1589.

Rio Benin.

A currant Westward.

Ten foote water upon the barre of Rio de Benin.

then we ankered in three fadom and a halfe, and the currant went Westward. This river is the river of Benin. and two leagues from the maine it is very shallowe.

The 15 we sent the boat and pinnesse into the river with the marchants, and after that we set saile, because we road in shallow water, and went Southsoutheast, and the starbord tacke aboord untill we came to five fathom water, where we road with the currant to the Westward: then came our boat out of the harbour and went aboord the pinnesse. The West part of the land was high browed much like the head of a Gurnard, and the Eastermost land was lower, and had on it three tufts of trees like stackes of wheate or corne, and the next day in the morning we sawe but two of those trees, by reason that we went more to the Eastward. And here we road still from the 14 of Februarie untill the 14 of Aprill, with the winde at Southwest.

The 16 of Februarie we rode still in 5 fadome, and the currant ranne still to the Westward, the winde at Southwest, and the boat and pinnesse came to us againe out of the river, and told us that there was but ten foote water upon the barre. All that night was drowsie, and yet reasonable temperate.

The 17 a close day the winde at Southwest. Our marchants wayed their goods and put them aboord the pinnesse to goe into the river, and there came a great currant out of the river and set to the Westward.

The 18 the marchants went with the boat and pinnesse into the river with their commodities. This day was close and drowsie, with thunder, raine and lightning.

The 24 a close morning and temperate, and in the afternoone the boat came to us out of the river from our marchants.

Tuesday the 4 of March, a close soultry hot morning, the currant went to the Westward, and much troubled water came out of the river.

The 16 our pinnesse came a boord and Anthonie Ingram in her, & she brought in her 94 bags of pepper,

1589.

and 28 Elephants teeth, and the Master of her and all [II. ii. 128.] his company were sicke. This was a temperate day and Sicknesse the winde at Southwest.

The 17. 18. and 19 were faire temperate weather and the winde at Southwest. This day the pinnesse went into the river againe, and caried the Purser and the Surgion.

The 25 of the said moneth 1589 we sent the boate into the river.

The 30 our pinnesse came from Benin, and brought sorowfull newes, that Thomas Hemsted was dead and our Captaine also, and she brought with her 159 Cerons or sackes of pepper and Elephants teeth.

Note that in all the time of our abiding here, in the mouth of the river of Benin, and in all the coast hereabout it is faire temperate weather, when the winde is at Southwest. And when the winde is at Northeast and Northerly, then it raineth, with lightning and thunder, and is very intemperate weather.

The 13 of Aprill 1589 we set saile homewards in the name of Jesus. In the morning we sayled with the winde at Southwest, and lay West and by North, but it prooved calme all that night, and the currant Southeast. The 14 the river of Benin was Northeast 7 leagues from the shore, and there was litle winde and towards night calme.

The 17 a faire temperate day the winde variable, and we had of latitude foure degrees and 20 minutes.

The 25 a faire temperate day the winde variable, and here we had three degrees & 29 minuts of latitude.

among our

men.

The death of the Captaine. Pepper Elephants teeth. A good note.

The 8 of May we had sight of the shore, which was part of Cavo de Monte, but we did not thinke we had beene so farre, but it came so to passe by reason of the currant. In this place M. Towrson was in like maner A deceitfull deceived with the currant.

The 9 we had sight of Cavo de monte.

The 17 a darke drowsie day, this was the first night

that I tooke the North starre.

currant.

1589.

Rockweed or Saragasso all along the sea.

The 26 a temperate day with litle winde, and we were in 12 degrees and 13 minutes of latitude.

The 30 we met a great sea out of the Northwest. The 6 of June we found it as temperate as if we had beene in England, & yet we were within the height of the sunne, for it was declined 23 degrees, and 26 minuts to the Northward, and we had 15 degrees of latitude.

The 8 faire and temperate as in England, here we met with a counter sea, out of the Southborde.

The 15 a faire temperate day, the winde variable, here we had 18 degrees and fiftie nine minutes.

The 12 of July in 30 degrees of latitude we met with great store of rockweed, which did stick together like clusters of grapes, and this continued with us untill the 17 of the said moneth, and then we saw no more, at which 17 day we were in two and thirtie degrees sixe and fortie minutes of latitude.

