Have shewn me letters affirming
it to be true, of a bloody cross having been seen in the air in England;
and that an English preacher, speaking irreverently of it from the
pulpit, was struck dumb: On which miracle, as they term it the king of
England sent to the pope, to have some cardinals and learned men brought
to England, as intending that all the people of England should become
Roman catholics. I pray you pardon me for writing of such nonsense,
which I do that you may laugh; yet I assure you there are many Spaniards
and Portuguese here who firmly believe it. I know not what more to write
you at this time: But I hope to come to England in the next shipping
that comes here; and I trust in God that I may find your worship in good
health.
RICHARD COCKS.
SECTION XVI.
Ninth Voyage of the East India Company, in 1612, by Captain Edmund
Marlow.[68]
We sailed from the Downs on the 10th February, 1612, in the good ship
James, and crossed the equator on the 11th April.[69] The 27th of that
month, at noon, we were in latitude, by observation, 19 deg. 40' S. and in
longitude, from the Lizard, 11 deg. 24' W. We this day saw an island
fourteen leagues from us in the S.E. which I formerly saw when I sailed
with Sir Edward Michelburne. It is round like Corvo, and rises rugged,
having a small peaked hill at its east end. Its lat. is 23 deg. 30' S. and
long. 10 deg. 30' W. from the Lizard; and there is another island or two in
sight, seven or eight leagues E.N.E. from this.[70]
[Footnote 68: Purch. Pilg. I. 440. - The relation of this voyage in the
Pilgrims is said to have been written by Mr John Davy, the master of
the ship: Probably the same John Davis, or Davies, formerly
mentioned as having frequently sailed as master to India in these early
voyages, and from whose pen Purchas published a Rutter, or brief book
of instructions for sailing to India. On the present occasion, this
voyage has been considerably abbreviated, especially in the nautical
remarks, which are now in a great degree obsolete and useless, and have
been already sufficiently enlarged upon in the former voyages to
India. - E.]
[Footnote 69: From some indistinct notices, in the commencement of this
voyage, the Dragon and Hosiander appear to have belonged to the tenth
voyage of the East India Company, and the Solomon to the eleventh
voyage; and that these three ships sailed from England at the same time
with the James, which belonged to the ninth voyage. - E.]
[Footnote 70: This seemeth the island of Martin Vaz. - Purch. The
island of Trinidad, or Martin Vaz, is only in lat. 20 deg. 15' S. and long.
29 deg. 32' W. from Greenwich. - E.]
We saw the island of St Lawrence on the 29th June, and anchored in five
fathoms water in the bay of St Augustine on the 28th at night. Next day
we weighed, and brought the ship to anchor in the river, one anchor
being in thirty-five and the other in ten fathoms. A ship may ride here
in shallower water at either side, the deep channel being narrow. In
this anchorage no sea can distress a ship, being protected by the land
and shoals, so that it may well be called a harbour, from its safety. We
remained here twenty days, and sailed for Bantam on the 18th of July.
In the morning of the 24th September we saw the islands of Nintam, in
lat. 1 deg. 30' S.[71] The sound between the two great islands is eighteen
leagues from Priaman, and eleven leagues from the shoals before Ticoo,
which must be carefully avoided during the night, by laying two or three
or four leagues off till day-light. When you see three hummocks that
resemble three islands, take care always to have a person stationed on
the outer end of the boltsprit to give warning of any spots in your way,
as there are coral beds, which may be easily seen and avoided. The
course from this sound for Ticoo or Priaman is E.N.E. to these shoals.
In passing this sound, keep your lead always going, and come no nearer
the large southern island than the depth of sixteen fathoms, as there
are shoals towards the east side, and a breach or ledge also off the
northern island, on the larboard going in for Priaman. When nearing the
shoals of Ticoo, set the three hummocks on the main, which look like
islands, as all the land near them is very low; and when you have these
hummocks N.E. by E. then are you near the shoals, and when the hummocks
are N.N.E. you are past the shoals. But great care is necessary
everywhere, as it is all bad ground hereabout, till past the high land
of Manancabo, which is in lat 4 deg. 30' S. or thereby.
[Footnote 71: Pulo Mintao is probably here meant, which is to the south
of the line, but touches it at its northern extremity. The sound in the
text, is probably that between Pulo Botoa and Pulo Mintao. - E.]
We came to anchor in the road of Priaman on the 26th September, where
we found the Thomas, and remained fourteen days to refresh our sick men,
when the Hector and our ship sailed for Bantam, where we arrived in
company with the Janus and Hector on the 23d October. The 4th November
we weighed from the road of Bantam, intending to proceed by the straits
of Sunda for Coromandel; but the winds and currents were so strong
against us, that we were forced back into the straits of Sunda to refit
our ship, which was much weather-beaten.
