clocke wee espied a Caruell of 60. tunne which was fishing, and we sent our
Skiffe to him with fiue men, and all without any weapon sauing their Oares.
[Sidenote: A Caruell taken.] The Caruell for haste let slippe her ancre,
and set saile; and they seeing that, fearing that they should not fetch
her, would tarry for no weapons, and in the ende ouertooke the Caruel, and
made her to strike saile, and brought her away, although they had
foureteene or fifteene men aboord, and euery man his weapon, but they had
not the hearts to resist our men. After they were come to vs, they let fall
their ancre, for wee had cast ancre because the winde was not good: I
caused then the Skiffe to come for mee, and I went aboorde of them to see
that no harme should bee done to them, nor to take any thing but that which
they might spare vs for our money. [Sidenote: Great store of fish vpon the
coast of Barbary.] So wee tooke of them 3. Tapnets of figges, two small
pots of oyle, two pipes of water, foure hogsheads of saltfish which they
had taken vpon the coast, and certaine fresh fish which they did not
esteeme, because there is such store vpon that coast, that in an houre and
sometime lesse, a man may take as much fish as will serue twentie men a
day. For these things, and for some wine which wee dranke aboord of them,
and three or foure great Cannes which they sent aboord of our shippes, I
payed them twentie and seuen Pistoles, which was twise as much as they
willingly would haue taken: and so let them goe to their ancre and cable
which they had let slippe, and got it againe by our helpe. After this wee
set saile, but the winde caused vs to ancre againe about twelue leagues off
the riuer del Oro, as the Portugals tolde vs. There were fiue Caruels more
in this place, but when they sawe vs, they made all away for feare of vs.
The 15. day we ridde still because of the winde.
[Sidenote: The Tropike of Cancer in 23. and a halfe.] The 16. day we set
saile and ranne our course 40. leagues. This day, by the reckoning of our
Pilots, we were right vnder the Tropike of Cancer. The 17. we ranne 25.
leagues within sight for the most part of the coast of Barbary.
The 18. day wee ranne thirtie leagues, and at twelue of the clocke by the
reckoning of our Pilots we were thwart of Cape Blanke.
The 22. day our Pilots reckoned vs to be thwart Cape Verde.
[Sidenote: The coast of Guinea.] The 12. day of December we had sight of
land of Guinea, which as soone as we saw we halled into the land Northeast,
and about 12. of the clocke at night we were neere the shoare within lesse
then 2. leagues: and then we kept about and sounded, and found 18. fadom
water. Afterwards we saw a light towards the shoare, which we thought to
haue bene a ship, and thereby iudged it to be the riuer de Sestos, which
light as soone as we espied, we came to an anker and armed our tops, and
made all things ready to fight, because we doubted that it might be some
Portugal or French man: this night we remained at an anker, but in the
morning we saw no man, only we espied 4. rockes about 2. English miles from
vs, one great rocke, and the 3. other smal ones, which when we sawe, we
supposed that the light came from the shore, and so wayed, and set saile
East Southeast along the shoare, because the Master did not well know the
place, but thought that we were not so farre to the East as the riuer de
Sestos.
This land all along is a low land, and full of very high trees all along
the shoare, so that it is not possible to know the place that a man doth
fall withall, except it be by the latitude. In these 24. houres I thinke we
ran 16. leagues, for all the night we had a great gale as we were vnder
saile, and had withall store of thunder and lightnings.
The 13. day for the most part we ran East Southeast all along the shoare,
within two leagues alwayes of the same, and found the land all as at the
first, ful of woods and great rocks hard aboord the shoare, and the billow
beating so sore, that the seas brake vpon the shoare as white as snow, and
the water mounted so high that a man might easily discerne it 4. leagues
off, in such wise that no boate could land there. Thus we ran vntil 12. of
the clocke, and then they tooke the Sunne and after iudged themselues to be
24. leagues past the riuer de Sestos to the Eastwards, by reason whereof we
halled into the shoare within two English miles, and there ancred and found
fifteene fadom water, and all off from the shoare the sea so smooth, that
we might wel haue rid by an Hawser. All that after-noone we trimmed our
boate and made her a saile, to the ende that she might go along by the
shoore to seeke some place to water in: for wee could not goe back againe
to the riuer de Sestos, because the winde blowes alwayes contrary, and the
Currant runneth alwayes to the Eastwards, which was also against vs.
