LETTER FROM THOMAS STEVENS a.d. 



*579- 



it straight full of wormes. Along all that coast we 

 often times saw a thing swimming upon the water like 

 a cocks combe (which they call a ship of Guinea) but 

 the colour much fairer ; which combe standeth upon a 

 thing almost like the swimmer of a fish in colour and 

 bignesse, and beareth underneath in the water, strings, 

 which save it from turning over. This thing is so 

 poisonous, that a man cannot touch it without great 

 perill. In this coast, that is to say, from the sixt 

 degree unto the Equinoctiall, we spent no lesse then 

 thirty dayes, partly with contrary windes, partly with 

 calme. The thirtieth of May we passed the Equinoc- 

 tiall with contentation, directing our course aswell as 

 we could to passe the promontory, but in all that 

 gulfe, & in all the way beside, we found so often 

 calmes, that the expertest mariners wondred at it. And 

 in places where are alwayes woont to be most horrible 

 tempests, we found most quiet calmes which was very 

 troublesome to those ships which be the greatest of all 

 other, and cannot go without good windes. Insomuch, 

 that when it is tempest almost intolerable for other 

 ships, and maketh them maine all their sailes, these 

 hoise up, and saile excellent well, unlesse the waters 

 be too too furious, which seldome happened in our . 

 navigation. You shall understand, that being passed 

 the line, they cannot straightway go the next way to 

 the promontory : but according to the winde, they draw 

 alwayes as neere South as they can to put themselves 

 in the latitude of the point, which is 25 degrees and 

 an halfe, and then they take their course towards the 

 East, and so compasse the point. But the winde served 

 us so, that at 23 degrees we did direct our course 

 toward the point or promontory of Good hope. 



You know that it is hard to saile from East to 

 West, or contrary, because there is no fixed point in 

 all the skie, whereby they may direct their course, 

 wherefore I shall tell you what helps God provided for 

 these men. There is not a fowle that appereth, or 



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