The testimoniall of the companie of The Desire touching
their losing of their Generall, which appeareth to have
beene utterly against their meanings.
THE 26 of August 1591 wee whose names bee here under
written, with divers others departed from Plimmouth
under M. Thomas Candish our Generall, with 4 ships of
his, to wit, The Galeoh, The Robuck, The Desire, and
The Black pinnesse, for the performance of a voyage into
The South sea. The 19 of November we fell with the bay
of Salvador
in Brasil
. The 16. of December we tooke the
towne of Santos
, hoping there to revictuall our selves, but
it fell not out to our contentment. The 24 of January
we set saile from Santos
, shaping our course for The Streights of Magellan. The 8 of Februarie by violent
stormes the sayde fleete was parted: The Robuck and The
Desire arrived in Porte Desire the 6 of March. The 16 of
March The Black pinnesse arrived there also: and the 18
of the same our admirall came into the roade; with whom
we departed the 20 of March in poore and weake estate.
The 8 of Aprill 1592 we entred The Streights of Magellan.
The 21 of Aprill wee ankered beyond
Cape Froward, within
40 leagues of
The South sea, where wee rode untill the
15 of May. In which time wee had great store of snowe,
with some gustie weather, the wind continuing still at
Westnorthwest against us. In this time wee were inforced
for the preserving of our victuals, to live the most part
upon muskles, our provision was so slender; so that
many of our men died in this hard extremitie. Then our
General returned for Brasil
there to winter, & to procure
victuals for this voyage against the next yeere. So we
departed The Streights the 15 of May. The 21 being
thwart of Port Desire 30 leagues off the shoare, the wind
then at Northeast and by North, at five of the clock at
night lying Northeast, wee suddenly cast about lying
Southeast and by South, and sometimes Southeast: the
whole fleete following the admirall, our ship comming
under his lee shot ahead him, and so framed saile fit to
keepe companie. This night wee were severed, by what
occasion wee protest wee know not, whither we lost them
or they us. In the morning we only saw The Black pinnesse, then supposing that the admirall had overshot us.
All this day wee stoode to the Eastwards, hoping to find
him, because it was not likely, that he would stand to the
shoare againe so suddenly. But missing him towards
night, we stood to the shoareward, hoping by that course
to finde him. The 22 of May at night we had a violent
storme, with the winde at Northwest, and wee were inforced to hull, not being able to beare saile, and this night
we perished our maine tressle-trees, so that wee could no
more use our maine top-saile, lying most dangerously in
the sea. The pinnesse likewise received a great leake, so
that wee were inforced to seeke the next shoare for our
reliefe. And because famine was like to bee the best
ende, wee desired to goe for Port Desire, hoping with
seales and penguins to relieve our selves, and so to make
shift to followe the Generall, or there to stay his comming
from Brasil
. The 24 of May wee had much winde at
North. The 25 was calme, and the sea very loftie, so that
our ship had dangerous foule weather. The 26 our foreshrowdes brake, so that if wee had not beene neere the
shoare, it had beene impossible for us to get out of the
sea. And nowe being here mored in Port Desire, our
shroudes are all rotten, not having a running rope whereto
wee may trust, and being provided onely of one shift of
sailes all worne, our top-sailes not able to abide any
stresse of weather, neither have wee any pitch, tarre, or
nailes, nor any store for the supplying of these wantes;
and wee live onely upon seales and muskles, having but five
hogsheads of porke within bourd, and meale three ounces
for a man a day, with water for to drinke. And forasmuch as it hath pleased God to separate our fleete, and to
bring us into such hard extremities, that only now by his
mere mercy we expect reliefe, though otherwise we are
hopelesse of comfort, yet because the wonderfull workes of
God in his exceeding great favour toward us his creatures
are farre beyond the scope of mans capacitie, therefore by
him we hope to have deliverance in this our deepe distresse. Also forasmuch as those upon whom God will
bestow the favour of life, with returne home to their
countrey, may not onely themselves remaine blamelesse,
but also manifest the trueth of our actions, wee have
thought good in Christian charitie to lay downe under our
hands the trueth of all our proceedings even till the time
of this our distresse.
