after our sending backe for England of the Marchant Roiall from Agoada de
Saldanha, our Admirall M. captaine Raimond in the Penelope, and M. Iames
Lancaster in the Edward Bonaduenture, set forward to double the Cape of
Buona esperansa, which they did very speedily. [Sidenote: Here they are
seuered from the Penelope.] But being passed as far as Cape dos Corrientes
the 14 of September we were encountred with a mighty storme and extreme
gusts of wind, wherein we lost our Generals companie, and could neuer heare
of him nor his ship any more, though we did our best endeuour to seeke him
vp and downe a long while, and staied for him certaine dayes at the Iland
of Comoro, where we appointed to stay one for another. [Sidenote: Foure men
slaine with a clap of thunder.] Foure days after this uncomfortable
seperation in the morning toward ten of the clocke we had a terrible clap
of thunder, which slew foure of our men ovtright, the necks being wrung in
sonder without speaking any word, and of 94 men there was not one
vntouched, whereof some were striken blind, others were bruised in their
legs and armes, and others in their brests, so that they voided blood two
days after, others were drawen out at length as though they had been
racked. But (God be thanked) they all recouered sauing onely the foure
which were slain out right. Also with the same thunder our maine maste was
torn very grieuously from the head to the decke, and some of the spikes
that were ten inches into the timber, were melted with the extreme heate
thereof. [Sidenote: The Shoulds of S. Laurence.] From thence we shaped our
course to the Northeast, and not long after we fell vpon the Northwest end
of the mighty Iland of S. Laurence: which one of our men espied by Gods
good blessing late in the euening by Moone light, who seeing afarre off the
breaking of the Sea, and calling to certaine of his fellowes, asked them
what it was: which eft soones told him that it was the breaking of the Sea
vpon the Shoulds. Whereupon in very good time we cast about to auoyd the
danger which we were like to haue incurred. [Sidenote: Quitangone neere
Mozambique.] Thus passing on forward, it was our lucke to ouer-shoote
Mozambique, and to fall with a place called Quitangone two leagues to the
Northward of it, and we tooke three or foure Barkes of Moores, which Barkes
in their language they call Pangaias, laden with Millio, hennes and ducks,
with one Portugall boy, going for the prouision of Mozambique. [Sidenote:
The Ile of Comoro.] Within few dayes following we came to an Iland an
hundred leagues to, the Northeast of Mozambique called Comoro, which we
found exceedingly full of people, which are Moores of tawnie colour and
good stature, but they be very trecherous and diligently to be taken heed
of. Here wee desired to store our selues with water, whereof we stood in
great need, and sent sixteene of our men well armed on in our boate: whom
the people suffred quietly to land and water, and diuers of them with their
king came aboord our ship in a gowne of crimosine Sattin pinked after the
Moorish fashion downe to the knee, whom we entertained in the best maner,
and had some conference with him of the state of the place and
marchandises, vsing our Portugall boy which we had taken before for our
interpreter, and in the end licensed the king and his company to depart,
and sent our men againe for more water, who then also dispatched their
businesse and returned quietly: the third time likewise we sent them for
more, which also returned without any harme. [Sidenote: 32 of our men
betraid at the Ile of Comoro.] And though we thought our selues furnished,
yet our master William Mace of Radcliffe pretending that it might be long
before we might finde any good watering place, would needes goe himselfe on
shore with thirtie men, much against the will of our captaine, and hee and
16 of his company, together with one boat which was all that we had, and 16
others that were a washing ouer against our ship, were betrayed of the
perfidious Moores, and in our sight for the most part slaine, we being not
able for want of a boat to yeeld them any succour. [Sidenote: Zanzibar
Iland.] From thence with heauie hearts we shaped our course for Zanzibar
the 7 of Nouember, where shortly after we arriued and made vs a new boat of
such boards as we had within boord, and rid in the road vntill the 15 of
February, where, during our aboad, we sawe diuers Pangaias or boates, which
are pinned with wooden pinnes, and sowed together with Palmito cordes, and
calked with the husks of Cocos shels beaten, whereof they made Occam.
