be noted that the error which we fell into in our accompts was such as all men fall into where are currants that set East or West and are not knowne for that there is no certaine rule yet practised for triall of the longitude as there is of the latitude though some curious and experimented of our Nation with whom I haue had conference about this poynt haue shewed me two or three manner of wayes how to know it This some yeares before was the losse of the Edward Cotton bound for the Coast of Brasill which taken with the winde contrary neere the lyne standing to the East-wards and making accompt to be fiftie or sixtie Leagues off the Coast with all her Sayles standing came suddenly a ground vpon the sholes of Madrebombat and so was cast away though the most part of their company saved themselues vpon Raffes But with the contagion of the Countrie and bad entreatie which the Negros gaue them they died so that there returned not to their Country aboue three or â—oure of them But God Almightie dealt more mercifully with vs in shewing vs our error in the day and in time that wee might remedie it to him be evermore glory for all This currant from the line Equinoctiall to twentie degrees Northerly hath grâ—at force and setteth next of any thing East directly vpon the shore which we found by this meanes Standing to the Westwards the wind Southerly when we lay with our Ships head West and by South we gayned in our heith more then if wee had made our way good west south-west for that the currant tooke vs vnder the bow but lying west or west and by north we lost more in twelue houres then the other way we could get in foure and twentie By which plainly we saw that the currant did set East next of any thing Whether this currant runneth ever one way or doth alter and how we could by no meanes vnderstand but tract of time and observation will discover this as it hath done of many others in sundry Seas The currant that setteth betwixt New-found-land and Spaine runneth also East and West and long time deceived many and made some to count the way longer and others shorter according as the passage was speedie or slowe not knowing that the furtherance or hinderance of the currant was cause of the speeding or slowing of the way And in sea Cardes I haue seene difference of aboue thirtie Leagues betwixt the Iland Tercera and the Mayne And others haue recounted vnto me that comming from the India's and looking out for the Ilands of Azores they haue had sight of Spaine And some haue looked out for Spaine and haue discovered the Ilands The selfe same currant is in the Levant Sea but runneth trade betwixt the Maynes and changeable sometimes to the East-wards sometimes to the West-wards In Brasill and the South Sea the currant likewise is changeable but it runneth ever alongst the Coast accompanying the winde and it is an infallible rule that twelue or twentie foure houres before the Wind alters the currant begins to change In the West Indies onely the currant runneth continually one way and setteth alongst the Coast from the Equinoctiall lyne towards the North. No man hath
beene burnt without redemption if that my Father Sir Iohn Hawkins Knight then Generall in her had not commaunded her Sloppers to be stopt and the men to come to the Pumpes whereof shee had two which went with chaynes and plying them in a moment there was three or foure inches of water vpon the Decke which with Scoopes Swabbles and Platters they threw vpon the fire and so quenched it and delivered both Ship and men out of no small danger Great care is to be had also in cleaving of Wood in Hooping or Scutling of Caske and in any businesse where violence is to be vsed with instruments of Iron Steele or Stone and especially in opening of Powder these are not to be vsed but Mallets of Wood for many mischances happen beyond all expectation I haue beene credibly enformed by divers persons that comming out of the Indies with Scutling a Butt of water the water hath taken fire and flamed vp and put all in hazard And a servant of mine Thomas Gray told me that in the Shippe wherein he came out of the Indies Anno 1600. there happened the like and that if with Mantles they had not smoothered the fire they had bin all burned with a Pipe of Water which in Scutling tooke fire Master Iohn Hazlelocke reported that in the Arsenall of Venice happened the like he being present For mine owne part I am of opinion that some waters haue this propertie and especially such as haue their passage by Mines of Brimstone or other Mineralls which as all men know giue extraordinary properties vnto the waters by which they runne Or it may be that the water being in wine Caske and kept close may retayne an extraordinary propertie of the Wine Yea I haue drunke Fountaine and River waters many times which haue had a savour as that of Brimstone Three leagues from Bayon in France I haue proved of a fountaine that hath this savour and is medicinable for many diseases In the South Sea in a River some fiue Leagues from Cape Saint Francisco in one degree and a halfe to the Northwardes of the lyne in the Bay of Atacames is a River of fresh water which hath the like savour Of this I shall haue occasion to speake in another place treating of the divers properties of Fountaines and Rivers and therefore to our purpose SECT XVIII WEe had no small cause to giue God thankes and prayse for our deliverance and so all our Ships once come together wee magnified his gloririous Name for his mercie towards vs and tooke an occasion hereby to banish swearing out of our Shippes which amongst the common sort of Mariners and Sea-faring men is too ordinarily abused So with a generall consent of all our companie it was ordayned that in every Ship there should be a Palmer or Ferula which should be in the keeping of him who was taken with an oath and that he who had the Palmer should giue to every other that he tooke swearing in the Palme of the hand a Palmada with it and the Ferula And whosoever at the time of evening or morning Prayer was found to haue the Palmer should haue three blowes given him by the Captaine or Master and that he should be still bound to free himselfe by taking another or else to runne in daunger of continuing the penaltie which executed few dayes reformed the Vice so that in three dayes together was not one oath heard to be sworne This brought both Ferula's and swearing out of vse And certainly in vices custome is the principall sustenance and for their reformation it little availeth to giue good counsell or to make good Lawes and Ordenances except they be executed SECT XIX IN this time of contrary Wind those of my Company which were in health recreated themselues with Fishing and beholding the Hunting and Hawking of the Sea and the Battell betwixt the Whale and his enemies which truely are of no small pleasure And therefore for the curious I will spend some time in Declaration of them Ordinarily such Ships as Navigate betweene the Tropiques are accompanied with three sorts of Fish The Dolphin which the Spaniards call Dozado The Bonito or Spanish Makerell and the Sharke alias Tiberune The Dolphin I hold to be one of the swiftest Fishes in the Sea He is like vnto a Breame but that he is longer and thinner and his scales very small He is of the coulour of the Rayn-bow and his head different to other Fishes for from his mouth halfe a spanne it goeth straight vpright as the head of a Wherry or the cut-Cut-water of a Ship He is very good meate if he be in season but the best part of him is his head which is great They are some bigger some lesser the greatest that I haue seene might be some foure foote long I hold it not without some ground that the auncient Philosophers write that they be enamoured of a man for in meeting with Shipping they accompany them till they approach to colde Climates this I haue noted divers times For disembarking out of the West Indies Anno 1583. within three or foure dayes after we mett a Scole of them which left vs not till we came to the Ilands of Azores nere a thousand Leagues At other times I haue noted the like But some may say that in the Sea are many Scoles of this kinde of Fish and how can a man know if they were the same Who may be thus satisfied that every day in the morning which is the time that they approach neerest the Ship we should see foure fiue and more which had as it were our â—are-marke one hurt vpon the backe another neere the tayle another about the fynnes which is sufficient proofe that they were the same For if those which had received so bad entertainment of vs would not forsake vs much lesse those which we had not hurt yet that which makes them most in loue with Ships and Men are the scrappes and refreshing they gather from them The Bonito or Spanish Makerell is altogether like vnto a Makerell but that it is somewhat more growne he is reasonable foode but dryer then a Makerell Of them there are two sorts the one is this which I haue described the other so great as hardly one man can lift him At such times as wee haue taken of these one sufficed for a meale for all my company These from the fynne of the tayle forwards haue vpon the chyne seven small yellow hillockes close one to another The Dolphins and Bonito's are taken with certaine instruments of Iron which we call Vysgeis in forme of an Eâ—le-speare but that the blades are round and the poynts like vnto the head of a broad Arrow these are fastned to long Staues of ten or twelue foote long with lynes tyed vnto them and so shott to the Fish from the Beake-head the Poope or other parts of the Shippe as occasion is ministred They are also caught with Hookes and