The 14. day we set saile and went back againe along the coast, and sent our
boats hard aboord the shoare to seeke a watering place, which they found
about 12. of the clock, and we being farre into the sea, met with diuers
boats of the Countrey, small, long and narrow, and in euery boate one man
and no more: we gaue them bread which they did eat, and were very glad of
it. About 4. of the clocke our boats came to vs with fresh water: and this
night we ankered against a Riuer.
The 15. day we wayed and set saile to goe neere the shoare, and with our
leade wee sounded all the way, and found sometimes rockes, and sometimes
faire ground, and at the shallowest found 7. fadoms alwayes at the least.
So in fine we found 7. fadom and a halfe within an English mile of the
shoare, and there we ankered in a maner before the mouth of the Riuer, and
then wee sent our boats into the Riuer for water, which went about a mile
within the Riuer, where they had very good water. [Sidenote: Riuer S.
Vincent.] This Riuer lieth by estimation 8. leagues beyond the Riuer de
Sestos, and is called in the Carde Riuer S. Vincent, but it is so hard to
finde, that a boat being within halfe a mile of it shall not be able to
discerne that it is a Riuer: by reason that directly before the mouth of it
there lyeth a ledge of rockes, which is much broader then the Riuer, so
that a boate must runne in along the shoare a good way betwixt the rockes
and the shoare before it come to the mouth of the Riuer, and being within
it, it is a great Riuer and diuers other Riuers fall into it: The going
into it is somewhat ill, because that at the entring the seas doe goe
somewhat high, but being once within it, it is as calme as the Thames.
[Sidenote: Cloth made of the barke of trees.] There are neere to the sea
vpon this Riuer diuers inhabitants, which are mighty bigge men and go al
naked except some thing before their priuie parts, which is like a clout
about a quarter of a yard long made of the barke of trees, and yet it is
like a cloth: for the barke is of that nature, that it will spin small
after the maner of linnen. [Sidenote: The Negroes race their skinnes.] Some
of them also weare the like vpon their heades being painted with diuers
colours, but the most part of them go bare headed, and their heads are
clipped and shorne of diuers sorts, and the most part of them haue their
skin of their bodies raced with diuers workes, in maner of a leather
Ierkin. The men and women goe so alike, that one cannot know a man from a
woman but by their breastes, which in the most part be very foule and long,
hanging downe like the vdder of a goate.
The same morning we went into the Riuer with our Skiffe, and caried
certaine basons, manels, &c. [Sidenote: Graines of Guinea.] And there we
tooke that day one hogs-head and 100 li. waight of Graines, and two
Elephants teeth at a reasonable good reckoning. We solde them both basons,
and Manellios, and Margarits, but they desired most to haue basons: For the
most part of our basons wee had by estimation about 30. li. for a piece,
and for an Elephants tooth of 30. li. waight, we gaue them 6.
The 16. day in the morning we went into the riuer with our Skiffe, and
tooke some of euery sort of our marchandize with vs, and shewed it to the
Negroes, but they esteemed it not, but made light of it, and also of the
basons, Manellios and Margarits, which yesterday they did buy: howbeit for
the basons they would haue giuen vs some graines, but to no purpose, so
that this day wee tooke not by estimation aboue one hundreth pound waight
of Graines, by meanes of their Captaine, who would suffer no man to sell
any thing but through his hands, and at his price: he was so subtile, that
for a bason hee would not giue 15. pound waight of Graines, and sometimes
would offer vs smal dishfuls whereas before wee had baskets full, and when
he saw that wee would not take them in contentment, the Captaine departed,
and caused all the rest of the boates to depart, thinking belike that wee
would haue followed them, and haue giuen them their owne askings.
[Sidenote: The description of their townes and houses.] But after that we
perceiued their fetch, wee wayed our Grapnel and went away, and then wee
went on land into a small Towne to see the fashions of the Countrey, and
there came a threescore of them about vs, and at the first they were afraid
of vs, but in the end perceiuing that wee did no hurt, they would come to
vs and take vs by the hand and be familiar with vs, and then we went into
their Townes, which were like to twentie small houels, all couered ouer
with great leaues and baggage, and all the sides open, and a scaffolde
vnder the house about a yarde high, where they worke many pretie things of
the barkes of trees, and there they lye also. In some of their houses they
worke yron and make faire dartes, and diuers other things to worke their
boates, and other things withall, and the women worke as well as the men.
But when wee were there diuers of the women to shew vs pleasure danced and
sung after their maner, full ill to our eares. Their song was thus:
Sakere, sakere, ho, ho. Sakere, sakore, ho, ho.