Given in Port Desire the 2 of June 1592. Beseching
the almightie God of his mercie to deliver us from this
miserie, how or when it shall please his divine Majestie.
| John Davis Captaine. | Thomas Watkins. |
| Randolph Cotton. | George Cunington. |
| John Pery. | John Whiting. |
| William Maber gunner. | James Ling. |
| Charles Parker. | The Boat-swain. |
| Rouland Miller. | Francis Smith. |
| Edward Smith. | John Layes. |
| Thomas Purpet. | The Boat-swaines mate. |
| Matthew Stubbes. | Fisher. |
| John Jenkinson. | John Austin. |
| Thomas Edwards. | Francis Copstone. |
| Edward Granger. | Richard Garet. |
| John Lewis. | James Eversby. |
| William Hayman. | Nicolas Parker. |
| George Straker. | Leonard. |
| Thomas Walbie. | John Pick. |
| William Wyeth. | Benjamin. |
| Richard Alard. | William Maber. |
| Stephan Popham. | James Not. |
| Alexander Cole. | Christopher Hauser. |
After they had delivered this relation unto our captaine
under their handes, then wee began to travell for our lives,
and wee built up a smiths forge, and made a colepit, and
burnt coles, and there wee made nailes, boltes, and spikes,
others made ropes of a peece of our cable, and the rest
gathered muskles, and tooke smeltes for the whole companie. Three leagues from this harborough there is an
Isle with foure small Isles about it, where there are great
abundance of scales, and at the time of the yeere the
penguins come thither in great plentie to breede. Wee
concluded with the pinnesse, that she should sometimes
goe thither to fetch seales for us; upon which condition
wee would share our victuals with her man for man;
whereunto the whole companie agreed. So wee parted
our poore store, and shee laboured to fetch us scales to
eate, wherewith wee lived when smeltes and muskles
failed: for in the nepe streames wee could get no muskles.
Thus in most miserable calamitie wee remained untill the
sixt of August, still keeping watch upon the hils to looke
for our Generall, and so great was our vexation and
anguish of soule, as I thinke never flesh and blood endured
more. Thus our miserie dayly increasing, time passing,
and our hope of the Generall being very colde, our Captaine and Master were fully perswaded, that the Generall
might perhaps goe directly for The Streights, and not
come to this harborough: whereupon they thought no
course more convenient than to goe presently for The Streights, and there to stay his comming, for in that place
hee could not passe, but of force wee must see him:
whereunto the companie most willingly consented, as also
the Captaine and Master of the pinnesse; so that upon
this determination wee made all possible speede to depart.
The sixt of August wee set saile, and went to Penguinisle, and the next day wee salted twentie hogsheads of
scales, which was as much as our salt could possibly doe,
and so wee departed for The Streights the poorest
wretches that ever were created. The seventh of August
towarde night wee departed from Penguin-isle, shaping
our course for The Streights, where wee had full confidence to meete with our Generall. The ninth wee had
a sore storme, so that wee were constrained to hull, for
our sailes were not to indure any force. The 14 wee
were driven in among certaine Isles never before discovered by any knowen relation, lying fiftie leagues or
better from the shoare East and Northerly from The Streights: in which place, unlesse it had pleased God of
his wonderfull mercie to have ceased the winde, wee must
of necessitie have perished. But the winde shifting to the
East, wee directed our course for The Streights, and the
18 of August wee fell with the Cape in a very thicke
fogge; and the same night we ankered ten leagues within
the Cape. The 19 day wee passed the first and the second
Streights. The 21 wee doubled
Cape Froward. The 22
we ankered in Salvage coove, so named, because wee
found many Salvages there: notwithstanding the extreme
colde of this place, yet doe all these wilde people goe
naked, and live in the woods like Satyrs, painted and
disguised, and flie from you like wilde deere. They are
very strong, and threw stones at us of three or foure
pound weight an incredible distance. The 24 in the morning wee departed from this coove, and the same day we
came into the Northwest reach, which is the last reach of
the Streights. The 25 we ankored in a good coove,
within foureteene leagues of the
South sea: in this place
we purposed to stay for the General, for the streight in
this place is scarce three miles broad, so that he could not
passe but we must see him. After we had stayed here a
fortnight in the deep of winter, our victuals consuming,
(for our Seals stunke most vily, and our men died pitifully
through cold and famin, for the greatest part of them had
not clothes to defend the extremitie of the winters cold)
being in this heavie distresse, our captaine and Master
thought it the best course to depart from the Streights
into the
South sea, and to go for the
Isle of Santa Maria,
which is to the Northward of Baldivia in 37 degrees &
a quarter, where we might have reliefe, and be in a
temperate clime, and there stay for the Generall, for of
necessity he must come by that Isle. So we departed
the 13 of September, & came in sight of the
South sea.
