Next Day, Being The 16th Of March, He Made Sail For The
Cape Of Good Hope, Spending All The Rest
Of that month, all April, and a
part of May, in traversing the vast ocean between the island of Java
And
the southern extremity of Africa, making many observations on the
appearances of the stars, the weather, winds, tides, currents,
soundings, and bearings and positions of lands.
On the 11th of May, land was espied bearing N. and N. by W. and towards
noon more land was seen bearing W. which was believed to be the Cape of
Good Hope, being then about forty or fifty leagues from that southern
promontory of Africa.[59] The wind being scanty, they stood off to the
southwards till midnight; and, the wind being then fair, stood their
course directly west. On the 12th and 13th they were becalmed, with a
thick and hazy atmosphere. The weather cleared upon the 14th, when they
again saw land, which proved to be Cape Falso, forty or fifty leagues
short, or to the eastwards of the Cape of Good Hope.[60] This Cape
Falso is easily known, having three hills directly over it, the highest
in the middle, and only a little distance from each other; the ground
being much lower by the sea-side. Besides which, the Cape of Good Hope
bears W. by S. from this cape. They discovered the Cape of Good Hope on
the 16th of May, observing the head-land to be considerably high, having
two hummocks at the westerly point, a little off the main, and three
others a little farther into the sea, yet low-land still between these
and the sea. By the Portuguese the Cape of Good Hope is said to be 2000
leagues from Java; but by their reckoning they made it only 1850
leagues, which took them just nine weeks in the run.
[Footnote 59: Either this is a gross error, or it means that their
reckoning still made that distance from the Cape, as nothing nearly
approaching to such a distance can possibly be seen. - E.]
[Footnote 60: Captain Falso is only ten leagues E. from the Cape of Good
Hope; but perhaps Cape Aguillas may be meant in the text, which is about
thirty-five leagues E.S.E. from the Cape. - E.]
By break of day on the 8th June, they were within seven or eight leagues
of St Helena, of which island they had merely a glimpse that day, as,
having little or no wind, they had to stand off and on all night. Next
day, having a tolerably good wind, they stood in with the shore, sending
the boat before, and came to anchor in a good bay, under the N.W. side
of the island, in twelve fathoms, only two or three cables length from
the shore. This island lies in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, almost
at equal distances from the main land of Africa and that of Brazil, in
Lat. 15 deg. 43' S. between five and six hundred leagues from the Cape of
Good Hope.
Candish went here on shore, and entered the church, to which there was a
fair causeway; having a frame between two bowls, and a cross of
freestone adjoining. Within it was hung with painted cloth, on which
were represented the Blessed Virgin, the story of the Crucifixion, and
other holy legends, hung round the altar. The valley in which this
church stands is extremely pleasant, and so full of fruit-trees and
excellent plants, that it seemed like a very fair and well-cultivated
garden, having long rows of lemon, orange, citron, pomegranate, date,
and fig-trees, delighting the eye with blossoms, green fruit, and ripe,
all at once. These trees seemed nicely trimmed, and there were many
delightful walks under the shelter of their boughs, which were
pleasant, cool, and shady. At some distance there rises a fine clear
spring, which diffuses itself in many fine rivulets, all through this
valley, watering all its parts, and refreshing every plant and tree. In
the whole of this great garden there is hardly any unoccupied space; as,
where nature may have left any part empty, there art has supplied the
deficiency, so as to fill the whole space to advantage. This island also
affords great abundance of partridges and pheasants, both being larger
than ours in England. There are also turkeys, both black and white, with
red heads, about as large as those in England, and their eggs much the
same, only altogether white. There is also plenty of cabritos, or wild
goats, as big as asses, and having manes like horses, and their beards
reaching down to the ground. These are so numerous, that their herds or
flocks are sometimes a whole mile in length. It contains also vast herds
of wild-swine, which keep chiefly in the mountains, as do likewise the
wild-goats. These swine are very fat, but so excessively wild that they
are never to be got at by a man, unless when asleep, or rolling
themselves in the mire.
Having taken in all necessaries that this place produced, Candish set
sail for England on the 20th of June, standing N.W. by W. It is
observable, that the wind at St Helena is generally off the shore. On
Friday, the 23d of August, he steered E. and E. by S. for the
northernmost of the Azores; and on the 29th, after midnight, he got
sight of the islands of Flores and Corvo, in lat. 39 deg. 30' N. whence he
shaped his course N.E. He met a Flemish vessel on the 3d September,
bound from Lisbon, from which he had the joyful news of the total defeat
of the Spanish Armada. On the 9th September, after receiving a farewell
from the wind in a violent storm, which carried away most of his sails,
Candish arrived at the long-desired haven of Plymouth.
There had not hitherto been any voyage of so much consequence, or
attended by such uninterrupted success as this:
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