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were marvelously overgrowne with certaine shelles of two inches length and more, as thicke as they could stand, and of such bignesse that a man might put his thumbe in the mouthes of them. They certainely affirme that in these there groweth a certaine slimie substance, which at the length slipping out of the shell and falling in the sea, becommeth those foules which we call Barnacles. The like shelles have bene seene in ships returning from Iseland, but these shels were not past halfe an inch in length. Of the other that came from Guinea, I sawe the Primerose lying in the docke, and in maner covered with the said shels, which in my judgement should greatly hinder her sayling. Their ships were also in many places eaten with the wormes called Bromas or Bissas, whereof mention is made in the Decades. These creepe betweene the plankes, which they eate through in many places.

Among other things that chanced to them in this voyage, this is worthy to be noted, that wheras they sailed thither in seven weekes, they could returne in no lesse space then twentie weekes. The cause whereof they say to be this: That about the coast of Cabo Verde the winde is ever at the East, by reason whereof they were enforced to saile farre out of their course into the maine Ocean, to finde the winde at the West to bring them home. There died of our men at this last voyage about twentie and foure, whereof many died at their returne into the clime of the colde regions, as betweene the Islands of Azores and England. They brought with them certaine blacke slaves, whereof some were tall and strong men, and could wel agree with our meates and drinkes. The colde and moyst aire doth somewhat offend them. Yet doubtlesse men that are borne in hot Regions may better abide colde, then men that are borne in colde Regions may abide heate, forasmuch as vehement heate resolveth the radicall moysture of mens bodies, as colde constraineth and preserveth the same.

This is also to be considered as a secret worke of nature, that throughout all Africke, under the Equinoctial line, and neere about the same on both sides, the regions are extreeme hote, and the people very blacke. Whereas contrarily such regions of the West Indies as are under the same line are very temperate, and the people neither blacke, nor with curlde and short wooll on their

heads, as they of Africke have, but of the colour of an Olive, with long and blacke heare on their heads: the cause of which variety is declared in divers places in the Decades.

It is also worthy to be noted that some of them that were at this voyage told me: That is, that they overtooke the course of the Sunne, so that they had it North from them at noone, the 14. day of March. And to have said thus much of these voyages, it may suffice.

The first voyage made by Master William Towrson Marchant of London, to the coast of Guinea, with two Ships, in the yeere 1555.

UPON Munday the thirtieth day of September wee departed from the Isle of Wight, out of the haven of Neuport with two good shippes, the one called the Hart, the other the Hinde, both of London, and the Masters of them were John Ralph, and William Carter, for a voyage to bee made unto the River de Sestos in Guinea, and to other havens thereabout.

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It fell out by the varietie of windes, that it was the foureteenth day of October before wee coulde fetch Dartmouth and being there arrived wee continued in that roade sixe dayes, and the 20. of October we warpt out of the haven, and set saile, directing our course towards the Southwest, and the next morning we were runne by estimation thirty leagues.

The first of November we found ourselves to be in 31. degrees of latitude by the reckoning of our Master. This day we ranne about 40. leagues also.

The second day we ranne 36. leagues.

The third day we had sight of Porto Santo, which is a small Island lying in the sea, about three leagues long, and a league & a halfe broad, & is possessed by Portugals. It riseth as we came from the Northnorthwest like two small hilles neere together. The East end of the same Island is a high land like a saddle with a valley, which makes it to beare that forme. The West ende of it is lower with certaine small round hillocks. This Island lyeth in thirty and three degrees. The same day at 11. of the clocke we raysed the Isle of Madera, which lieth 12. leagues from Porto Santo, towards the Southwest that Island is a faire Island and fruitfull, and is inhabited by Portugals, it riseth afarre off like a great

whole land and high. By three of the clocke this day at after noone we were thwart of Porto Santo, and we set our course Southwest, to leave the Isle of Madera to the Eastward, as we did Porto Santo. These two Islands were the first land that we saw since wee left the coast of England. About three of the clocke after midnight wee were thwart of Madera, within three leagues of the West ende of it, and by meanes of the high hilles there, we were becalmed: We suppose we ranne this day and night 30. leagues.

The fourth day wee lay becalmed under the Isle of Madera, untill one of the clocke at afternoone, and then, the winde comming into the East, wee went our course, and ranne that day fifteene leagues.

The 5. day we ranne 15. leagues more.

The 6. day in the morning we raysed the Isle of Tenerif, otherwise called the Pike, because it is a very high Island, with a pike upon the top like a loafe of suger. The same night we raised the Isle of Palma, which is a high land also, and to the Westward of the Isle of Tenerif.

