and invited divers Gentlemen that were there aboard his ship which was a Friggot of about 400. tunnes her loading Gold and Elephants teeth the Man was exceeding civill to us and gave to every Gentleman of our Company a present of such rarities as he brought from Guinny and Binny We stayed together almost a whole day the weather being very calme and almost no wind at all in the evening a fresh breese began to blow which serv'd us both in our severall wayes and so saluting each other with our ordinance wee took leave About this time our Consort the None-such parted with us she directly for the Carribby Ilands we for St. Jago one of the Ilands of Cape Verd where wee were to trade for Negros Horses and Cattell which we were to sell at the Barbados So keeping our course about 80. Leagues from the Coast of Spaine and Barbaâ—ie the first land wee discovered was the I le of Porto Santo which lyeth in 33. degrees to the Noreward which wee left of our Larboard side When presently after we had sight of the Maderas which we sayld close by and had a full view of the place so Rocky and Mountainous and the ground so miserably burnt with the Sun as we could perceive no part of it either Hill or Valley that had the least appearance of green nor any tree bigger then a small Hathorne and very few of those Between this and three inconsiderable Ilands called the Deserts which appeared to us like the tops of large buildings no unevennesse or risings and fallings but levell as the toppe of a large Church or Barne but burnt worse then the other so that instead of the fresh and lively greenes other Countreys put on at this time of the yeare these were apparell'd with Russets or at best Phyliamorts But it fell out that this yeere the summer was there hotter then usually and the Sea men that were with us gave us to understand that they never had seen it so burnt as now and that the Leeward part of it was at other times exceeding fruitfull and pleasant abounding with all sorts of excellent fruits Corne Wine Oyle and the best Sugars with Horses Cattell Sheep Goates Hogges Poultrey of all sorts and the best sorts of Sea-fish These Ilands lye neere 33. degrees to the Noreward Having past between these leaving the Maderas on of our Starboard side wee found a constant trade-wind to carry us to the Southward When the next Iland that came in our view was Bona Vista but at such a distance as we could hardly discerne colours but the generall Landscape of the hills seemed to one very beautifull gently rising and falling without Rockes or high precipices This Iland is famous for excellent Salt and for Horses which in one property excell all that ever I have seene their hooves being to that degree of hardnesse and toughnesse that we ride them at the Barbados downe sharp and steepie Rocks without shooes and no Goates goe surer upon the sides of Rockes and Hills then they and many of them very strong and clean limb'd This Iland wee left ten Leagues or thereabouts on our Larboard side and next to it the I le of May famous for store of excellent Salt The last of those Ilands was Palma a land so high as after wee first discovered it which was in the morning wee thought to have reacht it that night but found our selves farre short of it next morning though wee had a full gaile all that night so much is the eye deceived in Land which lyes high This Iland is about 28 degrees to the Noreward and from it to the Iles of Cape Verd about 13 degrees a long way to bee silent for there is no land between and therefore I purpose to entertaine you with some Sea delights for there is no place so void and empty where some lawfull pleasure is not to bee had for a man that hath a free heart and a good Conscience But these Sea-pleasures are so mixt with Cruelties as the trouble of the one abates much the delight of the other for here wee see the great ones eate up the little ones as they doe at Land and with as little remorse yet laying that consideration aside the Chase affords some pleasure to the eyes for some kinds of fishes shew themselves above water for a long while together I have seen 20 Porpisces very large of that kinde Crosse the Prow of our Ship one behind another in so steady and constant a course in chase of some other fishes as I have seen a kennell of large Hounds in Windsor Forrest in the chase of a Stag one following another directly in a track and the onely difference I finde is these doe not spend their mouthes but what they want in that is supplyed by the goodnesse of their noses for they never are at a fault but goe constantly on The Dolphins likewise pursue the flying Fish forcing them to leave their knowne watry Elements and flye to an unknowne one where they meet with as mercilesse enemies for there are birds that attend the rising of those fishes and if they bee within distance seldome fayle to make them their owne These birds and no other but of their kinde love to straggle so far from land so that it may be doubted whether the sea may not bee counted their naturall home for wee see them 500 leagues from any land at Sun setting and so it is not possible they should recover land that night and on the waves they cannot rest without great hazzard I have seen them sometimes light and sit upon the waves but with such Caution for feare of being taken in by a fish as her rest is very unsafe unlesse when she is covered