For Those That Arrived Upon The Newfoundland Were Brought
Into France By Certain Frenchmen, Then Being Upon The Coast.
After this heavy chance, we continued in beating the sea up and down,
expecting when the weather would clear up that we might yet bear in
with the land, which we judged not far off either the continent or
some island.
For we many times, and in sundry places found ground at
50, 45, 40 fathoms, and less. The ground coming upon our lead, being
sometime cozy sand and other while a broad shell, with a little sand
about it.
Our people lost courage daily after this ill success, the weather
continuing thick and blustering, with increase of cold, winter drawing
on, which took from them all hope of amendment, settling an assurance
of worse weather to grow upon us every day. The leeside of us lay full
of flats and dangers, inevitable if the wind blew hard at south. Some
again doubted we were ingulfed in the Bay of St. Lawrence, the coast
full of dangers, and unto us unknown. But above all, provision waxed
scant, and hope of supply was gone with the loss of our Admiral. Those
in the frigate were already pinched with spare allowance, and want of
clothes chiefly: thereupon they besought the General to return to
England before they all perished. And to them of the /Golden Hind/
they made signs of distress, pointing to their mouths, and to their
clothes thin and ragged: then immediately they also of the /Golden
Hind/ grew to be of the same opinion and desire to return home.
The former reasons having also moved the General to have compassion of
his poor men, in whom he saw no want of good will, but of means fit to
perform the action they came for, he resolved upon retire: and calling
the captain and master of the /Hind/, he yielded them many reasons,
enforcing this unexpected return, withal protesting himself greatly
satisfied with that he had seen and knew already, reiterating these
words: /Be content, we have seen enough, and take no care of expense
past: I will set you forth royally the next spring, if God send us
safe home. Therefore I pray you let us no longer strive here, where we
fight against the elements./ Omitting circumstance, how unwillingly
the captain and master of the /Hind/ condescended to this motion, his
own company can testify; yet comforted with the General's promise of a
speedy return at spring, and induced by other apparent reasons,
proving an impossibility to accomplish the action at that time, it was
concluded on all hands to retire.
So upon Saturday in the afternoon, the 31 of August, we changed our
course, and returned back for England. At which very instant, even in
winding about, there passed along between us and towards the land
which we now forsook a very lion to our seeming, in shape, hair, and
colour, not swimming after the manner of a beast by moving of his
feet, but rather sliding upon the water with his whole body excepting
the legs, in sight, neither yet diving under, and again rising above
the water, as the manner is of whales, dolphins, tunnies, porpoises,
and all other fish:
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