[Sidenote: A Portugall Factorie in Zanzibar.] At length a Portugal Pangaia
comming out of the harborow of Zanzibar, where they haue a small Factorie,
sent a Canoa with a Moore which had bene christened, who brought vs a
letter wherein they desired to know what wee were, and what we sought. We
sent them word we were Englishmen come from Don Antonio vpon businesse to
his friends in the Indies: with which answere they returned, and would not
any more come at vs. Whereupon not long after wee manned out our boat and
tooke a Pangaia of the Moores, which had a priest of theirs in it, which in
their language they call a Sherife: whom we vsed very courteously: which
the king tooke in very good part, hauing his priests in great estimation,
and for his deliuerance furnished vs with two moneths victuals, during all
which time we detained him with vs. These Moores informed vs of the false
and spitefull dealing of the Portugals towards vs, [Marginal note: The
treason of the Portugals towards the English.] which made them beleeue that
we were cruell people and men-eaters, and willed them if they loued their
safetie in no case to come neere vs. Which they did onely to cut us off
from all knowledge of the state and traffique of the countrey. While we
road from the end of Nouember vntil the middle of February in this
harborough, which is sufficient for a ship of 500 tuns to ride in, we set
vpon a Portugall Pangaia with our boat, but because it was very litle, and
our men not able to stirre in it, we were not able to take the sayd Pangaia
which was armed with 10 good shot like our long fouling pieces. [Sidenote:
An excellent place for refreshing.] This place for the goodnesse of the
harborough and watering, and plentifull refreshing with fish, whereof we
tooke great store with our nets, and for sundry sorts of fruits of the
countrey, as Cocos and others, which were brought vs by the Moores as also
for oxen and hennes, is carefully to be sought for by such of our ships, as
shall hereafter passe that way. [Sidenote: A gallie Frigate.] But our men
had need to take good heed of the Portugals: for while we lay here the
Portugall Admiral of the coast from Melinde to Mozambique, came to view and
betray our boat if he could haue taken at any time aduantage, in a gallie
Frigate of ten tunnes with 8 or 9 oares on a side. Of the strength of which
Frigate and their trecherous meaning we were aduertised by an Arabian Moore
which came from the king of Zanzibar diuers times vnto vs about the
deliuerie of the priest aforesayd, and afterward by another which we caried
thence along with vs: for whersoeuer we came, our care was to get into our
hands some one or two of the countreys to learne the languages and states
of those partes where we touched. [Sidenote: Another thunder-clap.]
Moreouer, here againe we had another clap of thunder which did shake our
foremast very much, which wee fisht and repaired with timber from the
shore, whereof there is good store thereabout of a kind of tree some fortie
foot high, which is a red and tough wood, and as I suppose, a kind of
Cedar. [Sidenote: Heat in the head deadly. Letting of blood very
necessary.] Here our Surgeon Arnold negligently catching a great heate in
his head being on land with the master to seeke oxen, fell sicke and
shortly died, which might haue bene cured by letting of blood before it had
bin settled. Before our departure we had in this place some thousand weight
of pitch, or rather a kind of gray and white gumme like vnto frankincense,
as clammie as turpentine, which in melting groweth as blacke as pitch, and
is very brittle of it selfe, but we mingled it with oile, whereof wee had
300 iarres in the prize which we tooke to the Northward of the
Equinoctiall, not farre from Guinie, bound for Brasil. Sixe days before wee
departed hence, the Cape marchant of the Factorie wrote a letter vnto our
capitaine in the way of friendship, as he pretended, requesting a iarre of
wine and a iarre of oyle, and two or three pounds of gunpowder, which
letter hee sent by a Negro his man, and Moore in a Canoa: we sent him his
demaunds by the Moore, but tooke the Negro along with vs because we
vnderstood he had bene in the East Indies and knew somewhat of the
Countrey. [Sidenote: A Iunco laden with pepper and drugs.] By this Negro we
were aduertised of a small Barke of some thirtie tunnes (which the Moores
call a Iunco) which was come from Goa thither laden with Pepper for the
Factorie and seruice of that kingdome. Thus hauing trimmed our shippe as we
lay in this road, in the end we set forward for the coast of the East
Indie, the 15 of February aforesayd, intending if we could to haue reached
to Cape Comori, which is the headland or Promontorie of the maine of
Malauar, and there to haue lien off and on for such ships as should haue
passed from Zeilan, Sant Tome, Bengala, Pegu, Malacca, the Moluccos, the
coast of China, and the Ile of Japan, which ships are of exceeding wealth
and riches. [Sidenote: The currents set to the North-west.] But in our
course we were very much deceiued by the currents that set into the gulfe
of the Red sea along the coast of Melinde. [Sidenote: Zocotora.] And the
windes shortening vpon vs to the Northeast and Easterly, kept vs that we
could not get off, and so with the putting in of the currents from the
Westward, set vs in further vnto the Northward within fourscore leagues of
the Ile of Zocotora, farre from our determined course and expectation. But
here we neuer wanted abundance of Dolphins, Bonitos, and flying fishes. Now
while we found our selues thus farre to the Northward, and the time being
so farre spent, we determined to goe for the Red sea, or for the Iland of
Zocotora, both to refresh our selues, and also for some purchase. But while
we were in this consultation, the winde very luckily came about to the
Northwest and caried vs directly toward Cape Comori. [Sidenote: The Isles
of Mamale.] Before we should haue doubled this Cape, we were determined to
touch at the Ilands of Mamale, of which we had aduertisement, that one had
victuals, standing in the Northerly latitude of twelue degrees. Howbeit it
was not our good lucke to finde it, which fell out partly by the obstinacie
of our master: for the day before we fell with part of the Ilands the wind
came about to the Southwest, and then shifting our course we missed it. So
the wind increasing Southerly, we feared we should not haue bene able to
haue doubled the Cape, which would haue greatly hazarded our casting away
vpon the coast of India, the Winter season and Westerne Monsons already
being come in, which Monsons continue on that coast vntil August.