by the nights dark wings This Bird is a kinde of sea Hawke somewhat bigger then a Lanner and of that colour but of a far freer wing and of a longer continuance and when she is weary she finds resting places if the Seas be Calme for then the â—urtles lye and sleep upon the waves for a long time together and upon their backs they sit and sleep securely and there mute prune and oyl their feathers rouse and doe all their Offices of nature and have roome enough for all for some of those Turtles are a yeard broad in the back wee took one with our long Boate as he lay sleeping on the water whose body afforded all the Gentlemen and Officers of the Ship a very plentifull meal and was the best meat wee tasted all the time wee were at Sea There are of these kinds of Fishes but two sorts that continue in the mayne the Loggerhead Turtle and the Hawkes bill Turtle of which sorts the latter is the best and of that kind ours was that wee took There is a third kind called the Green Turtle which are of a leffer Magnitude but far excelling the other two in wholesomnesse and Rarenesse of taste but of them hereafter for I have no mind
bigger then a large Pomegranate and yet his faculties are such as may draw more eyes to look on him and more mindes to consider him then the Vast Whale for though it be true that his large body appearing above the surface of the water being in calmes a smooth leavell superficies and suddenly appearing is one of the strangest and most monstrous sights that can be in nature and the more admirable when he is incounted by his two mortall enemies the Sword and Theshal fishes For to shake them off he leapes more then his owne length above water and in his fall beats the sea with such violence as the froth and foame is seen a quarter of an houre after White as when t is beaten by a strong West wind against a Rock and at other times spouts out the water in great quantities the height of an ordinary Steeple Yet this great master-piece of Nature is not in my opinion so full of wonder nor doth raise the consideration to such a height as this little fish the â—arvill who can when he pleases enjoy himselfe with his neighbour fishes under water And when he putts on a resolution to trie his fortune in another Element the Ayer he riseth to the top of the sea let the billow go never so high and there without the help of a sayâ—er Raises up his maine Mast spreads his sayles which he makes of his own sinewes fits his Rudder and Ballast and begins his voyage But to what Coast he is bound or what trafique he intends himselfe and He that made him onely can tell Fishes there are none to prey on nor flies and therefore t is not for food he travailes I have seen them 500 leagues from any land if his voyage be to any Port he must have a long time and much patience to get thither if to sea hee 's there already in one thing he hath the advantage of any ship that ever sayled for he can go neerer the wind by a poynt then the most yare Friggot that ever was built Which shewes how farre Nature can exceed Art Another advantage he has that in the greatest Tempest he never feares drowning Compasse nor Card he needs not for he is never out of his way whether then his voyage be for pleasure or profit we are yet to seeke But before wee arive at our next Harbour St Jago one of the Iles of Cape Verd and now revolted from the King of Spayne to the Portugall Let me tell you one little observation I made of the Ships way which in slacke windes and darke nights wee saw nothing under water but darkenes but in stiffe windes and strong gayles wee saw perfectly the keele of the Ship and fishes playing underneath as lighted by a torch and yet the nights of equall darkenes Which put me in mind of a poynt of Philosophy I had heard discourst of among the Learned That in the Ayer Rough hard bodies meeting with one another by violent stroakes Rarifie the Ayer so as to make fire So here the ship being of a hard substance and in a violent motion meeting with the strong resistance of the waves who though they bee not hard yet they are rough by reason of their saltnes doe cause a light though no fire and I may guesse that that light would bee fire were it not quencht by the sea in the instant it is made which in his owne Element hath the greater power and predominancie But before wee came to St Jago wee were to have visited a small Iland called Soll by the intreatie of a Portugall wee carried with us whose name was Bernardo Mendes de Sousa who pretended to have a great part of the Iland if not the whole to bee his owne but for that it lay somewhat out of our waye and wee could not recover it by reason the winde was Crosse and partly for that wee were enformed by some of the Saylers who told us it was uninhabited by any but Goats Dogs and the like and wee guest hee would out of a vaine glorie shew us something that he Call'd his But the Master who well knew the Condition of the place would not lose so much tyme to no purpose Which gave some discontentment to the Portugall which hee exprest in his Countenance by a sullen dogged looke till wee came to St Jago But that was but a whetstone to sharpen a worse humour hee was big with for though our Merchants redeem'd him out of prison in London intending him a Mayne director in the whole voyage whose Credulous eares hee highly abused by telling them That the Padre Vagado Chiefe