Before We Came To Newfoundland, About 50 Leagues On This Side, We Pass
The Bank, Which Are High Grounds Rising
Within the sea and under
water, yet deep enough and without danger, being commonly not less
than 25 and 30
Fathom water upon them; the same, as it were some vein
of mountains within the sea, do run along and form the Newfoundland,
beginning northward about 52 or 53 degrees of latitude, and do extend
into the south infinitely. The breadth of this bank is somewhere more,
and somewhere less; but we found the same about ten leagues over,
having sounded both on this side thereof, and the other toward
Newfoundland, but found no ground with almost 200 fathom of line, both
before and after we had passed the bank. The Portugals, and French
chiefly, have a notable trade of fishing upon this bank, where are
sometimes an hundred or more sails of ships, who commonly begin the
fishing in April, and have ended by July. That fish is large, always
wet, having no land near to dry, and is called cod fish. During the
time of fishing, a man shall know without sounding when he is upon the
bank, by the incredible multitude of sea-fowl hovering over the same,
to prey upon the offals and garbage of fish thrown out by fishermen,
and floating upon the sea.
Upon Tuesday, the 11 of June we forsook the coast of England. So again
on Tuesday, the 30 of July, seven weeks after, we got sight of land,
being immediately embayed in the Grand Bay, or some other great bay;
the certainty whereof we could not judge, so great haze and fog did
hang upon the coast, as neither we might discern the land well, nor
take the sun's height. But by our best computation we were then in the
51 degrees of latitude. Forsaking this bay and uncomfortable coast
(nothing appearing unto us but hideous rocks and mountains, bare of
trees, and void of any green herb) we followed the coast to the
south, with weather fair and clear. We had sight of an island named
Penguin, of a fowl there breeding in abundance almost incredible,
which cannot fly, their wings not able to carry their body, being very
large (not much less than a goose) and exceeding fat, which the
Frenchmen use to take without difficulty upon that island, and to
barrel them up with salt. But for lingering of time, we had made us
there the like provision.
Trending this coast, we came to the island called Baccalaos, being not
past two leagues from the main; to the north thereof lieth Cape St.
Francis, five leagues distant from Baccalaos, between which goeth in a
great bay, by the vulgar sort called the Bay of Conception. Here we
met with the /Swallow/ again, whom we had lost in the fog, and all her
men altered into other apparel; whereof it seemed their store was so
amended, that for joy and congratulation of our meeting, they spared
not to cast up into the air and overboard their caps and hats in good
plenty. The captain, albeit himself was very honest and religious, yet
was he not appointed of men to his humour and desert; who for the most
part were such as had been by us surprised upon the narrow seas of
England, being pirates, and had taken at that instant certain
Frenchmen laden, one bark with wines, and another with salt. Both
which we rescued, and took the man-of-war with all her men, which was
the same ship now called the /Swallow/; following still their kind so
oft as, being separated from the General, they found opportunity to
rob and spoil. And because God's justice did follow the same company,
even to destruction, and to the overthrow also of the captain (though
not consenting to their misdemeanour) I will not conceal anything that
maketh to the manifestation and approbation of His judgments, for
examples of others; persuaded that God more sharply took revenge upon
them, and hath tolerated longer as great outrage in others, by how
much these went under protection of His cause and religion, which was
then pretended.
Therefore upon further enquiry it was known how this company met with
a bark returning home after the fishing with his freight; and because
the men in the /Swallow/ were very near scanted of victuals, and
chiefly of apparel, doubtful withal where or when to find and meet
with their Admiral, they besought the captain that they might go
aboard this /Newlander/, only to borrow what might be spared, the
rather because the same was bound homeward. Leave given, not without
charge to deal favourably, they came aboard the fisherman, whom they
rifled of tackle, sails, cables, victuals, and the men of their
apparel; not sparing by torture, winding cords about their heads, to
draw out else what they thought good. This done with expedition, like
men skilful in such mischief, as they took their cockboat to go aboard
their own ship, it was overwhelmed in the sea, and certain of these
men there drowned; the rest were preserved even by those silly souls
whom they had before spoiled, who saved and delivered them aboard the
/Swallow/. What became afterwards of the poor /Newlander/, perhaps
destitute of sails and furniture sufficient to carry them home,
whither they had not less to run than 700 leagues, God alone knoweth;
who took vengeance not long after of the rest that escaped at this
instant, to reveal the fact, and justify to the world God's judgments
indicted upon them, as shall be declared in place convenient.
Thus after we had met with the /Swallow/, we held on our course
southward, until we came against the harbour called St. John, about
five leagues from the former Cape of St. Francis, where before the
entrance into the harbour, we found also the frigate or /Squirrel/
lying at anchor; whom the English merchants, that were and always be
Admirals by turns interchangeably over the fleets of fishermen within
the same harbour, would not permit to enter into the harbour.
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