J 
426 Captain James’j Voyage into Hudibn’s Bav. Book II. 
this Day. I went to tlie Hills ,to look to the Fire, where 
I iaw it ftili burn both to Weft ward and Northward, 
leaving one upon the Hills to watch it, I came home 
immediately, and made them take down our new Suit of 
Sails, and carry them to the Sea-fide, ready to be caft in 
if Occafidn were, and to make hafte to take down our 
Houfes. About Noon the Wind fhifted Northward, and 
our Centinei came running home, bringing us Word that 
the Fire followed him at his Heels, like a train of Powder. 
There was no Occafion to bid us pull down, and carry 
all to the Sea-fide. The Fire came towards us with a 
moft terrible rattling Noife, bearing a full Mile in 
Breadth ^ and by that Time we had uncovered our 
Houfes, and going to carry away our iaft things, the 
Fire v/as come to our Town, and feized it, and, in a 
Trice, burn^ it down to the Ground. We loft nothing 
of any Value, for we had brought all into a Place of 
Security. Our Dogs, in this Condition, would fit down 
on their Tails, and howl, and then run into the Sea, and 
there ftay. The Wind ftiifted eafterly, and the Fire 
ranged to the Weftv/ard, feeking what it might devour. 
This Night we lay together aboard the Ship, and gave 
God Tha nks, who had -been thus merciful unto us. 
The 27th, 28th, and 29th, we wrought hard in fetch- 
ing our things aboard, as lilc^wife our Water, which we 
tov/e'd 'off with tlie Ebb, and fent it to the Ship, with the 
’^’■ood ^ vee v/ere forced to go about the Eaftern Point for 
Drift-wood, for the Tools were ail fo fpent, that we could 
cut none. Therefore about three Days before I had 
caufed our Pinnace to be fawed to pieces, and with that 
we flowed our Cafic, intending to burn it at Low-water ; 
and fuch other times as 'v\^e could not work in carrying 
things aboard, I employed in fetching Stones j and we 
built three Tombs over our three dead Companions, filling 
them with Sand, in a decent and handfome Manner. 
The leaft Tomb had two Tons of Stones about it. The 
30th we earneftly continued our Labour, and brought 
our Sails to Yard ; and by eleven o’Clock at Night had 
made a pretty Ship, meaning to have finiftied our Bufmefs 
with the Week and Month, that we might the better 
folemnize the Sabbath afliore, and fo take leave of our 
wintering liland. 
The Wind had been variable a great while, and the 
Bay fo clear of Ice, that we could not fee a Piece of it, 
for it was all gone to the Northward. Hoping that it 
may give Content to fome Readers, I will relate the 
Manner of the breaking of it up. , It is firft to be noted, 
' that it did not freeze naturally above fix Feet, the reft 
is Ty Accident *, fuch is that Ice, that you may fee here 
fix Fathom thick; this we had maiiifeft Proof of, by 
digging the Ice out of the Ship, and by digging to our 
Anchors before the Ice broke up. 
32. In May^ when the Heat increafeth, it thaws firft 
on the Shole by the Shore-fide, which when it hath done 
round about, then the Courfes of the Tides, as well by 
the Ebb and Flood, as by their rifing and falling, do fo 
Ihiake the main Ice, that it cracks and breaks it. Thus, 
vrhen it hath got room for Motion, then runs one Piece 
of it upon another, and fo bruifes and grinds itfelf againft 
the Sholes and Rocks, that a Ship may run through it. 
Befides tliis, much of it is thruft upon the Sholes, where 
it is confumed by the Fleat of the Sun. The Seafon of 
this Climate is moft* unnatural ; for in the Day-time it 
will be extreme hot, nay intolerable, by Reafon it is a 
Tandy Country. In the Night again it will freeze an Inch 
thick in the Ponds, and in the. Tubs about, and in our 
Houfes ; and all This towards the latter End of June, 
The Muiketoes, upon our coming away, v/ere infup^ 
portable. V 7 e tore ar; old Flag in Pieces, and made us 
Bags of it to put our Heads in, but it was no Fortifica- 
tion againft them *, they would find ways and means to 
fting us, that our Faces were fwoln out in Pimples, which 
would fo itch and fmart, that we muft needs rub and fear 
tliem j and diefe Flies, indeed, were more tormenting to 
ilS, than all the Cold we had endured before. 
July 1632. The ift of this Month we were up betimes, 
and I caufed our Ship to be adorned the beft we could. 