Governour of St Jago was his brother and that by the power hee had with him to lay all trade open for Negroes Horses and Cattle which were there Contrabanded goods By which perswasion they gave him the power and Command of the ship and goods But hee intended nothing lesse then the performance of that trust but instead of it meant to make prey of both and of our Liberties and probably lives to boote if wee had not bin verie wary of him The first thing wee perceiv'd in him was a strange looke hee put on when wee came nere the Iland which caused us to suspect some great and bad designe hee was bent on for being Iolly and very good Companie all the voyage to change his Countenance when wee were nere the place where wee hop'd to enjoy our selves with happinesse and Contentment was a presage of some evill intent to bee put in practice which howerly wee expected and were all at gaze what part of it was first to bee acted which hee more speedily then hee needed discovered and it was thus Our water being a good part spent in our passage thither and wee being to make new and large provisions for the remaynder of our Voyage carrying horses and Cattle with us which wee were to take in there hee Commanded the Master by the power he had over him to send a shoare all the emptie Caske hee had aboard with intent to detayne them and so make us comply by little and little to his ends But the Master absolutely denied the Landing our great Caske but told him he would send our quarter Caskes in our long boate and so by making often returnes to fill our Pipes Buts But finding himself at a losse in this designe thought good to keepe us from any water at all and so appointed our men to dig in the valley under the Padres house where he was well assured no Springs of water were to be found But some of our men who spoke good Spanish by their enquiries heard That there was a very good well on the other side of the hill under the Castle and were brought to the sight of it by some of the Country people Which when he perceiv'd we had knowledge of he was much out of Countenance and used his best eloquence to make us beleeve he had never heard of that Well So finding that this
so become uselesse and Clocks and Watches will seldome or never go true and all this occasion'd by the moystnesse of the Ayre And this we found at feâ— for before we came neere this Iland we perceiv'd a kind of weather which is neither raine nor mist and continued with us sometimes four or five dayes together which the seamen call a Heysey weather and rises to such a height as though the sunne shine out bright yet we cannot see his body till nine a clock in the morning nor after three in the afternoone And we see the skie over our heads cleare a close and very unhealthull weather and no pleasure at all in it This great heat and moysture together is certainely the occasion that the trees and plants grow to such vast height and largenesse as they are # There is nothing in this Iland so much wanting as Springs and Rivers of water there being but very few and those very smal inconsiderable I know but only one River and that may rather be term'd a Lake then a River The Springs that runne into it are never able to fill it they are so small outfall to Sea it has none but at spring tides the Sea comes in and fills it and at Nepe tides it cannot runne out againe the sea-banks being higher than it But some of it issues out through the Sands and leaves behind it a mixt water of fresh and salt at the time the tide comes in it brings with it some fishes which are content to remaine there being better pleased to live in this mixt water then in the Salt Colonel Humphrey Walrond who is owner of the land of both sides and therefore of it has told me that he has taken fishes there as bigge as Salmons which have been overgrown with fat as you have seen Porpisces but extreamely sweet and firme But it has not been often that such fish or any other have bin taken in that place by reason the whole Lake is filled with trees and roots So that no Net can be drawn nor any Hook laid for they will wind the lines about the roots and so get away or the lines break in pulling up being fastned to the roots This River or Lake reaches not within the Land above twelve score yards or a flight shot at most and there is no part of it so broad but you may cast a Coyte over it The spring tides there seldome rise above four or five foot upright there come from the sea into these small bibling rivolets little Lobsters but wanting the great clawes afore which are the sweetest and fullest of fish that I have seen Chicester Lobsters are not to be compared to them But the water which the people of this Iland most relye upon is raine water which they keep in ponds that have descents of ground to them so that what falls on other ground may runne thither And the place in which the Pond is set must be low and claye in the bottome or if it be not naturally of Clay it must be made so For if it finde any Leake to the rocky part it gets between those clifts and sinks in an instant About the end of December these ponds are fill'd and with the help it hath by the weekly showrs that fall they continue so yet sometimes they feele a want This pond water they use upon all occasions and to all purposes to boyle their meat to make their drink to wash their linnen for it will beare soape But one