Captain William Damp ifiiu 8y 
Xflahd barren, ahd deftitute of Trees, but feme Bildo- 
Chap. I. 
Water 5 We failed to Mayo, another of the Cape de Verd 
Blands, forty Miles Eaft by South from the laft, where we 
came to an Anchor to the North-weft Side of it. We would 
have provided ourfelves with fome Beef and Goats here, 
but they would not let our Men come afhore j becaufe one 
Captain Bond, a Brijtol Man, had, not long before, car- 
ried off fome of the chief Inhabitants under the fame Pre- 
tence. This Me is but fmall, and the Coaft full of Shoals ; 
yet has a confiderable Commerce in Salt and Cattle. In 
May, June , July, and Augufi, a fort of Tortoifes lay their 
Eggs here, but they do not approach in Goodnefs to thofe 
of the Weft Indies : They alfo plant here fome Potatoes, 
fome Plantains, and Corn ; the Inhabitants live exceeding 
poorly here, as well as in all other Cape Verd Illands, 
except in the Me of St. lago, four or five Leagues hence 
to the Weft : For tho 5 that Bland is mountainous, yet is 
it the belt inhabited of all, as having a very good Harbour 
on the Eaft Side, much frequented by the European Ships 
bound to the Eaft Indies , and the Guiney Coaft ; as alfo 
the Portuguefe Ships bound for Brafil, who come hither 
to provide themfelves with Beef, Pork, Goats, Fowls, 
Eggs, Plantains, and Cocoa-nuts, in Exchange for Shirts, 
Drawers, Handkerchiefs, Hats, Waiftcoats, Breeches, 
and all forts of Linen Cloth, which is in high Efteem here 
with the Inhabitants, who are much inclined to Theft. 
There is a Fort, on the Top of an Hill, which commands 
the Harbour : I was credibly informed, that this Me has 
two pretty large Towns, and the fame fort of Wine we 
drank at St. Nicolas. There are two more of thofe Iflands, 
Fogo and Brava, both fmall Iflands to the Weft of St. 
Iago. The firft is remarkable for its being one intire 
burning Mountain, on the Top whereof iffues a Fire, 
which may be difeerned a great Way off at Sea in the 
Night-time ; a few of its Inhabitants live near the Sea- 
fide, at the Foot of the Mountain, who fubfift upon 
Goats, Fowls, Plaintains, and Cocoa-nuts : The reft of 
the Cape V °rd Iflands are St. Antonio , St. Lucia , St. Vin- 
cent, and Bona Vifta. 
7. From the Cape Verd Ifles we fleered our Courfe to 
the South with an Eaft North-eaft Wind direftly to the 
Streights of Magellan but at io° North Latitude, the 
Wind blowing hard at South by Weft, and South South- 
weft, we dire&ed our Courfe to the Guiney Coaft, and 
came in a few Days to an Anchor at the Mouth of Sher- 
borough River, where there is an Englijh Faftory South of 
Sierra Leona , which drives a confiderable Trade with 
Camwood, yielding a red Colour, ufed by the Dyers. Not 
far from the Shore we faw a pretty large Village, inhabited 
by Negroes •, the Houfes were low, except one in the 
Middle, where they entertained us with Palm-wine, and 
brought aboard good Store of Rice, Fowls, Honey, and 
Sugar-canes. About the Middle of November we pro- 
fecuted our Voyage to the Streights of Magellan but, as 
foon as we got out to Sea, we met with Tornadoes, three 
or four in a Day, which, together with Calms, made us 
advance but flowly, the Wind veering at Intervals to the 
South and by Eaft, and South South-eaft, till we were paft 
the Equinoctial Line, about a Degree to the Eaft of the 
Me of St. Iago. After we were come V to the South of 
the Line, the Wind turned to the Eaft, which made us 
fleer South-weft by Weft *, and, the farther we got to the 
South, the Wind increafed upon us from the Eaft. At 
3 0 South Latitude, we had the Wind at South-eaft ; and 
at 5 0 at Eaft South-eaft, where it held a confiderable time, 
and carried us the 1 8th of January 1684. to 36° of South 
Latitude, without any remarkable Accident. The Sea here- 
abouts being of a palifli Colour, we thought to have found 
Ground with our Line, but found none at 100 Fathom. 
At Noon I computed to be 48° 5 o 7 Weft from the Lizard, the 
Variation i5°5o'. January 28. we made three Ifles of 
Belaid de Weert, in 51 0 25' South Latitude, and 57 0 28' 
Longitude, Weft from the Lizard of England, the Va- 
riation 33 0 1 of I periuaded Captain Cooke to anchor 
near thofe Iflands, being fenfible of Danger in our Paflage 
thro the Streight of Magellan, confidering, efpecially, that 
Men aboard the Privateers are not fo ftriftly at Com- 
mandos in other L effels. W e came to an Anchor within 
two Cables Length of the Shore of the furthermoft of thofe 
three Iflands, where we found foul rocky Ground, and the 
buflies growing near the Sea-fide. W e faw the fame Day 
vaft Shoals of fmall red Lobfters, no bigger than one’s 
Finger ; but were perfe&Xy like our Lobfters, except in 
their Colour. 
