In This Extremity Of Trouble It Pleased God That The
Wind Came Fair On The 1st October, On Which We
Loosed our land fastnings
with all expedition, weighed our anchor, and towed off into the channel;
for we had repaired
Our boat when in Port Desire, and got five oars from
the Black pinnace. On weighing our anchor we found the cable sore
broken, holding only by one strand, which was a most merciful
preservation. We now reeved our ropes and rigged our ship the best we
could, every man working as if to save our lives in the utmost
extremity. Our company was now much divided in opinion as to how we
should proceed for the best; some desiring to return to Port Desire, to
be there set on shore, and endeavour to travel by land to some of the
Spanish settlements, while others adhered to the captain and master: But
at length, by the persuasion of the master, who promised that they would
find wheat, pork, and roots in abundance at the island of St Mary,
besides the chance of intercepting some ships on the coasts of Chili and
Peru, while nothing but a cruel death by famine could be looked for in
attempting to return by the Atlantic, they were prevailed upon to
proceed.
So, on the 2d of October, 1592, we again made sail into the South Sea,
and got free from the land. This night the wind again began to blow very
strong at west, and increased with such violence that we were in great
doubt what measures to pursue.
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