water and with his tayle thresheth vpon the head of the Whale till hee force him to giue way which the Sword fish perceiving receiveth him vpon his sword and wounding him in the belly forceth him to mount vp againe besides that he cannot abide long vnder water but must of force rise vpp to breath and when in such maner they torment him that the sight is sometimes heard aboue three leagues distance and I dare affirme that I haue heard the blowes of the Thresher two leagues off as the report of a peece of Ordinance the Whales roaring being heard much farther It also happeneth sundry times that a great part of the water of the Sea round about them with the blood of the Whale changeth his colour The best remedy the Whale hath in this extremitie to helpe himselfe is to get him to land which hee procureth as soone as hee discoverth his adversaries and getting the shore there can fight but one with him and for either of them hand to hand he is too good The Whale is a fish not good to be eaten hee is almost all fat but esteemed for his trayne and many goe to the New-found-land Greene-land and other parts onely to fish for them which is in this maner when they which seeke the Whale discover him they compasse him round about with Pynaces or Shalops In the head of every Boat is placed a man with a harping Iron and a long Lyne the one end of it fastned to the harping iron and the other end to the head of the Boat In which it lyeth finely coyled and for that he cannot keepe long vnder water he sheweth which way he goeth when rising neere any of the Boats within reach he that is neerest darteth his harping Iron at him The Whale finding himselfe to be wounded swimmeth to the bottome and draweth the Pynace after him which the Fisher men presently forsake casting themselues into the Sea for that many times he draweth the Boat vnder water those that are next procure to take them vp For this cause all such as goe for that kinde of Fishing are experimented in swimming When one harping Iron is fastned in the Whale it is easily discerned which way he directeth his course and so ere long they fasten another and another in him When he hath three or foure Boats dragging after him with their waight his bleeding and fury he becommeth so over-mastred that the rest of the Pynaces with their presence and terror driue him to the place where they would haue him nature instigating him to covet the shore Being once hurt there is little need to force him to land Once on the shore they presently cut great peeces of him and in great Cauldrons seeth them The vppermost in the Cauldrons is the fatt which they skimme off and put it into Hogsheads and Pipes This is that they call Whales oyle or Traine oyle accompted the best sort of Traine oyle It is hard to be beleeved what quantitie is gathered of one Whale Of the tongue I haue beene enformed haue many Pipes beene filled The fynnes are also esteemed for many and sundry vses as is his spawne for divers purposes This wee corruptly call Parmacittie of the Latine word Sperma Ceti And the precious Amber-greece some thinke also to be found in his bowells or voyded by him but not in all seas yea they maintaine for certaine that the same is ingendred by eating an hearbe which groweth in the Sea This hearbe is not in all Seas say they and therefore where it wanteth the Whales giue not this fruit In the coast of the East Indies in many partes is great quantitie In the coastes of Guyne of Barbary of the Florida in the Ilands of Cape de Verde and the Canaries Amber-greece hath beene many times found and sometimes on the coast of Spaine and England Wherevpon it is presumed that all thâ—se Seas haue not the hearbe growing in them The cause why the Whale should eate this hearbe I haue not heard nor read It may be surmised that it is as that of the Becunia and other Beasts which breed the Beazer stone who feeding in the valleyes and mountaines where are many venemous Serpents and hearbes when they find themselues touched with any poyson forthwith they runne for remedie to an hearbe which the Spaniards call Contra yerva that is to say contrary to poyson which having eaten they are presently cured but the substance of the hearbe converteth it selfe into a medicinable stone So it may be that the Whale feeding of many sorts of fishes and some of them as is knowne venemous when he findeth himselfe touched with this hearbe he cureth himselfe and not being able to digest it nature converteth it into this substance provoketh it out or dyeth with it in his belly and being light the Sea bringeth it to the Coast. All these are imaginations yet instruments to mooue vs to the glorifying of the great and vniversall Creatour of all whose secret wisedome and wonderfull workes are incomprehensible But the more approved generation of the Amber greece and which carrieth likliest probabilitie is that it is a liquor which issueth out of certaine Fountaines in sundry Seas and being of a light and thicke substance participating of the ayre suddenly becommeth hard as the yellow Amber of which they make Beads which is also a liquor of a Fountaine in the Germayne Sea In the bottome it is soft and white and partaking of the ayre becommeth hard and stonie Also the Corrall in the Sea is soft but comming into the ayre becommeth a stone Those who are of this former opinion thinke the reason why the Amber greece is sometimes found in the Whale to be for that he swalloweth it as other things which he findeth swimming vpon the water and not able digest it it remaineth with him till his death Another manner of fishing and catching the Whale I cannot omit vsed by the Indians in Florida worthy to be considered in as much as the barbarous people haue found out so great a secret by the industry and diligence of one man to kill so great and huge a Monster it is in this manner The Indian discovering a Whale procureth two round billets of wood sharpneth both at one end and so binding them together with a cord casteth himselfe with them into the Sea and swimmeth towards the Whale if he come to him the Whale escapeth not for he placeth himselfe vpon his necke and although the Whale goeth to the bottome he must of â—orce rise presently to breath for which nature hath given him two great holes in the toppe of his head by which every time that he breatheth he spouteth out a great quantitie of water the Indian forsaketh not his holde but riseth with him and thrusteth in a Logg into one of his Spowters and with the other knocketh it in so fast that by no meanes the Whale can get it out That fastned at another opportunitie he thrusteth
which time I lived in a great perplexitie for that I knew our owne weaknesse and what they might doe vnto vs if that they had knowne so much For any man that putteth himselfe into the enemies Port had need of Argus eyes and the wind in a bagge especially where the enemie is strong and the tydes of any force For with either ebbe or flood those who are on the shore may thrust vpon him inventions of fire and with swimming or other devises may cut his Cables A common practise in all hott Countries The like may be effected with Raffes Cannoas Boates or Pynaces to annoy and assault him and if this had beene practised against vs or taken effect our Shippes must of force haue yeelded themselues for they had no other people in them but sicke men but many times opinion and feare preserveth the Shippes and not the people in them Wherefore it is the part of a provident Governour to consider well the daungers that may befall him before he put himselfe into such places So shall he ever be provided for prevention In Saint Iohn de Vlua in the New-Spaine when the Spanyards dishonoured their Nation with that foule act of periury and breach of faith given to my Father Sir Iohn Hawkins notorious to the whole world the Spanyards fired two great Shippes with intention to burne my Fathers Admirall which he prevented by towing them with his Boates another way The great Armado of Spaine sent to conquer England Anno 1588. was with that selfe same industry overthrowne for the setting on â—ire of six or seaven shippes whereof two were mine and letting them drive with the flood forced them to cut their Cables and to put to Sea to seeke a new way to Spaine In which the greatest part of their best Shippes and men were lost and perished For that my people should not bâ— dismayed I dispatched presently my Light-horsman with onely foure men and part of the refreshing advising them that with the first calme or slent of wind they should come off The next night the wind comming off the shore wee set sayle and with our Boates and Barkes founded as we went It flowed vpon the Barre not aboue foure foote water and once in foure and twentie houres as in some parts of the West Indies at full Sea there is not vpon the barre aboue 17. or 18. foote water The harbour runneth to the South-westwards He that will come into it is to open the harbours mouth a good quarter of a league before he beare with it and be bolder of the wester side for of the Easterland lyeth a great ledge of Rockes for the most part vnder water which sometimes breake not but with small shipping a man may goe betwixt them and the poynt Comming aboord of our Shippes there was great ioy amongst my Company and many with the sight of the Oranges