Chap. I. 
Se'B AID BE WeERI: 
14. The Inftitution of a new Order of Knighthood of the Lion fet free. 1 y. The Barbarity of the Savages 
of this Country. 16. They enter the South Seas, where they meet with greater Storms than before, ly. Are 
obliged , by Strefs of Weather , to put back into the Str eights. '18. Suffer prodigious Hardships therefor 
Nine Months. 19. A Female Savage and Two Children taken by them in an If and in thofe Streights ; 
20. They difcover the Fleet under the Command of Oliver Van Noort, and refolve to join it. 21. Are 
obliged however to remain in the Streights , for want of Provifions. 22. Methods taken by them to Jubfift 
in thofe Streights. 23. They difcover fome fmall If ands without the Streights , which , in Honour of their 
Captain , they call the Sebaldine lilands. 24. Arrive on the Coaf of Gurney. 2 f. Come fafely into the 
Made, July 13. 1600. 
x, f | VHE Inhabitants of the United Provinces being 
H very defirous of promoting, to the utmoft of 
Jp, their Power, ftich Difeoveries as might prove 
beneficial to their Navigation and Commerce, the City of 
Rotterdam procured Leave from the States to fit out Five 
ft out Ships for the Streights of Magellan. Of thefe the 
largeft was called The Hope , of 500 Tons, which had 130 
Men on board, James Mahu , the Admiral of this little Fleet, 
being aboard of her. The Second Ship, named The Love , 
(or Charity) of 300 Tons, had on board no Men, Simon 
de Cordes Vice-admiral Commander. The Third, called 
The Faith, of 320 Tons, with 100 Men, was commanded 
by Gerard Van Beuningen. The Fourth was named The 
Fidelity , of 220 Tuns, with 86 Seamen, jurian Bockholt 
Captain. The Fifth was a Yacht called The Merry Mejfen- 
ger , of 150 Tons, and manned with 112 Men, under the 
Command of Captain Sebald deWeert. Thefe Five Ships 
were well provided with all manner of Provifions and Am- 
munition, with Cannon, Money, Merchandize, and all Ne- 
cefiaries whatever for a long Voyage. The Pilot, upon whom 
they chiefly depended, was one William Adams an Englijh- 
man , a Perfon of great Experience, and of whom we fhall 
have Occafion to fay much in another Place ; and they 
had, befides him. Three Englijhmen more on board the 
Admiral. June the 27th 1598- the Fleet failed out of the 
Chanel of Goeree ; but, the Wind being contrary, they 
were forced to lie at Anchor in the Downs upon the Englijh 
Coaft till the 15th of July. Then, the Wind being fair, 
they failed again ; and, having confumed Part of their Pro- 
vifions, the Commanders were fo provident, as to take in 
more, for fear of Want. On the 19th of July they were on 
the Coaft of Barbary ; and, towards the latter End of Au- 
gufi , they arrived in the Harbour of St. I ago, which is one 
of the Cape de Verd Elands, where they remained till the 
loth of September , notwithstanding the Country was very 
unwholfome, and their Pilots, particularly Mr. Adams , 
remonftrated ftrongly againft their continuing there ; which 
fo much offended their Officers, fonder of Authority, it 
feems, than Safety, that they refolved never more to call 
their Pilots to Council •, which feems to have been the 
Source of all their iiibfequent Misfortunes, and of that reft- 
lefs Spirit of Mutiny and Difcontent, which pofleffed the 
Seamen on board their Fleet a . 
2. The 1 ith in the Afternoon, they were off the Ifland 
of Brava , which is defart ; but, the Bottom being rocky, 
they could not fallen the Anchors ; fo that they tacked all 
Night, till the next Morning, coafting along, they found 
fome frefh Water 5 but it was very hard to be got, becaufe 
the Bottom was not good. However, the Sloops of Beu- 
ningen and Bockholt landed with empty Calks, and filled 
them with Water, and returned fate on board, tho’ it was 
in the Night, and the Ships were under Sail the mean time. 
Captain de Weert , embarking in the Admiral’s Sloop, 
went into a little fiandy Bay, where he landed ; and, roam- 
ing about to find fome frefh Water, he faw fome Portu- 
guefe and Negroes coming to him. He fpoke to them at 
a Diftance, becaufe they would not approach him, and de- 
fired them to fhew him where there was frefli Water, and 
to fell him fome Fruit, if they had any. They told him, 
that the French and Englijh Ships ufed to come and fetch 
fome frefli Water near that Place ; but they were always 
under Sail, As to the Refrefhments, they had none ; but 
they might find enough in the Ifland delFuego ; and that, 
if they had ariy, they durft not fell them without the Go- 
vernor’s Leave, who refided upon the Mountain. After 
that they retired. Captain de Weert , having viewed feveral 
Places, found at Jaft Four or Five little ruined Houles. 
