AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1586. 



We passed thus alongst the coast hard aboord the 

 shore, which is shallow for a league or two from the 

 shore, and the same is lowe and broken land for the 

 most part. 



The ninth of June upon sight of one speciall great fire 

 (which are very ordinarie all alongst this coast, even from 

 the Cape of Florida hither) the Generall sent his SkifFe to 

 the shore, where they found some of our English 

 countreymen (that had bene sent thither the yeere before 

 by Sir Walter Ralegh) and brought them aboord : by 

 whose direction wee proceeded along to the place which 

 they make their Port. But some of our ships being of 

 great draught unable to enter, anchored without the 

 harbour in a wilde roade at sea, about two miles from 

 shore. 



From whence the General wrote letters to master Ralfe 

 Lane, being governour of those English in Virginia, and 

 then at his Fort about sixe leagues from the Rode in an 

 Roanoac. Island which they call Roanoac, wherein especially he 

 shewed how ready he was to supply his necessities and 

 wants, which he understood of, by those he had first 

 talked withall. 



The morrow after, Master Lane himselfe and some of 

 his company comming unto him, with the consent of his 

 captaines he gave them the choice of two offers, that is to 

 say : Either he would leave a ship, a pinnesse, and certaine 

 boates with sufficient Masters and Mariners, together 

 furnished with a moneths victuall, to stay and make 

 farther discovery of the countrey and coastes, and so 

 much victuall likewise as might be sufficient for the 

 bringing of them all (being an hundred and three persons) 

 into England, if they thought good after such time, with 

 any other thing they would desire, and that he might 

 be able to spare. 



Or els if they thought they -had made sufficient dis- 

 coverie already, and did desire to returne into England, he 

 would give them passage. But they, as it seemed, being 

 desirous to stay, accepted very thankefully and with great 



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