JAMES LANCASTER a.d. 



1594. 

 one ship, and sixe into another, and leaving this Island, 

 departed for the Northside of Saint Domingo, where we 

 remained untill Aprill following 1594, and spent some 

 two monethes in traffike with the inhabitants by permis- The French 

 sion for hides and other marchandises of the Countrey. *™fi k ? t0 5 - 

 In this meane while there came a shippe of New-haven rjj ii IIO i 

 to the place where we were, whereby we had intelligence 

 of our seven men which wee left behinde us at the Isle 

 of Mona : which was, that two of them brake their 

 neckes with ventring to take foules upon the clifTes, 

 other three were slaine by the Spaniards, which came 

 from Saint Domingo, upon knowledge given by our men 

 which went away in the Edward, the other two this 

 man of New-haven had with him in his shippe, which 

 escaped the Spaniards bloodie hands. From this place M. Lancaster 

 Captaine Lancaster and his Lieutenant Master Edmund returneth to 

 Barker, shipped themselves in another shippe of Diepe, ^>iepe, and so 

 the Captaine whereof was one John La Noe, which was 

 readie first to come away, and leaving the rest of their 

 companie in other ships, where they were well intreated, 

 to come after him, on Sunday the seventh of Aprill 

 1594 they set homewarde, and disbocking through the 

 Cajicos from thence arrived safely in Diepe within two 

 and fortie dayes after, on the 19 of May, where after 

 we had stayed two dayes to refresh our selves, and given 

 humble thankes unto God, and unto our friendly neigh- 

 bours, we tooke passage for Rie and landed there on 

 Friday the 24 of May 1594, having spent in this voyage 

 three yeeres, sixe weekes and two dayes, which the 

 Portugales performe in halfe the time, chiefely because 

 wee lost our fit time and season to set foorth in the 

 beginning of our voyage. 



We understood in the East Indies by certaine Portu- 

 gales which we tooke, that they have lately discovered 

 the coast of China to the latitude of nine and fiftie 

 degrees, finding the sea still open to the Northward : 

 giving great hope of the Northeast or Northwest passage. 

 Witnesse Master James Lancaster. 



407 