The 14 we were forced backe againe, and recovered a
coove 3 leagues within the streights from the
South sea.
Againe we put foorth, & being 8 or 10 leagues free of
the land, the wind rising furiously at
Westnorthwest, we
were inforced againe into the streights only for want
of sails; for we never durst beare saile in any stresse of
weather, they were so weake: so againe we recovered the
coove three leagues within the streights, where we indured
most furious weather, so that one of our two cables brake,
whereby we were hopeles of life. Yet it pleased God to
calme the storme, and wee unrived our sheates, tackes,
halliers, and other ropes, and mored our ship to the trees
close by the rockes. We laboured to recover our ankor
againe, but could not by any means, it lay so deepe in the
water, and as we thinke cleane covered with oaze. Now
had we but one ankor which had but one whole Flouke, a
cable spliced in two places, and a piece of an olde cable.
In the middest of these our troubles it pleased God that
the wind came faire the first of October; whereupon with
all expedition wee loosed our morings, and weighed our
ankor, and so towed off into the chanel; for wee had
mended our boate in Port Desire, and had five oares of
the pinnesse. When we had weighed our ankor, we found
our cable broken, onely one strand helde: then wee praysed
God; for we saw apparantly his mercies in preserving us.
Being in the chanel, we rived our ropes, & againe rigged
our ship, no mans hand was idle, but all laboured even for
the last gaspe of life. Here our company was devided;
some desired to go againe for Port Desire, and there to
be set on shore, where they might travell for their lives,
and some stood with the Captaine & Master to proceed.
Whereupon the Captaine sayd to the Master: Master, you
see the wonderfull extremitie of our estate, and the great
doubts among our companie of the truth of your reports,
as touching reliefe to be had in the
South sea: some
say in secret, as I am informed, that we undertake these
desperate attempts through blind affection that we beare
to the General. For mine owne part I plainely make
knowen unto you, that the love which I bare to the
Generall caused mee first to enter into this action, whereby
I have not onely heaped upon my head this bitter calamity
now present, but also have in some sort procured the dislike of my best friends in England
, as it is not unknowen
to some in this company. But now being thus intangled
by the providence of God for my former offences (no
doubt) I desire, that it may please his divine Majestie to
show us such mercifull favour, that we may rather proceed, then otherwise: or if it be his wil, that our mortall
being shal now take an ende, I rather desire that it may
bee in proceeding then in returning. And because I see in
reason, that the limits of our time are now drawing to an
end, I do in Christian charity intreat you all, first to forgive me in whatsoever I have bin grievous unto you;
secondly that you wil rather pray for our General, then
use hard speeches of him; and let us be fully perswaded,
that not for his cause & negligence, but for our own
offences against the divine Majesty we are presently
punished; lastly, let us forgive one another and be reconciled as children in love & charity, and not think upon the
vanities of this life: so shall we in leaving this life live
with our glorious redeemer, or abiding in this life, find
favour with God. And now (good master) forasmuch as
you have bin in this voyage once before with your master
the general, satisfie the company of such truths, as are to
you best knowen; & you the rest of the generals men,
which likewise have bin with him in his first voyage if
you heare any thing contrary to the truth, spare not to
reproove it, I pray you. And so I beseech the Lord to
bestow his mercy upon us. Then the master began in
these speeches: Captain, your request is very reasonable,
& I referre to your judgment my honest care, & great
pains taken in the generals service, my love towards him,
& in what sort I have discharged my duety, from the first
day to this houre. I was commanded by the general to
follow your directions, which hitherto I have performed.
You all knowe, that when I was extreamely sicke, the
General was lost in my mates watch, as you have well
examined: sithens which time, in what anguish and griefe
of minde I have lived, God onely knoweth, and you are in
some part a witnesse. And nowe if you thinke good to
returne, I will not gainesay it: but this I assure you, if
life may be preserved by any meanes, it is in proceeding.
