A.D. 

 I589. 



Rio Benin. 



A currant 

 Westward. 



Tenfoote 

 water upon 

 the barre of 

 Rio de Benin. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



then we ankered in three fadom and a halfe, and the 

 currant went Westward. This river is the river of Benin, 

 and two leagues from the maine it is very shallowe. 



The 15 we sent the boat and pinnesse into the river 

 with the marchants, and after that we set saile, because 

 we road in shallow water, and went Southsoutheast, and 

 the starbord tacke aboord untill we came to five fathom 

 water, where we road with the currant to the Westward : 

 then came our boat out of the harbour and went aboord 

 the pinnesse. The West part of the land was high 

 browed much like the head of a Gurnard, and the Easter- 

 most land was lower, and had on it three tufts of trees 

 like stackes of wheate or corne, and the next day in 

 the morning we sawe but two of those trees, by reason 

 that we went more to the Eastward. And here we road 

 still from the 14 of Februarie untill the 14 of Aprill, 

 with the winde at Southwest. 



The 16 of Februarie we rode still in 5 fadome, and 

 the currant ranne still to the Westward, the winde at 

 Southwest, and the boat and pinnesse came to us againe 

 out of the river, and told us that there was but ten foote 

 water upon the barre. All that night was drowsie, and 

 yet reasonable temperate. 



The 17 a close day the winde at Southwest. Our 

 marchants wayed their goods and put them aboord the 

 pinnesse to goe into the river, and there came a great 

 currant out of the river and set to the Westward. 



The 18 the marchants went with the boat and pinnesse 

 into the river with their commodities. This day was 

 close and drowsie, with thunder, raine and lightning. 



The 24 a close morning and temperate, and in the 

 afternoone the boat came to us out of the river from 

 our marchants. 



Tuesday the 4 of March, a close soultry hot morning, 

 the currant went to the Westward, and much troubled 

 water came out of the river. 



The 16 our pinnesse came a boord and Anthonie 

 Ingram in her, & she brought in her 94 bags of pepper, 



454 



