702 The FO TAG E of Francis Pirard de Layal Book 
ing tdaded with Bail, beat the Sail of the Corbin to Pieces ; 
upon which the Vice-Admiral fired two Guns on the Rig- 
ging of the Ship that had injured him ; and the Admiral 
tacking to the Windward of the Dutch Admiral, fpread all 
Iiis Sails, and fired a Gun upon them ; the Dutch Admi- 
ral prefently {truck, and, having informed himfelf that 
the Mifchance was occafioned by the Overfight of a Gun- 
ner that was in Drink, delivered up the Gunner to the 
French Admiral, in order to condign Punifhment, and beg- 
ged he would pardon the Miftake. Our Admiral find- 
ing how the Matter flood, faid, he defined no further Sa- 
tisfaction ; and having returned the Gunner, entreated the 
Dutch to vouchfafe him a Pardon. How' the Dutch 
treated him afterwards I know not ; though I do not 
much doubt but they hanged him up immediately at the 
Yard-arm ; for the Dutch obferve an exact Difcipline 
among their Ships, and buffer no Miflakes to pafs with Im- 
punity j and from thence it comes to pafs, that their Na- 
vigation is more fuccefsful than the French. 
June the 3d we deferred the Canary PJlands in 28, 29, 
and 30° N. Lat. The 12-th- and 13th we came within 
Sight of the Iflands of Cape Verd , which run from 20 to 
1 4 0 N. Lat. On the 29th we were in 5 0 Lat. and difi 
covered the South-Star, called the Crofs ; at the fame 
time we faw a prodigious Quantity of Flying-Fifh,, with 
Wings like thofe of Bats, which are very plentiful near 
the Equinodlial Line, whether on the North or South- 
fide. On the [4th of July we difeovered the unhealthy 
Coafl of Guinea , being carried out of our Courfe in a 
Calm by the Strength of the Currents. Augufl the 24th 
we c raffed the Equator, on both Sides of which,* for the 
Extent of 7 or 8 Degrees, we had very unconftant Wea- 
ther; the greatefl Calms w r ere commonly turned into 
Thundering and Lightenings fefpecially when the Sun is 
near the Equinoxes) and with boifterous Winds, which fur- 
prifed us fo fuddenly, that we could fcarce get our Sails 
down in time. The Heat was fo great that it melted our 
Candles and Butter, corrupted our Water, and fpoiled our 
Meat and Fifh, though never fo well falted. 
We frequently faw great Whirl-Winds riling at a DF 
fiance, called by the Seamen Dragons , which fhatter and 
overturn any Ship that falls in their Way. When thefe 
appear the Sailors have a fuperflitious Cuflom of repair- 
ing to the Prow, or the Side that lies next the Storm, and 
beating naked Swords againfl one another croffwife, from 
a vain Apprehenfion of preventing their Approach by 
that Means. In this Climate the Rains are very dangerous, 
for if one is wet and does not immediately fhift himfelf, 
his Body is foon covered over with Blotches, and his 
Claaths with Worms. In the Time of a Calm Ships roll 
prodigioufly in thofe Seas, but when they run with a frefh 
Gale they arc more Heady. 
3. Augujl the 29th our Pilot, who was an Englijhman , 
difeovered Land ten Leagues off; for though we endea- 
voured to Hand one hundred F.eagues off to Sea, the 
Currents drove us towards the Shore. This we found to 
be the Ifle of Anabon , poffeffed by the Portugueze , where 
we took in frefh Water and Fruit, and the Inhabitants, af- 
ter a Shew of Civility at firft, treacheroufly flew one of 
our Men,- and took five Prifoners. This Ifiand is go- 
verned by a Portuguefe Lord, who had the Gift of it from 
the King of Spain,, the other Portugueze who inhabit 
it being only his Fadlors, and Commiffaries. The Natives, 
who are all his Slaves, are Negroes, and go* naked, co- 
vering their Privities with Cotton. Their Women carry 
their Children upon their Backs, and fuckle them over 
their Shoulders, their Breafls being very long. The 
Ifiand is fituated in i° 2o / S. Lat. and is five or fix 
Leagues in Circumference. It is high, mountainous, and 
always green. The Road is on the North-Weft Side, and 
is very dangerous, by reafon of Flats and Rocks. We lay 
there fix or feven Weeks, and, during that Time, it 
rained every Day, more or lefs. The Country produces 
great Plenty of Fruit and Cotton, in which all the Reve- 
nues to the Lord are paid. Their Fifh is extraordinary 
good and very plentiful. At the Diftance of a League 
and a half from Ambon, there is a little fcorched Ifiand, 
which affords no Greens, but is fo covered with Fowl 
called P enguins , that one cannot walk any where without 
treading upon their Eggs. This Fowl is no bigger than 
a Piclgeon, and the Fleili is black, but eats admirably 
well. 
