The observations of Sir Richard Havvkins Knight, in his voiage into the South Sea. Anno Domini 1593

SECT. XLI.

FRom Cape Desire, some foure leagues North-west, lye foure Ilands, which are very small, and the mid∣dlemost of them is o•• the fashion of a Sugar-loafe. We were no sooner cleare of Cape Desire, and his ledge of Rockes (which lie a great way off into the Sea) but the wind tooke vs contrary by the North-west; and so we stood off into the Sea two dayes and two nights to the West∣wards.

In all the Straites it ebbeth and floweth more or lesse, and in ma∣ny places it higheth very little water, but in some Bayes, where are great indraughts, it higheth eight or ten foote, and doubtlesse, fur∣ther in, more. If a man be furnished with wood and water, and the winde good, he may keepe the mayne Sea, and goe round about the Straites to the Southwards, and it is the shorter way; for be∣sides the experience which we made, that all the South part of the Straites is but Ilands, many times having the Sea open, I remem∣ber, that Sir Francis Drake told me, that having short the Straites, a storme tooke him first at North-west, and after vered about to the South-west, which continued with him many dayes, with that ex∣tremitie, that he could not open any Sayle, and that at the end of the storme, he found himselfe in fiftie degrees, which was sufficient testimony and proofe, that he was beaten round about the Straites, for the least height of the Straites is in fiftie two degrees and fiftie minutes; in which stand the two entrances or mouths.

And moreover, he sayd, that standing about, when the winde changed, he was not well able to double the Southermost Iland, and so anchored vnder the lee of it; and going a-shore, carried a Compasse with him, and seeking out the Southermost part of the Iland, cast himselfe downe vpon the vttermost poynt groveling, and so reached out his bodie over it. Presently he imbarked, and then recounted vnto his people, that he had beene vpon the Sou∣thermost knowne land in the world, and more ••urther to the South∣wards vpon it, then any of them, yea, or any man as yet knowne. These testimonies may suffice for this truth vnto all, but such as are incredulous, & will beleeue nothing but what they see; for my part, I am of opinion, that the Straite is navigable all the yeare long, al∣though the best time be in November, December, and Ianuary, and

then the winds more favourable, which other times are variable, as ••n all narrow Seas.

Being some fiftie leagues a Sea-boord the Straites, the winde ve∣ring to the West-wards, we cast about to the North-wards; and lying the coast along, shaped our course for the Iland Mocha. About the fifteenth of Aprill, we were thwart of Baldivia, which was then in the hands of the Spaniards, but since the Indians, in Anno 1599. dispossessed them of it, and the Conception; which are two of the most principall places they had in that Kingdome, and both Ports.

Baldivia, had its name of a Spanish Captaine so called, whom af∣terwards the Indians tooke Prisoner, and it is said, they required of him the reason why he came to molest them, and to take their Country from them, having no title nor right therevnto; he an∣swered, to get Gold; which the barbarous vnderstanding, caused Gold to be molten, and powred downe his throat; saying, Gold was thy desire, glut thee with it.

It standeth in fortie degrees, hath a pleasant River and naviga∣ble; for a Ship of good burden may goe as high vp as the Cittie, and is a goodly wood Country.

Here our Beefe beganne to take end, and was then as good, as the day wee departed from England; it was preserved in Pickell, which, though it be more chargeable, yet the profit payeth the charge, in that it is made durable, contrary to the opinion of ma∣ny, which hold it impossible, that Beefe should be kept good pas∣sing the Equinoctiall lyne. And of our Porke I eate in the house of Don Beltran de Castro, in Lyma, neere foure yeares old, very good, preserved after the same manner, notwithstanding, it had lost his Pickle long before.

Some degrees before a man come to Baldivia to the South-wards, as Spaniards haue told me, lyeth the Iland Chule, not easily to be discerned from the mayne; for he that passeth by it, cannot but thinke it to be the mayne. It is said to be inhabited by the Spani∣ards, but badly, yet rich of gold.

The 19. of Aprill, being Easter-euen, we anchored vnder the I∣land Mocha. It lyeth in 39. degrees, it may be some foure leagues over, and is a high mountainous hill, but round about the foote thereof, some halfe league from the Sea-shore, it is Champion ground, well inhabited, and manured.

From the Straites to this Iland, we found, that either the coast is set out more westerly then it is, or that, we had a great current, which put vs to the west-wards; for we had not sight of land in

three dayes after. Our reckoning was to see it, but for that we coa∣sted not the land, I cannot determine, whether it was caused by the current, or lying of the land. But Spaniards which haue sayled a∣longst it, haue told me, that it is a bold and safe coast, and reasona∣ble sounding of it.

In this Iland of Mocha we had communication and contratation with the inhabitants, but with great vigilancie and care; for they and all the people of Chily, are mortall enemies to the Spaniards, and held vs to be of them; and so esteemed Sir Francis Drake, when he was in this Iland, which was the first land also that he touched on this coast. They vsed him with so fine a trechery, that they possessed themselues of all the Oares in his Boate, saving two, and in striving to get them also, they slew, and hurt all his men; himselfe who had fewest wounds, had three, and two of them in the head. Two of his company which lived long after, had, the one seaven∣teene; his name was Iohn Bruer, who afterward was Pilot with ma∣ster Candish; and the other, aboue twentie, a Negro-servant to Sir Francis Drake.

