Noua Francia: or The description of that part of Nevv France, which is one continent with Virginia Described in the three late voyages and plantation made by Monsieur de Monts, Monsieur du Pont-Graué, and Monsieur de Poutrincourt, into the countries called by the Frenchmen La Cadie, lying to the southwest of Cape Breton. Together with an excellent seuerall treatie of all the commodities of the said countries, and maners of the naturall inhabitants of the same. Translated out of French into English by P.E.

CHAP. XI.

Their departure from Rochell: Sundry meetings of ships, and Pirats: Stormy Sea about the Açores, and whence it proceeds: Why the West windes are frequent in the West sea: From whence the winds doe come: Porpeses doe prognosticate stormes: meanes to take them: the describing of them: of stormes: their effects: of Calmes: what is a gust of Winde: how it is made: the effects thereof: the boldnesse of mariners: how reuerence is giuen to the Kings ship: the supputation of the voyage: hot sea: then cold▪ the reason of it: and of the banckes of Ice in New-found Land.

THe Saturday, Whitsoneue 13. of May, we weighed our anckers, and sailed in open sea, so that by little and little wee lost the sight of the great towers and town of Rochell, then of the Iles of Rez & Oleron, bidding

France farewell. It was a thing fearefull for them that were not vsed to such a dance, to see them caried vpon so moue∣able an ellement, and to be at euery moment (as it were) within two fingers bredth to death. We had not long sai∣led, but that many did their endeuour to yeeld vp the tri∣bute to Neptune. In the meane while we went still forward, for there was no more going backe, the plancke being once taken vp. The 16. of May we met with 13. Holanders, go∣ing for Spaine, which did inquire of our voyage, and so held their course. Since that time we were a whole moneth, seeing nothing else out of our floting towne, but Skie and water, one ship excepted, neere about the Açors, well fil∣led with English and Dutchmen. They bare vp with vs, and came very neere vs. And according to the maner of the sea, we asked them whence their ship was. They told vs they were New-found-land men, that is to say going a fishing for New-found-land-fish. And they asked vs if we would accept of their companie: we thanked them: ther∣upon they dranke to vs, and we to them, and they tooke another course. But hauing considered their vessell all set with greene mosse on the belly and sides, we iudged them to be Pirates, & that they had of a long time beaten the sea, in hope to make some prise. It was then that we began to see, more than before, Neptunes sheepe to skip vp (so doe they call the frothy waues, when the sea beginneth to stur∣and to feele the hard blowes of his Trident. For common∣ly in that place before named the sea is stormy. If one aske me the cause why: I wil answer, that I thinke it to proceed of a certaine conflict between the East & westerly windes, which doe encounter in that part of the sea, and especially in Summer, when the West windes doe rise vp, and with a great force pierce and passe thorow a great distance of sea, vntill they finde the windes of these parts, which doe resist them; Then it is dangerous for a ship to be at these windy encounters. This reason seemeth the more probable vnto me, in this, that vntill we came neere the Açores we had the

winde fit enough, and afterward, we had almost alwaies either South-west or Norweast, little North and South, which were not good for vs, but to saile with the bowline: For Easterly windes we had none at all, but once or twice, which continued nothing with vs (to speake of.) Sure it is that the Westerly windes doe raigne much a long that sea, Whether it be by a certaine repercussion of the East winde which is stiffe and swift vnder the Equinoctiall line, wher∣of we haue spoken else-where, or because that this Western land, being large and great, also the winde that issueth from thence doth abound the more. Which commeth especi∣ally in Summer, when the sunne hath force to draw vp the vapors of the earth, for the windes come from thence, issu∣ing from the dennes and Caues of the same. And therefore the Poets doe faine that Aeolus holdeth them in prisons, from whence hee draweth them, and giueth them liberty when it pleaseth him. But the spirit of God doth confirm it vnto vs yet better, when he saith by the mouth of the Pro∣phet, that Almighty God, among other his maruels, draw∣eth the windes out of his treasures, which be the Caues whereof I speake. For the word treasure fignifieth in He∣brew, secret and hidden place.

He bringeth foorth the cloudes from the earthes furthest parts, the lightnings with the raines he makes, and them impartes, on some in his anger, on others for pleasures: The windes he draweth foorth out of his deepe treasures.

And vpon this consideration, Christopher Columbus, a Genwaie, first nauigator of these last ages vnto the Ilands of Amerika, did iudge that there was some great land in the West, hauing obserued, sailing on the sea, that continuall windes came from that part.