The 25 at sixe of the clocke in the morning, we had sight of the Isle of Pike, it bare North and by East from us, we being 15 leagues off.

The 27 we spake with the poste of London and she told us good newes of England.

The nine and twentieth we had sight of the Island of Cuervo, and the 30 we saw the Island of Flores.

The 27 of August in 41 degrees of latitude we saw 9 saile of Britons, and three of them followed us untill noone, and then gave us over.

The 30 we had sight of Cape Finisterre.

The eight of September at night wee put into Plimouth sound, and road in Causon bay all night.

The 9 we put into Catwater and there stayed untill the 28 of September, by reason of want of men and sicknesse.

The nine and twentieth we set sayle from Plimouth, and arrived at London the second of October 1589.

The commodities that we caried in this voyage were cloth both linnen & wollen, yron worke of sundry sorts,

1

Manillios or bracelets of copper, glasse beades, and

corrall.

1589.

The commodities that we brought home were pepper and Elephants teeth, oyle of palme, cloth made of Cotton wooll very curiously woven, and cloth made of the barke of palme trees. Their money is pretie white [II. ii. 129.] shels, for golde and silver we saw none. They have also great store of cotton growing: their bread is a kind

Benin.

trees.

of roots, they call it Inamia, and when it is well sodden Inamia, a kind I would leave our bread to eat of it, it is pleasant in of bread in eating, and light of digestion, the roote thereof is as bigge as a mans arme. Our men upon fish-dayes had rather eate the rootes with oyle and vineger, then to eate good stockfish. There are great store of palme trees, out of the which they gather great store of wine, Wine of palm which wine is white and very pleasant, & we should buy two gallons of it for 20 shels. They have good store of sope, and it smelleth like beaten violets. Also many pretie fine mats and baskets that they make, and spoones of Elephants teeth very curiously wrought with divers proportions of foules and beasts made upon them. There is upon the coast wonderfull great lightning and thunder, in so much as I never hard the like in no Countrey, for it would make the decke or hatches tremble under our feete, and before we were well acquainted with it, we were fearefull, but God be thanked we had no harme. The people are very gentle and loving, and they goe naked both men and women untill they be married, and then they goe covered from the middle downe to the Abundance of knees. They would bring our men earthen pottes of hony. the quantitie of two gallons, full of hony and hony This presercombes for 100 shelles. They would also bring great wrought by store of Oranges and Plantans which is a fruit that casting into an groweth upon a tree, and is very like unto a Cucumber hogshead of but very pleasant in eating. It hath pleased God of water an his merceifull goodnesse to give me the knowledge how handful of bay-salt, as to preserve fresh water with little cost, which did serve the author told us sixe moneths at the sea, & when we came into Plim- me.

vative is

1588.

mouth it was much wondered at, of the principal men of the towne, who said that there was not sweeter water in any spring in Plimouth. Thus doth God provide for his creatures, unto whom be praise now and for evermore, Amen.

The voiage set forth by M. John Newton, and M. John Bird marchants of London to the kindome and Citie of Benin in Africa, with a ship called the Richard of Arundell, and a pinnesse, in the yere 1588. briefely set downe in this letter following, written by the chiefe Factor in the voyage to the foresaid Marchants at the time of the ships first arrivall at Plimouth.

Orshipful Sirs, the discourse of Our whole proceeding in this voyage wil aske more time and a person in better health then I am at this present, so that I trust you will pardon me, till my comming up to you: in the meane time let this suffice. Whereas we departed in the moneth of December from the coast of England with your good ship the Richard of Arundell and the pinnesse, we held on our direct course towards our appointed port, and the 14 day of Februarie following we arrived. in the haven of Benin, where we found not water enough to carry the ship over the barre, so that we left her without in the road, and with the pinnesse & ship boat, into which we had put the chiefest of our marGoto in Benin. chandise, we went up the river to a place called Goto,

where we arrived the 20 of February, the foresaid Goto being the neerest place that we could come to by water, to go for Benin. From thence we presently sent Negroes to the king, to certifie him of our arrivall, and of the cause of our comming thither: who returned to us againe the 22 day with a noble man in their