The Famous Voyage Of Sir Francis Drake Into The South Sea, And Therehence About The Whole Globe Of The Earth, Begun In The Year Of Our Lord 1577 Narrative By Francis Pretty
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Being
Returned To Our Ships We Weighed Anchor, And Ran Somewhat Further, And
Harboured Ourselves Between The Rock And The Main; Where By Means Of
The Rock That Brake The Force Of The Sea, We Rid Very Safe.
And upon
this rock we killed for our provision certain sea-wolves, commonly
called with us seals.
From hence we went our course to 36 degrees, and
entered the great river of Plate, and ran into 54 and 53 1/2 fathoms
of fresh water, where we filled our water by the ship's side; but our
General finding here no good harborough, as he thought he should, bare
out again to sea the 27th of April, and in bearing out we lost sight
of our fly-boat wherein Master Doughty was. But we, sailing along,
found a fair and reasonable good bay, wherein were many and the same
profitable islands; one whereof had so many seals as would at the
least have laden all our ships, and the rest of the islands are, as it
were, laden with fowls, which is wonderful to see, and they of divers
sorts. It is a place very plentiful of victuals, and hath in it no
want of fresh water. Our General, after certain days of his abode in
this place, being on shore in an island, the people of the country
shewed themselves unto him, leaping and dancing, and entered into
traffic with him, but they would not receive anything at any man's
hands, but the same must be cast upon the ground. They are of clean,
comely, and strong bodies, swift on foot, and seem to be very active.
The 18th of May, our General thought it needful to have a care of such
ships as were absent; and therefore endeavouring to seek the fly-boat
wherein Master Doughty was, we espied her again the next day. And
whereas certain of our ships were sent to discover the coast and to
search an harbour, the Marigold and the canter being employed in that
business, came unto us and gave us understanding of a safe harbour
that they had found. Wherewith all our ships bare, and entered it;
where we watered and made new provision of victuals, as by seals,
whereof we slew to the number of 200 or 300 in the space of an hour.
Here our General in the Admiral rid close aboard the fly-boat, and
took out of her all the provision of victuals and what else was in
her, and hauling her to the land, set fire to her, and so burnt her to
save the iron work. Which being a-doing, there came down of the
country certain of the people naked, saving only about their waist the
skin of some beast, with the fur or hair on, and something also
wreathed on their heads. Their faces were painted with divers colours,
and some of them had on their heads the similitude of horns, every man
his bow, which was an ell in length, and a couple of arrows. They were
very agile people and quick to deliver, and seemed not to be ignorant
in the feats of wars, as by their order of ranging a few men might
appear. These people would not of a long time receive anything at our
hands; yet at length our General being ashore, and they dancing after
their accustomed manner about him, and he once turning his back
towards them, one leaped suddenly to him, and took his cap with his
gold band off his head, and ran a little distance from him, and shared
it with his fellow, the cap to one and the band to the other. Having
despatched all our business in this place, we departed and set sail.
And immediately upon our setting forth we lost our canter, which was
absent three or four days; but when our General had her again, he took
out the necessaries, and so gave her over, near to the Cape of Good
Hope. The next day after, being the 20th of June, we harboured
ourselves again in a very good harborough, called by Magellan, Port
St. Julian, where we found a gibbet standing upon the main; which we
supposed to be the place where Magellan did execution upon some of his
disobedient and rebellious company.
The two and twentieth day our General went ashore to the main, and in
his company John Thomas, and Robert Winterhie, Oliver the master-
gunner, John Brewer, Thomas Hood, and Thomas Drake. And entering on
land, they presently met with two or three of the country people. And
Robert Winterhie having in his hands a bow and arrows, went about to
make a shoot of pleasure, and, in his draught, his bowstring brake;
which the rude savages taking as a token of war, began to bend the
force of their bows against our company, and drove them to their
shifts very narrowly.
In this port our General began to enquire diligently of the actions of
Master Thomas Doughty, and found them not to be such as he looked for,
but tending rather of contention or mutiny, or some other disorder,
whereby, without redress, the success of the voyage might greatly have
been hazarded. Whereupon the company was called together and made
acquainted with the particulars of the cause, which were found, partly
by Master Doughty's own confession, and partly by the evidence of the
fact, to be true. Which when our General saw, although his private
affection to Master Doughty, as he then in the presence of us all
sacredly protested, was great, yet the care he had of the state of the
voyage, of the expectation of her Majesty, and of the honour of his
country did more touch him, as indeed it ought, than the private
respect of one man. So that the cause being thoroughly heard, and all
things done in good order as near as might be to the course of our
laws in England, it was concluded that Master Doughty should receive
punishment according to the quality of the offence.
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