Chap. I. and mntering in 
Up and down in this defart luand. I could not perceive 
that there had been any Savages on it, and in brief, we 
could neither find Fifli, Fowl, or any Herb upon it ; fo 
that I returned comfortlefs again. The Tides high, about 
fomefix Foot, now the Wind is northerly. The Flood 
comes from the North, and it flows Half Tide •, the full 
Sea this Day was at one o’ Clock. Here, feeing the W^ inds 
continue fo northerly that we could not get about to go 
into Hudfons Bay^ we confidered again what was beft 
to do, to look out for a wintering Place •, fome advifed me 
to go for Tort Ndfon^ becaufe we were certain that there 
was a Cove where we might bring in our Ship. I liked 
not that Counfel, for that is a moft dangerous Place, and 
it might be fo long ere wc got thither, that we might 
be debarred by the Ice •, moreover, feeing it was fo cold 
here that every Night our Rigging froze, and fometimes 
in the Morning we fkoveled away the Snow, half a Foot 
thick, off our Decks ; and in that Latitude too I thought 
it far worfe than the other Place : I refolved thereupon to 
{land again to the Southward, there to look for fome 
little Creek, or Cove, for our Ship. 
14. On the 2 iff the Wind came up at North, and we 
weighed although it was a very thick Fog, and flood 
away South-weft, to clear ourfelves of the Sholes,^ that 
were on the Point of this Ifland. This Hand is in 
Latitude 53 Degrees 10 Minutes. When we were clear 
we fleered away South. At Noon the Fog turned into 
Rain, but very thick Weater, and it thundered all the 
Afternoon, which made us fear a Storm, yet we ventured 
to proceed. In the Evening the Wind blew hard, there- 
fore we took in all our Sails, and let her drive to the 
fouthward, heaving the Land every Glafs. Our Depth, 
when we topk in our Sails, was thirty Fathom, and it 
increafed to forty-five, which was a great Comfort to us 
in the dark. At Midnight our Depth began fuddenly to 
decreafe, and as fall as the Lead could be heaved it 
ftioaled to twenty Fathom, wherefore we hop’d to come to 
an Anchor, . and trimmed our Ship aft, to mount to the 
Sea, and fitted all Things to ride it out. There was no 
Need to bid our Men watch now. We rid it out all 
Night although it blew very hard. 
The 2 2cl ill the Morning, Vv^hen we could look about 
us, we law an Ifland under our Lee fome Leagues off, 
all Sholes and Breaches between us and it. At Noon, by 
the Help of the windward Tide, we attempted to heave 
up our Anchor, although the Sea went Mountains high 
. joining all our Strength therefore with our beft Skills, 
God be thanked, w'e had it up •, but before we could fet 
our Sails we were driven into nine Fathoms, endeavour- 
ing thereupon to double a Point, to get under the Lee of 
this Ifland, the Water fhoaled to five Fathoms •, but when 
we were about it, deepened again ; and we came to an 
Anchor in a very good Place, and it was well for us that 
we did ; for the Wind increafed to a very Storm •, liere 
we rid well all Night, and recovered our Strength again. 
The laft Night, and this Morning it fnowed and hailed, 
and was very cold ; neverthelefs I took the Boat and vrent 
afliore to look for fome Creek or Cove to carry in our 
Ship j for file was very leaky, and the Com.pany became 
very fickly and weal^ v/ith much pumping and extreme 
Labour. Tliis Hail'd, when wt .came to the Shore, w^as 
nothing but Ledges of Rocks and Banks of Sand, and 
there was a very great Surf on them f neverthelefs I 
made them rev/ through it : And on Shore I got with 
two more, and made them rov/ off without the Breaches, 
and come to an Anchor and ftay for me. I made what 
Speed I could to the Top of a Hill, to difeover •, but 
could not fee what we looked for j and becaufe it began 
to blow hard I made hafte toward the Boat again. I 
found that it had ebbed fo low that the Boat could not, 
by any Means, come near Shore for me, fo that we were 
forced to wade through the Surf and Breaches to her, in 
which fame got fucli a Cold that they complained of it 
to their dying Day. 
But now it began to blow hard, fo that we could ‘ but 
get little to Windward toward our Ship, for the Wind 
was fliifted iince we went afliore •, and return to the Shore 
-we could not, by Means of the Surf. We rowed far 
Life : They in the Ship let out a Buoy by a long Warp, 
Chariton Ifland. 41 1 
and by God’s Affiftance we got to it, and fo balled up to 
the Ship, where we all rejoiced together. This was d. 
