king, that therby you may freely and without all feare A Ll these foresaid writings I saw under seale, in the house of my friend Nicholas Liese, with whom Pinteado left them, at his unfortunate departing to Guinea. But, notwithstanding all these friendly letters and faire promises, Pinteado durst not attempt to goe home, neither to keepe companie with the Portugals his countrey men, without the presence of other: forasmuch as he had secrete admonitions that they intended to slay him, if time and place might have served their wicked intent. The second voyage to Guinea set out by Sir S in the first voiage I have declared rather the order of the history, then the course of the navigation, whereof at that time I could have no perfect information: so in the description of this second voyage, my chiefe intent hath beene to shew the course of the same, according to the observation and ordinarie custome of the mariners, and as I received it at the handes of an expert Pilot, being one of the chiefe in this voyage, who also with his owne hands wrote a briefe declaration of the same, as he found and tried all things, not by conjecture, but by the art of sayling, and instruments perteining to the mariners facultie. Not therefore assuming to my selfe the commendations due unto other, neither so bold as in any part to change or otherwise dispose the order of this voyage so well observed by art and experience, I have thought good to set forth the same, in such sort and phrase of speech as is commonly used among them, and as I received it of the said Pilot, as I have said. Take it therefore as followeth. 1554. In the yeere of our Lord 1554 the eleventh day of October, we departed the river of Thames with three [II. ii. 15.] goodly ships, the one called the Trinitie, a ship of the burden of seven-score tunne, the other called the Bartholomew, a ship of the burden of ninetie, the third was the John Evangelist, a ship of seven score tunne. With Robert Gainsh the sayd ships and two pinnesses (wherof the one was was master of drowned on the coast of England) we went forward on our voyage, and stayed at Dover fourteene dayes. We staied also at Rie three or foure dayes. Moreover last of all we touched at Dartmouth. The first day of November at nine of the clocke at night, departing from the coast of England, we set off the Start, bearing Southwest all that night in the sea, and the next day all day, and the next night after, untill the third day of the said moneth about noone, making our way good, did runne threescore leagues. the John Evan gelist. The 17 day in the morning we had sight of the Ile The Ile of of Madera, which doth rise to him that commeth in the Madera. Northnortheast part upright land in the west part of it, and very high: and to the Southsoutheast a low long land, and a long point, with a saddle thorow the middest of it, standing in two and thirtie degrees: and in the West part, many springs of water running downe from the mountaine, and many white fieldes like unto corne fields, & some white houses to the Southeast part of it and the toppe of the mountaine sheweth very ragged, 1554. The Ile of The Canaries. From Madera to the Isle of Palmes. if you may see it, and in the Northeast part there is a bight or bay as though it were a harborow: Also in the said part, there is a rocke a little distance from the shoare, and over the sayd bight you shall see a great gappe in the mountaine. The 19 day at twelve of the clocke we had sight of the isle of Palmes and Teneriffa and the Canaries. The Ile of Palme riseth round, & lieth Southeast and Northwest, and the Northwest part is lowest. In the South is a round hill over the head land, and another round hill above that in the land. There are betweene the Southeast part of the Ile of Madera & the Northwest part of the Ile of Palme seven and fifty leagues. This Isle of Palme lieth in eight and twenty degrees. And our course from Madera to the Ile of Palme was South and South and by West, so that we had sight of Teneriffa and of the Canaries. The Southeast part of the Ile of the Palme, & the Northnortheast of Teneriffa lie Southeast and Northwest, and betweene them are 20 leagues. Teneriffa and the great Canary called Gran Canaria, and the West part of Forteventura stande in seven and The Iland of twenty degrees and a halfe. Gomera is a faire Island but very ragged, & lieth Westsouthwest off Teneriffa. And whosoever wil come betweene them two Ilands must come South and by East, and in the South part of Gomera is a towne and a good rode in the said part of the Iland and it standeth in seven and twentie degrees and three