The monsons of the Portingall ships for the Indies. The ships which come from Portugall depart thence ordinarily betwixt the tenth & fifteenth of March, comming the straight way during the moneth of July to the coast of Melinde, and Mosambique, and from Note. thence goe straight for Goa, and if in the moneth of July they should not be at the coast of Melinde, they can in no wise that yeere fetch Melinde, but returne to the Isle of Saint Helena, and so are not able, that time being past, to fetch the coast of India, and to come straight for Goa. Therefore (as is abovesaid) they returne to the Island of Saint Helena, and if they cannot make the said Island, then they runne as lost upon the coast of Guinea: but if the said ships be arrived in time upon the coast of Melinde, they set forwardes for Goa, and if by the fifteenth of September they cannot fetch Goa, they then goe for Cochin, but if they see they cannot fetch Cochin, they returne to Mosambique to winter there upon the sayd coast. Albeit in the yeere Note. of our Lord 1580 there arrived the ship called San Lorenzo, being wonderfull sore sea-beaten, the eight of October, which was accounted as a myracle for that the like had not bene seene before. The monson from India for Portugall. The shippes depart from Cochin betweene the fifteenth and last of January, going on till they have sight of Capo de buona speranza, and the Isle of Saint Helena, which Islande is about the midway, being in sixteene degrees to the South. And it is a litle Island being fruitfull of all things which a man can imagine, with great store of fruit: and this Island is a great succour to the shipping which returne for Portugall. And not long since the said Island was found by the Portugales, and was discovered by a shippe that came from the Indies in a great storme, in which they found such abundance of wilde beastes, and boares, and all sort of VI 33 C 1584. 1584. fruite, that by meanes thereof that poore ship which had beene foure moneths at sea, refreshed themselves both with water and meate very well, and this Island they called S. Helena, because it was discovered upon S. Helens day. And undoubtedly this Island is a great succour, and so great an ayde to the ships of Portugall, that many would surely perish if that helpe wanted And therefore the king of Portugall caused a Church to be made there for devotion of S. Helena: where there are onely resident Eremits, and all other are forbidden to inhabite there by the kings commaundement, to the ende that the ships may be the more sufficiently furnished with victuals, because the ships which come Note. from India come but slenderly victualled, because there groweth no corne there, neither make they any wine: but the ships which come from Portugall to the Indies touch not in the sayd Island, because they set out being sufficiently furnished with bread and water from Portugall for eight moneths voyage. Any other people then the two Eremites abovesaid, cannot inhabite this Island, except some sicke man that may be set there a shore to remaine in the Eremites companie, for his helpe and recovery. The monson from Goa to Mosambique. The ships depart betweene the 8 and last of August, and arrive in Chaul or Goa in the moneth of October, till the 15 of November. The monson from Ormus to Bengala. The ships depart betwixt the 15 and 20 of June, and goe to winter at Teve and depart thence about the 15 of August for Bengala. 1586. The voyage passed by sea into Aegypt, by John [II. i. 281.] Evesham Gentleman. Anno 1586. + He 5 of December 1586 we departed from Gravesend in the Tiger of London, wherein was Master under God for the voyage Robert Rickman, and the 21. day at night we came to the Isle of Wight: departing from thence in the morning following we had a faire winde, so that on the 27 day wee came in sight of the rocke of Lisbone, and so sayling along we came in sight of the South Cape, the 29 of the same, and on the morrowe with a Westerly winde we entred the straights: and the second of January being as high as Cape de Gate, we departed from our fleete towards Argier. And the 4 day we arrived at the port of Argier aforesaid, where we staied till the first of March. At which time we set saile towardes a place called Tunis, to the Eastward of Argier 100 leagues, Tunis. where we arrived the 8 of the same. This Tunis is a small citie up 12 miles from the sea, and at the port or rode where shipping doe ride, is a castle or fort called Goletta, sometimes in the handes of the Christians, but now of the Turkes: at which place we remained till the third of Aprill: at which time wee set saile towardes Alexandria, and having sometime faire windes, sometime contrary, we passed on the 12 day betweene Sicilia and Malta (where neere adjoyning hath beene the fort and holde of the knights of the Rhodes) and so the 19 day we fell with the Isle of Candy, and from thence to Alexandria, where we arrived the 27 of April, and there continued till the 5 of October. The said citie of Alexandria is an old thing decayed or The descripruinated, having bene a faire and great citie neere two tion of Alexmiles in length, being all vauted underneath for provision andria. of fresh water, which water commeth thither but once every yeere, out of one of the foure rivers of paradise (as it is termed) called Nilus, which in September floweth |