A voyage to Benin
beyond the Countrey of Guinea, set
foorth by Master Bird and Master Newton Marchants
of London, with a shippe called the Richard of Arundell,
and a Pinesse; Written by James Welsh, who was
chiefe Master of the said voyage, begunne in the yeere
1588.
UPON the twelft of October wee waved our ankers at
Ratcliffe and went to Blackwall. And the next day
sayling from thence, by reason of contrary winde and
weather, wee made it the 25. of October before wee
were able to reach Plimouth, and there we stayed (to our
great expense of victuals) for lacke of winde and weather
unto the 14. of December.
On Saturday the said 14. of December we put from
thence, and about midnight were thwart of the Lizart.
Thursday the second of January wee had sight of the
land neere Rio del oro, God be thanked, and there had
22. degrees of latitude, and 47. minutes.
The thirde of January wee had sight of Cavo de las
Barbas, and it bare Southeast five leagues off.
The 4. we had sight of the Crosiers in the morning.
Tuesday the 7. day we had sight of Cavo verde, and
I finde this place to be in latitude 14. degrees, and 43.
minutes, being 4. leagues from the shoare.
Friday the 17. Cavo de Monte bare off us North Northeast, we sounded and had 50. fathom blacke oase, and at
2. of the clocke it bare North Northwest 8. leagues off.
And Cavo Mensurado bare of us East and by South, and
wee went Northeast with the maine: here the currant
setteth to the East Southeast alongst the shoare, and at
midnight wee sounded and had 26. fathome blacke oase.
The 18. in the morning we were thwart of a land much
like Cavo verde, and it is as I judge 9. leagues from Cavo
Mensurado; it is a hill sadlebacked, and there are 4. or
5. one after another: and 7. leagues to the Southward of
that, we saw a row of hils sadlebacked also, and from
Cavo Mensurado are many mountaines.
The 19. we were thwart
Rio de Sestos, and the 20.
Cavo dos Baixos was North & by West 4. leagues off
the shoare, and at afternoone there came a boate from the
shoare with 3. Negroes, from a place (as they say) called
Tabanoo. And towards evening we were thwart of an
Island, and a great many of small Islands or rockes to
the Southward, and the currant came out of the Southerboord: we sounded and had 35 fathomes.
The 21. wee had a flat hill that bare North Northeast
off us, and wee were from the shoare 4. leagues, and at 2.
a clocke in the afternoone we spake with a Frenchman
riding neere a place called Ratire, and another place hard
by called Crua. This Frenchman caried a letter from us
to M. Newton: wee layd it on hull while wee were writing
of our letter; and the current set us to the Southward a
good pase alongst the shoare South Southeast.
The 25. we were in the bight of the bay that is to the
Westward of Capo de Tres puntas: the currant did set
East Northeast.
The 28. we lay sixe glasses a hull tarying for the
pinesse.
The last of January the middle part of Cape de tres
puntas was thwart of us three leagues at seven of the
clocke in the morning: and at eight the pinesse came to
an anker: and wee prooved that the current setteth to the
Eastward: and at sixe at night the uttermost lande bare
East and by South 5. leagues, and we went Southwest,
and Southwest and by South.
Saturday the first of February 1588. we were thwart of
a Round foreland, which I take to be the Eastermost
part of Capo de tres puntas: and within the said Round
foreland was a great bay with an Island in the said
bay.
The second of February wee were thwart of the Castle
of Mina, and when the thirde glasse of our Looke-out was
spent, we spied under our Larbord-quarter one of their
Boates with certaine Negroes, and one Portugale in the
Boate, wee would have had him to come aboord, but he
would not. And over the castle upon the hie rockes we
did see as it might be two watch-houses, and they did
shew very white: and we went eastnortheast.
The 4 in the morning we were thwart a great high hill,
and up into the lande were more high ragged hilles,
and those I reckoned to be but little short of Monte
Redondo. Then I reckoned that we were 20 leagues
Southeast-ward from the Mina
, and at 11 of the clocke
I sawe two hilles within the land, these hils I take to be
7 leagues from the first hils. And to sea-ward of these
hilles is a bay, and at the east end of the bay another
hill, and from the hils the landes lie verie low. We went
Eastnortheast, and East and by North 22 leagues, and
then East along the shore.
The 6 we were short of Villa longa, and there we met
with a Portugall Caravell.
The 7 a faire temperate day, and all this day we road
before Villa longa.
