From Falmouth We Went To
Dartmouth, And Lay There At Anchor Before The Range, While The Captain
Went Aland To
Enquire if there had been any news of the frigate,
which, sailing well, might happily have been before us; also
To
certify Sir John Gilbert, brother unto the General, of our hard
success, whom the captain desired, while his men were yet aboard him,
and were witnesses of all occurrences in that voyage, it might please
him to take the examination of every person particularly, in discharge
of his and their faithful endeavour. Sir John Gilbert refused so to
do, holding himself satisfied with report made by the captain, and not
altogether despairing of his brother's safety, offered friendship and
courtesy to the captain and his company, requiring to have his bark
brought into the harbour; in furtherance whereof a boat was sent to
help to tow her in.
Nevertheless, when the captain returned aboard his ship, he found his
men bent to depart every man to his home; and then the wind serving to
proceed higher upon the coast, they demanded money to carry them home,
some to London, others to Harwich, and elsewhere, if the barque should
be carried into Dartmouth and they discharged so far from home, or
else to take benefit of the wind, then serving to draw nearer home,
which should be a less charge unto the captain, and great ease unto
the men, having else far to go. Reason accompanied with necessity
persuaded the captain, who sent his lawful excuse and cause of this
sudden departure unto Sir John Gilbert, by the boat of Dartmouth, and
from thence the /Golden Hind/ departed and took harbour at Weymouth.
All the men tired with the tediousness of so unprofitable a voyage to
their seeming, in which their long expense of time, much toil and
labour, hard diet, and continual hazard of life was unrecompensed;
their captain nevertheless by his great charges impaired greatly
thereby, yet comforted in the goodness of God, and His undoubted
providence following him in all that voyage, as it doth always those
at other times whosoever have confidence in Him alone. Yet have we
more near feeling and perseverance of His powerful hand and protection
when God doth bring us together with others into one same peril, in
which He leaveth them and delivereth us, making us thereby the
beholders, but not partakers, of their ruin. Even so, amongst very
many difficulties, discontentments, mutinies, conspiracies,
sicknesses, mortality, spoilings, and wracks by sea, which were
afflictions more than in so small a fleet or so short a time may be
supposed, albeit true in every particularity, as partly by the former
relation may be collected, and some I suppressed with silence for
their sakes living, it pleased God to support this company, of which
only one man died of a malady inveterate, and long infested, the rest
kept together in reasonable contentment and concord, beginning,
continuing, and ending the voyage, which none else did accomplish,
either not pleased with the action, or impatient of wants, or
prevented by death.
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