For at the
Isle of Santa Maria I doe assure you of wheate,
porke, and rootes enough. Also I will bring you to an
Isle, where Pelicans bee in great abundance, and at Santos
wee shall have meale in great plenty, besides all our possibilitie of intercepting some shippes upon the coast of Chili
and Peru
. But if wee returne there is nothing but death
to be hoped for: therefore doe as you like, I am ready,
but my desire is to proceede. These his speeches being
confirmed by others that were in the former voyage, there
was a generall consent of proceeding; and so the second
of October we put into the
South sea, and were free of all
land. This night the winde began to blowe very much at
Westnorthwest, and still increased in fury, so that wee
were in great doubt what course to take: to put into the
Streights wee durst not for lacke of ground tackle: to
beare sayle wee doubted, the tempest was so furious, and
our sayles so bad. The pinnesse come roome with us,
and tolde us that shee had received many grievous Seas,
and that her ropes did every houre fayle her, so as they
could not tell what shift to make: wee being unable in
any sort to helpe them, stood under our coarses in view
of the lee-shore, still expecting our ruinous end.
The fourth of October the storme growing beyond all
reason furious, the pinnesse being in the winde of us,
strake suddenly ahull, so that we thought shee had
received some grievous sea, or sprung a leake, or that her
sayles failed her, because she came not with us: but we
durst not hull in that unmercifull storme, but sometimes
tried under our maine coarse, sometime with a haddock
of our sayle, for our ship was very leeward, and most
laboursome in the sea. This night wee lost the pinnesse,
and never saw her againe.
The fift, our foresayle was split, and all to torne: then
our Master tooke the mizzen, and brought it to the foremast, to make our ship worke, and with our sprit-saile we
mended our foresayle, the storme continuing without all
reason in fury, with haile, snowe, raine, and winde such
and so mighty, as that in nature it could not possibly be
more, the seas such and so lofty, with continuall breach,
that many times we were doubtfull whether our ship did
sinke or swimme.
The tenth of October being by the accompt of our
Captaine and Master very neere the shore, the weather
darke, the storme furious, and most of our men having
given over to travell, we yeelded our selves to death,
without further hope of succour. Our captaine sitting
in the gallery very pensive, I came and brought him some
Rosa
solis to comfort him; for he was so cold, that hee
was scarce able to moove a joint. After he had drunke,
and was comforted in heart, hee began for the ease of his
conscience to make a large repetition of his forepassed
time, and with many grievous sighs he concluded in these
words: Oh most glorious God, with whose power the
mightiest things among men are matters of no moment,
I most humbly beseech thee, that the intollerable burthen
of my sinnes may through the blood of Jesus Christ be
taken from me: and end our daies with speede, or shew
us some mercifull signe of thy love and our preservation.
Having thus ended, he desired me not to make knowen to
any of the company his intollerable griefe and anguish of
minde, because they should not thereby be dismayed. And
so suddenly, before I went from him the Sunne shined
cleere; so that he and the Master both observed the true
elevation of the Pole, whereby they knew by what course
to recover the Streights. Wherewithall our captaine and
Master were so revived, & gave such comfortable speeches
to the company, that every man rejoiced, as though we
had received a present deliverance. The next day being
the 11 of October, we saw Cabo Deseado being the cape
on the South shore (the North shore is nothing but a
company of dangerous rocks, Isles, & sholds.) This cape
being within two leages to leeward off us, our master
greatly doubted, that we could not double the same:
whereupon the captain told him: You see there is no
remedy, either we must double it, or before noon we must
die: therefore loose your sails, and let us put it to Gods
mercy. The master being a man of good spirit resolutely
made quicke dispatch & set sails. Our sailes had not
bene halfe an houre aboord, but the footrope of our foresaile brake, so that nothing held but the oylet holes. The
seas continually brake over the ships poope, and flew into
the sailes with such violence, that we still expected the tearing of our sayles, or oversetting of the ship, and withall to
our utter discomfort, wee perceived that wee fell still more
and more to leeward, so that wee could not double the
cape: wee were nowe come within halfe a mile of the cape,
and so neere the shore, that the counter-suffe of the sea
would rebound against the shippes side, so that wee were
much dismayed with the horror of our present ende.
