With my continuall travell, the helpe of my good friends, and excessive
charge (which none can easily beleeve, but those which have prooved it),
towardes the end of May, I was readie to set sayle with my three ships,
drawne out into the sound, and began to gather my company aboord.
The 28th of May (as I remember) began a storme of winde, westerly; the
two lesser shippes presently harboured themselves, and I gave order to
the master of the _Daintie_ (called Hugh Cornish), one of the most
sufficientest men of his coate, to bring her also into Catt-water, which
he laboured to doe; but being neere the mouth of the harbour, and
doubting least the anchor being weighed, the ship might cast the
contrary way, and so run on some perill, entertained himselfe a while in
laying out a warpe, and in the meane time, the wind freshing, and the
ship riding by one anchor, brake the flooke of it, and so forced them to
let fall another; by which, and by the warpe they [A cruell
storme.] had layd out, they rydd. The storme was such, as being within
hearing of those upon the shore, we were not able by any meanes to send
them succour, and the second day of the storme, desiring much to goe
aboord, there joined with me captaine William Anthony, captaine John
Ellis, [And therein the effects of courage and advice.] and
master Henry Courton, in a light horsman[24] which I had: all men
exercised in charge, and of valour and sufficiencie, and from their
youth bred up in businesse of the sea: which notwithstanding, and that
wee laboured what we could, for the space of two houres against waves
and wind, we could finde no possibilitie to accomplish our desire; which
seene, we went aboord the other shippes, and put them in the best
securitie wee could. Thus busied, we might see come driving by us the
mayne mast of the _Daintie_, which made me to feare the worst, and so
hasted a shore, to satisfie my longing.
And comming upon Catt-downe, wee might see the ship heave and sett,
which manifestly shewed the losse of the mast onely, which was well
imployed; for it saved the ship, men, and goods. For had shee driven a
ships length more, shee had (no doubt) beene cast away; and the men in
that place could not chuse but run into danger.
[The losse of the pynace.]
Comming to my house to shift me (for that we were all wett to the
skinne), I had not well changed my clothes, when a servant of mine, who
was in the pynace at my comming ashore, enters almost out of breath,
with newes, that shee was beating upon the rocks, which though I knew to
be remedilesse, I put my selfe in place where I might see her, and in a
little time after shee sunk downe right. These losses and mischances
troubled and grieved, but nothing daunted me; for common experience
taught me, that all honourable enterprises are accompanied with
difficulties and daungers; _Si fortuna me tormenta; Esperança me
contenta_:[25] of hard beginnings, many times come prosperous and happy
events. And although, a well-willing friend wisely foretold me them to
be presages of future bad successe, and so disswaded me what lay in him
with effectual reasons, from my pretence, yet the hazard of my credite,
and danger of disreputation, to take in hand that which I should not
prosecute by all meanes possible, was more powerfull to cause me to goe
forwardes, then his grave good counsell to make me desist. And so the
storme ceasing, I beganne to get in the _Daintie_, to mast her a-new,
and to recover the _Fancy_, my pynace, which, with the helpe and
furtherance of my wives father, who supplyed all my wants, together with
my credit (which I thanke God was unspotted), in ten dayes put all in
his former estate, or better. And so once againe, in Gods name, I
brought my shippes out into the sound, the wind being easterly, and
beganne to take my leave of my friends, and of my dearest friend, my
second selfe, whose unfeyned teares had wrought me into irresolution,
and sent some other in my roome, had I not considered that he that is in
the daunce, must needs daunce on, though he doe but hopp, except he will
be a laughing stocke to all the lookers on: so remembering that many had
their eyes set upon me, with diverse affections, as also the hope of
good successe (my intention being honest and good), I shut the doore to
all impediments, and mine eare to all contrary counsell, and gave place
to voluntary banishment from all that I loved and esteemed in this life,
with hope thereby better to serve my God, my prince, and countrie, then
to encrease my tallent any way.[26]
[Abuses of some sea-faring men.]
