With a faire and large winde we continued our course, till we came
within five degrees of the equinoctiall lyne, where the winde tooke us
contrary by the south-west, about the twentie of Julie, but a fayre gale
of wind and a smooth sea, so that wee might beare all a taunt:[67] and
to advantage ourselves 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 serve God, which wee
accustomed to doe every morning and evening, it seemed unto 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. Whereunto 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 upon, and my selfe was
of the same opinion. And so wee applyed ourselves to serve God, but all
the time that the service endured, my heart could not be at rest, and
still me thought the water beganne to waxe whiter and whiter. Our
prayers ended, I commanded a lead and a lyne to be brought, and heaving
the lead in fourteene fathoms, wee had ground, which put us all into a
maze, and sending men into the toppe, presently discovered the land of
Guynne, some five leagues from us, very low land. I commanded a peece to
be shott, and lay by the lee, till my other shippes came up. Which
hayling us, wee demanded of them how farre they found themselves 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.