Beeing thus at the very pinch of death, the winde and
Seas raging beyond measure, our Master veared some of
the maine sheate; and whether it was by that occasion,
or by some current, or by the wonderfull power of God, as
wee verily thinke it was, the ship quickened her way, and
shot past that rocke, where wee thought shee would have
shored. Then betweene the cape and the poynt there was
a little bay; so that wee were somewhat farther from the
shoare: and when we were come so farre as the cape, wee
yeelded to death: yet our good God the Father of all
mercies delivered us, and wee doubled the cape about the
length of our shippe, or very little more. Being shot
past the cape, we presently tooke in our sayles, which
onely God had preserved unto us: and when we were shot
in betweene the high lands, the wind blowing trade,
without any inch of sayle, we spooned before the sea,
three men being not able to guide the helme, and in
sixe houres wee were put five and twenty leagues within
the Streights, where wee found a sea answerable to the
Ocean.
In this time we freed our ship from water, and after
wee had rested a little, our men were not able to moove;
their sinewes were stiffe, and their flesh dead, and many
of them (which is most lamentable to bee reported) were
so eaten with lice, as that in their flesh did lie clusters of
lice as big as peason, yea and some as big as beanes.
Being in this miserie we were constrained to put into a
coove for the refreshing our men. Our Master knowing
the shore and every coove very perfectly, put in with
the shore, and mored to the trees, as beforetime we had
done, laying our ankor to the seaward. Here we continued until the twentieth of October; but not being able
any longer to stay through extremitie of famine, the one
and twentieth we put off into the chanell, the weather
being reasonable calme: but before night it blew most
extreamely at
Westnorthwest. The storme growing outrageous, our men could scarcely stand by their labour;
and the Streights being full of turning reaches we were
constrained by discretion of the Captaine and Master in
their accounts to guide the ship in the hell-darke night,
when we could not see any shore, the chanell being in
some places scarse three miles broad. But our captaine,
as wee first passed through the Strieghts drew such an
exquisite plat of the same, as I am assured it cannot in
any sort be bettered: which plat hee and the Master so
often perused, and so carefully regarded, as that in
memorie they had every turning and creeke, and in the
deepe darke night without any doubting they conveyed
the ship through that crooked chanell : so that I conclude,
the world hath not any so skilfull pilots for that place, as
they are: for otherwise wee could never have passed in
such sort as we did.
The 25 wee came to an Island in the Streights named
Penguin-isle, whither wee sent our boate to seeke reliefe,
for there were great abundance of birds, and the weather
was very calme; so wee came to an ankor by the Island
in seven fadomes. While our boate was at shore, and
we had great store of Penguins, there arose a sudden
storme, so that our ship did drive over a breach and
our boate sanke at the shore. Captaine Cotton and the
Lieutenant being on shore leapt in the boate, and freed
the same, and threw away all the birdes, and with great
difficultie recovered the ship: my selfe also was in the
boate the same time, where for my life I laboured to the
best of my power. The ship all this while driving upon
the lee-shore, when wee came aboord, we helped to set
sayle, and weighed the ankor; for before our comming
they could scarse hoise up their yardes, yet with much
adoe they set their fore-coarse. Thus in a mighty fret
of weather the seven and twentieth day of October wee
were free of the Streights, and the thirtieth of October we
came to Penguin-isle being three leagues from Port
Desire, the place which wee purposed to seeke for our
reliefe.
When wee were come to this Isle wee sent our boate on
shore, which returned laden with birdes and egges; and
our men sayd that the Penguins were so thicke upon the
Isle, that shippes might be laden with them; for they
could not goe without treading upon the birds, whereat we
greatly rejoiced. Then the captaine appointed Charles
Parker and Edward Smith, with twenty others to go on
shore, and to stay upon the Isle, for the killing and drying
of those Penguins, and promised after the ship was in
harborough to send the rest, not onely for expedition, but
also to save the small store of victuals in the shippe. But
Parker, Smith, and the rest of their faction suspected,
that this was a devise of the Captaine to leave his men
on shore, that by these meanes there might bee victuals
for the rest to recover their countrey: and when they
remembered, that this was the place where they would
have slaine their Captaine and Master, surely (thought
they) for revenge hereof will they leave us on shore.
