LINSCHOTEN'S LARGE TESTIMONY a.d. 



1589-91. 



onely to consist in putting into the road, compelling the 

 Master and the Pilot to make towards the Hand, although 

 the master refused to doe it, saying, that they were most 

 sure there to be cast away and utterly spoyled : but the 

 captaine called him drunkard and Heretique, and striking 

 him with a staffe, commaunded him to doe as hee would 

 have him. The Master seeing this and being compelled 

 to doe it, sayd : well then my Masters, seeing it is the 

 desire of you all to bee cast away, I can but lose one life, [II. ii. 187.] 

 and therewith desperately he sailed towards the shore, and 

 was on that side of the Hand, where there was nothing 

 els but hard stones and rocks, as high as mountaines, 

 most terrible to beholde, where some of the inhabitants 

 stood with long ropes and corke bound at the end thereof, 

 to throw them downe unto the men, that they might lay 

 holde upon them, and save their lives : but few of them 

 got so neere, most of them being cast away, and smitten 

 in pieces before they could get to the wall. The ship 

 sailing in this maner (as I sayd before) towards the Hand, 

 and approching to the shore, the master being an olde 

 man, and full of yeeres, called his sonne that was in the 

 ship with him, and having imbraced one another, and 

 taken their last farewell, the good olde father willed his 

 sonne not to take care for him, but seeke to save him- 

 selfe ; for (sayd he) sonne thou art yong, & mayest have 

 some hope to save thy life, but as for me it is no great 

 matter (I am olde) what become of me, and therewith 

 ech of these shedding many teares, as every loving father 

 and kinde childe may well consider, the ship fell upon 

 the cliffes, and brake in pieces, the father on the one side, 

 the sonne on the other side falling into the sea, ech laying 

 holde upon that which came next to hand, but to no 

 purpose ; for the sea was so high and furious, that they 

 were all drowned, and onely foureteene or fifteene saved 

 themselves by swimming, with their legs and armes halfe 

 broken and out of joynt, among which was the Masters 

 sonne, and foure other Dutch boyes : the rest of the 

 Spaniards and Sailers, with the Captaine and Master, were 



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