On the 1 6th of October we put to Sea again, and No- 
vember the 1 7th we made the Ifiand of St. Helens , which 
hes in 1 6° S. Lat. at the Diftance of fix hundred Leagues 
from the Cape of Good Hope. Upon the Altar of a Cha- 
pel in this Ifiand we found feveral Letters, advifing that 
the Dutch had paffed that Way. Here we thought to. 
have fitted our Mizen-Maft, but found no Wood fit for the-. 
Purpofe. The Air, Fruit, Flefh, and Water of that Place 
are fo healthy, that our Men, who were much oppreffed 
with the Scurvy, recovered in the Space of nine Days. Ore- 
the 26th we fee Sail, and flood for the Cape of Good Hope i 
and three Days after doubled Abrollos , which are a Bank 
of Shelves upon the Coafl of Brazil , in 18 0 S. Lat. and 
feventy Leagues long. The doubling of thefe Sands is 
both difficult and dangerous, and in failing to the Eaji- 
Indies, an expert Pilot ought to be very cautious in keep- 
ing to a juft Diftance from the Guinea Coaft, which is 
very unhealthy, and incommoded with Calms and Cur- 
rents, and, at the fame time, Handing off from the A- 
brollos, for the doing of which there is Sea Room enough, 
fince we reckon a thoufand Leagues from the Coaft of 
Africa to that of Brazil . Having doubled this Cape, we 
continued our Courfe for the Cape of Good Plops, and in 
a few Days we knew that we approached it by the- Ap- 
pearance of the Reeds called Trombas, and white fpecklcd 
Fowls. Flaving weathered the Cape of Good IPope, we 
came in Sight of that of Aguillas or Needles, which fhoota 
fifteen Leagues farther into the Sea, and lies in 35 0 S. L. 
This Cape derives its Name from the Obfervation, that 
when a Ship comes before it, the Needle of the Compafs 
points direftly northward, without declining to the Eaft 
or Weft. 
We met January the 6th, 1602, with a violent Storm, 
in which one of our Seamen fell overboard, and his 
Companion would have jumped after him if we had not 
prevented him ; though, after all, I took his Offer to be 
the Effedl of Wine rather than true Affedlion ; for there 
is but little Friendfhip among fea-faring Men. Purfuing* 
our Courfe, we fleered by the Country of Natal, upon the 
Coaft of Ethiopia , without any Storm, which was uncom- 
mon in thofe Seas ; for between the 33d and 28°, they 
are never, almoft, without violent Storms. After that 
we miftook our Courfe, thro’ the Ignorance of the Pilot 5 
and, on the 4th of February, finding ourfelves on the 
Land-fide of St. Lawrence , tacked about, in order ta 
make the other Side. 
4, February the 7th, having paffed that Ifiand, accord- 
ing to our Willies, we were furprized all on a fudden by 
a violent Storm from the South- Weft, being lefs acquainted 
with thofe Seas than the Portugueze, who make timely 
Provifions for fuch Accidents. In the Storm it was fo 
dark at Noon- Day, that we could not fee the Heavens, or 
one another ; our two Ships were feparated, and our Sails 
were tore to Rags, fuch was the Force of the Rain and 
Wind, that they wounded our Faces like fo many Lafhes 
of Whipcord. The Waves fwelled fo high, and wafhed 
in upon the Ship, that we could not Hand upon the Deck. 
In this Place we continued four Days and four Nights, and 
fome of the Men that were on Board applied themfelves 
to devout Exercifes, while the Sailors redoubled their Oaths 
and Blafphemies. Our ancienteft Pilots and Seamen pro- 
tefted they never encountered fuch a Tempeft ; but the 
Bufinefs was, they never had been in thofe Seas, which 
fwell higher than elfewhere. 
On the 1 ith the Storm being over, we flood in for St. 
Laurence , being much difabled. All our Men were in a man- 
ner half dead, and we had not a Man on Board, but a Dutch 
Gunner, that had ev«r been in the Pndies before. When we 
came within thirty or forty Leagues of the Ifiand, the Sea 
appeared yellowifh and frothy, and was covered with Reeds 
and floating Herbs, which continued to appear on its Sur- 
face till the 19th, that we arrived and caft Anchor in St. 
Augufiin's Bay, in 230 30' South Latitude. This Bay is large, 
and very convenient, having an excellent Ground of Clay 
and Sand. The fame Day the Croiffant rejoined us, after 
twelve Days Separation, and was more difabled than we, 
- . ~ Tte 