The 8 at noone we set saile from Villa longa, and ten
leagues from thence we ankered againe and stayed all that
night in ten fadom water.
The 9 we set saile, and all alongst the shore were very
thicke woodes, and in the afternoone we were thwart a
river, & to the Eastward of the river a litle way off was a
great high bush-tree as though it had no leaves, and at
night we ankered with faire and temperate weather.
The 10 we set sayle and went East, and East and by
South 14 leagues along the shoare, which was so full of
thicke woods, that in my judgement a man should have
much to doe to passe through them, and towards night
we ankered in 7 fadome with faire weather.
The 11 we sayled East and by South, and three leagues
from the shore we had but 5 fadome water, and all the
wood upon the land was as even as if it had beene cut
with a paire of gardeners sheeres, and in running of two
leagues we descerned a high tuft of trees upon the brow
of a land, which shewed like a Porpose head, and when
wee came at it, it was but part of the lande, and a league
further we saw a head-land very low and full of trees,
and a great way from the land we had very shallow water,
then we lay South into the sea, because of the sands for
to get into the deepe water, and when we found it deepe,
we ankered in five fadom thwart the river of Jaya, in the
rivers mouth.
The 12 in the morning we road still in the rivers mouth.
This day we sent the pinnesse and the boat on land with
the marchants, but they came not againe untill the next
morning. The shallowest part of this river is toward the
West, where there is but 4 fadom and a halfe, and it is
very broad. The next morning came the boate aboord,
and they also said it was
Rio de Jaya. Here the currant
setteth Westward, and the Eastermost land is higher then
the Westermost.
Thursday the 13 we set saile, and lay South Southeast
along the shore, where the trees are wonderfull even, and
the East shore is higher then the West shore, and when
wee had sayled 18 leagues we had sight of a great river,
then we ankered in three fadom and a halfe, and the
currant went Westward. This river is the river of Benin
,
and two leagues from the maine it is very shallowe.
The 15 we sent the boat and pinnesse into the river
with the marchants, and after that we set saile, because
we road in shallow water, and went Southsoutheast, and
the starbord tacke aboord untill we came to five fathom
water, where we road with the currant to the Westward :
then came our boat out of the harbour and went aboord
the pinnesse. The West part of the land was high browed
much like the head of a Gurnard, and the Eastermost land
was lower, and had on it three tufts of trees like stackes
of wheate or corne, and the next day in the morning we
sawe but two of those trees, by reason that we went more
to the Eastward. And here we road still from the 14 of
Februarie untill the 14 of Aprill, with the winde at Southwest.
The 16 of Februarie we rode still in 5 fadome, and the
currant ranne still to the Westward, the winde at Southwest, and the boat and pinnesse came to us againe out of
the river, and told us that there was but ten foote water
upon the barre. All that night was drowsie, and yet
reasonable temperate.
The 17 a close day the winde at Southwest. Our
marchants wayed their goods and put them aboord the
pinnesse to goe into the river, and there came a great
currant out of the river and set to the Westward.
The 18 the marchants went with the boat and pinnesse
into the river with their commodities. This day was
close and drowsie, with thunder, raine and lightning.
The 24 a close morning and temperate, and in the
afternoone the boat came to us out of the river from our
marchants.
Tuesday the 4 of March, a close soultry hot morning,
the currant went to the Westward, and much troubled
water came out of the river.
The 16 our pinnesse came a boord and Anthonie
Ingram in her, & she brought in her 94 bags of pepper,
and 28 Elephants teeth, and the Master of her and all his
company were sicke. This was a temperate day and the
winde at Southwest.
The 17. 18. and 19 were faire temperate weather and
the winde at Southwest. This day the pinnesse went into
the river againe, and caried the Purser and the Surgion.
The 25 of the said moneth 1589 we sent the boate into
the river.
The 30 our pinnesse came from Benin
, and brought
sorowfull newes, that Thomas Hemsted was dead and our
Captaine also, and she brought with her 159 Cerons or
sackes of pepper and Elephants teeth.
Note that in all the time of our abiding here, in the
mouth of the river of Benin
, and in all the coast hereabout it is faire temperate weather, when the winde is at
Southwest. And when the winde is at Northeast and
Northerly, then it raineth, with lightning and thunder,
and is very intemperate weather.