The 7 day we perceived the Isle of Gomera, which is an Island standing betwixt Tenerif and Palma, about 12. leagues Eastward from Palma, and 8. leagues Westward from Tenerif: and for feare of being becalmed with the Isle of Tenerif, we left both it, and Gomera to the Eastward of us, and went betwixt Palma and Gomera. We ranne this day and night 30. leagues.

Note that these Islands be 60. leagues from Madera, and that there are 3. Islands more to the Westward of Tenerif, named the Grand Canaria, Forte-ventura, & Lancerot, of which Islands we came not in sight they be inhabited by Spaniards.

This day also we had sight of the Isle of Ferro, which is to the Southwards 13. leagues from the other Islands, and is possessed by Spaniards. All this day and night by reason of the winde we could not double the point of the Isle of Ferro, except we would have gone to the Westward of it, which had bene much out of our course : therefore we kept about, and ranne backe five houres Eastnortheast to the ende we might double it upon the next boord, the winde continuing Southeast, which hath not bene often seene upon that coast by any travailers : for the winde continueth there for the most part Northeast,

& East Northeast: so upon the other boord by the hext morning we were in a maner with the Island, and had roome ynough to double the same.

The 8. day we kept our course as neere the winde as wee could, because that our due course to fetch the coast of Barbary was Southeast and by East, but by the scant winde wee could not goe our due course, but went as neere it as we could, and ranne this day and night 25. leagues.

The 9. day we ranne 30. leagues, the 10. 25. leagues, the 12. 24.

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The 12. day we sawe a saile under our Lee, which was as we thought a fisherman, so that wee went roome to have spoken with him, but within one houre there fell such a fogge, that wee could not see the shippe nor one of us the other: we shot off divers pieces to the Hinde, but she heard them not at after noone she shot off a piece which wee heard, and made her answere with another and within one halfe houre after the fogge brake up, and we were within 4. leagues of the shoare upon the coast of Barbary, and wee sounded and had 14. fadom water. The Barke also came roome with us and there ankered by reason of the contrary winde. When we fell with the land, we could not judge justly what part of the land it was, because the most part of that coast is lowe land, and no part to be judged of it but the forepart of the shoare, which is white like chalke or sand, and very deepe unto the hard shoare: there immediatly we began to fish, and found great store of a kinde of fish which the Portugals commonly fish for upon that coast, which they cal Pergosses, the Frenchmen call them Saders, and our men salt-water breames. Before the clearing up of the fogge, the shippe which we followed shaped us such a course that we could see her no more, by reason of our shooting off to finde the Hinde againe. This part of the coast of Barbary, by our Pilots reckoning, is about 16. leagues to the Eastwards of the river del Oro.

The 13. day in the afternoone wee spyed a saile comming towards us, which wee judged to be the saile that wee sawe the day before, and as soone as we spied him, wee caused the Hinde to way her ancre and to goe towardes him, and manned out our Skiffe in like case to lay him aboorde, or to discerne what hee was, and wee

our selves within halfe an houre after wayed also: but after the saile had espied us, hee kept about, and turned backe againe, and shortly after there fell such another fogge, that wee coulde not see him which fogges continued all that night, so that we were constrained to leave the chase. This afternoone the winde came about, and wee went our course Southwest and by West, to goe cleare off the coast, wee ranne that night sixteene leagues.

The foureteenth day in the morning was very foggie: but about twelve a clocke wee espied a Carvell of 60. tunne which was fishing, and we sent our Skiffe to him with five men, and all without any weapon saving their Oares. The Carvell for haste let slippe her ancre, and set saile; and they seeing that, fearing that they should not fetch her, would tary for no weapons, and in the ende overtooke the Carvell, and made her to strike saile, and brought her away, although they had foureteene or fifteene men aboord, & every man his weapon, but they had not the hearts to resist our men. After they were come to us, 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 us for our money. So we tooke of them 3. Tapnets of figges, two small pots of oyle, two pipes of water, foure hogsheads of saltfish which they had taken upon the coast, and certaine fresh fish which they did not esteeme, because there is such store upon that coast, that in an houre and sometime lesse, a man may take as much fish as will serve twentie men a day. For these things, and for some wine which wee dranke aboorde of them, and three or foure great Cannes which they sent aboord of our shippes, I payed them twentie and seven Pistolets, which was twise as much as they willingly would have 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 us to ancre againe about twelve leagues off the river del Oro, as the Portugals tolde us. There were five Carvels more in this place, but when they sawe us, they made all away for feare of us.

The 15. day we ridde still because of the winde.
The 16. day we set saile and ranne our course 40.

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