Chap. 6.
They discouer a very great bay with foure small Islands in it, whereas they take possession. As they sayle along and discouer diuers Islands they come at len•th to the port of Santa Cruz, where not being able to get any knowledge of those Indians although they lay, in waite for them at a place called. The well of Gr•alua, they departed thence. They, haue a perilous and long tempest, which ceased after they had seene a light on their shrowdes.
AT the comming out of these openings we began to •••de a Bay 〈…〉 great hauen,* entitule• with diuers small hilles hauing vpon them 〈…〉 pleasant to 〈◊〉Page 404 In this bay and strand were two small Islands neere vnto the shore, one of the which was like vnto a table about halfe a league in bignes, and the other was a round hill almost as big as the for∣mer. These Islands serued vs onely to coment our sight, for we passed by them without staying, hauing but a slacke wind on Munday morning: all which day we followed our course with the foresayd slacke winde, and within a while after it became flat contrary, so that we were constrai∣ned to anker at the sayd point of the sayd hauen: and on Tewesday at breake of day we set sayle, but made but little away all the day, because the winde continued contrary, although but very weake. The night following wee were becalmed a little beyond the point of this hauen; but about midnight wee began to haue a fresh gale, and on Wednesday in the morning wee were seuen leagues distant from that point. This countrey shewed (as it was indeede) more plaine then the rest, with certaine small woody hilles, and within the other point which was before de∣scried, the situation seemed to be more pleasant and delightsome then the rest which we had pas∣sed. And at the vttermost end of the point were two small Is•ets. The sayd Wednesday about nine of the clocke the winde blew a good gale, and we sayled by euening between seuen and eight leagues, and came ouer against a land not very high, where wee saw certaine creekes or breaches not very ragged, into euery of which a riuer seemed to fall, because the soyle was very greene, and had certaine trees growing on it farre bigger then those which we had found before. Here the Captaine with fiue or sixe men went on shore, and taking possession passed vp one of those riuers, and found the sooting of many Indians vpon the sand. On the bankes of that riuer they saw many fruitful trees, as cherry-trees and little apple-trees, and other white trees: they found also in the wood three or foure beasts called Adibes, which are a kind of dogs. The same night wee set sayle with the winde off the land, which blew so freshly, that it made vs to strike our fore∣sayle; and on the sixeteenth of October at nine of the clocke we came neere vnto a point of certaine high mountaines, on which day being Thursday we made little way, because the winde ceased, but it rose againe in the night, whereupon by the breake of day on Friday wee came before the sayd point being sixe or seuen leagues off. The land seemed to bee very mountainous with cer∣taine sharpe points not greatly clad with grasse, but somewhat bare. On our left hand wee saw two Islands, the one of a league and a halfe, the other not so much, and it seemed that we drew neere to the port of Santa Cruz, whereat we were sory, because we were alwaies in good hope to and some out-let into the maine Ocean in some place of that land, and that the same port was the same out-let, and also that by the sayd coast we might returne to the foresayd hauen of Santa Cruz, and that we had committed a great error, because we had not certainely sought out the se∣cret, whether that were a Street or a riuer, which wee had left behind vs vnsearched at the bot∣tome of this great sea or gulfe.
