30' And Reckoning Ourselves 36 Leagues From The Coast Of Guinea, We
Set Our Course Due E. The 19th, Reckoning
Ourselves 17 leagues from Cape
Mensurado, we set our course E. by N. the said cape being E.N.E.
Of us,
and the river Sesto E. The 20th we fell in with Cape Mensurado or
Mesurado, which bore S.E. 2 leagues distant. This cape may be easily
known, as it rises into a hummock like the head of a porpoise. Also
towards the S.E. there are three trees, the eastmost being the highest,
the middle one resembling a hay-stack, and that to the southward like a
gibbet. Likewise on the main there are four or five high hills, one
after the other, like round hummocks. The south-east of the three trees
is _brandiernaure?_ and all the coast is a white sand. The said cape
stands within a little of six degrees [lat. 6 deg. 20' N. long. 10 deg. 30' W.]
The 22d we came to the river Sesto or Sesters, where we remained till
the 29th, and we thought it best to send our pinnace before us to the
Rio Dulce, that they might begin the market before the arrival of the
John Evangelist. At the river Sesto, which is in six degrees less one
terce, or 5 deg. 40', we got a ton of grains[205]. From Rio Sesto to Rio
Dulce the distance is 25 leagues, Rio Dulce being in 5 deg. 30' N. The Rio
Sesto is easily known by a ledge of rocks to the S.E. of the road[206],
and at the mouth of the river are five or six trees without leaves. It
is a good harbour, but the entrance of the river is very narrow, and has
a rock right in the mouth. All that coast, between Cape Mount and Cape
Palmas, lies S.E. by E. and N.W. by N. being three leagues
offshore[207], and there are rocks in some places two leagues off,
especially between the river Sesto and Cape Palmas.
[Footnote 202: The real distance is 84 marine leagues, 20 to the
degree. - E.]
[Footnote 203: The parallel of lat. 28 deg. N. goes through the centre of
Grand Canarea, touching the southern point of Teneriffe, and just
keeping free of the S.W. point of Fuertaventura. - E.]
[204][Footnote 204: 7 Cape Blanco is in lat. 20 deg. 50' N. 25 leagues to
the north, would only reach to lat. 22 deg. 5'; exactly almost in 22 deg. is the
small island of Pedro de Agale. - E.]
[Footnote 205: In the preceding voyage grains have been explained as
Guinea pepper, a species of capsicum. - E.]
[Footnote 206: Rock Sesters is in long. 9 deg. 20' W.]
[Footnote 207: This is not intelligible, unless meant that ships may
anchor for three leagues from the shore. - E.]
Between the river Sesto and the river Dulce are 25 leagues. Between them
and 8 leagues from Sesto river is a high land called _Cakeado_, and S.E.
from it a place called _Shawgro_, and another called _Shyawe_ or
_Shavo_, where fresh water may be had. Off Shyawe lies a ledge of rocks,
and to the S.E. is a headland named _Croke_, which is 9 or 10 leagues
from Cakeado. To the S.E. is a harbour called St Vincent, right over
against which is a rock under water, two and a half leagues from shore.
To the S.E. of this rock is an island 3 or 4 leagues off, and not above
a league from shore, and to the S.E. of the island is a rock above
water, and past that rock is the entrance of the river Dulce, which may
be known by that rock. The N.W. side of the haven is flat sand, and the
S.E. side is like an island, being a bare spot without any trees, which
is not the case in any other place. In the road ships ride in 13 or 14
fathoms, the bottom good ouse and sand. The marks for entering this road
are to bring the island and the north-east land in one. We anchored
there on the last day of December 1554, and on the 3d of January 1555 we
came from the Rio Dulce. _Cape Palmas_ is a fair high land, some low
parts of which by the waterside seem red cliffs, with white streaks like
highways, a cables length each, which is on the east side of the Cape.
This is the most southerly land on the coast of Guinea, and is in lat.
4 deg. 25' N. From Cape Palmas to Cape _Three-points_ or _Tres puntas_, the
whole coast is perfectly safe and clear, without rock or other danger.
About 25 leagues to the eastward of Cape Palmas the land is higher than
in any other place till we come to Cape Three-points, and about ten
leagues westward from that Cape the land begins to rise, and grows
higher all the way to the point. Also about 5 leagues west from that
Cape there is some broken ground with two great rocks, within which, in
the bight of a bay, there is a castle called _Arra_ belonging to the
king of Portugal, which is readily known by these rocks, as there are
none other between Cape Palmas and Cape Three-points. The coast trends
E. by N. and W. by S. From Cape Palmas to Arra castle is 95 leagues, and
from thence to the western point of Cape Three-points it is S.E. by S.
and N.W. by N. This western point of Cape Three-points is low land,
stretching half a mile out to sea, and on the neck nearest the land is a
tuft of trees.
We arrived at Cape Three-points on the 11th January, and came next day
to a town called _Samma_ or _Samua_, 8 leagues beyond, towards E.N.E.
there being a great ledge of rocks a great way out to sea between Cape
Three-points and that town.
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