and Lemmons seemed to recover heart This is a wonderfull secret of the power and wisedome of God that hath hiddeâ— so great and vnknowne vertue in this fruit to be a certaine remedie for this infirmitie I presently caused them all to be reparted amongst our sicke men which were so many that there came not aboue three or foure to a share but God was pleased to send vs a prosperous winde the next day so much to our comfort that not any one dyed before we came to the Ilands where we pretended to refresh our selues And although our fresh water had fayled vs many dayes before we saw the shore by reason of our long Navigation without touching any land and the excessiue drinking of the â—icke and diseased which could not be excused yet with an invention I had in my Shippe I easily drew out of the water of the Sea sufficient quantitie of fresh water to sustaine my people with little expence of fewell for with foure Billets I stilled a Hogshead of water and therewith dressed the meat for the sicke and whole The water so distilled we found to be wholesome and nourishing SECT XXII THe Coast from Santos to Cape Frio lyeth west and by South Southerly So we directed our course West South-west The night comming on and directions given to our other Shippes we sett the watch having a fayre fresh gale of wind and large My selfe with the Master of our Ship having watched the night past thought now to giue Nature that which shee had beene deprived of and so recommended the care of Steeridge to one of his Mates who with the like travell past being drowsie or with the confidence which he had of him at the Helme had not that watchfull care which was required he at the Helme steered West and West and by South and brought vs in a little time close vpon the shore doubtlesse he had cast vs all away had not God extraordinarily delivered vs for the Master being in his dead sleepe was suddenly awaked and with such a fright that he could not be in quiet wherevpon waking his youth which ordinarily slept in his Cabin by him asked him how the watch went on who answered that it could not be aboue an houre since he layd himselfe to rest He replyed that his heart was so vnquiet that he could not by any meanes sleepe and so taking his Gowne came forth vpon the Decke and presently discovered the Land hard by vs. And for that it was sandie and low those who had their eyes continually fixed on it were dazeled with the reflection of the Starres being a fayre night and so were hindered from the true discovery thereof But he comming out of the darke had his sight more forcible to discerne the difference of the Sea and the shore So that forthwith he commaunded him at the Helme to put it close a starbourd and tacking our Ship wee edged off and sounding found scant three fathome water whereby we saw evidently the miraculous mercie of our God that if he had not watched over vs as hee doth continually over his doubtlesse we had perished without remedie To whom be all glory and prayse everlastingly world without end Immediatly we shot off a Peece to giue warning to our other Shippes who having kept their direct course and far to wind-wards and Sea-wards because we carried no light for that we were within sight of the shore could not heare the report and the next morning were out of sight SECT XXIII IN this poynt of Steeridge the Spaniards and Portingalls doe exceede all that I haue seene I meane for their care which is chiefest in Navigation And I wish in this and in all their workes of Discipline and reformation we should follow their examples as also those of any other Nation In every Ship of moment vpon the halfe decke or quarter decke they haue a chayre or seat out of which whilst they Navigate the Pilot or his Adiutants which are the same officers which in our Shippes we terme the Master and his Mates never depart day nor
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
in this Worke we saw a Shippe turning to Windwards to succour her selfe of the Ilands but having discryed vs put off to Sea-wards Two dayes after the wind changing we saw her againe running alongst the coast and the Daintie not being in case to goe after her for many reasons we manned the Fancie and sent her after her who about the setting of the Sunne â—etched her vp and spake with her when finding her to be a great Fly-boat of at least three or foure hundreth Tunnes with 18. Peeces of Artillery would haue returned but the wind freshing in put her to Leewards and standing in to succour her selfe of the land had sight of another small Barke which after a short chase shee tooke but had nothing of moment in her for that she had bin vpon the great Sholes of Abreoios in 18. degrees and there throwne all they had by the board to saue their liues This and the other chase were the cause that the Fancie could not beat it vp in many dayes but before we had put all in a readinesse the wind changing shee came vnto vs and made Relation of that which had past and how they had given the small Barke to the Portingalls and brought with them onely her Pilot and a Marchant called Pedro de escalante of Potosi SECT XXVII IN this Coast the Portingalls by industrie of the Indians haue wrought many feats At Cape Frio they tooke a great French Ship in the night the most of her company being on the shore with Cannoas which they haue in this Coast so great that they carry seventie and eightie men in one of them And in Isla grand I saw one that was aboue threescore foote long of one tree as are all that I haue seene in Brasill with provisions in them for twentie or thirtie dayes At the Iland of San-sebastian neere Saint Vincent the Indians killed about eightie of master Candish his men and tooke his Boat which was the overthrow of his Voyage There commeth not any Ship vpon this Coast whereof these Cannoas giue not notice presently to every place And wee were certified in Isla grand that they had sent an Indian from the River of Ienero through all the Mountaines and Marishes to take a view of vs and accordingly made a Relation of our Shippes Boates and the number of men which we might haue But to prevent the like danger that might come vpon vs being carelesse and negligent I determined one night in the darkest and quietest of it to see what watch our Company kept on the shore man'd our Light-horsman and Boat armed them with Bowes and Targetts and got a shore some good distance from the places where were our Boothes and sought to come vpon them vndiscovered wee vsed all our best endevours to take them at vnawares yet comming within fortie paces we were discovered the whole and the sicke came forth to oppose themselues against vs. Which wee seeing gaue them the Hubbub after the manner of the Indians and assaulted them and they vs but being a close darke night they could not discerne vs presently vpon the Hubbub From our Shippe the Gunner shott a peece of Ordinance over our heads according to the order given him and thereof we tooke occasion to retyre vnto our Boates and within a little space came to the Boothes and landing places as though wee came from our Shippes to ayde them They began to recount vnto vs how that at the wester poynt of the Iland out of certaine Cannoas had landed a multitude of Indians which with a great out-cry came vpon thâ—m and â—ssaulted them fiercely but finding better resistance then they looked for and seeing themselues discovered by the Shippes tooke themselues to their heeles and returned to their Cannoas in which they imbarked themselues and departed One affirmed he saw the Cannoas another their long hayre a third their Bowes a fourth that it could not be but that some of them had their payments And it was worth the sight to behold those which had not moved out of their beds in many Moneths vnlesse by the helpe of others gotten some a bow-shoot off into the Woods others into the toppes of Trees and those which had any strength ioyned together to fight for their liues In fine the Booths and Tents were left desolate To colour our businesse the better after we had spent some houre in seeking out and ioyning the Companie together in comforting animating and commending them I left them an extraordinary Guard for that night and so departed to our Shippes with such an opinion of the assault given by the Indians that many so possessed through all the Voyage would not be perswaded to the contrary Which impression wrought such effect in most of my Companie that in all places where the Indians might annoy vs they were after most carefull and vigilant as was convenient In these Ilands it heigheth and falleth some fiue or six foot water and but once in two and twentie houres as in all this Coast and in many parts of the West Indies as also in the coast of Perew and Chely saving where are great Bayes or indraughts and there the tydes keepe their ordinary course of twice in foure and twentie houres In the lesser of these Ilands is a Caue for a small Ship to ride in Land-lockt and shee may moore her selfe to the trees of either side this we called Palmito Iland for the aboundance it hath of the greater sort of Palmito trees the other hath none at all A man may goe betwixt the Ilands with his Ship but the better course is out at one end In these Ilands are many Scorpions Snakes and Adders with other venemous Vermine They haue Parotts and a certaine kinde of fowle like vnto Phesants somewhat bigger and seeme to be of their nature Here we spent aboue a moneth in curing of our sicke men supplying our wants of Wood and Water and in other necessary workes And the tenth of December all things put in order we set sayle for Cape Frio having onely six men sicke with purpose there to set ashore our two Prisoners before named and anchoring vnder the Cape we sent our Boat a shore but they could not finde any convenient place to land them in and so returned the Wind being Southerly and not good to goe on our voyage we succoured our selues within Isla Grand which lyeth some dozen or foureteene Leagues from the Cape betwixt the West and by South and West South-west the rather to set our Prisoners a shore In the mid way betwixt the Cape and this Iland lyeth the River Ienero a very good Harbour fortified with a Garrison and a place well peopled The Isla Grand is some eight or ten Leagues long and causeth a goodly Harbour for Shipping It is full of great sandie Bayes and in the most of them is store of good water within this Iland are many other smaller Ilands which cause divers