And with these words they leape and dance, and clap their hands. Beastes we
could see none that they had, but two goates, small dogges, and small
hennes: other beastes we saw none. After that we had well marked all things
we departed and went aboord our ships: which thing the Captaine of the
other towne perceiuing, sent two of his seruants in a boat with a basket of
Graines, and made vs signes that if when wee had slept wee would come
againe into their riuer, wee should haue store of Graines, and so shewed vs
his Graines and departed.
The 17. day in the morning because we thought that the Negroes would haue
done something because the Captaine sent for vs, I required the Master to
goe on shoare, and sent the rest of our Marchants with him, and taried
aboord my selfe by reason that the last day he esteemed our things so
litle: so when the Master and the rest came into the riuer, the captaine
with diuers others came to them, and brought Graines with them, and after
that he saw that I was not there, he made signes to know where I was, and
they made signes to him againe that I was in the ships: [Sidenote: Diago
the name of a Captaine.] and then hee made signes to know who was Captaine
by name of Diago, for so they call their Captaine, and they pointed to the
master of the ship: then he began to shew his Graines, but he held them so
vnreasonably, that there was no profit to be made of them: which things the
Master perceiuing, and seeing that they had no store of Graines, came away,
and tooke not aboue 50. pound waight of Graines. Then he went a shoare to
the litle Towne where we were the day before, and one of them plucked a
Gourd, wherewith the Negroes were offended, and came many of them to our
men with their darts and great targets, and made signes to them to depart:
which our men did, hauing but one bow and two or three swords, and went
aboord the boate and came away from them: and assoone as they were come
aboord we wayed and set saile, but the winde was off the Sea, so that we
could not get out cleare of certaine rocks, and therefore we came to an
ancre againe.
[Sidenote: The latitude of S. Vincent riuer is 4. degrees and a halfe.]
This riuer is called Riuer S. Vincent, standing in 4. degrees and a halfe,
and ebbeth and floweth there every 12. houres, but not much water when it
ebbeth the most: while wee were there, it ebbeth one fadome and a halfe
water.
[Sidenote: Leaues of exceeding length.] This countrey as farre as we could
perceiue is altogether woody, and al strange trees, whereof wee knewe none,
and they were of many sorts, with great leaues like great dockes, which bee
higher then any man is able to reach the top of them.
[Sidenote: Long pease stalkes.] There are certaine peason by the Sea side,
which grow vpon great and very long stalkes, one of the stalkes I measured
and found it 27. paces long, and they grow vpon the sand like to trees, and
that so neere the Sea, that sometimes the Sea floweth into the woods as we
might perceiue by the water markes.
[Sidenote: Long womens breasts.] The trees and all things in this place
grow continually greene. Diuers of the women haue such exceeding long
breasts, that some of them wil lay the same vpon the ground and lie downe
by them, but all the women haue not such breasts.
At this place all the day the winde bloweth off the Sea, and all the night
off the land, but wee found it to differ sometimes, which our Master
marueiled at.
This night at 9. of the clocke the winde came vp at the East, which
ordinarily about that time was wont to come out of the North Northwest off
the shoare: yet we wayed and halled off South with that winde all night
into the Sea, but the next morning we halled in againe to the lande, and
tooke in 6. Tunnes of water for our ship, and I thinke the Hinde tooke in
as much.
I could not perceiue that here was any gold, or any other good thing: for
the people be so wilde and idle, that they giue themselues to seeke out
nothing: if they would take paines they might gather great store of
graines, but in this place I could not perceiue two Tunne.
There are many foules in the Countrey, but the people will not take the
paines to take them.
I obsetued some of their words of speach, which I thought good here to set
downe.
Bezow, bezow, Is their salutation.
Manegete afoye, Graines ynough.
Crocow, afoye, Hennes ynough.
Zeramme, afoye, Haue ynough.
Begge sacke Giue me a knife.
Begge come, Giue me bread
Borke, Holde your peace.
Coutrecke. Ye lye.
Veede, Put foorth, or emptie.
Brekeke, Rowe.
Diago, Their Captaine, and some
call him Dabo.
These and other wordes they speake very thicke, and oftentimes recite one
word three times together, and at the last time longer then at the two
first.
The 18. day towards night, as we were sailing along the coast, we met with
certaine boats in the sea, and the men shewed vs that there was a riuer
thwart of vs, where there were Graines to be sold, but we thought it not
good to tary there, least the other ships should get before vs. This riuer
hath lying before it three great rockes, and 5. small rocks, one great
tree, and a little tree right by the riuer, which in height exceeded all
the rest: we halled this night along the coast 16. leagues.
