a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1556. 



The second voyage made by Maister William 

 Towrson to the coast of Guinea, and the 

 Castle of Mina, in the yeere 1556. with the 

 Tiger of London, a ship of 120 tunnes, the 

 Hart of London of 60 tunnes, and a Pinnesse 

 of sixteene tunnes. 



He fourteenth day of September, the 

 yeere abovesayd, we departed from Har- 

 wich, and directed our course for the 

 Isle of Sillie, to meete there with the 

 Hart and Pinnesse, which were rigged 

 and victualed at Bristoll, but arriving 

 there the eight and twentieth day we 

 found them not, and therefore after long lying at hull 

 to tarrie for them, but not espying them, we turned 

 backe to Plimmouth the 12 day of October, and being 

 there, the Hart and the Pinnesse came to us, so that the 

 November. 1 5 of November we all departed together from Plim- 

 mouth at one of the clocke in the after noone, and the 

 28 day we had sight of the Isle of Porto Santo, and 

 the next day in the morning of Madera. 

 December. The third day of December we fell with the He of 



Palma, and the 9 we were thwart of Cape Blanke, and 

 found there certaine Caravels fishing for Pargoes. 

 Sierra Leona. The 1 9 we found our selves in the height of Sierra 

 Leona, and all this day we ranne thwart of certaine 

 Currants, which did set to the West Southwestward so 

 fast as if it had bene the overfall of a sand, making a 

 great noyse like unto a streame or tide-gate when the 

 water is shoale : and to proove whither we could finde 

 ground in this place, we sounded and had 150 fadome, 

 and no ground, and so departed. 



The 30 of December we fell with the coast of Guinea, 

 and had first sight of it about 4 leagues off. The best 

 marke that we could take of the place to knowe it was 

 three hilles, which lay Northeast and by East from us: 



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