THE CASTING AWAY OF THE ' TOBIE ' a.d. 



*593- 

 an halfe before day had ranne our shippe upon the 



ground on the coast of Barbarie without the straight 

 foure leagues to the South of Cape Espartel. Where- 

 upon being all not a litle astonied, the Master said 

 unto us, I pray you forgive me ; for this is my fault 

 and no mans else. The company asked him whether 

 they should cut off the maine maste : no sayd the 

 Master we will hoyse out our boate. But one of our 

 men comming speedily up, sayd, Sirs, the ship is full 

 of water, well sayd the Master, then cut the mayne- 

 mast over boord : which thing we did with all speede. 

 But the after part suddenly split a sunder in such sort 

 that no man was able to stand upon it, but all fled 

 upon the foremast up into the shrouds thereof; and 

 hung there for a time : but seeing nothing but present 

 death approch (being so suddenly taken that we could 

 not make a raft which we had determined) we com- 

 mitted our selves unto the Lord and beganne with 

 dolefull tune and heavy hearts to sing the 12 Psalme. 

 Helpe Lord for good and godly men &c. Howbeit 

 before we had finished foure verses the waves of the 

 sea had stopped the breathes of most of our men. 

 For the foremast with the weight of our men & the 

 force of the sea fell downe into the water, and upon 

 the fall thereof there were 38 drowned, and onely 12 

 by Gods providence partly by swimming and other 

 meanes of chests gote on shoare, which was about a 

 quarter of a mile from the wracke of the ship. The [II. il. 202.] 

 master called George Goodley, and William Palmer his 

 mate, both perished. M. Caesar also being captaine and 

 owner was likewise drowned : none of the officers were 

 saved but the carpenter. 



We twelve which the Lord had delivered from 

 extreme danger of the Sea, at our comming ashore fell 

 in a maner into as great distresse. At our first comming 

 on shore we all fell downe on our knees, praying the 

 Lord most humbly for his mercifull goodnesse. Our 

 prayers being done, we consulted together what course 



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