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
we might discry the hull of a Ship beaten vpon the Beach It was of the Spanish Fleete that went to inhabite there in Anno 1582. vnder the charge of Pedro Sarmiento who at his returne was taken Prisoner and brought into England In this Bay the Spaniards made their principall habitation and called it the Cittie of Saint Philip and left it peopled But the cold barrennes of the Countrie and the malice of the Indians wiâ—h whom they badly agreed made speedie end of them as also of those whom they left in the middle of the Straites three leagues from Cape Froward to the East-wards in another habitation We continued our course alongst this reach for all the Straites is as a River altering his course sometimes vpon one poynt sometimes vpon another which is some eight Leagues long and lyeth West North-west From this we entred into a goodly Bay which runneth vp into the land Northerly many Leagues and at first entrance a man may see no other thing but as it were a maine Sea From the end of this first reach you must direct your course West South-west and some foureteene or fifteene leagues lyeth one of the narrowest places of all the Straites This leadeth vnto another reach that lyeth west and by north some six leagues Here in the middle of the reach the wind tooke vs by the north-west and so we were forced to anchor some two or three dayes In which time we went a shore with our Boates and found neere the middle of this reach on the Star-boord side a reasonable good place to ground and trimme a small Ship where it higheth some nine or ten foote water Here we saw certaine Hogges but they were so farre from vs that wee could not discerne if they were of those of the Countrie or brought by the Spaniards these were all the Beasts which we saw in all the time we were in the Straites In two tydes we turned through this reach and so recovered the Ilands of Pengwins they lye from this reach foure leagues South-west and by west Till you come to this place care is to be taken of not comming too neere to any poynt of the Land for being for the most part sandie they haue sholding off them and are somewhat what dangerous These Ilands haue beene set forth by some to be three we could discover but two And they are no more except that part of the Mayne which lyeth over against them be an Iland which carrieth little likelihood and I cannot determine it A man may sayle betwixt the two Ilands or betwixt them and the Land on the laâ—boord side from which land to the bigger Iland is as it were a bridge or ledge on which is foure or fiue fathome water and to him that commeth neere it not knowing thereof may iustly cause feare for it sheweth to be shold water with his rypling like vnto a race Betwixt the former reach and these Ilands runneth vp a goodly Bay into the Country to the North-wards It causeth a great indraught and aboue these Ilands runneth a great tide from the mouth of the Straites to these Ilands the land on the larboord-side is low land and sandy for the most part and without doubt Ilands for it hath many openings into the Sea and forcible indraughts by them and that on the starboord side is all high mountaynous land from end to end but no wood on eyther side Before wee passed these Ilands vnder the lee of the bigger Iland we anchored the wind being at North-east with intent to refresh our selues with the fowles of these Ilands They are of divers sorts and in great plentie as Pengwins wilde Ducks Gulles and Gannets of the principall we purposed to make provision and those were the Pengwins which in Welsh as I haue beene enformed signifieth a white head From which derivation and many other Welsh denominations given by the Indians or their predecessors some doe inferre that America was first peopled with Welsh-men and Motezanna King or rather Emperour of Mexico did recount vnto the Spaniards at their first comming that his Auncestors came from a farre Countrie and were white people Which conferred which an auncient Cronicle that I haue read many yeares since may bee coniectured to bee a Prince of Wales who many hundreth yeares since with certaine shippes sayled to the westwards with intent to make new discoveries Hee was never after heard of The Pengwin is in all proportion like vnto a Goose and hath no feathers but a certaine doune vpon all parts of his body and therefore cannot flie but avayleth himselfe in all occasions with his feete running as fast as most men He liveth in the Sea and on the Land feedeth on fish in the Sea and as a Goose on the shore vpon grasse They harbour themselues vnder the ground in burrowes as the Connies and in them hatch their young All parts of the Iland where they haunted were vndermined saue onely one valley which it seemeth they reserved for their foode for it was as green as any Medowe in the moneth of Aprill with a most fine short grasse The flesh of these Pengwins is much of the savour of a certaine fowle taken in the Ilands of Lundey and Silley which wee call Puffins by the tast it is easily discerned that they feede on fish They are very fatt and in dressing must be flead as the Byter they are reasonable meate rosted baked or sodden but best rosted We saltâ—d some dozen or 16. hogsheads which served vs whilest they lasted in steede of powdred beefe The hunting of them as we may well terme it was a great recreation to my Company and worth the sight for in determining to catch them necessarily was required good store of people every one with a cudgell in his hand to compasse them round about to bring them as it were into a ring if they chanced to breake out then was the sport for the ground being vndermined at vnawares it fayled and as they ran after them one fell here another there another offering to strike at one lifting vp his hand sunke vpp to the arme pits in the earth another leaping to avoyd one hole fell into another And after the first slaughter in seeing vs on the shore they shunned vs and procured to recover the Sea yea many times seeing themselues persecuted they would tumble downe from such high rocks mountaines as it seemed impossible to escape with life Yet as soone as they came to the beach presently wee should see them runne into the Sea as though they had no hurt Where one goeth the other followeth like sheepe after the Bel-wether but in getting them once within the ring close together few escaped saue such as by chance hid themselues in the borrowes and ordinarily there was no droue which yeelded vs not a thousand and more the maner of killing them which the hunters vsed being in a cluster together was with their cudgels to
reach is foure or fiue leagues broad and in it are many channells or openings into the Sea for all the land on the Souther part of the Straites are Ilands and broken land and from the beginning of this reach to the end of the Straites high mountaynous land on both sides in most parts covered with snow all the yeare long Betwixt the Iland Elizabeth and the Mayne is the narrowest passage of all the Straites it may be some two Musket shott from side to side From this Straite to Elizabeth bay is some foure leagues and the course lyeth North-west and by west This bay is all sandie and cleane ground on the Easter part but before you come at it there lyeth a poynt of the shore a good byrth off which is dangerous And in this reach as in many parts of the Straites runneth a quicke and forcible tyde In the Bay it higheth eight or nine foote water The Norther part of the Bay hath foule ground and rocks vnder water and therefore it is not wholsome borrowing of the mayne One of master Thomas Candish his Pynaces as I haue beene enformed came a-ground vpon one of them and he was in hazard to haue left her there From Elizabeth Bay to the River of Ieronimo is some fiue leagues The course lyeth West and by North and West Here the Wind scanted and forced vs to seeke a place to anchor in Our Boates going alongst the shore found a reasonable Harbour which is right against that which they call River Ieronimo but it is another channell by which a man may disemboake the Straite as by the other which is accustomed for with a storme which tooke vs one night suddenly we were forced into that opening vnwittingly but in the morning seeing our error and the wind larging with two or three bourds wee turned out into the old channell not daring for want of our Pynace to attempt any new discoverie This Harbour we called Blanches Bay for that it was