Chap. I. William Cornelison Schovten, 53 
Sail, but continued their Courfe ; and the lame Conduct 
they very fteadily purfued through their whole Voyage. 
5. On July 13. they failed between the I Hand Teheriff 
and the grand Canary, with a ftiff North North-eaft V/ T ind, 
and a fwift Current. About the 1 5th, the fame Wind and 
Current following them ftiil, they palled the Tropic of Can- 
cer. The 20th in the Morning, they fell in with the North 
Side of Cape Verd. At Sun-rifmg the Cape lay Weft by 
South from them ; fo that the North North-eaft Wind would 
not fuffer them to get beyond it ; but kept them there at 
Anchor all that Night. The 25th, the Moorijh Alcaid came 
on board them, with whom they agreed at the Price of 
Eight States of Iron for a Supply of frelh Water. They 
left the Cape Augufi 1. and the 21ft of the fame Month 
they law the high Land of Sierra Leona , and alfo the Eland 
of Madrabomha , which lies on the South Point of the high 
Land of Sierra Leona , and North from the Shallows of St. 
Amis Illand. This Land of Sierra Leona is the higheftof 
all, that lies between Cape Verd and the Coaft of Guiney ; fo 
that the Point is very eafy to be known. Here they would 
have landed, running up to the Point over the Baixos or 
Shallows of St. Ann's at Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven and Five 
Fathom Water, it being ftiil deeper to the North, but fhal- 
lower to the Eaft ; fo that, in the Evening, they anchored 
with a High-water at Four Fathom and a half foft Ground, 
and at Night at Three Fathom and a half. The 22d, Wil- 
liam Schovten , in the Horn , led the Way off the Shallows, 
fleering North North-eaft, with a North- weft Wind ; by 
which Courfe they were intirely difengaged from the Baixos, 
and got into Thirteen Fathom Water. From hence they 
went to the Hands of Madrabomha , which are very high, 
and lie all Three on a Row South-weft and North-eaft, half 
a League from Sierra Leona to the Seaward. Here they 
had {hallow Water at Four and Five Fathom, and foft 
muddy Ground. They anchored a League from the Hand, 
which appeared to be very full of Bogs and Marfhes, and 
all over wafte like a Wildernefs, fcarce fit to entertain any 
other Inhabitants than wild Bealls, and indeed not feeming 
to have any other. Going alhore the 23d, they found a 
River there, the Mouth of which was fo flopped up with 
Sands, and Cliffs of Rocks, that no Ship could get into 
it ; yet, within, the Water was fufficiently deep, and the 
Breadth fuch too, as to give a Ship free Scope to turn and 
wind herfelf about, as fhe fhould have Occafion. Here they 
faw Tortoifes, Crocodiles, Monkeys, wild Oxen, and a 
Sort of Birds, which made a Noife, barking like Dogs. 
They met with no Fruit but Lemons, fome few Trees of 
which they found, after a tedious Search. The 29th about 
Noon, they got above the Hands of Madrabomha Weft- 
ward, along to the North Part of the high Land, till they 
had Twelve and Fifteen Fathom Water, and, in the Even- 
ing, got about the Point. 
6. On the 30th, being aftifted both by the Wind and 
Current, they arrived before the Village, that looks Upon the 
Road of Sierra Leona, where they anchored at Eight Fathom 
Water, a little from the Shore, in a very fandy Bottom. 
The Village confifted of about Eight or Nine poor Houfes, 
covered with Straw ; the Moors that dwelt there, were 
willing to come aboard, only demanding Pledges to be left 
aflidre, to fecure their fafe Return ; becaufe a French Ship, 
that came thither before, had perfidioiifly carried off Two 
of them : So Aris Clawfon the Merchant went afhore, and 
ftaid there amongft them, driving a fmall Trade with them 
for Lemons and Bananas, which they exchanged for Glals- 
beads ; and in the mean time they came on board, bringing 
an Interpreter with them, who fpoke all forts of Languages. 
Here they had a good Opportunity of furnilhilg themfelves 
with frelh Water, which pouring down in great Quantities 
from a very high Hill, they had nothing to do but to place 
their Barrels Under the Fall of the Water to receive it. 