And so began to gather my companie aboord, which occupied my good
friends and the justices of the towne two dayes, and forced us to search
all lodgings, tavernes, and ale-houses. (For some would be ever taking
their leave and never depart):[27] some drinke themselves so drunke,
that except they were carried aboord, they of themselves were not able
to goe one steppe: others, knowing the necessity of the time, fayned
themselves sicke: others, to be indebted to their hostes, and forced me
to ransome them; one, his chest; another, his sword; another, his
shirts; another, his carde[28] and instruments for sea: and others, to
benefit themselves of the imprest given them, absented themselves,
making a lewd living in deceiving all, whose money they could lay hold
of; which is a scandall too rife amongst our sea-men; by it they
committing three great offences: 1, Robbery of the goods of another
person; 2, breach of their faith and promise; 3, and hinderance (with
losse of time) unto the voyage; all being a common injury to the owners,
victuallers, and company; which many times hath beene an utter overthrow
and undoing to all in generall. An abuse in our common-wealth
necessarily to be reformed; and as a person that hath both seene, and
felt by experience, these inconveniences, I wish it to be remedied; for,
I can but wonder, that the late lord high admirall of England, the late
Earle of Cumberland; and the Lord Thomas Howard, now Earle of Suffolke,
being of so great authoritie, having to their cost and losse so often
made experience of the inconveniences of these lewd proceedings, have
not united their goodnesses and wisedomes to redress this dis-loyall and
base absurditie of the vulgar.[29]
[Master Thomas Candish.]
Master Thomas Candish,[30] in his last voyage, in the sound of
Plimmouth, being readie to set sayle, complained unto me, that persons
which had absented themselves in imprests, had cost him above a
thousand and five hundred pounds: these varlets, within a few dayes
after his departure, I saw walking the streets of Plimouth, whom the
justice had before sought for with great diligence; and without
punishment. And therefore it is no wonder that others presume to doe the
like. _Impunitas peccandi illecebra._
[Master George Reymond.]
The like complaint made master George Reymond; and in what sort they
dealt with me is notorious, and was such, that if I had not beene
provident to have had a third part more of men then I had need of, I had
beene forced to goe to the sea unmanned; or to give over my voyage. And
many of my company, at sea, vaunted how they had cosoned the Earle of
Cumberland, master Candish, master Reymond, and others; some of five
poundes, some of ten, some of more, and some of lesse. And truely, I
thinke, my voyage prospered the worse, for theirs and other lewd persons
company, which were in my ship; which, I thinke, might be redressed by
some extraordinary, severe, and present justice, to be executed on the
offenders by the justice in that place where they should be found. And
for finding them, it were good that all captaines, and masters of
shippes, at their departure out of the port, should give unto the head
justice, the names and signes of all their runnawayes, and they
presently to dispatch to the nigher ports the advise agreeable, where
meeting with them, without further delay or processe, to use martial law
upon them. Without doubt, seeing the law once put in execution, they and
all others would be terrified from such villanies.
[The inconvenience of imprests.]
It might be remedied also by utter taking away of all imprests, which is
a thing lately crept into our common-wealth, and in my opinion, of much
more hurt then good unto all; and although my opinion seeme harsh, it
being a deed of charitie to helpe the needy (which I wish ever to be
exercised, and by no meanes will contradict), yet for that such as goe
to the sea (for the most part) consume that money lewdly before they
depart (as common experience teacheth us): and when they come from sea,
many times come more beggerly home then when they went forth, having
received and spent their portion before they imbarked themselves; and
having neither rent nor maintenance more then their travell, to sustaine
themselves, are forced to theeve, to cozen, or to runne away in debt.
Besides, many times it is an occasion to some to lye upon a voyage a
long time; whereas, if they had not that imprest, they might perhaps
have gayned more in another imployment, and have beene at home agayne,
to save that which they waite for. For these, and many more weightie
reasons, I am still bold, to maintaine my former assertions.
[The true use of imprests.]
Those onely used in his majesties shippes I comprehend not in this my
opinion: neither the imprests made to married men, which would be given
to their wives monethly in their absence, for their reliefe. For that is
well knowne, that all which goe to the sea now a-dayes, are provided of
foode, and house-roome, and all things necessary, during the time of
their voyage; and, in all long voyages, of apparell also: so that
nothing is to be spent during the voyage. That money which is wont to be
cast away in imprestes, might be imployed in apparell, and necessaries
at the sea, and given to those that have need, at the price it was
bought, to be deducted out of their shares or wages at their returne,
which is reasonable and charitable. This course taken, if any would
runne away, in God’s name fare him well.
Some have a more colourable kinde of cunning to abuse men, and to
sustaine themselves. Such will goe to sea with all men, and goe never
from the shore. For as long as boord wages last, they are of the
company, but those taking end, or the ship in readinesse, they have one
excuse or other, and thinke themselves no longer bound, but whilst they
receive money, and then plucke their heads out of the coller. An abuse
also worthie to be reformed.[31]