8. As we found neither fafe Anchoring, nor frefti Water, 
at thofe Ifles, we made the beft of our way towards the 
Streights of Magellan . February 1. we came in Sight of 
the Streight le Maire , which we found very narrow, with 
high Land on both Sides. The Wind at North North- 
weft, we failed with a brifk Gale till within four Miles of 
the Mouth, where, being becalmed, we found a very 
ftrong Tide fetting out of the Streights to the North ; but 
whether it flowed, or ebbed, we were not able to diftinguilh, 
becaufe it ran all Ways, breaking on all Sides, and toffing 
our Ship at fuch a rate, as I never faw before or fince. 
At Eight o’Clock at Night we failed with a Weft North- 
weft Wind to the Eaft, in order to fail round the States 
IJle at the Eaft End of which, anchoring the 7th at 
Noon, we found ourfelves at 45 0 52' South Latitude. At 
this End 'are three fmall rocky Iflands, white with the 
Dung of Birds. We fteereci to the South, in order to 
fail round to the South of Cape Horn, the Southermoft: 
Point of Lena del Fuego but the Winds running betwixt 
the North- weft and Weft, we did not fee the Lena del 
Fuego. After the firft Evening, we made the Streight of 
le Maire : As I did not fee the Sun, at Setting or Rifing, 
from the Time we left the Eles of Sebald de W °.ert, till we 
came into the South Seas, fo I am not able to tell you the 
Variation : I made, indeed, an Obfervation at Noon in 
59 0 30' Longitude, the Wind at Weft by North and at 
Night the Wind veered about to the South-w'eft at 6o°, 
the furtheft South Latitude I ever was in. February 14. 
we were furprifed by a moft violent Storm in 57 0 Latitude 
to the Weft of Cape Horn, which continued till the 3d of 
March, from the South- weft, and South- weft and by Weft, 
and Weft South-weft. March 3. it blew a frefti Gale 
from the South, and afterwards from the Eaft, which 
brought us into the South Sea. The 9th, we found our- 
felves at 47 0 10 , and the Variation 15 0 30' Eaft. The 
17th, we had a fair Gale from the South-eaft at 36° La- 
titude, the Variation 8° Eaft. The 19th, early in the 
Morning, we difeerned a Sail to the South of us, which 
we fuppofed to be a Spanijh Merchantman bound from 
Baldivia to Lima •, but proved one Captain Eaton , from 
London, who being bound to the South Seas as well as 
we, we kept Company with him quite through the 
Streights. 
9. March 24. we got in Sight of the Ifie of John Fer- 
nandez, and foon after came to an Anchor, in a Bay at 
the South End, in 25 Fathom Water, within two Cables 
Length of the Shore. We fent immediately to look after 
a Muskito Man we had been forced to leave there three 
Years before ; and who, notwithftanding all the Search 
made by the Spaniards after him, had kept himfelf con- 
cealed in the Woods. When he was left there by Captain 
Watling, (after Captain Sharpe was turned out) he had with 
him a Gun, a Knife, and fome Powder and Shot, which 
being all fpent, he fawed his Gun-Barrel into fmall Pieces, 
and thefe he made up into Harpoons, Elooks, and fuch- 
like Inftruments ; all which, though it may feem ftrange, 
yet is commonly pradtifed among the Muskito Indians , 
who make all their Inftruments without either Forge or 
Anvil. And the other Indians , who have not the BJfe of 
Iron from the Europeans, make their Hatchets, where- 
with they cut their Timber and Wood, of a very hard 
Stone. In the Hollowing out of their Canoes, they 
make ufe of Fire befides. The Stone Hatchets of the 
Indians, near Blewfield River, are ten Inches long, fourteen 
broad, and two Inches thick in the Middle, ground away 
fiat and fharp at both Ends ; the Handle is in the Midft, 
being a deep Knotch, of a Finger’s Length, which they 
bind round with a Withe of about four Feet long. Thus 
the Indians of Patagonia head their Arrows very artifi- 
cially with grounded Flints : With thefe before-mentioned 
Inftruments our Muskito Man ufed to ftrike Goats and 
B'ilh for his Subfiftence ; his Hut being half a Mile from 
the Sea-fide, made of Goats-fldns ; as was his Bed, the fame 
ferving likewife for his Cloathing ; thofe hq had) when he 
was 
