A.D. 



1540. 



Floi'ing weeds 

 for 5 o leagues. 



Thirtie 

 degrees of 

 Northerly 

 latitude. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



many vallies, out of which certalne small mists arose, 

 which continued in them for a long time, whereupon 

 we gathered, that they rose out of certaine rivers. The 

 same morning, to our great comfort we saw great 

 smokes, though we were above foure leagues distant 

 from them, and the Captaine made no great reckoning 

 to approch neere unto them, nor to seeke nor serch what 

 the matter was, and perchance because he was not then 

 in the Santa Agueda, but was aboord the Trinitie, as 

 his maner was to come and stay there two or three 

 dayes, as well to passe the time, as to give order for 

 things that were needefull. In this countrey the winter 

 and raine seemed to be like that of Castile. We rode 

 al night two or three leagues distance from shore, 

 and toward evening we saw five or sixe fires, whereat 

 we all rejoyced, but did not marvell thereat, because 

 the situation of that countrey shewed to be habitable, 

 being faire, pleasant, and all greene, and likewise because 

 the Hand which we had left behind us being (as I 

 have said) twenty leagues in circuit, made shewe that 

 it was well peopled. On the Wednesday we were 3 or 

 4 leagues at sea from the land, and began to see two 

 fires more, & therfore we assured our selves that the 

 countrey was very well inhabited ; and the farther we 

 sayled, we alwayes found it more civill. And for the 

 space of fifty leagues before we came hither we alwayes 

 found swimming on the sea certaine flotes of weedes 

 of a ships length, and of the bredth of two ships, being 

 round and full of gourds, and under these weedes were 

 many fishes, and on some of them were store of fowles 

 like unto white sea-meawes. We supposed that these 

 floting weeds did grow upon some rocke under the 

 water. We were now in 30 degrees of Northerly lati- 

 tude. We sailed from the 7 of January untill the 9 

 still with contrary windes : and on Fryday about noone 

 there rose a North and Northeastern winde, which forced 

 us to returne under the shelter of that Hand which we 

 left behind us, from whence we had sayled above 



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