^ The V O Y 
‘to which few People had hitherto travelled even in imagi- 
nation, and which, by an unaccountable Indolence, re- 
main, in a great meafure, undifcovered to this Day. To 
ipeak the Truth, this was the Age of Difcoveries, one 
Man s Sucfcefs whetting the Wit of another ; and perhaps 
this very Undertaking might fpring from fame Accounts 
that Ifaac le Maire , who was the firft Author of the Voy- 
age, might have had from England. 1 do not fay this, 
from a childifh Fondnefs for our own Country, from any 
Prejudice againft the Dutch , or Defire of robbing Fo- 
reigners of their due Praife •, but I fpeak of what was then 
fill peeled, and I lliall give the Reader my Reafbns for it. 
■I intimated, in fpeaking of Sir Francis Drake's Voyages* 
that it would have been happy for us, and for Poftenty, 
it he had written an Account of them himfelf. Sir Ri- 
chard Hawkins, who knew him well, tells us, that it was 
the Opinion of Sir Francis. , that what was generally called 
the South Shore of the Streights of Magellan , was, in 
reality, no more than a Clutter of Iflands, or broken Land. 
Nay, he goes farther, and affirms, that he heard Sir Francis 
Drake fay, that, having paffed the Streights, a Storm took 
him at North-weft, and afterwards veered about to the 
South-weft, continuing many Days with fuch Violence, 
that his Ship could carry no Sail : When the Storm was 
over, and he had an Opportunity of taking an Obfervation, 
he found himfelf in 50“ of Longitude*, from whence he 
juftly conjectured, that he had been blown quite round the 
Streights ; for, as we have obferved more than once, 
both the Entrances of the Streights of Magellan are in the 
fame Latitude, which is about 52 0 50'. Sir Francis Drake 
Was fo ftrongly perfuaded of this, that, finding it difficult 
to double the Southermoft Illand, he anchored under the 
Lee of it ; and, going affiore with a Compafs, he found 
the South Point of the Eland, over which, laying himfelf 
flat upon his Breaft, he hung for a Minute or Two ; and 
then, returning on board his Ship, told his Seamen, that he 
had been farther South than any Man had ever been before. 
It is very probable, that fome of thofe who envied Sir 
■ Francis , made light of thefe Particulars when he firft 
related them, and treated them as Travellers Stories are 
often treated ; but Sir Richard Hawkins , who had been in 
thofe Streights, and was a very judicious Man, as a great 
Navigator, kept thefe Sayings in his Mind *, and, after he 
fad compared what Sir Francis faid with the Appearance 
W thofe Streights, he readily concurred with him in Opi- 
nion. Yet, fuppofing this to be the Cafe, there was no 
lefs Merit in le Maine's ProjeCt, than there would have been 
without it, fince it required great Sagacity to diftinguiffi 
a true Report, in a Cafe of this Nature, from a flying 
I ale ; and befides. Sir Francis Drake never advanced any 
thing with regard to a Southern Continent, that was in- 
tirely gueffed at by the Contriver of this Voyage, from the 
Laws of Nature, and a juft Confideration of the Har- 
mony, which is, in other refpeCts, obferved in the Diftri- 
bution of Land and Water. In the Beginning of the 
Month of May 1615. the South Company drew their Men 
together*, and, on the 16th of that Month, they were 
muttered before the Magiftrates of Horn, took their Leave 
of their I 1 riends and Relations, and prepared to embark on 
board their Ships. 
3 - The biggeft of thefe Veffels was called The Unity , of 
the Burden of 360 Ion, carrying Nineteen Pieces of Can- 
non, and 1 weive Swivels. She had on board likewife a 
Pinnace to lail, and another to row, a Launch for landing 
of Men, and a Email Boat, with all other Neceffaries what- 
ever for fo long a Voyage ; and of this Veffel William Cor- 
nelifon Schovten was Mailer and Pilot, and Jaques le Maire 
Supercargo. The idler Ship was called The Horn , of the 
Burden of no Ton, carrying Eight Cannon, and Four 
Swivels, John Ccrnelifon Schovten Matter, and Aris Claw- 
fin Supercargo. The Crew of the former confuted of Sixty- 
five Men, and the latter of Twenty-two only. The Unity 
failed May 25. for the Texefi where the Horn likewife ar- 
rived June 3. following, that being judged the propereft 
Seafon of the Year for them to proceed on their Voyage. 
On June 14. they failed out of the Texel , and, palling in 
Sight of Dunkirk, between Dover and Calais , anchored on 
the 1 7th in the Downs , when William Cornelifon Schovten 
went on fhore at Dover, in order to get frelh W ater 3 and 
AGES of Book t 
to hire an Englijh Gunner ; which accordingly he did and 
that Day fent him on board. They failed-again in the Even- 
ing, and met with feveral large Dutch Ships laden with Salt. 
