Betwixt twenty-six and twenty-seven degrees neere the [Santa
Catalina.] coast lyeth an iland; the Portingalls call it Santa Catalina,
which is a reasonable harbour, and hath good refreshing of wood, water,
and fruit. It is desolate, and serveth for those who trade from Brasill
to the river of Plate, or from the river to Brasill, as an inne, or
bayting place.[142]
[Variation of the compasse.]
In our navigation towards the Straites, by our observation wee found,
that our compasse varyed a poynt and better to the eastwards. And for
that divers have written curiously and largely of the variation thereof,
I referre them that desire the understanding of it, to the _Discourse_
of Master William Aborrawh, and others; for it is a secret, whose causes
well understood are of greatest moment in all navigations.[143]
In the height of the river of Plate, we being some fiftie leagues off
the coast, a storme took us southerly, which endured fortie-eight
houres.[144] In the first day, about the going downe of the sunne,
Robert Tharlton, master of the _Fancie_, bare up before the wind,
without giving us any token or signe that shee was in distresse. We
seeing her to continue her course, bare up after her, and the night
comming on, we carried our light; but shee never answered us; for they
kept their course directly for England, which [The overthrow
of the voyage.] was the overthrow of the voyage, as well for that we had
no pynace to goe before us, to discover any danger, to seeke out roades
and anchoring, to helpe our watering and refreshing; as also for the
victuals, necessaries, and men which they carryed away with them: which
though they were not many, yet with their helpe in our fight, we had
taken the Vice-Admirall, the first time shee bourded with us, as shall
be hereafter manifested. For once we cleered her decke, and had we beene
able to have spared but a dozen men, doubtlesse we had done with her
what we would; for shee had no close fights.[145]
[The cause.]
Moreover, if shee had beene with me, I had not beene discovered upon
the coast of Perew. But I was worthy to be deceived, that trusted my
ship in the hands of an hypocrite, and a man which had left his generall
before in the [Infidelitie.] like occasion, and in the selfe-same place;
for being with Master Thomas Candish, master of a small ship in the
voyage wherein he dyed, this captaine being aboord the Admirall, in the
night time forsooke his fleet, his generall and captaine, and returned
home.
This bad custome is too much used amongst sea-men, and worthy to be
severely punished; for doubtlesse the not punishing of those offenders
hath beene the prime cause of many lamentable events, losses, and
overthrowes, to the dishonour of our nation, and frustrating of many
good and honourable enterprises.
[Discipline of the Spanish.]
In this poynt of dicipline, the Spaniards doe farre surpasse us; for
whosoever forsaketh his fleete, or commander, is not onely severely
punished, but deprived also of all charge or government for ever after.
This in our countrie is many times neglected; for that there is none to
follow the cause, the principalls being either dead with griefe, or
drowned in the gulfe of povertie, and so not able to wade through with
the burthen of that suite, which in Spaine is prosecuted by the kings
atturney, or fiscall; or at least, a judge appoynted for determining
that cause purposely.
[The only cause of their prosperities.]
Yea, I cannot attribute the good successe the Spaniard hath had in his
voyages and peoplings, to any extraordinary vertue more in him then in
any other man, were not discipline, patience, and justice far superior.
For in valour, experience, and travell, he surpasseth us not; in
shipping, preparation, and plentie of vitualls, hee commeth not neere
us; in paying and rewarding our people, no nation did goe beyond us: but
God, who is a just and bountifull rewarder, regarding obedience farre
above sacrifice, doubtlesse, in recompence of their indurance,
resolution, and subjection to commandment, bestoweth upon them the
blessing due unto it. And this, not for that the Spaniard is of a more
tractable disposition, or more docible nature than wee, but that justice
halteth with us, and so the old proverbe is verified, _Pittie marreth
the whole cittie_.
Thus come we to be deprived of the sweet fruit, which the rod of
dicipline bringeth with it, represented unto us in auncient verses,
which as a relique of experience I have heard in my youth recorded by a
wise man, and a great captaine, thus:
The rod by power divine, and earthly regall law,
Makes good men live in peace, and bad to stand in awe:
For with a severe stroke the bad corrected be,
Which makes the good to joy such justice for to see;
The rod of dicipline breeds feare in every part,
Reward by due desert doth joy and glad the heart.
[The cunning of runnawayes.]
These absentings and escapes are made most times onely to pilfer and
steale, as well by taking of some prise when they are alone, and without
commaund, to hinder or order their bad proceedings, as to appropriate
that which is in their intrusted ship; casting the fault, if they be
called to account, upon some poore and unknowne mariners, whom they
suffer with a little pillage to absent themselves, the cunninglier to
colour their greatest disorders, and robberies.
[And ignoble captaines.]