Which when our Captaine understood, hee used these
speeches unto them: I understand that you are doubtfull
of your security through the perversenesse of your owne
guilty consciences: it is an extreame griefe unto me, that
you should judge mee blood-thirstie, in whome you have
seene nothing but kinde conversation: if you have found
otherwise, speake boldly, and accuse mee of the wrongs
that I have done; if not, why do you then measure me by
your owne uncharitable consciences? All the company
knoweth indeed, that in this place you practized to the
utmost of your powers, to murther me and the master
causeles, as God knoweth, which evil in this place we did
remit you: & now I may conceive without doing you
wrong, that you againe purpose some evill in bringing
these matters to repetition: but God has so shortened
your confederacie, as that I nothing doubt you: it is for
your Masters sake that I have forborne you in your
unchristian practizes : and here I protest before God, that
for his sake alone I will yet indure this injury, and you
shall in no sorte be prejudiced or in any thing be by me
commanded: but when we come into England
(if God so
favour us) your master shall knowe your honesties : in the
meane space be voide of these suspicions, for, God I call
to witnes, revenge is no part of my thought. They pave
him thanks, desiring to go into the harborough with the
ship, which he granted. So there were ten left upon the
Isle, and the last of October we entred the harborough.
Our Master at our last being here having taken carefull
notice of every creeke in the river, in a very convenient
place, upon sandy oaze, ran the ship on ground, laying our
ankor to seaward, and with our running ropes mored her
to stakes upon the shore, which hee had fastened for that
purpose; where the ship remained till our departure.
The third of November our boat with water, wood, and
as many as shee could carry, went for the
Isle of Penguins: but being deepe, she durst not proceed, but
returned againe the same night. Then Parker, Smith,
Townesend, Purpet, with five others, desired that they
might goe by land, and that the boate might fetch them
when they were against the Isle, it being scarce a mile
from the shore. The captaine bade them doe what they
thought best, advising them to take weapons with them:
for (sayd he) although we have not at any time seene
people in this place, yet in the countrey there may be
Savages. They answered, that here were great store of
Deere, and Ostriches; but if there were Salvages, they
would devoure them: notwithstanding the captaine caused
them to cary weapons, calievers, swordes, and targets:
so the sixt of November they departed by land, and the
bote by sea; but from that day to this day wee never
heard of our men. The 11 while most of our men were
at the Isle, onely the Captaine and Master with sixe
others being left in the ship, there came a great multitude of Salvages to the ship, throwing dust in the ayre,
leaping and running like brute beasts, having vizards on
their faces like dogs faces, or else their faces are dogs
faces indeed. We greatly feared least they would set our
ship on fire, for they would suddenly make fire, whereat
we much marvelled: they came to windward of our ship,
and set the bushes on fire, so that we were in a very
stinking smoke: but as soone as they came within our
shot, we shot at them, & striking one of them in the thigh
they all presently fled, so that we never heard nor saw
more of them. Hereby we judged that these Canibals had
slaine our 9 men. When we considered what they were
that thus were slaine, and found that they were the principall men that would have murthered our Captaine and
Master, with the rest of their friends, we saw the just
judgement of God, and made supplication to his divine
Majesty to be mercifull unto us. While we were in this
harborough, our Captaine and Master went with the boat
to discover how farre this river did run, that if neede
should enforce us to leave our ship, we might know how
farre we might go by water. So they found, that farther
than 20 miles they could not go with the boat. At their
returne they sent the boats to the
Isle of Penguins;
whereby wee understood that the Penguins dryed to our
hearts content, and that the multitude of them was infinite.
This Penguin hath the shape of a bird, but hath no wings,
only two stumps in the place of wings, by which he
swimmeth under water with as great swiftnes as any fish.
They live upon smelts, whereof there is great abundance
upon this coast: in eating they be neither fish nor flesh:
they lay great egs, and the bird is of a reasonable bignes,
very neere twise so big as a ducke. All the time that wee
were in this place, we fared passing well with egs, Penguins, yong Seales, young Gulles, besides other birds,
such as I know not: of all which we had great abundance.
In this place we found an herbe called Scurvygrasse,
which wee fried with egs, using traine oyle in stead of
butter. This herbe did so purge ye blood, that it tooke
away all kind of swellings, of which many died, & restored
us to perfect health of body, so that we were in as good
case as when we came first out of England
. We stayed
in this harbour until the 22 of December, in which time
we had dried 20000 Penguins; & the Captaine, the Master,
and my selfe had made some salt, by laying salt water
upon the rocks in holes, which in 6 daies would be kerned.
Thus God did feed us even as it were with Manna from
heaven.