Continuing then our course, we had some other stormes & hindrances procured by windes, which we almost had alwaies contrary, by reason we set out too late: but they that set out in March haue commonly good windes, be∣cause

that then the East, Noreast, and Northern windes doe raigne, which are fit and prosperous for these voiages. These tempests were very often foretold vs by Porpeses, which did haunt about our ship by thousands, sporting themselues after a very pleasant maner. Some of them did pay for their so neer eapproaching. For some men waited for them at the beke head (which is the forepart of the ship) with harping Irons in their hands, which met with them sometimes, and drew them in abord with the helpe of the other sailers, which, with iron hookes (which they call Gaffes) tied at the end of a long powle, pulled them vp. We haue taken many of them in that sort, both in going and comming, which haue done vs no harme. There bee two sorts of them, some which haue a blunt and bigge nose, others which haue it sharpe; we tooke none but of these last, but yet I remember to haue seene in the water some of the short-nosed ones. This fish hath two fingers bredth of fat, at the least, on the backe When it was cut in two, we did wash our hands in his hot blood, which, they say, comforteth the sinewes. He hath a maruelous quan∣tity of teeth along his Iawes, and I thinke that he holdeth fast that which he once catcheth. Moreouer the inward parts haue altogether the taste of hoggs flesh, and the bones not in forme of fish bones, but like a foure footed creature. The most delicate meat of it, is the finne which he hath vpon the backe, and the taile, which are neither fish nor flesh, but better then that, such as also is in sub∣stance of taile, that of the Beuers, which seemeth to be scai∣led. These Porpeses be the onely fishes we tooke, before we came to the great bancke of Morues or Codfish. But far off we saw other great fishes, which did shew, out of the water, aboue halfe an akers length of their backes, and did thrust out in the aire aboue a speares height of great pipes of water, thorow the holes they had vpon their heads.

But to returne to our purpose of stormes: during our voiage, we had some which made vs strike downe saile,

and to stand our armes a crosse, caried at the pleasure of the waues, and tossed vp and downe after a strange maner. If any coffer or chest was not well made fast, it was heard to rowle from side to side, makeing a foule noise. Sometimes the kettle was ouerturned; and in dyning or supping, our dishes and platters flew from one ende of the table to the other, vnlesse they were holden very fast. As for the drinke, one must cary his mouth and the glasse, according to the motion of the ship. Briefely it was a sport, but some∣what rude, to them that cannot beare this iogging easily. For all that, the most of vs did laugh at it: for there was no danger in it, at least euident, being in a good ship, and strong to withstand the waues. We had also sometimes calmes, very tedious and wearisome, during which, we washed our selues in the sea, we danced vpon the decke, we climbed vp the maine top, we sang in muficke. Then when a little small cloude was percerued to issue from vn∣der the Horizon, we were forced to giue ouer those exerci∣ses, for to take heed of a gust of winde, which was wrap∣ped in the same cloud, which dissoluing it selfe, grumbling, snorting, whistling, roaring, storming, and buzing, was a∣ble to ouer turne our ship vp-side downe, vnlesse men had beene ready to execute that which the Master of the ship (which was Captaine Foulques, a man very vigilant) com∣manded them. There is no harme in shewing how these gusts of winde, otherwise called stormes, are formed, and from whence they proceed. Plinie speaketh of them in his naturall history, and saith, that they be exhalations & light vapours raised from the earth to the colde region of the aire: and not being able to passe further, but rather forced to returne backe, they sometimes meet sulphury and firy exhalations, which compasse them about, and binde so hard, that there come, thereby a great combat, motions and agitation, between the sulphury heat, and the airy moist∣nesse, which being constrained by the stronger enemy to run away, it openeth it selfe, maketh it selfe, waie, whistleth,

roareth and stormeth, briefely becometh a winde, which is great or lesser according that the sulphury exalation which wrappeth it, breaketh it selfe and giueth it way, sometimes all at once, as we haue shewed before, and sometimes with longer time, according to the quantity of the matter wher∣of it is made, and according as, either more or lesse, it is mo∣ued by his contrary qualities.

But I cannot leaue vnmentioned the wonderful courage and assurance that good sailers haue in these windie con∣flicts, stormes and tempests, when as a ship being caried and mounted vpon mountaines of waters, and from thence let downe, as it were, into the profound depthes of the world, they clime among the tacklings and cordes, not on∣ly to the maine top, and to the very height of the maine mast, but also, without ladder steps, to the top of another mast, fastened to the first, held onely with the force of their armes and feet, winding about the highest tacklings. Yea much more, that if, in this great tossing and rowling, it chanceth that the maine saile (which they call Paphil or Papefust) be vntied at the higher ends, he, who is first com∣manded, will put himselfe stradling vpon the maine yard (that is the tree which crossed the maine mast) and, with a hammer at his girdle, and halfe a dosen nailes in his mouth, will tie againe and make fast, that which was vntied, to the perill of a thousand liues. I haue sometimes heard great ac∣count made of a Switzers bouldnesse, who (after the siege of Laon, and the citie being rendered to the Kings obedi∣ence) climbed and stood stradling vpon the thwart branch of the crosse of our Ladies church steeple of the said towne, and stood there forked wise, his feet vpward: But that, in my iudgement, is nothing in regard of this, the said Swit∣zer being vpon a firme and solide body, and without mo∣tion, and this contrariwise hanging ouer an vnconstant sea, tossed with boistrous windes, as we haue sometimes seene.