All Friday and the night following we sayled with a scant winde, and on Saturday at breake of day we were betweene two points of land which make a bay, wherein we saw before and be∣hinde foure or fiue great and small Islands.* The land was very mountainous, part wherof was couered with grasse, and part was voide. Within the land appeared more mountaines and hils, and in this place we were come neere vnto the hauen of Santa Cruz, which is all firme land, ex∣cept it be diuided in the very nooke by some streite or great riuer which parteth it from the maine, which because we had not throughly discouered, all of vs that were imployed in this voyage were not a little grieued. And this maine land stretcheth so farre in length, that I cannot well expresse it: for from the hauen of Acapulco, which standeth in seuenteene degrees and twenty minutes of latitude, wee had alwayes the coast of the firme laud on our right hand, vntill we came to the great current of the white & red sea;* and here (as I haue said) we knew not the secret of this cur∣rent, whether it were caused by a riuer or by a streit: and so supposing that the coast which wee had on our right hand was closed vp without passage, wee returned backe againe, alwayes de∣scending Southward by our degrees,* vntill wee returned vnto the sayd hauen of Santa Cruz, finding still along the coast a goodly and pleasant countrey, and still seeing fires made by the Indi∣ans, and Canoas made of Canes. We determined to take in fresh water at the hauen of Santa Cruz, to runne along the outward Westerne coast, and to see what it was, if it pleased God. Here we rested our selues, and eat of the plummes and fruits called Pithaias: and wee entred into the port of Santa Cruz on Sunday the 18 of October and stayed there eight daies to take in wood and water resting our selues all that while,* that our men might strengthen and re∣fresh themselues. Our captaine determined to diuide amongst vs certain garments of taffata, with clokes and saies, and a piece of taffata, and likewise ordained, that wee should goe on land to catch a couple of Indians, that they might talke with our interpreter, and that we might come to the knowledge of their language. Whereupon thirteene of vs went out of our ship by night, and Page 405 lay in ambush in a place which is called The well of Grijalua, where we stayed vntill noone be∣tweene certaine secret wayes, and could neuer see or descrie any one Indian:* wherefore wee re∣turned to our ships, with two massiue-dogs which we caried with vs to catch the Indians with more ease: and in our returne we found two Indians hidden in certaine thickets, which were come thither to spie what wee did: but because wee and our dogs were weary, and thought not on them, these Indians issued out of the thickets, and fled away, and wee ranne after them, and our dogges saw them not: wherefore by reason of the thicknes of the wilde thistles, and of the thornes and bryars, and because we were weary, we could neuer ouertake them:* they left be∣hinde them certaine staues so finely wrought that they were very beautifull to behold, conside∣ring how cunningly they were made with a handle and a corde to fling them.
The nine and twentieth of October being Wednesday, we set sayle out of this hauen of San∣ta Cruz with little winde, and in sayling downe the chanell our shippe called the Trinitie came on ground vpon certaine sholdes: this was at noone at a low water, and with all the remedy that we could vse wee could not draw her off, whereupon wee were constrained to vnderprop her, and to stay the next tide: and when the tide began to increase wee vsed all diligence to draw her off, and could not by any meanes, whereat all the company and the Captaine were not a little grieued; for wee thought wee should haue lost her there, although wee ceased not with all our might to labour with both our boates, and with our cable and capsten. In the ende it pleased God about midnight at a full sea with the great force which wee vsed to recouer her, that wee drew her off the sand, for which we gaue God most hearty thankes, and rode at anker all the rest of the night, wayting for day-light for feare of falling into any further danger or mishap. When day was come, wee set forward with a fresh gale, and proceeded on our voyage, directing our prows to the maine sea, to see whether it would please God to let vs discouer the secret of this point. But whether it pleased not his great goodnesse, or whether it were for our sinnes, wee spent eight dayes from this port, before we could double the poynt, by reason of contrary winds, and great raine, and lightning and darkenesse euery night: also the windes grew so raging and tempestuous, that they made vs all to quake, and to pray continually vnto God to ayde vs. And hereupon wee made our cables and ankers ready, and the chiefe Pilot commanded vs with all speede to cast anker, and in this sorte we passed our troubles: and whereas wee rode in no secu∣ritie, he caused vs foorthwith to weigh our ankers, and to goe whither the wind should driue vs. And in this sorte wee spent those eight dayes, turning backe by night the same way that wee had gone by day, and sometimes making good in the night that which we had lost in the day, not with∣out great desire of all the company to haue a winde which might set vs forward on our voyage, being afflicted with the miseries which wee indured by reason of the thunders, lightnings, and raine, wherewith we were wet from toppe to toe, by reason of the toyle which wee had in weigh∣ing and casting of our ankers, as neede required.
And on one of these nights, which was very darke and tempestuous with winde and raine, be∣cause we thought we should haue perished, being very neere the shore, we prayed vnto God that he would vouchsafe to ayde and saue vs, without calling our sinnes to remembrance. And straight∣way wee saw vpon the shrowdes of the Trinity as it were a candle, which of it selfe shined, and gaue a light, whereat all the company greatly reioyced, in such sort that wee ceased not to giue thankes vnto God. Whereupon we assured our selues, that of his mercie hee would guide and saue vs, and would not suffer vs to perish, as indeede it fell out; for the ne•• day wee had good weather, and all the mariners sayd, that it was the light of Saint Elmo which appeared on the shrowdes, and they saluted it with their songs and prayers. These stormes tooke vs betweene the Isles of Saint Iago and Saint Philip, and the Isle called Isla de perlas lying ouer against the point of California supposed to be firme land.
