LAURENCE KEYMIS a.d. 



1596. 

 course. In this passage wee found very smooth seas, faire 

 weather, and steddie winds, blowing ordinarily betweene 

 the East and Northeast poynts. Neere 30. leagues from 

 these Islands, wee came into a growne sea, the swollen 

 waters making a strange noise & hurtling together, as if it 

 might be two strong currents encountring ech other. 

 The 12. of March wee sounded, and had sandie ground in 

 47. fathome. At midnight in twelve fathom wee came to 

 an anker, the ground sandie oaze. Sunday the 14. towards 

 night, about some sixe leagues from the shore, wee descried 

 a low land in the bottome of a bay. From the 9. of 

 March untill this time, we kept for the most part a South- 

 southwest course. The water in this place is smooth, but 

 muddie, and the colour red or tawny. From the Wester- 

 most of the Cape Verde-Islands unto this Bay I doe [III. 673.] 

 estimate the distance to be neere 550. leagues. It seemed 

 to most of our sea-men, to be the very banke of a 

 shoald upon a lee-shore : the rather because without 

 it, in the cleane greene sea wee had but 7. fathome 

 depth : but after by proofe finding that there is 

 no sudden alteration in any part of the coast, and 

 that the sea is smoothest neere the land, we alwayes 

 at night sought to anker in three or foure fathome. And 

 doubtlesse as the hand of God is woonderfull in all 

 his workes : so herein his mercifull providence is most A notable 

 admirable, that upon a lee-shore subject unto a perpetuall observation. 

 Easterly gale, neither much wind can endanger shipping, 

 by reason that the foule heavie water is not capable 

 of vehement motion, and the soft light oaze, if they touch, 

 cannot bruise them : nor is there any jeopardie in beeing 

 wind-bound, or imbayed : for the most forcible windes 

 make the greatest flood-tides, whereby the freshets when 

 they take their ordinarie course of ebbe, doe grow strong 

 and swift, setting directly off to sea against the wind. They anker b 

 Wee by turning went cleere of all Bayes : howbeit in this ^^^ ^outh of 



case, as also in the rivers, the use of a drove sayle seemeth ^/^°^^J'' 



1 1 I'll T'T r 1 1 • Situate in one 



a good and readie nelpe. Ihe nrst place wherem wee ^ ^^^^ 



ankered, was in the mouth of Arrowari, a faire and great utes. 



453 



