360 NEW ATLANTIS. 



brought forth dry land, so he would now discover 

 land to us, that we might 1 not perish. And it came 

 to pass that the next day about evening, we saw within 

 a kenning before us, towards the north, as it were thick 

 clouds, which did put us in some hope of land ; know 

 ing how that part of the South Sea was utterly un 

 known ; and might have islands or continents, that 

 hitherto were not come to light. Wherefore we bent 

 our course thither, where we saw the appearance of 

 land, all that night ; and in the dawning of the next 

 day, we might plainly discern that it was a land ; flat to 

 our sight, and full of boscage ; which made it shew the 

 more dark. And after an hour and a half s sailing, 



O 



we entered into a good haven, being the port of a fair 

 city ; not great indeed, but well built, and that gave 

 a pleasant view from the sea : 2 and we thinking every 

 minute long till we were on land, came close to the 

 shore, and offered to land. But straightways we saw 

 divers of the people, with bastons in their hands, as it 

 were forbidding us to land ; yet without any cries or 

 fierceness, but only as warning us off by signs that 

 they made. Whereupon being not a little discomfort 

 ed, we were advising with ourselves what we should 

 do. During which time there made forth to us a small 

 boat, with about eight persons in it ; whereof one of 

 them had in his hand a tipstaff of a yellow cane, tipped 

 at both ends with blue, who came aboard our ship, 

 without any show of distrust at all. And when he 

 saw one of our number present himself somewhat afore 

 the rest, he drew forth a little scroll of parchment, 



1 nought in the original ; a form of the word frequently, though not 

 uniformly, adopted by Bacon. I have alwaj s substituted might. 



2 ex qua parte Mare spectabat, degantiam magnam prce se tulit. Lat. 

 \rers. 