For doubtlesse, if he would, hee might have come unto us with great
facilitie; because within sixteene houres the storme ceased, and the
winde came fayre, which brought us to the Straites, and dured many days
after with us at north-east. This was good for them, though naught for
us: if he had perished any mast or yard, sprung any leake, wanted
victuals, or instruments for finding us, or had had any other impediment
of importance, hee might have had some colour to cloake his
lewdnes:[146] but his masts and yards being sound, his shippe staunch
and loaden with victuales for two yeares at the least, and having order
from place to place, where to finde us, his intention is easily seene
to bee bad, and his fault such, as worthily deserved to bee made
[Verified at their returne.] exemplary unto others. Which he
manifested at his returne, by his manner of proceeding, making a spoyle
of the prise hee tooke in the way homewards, as also of that which was
in the ship, putting it into a port fit for his purpose, where he might
have time and commodity to doe what hee would.
Wee made account that they had beene swallowed up of the sea, for we
never suspected that anything could make them forsake us; so, we much
lamented them. The storme ceasing, and being out of all hope, we set
sayle and went [Birds like swans.] on our course. During this storme,
certaine great fowles, as big as swannes, soared about us, and the winde
calming, setled themselves in the sea, and fed upon the sweepings of our
ship; which I perceiving, and desirous to see of them, because they
seemed farre [Caught with line and hooke.] 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, and 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 us,
and one of the fowles being hungry, presently seized upon it, and the
hooke in his upper 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 gave them with his pinnions, as
both left their hand-fast, being beaten blacke and blewe; we cast a
snare about his necke, and so tryced him into the ship.
[Prove good refreshment.]
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.[147]
They were of two colours, some white, some gray; they had three joynts
in each wing; and from the poynt of one wing to the poynt of the other,
both stretched out, was above two fathomes.
The wind continued good with us, till we came to forty-nine degrees and
thirty minutes, where it tooke us westerly, being, as we made our
accompt, some fiftie leagues from the shore. Betwixt forty-nine and
forty-eight degrees, is Port Saint Julian, a good harbour, and in which
a man may grave his ship, though shee draw fifteene or sixteene foote
water: but care is to be had of the people called Pentagones. They
[Care of the Pentagones.] are treacherous, and of great
stature, so the most give them the name of gyants.[148]
The second of February, about nine of the clocke in the morning, we
discryed land, which bare south-west of us, which wee looked not for so
timely; and comming neerer and neerer unto it, by the lying, wee could
not conjecture what land it should be; for we were next of anything in
forty-eight 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
discoverd well neere threescore leagues of the coast. It is bold, and
made small shew of dangers.
[A description of the unknowne land.]
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 [A caveat for comming suddenly too
neere an unknowne land.] the Straites, and the want of our pynace
disabled us for finding a port or roade; not being discretion with a
ship of charge, and in an unknowne coast, to come neere the shore before
it was sounded; which were causes, together with the change of winde
(good for us to passe the Straite), that hindered the further discovery
of this land, with its secrets: this I have sorrowed for many times
since, for that it had likelihood to be an excellent country. 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: [Sidenote:
Poynt Tremountaine.] bringing it more westerly, they shoot themselves
all into one; and bringing it easterly, it riseth in two hillocks. This
we call poynt Tremountaine. Some twelve or foureteene leagues from this
poynt to the east-wardes, fayre by the shore, lyeth a low flat iland of
some two [Fayre Iland.] leagues long; we named it Fayre Iland;
for 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 adjacent. 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 under all her sayles; but after, as we
came neere, it discovered it selfe to be a rocke, which [Sidenote:
Condite head.] 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
mistres, and a maiden Queene, and at my cost and adventure, in a
perpetuall memory of her chastitie, and remembrance of my endeavours,
[Hawkins maiden-land.] I gave it the name of HAWKINS _maiden-land_.[149]
[Bedds of oreweed with white flowers.]
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 upon 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 wind, we shaped our course [Our
comming to the Straites.] 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 selves
to be, which was in fifty two degrees and fortie minutes.
Within a few houres we had the mouth of the Straites open, which lyeth
in fifty-two degrees, and fifty minutes. 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 give it a fayre birth; within a few
houres we entred the mouth of the Straites, which is some six leagues
broad, and lyeth in fifty-two degrees, and fifty 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 upon the
beach. It was of the Spanish fleete, that went to inhabite there, in
anno 1582, under the charge of Pedro Sarmiento,[150] who at his returne
was taken prisoner, and brought into England.
[Pedro Sarmiento buildeth San-Philip.]
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, with 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 upon one poynt, sometimes upon
another) which is some eight leagues long, and lyeth west north-west.
From this we entred into a goodly bay, which runneth up 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 fourteene or fifteene
leagues lyeth one of the narrowest places of all the Straites; this
leadeth unto another reach, that lyeth west and by north some six
leagues.