thing seem'd to me a little loathsome and that was the Negroes washing themselves in the Ponds in hot weather whose bodies have none of the sweetest savours But the planters are pleased to say that the Sunne with his virtuall heat drawes up all noysome vapours and so the waters become rarified and pure againe But it was a great satisfaction to me that a little Rivulet was neere us from whence we fetcht dayly as much as served us both for meat and drink In these ponds I have never seen any small fish fry or any thing that lives or moves in it except some flies that fall into it but the water is clear and well tasted And because their Cattle shall not be in danger of miring or drowning the best Husbands raile in a part of the Pond where it is of a competent depth for the water to stand and pave that in the bottom with stone and so the Cattle neither raise the mud nor sink in with their feet and so the water comes clear to them Water they save likewise from their houses by gutters at the eves which carrie it down to cisterns And the water which is kept there being within the limits of their houses many of which are built in manner of Fortifications and have Lines Bulwarks and Baâ—tians to defend themselves in case there should be any uproar or commotion in the Iland either by the Christian servants or Negre slaves serves them for drink whilst they are besieged as also to throw down upon the naked bodies of the Negres scalding hot which is as good a defence against their underminings as any other weapons If any tumult or disorder be in the Iland the next neighbour to it discharges a Musket which gives the Alarum to the whole Iland for upon the report of that the next shoots and so the next and next till it go through the Iland Upon which warning they make ready # Bread which is accounted the staffe or main supporter of mans life has not here that full taste it has in England but yet they account it nourishing and strengthening It is made of the root of a small tree or shrub which they call â—assavie the manner of his grouth I will let alone till I come to speak of Trees and Plants in generall His root only which we are now to consider because our bread is made of it is large and round like the body of a small Still or retort and as we gather it we cut sticks that grow neerest to it of the same tree which we put into the ground and they grow And as we gather we plant This root before it come to be eaten suffers a strange conversion for being an absolute poyson when 't is gathered by good ordering comes to be wholsome and nourishing and the manner of doing it is this They wash the outside of the root clean and lean it against a Wheel whose sole is about a foot broad and covered with Latine made rough like a large Grater The Wheel to be turned about with a foot as a Cutler turnes his Wheel And as it grates the root it falls down in a large Trough which is the receiver appointed for that purpose This root thus grated is as rank poyson as can be made by the art of an Apothecary of the most venomous simples he can put together but being put into a strong piece of double Canvas or Sackcloth and prest hard that all the juice be
to part so leightly with the forenamed Birds of prey For having been bred a Faulconer in my youth I cannot but admire the admirable swiftnesse of wing these birds make They mount sometimes upon the trayne to so loftie a pitch as if a Faucon were there Shee might be allowed a double Cancellere in her stooping to her game they doe it at one entire downe come Her ordinary flying for her own pleasure and not for prey is commonly more free then the best Haggard Faulcon that I have ever seen but the continuance of it makes it the more admirable At the times they grow hungry they attend the Dolphins who are their Spaniels and where they perceive the water to move they know they are in Chase of the flying fish and being neere them they rise like Coveys of Partridges by 12 and 16 in a Covey and flye as far as young Partridges that are farkers and in their flight these birds make them their quarry These frighted fishes sometimes in the night have crost our ship and being stopt by the shroudes have falne downe and with their bodieswe have baited hookes and taken their pursuers the Dolphins which we have found very excellent meat being drest by a good hand with Wine Spice and sweet herbs which we never wanted So here we have excellent hauking no â—eare of losing our hauke by going out at Cheik or to a village to Poult and yet eate of the quarrie and sometimes of the Spaniells which is an advantage the best faulconers misse at Land As for the hunting here we only see the Chase but suffer the hounds to flesh themselves upon the quarrie or it may be a royall fish such a one as may fill a dish to furnish Neptunes table by that meanes we are cosen'd of our quarry So that as I ever thought on Land I find the same at Sea Hawking to be the better sport I had almost forgot to tell what kind of fish this flying fish is which is the cause of such excellent sport both in himselfe and others he is just like a Pilchard but his fins larger both in breadth length as long as they are wett so long he flyes and for their mortall enemies the birds they continue with us from 33. degrees til we come to 15. and then leave us At which time and place another kinde undertakes us not much bigger then