[Sidenote: Cape Comori doubled 1592.] Neuertheless it pleased God to bring
the wind more Westerly, and so in the moneth of May 1592, we happily
doubled Cape Comori without sight of the coast of India. From hence thus
hauing doubled this Cape, we directed our course for the Ilands of Nicubar,
which lie North and South with the Westerne part of Sumatra, and in the
latitude of 7 degrees to the Northward of the Equinoctiall. From which Cape
of Comori vnto the aforesayd Ilands we ranne in sixe days with a very large
wind though the weather were foule with extreme raine and gustes of winde.
These Ilands were missed through our masters default for want of due
obseruation of the South starre. [Sidenote: The Iles of Gomes Polo.] And we
fell to the Southward of them within the sight of the Ilands of Gomes Polo,
[Sidenote: Sumatra.] which lie hard vpon the great Iland of Sumatra the
first of Iune, and at the Northeast side of them we lay two or three dayes
becalmed, hoping to haue had a Pilote from Sumatra, within two leagues
whereof we lay off and on. [Sidenote: The Iles of Pulo Pinauo.] Now the
Winter coming vpon vs with much contagious weather, we directed our course
from hence with the Ilands of Pulo Pinaou, (where by the way it is to be
noted that Pulo in the Malaian tongue signifieth an Iland) at which Ilands
wee arriued about the beginning of Iune, where we came to an anker in a
very good harborough betweene three Ilands: at which time our men were very
sicke and many fallen. Here we determined to stay vntil the Winter were
ouerpast. This place is in 6 degrees and a halfe to the Northward, and some
fiue leagues from the maine betweene Malacca and Pegu. Here we continued
vntil the end of August. Our refreshing in this place was very smal, onely
of oysters growing on rocks, great wilks, and some few fish which we tooke
with our hookes. Here we landed our sicke men on these vninhabited Ilands
for their health, neuertheless 26 of them died in this place, whereof John
Hall our master was one, and M. Rainold Golding another, a marchant of
great honestie and much discretion. [Sidenote: Trees fit for mastes.] In
these Ilands are abundance of trees of white wood, so right and tall, that
a man may make mastes of them being an hundred foote long. The winter
passed and hauing watered our ship and fitted her to goe to Sea, wee had
left vs but 33 men and one boy, of which not past 22 were sound for labour
and helpe, and of them not past a third part sailers: [Sidenote: Malacca.]
thence we made saile to seeke some place of refreshing, and went ouer to
the maine of Malacca. The next day we came to an anker in a Baie in six
fadomes water some two leagues from the shore. Then master Iames Lancaster
our captaine, and M. Edmund Barker his lieutenant, and other of the
companie manning the boat, went on shoare to see what inhabitants might be
found. And comming on land we found the tracking of some barefooted people
which were departed thence not long before: for we sawe their fire still
burning, but people we sawe none, nor any other living creature, saue a
certaine kind of foule called oxe birds, which are a gray kind of
Sea-foule, like a Snite in colour, but not in beake. Of these we killed
some eight dozen with haile-shot being very tame, and spending the day in
search, returned toward night aboord. The next day about two of the clocke
in the afternoone we espied a Canoa which came neere vnto vs, but would not
come aboord vs, hauing in it some sixteen naked Indians, with whom
neuertheles going afterward on land, we had friendly conference and promise
of victuals. [Sidenote: Three ships of Pegu laden with pepper.] The next
day in the morning we espied three ships, being all of burthen 60 or 70
tunnes, one of which wee made to strike with our very boate: and
vnderstanding that they were of the towne of Martabam, [Sidenote:
Martabam.] which is the chiefe hauen towne for the great citie of Pegu, and
the goods belonging to certaine Portugal Iesuites and a Biscuit baker a
Portugall we tooke that ship and did not force the other two, because they
were laden for marchants of Pegu, but hauing this one at our command, we
came together to an anker. The night folowing all the men except twelue,
which we tooke into our ship, being most of them borne in Pegu, fled away
in their boate, leauing their ship and goods with vs. [Sidenote: Pera.] The
next day we weighed our anker and went to the Leeward of an Iland hard by,
and tooke in her lading being pepper, which shee and the other two had
laden at Pera, which is a place on the maine 30 leagues to the South.
Besides the aforesaid three ships we tooke another ship of Pegu laden with
pepper, and perceiuing her to bee laden with marchants goods of Pegu onely,
wee dismissed her without touching any thing.