At the commencement of this article, the burden of the
Dragon is only stated at 600 tons. - E.]
[Footnote 118: This latter paragraph obviously refers to the ignis
fatuus of a northwest passage by sea to India, to be noticed in an
after part of this work. - E.]
When this letter was delivered to the Hector, together with his orders
for her departure, the general expected she would have gone off from us
in the night, according to instructions; but when he espied her in the
morning, he said to me that they regarded no orders. But the Hector kept
some two or three leagues from us, not coming any nearer; for the master
was an honest and good man, who loved our general, and was loth to leave
him in such great distress. It was now incumbent upon us to try every
means to save ourselves and the ship. Our carpenter mended our new
rudder, and in a few days the weather became somewhat fair and the sea
smooth. So we made a signal for the Hector to come near, out of which
came the master, Mr Sander Cole, bringing the best swimmers and divers
belonging to his ship, who helped us materially in our work. By the
blessing of God, we hung our rudder again on the two remaining hooks,
and then had some hope of being able to fetch some port for our relief.
We were sore beaten to and fro in these raging seas, and had many more
storms than are here expressed, sometimes for a whole month together, so
that our men began to fall sick, and the wind was so scant that we could
fetch no port on the coast of Africa, which was the nearest land.
Committing ourselves therefore into the hands of God, we made sail for
the island of St Helena, knowing that we were to the westwards of the
Cape of Good Hope, especially by the height we were now in to the
northward. While in this course our main-yard fell down, and drove one
of our men into the sea, where he was drowned; this being the last of
our misfortunes. The 5th June, we passed the tropic of Capricorn, and in
the morning of the 16th we got sight of St Helena to our great joy. We
bore close along shore, to get to the best part of the road, where we
came to anchor in twelve fathoms water, right over against a chapel
which the Portuguese had built there long since.
When we went ashore, we found by many writings, that the Portuguese
caraks had departed from thence only eight days before our arrival. In
this island there are excellent refreshments to be had, especially water
and wild goats; but the latter are hard to be got at, unless good means
are followed. For this purpose the general selected four stout active
men, the best marksmen among our people, who were directed to go into
the middle of the island, each of these, having four men to attend him,
and to carry the goats he killed to an appointed place, whence every day
twenty men went to bring them to the ships. By this plan there was no
hooting or hallooing about the island to scare the goats, and the ships
were plentifully supplied to the satisfaction of all. While we remained
here, we refitted our ships as well as we could, and overhauled our
temporary rudder, securing it so effectually that we had good hope it
might last us home. All our sick men recovered their health, through the
abundance of goats and hogs we procured for their refreshment. Indeed
all of us stood in great need of fresh provisions, having seen no laud
in three months, but being continually beaten about at sea.
We departed from St Helena on the 5th July, steering N.W. and passed the
island of Ascension, in lat. 8 deg. S. on the 13th. No ships touch at this
island, for it is altogether barren and without water; only that it
abounds with fish all around in deep water, where there is ill riding
for ships. Holding our course still N.W. with the wind at E. and S.E.
till the 19th of that month, we then passed the equator, and on the 24th
were in lat. 6 deg. N. at which time we judged ourselves to be 150 leagues
from the coast of Guinea. We then steered N. by W. and N. till the 29th,
when we got sight of the island of Fuego, one of the Cape Verds, where
we were becalmed five days, striving to pass to the eastwards of this
island but could not, for the wind changed to the N.E. so that we had to
steer W.N.W. We were in lat. 16 deg. N. on the 7th August, and on the 12th
we passed the tropic of Cancer, in lat. 23 deg. 30' N. holding our course to
the north. The 23d the wind came westerly; and on the 29th we passed St
Mary, the southeastermost of the Azores, with a fair wind. We had
soundings on the 7th September, 1603, the coast of England being then 40
leagues from us by our reckoning; and we arrived in the Downs on the
11th of that month, where we came safe to anchor: For which we thanked
the Almighty God, who hath delivered us from infinite perils and
dangers, in this long and tedious navigation; having been, from the 2d
April, 1601, when we sailed from Torbay, two years five months and nine
days absent from England.
SECTION II.
Account of Java, and of the first Factory of the English at Bantam;
with Occurrences there from the 11th February, 1603, to the 6th October,
1605.[119]
INTRODUCTION.
The entire title of this article, in the Pilgrims of Purchas, is, "A
Discourse of Java, and of the first English Factory there, with divers
Indian, English, and Dutch Occurrences; written by Mr Edmund Scot,
containing a History of Things done from the 11th February, 1602, till
the 6th October, 1605, abbreviated."
[Footnote 119:
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