TIDES. 143 



some trees of excellent wood and sweete, the which are not LlB - m&amp;lt; 

 knowne in these partes, whereof such as passed from thence 

 to Peru, brought some to shew. There are many meadowes 

 within the land,, and many Hands in the midst of the 

 Straight. The Indians that inhabite on the South side are 

 little and cowards ; those that dwell on the North part are 

 great and valiant they brought some into Spaine, which 

 they hadde taken. They found peeces of blew cloth, and 

 other markes and signes that some men of Europe had 

 passed there. The Indians saluted our men with the name 

 of lesus. They are good archers,, and goe clad in wilde 

 beasts skinnes, whereof there is great aboundance. The 

 waters of the Straight rise and fall as the tide, and they 

 may visibly see the tides come of the one side of the North 

 sea, and of the other from the South whereas they meete, 

 the which (as I have said) is thirtie leagues from the South, 

 and three score and tenne from the North. And although 

 it seemes there should be moredaunger then in all the rest, 

 yet whenas Captaine Sarmiento his shippe, whereof I 

 spake, passed it, they had no great stormes, but found 

 farre lesse difficultie then they expected ; for then the time 

 was very calme and pleasant. And, moreover, the waves 

 from the north sea came broken, by reason of the great 

 length of three score and tenne leagues, and the waves from 

 the south sea were not raging, by reason of the great 

 deapth, in which deapth the waves breake, and are swallowed 

 vp. It is true, that in winter the straight is not navigable, 

 by reason of the tempests and raging of the sea in that 

 season. Some shippes which have attempted to passe the 

 Straight in winter have perished. One onely shippe 

 passed it on the south side, which is the Captaine I made 

 mention of. I was fully instructed of all that I have spoken 

 by the pilote thereof, called Hernando Alonso, and have 

 seene the true discription of the Straight they made in 

 passing it, whereof they carried the copie to the King of 

 Spaine, and the original to the Viceroy of Peru. 



