A.D. 



l6lO. 



Sea breaker 



in. 



The 



Governours 



care. 



Remora is 

 fabled to be a 

 small fish able 

 to withstand a 

 Shippe in her 

 course. 



STORM OFF BERMUDAS 



among them, kept their eyes waking, and their thoughts 

 and hands working, with tyred bodies, and wasted spirits, 

 three dayes and foure nights destitute of outward com- 

 fort, and desperate of any deliverance, testifying how 

 mutually willing they were, yet by labour to keepe 

 each other from drowning, albeit each one drowned 

 whilest he laboured. 



Once, so huge a Sea brake upon the poope and quarter, 

 upon us, as it covered our Shippe from stearne to 

 stemme, like a garment or a vast cloude, it filled her 

 brimme full for a while within, from the hatches up to 

 the sparre decke. This source or confluence of water 

 was so violent, as it rusht and carried the Helm-man 

 from the Helme, and wrested the Whip-staffe out of 

 his hand, which so flew from side to side, that when 

 he would have ceased the same againe, it so tossed him 

 from Star-boord to Lar-boord, as it was Gods mercy 

 it had not split him : It so beat him from his hold, 

 and so bruised him, as a fresh man hazarding in by 

 chance fell faire with it, and by maine strength bearing 

 somewhat up, made good his place, and with much 

 clamour incouraged and called upon others ; who gave 

 her now up, rent in pieces and absolutely lost. Our 

 Governour was at this time below at the Capstone, both 

 by his speech and authoritie heartening every man unto 

 his labour. It strooke him from the place where hee 

 sate, and groveled him, and all us about him on our 

 faces, beating together with our breaths all thoughts 

 from our bosomes, else, then that wee were now 

 sinking. For my part, I thought her alreadie in 

 the bottome of the Sea; and I have heard him say, 

 wading out of the floud thereof, all his ambition was 

 but to climbe up above hatches to dye in Aperto ccelo, 

 and in the company of his old friends. It so stun'd the 

 ship in her full pace, that shee stirred no more, then 

 if shee had beene caught in a net, or then, as if the 

 fabulous Remora had stucke to her fore-castle. Yet 

 without bearing one inch of saile, even then shee was 



190 