Here, in the middle of the reach, the wind tooke us 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 us, 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 [Note.] foure leagues
southwest 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 have sholding off them, and are somewhat
dangerous. [The ilands of Pengwins.] These ilands have 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 larboord side; from which land to the bigger iland is, as it
were, a bridge or ledge, on which is foure or five fathome water; and to
him that commeth neere it, not knowing thereof, may justly cause feare;
for it showeth to be shold water with his rypling, like unto a
race.[151]
Betwixt the former reach, and these ilands, runneth up a goodly bay into
the country to the north-wards. It causeth a great indraught, and above
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, under the lee of the bigger
iland, we anchored, the wind being at north-east, with intent to refresh
ourselves with the fowles of these ilands. [Good provision in
the Straites.] They are of divers sorts, and in great plentie, as
pengwins, wilde duckes, gulles, and gannets; of the principall we
purposed to make provisions, and those were the pengwins; which in
Welsh, as I have 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 unto the Spaniards, at their first comming, that his auncestors
came from a farre countrie, and were white people. Which, conferred with
an auncient cronicle, that I have read many yeares since, may be
conjectured 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 description of the pengwin.]
The pengwin is in all proportion like unto a goose, and hath no
feathers, but a certaine doune upon all parts of his body, and therefore
cannot fly, 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 upon grasse.
They harbour themselves under the ground in burrowes, as the connies,
and in them hatch their young. All parts of the iland where they haunted
were undermined, save onely one valley, which it seemeth they reserved
for their foode; for it was as greene 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 salted some dozen or sixteen hogsheads, which served us,
whilest they lasted, in steede of powdred beefe.[152]
[Hunting the pengwin.]
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 undermined, at unawares it fayled, and as they ran after
them, one fell here, another there; another, offering to strike at one,
lifting up his hand, sunke upp to the arme-pits in the earth; another,
leaping to avoyd one hole, fell into another. And after the first
slaughter, in seeing us on the shore, they shunned us, and procured to
recover the sea; yea, many times seeing themselves persecuted, they
would tumble downe from such high rocks and 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, save such as by chance hid themselves in the borrowes; and
ordinarily there was no drove which yeelded us not a thousand and more:
the maner of killing them which the hunters used, being in a cluster
together, was with their cudgels to knocke them on the head; for though
a man gave them many blowes on the body, they died not; besides, the
flesh bruised is not good to keepe. The massaker ended, presently they
cut off their heads, that they might bleede [The keeping for
store.] well: such as we determined to keepe for store, wee saved in
this maner. First, we split them, and then washed them well in sea
water, then salted them: having layne some sixe howres in salt, wee put
them in presse eight howres, and the blood being soaked out, we salted
them againe in our other caske, as is the custome to salt beefe; after
this maner they continued good some two moneths, and served us in stead
of beefe.
[The gulls.]
The gulls and gannets were not in so great quantitie, yet we wanted not
young gulles to eate all the time of our stay about these ilands. It was
one of the delicatest foodes that I have eaten in all my life.
[Ducks.]
The ducks are different to ours, and nothing so good meate; yet they may
serve for necessitie. They were many, and had a part of the iland to
themselves severall, which was the highest hill, and more then a musket
shott over.
In all the dayes of my life, I have not seene greater art and curiositie
in creatures voyd of reason, then in the placing and making of their
nestes; all the hill being so full of them, that the greatest
mathematician of the world could not devise how to place one more then
there was upon the hill, leaving onely one path-way for a fowle to passe
betwixt.
The hill was all levell, as if it had beene smoothed by art; the nestes
made onely of earth, and seeming to be of the selfe same mould; for the
nests and the soyle is all one, which, with water that they bring in
their beakes, they make into clay, or a certaine dawbe, and after
fashion them round, as with a compasse. In the bottome they containe
the measure of a foote; in the height about eight inches; and in the
toppe, the same quantitie over; there they are hollowed in, somewhat
deepe, wherein they lay their eggs, without other prevention. And I am
of opinion that the sunne helpeth them to hatch their young: their nests
are for many yeares, and of one proportion, not one exceeding another in
bignesse, in height, nor circumference; and in proportionable distance
one from another. In all this hill, nor in any of their nestes, was to
be found a blade of grasse, a straw, a sticke, a feather, a moate, no,
nor the filing of any fowle, but all the nestes and passages betwixt
them, were so smooth and cleane, as if they had beene newly swept and
washed.
All which are motives to prayse and magnifie the universall Creator, who
so wonderfully manifesteth his wisedome, bountie, and providence in all
his creatures, and especially for his particular love to ingratefull
mankinde, for whose contemplation and service he hath made them all.