latitude. 



SIR FRANCIS DRAKE ad. 



1578. 

 now was, becalmed, hee sawe that of necessitie hee must 

 bee enforced to take a Spanish course, namely to saile 

 somewhat Northerly to get a winde. Wee therefore set 

 saile, and sayled 800 leagues at the least for a good 

 winde, and thus much we sayled from the 1 6 of Aprill 

 after our olde stile till the third of June. 



The fift day of June being in fortie three degrees to- ^'^^ Francis 

 wardes the pole Arcticke, being speedily come out of ^^'^^^ ^^w^ 

 the extreame heate, wee found the ayre so colde, that ^^^^ ^f 

 our men being pinched with the same, complayned of America, to 

 the extremitie thereof, and the further we went, the 43 degrees of 

 more the colde increased upon us, whereupon we thought ^°^'/^^jb 

 it best for that time to seeke land, and did so, finding it "''" " 

 not mountainous, but low plaine land, & we drew backe 

 againe without landing, til we came within thirtie eight 38 degrees. 

 degrees towardes the line. In which height it pleased 

 God to send us into a faire and good Bay, with a good 

 winde to enter the same. 



In this Bay wee ankered the sevententh of June, and 

 the people of the Countery, having their houses close by 

 the waters side, shewed themselves unto us, and sent a 

 present to our Generall. 



When they came unto us, they greatly wondred at the 

 things which we brought, but our Generall (according to 

 his naturall and accustomed humanitie) curteously in- 

 treated them, and liberally bestowed on them necessarie [III. 441.] 

 things to cover their nakednesse, whereupon they sup- 

 posed us to be gods, and would not be perswaded to the 

 contrary : the presentes which they sent unto our Generall 

 were feathers, and cals of net worke. 



Their houses are digged round about with earth, and ^ description 

 have from the uttermost brimmes of the circle clifts of ^f^j^P^op^^ 

 wood set upon them, joyning close together at the toppe ^^fj^iova ^^"^ 

 like a spire steeple, which by reason of that closenesse are Albion. 

 very warme. 



Their bed is the ground with rushes strawed on it, and 

 lying about the house, they have the fire in the middest. 

 The men goe naked, the women take bulrushes and 

 IX 321 X 