And with me they vsed a pollicie, which amongst barbarous people was not to be imagined, although I wrought sure; for I suf∣fered none to treate with me, nor with my people with Armes. We were armed, and met vpon a Rocke compassed with water, whether they came to parley and negotiate. Being in communica∣tion with the Casiques, and others, many of the Indians came to the heads of our Boats, and some went into them. Certaine of my peo∣ple standing to defend the Boates with their Oares, for that there went a bad sege, were forced to lay downe their Musketts; which the Indians perceiving, endevoured to fill the barrells with water, taking it out of the sea in the hollow of their hands. By chance ca∣sting mine eye aside, I discovered their slynesse; and with a trun∣cheon, which I had in mine hand, gaue the Indians three or foure good lamskinnes; the Casiques seeing it, began to giue me satis∣faction, by vsing rigor towardes those which had beene in the Boates; but I having gotten the refreshing I desired, and all I could hope from them, would haue no further conversation with them. At our first comming, two of their Casiques (who are their Lords or Kings) came aboord our Shippe (we leaving one of our companie ashore as a pledge) whom we feasted in good manner; they eat well of all that was set before them, and dranke better of our Wine: one of them became a little giddie headed, and marvayled much at our Artillery: I caused a Peece to be primed, and after to be ••hott off, whereat the one started, but the other made no shew of alteration;

after putting them ashore, loaden with toyes and trifles, which to them seemed great riches; from all Ports of the Iland, the people came vnto vs, bringing all such things as they had, to wit, sheepe, Cockes, &c. (from Hennes they would not part) and divers sorts of fruits, and rootes, which they exchanged with vs for Kniues, Glasses, Combes, Belles, Beades, Counters, Pinnes, and other tri∣fles. We saw little demonstration of Gold or Silver amongst them, though some they had; and for that we saw they made estimation of it, we would not make reckoning of it: but they gaue vs to vn∣derstand, that they had it from the Mayne.

The sheepe of this Iland are great, good, and fatt; I haue not ta∣sted better Mutton any where. They were as ours, and doubtlesse of the breed of those, which the Spaniards brought into the Coun∣try. Of the sheepe of the Country, we could by no meanes procure any one, although we saw of them, and vsed meanes to haue had of them; for they esteeme them much, as reason willeth, serving them for many vses; as in another place, God willing, I shall declare more at large. They haue small store of fish.

This Iland is scituate in the Province of Arawca, and is held to be peopled with the most valiant Nation in all Chily, though gene∣rally the Inhabitants of that Kingdome are very couragious.

They are clothed after the manner of antiquitie, all of woollen; their Cassockes made like a Sacke, square, with two holes for the two armes, and one for the head; all open below, without lining or other art: but of them, some are most curiously wooven, and in colours, and on both sidesalike.

Their houses are made round, in fashion like vnto our Pigeon houses, with a laver in the toppe, to evacuate the smoake when they make fire.

They brought vs a strange kinde of Tobacco, made into little cakes, like Pitch, of a bad smell, with holes through the middle, and so laced many vpon a string. They presented vs also with two Spanish Letters, thinking vs to be Spaniards, which were written by a Captaine of a Frigate, that some dayes before had received courtesie at their hands, and signified the same to the Governour; wishi••g that the people of the Iland would become good subiects to the King, and that therefore he would receiue them into his fa∣vour and protection, and send them some person as Governour; but none of them spake Spanish, and so we dealt with them by signes. The people of this Iland, as of all Chily, are of good stature, and well made, and of better countenance then those Indians which I haue seene in many parts. They are of good vnderstanding, and

agilitie, and of great strength; Their weapons are bowes, and ar∣rowes and Macanas, their bowes short and strong, and their ar∣rowes of a small reade, or cane, three quarters of a yard long, with two feathers, and headed with a flint stone, which is loose, and hur∣ting, the head remaineth in the wound, some are headed with bone, and some with hard wood, halfe burnt in the fire. Wee came be∣twixt the Iland and the mayne; On the south-west part of the I∣land lyeth a great ledge of Rockes, which are dangerous; and it is good to bee carefull how to come too neere the Iland on all parts.

Immediately when they discovered vs, both vpon the Iland, and the Maine, wee might see them make sundry great fires, which were to giue advise to the rest of the people to be in a readinesse: for they haue continuall and mortall warre with the Spaniards, and the Shippes they see, they beleeue to be their Enemies. The Ci∣tie Imperiall lyeth over against this Iland, but eight or tenne Leagues into the Countrey: for all the Sea coast from Baldivia, till 36. Degrees, the Indians haue now (in a manner) in their hands free from any Spaniards.

Notes

• South part of the Straites Ilands.
• Sir Francis Drake imbra∣ceth the Sou∣thermost poin•• of the world.
• M••cha.
• Baldiv••a.
• Trechery of the Indians.
• Ex••hanges o•• t••ifles.
• O•• Sheepe.
• Their apparell,
• and housing.
• People 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Chi∣ly.
• Their wea∣pons.
• Their hate to the Sp••niards.