found by William Blanch one of our Masters mates Here having moored our shippe we began to make our provision of wood and water whereof was plentie in this Bay and in all other places from Pengwin Ilands till within a dozen leagues of the mouth of the Straites Now finding our Deckes open with the long lying vnder the lyne and on the coast of Brasill the Sunne having beene in our Zenith many times we calked our ship within bourd and without aboue the Decks And such was the diligence we vsed that at foure dayes end we had aboue threescore Pipes of water and twentie Boats of wood stowed in our Ship no man was idle nor otherwise busied but in necessary workes some in felling and cleaving of wood some in carrying of water some in romaging some in washing others in baking one in heating of pitch another in gathering of Mussells no man was exempted but knew at evening wherevnto he was to betake himselfe the morning following Some man might aske me how we came to haue so many emptie Caske in lesse then two moneths for it seeemeth much that so few men in such short time and in so long a Voyage should waste so much Whereto I answere that it came not of excessiue expence for in health we never exceeded our ordinary but of a mischance which befell vs vnknowne in the Iland of Saint Iames or Saint Anne in the coast of Brasill where we refreshed our selues and according to the custome layd our Caske a shore to trimme it and after to fill it the place being commodious for vs. But with the water a certaine worme called Broma by the Spaniard and by vs Arters entred also which eat it so full of holes that all the water soaked out and made much of our Caske of small vse This we remedied the best wee could and discovered it long before we came to this place Hereof let others take warning in no place to haue Caske on the shore where it may be avoyded for it is one of the provisions which are with greatest care to be preserved in long Voyages and hardest to be supplyed These Arters or Broma in all hot Countries enter into the plankes of Shippes and especially where are Rivers of fresh water for the common opinion is that they are bred in fresh water and with the current of the Rivers are brought into the Sea but experience teacheth that they breed in the great Seas in all hott Clymates especially neere the Equinoctiall lyne for lying so long vnder and neere the lyne and towing a Shalop at our sterne cōming to clense her in Brasil we found her all vnder water covered with these wormes as bigge as the little finger of a man on the outside of the planke not fully covered but halfe the thicknes of their bodie like to a gelly wrought into the planke as with a Gowdge And naturall reason in my iudgement confirmeth this for creatures bread and nourished in the Sea comming into fresh water die as those actually bred in Ponds or fresh Rivers die presently if they come into Salt water But some man may say this fayleth in some Fishes and Beasts Which I must confesse to be true but these eyther are part terrestryall and part aquatile as the Mare-maide Sea-horse and other of that kind or haue their breeding in the fresh and growth or continuall nourishment in the Salt water as the Salmond and others of that kinde In little time if the Shippe be not sheathed they put all in hazzard for they enter in no bigger then a small Spanish Needle and by little and little their holes become ordinarily greater then a mans finger The thicker the planke is the greater he groweth yea I haue seene many Shippes so eaten that the most of their plankes vnder water haue beene like honey combes and especially those betwixt wind and water If they had not beene sheathed it had bin impossible that they could haue swomme The entring of them is hardly to be discerned the most of them being small as the head of a Pinne Which all such as purpose long Voyages are to prevent by sheathing their Shippes And for that I haue seene divers manners of sheathing for the ignorant I will set them downe which by experience I haue found best In Spaine and Portingall some sheath their Shippes with Lead which besides the cost and waight although they vse the thinnest sheet-lead that I haue seene in any place yet it is nothing durable but subiect to many casualties Another manner is vsed with double plankes as thicke without as within after the manner of furring which is little better then that with Lead for besides his waight it dureth little because the worme in small time passeth through the one and the other A third manner of sheathing hath beene vsed amongst some with fine Canvas which is of small continuance and so not to be regarded The fourth prevention which now is most
without fire or iron It was in this sort From the eye of the shanke about the head of the crosse we gaue two turnes with a new strong Halser betwixt three and foure inches giving a reasonable allowance for that which should be the eye and served in stead of the ring then we fastned the two ends of the Halser so as in that part it was as strong as in any other and with our Capsten stretched the two byghtes that every part might beare proportionably then armed we all the Halser round about with six yarne Synnets and likewise the shanke of the Anchor and the head with a smooth Matt made of the same Synnet this done with an inch Rope wee woolled the two byghtes to the shanke from the crosse to the eye and that also which was to serue for the ring and fitted the stocke accordingly This done those who before derided the invention were of opinion that it would serue for a need onely they put one difficultie that with the fall or pitch of the Anchor in hard ground with his waight he would â—ut the Halser in sunder on the head for prevention whereof we placed a panch as the Marriners terme it vpon the head of the Anchor with whose softnesse this danger was prevented and the Anchor past for serviceable Some of our idle time we spent in gathering the barke and fruit of a certaine tree which we found in all places of the Straites where we sound trees This tree carrieth his fruit in clusters like a Hawthorne but that it is greene each berry of the bignesse of a Pepper corne and every of them containing within foure or fiue graynes twise as bigge as a Musterd-seed which broken are white within as the good Pepper and bite much like it but hotter The barke of this tree hath the savour of all kinde of Spices together most comfortable to the stomacke and held to be better then any Spice whatsoever And for that a learned Country-man of ours Doctor Turner hath written of it by the name of Winters barke what I haue said may suffice The leafe of this tree is of a whitish greene and is not vnlike to the Aspen leafe Other whiles we entertained our selues in gathering of Pearles out of Mussels whereof there are aboundance in all places from Cape Froward to the end of the Straites The Pearles are but of a bad colour and small but it may be that in the great Mussels in deeper water the Pearles are bigger and of greater value of the small seed Pearle there was great quantitie and the Mussels were a great refreshing vnto vs for they were exceeding good and in great plentie And here let me craue pardon if I erre seeing I disclaime from being a naturalist by delivering my opinion touching the breeding of these Pearles which I thinke to be of a farre different nature and qualitie to those found in the East and West Indies which are found in Oysters growing in the shell vnder the ruff of the Oyster some say of the dewe which I hold to be some old Philosophers conceit for that it cannot bee made probable how the dew should come into the Oyster and if this were true then questionlesse wee should haue them in our Oysters as in those of the East and West India's but those Oysters were by the Creator made to bring foorth this rare fruite all their shels being to looke to pearle it selfe And the other pearles found in our Oysters and Mussels in divers partes are ingendred out of the fatnesse of the fish in the very substance of the fish so that in some Mussels haue beene found twenty and thirty in severall partes of the fish and these not perfect in colour nor clearenes as those found in the Pearle-Oysters which are ever perfect in colour and clearenes like the Sunne in his rising and therefore called Orientall and not as is supposed because out of the East for they are as well found in the West and no way inferior to those of the East Indies Other fish beâ—ides Seales and Crabbes like Shrimpes and one Whale with two or three Porpusses wee saw not in all the Straites heere we made also a survay of our victuals and opening certaine Barrels of Oaten meale wee found a great part of some of them as also of our Pipes and Fatts of bread eaten and consumed by the Ratts doubâ—lesse a fift part of my Company did not eate so much as these devoured as wee found dayly in comming to spend any of our provisions When I came to the Sea it was not supected that I had a Ratt in my shippe but with the bread in Caske which we transported our of the Hawke and the going to and againe of our boates vnto our prise though wee had divers Catts and vsed other preventions in a small time they multiplyed in such a maner as is incredible It is one of the generall calamities of all long voyages and would bee carefully prevented as much as may bee For besides that which they consume of the best victuals they eate the sayles and neither packe nor chest is free from their surprises