Our Flag in the Poop, and die Kbg’s Colours in the 
Main-Top. I had provided a ftiort Account of all the 
Paffages of our Voyage to this Day, I likewife wrote in 
what State we were in at prefent, and how i intended to ^ 
profecute this Difeovery, both to the Wcftw.ard and to 
the Southward, about this liland. This brief Difeourfe 
I had concluded, with a Requeft to any noble minded 
Traveller that lliould take it down, or come to the No- 
tice of it ; that if we fhould perifti in the Aflion, then 
to make our Endeavours known to our Sovereign Lord 
the King, ilnd thus, with our Arms, Drums, and Co- 
lours, Cook and Kettle, we went afliore, and firft we 
marched up to our eminent Crofs, adjoining to which 
we had buried our dead Fellov/s. There v,^e read Morn- 
ing Prayers, and then walked up and down till Dinner- 
time. After Dinner we walked up to the higheft Hills, 
to fee w'hicli way the Fire had wafted ; we deferied that it 
had confumed to the Weftward fixteen Miles at leaft, and 
the whole Breadth of the Ifland. Near our Crofs and 
Dead it could not c6me, by reafon it was a bars 
Sand. After Evening Prayer I happened to v/alk along 
the Beach-fidc, where I found an Flerb refembling Scuryy- 
Grafs •, I had fome gathered, which we boiled with our 
Meat to Supper. 
It was moft excellent good, and far better than our 
Vetches. After Supper we went to feek for more of it, 
which we carried off to the.Qiiantity of two Bulliels, 
which did afterwards much refrefh us ; and now the Siia 
was fet, and the Boat came afliore for us ; whereupon v/e 
affembled ourfelves together, and went up to take the 
laft: View of our Dead, and to look to their Tombs, and 
other things. So faftening my Brief, which was fecurely 
wrapped up in Lead, to the Crofs, we prefently took Boat 
and departed, and never put Foot more on that Hand. 
This liland, and all the reft, as likewife the Main, is a 
light white Sand, covered over with a white Mofs, and 
full of Shrubs and low Bufhes, excepting fome bare Hills 
and other Patches ; In thefe bare Places the Sand will 
drive with the Wind like Duft. It is very full of Trees, 
as Spruce and Juniper, but the biggeft Tree I favv was 
but a Foot and a Half Diameter. 
At our firft coming hither we law fome Deer, and kil- 
led one, but never any fince Foxes all the Winter we 
faw many, and killed fome Dozens of them ; but they 
went all away in May ; Bears v/e- faw a few, but killed 
none ; we faw fome other little Beafts. In May there 
came fome Fowl, as Ducks and Geefe, of which v/e 
killed very few *, white Partridges we faw, but in fmall 
Quantities, nor had we any Shot to flioot at them. Fifti 
we could never fee any in the Sea, nor no Bones of Fifh 
on the Shore-fide, excepting a few Cockle-Shells, and 
yet nothing in them neither. 
33. Sunday being the 2d of July, 1632, v/e 'were 
up betimes, about flowing and fitting our Ship, and 
weighing our Anchors ; v/hich, when the laft was a Trip, 
we went to Prayers, befeeching God to continue his 
Mercy to us, and rendering him Thanks for having thus 
reftored us. Our Ship we found no Defe£l in. We had 
abundance of fuch Provifions as we brought out of Eng- 
land, and we were in indifferent Health, and gathered 
Strength daily. This being done, we weighed and camt 
chearfully to fail. The Wind at North-weft, bad to get 
away, wherefore we ftood over to Danby IJland, to take 
in m.ore Wood, and there to be ready to take the Oppor- 
tunity of a fair Wind. I went.afhore with the Boat, for 
fome of the Company had told me they had feen fome 
Stakes the laft Year driven into the Ground, where v/e 
came afliore, whilft fome gathered Wood. I went to the 
Place, where I found two Stakes drove into the Ground 
a Foot and a-half, and Fire-brands, where a Fire had 
been made by them. I pulled up the Stakes, which were 
about the thicknefs of my Arm, and they had been cut 
fliarp at the Ends with a Hatcliet, or fome other good 
Iron Tool, and driven in as it were with the Head of it. 
They v/ere diftant about a Stones-throw from the Water- 
fide. I could not conceive to what purpofe they fhould 
be there fet, unlefs it v/ere for fome Mark for Boats. This 
augmented my Defire to fpeak wkh .the Savages, for, 
v/ithout doubt, they could have given us Notice of 
fome Chriftians with whom they had Commerce. 
About four in the Evening I returned with a Boat’s 
2 Lading 