The Door of one of them being fliut up with Stones, he 
broke it open, and found it full of Turkey Wheat. He 
ftaid himfelf in the Houfe, with Three of his Men, to 
keep it ; and fent the Sloop on board, to give notice of it 
to the General, fearing the Pcrtuguefe would come in the 
Night to take it away ; but, by good Luck, the fmall 
Ship belonging to the Bifliop of St. Thomas , taken by the 
Dutch in Pray a, being arrived in the Bay, and lying at 
Anchor, de Weert tranfported all the Wheat thither. They 
were all Night doing it, becaufe there were but Eight of 
them to carry it ; and, having no Sacks, they made ufe 
of their Breeches. They alfo took in the fame Place Two 
great Tortoifes, which had above 600 Eggs in their Bel- 
lies, and made many good Meals of them. The Pcrtuguefe 
and the Negroes, having Notice that fame Night, that the 
Dutch were carrying away their Corn, camedov/n the Moun- 
tain, and made a heavy Noife ; but de Weert , who had but 
Two Fufils, fired on them, and made them retire. 
3. When the Wheat was on board the Ship, the Captain 
and his Men went to reft themfelves. The next Day, de 
W °.ert landing again, the Portuguefe came down to fpeak 
with him. They complained, that he had taken their Com 
without Reafon ; that they had no Victuals, and were re- 
duced to the Danger of ftarving with Hunger. The Cap- 
tain told them. That he was very well informed, that this 
Wheat lay there near the Road, to be tranfported to St. 
Iago ; that he could not believe, that, living upon the 
Mountain, they would keep their Provifions near the Shore ; 
however, he was ready to pay for it dearer than they could 
fell it at St. Iago , provided they would fhew him frefli Wa- 
ter ; that they might eafily excufe themfelves to the Go- 
vernor, and fay, the Dutch had taken their Corn by Force, 
and fo might keep the Money to themfelves. The Portu- 
guefe, feeming to like thefe Reafons, promifed the Captain 
to fhew him a Place of frefh Water on the other Side of 
the Ifland, whither they would go, and make a Signal with 
Lire ; but they were not as good as their Words. De Weert , 
coming on board again, found the Admiral very lick, and 
the Council aflembled ; and that his Opinion was, not to 
flay any longer. He alfo refigned his Command to the 
Vice-admiral, and defired the whole Fleet to obey him, 
ordering, that his .Ship fhould bear the Flag in the Day, 
and have the Light hung out in the Night. The Vice- 
admiral, having taken Advice of the Captains, was inform- 
ed of the Quantity of Water that was in each Ship ; and it 
was ordered, that thofe, that had the moft, fhould give to 
the others; and that the Proportions of Victuals fhould be 
lefFened : But, becaufe they could not get frefh Water in 
Three or Four Months Time, without a long Stay, the 
Seamen had Orders to gather the Rain-water, and be good 
Hufbands of it. The Proportions of Wine were alfo abated, 
and, becaufe the greateft Part of the Admiral’s Ship’s Crew 
were fick, they refolved that each Ship fhould take in 
Two or Three of them, and exchange them for the fame 
Number of found Men. 
4. September 1 5. the Fleet failed South-eaft with a North- 
eaft Wind. The 22. the Admiral fired a Gun, and put up 
the Stern-flag, as a Signal for the Captains to come on board 
his Ship. There they found their Admiral very fick of a 
Burning Fever, and out of Hopes of Recovery. His Su- 
percargo Daniel Rejleau was alfo very fick ; and both of 
them died the next Night. 
5. The Lofs of the Admiral was lamented by the whole 
Fleet. He was of a mild and fweet Temper, honeft, care- 
ful, diligent, and very kind to the Seamen. He was put 
f linn nnl rv 5 Lv Way l eft i en ' Cd °; e °,7 tll£ be ? F ritten ’ T d moft curious ’ of a11 the Dutch Voyages ; but what has been hitherto publiihed 
jrom it in our Collections, has been miferably imperfedt : We therefore give it at large 
Kumb * F L ^ into 
