A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1587. 



could not discerne any good harbour, and therefore we 

 cast off to seaward againe. 



The 12. day wee found our selves in 32. degrees and 

 27. minutes. From the day of the Nativitie of Christ, 

 till the 13. day of this moneth, although the Sunne was 

 very neere unto us, yet we found no want of winds 

 but variable as in England, & not so hot but that 

 a mans shoulders might well disgest a frize gowne, and 

 his bellie the best Christmas cheere in England, yet 

 wee for our parts had no want, but such as might 

 content honest men. 



The tenth day being about 8. leagues from the shoare, 

 and a little short of the River of Plate, it was my good 

 A Portugal happe to espie a saile, which was a small Portugal bound 

 ship taken, ^^^ ^j^^ River to a towne called Santa Fee: and from 

 wherein was 111 i 1 , ^ r 



for Pilot Ab- thence by horse and carts, the marchants, and part or 



raham Cocke their goods were to bee transported into Peru. This 



an English- shippe being about the burthen of 45. or 50. tunnes, wee 



man, left there ^ooke that day about three of the clocke, wherein there 



Minion of ^^^ ^^^ Master or Pilote an Englishman called Abraham 



London \^%i. Cocke borne in Lee. We examined him and the rest 



concerning the state of the River, and they told us that 



Five townes there were in the River five townes, some of 70. hous- 



"r p/^^ ^^^'^^ holds, and some of more. The first towne was about 



' 50. leagues up the River called Buenos Ayres, the rest 



some 40. some 50. leagues one from another, so that 



the uppermost towne called Tucaman is 230. leagues 



from the entrance of the River. In these townes is 



great store of corne, cattell, wine, and sundry fruits, 



but no money of gold or silver: they make a certaine 



kinde of slight cloth, which they give in trucke of 



sugar, rice. Marmalade, and Sucket, which were the 



commodities that this shippe had. 



They had abord also 45. Negros, whereof every one 

 in Peru yeeldeth 400. duckets a piece, and besides these, 

 there were as passengers in her, two Portugal women 

 and a childe. 



The 1 1 . day wee espied another saile, which was the 



208 