After we had left these Pirats spoken of before, we were

vntill the 18. of Iune, tossed with diuers, and almost con∣trary windes, without any discouery, but of one ship far off from vs, which we did not boord, and yet notwithstan∣ding the very sight thereof did comfort vs. And the same day we met a ship of Honfleur, wherein Captaine La Roche did command, going for New-found-landes, who had no better fortune vpon the sea then we. The custome is at sea, that when some particular ship meeteth with the King his ship (as ours was) to come vnder the lee, and to present herselfe, not side by side, but bias wise: Also to pull down her flagge, as this Captain La Roche did, except the flagge, for shee had non, no more had we, being not needfull in so great a voyage, but in approaching the land, or when one must fight. Our sailers did cast then their computation, on the course that we had made. For in euery ship, the Master, the Pilot, and Masters Mate doe write downe eue∣ry day of their courses, and windes that they haue follow∣ed, for how many houres, and the estimation of leagues. The said La Roche did account that they were then in the Fourty fiue degrees, and within a hundred leagues of the Bancke. Our Pilot, called Master Oliuer Fleuriot, of Saint Maloe, by his computation said that we were within 60. leagues of it: And Captaine Foulques within 120. leagues. I beleeue he gaue the best iudgement. We receiued much contentment by the meeting of this ship, and did greatly encourage vs, seeing wee did begin to meete with ships, seeming vnto vs that wee did enter in a place of acquain∣tance.

But by the way a thing must be noted, which I haue found admirable, and which giueth vs occasion to play the Philosophers. For about the same 18. day of Iune, wee found the sea-water, during three daies space, very warme, and by the same warmth, our wine also was warme in the bottome of our ship, yet the aire was not hotter then before. And the 21. of the said moneth, quite contrarie we were 2. or 3. daies so much compassed with mistes and coldes, that

we thought our selues to be in the moneth of Ianuary, and the water of the sea was extreame colde. Which continu∣ed with vs vntill we came vpon the said Bancke, by reason of the said mistes, which outwardly did procure this colde vnto vs. When I seeke out the cause of this Antiperistase, I attribute it to the Ices of the North, which come floating downe vpon the coast and sea adioyning to New-found-land, and Labrador, which wee haue said else-where is brought thither with the sea, by her naturall motion, which is greater there, then else-where, because of the great space it hath to runne, as in a gulfe, in the depth of America, where the nature and situation of the vniuersall earth doth beare it easily. Now these Ices (which some∣times are seene in banckes of tenne leagues length, and as high as Mountaines and hils, and thrice as deepe in the wa∣ters) holding, as it were, an Empire in this sea, driue out farre from them, that which is contrary to their coldnesse, and consequently doe binde and close on this side, that small quantity of milde temperature that the Summer may bring to that part, where they come to seat and place them∣selues. Yet for all that, I will not deny but this region in one and the selfe-same paralell is somewhat colder then those of our part of Europe, for the reasons that we will a∣leage heereafter, when we shall speake of the fowlnesse of seasons. Such is my opinion: being ready to heare ano∣ther mans reason. And being mindefull heereof, I did, of purpose, take heed of the same, at my returne from New France, and found the same warmenesse of water (or very neere) though it was in the Moneth of September, within fiue or six daies sai∣ling on this side of the said bancke, whereof we will now intreate.

Notes

• 13. of May. 1606.
• Meetings of ships.
• Meeting of a Pirate or out∣lawed.
• Neptunes sheepe.
• Why is the sea stormie about the Açores.
• Westerly windes ordi∣nary in the Westerne Sea.
• from whence the windes doe come.
• Psal. 135.
• Porpeses doe prognos∣ticate storms.
• The way to take them.
• The descripti∣on of the Por∣pese.
• The Porpeses hot bloud doth comfort the sinewes.
• A Beauers taile is dainty meate.
• Stormes, and their effects.
• Calmes wea∣risome.
• Whirle∣winde, what it is, how it is made: the effects there∣of.
• Plin. lib. 2. cap. 48.
• The maruel∣lous assurance of the good Mariners, in their sea-la∣bours.
• The boldnes of a Switzer, at Laon.
• The 18. of Iune.
• A ship.
• An other ship.
• The vailing of Marchands ships to a ship Royall.
• Computati∣of the voy∣age.
• Sea water milke warme, then colde.
• Great cold.
• The reason of this Anti∣peristase, and the cause of the Ices of New-found-lande.
• In the 16. chapter. Second ex∣perience.