The 19. day as we coasted the shoare, about twelue of the clocke there came
out to vs 3. boates to tell vs that they had graines, and brought some with
them for a shew, but we could not tary there. We proceeded along the coast,
and ancred by the shore all the night, and ran this day 10. leagues.
The 20. day the Hinde hauing ankered by vs amongst rockes, and foule
gronnd, lost a small anker. At noone, as we passed along the coast, there
came forth a Negro to vs, making signes, that if we would goe a shoare, wee
should haue Graines, and where wee ankered at night, there came another to
vs, and brought Graines, and shewed vs them, and made signes that wee
should tary, and made a fire vpon the land in the night, meaning thereby to
tell vs where we should land, and so they did in diuers other places vpon
the coast, where they saw vs to anker. [Sidenote: The tides and nature of
the shore.] In al the places where we haue ancred, since we came from our
watring place, we haue found the tide alwayes running to the Westwards, and
all along the coast many rockes hard aboord the shoare, and many of them a
league off the shoare or more, we ran this day 12. leagues.
The 21 day, although we ranne all day with a good gale of winde, yet the
tides came so sore out of the coast, that we were not able to runne aboue
sixe leagues: and this day there came some Negroes to vs, as there had done
other times.
The 22. wee ranne all day and night to double a point, called Das Palmas,
and ranne sixteene leagues.
The 23. day about 3. of the clocke we were thwart of the point, and before
we came to the Westermost part of it, we saw a great ledge of rocks, which
lie West from the Cape about 3. leagues and a league or more from the land.
Shortly after we had sight of the Eastermost part of the Cape, which lieth
4. leagues from the Westermost part, and vpon the very corner thereof lie
two greene places, as it were closes, and to the Westwards of the Cape the
land parted from the Cape, as it were a Bay, whereby it may well be knowen.
Foure leagues more beyonde that there lieth a head-land in the sea, and
about two leagues beyond the head-land there goeth in a great Bay, as it
were a riuer, before which place we ankered all that night, which wee did,
least in the night wee should ouerrunne a riuer where the last yeere they
had all their Elephants teeth. [Sidenote: That was the yeere 1554.]
This Cape Das palmas lieth vnder foure degrees and a halfe, and betwixt the
said Cape, and the riuer de Sestos is the greatest store of Graines to be
had, and being past the said Cape there is no great store else where.
Where we ankered this night, we found that the tide, which before ran
alwayes to the Westward, from this Cape runneth all to the Eastward: this
day we ranne some 16. leagues.
The 24. day running our course, about eight of the clock there came forth
to vs certaine boats, which brought with them small egges, which were soft
without shels, and they made vs signes, that there was within the land
fresh water, and Goates: and the Master thinking that it was the riuer
which we sought, cast ancker and sent the boate on shoare, with one that
knew the riuer, and comming neere the shoare, hee perceiued that it was not
the riuer, and so came backe againe, and went along the shoare, with their
oares and saile, and wee weyed and ranne along the shoare also: and being
thirteene leagues beyond the Cape, the Master perceiued a place which he
iudged to be the riuer, when wee were in deede two miles shot past it: yet
the boate came from the shoare, and they that were in her saide, that there
was no riuer: notwithstanding wee came to an ancker, and the Master and I
tooke fiue men with vs in the boat, and when hee came neere the shoare, hee
perceiued that it was the same riuer which hee did seeke: so we rowed in,
and found the entrance very ill, by reason that the sea goeth so high: and
being entred, diuers boats came to vs, and shewed vs that they had
Elephants teeth, and they brought vs one of about eight pound, and a little
one of a pound, which we bought: then they brought certaine teeth to the
riuer side, making signes, that if the next day we would come againe, they
would sell vs them: so we gaue vnto two Captaines, to either of them a
manillio, and so we departed, and came aboord, and sent out the other boate
to another place, where certaine boats that came into the sea, made vs
signes that there was fresh water: and being come thither, they found a
towne, but no riuer, yet the people brought them fresh water, and shewed
them an Elephants tooth, making signes that the next day they would sel
them teeth, and so they came aboord.
This riuer lieth by the Carde thirteene leagues from the Cape Das palmas,
and there lieth to the Westwards of the same a rocke about a league in the
sea, and the riuer it selfe hath a point of lande comming out into the Sea,
whereupon grow fiue trees, which may well bee discerned two or three
leagues off, comming from the Westward, but the riuer cannot bee perceiued
vntill such time as a man be hard by it, and then a man may perceiue a
litle Towne on ech side the riuer, and to ech Towne there belongeth a
Captaine. The riuer is but small, but the water is good and fresh.
