A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1540. 



lost two of our best ankers. This furious winde con- 

 tinued untill the next day being Tewsday the 24 when 

 as we went on shore with the friers, who sayd us masse, 

 recommending our selves to God, beseeching him to 

 vouchsafe to succour and help us with some good 

 weather that we might proceede on our voyage, to the 

 advancement of his service. And still the winds were 

 so high and outragious, that the devill seemed to be 

 loosed in the aire. Whereupon the Pilots caused all 

 the masts to be let downe, least they should be shaken 

 with the wind, and tooke off all the shrowds, and like- 

 wise caused the cabbens in the sterne to be taken away, 

 that the winds might have more free passage, for the 

 safetie of the ships : yet for al this they ceased not to 

 be in great trouble. On Tewsday the second of March, 

 about midnight or somewhat after, riding under the 

 Island in this distresse, there came a gust of Northwest 

 winde, which made the cable of the Admirall to slip, 

 and the Trinitie brake her cable, and had bene cast 

 away, if God of his mercy had not provided for us, 

 together with the diligence which the Pilots used, in 

 hoising the sailes of the trinkets and mizzen, wherewith 

 they put to sea, and rode by another anker untill day, 

 when the men of both the ships went with their boats 

 to seeke the anker untill noone, which at length they 

 found and recovered, not without great paines & 

 diligence which they used in dragging for it, for they 

 were till noone in seeking the same, and had much 

 adoe to recover it. After this we set up our shrowdes, 

 and all things necessary to saile, for to proceede on our 

 voyage, if it pleased God, and not to stay alwayes in that 

 place, as lost and forlorne. Thus on the Wednesday 

 two or three houres after dinner wee set saile, with a 

 scarce winde at Southeast, which was favourable for our 

 course and very scant ; and our Pilots & all the rest 

 of us were in no smal feare, that it would not continue 

 long. We began therfore to set forward, although we 

 seemed to see before our eies, that at the end of the 



272 