Jn tne Night between the 21ft and 2 2d* they were cr riev- 
oufly ruffled by a Storm *, which obliged them to put into 
the Ifle of Wight for Shelter, where Captain Schovten en- 
deavoured, if polhble, to have hired a Carpenter, but with- 
out Siiccefs, Which obliged them to fail oh the 25th for 
; Plymouth , where he arrived on the 2.7th, and there hired a 
Carpenter of Maydenblick. This ffiews the great Efteem 
that the Englijh Artificers were then in ; for it cannot be 
prefumed, thatPerfons of fuch Knowledge in Maritime Af- 
fairs, as Schovten and le Maire , would have neglected hire- 
rs fuch neceffary Officers as Gunners and Carpenters 
m Holland , if they had not believed it for their Intereft 
to have Englijhmen in thofe Stations ; which ftrongly coil- 
firms what John Stowe tells us in his Pliftory, that,, towards 
the latter End of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth , there were 
vaft Numbers of Ship-carpenters here, who were efteemed 
the beft Workmen in Europe , and were withal accomplifhed 
Seamen likewife ; which is alfo taken notice of by Sir Richard 
Hawkins , in his Obfervations. 
4. On July 28. they failed from Plymouth with a North 
North-eaft Wind, and very fair Weather. On the o gt h 
Captain Schovten made a Signal for all Officers to come on 
board ; when it was refolved in a Council, to fettle the Rate 
of their Sea Allowance in fuch a manner, as that the Men 
might have no Reafon to complain, and their Officers be in 
no Apprehenfions, of their wanting Provifions during the 
Courle cf fo long a Voyage. The Rate they fixed in the 
following Portions ; viz. a Can of Beer a Man every Day 
Tour founds of Bilcuit, half a Pound of Butter, and as 
much fweet Suet, for the Week, together with Five large 
Dutch Cheefes, that were to ferve them the whole Voyage. 
This was exclufive of Fleffl or Fifh : And we may, from 
hence, form fome Notion of the Frugality the Dutch vi- 
ctualled with in thofe Days, and from which they have de- 
viated very little ever fince. They likewife made the ne- 
ceffaiy Oroers for the due Regulation of the Voyage, direct- 
ing, that, in cafe of landing Men, one of the Matters fhould 
always command ; that, in Ports where they went to trade, 
the Supercargo fhould go on fhore, and have the foie Di- 
rection of the Commerce ; that, on board, every Officer 
fhould be ftriCt in the Execution of his Duty ; but without 
putting unneceflfary Hardfflips on the Men, or interfering 
with other Officers in their Commands ; that none of the 
Officers fhould hold any Conversion with the Seamen, in 
relation to the Defign of the Voage, which being folely in 
the Breaft of the Firft Captain and Supercargo, Conjectures 
muft be fruitlefs, and might be dangerous ; that any Em- 
bezzlement of Provifions, Stores, or Merchandize, fhould be 
feverely punifhed ; and, in cafe of their being reduced to 
fhort Allowance, then Offences of this Nature to be punifii- 
ed with Death ; that the Two Supercargoes fhould keep clear 
and diftinCt Journals of all Proceedings, for the Ufe of the 
Company, that it might plainly appear, how far every Man 
had done his Duty, and to what Degree the End of the Voy- 
age had been anfwered. All thefe Rules were very exactly 
obferved, and particularly the lait ; fo that, from thefe Jour- 
nals kept by the Supercargoes, this Account has been 
taken. On July 8. being in the Latitude of 39 0 25', their 
Carpenter’s Mate died. On the 9th and 10th, with a North 
North-eaft Wind, and a ftiff Gale, they flood on their 
Courfe, without putting in to Porto Santo , or Madeira , of 
which they had Sight on the nth. The Reafon was, that, 
having, as they conceived. Victuals fufficient for the Voy- 
age, they determined not to lofe Time, by going need- 
lefiy on fhore, efpecially fince hitherto their Men were vi- 
gorous, and in good Health ; which Refolution was found- 
ed on an Obfervation made by Captain Schovten , that many 
Voyages had been loft, by lingering in Port without any 
urgent Caufe, when the Winds and Seafons were fair, and 
their Courfe might have been profecuted without Delay. 
On the 1 2th, they had Sight of many of the Natives of 
thofe Elands in their Boats, following them at the Diftance 
of about Two Leagues, with Goats, Fowls, Fruits, and 
other Refrefhments, which they ufually carried on board 
Ships, that appear in Sight ; but the Dutchmen, in pur- 
fuance of the Regulations they had eflablifhed, did not flack 
3 Sas* T 