a Castrill and as near that colour as may bee but of another manner of flying for these flye close to the water and turne about every wave so that wee often lose sight of them by interposing of the waves and think somtimes that a wave has overwhelmed her The pleasure she gives the eye is by the giddinesse of her flying and often seems to be lost and yet contrary to our expectation appears againe But I will trouble you no longer with the inhabitants of the Plyant Aire but dive into the Deep to try what pleasure that Element affords to give you delight There is a Fish called a Sharke which he as is a common enemy to Saylers and all others that venture in Calmes to commit their naked bodies to the sea for he often bites off Legs sometimes Armes and now and then swallowes the whole body if the Fish bee great So when the Saylers take them they use them accordingly Sometimes by putting out their eyes and throwing them over bord sometimes by mangling and cutting their bodies finns and tayles making them a prey to others who were mercilesse Tyrants themselves And in this kind of justice they are very Accurate Many of these fishes we took some by striking with harping Irons some with Fishgigs some with hookes and amongst the rest one very large which followed the Ship foure houres before wee went about to take him and perceived before him a little Fish which they call the Pilot Fish This little guide of his swims sometimes a yeard before him sometimes more or lesse at his pleasure and in his greatest-adversity often cleaves to him and like a deare friend stickes â—losest when hee needs him most for when he is taken this little fish never fayles to fasten himselfe to his head or some part neere that and resolves to dye with him The experience of this wee found not only in this great fish but in all the rest wee had formerly taken for wee never took the one without the other And the Engine wee took this great Sharke with was a large Hook baited with a piece of Beef which he received into his mouth his belly being turned upwards for his mouth being short of his snout a good deale he could not take it conveniently his back being upward by reason his snout drove the line afore it but as soon as wee perceived the baite to be swallowed we gave a sudden pull which fastned the hook so as we were sure the weight of his body would not teare it out Wee drew him up and laid him in the Wast of the Ship where none durst abide but the Seamen who dare doe any thing Wee had aboard divers mastive Dogges and amongst them one so large and fierce as I have seldome seen any like him this Dogge flew to him with the greatest Courage that might be but could take no hold of him by reason of his large roundnesse and sliminesse but if by chance he got hold of one of his â—innes the Sharke would throw him from â—ide to side of the Ship as if he had been nothing and doubtlesse if he had encountred him in his own Element the Sea he would have made quick work with him Divers of this kind wee took but none so large he was about 16 foot long and 10 foot about the middle Other fishes were took as the Bonito the Spanish Maquerell the Albucore Dolphin c. which wee found excellent meate but especially the Albucore which is a fish of such a shape as it pleased me much to look on Those wee took were not much above a yard long with forked tayles the gristles very firme and strong and the body neer that no bigger then a mans wrist but suddenly growing upward to such a greatnesse as I have seldome seen any like him and so strong withall as a sayler a very strong man holding one of them fast by the gill when this fish mov'd but his tayle to get loose gave such a spring as he had like to have put his arme out of joynt These kind of fishes in a cleare Sun-shine evening delight themselves and us by trying which of them can leap highest above water so that t is a pretty pastime to see fishes so large and gloriously colour'd shew themselves so far above their naturall Element whose shapes and colours gave such variety But this sport we saw not often I will trouble you no more with mentioning the variety of shapes and colours of fishes till I come to St. Jago onely one and that a very small one for his body is not much
practice would not serve his turne he tryed another and that was was to command our Master to carrie a shoare that part of the Cargosoone that was consign'd for that place which was Cloath Bayes Stuffes of severall kindes Linen Cloath Hats with broad brims such as Spaniards use to weare and were made in London purposely to put off there and these goods being valued when they were receiv'd at Land there should be a returne made in Horses and Cattle But as we had Cause to suspect him for the Cask so wee had for the Cargo and so return'd him this answer that we would not land any of our goods without receiving the like valew in Cattle and so by parcells to receive the one and deliver the other On which message we sent the Purser of our ship that spoke good Spanish But Bernardo being vext to the height that his Plot was discovered kept him prisoner We sent another to demand him which was like wise detayned then we sent 3 or 4 more and some of the soldiers of the Castle gave fire upon them Soe that wee resolv'd to weigh Anchor and put to Sea for a weeke or tenne dayes and returne in the night the weather being darke and