Book II. 
4^8 Captain James j Voyage into Hudfon’s Bay^ 
on tlie ShorCj by two o’Ciock fhe came aground and 
ftopt much Ice, yet die lay well all Night, .and we took 
fome Reft-. 
The 25th the Wind iliifted Eailerly, and put abun- 
dance of Ice on us. When the Flood came we encou- 
raged one another, and drew home our Anchor by 
main Force, under great Pieces of Ice, our Endeavour 
being to put the Ship to the Shore : But to our great 
Difcomfort, when the Half-Tide was .made, the Ship 
drove among the Ice to the Eaftward, do what we could, 
and fo ilie would on the Shole of Rocks. As I have 
faid before, thefe two Days and this Day was very warm 
W eather, and it rained, which it had not yet but once 
done fince we came hither, otherwife it had been impof- 
fible we could have WTOUght. Withal the Wind iliifted 
alfo to the South, and' at the very Inftant blew a hard 
Puff, which fo continued half an Hour. I caufed the 
two Top-fails to be had up from betwixt Decks, and 
we hoifted them up with twm Ropes in all Hafte, and 
we found the Ship afhore when fhe had not half a Cable’s 
Length to drive on the rocky Sholes. In the Evening 
we broke way through the Ice, and put an Anchor to 
Shoreward in five Feet Vs^ater, to keep her to the Shore 
if poffible. Here Sir Hugh Willoughby came into my 
Mind, who without doubt was driven out of his Har- 
bour in this Manner, and fo ftarved at Sea. But God 
was more merciful to us. About nine at Night the Wind 
came up at North- weft, and blev/ a Storm. This Wind 
was off the Shore, which blew away all the Ice from 
about us long before we were afloat. There came in a 
great rolling Sea v/ithal about the Point, accompanied 
with a great Surf on the Shore. And now we were left to 
the Mercy of the Sea on the Ground. By ten fhe began 
to roll in her Deck, and foon after began to beat againft the 
Ground. We flood at the Capftang as many as could, 
others at the Pumps, for we thought that every fifth or 
fixthBlov/ would have ftaved her to Pieces. We heaved 
to the uttermofl of our Strength to keep her as near the 
Ground as we could. 
By reafon of this Wind it flowed very much Water, 
and we drew her up fo high that it was doubtful if ever 
we got her. off again. She continued thus beating till 
two o’clock the next Morning, and then flie fettled 
again, whereupon we v/-ent to fleep, feeing the next Tide 
we expedled again to be tormented. 
19. The 26th intheMorningTideourShip did notfloat. 
After Prayers I called a Confultation of the Mafter, my 
Lieutenant, the Mate’s Carpenter and Boatfwain, to 
whom I propofed, that now we were put to our laft; Shifts, 
and therefore they fhould tell me what they thought of 
it, viz. Whether it were not beft to carry all our Provi- 
fions on Shore ; and when theWind fhould come Norther- 
ly, to draw her further off and fink her ? After many Rea- 
fonings, they allowed of my Purpofe, and fo I commu- 
nicated it to the Company, who all willingly agreed to it; 
and fo we fell to getting up of our Provifions ; Firfl, of 
our Bread, of which we landed this Day twoDryfats, with 
a Hogfliead of Beef, having much ado to get the Boats thro* 
the congealed Water. In the Evening the Wind came up 
at North-eaft and Eaft, and filled the Bay full of Ice. 
The 27th the Bay continued full of Ice, which I 
hoped would fo continue and freeze, that we fliould not 
be forced to fink our Ship. This Day we could land 
nothing. The 28th. at Break of Day three of our Men 
v/ent over the Ice unknown to me, and the Wind coming 
up at eft drove the Ice from betwixt us and the Shore, 
and moft part of the Bay alfo ; and yet not fo but the 
Boat could go afhore for any thing. I made the Car- 
penter fit a Place againft all fudden Extremities, for that 
with the North- weft or Northerly VHnd I meant to ef- 
fed our laft Projed. In the Run of her on the Starboard 
Side he cut away the Cieling and the Plank to the Sheath- 
ing fome four or five Inches fqu are, fame four Feet high 
from the Keel of her, that fo it might be bored out at 
an Inftant. We brought our Bread which was remain- 
ing in the Bread-Room up into the great Cabin, and 
likewife all our Powder,- fetting much of our light dry 
Things betwdxt Decks. 