I haue knowne them to make a hole in a pipe of water and saying the pumpe haue put all in feare doubting least some leake had beene sprung vpon the ship Moreover I haue heard credible persons report that shippes haue beene put in danger by them to be sunke by a hole made in the bulge All which is easily remedied at the first but if once they be somewhat increased with difficulty they are to be destroyed And although I propounded a reward for every Ratt which was taken and sought meanes by poyson and other inventions to consume them yet their increase being so ordinary and many wee were not able to cleare our selues from them SECT XXXVII AT the ende of fourteene dayes one Evening being calme and a goodly cleare in the Easter-boord I willed our Anchor to be weyed and determined to goe into the channell whereof ensued a murmuring amongst my company who were desirous to see the winde setled before we put out of the Harbour and in part they had reason considering how wee had beene canvased from place to place yet on the other side if wee went not out before night wee should loose the whole nights sayling and all the time which we should spend in warping out which would be doubtles a great part of the fore-noone And although the Master signified vnto mee the disposition of my people and Master Henry Courton a discreete and vertuous Gentleman and my good friend who in all the voyage was ever an especial furtherer of all that ever I ordained or proposed in this occasion sought to divert me that all but my selfe were contrarily inclined to that which I thought fit and though the common saying be that it is better to erre with many then all contradicting alone to hit the right way yet truth told mee this
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
he did vs and the confidence he had of vs comming and going onely vpon my word for which he was ever after thankefull and deserved much more Another that treated with me was Captaine Ivan Contreres owner of one of the Shippes and of the Iland Santa Maria in thirtie seaven degrees and fortie minutes In treating of the ransomes and transporting and lading the provisions we made choyce of wee spent some sixe or eight dayes at the end whereof with reputation amongst our enemies and a good portion towards our charges and our Shippe as well stored and victualled as the day we departed from England we set sayle The time wee were in this Port I tooke small rest and so did the Master of our Shippe Hugh Cornish a most carefull orderly and sufficient man because we knew our owne weaknesse for entring into the Harbour we had but seaventie fiue men and boyes fiue Shippes to guard and every one moored by himselfe which no doubt if our enemies had knowne they would haue wrought some Stratagem vpon vs for the Governour of Chily was there on shore in view of vs an auncient Flanders souldier and of experience wisedome and valour called Don Alonso de Soto Mayor of the habit of Saint Iago who was after Captaine generall in Terra firme and wrought all the inventions vpon the River of Chagree and on the shore when Sir Francis Drake purposed to goe to Panama in the Voyage wherein he died As also at my comming into Spaine he was President in Panama and there and in Lyma vsed me with great courtesie like a noble Souldier and liberall Gentleman he confessed to me after that he lay in ambush with three hundreth horse and foote to see if at any time wee had landed or neglected our watch with Balsas which is a certaine Raffe made of Mastes or Trees fastened together to haue attempted something against vs. But the enemy I feared not so much as the Wine which notwithstanding all the diligence and prevention I could vse day and night overthrew many of my people A foule fault because too common amongst Sea-men and deserveth some rigorous punishment with severitie to be executed for it hath beene and is daily the destruction of many good Enterprises amidst their best hopes And besides the ordinary fruites it bringeth forth of beggery â—hame and sicknesse it is a most deadly sinne A drunkard is vnfit for any government and if I might be hired with many thousands I would not carry with me a man knowne to put his felicitie in that vice instiling it with the name of good fellowship which in most well governed Common-wealths hath beene a sufficient blemish to depriue a man of office of honour and estimation It wasteth our Kingdome more then is well vnderstood as well by the infirmities it causeth as by the consumption of wealth to the impoverishing of vs and the enriching of other Kingdomes And though I am not old in comparison of other auncient men I can remember Spanish wine rarely to be found in this Kingdome Then hot burning Feavers were not knowne in England and men lived many moe yeares But since the Spanish Sacks haue beene common in our Tavernes which for conservation is mingled with Lyme in its making our Nation complaineth of Calenturas of the Stone the Dropsie and infinite other Diseases not heard of before this Wine came in frequent vse or but very seldome To confirme which my beliefe I haue heard one of our learnedst Physitians affirme that he thought there died more persons in England of drinking Wine and vsing hot Spices in their meats and drinkes then of all other diseases Besides there is no yeare in which it wasteth not two millions of Crownes of our substance by convayance into forraine Countries which in so well a governed Common-wealth as ours is acknowledged to be through the whole world in all other constitutions in this onely remaineth to be looked into and remedied Doubtlesse whosoever should be the Author of this reformation would gaine with God an everlasting reward and of his Country a Statua of Gold for a perpetuall memory of so meritorious a Worke. SECT XLIIII A League or better before a man discover this Bay to the South-wards lyeth a great Rocke or small Iland neere the shore vnder which for a need a man may ride with his Shippe It is a good marke and sure signe of the Port and discovering the Bay a man must giue a good birth to the poynt of the Harbour for it hath perilous Rockes lying a good distance off It neither ebbeth nor floweth in this Port nor from this till a man come to Guayaquill which is three degrees from the Equinoctiall lyne to the South-wards Let this be considered It is a good Harbour for all windes that partake not of the North for it runneth vp South and by West and South South-west but it hath much fowle ground In one of these Shippes wee found a new devise for the stopping of a sodaine Leake in a Shippe vnder water without board when a man cannot come to it within board which eased vs of one that we had from the day we departed from Detford caused by the touching a-ground of our Shippe at low water being loaden and in the neape streames comming a-ground in the sterne the force of the tyde caused to cast thwart wrested her slegg and that in such sort as it made a continuall Leake though not much And for that others may profit themselues of the like I thinke it good to set downe the manner of it which was taking a round wicker Basket and to fill it with peeces of a Iunke or Rope chopped very small and of an inch long and after tozed all as Oacombe then the Basket is to be covered with a Nett the meshes of it being at the least two inches square and after to be tied to a long Pike or Pole which is to goe a crosse the Baskets mouth and putting it vnder water care is to be had to keepe the Baskets mouth towardes the Shippes side if the Leake be any thing great the Oacombe may be somewhat longer and it carrieth likelihood to doe good seemeth to be better then the stitching of a Bonnet or any other diligence which as yet I haue seene Another thing I noted of these Shippes which would be also vsed by vs that every Shippe carrieth with her a spare Rudder and they haue them to hange and vnhange with great facilitie and besides in some part of the Shippe they haue the length breadth and proportion of the Rudder marked out for any mischance that may befall them which is a very good prevention Tenne leagues to the North-wards of this Harbour is the bay of Quintera where is good anchoring but an open bay where master Thomas Candish for the good he had done to a Spaniard in bringing him out of the Straits of Magellan where otherwise he