The 13 of Aprill 1589 we set saile homewards in the
name of Jesus. In the morning we sayled with the winde
at Southwest, and lay West and by North, but it prooved
calme all that night, and the currant Southeast.
The 14 the river of Benin
was Northeast 7 leagues
from the shore, and there was litle winde and towards
night calme.
The 17 a faire temperate day the winde variable, and
we had of latitude foure degrees and 20 minutes.
The 25 a faire temperate day the winde variable, and
here we had three degrees & 29 minuts of latitude.
The 8 of May we had sight of the shore, which was
part of Cavo de Monte, but we did not thinke we had
been so farre, but it came so to passe by reason of the
currant. In this place M. Towrson was in like maner
deceived with the currant.
The 9 we had sight of Cavo de monte.
The 17 a darke drowsie day, this was the first night
that I tooke the North starre.
The 26 a temperate day with litle winde, and we were
in 12 degrees and 13 minutes of latitude.
The 30 we met a great sea out of the Northwest.
The 6 of June we found it as temperate as if we had
beene in England, & yet we were within the height of the
sunne, for it was declined 23 degrees, and 26 minuts to
the Northward, and we had 15 degrees of latitude.
The 8 faire and temperate as in England, here we met
with a counter sea, out of the Southborde.
The 15 a faire temperate day, the winde variable, here
we had 18 degrees and fiftie nine minutes.
The 12 of July in 30 degrees of latitude we met with
great store of rockweed, which did stick together like
clusters of grapes, and this continued with us untill the
17 of the said moneth, and then we saw no more, at
which 17 day we were in two and thirtie degrees sixe and
fortie minutes of latitude.
The 25 at sixe of the clocke in the morning, we had
sight of the
Isle of Pike, it bare North and by East from
us, we being 15 leagues off.
The 27 we spake with the poste of London and she
told us good newes of England.
The nine and twentieth we had sight of the
Island of
Cuervo, and the 30 we saw the
Island of Flores.
The 27 of August in 41 degrees of latitude we saw 9
saile of Britons, and three of them followed us untill
noone, and then gave us over.
The 30 we had sight of
Cape Finisterre.
The eight of September at night wee put into Plimouth
sound, and road in
Causon bay all night.
The 9 we put into Catwater and there stayed untill
the 28 of September, by reason of want of men and sicknesse.
The nine and twentieth we set sayle from Plimouth, and
arrived at London the second of October 1589.
The commodities that we caried in this voyage were
cloth both linnen & wollen, yron worke of sundry sorts,
Manillios or bracelets of copper, glasse beades, and
corrall.
The commodities that we brought home were pepper
and Elephants teeth, oyle of palme, cloth made of Cotton
wooll very curiously woven, and cloth made of the barke
of palme trees. Their money is pretie white shels, for
golde and silver we saw none. They have also great
store of cotton growing: their bread is a kind of roots,
they call it Inamia, and when it is well sodden I would
leave our bread to eat of it, it is pleasant in eating, and
light of digestion, the roote thereof is as bigge as a mans
arme. Our men upon fish-dayes had rather eate the
rootes with oyle and vineger, then to eate good stockfish.
There are great store of palme trees, out of the which
they gather great store of wine, which wine is white and
very pleasant, & we should buy two gallons of it for 20
shels. They have good store of sope, and it smelleth like
beaten violets. Also many pretie fine mats and baskets
that they make, and spoones of Elephants teeth very
curiously wrought with divers proportions of foules and
beasts made upon them. There is upon the coast wonderfull great lightning and thunder, in so much as I never
hard the like in no Countrey, for it would make the decke
or hatches tremble under our feete, and before we were
well acquainted with it, we were fearefull, but God be
thanked we had no harme. The people are very gentle
and loving, and they goe naked both men and women
untill they be married, and then they goe covered from
the middle downe to the knees. They would bring our
men earthen pottes of the quantitie of two gallons, full
of hony and hony combes for 100 shelles. They would
also bring great store of Oranges and Plantans which is
a fruit that groweth upon a tree, and is very like unto a
Cucumber but very pleasant in eating. It hath pleased
God of his merceifull goodnesse to give me the knowledge
how to preserve fresh water with little cost, which did
serve us sixe moneths at the sea, & when we came into
Plimmouth it was much wondered at, of the principal men
of the towne, who said that there was not sweeter water
in any spring in
Plimouth. Thus doth God provide for
his creatures, unto whom be praise now and for evermore,
Amen.