There were alfo vaft Woods of Lemon-trees here; which 
made Lemons fo cheap to them, that, for a few Beads and 
Knives, they might have had 10,000. September 1. they 
drove away before the Stream, and anchored that Evening 
at the Mouth of the Sea, before a fmall River . Here they 
took an Antelope in the Woods, with Lemons and Palmi- 
tos ; and had good Succefs in their Pithing. The 3d, the 
Mailer brought in a great Shoal of Filh, that were of the 
Shape of a Shoemaker’s Knife, .and as many Lemons as -same 
flu mb. 4, 
to 150 for every Man’s Share. The 4th, they faired 
from Sierra Leona early in the Morning. October 5. they 
made 4 0 27' South Latitude ; and, the fame Day at Noon, 
they were ftrangely furprifed with a very violent. Stroke 
given to one of their Ships in the lower Part of it. No Ad- 
verfary appeared, no Rock was in the Way to be encoun- 
tered with ; but, while this amuled them, the Sea all about 
them began to change its Colour, and looked as if fome 
great Fountain of Blood had been opened into it ; this 
fudden Alteration of the Water being no left furprifing to 
them, than the Striking of the Ship •, but the Catife both 
of the one and the other they were equally ignorant of, till 
they came to Port Defire, and there fet the Ship upon the 
Strand, to make her clean ; for then they found a large 
Horn, both in Form and Magnitude refembling an Ele- 
phant’s Tooth, flicking fall in the Bottom of the Ship. A 
very firm and folid Body it was, and feemed to be equally 
fo all over, there being nothing of a Cavity, or a light and 
fpungy Matter in the Midft of it, but all over as denfe and 
compact a Subftance, as that in the exterior Parts. It had 
pierced through Three very {lout Planks of the Ship, and 
razed one of the Ribs of her ; fo that it {luck at leaft half 
a Foot deep in the Planks •, and there was abput as much 
that appeared without the great Hole up to the Place where 
it was broken off. And now the Riddle was completely 
folved, this Horn being the Spoil of fome Sea Monfter, 
that had thus rudely affaulted the Ship with that piercing 
Weapon ; and, after the Thruft, not being able to draw it 
out again, had there broke it •, which was attended with 
fuch a plentiful Effufion of Blood, as had difcoloured the 
Sea to that Degree. Having now failed fo far, that none 
in the Ships, but the Mailer, knew where they were, or 
whither they intended, upon the 25th, they difcovered their 
Defigns to the reft of the Company, of going to find out a 
new Southern Paffage into the great Pacific Sea. This they 
had kept very clofe to thernfelves before, but now thought 
it Time to reveal the Scheme, there being no Danger of de- 
feating it; and the Company appeared to be very well 
pleafed with it, hoping to light on fome golden Country 
or other, to make them Amends for all their Trouble and 
Danger. The 26th, they made 6° 25' South Latitude, 
failing the reft of that Month moftly Southward, till they 
had made io° 30'. November 1. they had the Sun North 
of them at Noon. The 3d in the Afternoon, they had 
Sight of Martin Fad’s Hand, called Afcenfion ; under 20° ; 
and here they obferved the Compafs to vary to the North- 
eaft Twelve Degrees. The 21ft, they came under 38° 
25k and had a deep Water, whofe Bottom they could not 
reach with their Lead. Here the V ariation of the Compafs 
was Seventeen Degrees to the North-eaft. December 6 . 
they had a Profpeft of Land, not very high, but flat and 
white ; and, quickly after, fell in with the North Side of 
Port Defire , and, that Night, anchored within One League 
and an half from the Shore, in Ten Fathom Water with an 
Ebb, that ran Southward as ftrongly as the Sea runs be- 
tween Flufhing Heads. 
7. The 7th, keeping a South Courfe, at Noon they 
came before the Haven of Port Defire, which lies under 47 0 
40'. At the Entry of it they had very high Water ; neither 
did any of thofe Cliffs appear, which van Noort had de- 
fcribed, and which he left Northward in failing into the Ha- 
ven. If there were any, they were all under Water ; but 
the Cliffs lay open and viiible enough towards the South 
Point-, which therefore might be thofe, which Noort intend- 
ed. Upon this they went on, failing lb far Southward, as 
to mils the right Chanel. They came into a crooked Bay, 
where, at High-water, they had but Four Fathom and an 
half, and at Low but Fourteen Feet ; by which means the 
Unity -lay with her Stem fall aground, and, if a brifk Gale 
from the North-eaft had blown. Hie muft infallibly have 
been loft ; but, the Wind blowing Weft from the 
Land, flie recovered again. Here- they found Plenty pf 
Eggs amongft the 'Cliffs ; and the Bay afforded them Muf- 
fels, and Smelts of Sixteen Inches in Length, and therefore 
they called it Smelt-bay. Their Shallop went to the Penguin 
Elands, and came back with 150 Penguins, and Two Sea, 
Lions. The .-8th before Noon, they failed out of the Smelt* 
bay, and anchored: juft before Port Dejirg . The Shallop 
was .employed biforediand to found foe Depth of the Cha- 
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