In This State Of Misery And Wretchedness, Several Died Raving
Mad, And Others In A Most Loathsome State, Or In Dreadful Pain And
Agony.
None in the ship remained in perfect health, except the captain
and one boy; the master also, though oppressed with extreme labour and
anxiety, bore up with spirit, so that his disease did not overcome him.
At length all our men died except sixteen, five only of whom were able
to move. These were, the captain, who was in good health, the master
indifferent, Captain Cotton and myself swollen and short-winded, yet
better than the other sick men, and the boy in good health. Upon us five
the whole labour of the ship rested. The captain and master, as happened
to be necessary, took in and left out the topsails. The master by
himself attended to the sprit-sail, and all of us the capstan, being
utterly unable to work sheets and tacks. Our misery and weakness were so
extreme, that we were utterly unable to take in or set a sail; so that
our top-sails and sprit-sail were at length torn in pieces by the
weather. The captain and master had to take their turns at the helm,
where they were inexpressibly grieved and distressed by the continual
and sad lamentations of our few remaining sick men.
Thus lost wanderers on the ocean, unable to help ourselves, it pleased
God, on the 11th of June, 1593, that we arrived at Beerhaven in Ireland,
and ran the ship there on shore. The Irish helped us to take in our
sails, and to moor the ship so as to float her off next tide; for which
slender aid it cost the captain ten pounds, before he could get the ship
into a state of safety. Thus, without men, sails, victuals, or other
means, God alone guided us into Ireland. Here the captain left the
master and three or four more of the company to keep the ship; and
within five days after our arrival, he and some others got a passage in
a fishing-boat to Padstow in Cornwall. For the merciful preservation of
this our small remnant, and our restoration to our country, be all
honour and glory to God, now and for ever. - Amen.
CHAPTER IV.
VOYAGE OF OLIVER VAN NOORT ROUND THE WORLD IN 1598 - 1601.[67]
* * * * *
INTRODUCTION.
The inhabitants of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, after their
separation from the Spanish monarchy, found themselves extremely at a
loss for means to supply the expences of the long and vigorous war in
which they were engaged for the defence of their liberties. This gave
them the more uneasiness, as their great enemy, Philip II. carried on
the war against them, more by the length of his purse than the force of
his arms, and because the riches, of the Spanish monarchy were derived
from sources of commerce and colonization that were prohibited to them,
even if they had submitted themselves to the yoke of Spain.
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