had perished with his company was by him betrayed and a dozen of his men taken and slaine But the iudgement of God left not his ingratitude vnpunished for in the fight with vs in the Vice-admirall he was wounded and maymed in that manner as three yeares after I saw him begge with Crutches and in that miserable estate as he had beene better dead then aliue From Balparizo wee sayled directly to Coquinbo which is in thirtie degrees and comming thwart the place wee were becalmed and had sight of a shippe but for that shee was farre off and night at hand shee got from vs and wee having winde entered the Port thinking to haue had some shipping in it but wee lost our labour and for that the Towne was halfe a League vpp in the Countrey and wee not manned for any matter of attempt worthy prosecution wee made no abode on the shore but presently set sayle for the Peru. This is the best Harbour that I haue seene in the south sea it is land-locked for all winds and capeable of many shippes but the ordinary place where the shippes lade and vnlade and accommodate themselues is betwixt a Rocke and the Mayne on the wester-side some halfe a league vp within the entrance of the Port which lyeth south and south and by East and North and by west In the in-country directly ouer the Port is a round piked hill like a sugar loafe and before the entrance on the southern poynt of the port comming in out of the Sea it is a great Rocke a good birth from the shore and these are the markes of the Port as I remember Being cleere of this Port wee shaped our course for Arica and leaft the Kingdomes of Chily one of the best Countries that the Sunne shineth on for it is of a temperate clymate and abounding in all things necessary for the vse of man with infinite rich mines of Gold Copper and sundry other mettals The poorest houses in it by report of their Inhabitants haue of their owne store bread wine flesh and fruite which is â—o plentifull that of their superfluitie they supply other partes Sundry kindes of Cattell as Horses Goates and Oxen brought thither by the Spaniards are found in heardes of thousands wilde and without owner besides those of the Countrey which are common to most partes of America in some of which are found the Bezar stones and those very good and great Amongst others they haue little beastes like vnto a Squirrell but that hee is gray his skinne is the most delicate soft and curious furre that I haue seene and of much estimation as is reason in the Peru few of them come into Spaine because difficult to be come by for that the Princes and Nobles laie waite for them they call this beast Chinchilla and of them they haue great abundance All fruites of Spaine they haue in great plentie saving stone fruite and Almonds â—or in no part of the Indies haue I knowne that Plumbes Cherries or Almondes haue borne fruit but they haue certaine little round Cocos as those of Brasill of the bignesse of a Wall-nut which is as good as an Almond besides it hath most of the fruites naturall to America of which in another place I shall God wiâ—ling speake particularly The Gold they gather is in two manners the one is washing the earth in great Trayes of wood in many waters as the earth wasteth away the Gold in the bottome remaineth The other is by force of Art to draw it out of the Mynes in which they finde it In most partes of the Countrie the earth is mingled with Gold for the Butizias in which the Wine was which wee found in Balpharizo had many sparkes of Gold shining in them Of it the Gold-smiths I carryed with me for like purposes made experience When Baldivia and Arawca were peaceable they yeelded greatest plentie and the best but now their greatest Mynes are in Coquinbo as also the Mines of Copper which they carry to the Peru and sell it better cheape then it is ordinarily sold in Spaine The Indians knowing the end of the Spaniards molestation to be principally the desire of their riches haue enacted that no man vpon paine of death doe gather any Gold In Coquinbo it rayneth seldome but every showre of rayne is a showre of Gold vnto them for with the violence of the water falling from the Mountaines it bringeth from them the Gold and besides giues them water to wash it out as also for their ingenious to worke so that ordinarily every weeke they haue Processions for rayne In this Kingdome they make much linnen and woolâ—en Cloth and great store of Indian Mantles with which they furnish other partes but all is course stuffe It hath no Silke nor Iron except in Mynes and those as yet not discovered Pewter is well esteemed and so are finne linnen woollen cloth Haberdashers wares edge-tooles and Armes or Munition It hath his Governour and Audiencia with two Bishoppes the one of Saint Iago the other of the Imperiall all vnder the Vice-roy Audiencia and Primate of Lyma Saint Iago is the Metropolitan and head of the Kingdome and the seate of Iustice which hath his appellation to Lyma The people are industrious and ingenious of great strength and invincible courage as in the warres which they haue susteyned aboue fortie yeares continually against the Spaniards hath beene experienced For confirmation whereof I will alledge onely two proofes of many the one was of an Indian Captaine taken prisoner by the Spaniards and for that he was of name and knowne to haue done his devoire against them they cut off his hands thereby intending to disenable him to fight any more against them but he returning home desirous to revenge this iniury to maintaine his libertie with the reputation of his Nation and to helpe to banish the Spaniard with his tongue intreated and incited them to persevere in their accustomed valour and reputation abasing the enemy and advancing his Nation condemning their contraries of Cowardlinesse and confirming it by the crueltie vsed with him and others his companions in their mishaps shewing them his armes without hands and naming his brethren whose halfe feete they had cut off because they might be vnable to sit on horsebacke with force arguing that if they feared them not they would not haue vsed so great inhumanitie for feare produceth crueltie the companion of Cowardize Thus incouraged he them to fight for their liues limbes and libertie choosing rather to die an honourable death fighting then to liue in servitude as fruitlesse members in their Common-wealth Thus vsing the office of a Sergeant Maior and having loaden his two stumpes with bundles of Arrowes succoured those who in the succeeding battaile had their store wasted and changing himselfe from place to place animated and encouraged his Countri-men with such comfortable perswasions as it is reported and credibly beleeved that he did much
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
North-wardes of the lyne and being thwart of it wee descried a small shippe which wee chased all that day and night and the next morning our Pinnace came to bourd her but being a shippe of advise and full of passengers and our shippe not able to fetch her vp they entreated our people badly and freed themselues though the feare they conceived caused them to cast all the dispatches of the King as also of particulars into the sea with a great part of their loading to bee lighter and better of sayle for the shippes of the South Sea loade themselues like lighters or sand barges presuming vpon the securitie from stormes SECT LII BEing out of hope to fetch vp this shippe wee stoode in with the Cape where the Land beginneth to trend about to the East-wards The Cape is high land and all covered over with Trees and so is the land over the Cape and all the coast from this Cape to Panama is full of wood from the Staites of Magelan to this cape of San Francisco In all the coast from head-land to head-land the courses lye betwixt the North and north and by west and sometimes more westerly and that but seldome It is a bolde Coast and subiect to little foule weather or alteration of windes for the Brese which is the sowtherly wind bloweth continually from Balparizo to Cape San Francisco except it be a great chance Trending about the Cape wee haled in East North-east to fetch the Bay of Atacames which lyeth some seaven Leagues from the Cape In the mid way some three leagues from the shore lyâ—th a banke of sand whereof a man must haue a care for in some parts of it there is but little water The tenth of Iune wee came to an anchor in the Bay of Atacames which on the wester part hath a round hammock It seemeth an Iland and in high springes I iudge that the sea goeth round about it To the East-wards it hath a high sandie cliffe and in the middest of the Bay a faire birth from the shore lyeth a bigge black Rocke aboue water from this Rocke to the sandie cliffe is a drowned Marsh ground caused by his lownesse And a great River which is broad but of no depth Manning our boate and running to the shore we found presently in the westerne bight of the Bay a deepe River whose indraught was so great that we could not benefit our selues of it being brackish except at a low water which hindred our dispatch yet in fiue dayes wee filled all our emptie Caske supplied our want of wood and grounded and put in order our Pinnace Here for that our Indians served vs to no other vse but to consume our victuals we eased our selues of them gaue them hookes and lines which they craved and some bread for a few dayes and replanted them in a farre better countrey then their owne which fell out luckely for the Spaniards of the shippe which wee chased thwart of Cape San Francisco for victuals growing short with her having many mouthes shee was forced to put a shore fiftie of her passengers neere the Cape wherof more then the one halfe dyed with famine and continual wading through Rivers and waters the rest by chance meeting with the Indians which wee had put ashore with their fishing guide and industry were refreshed susteyned and brought to habitation SECT LIII OVr necessary busines being ended wee purposed the fifteenth day of May in the morning to set sayle but the foureteenth in the Evening we had sight of a shippe some three leagues to Sea wards and through the importunitie of my Captaine and Companie I condiscended that our Pinnas should giue her chase which I should not haue done for it was our destruction I gaue them precise order that if they stood not in againe at night they should seeke mee at Cape San Francisco for the next morning I purposed to set sayle without delay and so seeing that our Pinnas slowed her comming at nine of the clocke in the morning wee weyed our Anchors and stoode for the Cape where wee beate off and on two dayes