S. On The
15th September, The Moon Was Eclipsed, Beginning To Be Darkened
Immediately After Sun-Set, About Six In The Evening, Being Then The
Vernal Equinox In This Southern Hemisphere.
This eclipse happened in
England on the 16th before one in the morning, which is about six hours
difference, agreeing to one quarter of the circumference of the globe,
from the meridian of England to the west.
[Footnote 41: Hakluyt, IV. 253. - This narrative is said to have been
written by Edward Cliffe, mariner. Only so much of the narrative is
given here as relates to the voyage of Winter, after parting from Sir
Francis Drake. One circumstance only may be mentioned, respecting the
Patagons. - "These men be of no such stature as the Spaniards report,
being but of the height of Englishmen; for I have seen men in England
taller than I could see any of them. Peradventure the Spaniards did not
think that any Englishmen would have come hither so soon, to have
disproved them in this and divers others of their notorious lies;
wherefore they presumed more boldly to abuse the world." - Yet even
recent voyagers have presumed to abuse the world, with reporting that
the Patagons are of gigantic stature. - E.]
The last of September, being a very foul night, we lost the Marigold, a
bark of about thirty tons, the Pelican, which was our general's ship,
and our ship the Elizabeth running to the eastwards, to get to the land.
Of this we got sight on the 7th October, falling into a very dangerous
bay, full of rocks; and that same night we lost company of Mr Drake.
Next day, very difficultly escaping from the dangerous rocks among which
we were embayed, we got again into the Straits of Magellan, where we
anchored in an open bay for two days, making great fires on the shore,
that Mr Drake might find us, if he also came into the straits.
We then went into a sound, where we remained about three weeks, naming
it The Port of Health, as most of our men, having been sick with long
watching, wet, cold, and bad diet, did wonderfully recover their health
here in a short space, for which praised be God. We found here muscles
of very great size, some being twenty inches long, yielding very
pleasant meat, and many of them full of seed pearls. We came out of this
harbour on the 1st November, abandoning our voyage by compulsion of Mr.
Winter, sore against the will of the mariners. Mr. Winter alleged that
he despaired of having winds to carry him to the coast of Peru, and was
also in fear that Mr. Drake had perished. So we went back again to the
eastwards through the straits, to St. George's island, where we laid in
a quantity of a certain kind of fowl, very plentiful in that island, the
meat of which is not much unlike that of a fat English goose. They have
no wings, but only short pinions, which serve them in swimming, being of
a black colour, mixed with white spots on their bellies and round their
necks.
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