We Sailed From Gravesend On The 24th January, 1615, And On The 2d
February Sir Thomas Roe, Ambassador From His Majesty To The Great Mogul,
Repaired On Board The Lion, With Fifteen Attendants.
At the same time,
Mr Humphry Boughton embarked in the Pepper-corn, being recommended by
the king to the company for a passage to India.
We carried out in the
fleet eleven Japanese, who were brought to England in the Clove, divided
proportionally among the ships; likewise fourteen Guzerates, brought
home in the Dragon, together with nineteen condemned persons from
Newgate, to be left for the discovery of unknown places, the company
having obtained their pardons from the king for this purpose. On the
20th, some of the Dragon's men, among whom were the Newgate birds,
attempted to run away with the pinnace, but were prevented: Yet next
night one of these condemned men, and two of the crew of the
Pepper-corn, carried away her pinnace. Two of my men conspired to carry
away my boat that same night, but were discovered.
The 23d February we set sail from the Downs, and on the 6th March we
lost sight of the Lizard. The 26th we saw land, supposed to be the
western part of Fuerteventura, but it proved to be part of Barbary. One
of the points of land at the mouth of the river Marhequena, we found
to be laid down wrong, a whole degree more northerly than it ought to
be; as likewise cape Bajadore is misplaced a whole degree, which we
found by experience, escaping great danger caused by that error in our
charts. The 26th of April we got into the trade wind; and on the 10th
May, being by estimation 620 leagues west of the Cape of Good Hope, we
saw many pintadoes, mangareludas, and other fowls.
The 5th June we came to anchor in Saldanha bay, having only buried three
or four men since leaving England, out of our whole fleet, and had now
about thirty sick, for whom we erected five tents ashore. Corey[162]
came down and welcomed us after his manner, by whose means the savages
were not so fearful or thievish as at other times. They brought us
cattle in great abundance, which we bought for shreds of copper. Corey
shewed his house and his wife and children to some of our people, his
dwelling being at a town or craal of about an hundred houses, five
English miles from the landing place. Most of these savages can say Sir
Thomas Smith's English ships, which they often repeat with much pride.
Their wives and children came often down to see us, whom we gratified
with bugles, or such trifles; and two or three of them expressed a
desire to go with us to England, seeing that Corey had sped so well, and
returned so rich, with his copper suit, which he preserves at his house
with much care. Corey also proposed to return with us, accompanied by
one of his sons, when our ships are homeward-bound.
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