The 22 of December we departed with our ship for the
Isle, where with great difficulty, by the skilful industry
of our Master we got 14000 of our birds, and had almost
lost our captaine in labouring to bring the birds aboord :
& had not our Master bene very expert in the set of those
wicked tides, which run after many fashions, we had also
lost our ship in the same place: but God of his goodnes
hath in all our extremities bene our protector. So the
22 at night we departed with 14000 dried Penguins, not
being able to fetch the rest, and shaped our course for
Brasil
. Nowe our captaine rated our victuals, and
brought us to such allowance, as that our victuals might
last sixe moneths; for our hope was, that within sixe
moneths we might recover our countrey, though our sailes
were very bad. So the allowance was two ounces & a
halfe of meale for a man a day, and to have so twise a
weeke, so that 5 ounces did serve for a weeke. Three
daies a weeke we had oile, three spoonfuls for a man a
day; and 2 dayes in a weeke peason, a pint betweene
4 men a day, and every day 5 Penguins for 4 men, and
6 quartes of water for 4 men a day. This was our allowance; wherewith (we praise God) we lived, though
weakly, and very feeble. The 30 of January we arrived
at the
Ile of Placencia in
Brasill, the first place that outward bound we were at: and having made the sholde, our
ship lying off at sea, the Captaine with 24 of the company
went with the boat on shore, being a whole night before
they could recover it. The last of January at sun-rising
they suddenly landed, hoping to take the Portugales in
their houses, & by that meanes to recover some Casavimeale, or other victuals for our reliefe: but when they
came to the houses, they were all razed, and burnt to the
ground, so that we thought no man had remained on the
Iland. Then the captaine went to the gardens, & brought
from thence fruits & roots for the company, and came
aboord the ship, and brought her into a fine creeke which
he had found out, where we might more her by the trees,
and where there was water, and hoopes to trim our caske.
Our case being very desperate, we presently laboured for
dispatch away; some cut hoopes, which the coopers made,
others laboured upon the sailes and ship, every man
travelling for his life, & still a guard was kept on shore
to defend those that laboured, every man having his
weapon like wise by him. The 3 of February our men
with 23 shot went againe to the gardens, being 3 miles
from us upon the North shore, and fetched Cazavi-roots
out of the ground, to relieve our company instead of
bread; for we spent not of our meale while we staied here.
The 5 of February being munday, our captaine and master
hasted the company to their labour; so some went with
the Coopers to gather hoopes, and the rest laboured
aboord. This night many of our men in the ship dreamed
of murther & slaughter: In the morning they reported
their dreames, one saying to another; this night I dreamt,
that thou wert slaine; another answered, and I dreamed,
that thou wert slaine: and this was general through the
ship. The captaine hearing this, who like wise had
dreamed very strangely himselfe, gave very streight
charge, that those which went on shore should take
weapons with them, and saw them himselfe delivered into
the boat, & sent some of purpose to guard the labourers.
All the forenoone they laboured in quietnesse, & when it
was ten of the clocke, the heat being extreme, they came
to a rocke neere the woods side (for al this countrey is
nothing but thick woods) and there they boyled Cazaviroots, & dined: after dinner some slept, some washed
themselves in the sea, all being stripped to their shirts, &
no man keeping watch, no match lighted, not a piece
charged. Suddenly as they were thus sleeping & sporting,
having gotten themselves into a corner out of sight of the
ship, there came a multitude of Indians & Portugales upon
them, and slew them sleeping: onely two escaped, one
very sore hurt, the other not touched, by whom we understood of this miserable massacre: with all speed we
manned our boat, & landed to succour our men; but we
found them slaine, & laied naked on a ranke one by
another, with their faces upward, and a crosse set by
them: and withall we saw two very great pinnesses come
from the river of Jenero very ful of men; whom we mistrusted came from thence to take us : because there came
from Jenero souldiers to Santos
, when the Generall had
taken the towne and was strong in it. Of 76 persons
which departed in our ship out of England
, we were now
left but 27, having lost 13 in this place, with their chiefe
furniture, as muskets, calivers, powder, & shot. Our
caske was all in decay, so that we could not take in more
water than was in our ship, for want of caske, and that
which we had was marvellous ill conditioned: and being
there mored by trees for want of cables and ankers, we
still expected the cutting of our morings, to be beaten
from our decks with our owne furniture, & to be assayled
by them of Jenero: what distresse we were now driven
into, I am not able to expresse. To depart with 8 tunnes
of water in such bad caske was to sterve at sea, & in
staying our case was ruinous. These were hard choises;
but being thus perplexed, we made choice rather to fall
into the hands of the Lord, then into the hands of men:
for his exceeding mercies we had tasted, & of the others
cruelty we were not ignorant. So concluding to depart,
the 6 of February we were off in the chanell, with our
ordinance & small shot in a readines, for any assalt that
should come, & having a small gale of winde, we recovered
the sea in most deepe distresse. Then bemoning our
estate one to another, and recounting over all our extremities, nothing grieved us more, then the losse of our men
twise, first by the slaughter of the Canibals at Port Desire,
and at this
Ile of Placencia by the Indians and Portugals.