Premonition to us to be careful how we fent off the 
Boat in fucli Weather. I named this Ifland Sir Thomas 
Rods IJland it is full of fmall Wood^, but in other 
Benefits not very rich, and ftands in Latitude 52 Degrees 
lO Minutes. At Noon we weighed, feeing an Ifland that 
bore South-fouth-eaft of us/ome four Leagues off, which 
was the higheft Land we had yetfeen in this Bay ; but as 
we cam.e near, it fuddenly ftioaled to fix, -five, and four 
Fathom ; wherefore we ftruck our Sails amain, and 
chopped to an Anchor, but it was very foul Ground ; and 
when the Ship was wound up v/e had but three Fathom 
Water at her Stern ; as it cleared, we could fee the 
Breaches all, along under our Lee ^ holding it not fafe 
therefore to ftay long here, we fettled every thing, in 
order for the Ship to fall the right Way. We had up our 
Anchor, got into deeper Water, and ftood up again for 
Sir Thomas Rods IJland^ which by Night we brought in 
the Wind of us, fome two Leagues off ; which did well 
flielter us. The Tides run very quick here, and the 
Times of running Ebb or Flood, very uncertain ; their 
Currents are likewife fo diftrabled that in the Night there 
is no failing by the Compafs, therefore we were forced to 
feek, every Night, fome new Place of Security, to come 
to an Anchor. 
The 24th ill the Morning it, lowered, and threatened a 
Storm, which m.ade us, with the windward Tide, weigh, 
to get near under the Ifland. It was very foggy Weather^ 
and as we ftood to the North-eaftward we came to un- 
certain Depths ; at one Caft twenty Fathom, the next 
feven, then ten, fiye, eight, and three ; and coming to 
the other Tack, Vv?e were worfe than we were before. 
The Currents defeating our Judgments in the tliick Fog, 
when v/e could fee no Land-marks. It pleafed God that 
v/e got clear of them, and endeavoured to get under 
the Lee of the Ifland ; which being not able to do, we 
were obliged to come to an Anchor in thirty-five Fathom 
fome two Leagues off the Shore : All this Afternoon, and 
indeed all Night too, it fnowed, hailed, and was very 
cold. The 25th we weighed, and thought to get to the 
eaftward ; but as we tacked to and again, the Wind 
fliifted fo in our Teeth, that it put us within a Quarter 
of a Mile of the very Shore, where we chopped to an An- 
chor, and rid it out for Life and Death. Such Miferies 
as thefe we endured among the Sholes and broken 
Grounds, or rather more defperate than I have related, 
with Snov/, Hail, and ftormy Weather, and colder than 
ever I felt in England in my Life. Our Sheet-Anchors 
were down twice or thrice in a Day ; which extreme 
Pains made a great Part of our Company fickly. AH 
this lafted with us until the 30th of this Month September^ 
which we thought would have put an End to our Mife- 
ries, for now we were driven among Rocks, Sholes, 
Overfalls, and Breaches round about us, that v/hich way 
to turn we knew not, but there rid among them in Ex- 
tremity of Diftrefs. 
15. The iflof Odfoher indifferently fair Weather, 
and with a windward Tide our Boat v/ent to found a 
Channel, to help us out of this dangerous Place ; the 
Boat v/ithin two Hours returned, and told us fhe had 
been a Way v/here there was not lefs than ten Fathom ; 
we thereupon weighed, but found it otherwife, aiid came 
among many ftrange Races and Overfalls, upon which 
there went a very great and breaking Sea j as we pro- 
ceeded, the Water ftioaled to fix Fathoms. Well ! there 
was no Remedy, we muft go forward, feeing there nei- 
ther was any riding, and as little Hope to turn any way 
with a Sail, but that there appeared prefent Death in it : 
It pleafed God fo to dire£l us that we got through it. 
The Water fometimes deepened to twenty Fathom, then 
upon a hidden it fhoaled to feven, fix, and five Fathoms, 
fo that we ftruck all our Sails amain, and chopped to an 
Anchor, where We rid till Midnight for Life and Death, 
it blowing a mercilefs Gale of Wind, and the Sea going 
very lofty, and all in a Breach •, the Ground was foul 
Ground too, infomuch that we doubted our Cable every 
Minute. 
The 2d in the Morning there was little Wind, where- 
iipon. 
