Oyftcw. 



«I:W 



C. 



<H zA M E %1 C A. Chap: 111. 



VtfyiiuUs at lad began to confider of returning home , his Prbvifions begin- 

 ning to grow fcarce , and his Sea.men faint , having continued in the £ quino* 

 dial heats a whole year . wherefore he directed his courfc towards Spain, 

 in his Voyage, driving along the Coaft an advantagious Trade , by bartering 

 biptionofthcPiart- Shells and Glafs for Pearls. The Inhabitants prefented him with Oyfters of 

 which fome inclosed one hundred and thirty Pearls- when they attain to their 

 full growth, they fall outsof the Shells thcmfelves, but thole that flick, decay. 

 So upon the tenth of November, the Fleet came fafe to an Anchor before Qadi^ 

 nfi*««, third Expcd, Aftcr ^hich, Vesfutim retired to Shit; with intent to fettle himfclf there, but 

 he had not long repos'd , when Emanuel King of (Portugal lent for him to Lisbon, 

 and gave him the Command of three Ships, to difcovernew Countreys 5 be- 

 tween the Canaries and Africa, they pafs'd thorow Jo many Fifiies (not unlike a 

 Bream ) that in an hours time they loaded their Boats with them . this Fifh 

 hath a round thin Scale, fliarp Teeth, Stones in their Brains or Forcheacfs, a 

 (harp pointed Heart, a gladder full of Wind, red Tail and Fins, feeds on Sea 

 Weeds, Gurnets and Oyfters, and is of a delicious Tafte. 



From thence, five degrees Southward of the Equinox, he found a naked 

 People on the top of a high Rock, that beckon'd the Spaniards to come towards 

 them; upon which, two of them refolv'd to venture thither, having order not 



.^! cdoffomcW/ * t0 ftay at the moft abovc five da y s : The firft encounter they had was of fome 

 Women, who offer'd their bodies to proftitution . but a Youth, as if affrighted 

 with fome fudden danger, came running amongft them, whom, whilft they 

 flood gazing upon, and wondering at, an old Woman with a great Club, run- 

 ning down the Hill overtook, and knock 'd him down dead upon the ground; 

 which done, the Women that were making Court to the Spaniards , took him 

 by the Heels, and dragg'd up the Hill, where foon after they faw him chop'd 

 in pieces, Broyl'd, and eaten : They r.lfo made figns to the Spaniards, that they 

 would devour them alio in the fame manner. The Shore was crouded with 

 Men , which fhowr'd upon them feveral flights of Arrows, therefore they 

 thought it beft to Weigh Anchor, fo taking Aboard their two Men, and having 

 Sail'd 150. Leagues, they gotfight of the Coaft of (Brafile, along which he Sail'd 

 Southerly to fifty two Degrees , where three Sraftlians came Aboard of their 

 own accord , and were eafily perfwaded to go with him to Portugal 5 but the 

 Weather growing very i^ad, and the Cold intolerable, the StormsVwelling 

 the Waves into the bignefs of Mountains , Vc^utim left the Coaft des Tatagones, 

 and the Strcights, afterwards call'd Magellan, behind him, burnt one of his Ships 

 before Cafe Sierra Leona, and brought two fafe to Lisbon. 



His fourth Expedition happen'd , May 10. Anno 1503. at which time he 

 Steer 'd directly with fix Sail to Sierra Leona, and approaching the Coaft, could 

 not come to an Anchor, becaufe of the ftrong eddying Currents : Three De- 

 grees beyond the Equinox appear 'd a rifing Ifland , two Leagues lona, and 

 one broad, deftitute of Inhabitants , his beft Ship being fix hundred Tun, fplk 

 here againft a Rock, and nothing of her was faved, but the Sea-men : But Ve- 

 sjuum Rowing afhore with a Boat , found a convenient Haven, with abun- 



w ' 8Wn r dance of fweet Water, high Trees, Sea-Spiders, and horrible Dragons, which 

 have a fliarp Head, round fiery Eyes, and wide Mouths, Wings'not unlike a 

 Bats, a fpeckled Breaft, curl'd Tail, blew Back, and two Bag! like a drawn 

 Satchel Triangular, were under their Bellies : No lefs ftrange are the Sea- 

 Spiders, by their hard Feet, long upper Teeth, two long Sheers or Pinchers 

 and double Belly . between the Head and the Belly lies a black Skin, with 



which 



Vefputius fourth Expedi- 

 tion." 