And considering what they were that were lost, we found
that al those that conspired the murthering of our captaine
& master were now slain by salvages, the gunner only
excepted. Being thus at sea, when we came to cape Frio
,
the winde was contrary; so that 3 weekes we were grievously vexed with crosse windes, & our water consuming,
our hope of life was very small. Some desired to go to
Baya, & to submit themselves to the Portugales, rather
then to die for thirst: but the captaine with faire perswasions altered their purpose of yeelding to the Portugales. In this distresse it pleased God to send us raine
in such plenty, as that we were wel watered, & in good
comfort to returne. But after we came neere unto the
sun, our dried Penguins began to corrupt, and there bred
in them a most lothsome & ugly worme of an inch long.
This worme did so mightily increase, and devoure our
victuals, that there was in reason no hope how we should
avoide famine, but be devoured of these wicked creatures:
there was nothing that they did not devour, only yron
excepted: our clothes, boots, shooes, hats, shirts, stockings: and for the ship they did so eat the timbers, as that
we greatly feared they would undoe us, by gnawing
through the ships side. Great was the care and diligence
of our captaine, master, and company to consume these
vermine, but the more we laboured to kill them, the more
they increased; so that at the last we could not sleepe
for them, but they would eate our flesh, and bite like
Mosquitos. In this wofull case, after we had passed the
Equinoctiall toward the North, our men began to fall sick
of such a monstrous disease, as I thinke the like was never
heard of: for in their ankles it began to swell; from
thence in two daies it would be in their breasts, so that
they could not draw their breath, and then fell into their
cods; and their cods and yardes did swell most grievously,
and most dreadfully to behold, so that they could neither
stand, lie, nor goe. Whereupon our men grew mad with
griefe. Our captain with extreme anguish of his soule,
was in such wofull case, that he desired only a speedie
end, and though he were scarce able to speake for sorrow,
yet he perswaded them to patience, and to give God
thankes, & like dutifull children to accept of his chastisement. For all this divers grew raging mad, & some died
in most lothsome & furious paine. It were incredible to
write our misery as it was: there was no man in perfect
health, but the captaine & one boy. The master being a
man of good spirit with extreme labour bore out his griefe,
so that it grew not upon him. To be short, all our men
died except 16, of which there were but 5 able to moove.
The captaine was in good health, the master indifferent,
captaine Cotton and my selfe swolne and short winded, yet
better then the rest that were sicke, and one boy in health:
upon us 5 only the labour of the ship did stand. The
captaine and master, as occasion served, would take in,
and heave out the top-sailes, the master onely attended
on the sprit-saile, and all of us at the capsten without
sheats and tacks. In fine our miserie and weaknesse was
so great, that we could not take in, nor heave out a saile:
so our top-saile & sprit-sailes were torne all in pieces by
the weather. The master and captaine taking their turnes
at the helme, were mightily distressed and monstrously
grieved with the most wofull lamentation of our sick men.
Thus as lost wanderers upon the sea, the 11 of June 1593,
it pleased God that we arrived at
Bear-haven in Ireland
,
and there ran the ship on shore: where the Irish men
helped us to take in our sailes, and to more our ship for
flooting : which slender paines of theirs cost the captaine
some ten pounds before he could have the ship in safetie.
Thus without victuals, sailes, men, or any furniture God
onely guided us into Ireland
, where the captaine left the
master and three or foure of the company to keepe the
ship; and within 5 dayes after he and certaine others had
passage in an English fisher-boat to Padstow
in
Cornewall.
In this maner our small remnant by Gods onely mercie
were preserved, and restored to our countrey, to whom be
all honour and glory world without end.