Two miles beyond the riuer, where the other towne is, there lieth another
point into the Sea, which is greene like a close, and not aboue sixe trees
vpon it, which growe one of them from the other, whereby the coast may well
be knowen: for along all the coast that we haue hitherto sailed by, I haue
not seene so much bare land.
In this place, and three or foure leagues to the Westward of it, al along
the shoare, there grow many Palme trees, whereof they make their wine de
Palma. These trees may easily be knowen almost two leagues off, for they be
very high and white bodied, and streight, and be biggest in the midst: they
haue no boughes, but onely a round bush in the top of them: and at the top
of the same trees they boare a hoale, and there they hang a bottell, and
the iuyce of the tree runneth out of the said hole into the bottle, and
that is their wine.
From the Cape das Palmas, to the Cape Tres puntas, there are 100. leagues:
and to the port where we purpose to make sales of our cloth beyond the Cape
Tres puntas, 40. leagues.
Note, that betwixt the riuer De Sestos, and the Cape Das palmas, is the
place where all the graines be gathered.
The language of the people of this place, as far as I could perceiue,
differeth not much from the language of those which dwel where we watred
before: but the people of this place be more gentle in nature then the
other, and goodlier men: their building and apparel is all one with the
others.
Their desire in this place was most of all to haue Manillios and
Margarites: as for the rest of our things, they did litle esteeme them.
[Sidenote: Their maner of swearing by the water of the Sea.] About nine of
the clocke there came boates to vs foorth, from both of the places
aforsaid, and brought with them certaine teeth, and after they had caused
me to sweare by the water of the Sea that I would not hurt them, they came
aboord our ship three or foure of them, and we gaue them to eate of all
such things as we had, and they did eate and drinke of all things, as well
as we our selues. Afterwards we bought all their teeth, which were in
number 14. and of those 14. there were 10. small: afterwards they departed,
making vs signes that the next day we should come to their Townes.
[Sidenote: Two townes.] The 26. day because we would not trifle long at
this place I required the Master to goe vnto one of the townes, and to take
two of our marchants with him, and I my selfe went to the other, and tooke
one with me, because these two townes stand three miles asunder. To these
places we caried somewhat of euery kind of marchandize that we had: and hee
had at the one Towne, nine teeth, which were but small, and at the other
towne where I was, I had eleuen, which were also not bigge, and we left
aboord with the Master certaine Manillios, wherewith he bought 12. teeth
aboord the ship, in our absence: and hauing bought these of them, wee
perceiued that they had no more teeth: so in that place where I was one
brought to me a small goat, which I bought, and to the Master at the other
place they brought fiue small hennes, which he bought also, and after that
we saw there was nothing else to be had, we departed, and by one of the
clocke we met aboord, and then wayed, and went East our course 18. leagues
still within sight of land.
The 28. the wind varied, and we ranne into the sea, and the winde comming
againe off the sea, wee fell with the land againe, and the first of the
land which we raised shewed as a great red cliffe round, but not very high,
and to the Eastward of that another smaller red cliffe, and right aboue
that into the land a round hammoke and greene, which we tooke to be trees.
We ranne in these 24. houres, not aboue foure leagues.
The 29. day comming neere to the shoare, we perceiued the red cliffe
aforesaide to haue right vpon the top of it a great heape of trees, and all
to the Westwards of it ful of red cliffes as farre as we could see, and all
along the shoare, as well vpon the cliffes, as otherwise, full of wood:
within a mile of the said great cliffe there is a riuer to the Eastwards,
and no cliffes that we could see, except one small cliffe, which is hard by
it. We ran this day and night 12. leagues.
The windes that wee had in this place by the reports of the people and of
those that haue bene there, haue not bene vsuall, but in the night, at
North off the lande, and in the day South off the Sea, and most commonly
Northwest, and Southwest.
The 31. day we went our course by the shoare Northwards: this land is al
along a low shoare, and full of wood, as all the coast is for the most
part, and no rockes. This morning came out many boates which went a
fishing, which bee greater boates then those which we sawe before, so that
in some of them there sate 5. men, but the fashion of the boats is all one.
In the afternoone about three of the clocke wee had sight of a Towne by the
sea side, which our Pilots iudged to be 25. leagues to the Westwards of the
Cape Tres puntas.