Caused the gunner to shoot off one of the great
pieces - towards the people, and so the dog turned back to land, and
within an hour after there came of the people hard aboard the ship,
but they would not come to us as they did before.
The 31st of August we departed from Gilbert's Sound for England, and
when we came out of the harbour there came after us seventeen of the
people looking which way we went.
The 2nd of September we lost sight of the land at twelve of the
clock at noon.
The 3rd day at night we lost sight of the North Star, our pinnace,
in a very great storm, and lay a-hull tarrying for them the 4th day,
but could hear no more of them. Thus we shaped our course the 5th
day south-south-east, and sailing unto the 27th of the said month,
we came in sight of Cape Clear in Ireland.
The 30th day we entered into our own Channel.
The 2nd of October we had sight of the Isle of Wight.
The 3rd we coasted all along the shore, and the 4th and 5th.
The 6th of the said month of October we came into the River of
Thames as high as Ratcliffe in safety, God be thanked!
THE THIRD VOYAGE NORTH-WESTWARD, MADE BY JOHN DAVIS,
Gentleman, as chief captain and pilot general for the discovery of a
passage to the Isles of the Molucca, or the coast of China, in the
year 1587. Written by John Janes, servant to the aforesaid Master
William Sanderson.
May. - The 19th of this present month, about midnight, we weighed our
anchors, set sail and departed from Dartmouth with two barques and a
clincher, the one named the Elizabeth, of Dartmouth, the other the
Sunshine, of London, and the clincher called the Ellin, of London;
thus, in God's name, we set forwards with wind at north-east, a good
fresh gale. About three hours after our departure, the night being
somewhat thick with darkness, we had lost the pinnace. The captain,
imagining that the men had run away with her, willed the master of
the Sunshine to stand to seawards and see if we could descry them,
we bearing in with the shore for Plymouth. At length we descried
her, bore with her, and demanded what the cause was; they answered
that the tiller of their helm was burst, so shaping our course west-
south-west, we went forward, hoping that a hard beginning would make
a good ending; yet some of us were doubtful of it, failing in
reckoning that she was a clincher; nevertheless, we put our trust in
God.
The 21st we met with the Red Lion of London, which came from the
coast of Spain, which was afraid that we had been men-of-war; but we
hailed them, and after a little conference we desired the master to
carry our letters for London, directed to my uncle Sanderson, who
promised us safe delivery. And after we had heaved them a lead and
a line, whereunto we had made fast our letters, before they could
get them into the ship they fell into the sea, and so all our labour
and theirs also was lost; notwithstanding, they promised to certify
our departure at London, and so we departed, and the same day we had
sight of Scilly. The 22nd the wind was at north-east by east, with
fair weather, and so the 23rd and 24th the like. The 25th we laid
our ships on the lee for the Sunshine, who was a-rummaging for a
leak; they had 500 strokes at the pump in a watch, with the wind at
north-west.
The 26th and 27th we had fair weather, but this 27th the pinnace's
foremast was blown overboard. The 28th the Elizabeth towed the
pinnace, which was so much bragged of by the owner's report before
we came out of England, but at sea she was like a cart drawn with
oxen. Sometimes we towed her, because she could not sail for scant
wind.
The 31st day our captain asked if the pinnace were staunch. Peerson
answered that she was as sound and staunch as a cup. This made us
something glad when we saw she would brook the sea, and was not
leaky.
June. - The first six days we had fair weather; after that for five
days we had fog and rain, the wind being south.
The 12th we had clear weather. The mariners in the Sunshine and the
master could not agree; the mariners would go on their voyage a-
fishing, because the year began to waste; the master would not
depart till he had the company of the Elizabeth, whereupon the
master told our captain that he was afraid his men would shape some
contrary course while he was asleep, and so he should lose us. At
length, after much talk and many threatenings, they were content to
bring us to the land which we looked for daily.
The 13th we had fog and rain.
The 14th day we discovered land at five of the clock in the morning,
being very great and high mountains, the tops of the hills being
covered with snow. Here the wind was variable, sometimes north-
east, east-north-east, and east by north; but we imagined ourselves
to be 16 or 17 leagues off from the shore.
The 15th we had reasonably clear weather.
The 16th we came to an anchor about four or five of the clock in the
afternoon. The people came presently to us, after the old manner,
with crying "Il y a oute," and showed us seal-skins.
The 17th we began to set up the pinnace that Peerson framed at
Dartmouth, with the boards which he brought from London.
