AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1592- 



his intollerable griefe and anguish of minde, because they 



should not thereby be dismayed. And so suddenly, before 



I went from him the Sunne shined cleere ; so that he 

 and the Master both observed the true elevation of the 

 Pole, whereby they knew by what course to recover the 

 Streights. Wherewithall our captaine and Master were 

 so revived, & gave such comfortable speeches to the 

 company, that every man rejoiced, as though we had 

 received a present deliverance. The next day being the 



I I of October, we saw Cabo Deseado being the cape 

 on the South shore (the North shore is nothing but 

 a company of dangerous rocks, Isles, & sholds.) This 

 cape being within two leages to leeward off us, our 

 master greatly doubted, that we could not double the 

 same : whereupon the captain told him : You see there 

 is no remedy, either we must double it, or before noon 

 we must die: therefore loose your sails, and let us put 

 it to Gods mercy. The master being a man of good 

 spirit resolutely made quicke dispatch & set sails. Our 

 sailes had not bene halfe an houre aboord, but the 

 footrope of our foresaile brake, so that nothing held 

 but the oylet holes. The seas continually brake over 

 the ships poope, and flew into the sailes with such 

 violence, that we still expected the tearing of our sayles, 

 or oversetting of the ship, and withall to our utter dis- 

 comfort, wee perceived that wee fell still more and more 

 to leeward, so that wee could not double the cape : 

 wee were nowe come within halfe a mile of the cape, 

 and so neere the shore, that the counter-suffe of the 

 sea would rebound against the shippes side, so that wee 

 were much dismayed with the horror of our present 

 ende. Beeing thus at the very pinch of death, the 

 winde and Seas raging beyond measure, our Master 

 veared some of the maine sheate ; and whether it was 

 by that occasion, or by some current, or by the won- 

 derfull power of God, as wee verily thinke it was, the 

 ship quickened her way, and shot past that rocke, where 

 wee thought shee would have shored. Then betweene 



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