For Amongst Other Charges Given To Enquire Out The Singularities Of
This Country, The General Was Most Curious In The Search Of Metals,
Commanding The Mineral-Man And Refiner Especially To Be Diligent.
The
same was a Saxon born, honest, and religious, named Daniel.
Who after
search brought at first some sort of ore, seeming rather to be iron
than other metal. The next time he found ore, which with no small show
of contentment he delivered unto the General, using protestation that
if silver were the thing which might satisfy the General and his
followers, there it was, advising him to seek no further; the peril
whereof he undertook upon his life (as dear unto him as the crown of
England unto her Majesty, that I may use his own words) if it fell not
out accordingly.
Myself at this instant liker to die than to live, by a mischance,
could not follow this confident opinion of our refiner to my own
satisfaction; but afterward demanding our General's opinion therein,
and to have some part of the ore, he replied, /Content yourself, I
have seen enough; and were it but to satisfy my private humour, I
would proceed no further. The promise unto my friends, and necessity
to bring also the south countries within compass of my patent near
expired, as we have already done these north parts, do only persuade
me further. And touching the ore, I have sent it aboard, whereof I
would have no speech to be made so long as we remain within harbour;
here being both Portugals, Biscayans, and Frenchmen, not far off, from
whom must be kept any bruit or muttering of such matter. When we are
at sea, proof shall be made; if it be our desire, we may return the
sooner hither again./ Whose answer I judged reasonable, and contenting
me well; wherewith I will conclude this narration and description of
the Newfoundland, and proceed to the rest of our voyage, which ended
tragically.
While the better sort of us were seriously occupied in repairing our
wants, and contriving of matters for the commodity of our voyage,
others of another sort and disposition were plotting of mischief; some
casting to steal away our shipping by night, watching opportunity by
the General's and captains' lying on the shore; whose conspiracies
discovered, they were prevented. Others drew together in company, and
carried away out of the harbours adjoining a ship laden with fish,
setting the poor men on shore. A great many more of our people stole
into the woods to hide themselves, attending time and means to return
home by such shipping as daily departed from the coast. Some were sick
of fluxes, and many dead; and in brief, by one means or other our
company was diminished, and many by the General licensed to return
home. Insomuch as after we had reviewed our people, resolved to see an
end of our voyage, we grew scant of men to furnish all our shipping;
it seemed good thereof unto the General to leave the /Swallow/ with
such provision as might be spared for transporting home the sick
people.
The captain of the /Delight/ or Admiral, returned into England, in
whose stead was appointed captain Maurice Browne, before the captain
of the /Swallow/; who also brought with him into the /Delight/ all his
men of the /Swallow/, which before have been noted of outrage
perpetrated and committed upon fishermen there met at sea.
The General made choice to go in his frigate the /Squirrel/, whereof
the captain also was amongst them that returned into England; the same
frigate being most convenient to discover upon the coast, and to
search into every harbour or creek, which a great ship could not do.
Therefore the frigate was prepared with her nettings and fights, and
overcharged with bases and such small ordnance, more to give a show,
than with judgment to foresee unto the safety of her and the men,
which afterward was an occasion also of their overthrow.
Now having made ready our shipping, that is to say, the /Delight/, the
/Golden Hind/, and the /Squirrel/, we put aboard our provision, which
was wines, bread or rusk, fish wet and dry, sweet oils, besides many
other, as marmalades, figs, limons barrelled, and such like. Also we
had other necessary provision for trimming our ships, nets and lines
to fish withal, boats or pinnaces fit for discovery. In brief, we were
supplied of our wants commodiously, as if we had been in a country or
some city populous and plentiful of all things.
We departed from this harbour of St. John's upon Tuesday, the 20 of
August, which we found by exact observation to be in 47 degrees 40
minutes; and the next day by night we were at Cape Race, 25 leagues
from the same harborough. This cape lieth south-south-west from St.
John's; it is a low land, being off from the cape about half a league;
within the sea riseth up a rock against the point of the cape, which
thereby is easily known. It is in latitude 46 degrees 25 minutes.
Under this cape we were becalmed a small time, during which we laid
out hooks and lines to take cod, and drew in less than two hours fish
so large and in such abundance, that many days after we fed upon no
other provision. From hence we shaped our course unto the island of
Sablon, if conveniently it would so fall out, also directly to Cape
Breton.
Sablon lieth to the seaward of Cape Breton about 25 leagues, whither
we were determined to go upon intelligence we had of a Portugal,
during our abode in St. John's, who was himself present when the
Portugals, above thirty years past, did put into the same island both
neat and swine to breed, which were since exceedingly multiplied. This
seemed unto us very happy tidings, to have in an island lying so near
unto the main, which we intended to plant upon, such store of cattle,
whereby we might at all times conveniently be relieved of victual, and
served of store for breed.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 10 of 15
Words from 9254 to 10282
of 14986