The 29th at five in the Morning the Wind came up 
at Weft-north- weft, and began to blow very hard. It 
was ordinary for the Wind to ftsift from the Weft by the 
North round about : So firft I ordered the Cooper to ga 
down into the Plold, and look to ail our Cafl^s ; thofe 
that were full to mell in the Bungs of them, and thofe. 
that were,. empty to get up, or if they could hot be 
gotten up to ftave them ; then to coil all our Cables upon 
our lower Ihre, and to lay on our fpare Anchors, and 
any thing that was weighty, to keep it down from rifing. 
By feven o’Ciock it blew a Storm at North- weft. T'he 
Ship was already bedded fome two Feet in the Sand ; 
and whiift that was a-flowing fhe muft beat. This I be- 
fore had in my Confideration, for I thought fhe was fo 
far driven up that we fliould never get her off. Yet 
w^e had been fo ferreted by her laft Beating that I refolved 
to fink her right down, rather than run that Hazard. 
By nine flie began to roll in her Deck with a moft extra- 
ordinary great Sea, which I found to be occafioned by the 
forementioned Overfall. And this was the fatal Hour 
that put us to our Wits-end : . Wherefore I went down 
into the Hold with the Carpenter, and took his Auger 
and bored a Hole in the Ship and let in the Water. Thus 
with all Speed we began to cut out other Places to bore 
through ; but every Place was full of Nails. By Ten, 
notwithftanding the lower Tire was covered with Water, 
tor all which fhe began fo to beat in her Deck more 
and more, that we could not work nor ftand to do any 
thing in her, nor would fhe fink fo fall as we would 
have her, but continued beating double Blows, firft abaft 
and then before, that it was wonderful how fhe could 
endure a Quarter of an Hour with it. 
By Twelve her lower Tire rofe, and that did fo conn- 
terbeat on the Infide, that it bored the Bulk-FIeads of 
the Bread-Room, Powder-Room and Fore-piece, all to 
Pieces. And when it came betwixt Decks, the Chefts 
fled about, and the Water did flafh and fly wonderfully, 
fo that now we expelled every . Minute when the Ship 
Would open and break to Pieces. At One flie beat off 
her Rudder, and that was gone we knew not which 
Way. Thus fhe continued beating till Three, and then 
the Sea came upon the upper Deck, and foon after fhe 
began to fettle. In her we were fain to fink the moft 
part of our Bedding and Cloaths, and the Chirurgeon’s 
Cheft. Our Men that were on Shore flood looking 
upon us, almoft dead with Cold and Sorrow to fee our 
Miferies and their own ; we looked upon them again, 
and both upon each other with woeful Flearts. Dark 
Night drew on, and I ordered the Boat to be bawled up, 
and commanded my loving Companions to go all into 
her, who expreffed their faithiul Affedtion to me, as 
loth to part from me. I told them that my Meaning 
was to go afliore with them, and thus laftly I forfook 
the Ship. We were fourteen poor Souls now in the 
Boat, and we imagined tiiut we were leaped out of the 
Frying-pan into the Fire. The Ebb was made, and fhe 
Water extraordinary thick v. ithSnow, fo that we thought 
affurediy it would curry us away into the Sea. We 
thereupon double manned four Oars, appointing four 
more to fit ready with Oars ; and fo with the Help of 
God we got to the Shore, bawling up the Boat after. 
One Thing was moft ftrange in this thick Water, 
that tliere went a great fweilmg Sea. Being arrived 
upon the Land we faluted our Fellows the beft we 
could ; at which Time they could not know us, nor we 
them, by our Flabits and Voices, fo frozen we were. 
Faces, Hair and Apparel. And here I mean to take 
Breath a-while, after all this long and unpleafant Rela- 
tion of our miferable Endeavours, craving Leave firft 
of all to fpeak a Word or two in general. The Winds 
fince we came hither have been very variable and incon- 
ftant, and till within this Fortnight the Southerly Wind 
v/as the coldeft. The Reafon 1 conceive to be, that it 
blew from the main Land, which was ail covered with 
Snow ; and the North Winds came out of the great 
Bay, which hitherto was open; fo that we were, under 
a, South Bank, that fheltere(l us fo that vre were not fen- 
fibie of it. , ' 
20. After we had. bawled up the Boat on the 29th of 
November., we went along the Beach-fide in the Dark to- 
wards our Houle, where we made a, good Fire, and with 
it and Bread and Water we comforted oisrfelves, begin-' 
ning after that to reafon one v/ith another concerning our 
Ship, I required that every one fhould fpeak his Mind 
freely* 
