NEW ATLANTIS 



We sailed from Peru (where we had continued by the 

 space of one whole year) for China and Japan, by the 

 South Sea, taking with us victuals for twelve months ; 

 and had good winds from the east, though soft and 

 weak, for five months' space and more. But then the 

 wind came about, and settled in the west for many 

 days, so as we could make httle or no way, and were 

 sometimes in purpose to turn back. But then again 

 there arose strong and great winds from the south, 

 with a point east ; which carried us up, for all that we 

 could do, towards the north : by which time our vic- 

 tuals failed us, though we had made good spare of them. 

 So that finding ourselves, in the midst of the greatest 

 wilderness of waters in the world, without victual, we 

 gave ourselves for lost men, and prepared for death. 

 Yet we did lift up our hearts and voices to God above, 

 who ' showeth His wonders in the deep ' ; beseeching 

 Him of His mercy, that as in the beginning He dis- 

 covered the face of the deep, and brought forth dry 

 land, so He would now discover land to us, that we 

 mought 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 ; knowing how that part of the South Sea was 

 utterly unknown ; and might have islands or conti- 

 nents that hitherto were not come to light. Wherefore 

 we bent our course thither, where we saw the appear- 

 ance of land, all'that night ; and in the dawning of the 

 next day, we might plainly discern that it was a kind, 

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