LAURENCE KEYMIS ad. 



1596. 



But because most of our caske was not yron-bound, 



and in making stowage-way to remoove it, would have 



bene the losse of our Sider and other drinke ; I therefore 



referred the taking of any quantity to fitter opportunitie : 



thinking it sufficient at this time, to have only my boats 



lading thereof: which afterwards in extremitie of foule 



weather, before we could get aboord our ship, wee 



were inforced in a darke night to heave all overboord : 



thinking our selves happy, to have recovered thither 



at seven dayes ende, with safetie of life onely. All 



which time wee could no where set foote on shore, 



but rested day and night wet and weatherbeaten in our 



covertlesse boate, which was sometimes ready to sinke 



under us. For wee had in this place without comparison 



more raine, wind, and gustes, then else where at any 



time. To bee briefe, my men became weake and sicke, 



and if wee had stayed any longer time out, I doubt 



whether the greatest part of us had ever come aboord 



againe. I afterwards understood by my Indian pilot, 



that this weather is for most part of the yeere usuall, 



neere the Island Oncaiarie, which lyeth North from the Unseasonable 



river Capurwacka some sixe leagues into the sea : and Y'^^'^^ ^r°^^ 



that they hold opinion how this Hand is kept by some Oncaiane 



evil spirit : for they verily beleeve, that to sleepe in 



the day time neere it (except it be after much drinke) 



is present death. The only season wherein little raine 



doth fal there, is (as I gathered by their speech, they 



dividing al times by their Moones) at our Winter 



Solstice. The mother-wind of this coast is for the most 



part to the Northward of the East, except when the 



Sunne is on this side of the Equinoctiall, for then it often 



veares Southerly, but most in the night. This our guid 



is of the laos, who doe al marke themselves, thereby to ^lo^' the 



bee knowen from other nations after this maner. With ^^^'^°^ °f^^^ 



the tooth of a small beast like a Rat, they race some their ,f^ ^f \ 

 r I'll- r 1- r -r • tliemselves to 



races, some their bodies, arter divers formes, as ir it be knowen 



were with the scratch of a pin, the print of which rasure from other 



can never bee done away againe during life. When P^'^P^^- 



457 