fitt for our purpose and surprise the Padres house with 50 Musketeers which we could muster verie well of the Gentlemen and other passengers in the ship and some of the Saylers and take the Padre Vagago and Bernardo Mendes de Sousa and carrie them to the Barbados But the Padre not knowing of this designe in Bernardo sent to us a verie kind message inviting himselfe aboard our ship receiving hostages from us and soe upon treatie with him aboard settled a trade and got our prisoners releast whereupon we were invited to his house or rather his Rocke for it was most part of it form'd in a Rocke with a sleep and verie high precipice But I am mislead into this digression by this wicked Portugall whose unlucky Countenance before we came to the Iland gave me the occasion to say somewhat of him and his miscariage in the Iland before I came at it But when we came within sight of it it appeared to us full of high steep Rocks the highest of which were meere stone without any soyleat all and they of so great a height as we seldome saw the tops whilst we lay before it being interposed by mists and Clouds which rise and darken the skie in the time of the Turnado But the day we had the first sight of it being very cleare and we being at a competent distance had a perfect view of it But those of the second altitude appear'd not so white but had a grayish colour as if covered with light and sandy earth But the lowest of those seem'd rather Hills than Rockes but yet so russet as we were in doubt whether grasse did ever grow on them But when we came within distance of discerning colours perfectly wee expected the vallies as it opened to us would have afforded our eyes a richer prospect with more variety of colours but we found very little or no amendment onely the trees of Coconuts with some other that were large and beautiful whose tops giving amply proportionable shadowes to their roots held their greennesse and were extreame beautifull But the time of our stay there being the Turnado when the sunne being in his returne from the Tropique of Cancer to that of Capricorne to visit and refresh the Southern world became Zenith to the inhabitants of that part of the world which is about the beginning of August At which time the raines fall in abundance and is accompted winter to those parts where the Zenith is and we staying there 19 or 20 dayes the raine falling a good part of that time wee perceived the valleys to put on new liveries so fresh so full of various greens intermixt with flowers of severall kinds some growing on stalkes some on trees so full of varietie of the most beautifull colours as if nature had made choyce of that place to shew her Master piece So that having feasted our eyes with this delighted object we desired to try whether their smel was as pleasant and odoriferous as their beauty was admirable and to satisfie our selves of this curiosity would willingly have gone a shoare but wee were advised to stay a little till we were better assured of our Portugall Bernardo Which stay gave us time to take a view of the Harbour or Bay which they call the Pry and is about a league over from land to land And as I guest somewhat more from the poynts of land to the bottome and as we enter we leave a small Iland on our Larboard side This Bay or Pry lies to the Leeward of the Iland by reason whereof we found so great so insufferable heate as you will hardly imagine that bodyes comming out of cold Climates could indure such scorching without being suffocated I had in a Cabinet two pieces of hard waxe in the hold of the ship both melâ—ed and clave together and the Cement of that Cabinet that was made to hold the Inke melted and became flat So that finding the Ayer so torridly hot I thought good to make triall of the water and I leapt into the sea which appeared to my sense no more colder than the Ayer than the Queens bath at Baâ—he is hotter in June here in England At the bottome or inward part of the Pry there appeared to us a faire round rising hill neere halfe the bredth of the Pry not much unlike the How at Plâ—mouth with a valley on either side And on the brow of the Hill towards the right hand a very high and steep precipice of a rocke in which stood the house of the Padre Vagado fixt on the top of the rocke A house fit enough for such a Master for though he were the chiefe Commander of the Iland yet by his port and house he kept he was more like a Hermite then a Governour His familie consisting of a Mollotto of his own getting three Negroes a Fidler and a Wench Himselfe a man grave enough to be wise but certainly of no great learning for upon the differences between Bernardo and us Colonel Modiford writ him a letter in Latin which he did his best endeavour to answer but fell two bowes short in substance and language and though his Quarrell were to us yet he revenged himselfe on Priscian whose head he broke 3 or 4 times in his letter The first time we saw him was at his own house by his own invitation to which almost inaccessible habitation when we had climed with infinite difficulty and indeed so painfull and violent was our motion our leggs finding the motion of elevation much more violent then of distention as we were almost scalded within and the torrid heat of the Sun being then our Zenith did so scald us without as we were in fitter condition to be fricased for the Padres dinner then