and our Pinnas not appearing wee stood againe into the Bay where wee descried her turning in without a maine Mast which standing off to the Sea close by with much winde and a chapping Sea bearing a taunt-sayle where a little was too much being to small purpose sodainely they bare it by the bourd and standing in with the shore the winde or rather God blinding them for our punishment they knewe not the land and making themselues to bee to wind-wards of the Bay bare vp and were put into the Bay of San Mathew It is a goodly Harbour and hath a great fresh River which higheth fifteene or sixteene foote water and is a good countrey and well peopled with Indidians they haue store of Gold and Emeralds heere the Spaniards from Guayaquill made an habitation whilst I was prisoner in Lyma by the Indians consent but after not able to suffer the insolencies of their guests and being a people of stoâ—acke and presumption they suffered themselues to bee perswaded and led by a Molato This leader many yeares before had fled vnto them from the Spaniards him they had long time held in reputation of their Captaine Generall and was admitted also vnto a chiefe Office by the Spaniardes to gaine him vnto them But now the Indians vniting themselues together presuming that by the helpe of this Molato they should force the Spaniards out of the Countrey put their resolution in execution droue their Enemies into the woods and sâ—ue as many as they could lay hands on some they killed few escaped with life and those who had that good happe suffered extreame misery before they came to Quito the place of neerest habitation of Spaniards To this Bay assoone as our people in the Pynnas saw their errour they brought their tackes abourd and turned and tyded it vp as they could Assoone as we came to Anchor I procured to remedie that was amisse in two daies we dispatched all we had to doe and the next morning we resolued to set sayle and to leaue the coast of Peru and Quito The day appearing we began to weigh our Anchors and being a Pike ready to cut sayle one out of the toppe descryed the Spanish Armado comming about the Cape which by the course it kept presently gaue vs to vnderstand who they were though my company as is the custome of Sea men made them to be the Fleete bound for Panama loden with treasure and importuned that in all hast we should cut sayle stand with them which I contradicted for that I was assured that no shipping would stirre vppon the coast till they had securitie of our departure except some Armado that might be sent to seeke vs and that it was not the time of the yeare to carry the treasure to Panama And besides in Riding still at an Anchor they euer came neerer vnto vs for they
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
Pliny with other Ancient and moderne Authors They are found in divers partes of the world as in the west Indies in the South sea in the east Indian sea in the Straites of Magellane and in the Scottish Sea Those found neere the Pooles are not perfect but are of a thick colour whereas such as are found neere the line are most orient transparent the curious call it their water and the best is a cleare white shining with fierie flames And those of the east India haue the best reputation though as good are found in the west India the the choice ones are of great valew and estimation but the greatest that I haue read or heard of was found in these Ilands of Pearles the which King Phillip the second of Spaine gaue to his daughter Elizabeth wife to Albertus Arch-duke of Austria and Governour of the States of Flaunders in whose possession it remaineth and is called la Peregrina for the rarenes of it being as bigge as the pomell of a Poniard SECT LXIIII. IN this Navigation after our surrender the Generall tooke especial care for the good intreaty of vs and especially of those who were hurt And God so blessed the hands of our Surgians besides that they were expert in their Art that of all our wounded men not one died that was aliue the day after our surrendry The number whereof was neere fortie and many of them with eight ten or twelue wounds and some with more The thing that ought to moue vs to giue God Almighty especiall thankes and prayses was that they were cured in a manner without instruments or salues For the chests were all broken to peeces and many of their simples and compounds throwne into the Sea those which remained were such as were throwne about the shippe in broken pots and baggs and such as by the Divine providence were reserved at the end of three dayes by order from the Generall were commaunded to be sought and gathered together These with some instruments of small moment bought and procured from those who had reserved them to a different end did not onely serue for our cures but also for the curing of the Spaniards being many more then those of our Company For the Spanish Surgians were altogether ignorant in their profession and had little or nothing wherewith to cure And I haue noted that the Spaniards in generall are nothing so curious in accommodating themselues with good and carefull Surgeans nor to fitt them with that which belongeth to their profession as other Nations are though they haue greater neede then any that I doe know At the time of our surrender I had not the Spanish tongue and so was forced to vse an interpreter or the Latine or French which holpe mâ— much for the vnderstanding of those which spake vnto me in Spanish together with a little smattering I had of the Portugall Through the noble proceeding of Don Beltran with vs and his particuler care towards me in curing and comforting me I began to gather heart and hope of life and health my servants which were on foote advised me ordinarily of that which past But some of our enemies badly inclined repined at the proceedings of the Generall and sayd he did ill to vse vs so well that wee were Lutherans and for that cause the saith which was given vs was not to be kept nor performed Others that we had fought as good Souldiers and therefore dâ—served good quarter Others nicknamed vs with the name of Corsarios or Pirats not discerning thereby that they included themselues within the same imputation Some were of opinion that from Panama the Generall would send vs into Spaine Others sayd that he durst not dispose of vs but by order from the Vice-roy of Peru who had given him his authority This hit the nayle on the head To all I gaue the hearing and laid vp in the store-house of my memory that which I thought to be of substance and in the store-house of my consideration endevoured to frame a proportionable resolution to all occurrants conformable to Gods most holy will Withall I profitted my selfe of the meanes which should bee offered and beare greatest probabilitie to worke our comfort help and remedie And so as time ministred oportunitie I began and endevoured to satisfie the Generall and the better sort in the points I durst intermeddle And especially to perswade by the best reasons I could that wee might be sent presently from Panama Alleaging the promise given vs the cost and charges ensuing which doubtles would be such as deserued consideration and excuse besides that now whilest he was in place and power and authority in his hands to performe with vs that hee would looke into his honour and profit himselfe of the occasion and not put vs into the hands of a third person who perhaps bring more powerfull then himselfe he might be forced to pray and intreate the performance of his promise whereunto hee gaue vs the hearing and bare vs in hand that hee would doe what hee could The Generall and all in generall not onely in the Peru but in all Spaine and the Kingdomes thereof before our surrendry held all English men of Warre to be Corsarlos or Pirats which I laâ—oured to reforme both in the Peru and also in the Counsels of Spaine and amongst the Chieftaines souldiers and better sort with whom I came to haue conversation Alleadging that a Pirate or Corsario is he which in time of peace or truce spoyleth or â—â—bâ—eth those which haue peace or truce with them but the Engâ—ish haue neyther peace nor truce with Spaine but warre and â—herefore not to be accounted Pirats Besides Spaine broke the peace with England and not England with Spaine and that by Ymbargo which of all kinds of defiances is most reproved and of least reputation The ransoming of prysoners and that by the Cannon being more honorable but aboue all the most honorable is with Trumpet and Herald to proclaime and denounce the warre by publicke defiance And so if they should condemne the English for Pirats of force they must first condemne themselues Moreover Pirats are those who range the Seas without licence of their Prince who when they are met with are punished more severely by their owne Lords then when they fall into the hands of strangers which is notorious to be more severely prosecuted in England in time of peace then in any the Kingdomes of Christendome But the English haue all licence either immediately from their Prince or from others therevnto authorized and so cannot in any sence be comprehended vnder the name of Pirats for any hostility vndertaken against Spaine or the dependancies thereof And so the state standing as now it doth if in Spaine a paâ—tiâ—uler man should arme a shippe and goe in warre-fare with it against the English and happened to be taken by them I make no question but the Company should bee intreated according to that manner which