terces. Teneriffa is an high land, with a great high pike like a sugar loafe, and upon the said pike is snow throughout all the whole yeere. And by reason of that pike it may be knowen above all other Ilands, and there we were becalmed the twentieth day of November, from sixe of the clocke in the morning, untill foure of the clocke at afternoone. Gran Forteventura. Gomera. Teneriffa. Snow. The two and twentieth day of November, under the Tropike of Cancer the Sunne goeth downe West and by South. Upon the coast of Barbarie five and twentie Cape Blanke. leagues by North Cape blanke, at three leagues off the The coast of maine, there are fifteene fadomes and good shelly ground, and sande among and no streames, and two small Ilands standing in two and twentie degrees and a terce. 1554 From Gomera to Cape de las Barbas is an hundred leagues, and our course was South and by East. The said Cape standeth in two and twentie and a halfe: and all that coast is flatte, sixteene or seventeene fadome deepe. Seven or eight leagues off from the river del The river del Oro to Cape de las Barbas, there use many Spaniardes Oro. and Portugals to trade for fishing, during the moneth of November: and all that coast is very low lands. Also we went from Cape de las Barbas Southsouthwest, and Southwest and by South, till we brought our selves in twentie degrees and a halfe, reckoning our selves seven leagues off: and there were the least sholes of Cape Blanke. Then we went South untill we brought our selves in 13 degrees, reckoning our selves five and twentie leagues off. And in 15 degrees we did reare the Cros- The crossiers siers, and we might have reared them sooner if we had or crosse stars. looked for them. They are not right a crosse in the moneth of November, by reason that the nights are short there. Neverthelesse we had the sight of them the 29 day of the said moneth at night. The first of December, being in 13 degrees we set our course South and by East, untill the fourth day of December at 12 of the clocke the same day. Then we were in nine degrees and a terce, reckoning our selves 30 leagues off the sholes of the river called Rio Grande, Rio Grande. being Westsouthwest off them, the which sholes be 30 leagues long. The fourth of December we beganne to set our course Southeast, we being in sixe degrees and a halfe. The ninth day of December we set our course East- [II. ii. 16.] southeast: the fourteenth day of the sayde moneth we set our course East, we being in five degrees and a halfe, reckoning our selves thirty and sixe leagues from the coast of Guinea. 1554. Cape Men- surado. Sesto. The river of Rio Dulce. Cape de Cabe de las The nineteenth of the said moneth we set our course East and by North, reckoning our selves seventeene leagues distant from Cape Mensurado, the said Cape being Eastnortheast of us, and the river of Sesto being East. The one and twentieth day of the said moneth, we fell with Cape Mensurado to the Southeast, about two leagues off. This Cape may be easily knowen, by reason y the rising of it is like a Porpose-head. Also toward the Southeast there are three trees, whereof the Eastermost tree is the highest, and the middlemost is like a hie stacke, & the Southermost like unto a gibet: and upon the maine are foure or five high hilles rising one after another like round hommocks or hillocks. And the Southeast of the three trees, brandiernwise: and all the coast along is white sand. The said Cape standeth within a litle in sixe degrees. The two and twentieth of December we came to the river of Sesto, & remained there untill the nine and twentieth day of the said moneth. Here we thought it best to send before us the pinnesse to the river Dulce, called Rio Dulce, that they might have the beginning of the market before the comming of the John Evangelist. At the river of Sesto we had a tunne of graines. This river standeth in sixe degrees, lacking a terce. From the river of Sesto to Rio Dulce are five and twentie leagues. Rio Dulce standeth in five degrees and a halfe. The river of Sesto is easie to be knowen, by reason there is a ledge of rockes on the Southeast part of the Rode. And at the entring into the haven are five or sixe trees that beare no leaves. This is a good harborow, but very narow at ye entrance into the river. There is also a rocke in the havens mouth right as you enter. And all that coast betweene Cape de Monte, and cape de las Palmas, lieth Southeast & by East, Northwest & by West, being three leagues off the shore. And you shal have in some places rocks two leagues off: and that, betweene the river of Sesto and cape de las Palmas. |