The 54. Chapter. The Nauigation or course of the afore∣said Francisco Gualle out of the Hauen of Macau to new Spaine, with the sci∣tuation and stretchings of the same, with other notable and memorable things concerning the same voiage.
WHen we had prepared our selues and taken our leaues of our friends in Macau, we set saile vpon the foure and twentie of Iuly, holding our course Southeast, and Southeast and by East, beeing in the wane of the Moone, for when the moone increaseth it is hard holding the course betwéene the Islands, because as then the water and streames runne verie strong to the Northwest, wée sayled through many narrow Channels by night, hauing the depth of eight and ten fadome, with soft muddie ground, vn∣till we were about the Island Ilha Bran∣co, yet we sawe it not, but by the height we knew we were past it.
Being beyond it, we ran East south∣east, an hundred and fiftie miles, to get a∣boue the sands called Os Baixos dos Pes∣cadores, and the beginning of the Islands Lequeos on the East side, which Islandes are called As Ilhas Fermosas, that is, the faire Islandes. This I vnderstood by a Chinar called Santy of Chinchon, and hée said that they lie vnder 21. degrées and ¾. there it is thirtie fadome déepe, & although we saw them not, notwithstanding by the height and depth of the water we knewe we were past them.
Being past the faire Islands, we held our course East, and East and by North, for two hundred and sixtie miles, vntill we were past the length of the Islands Lequeos, sayling about fiftie myles from them, the said Chinar told me, that those Islandes called Lequeos are very many, and that they haue many and verie good Hauens, and that the people and inhabi∣tants thereof haue their faces and bodies painted like the Bysayas of the Islands of Lucon or Philippinas, and are apparelled like the Bysayas, and that there also are mines of gold: He said likewise that they did often come with small shippes and Barkes lade•••• with Buckes and Hartes bides, and with gold in graines or verie small pieces, to traffique with them of the coast of China, which he assured me to be most true, saying that he had béene nine times in the small Island, bringing of the same wares with him to China, which I beléeued to be true, for that afterward I enquired thereof in Macau and vpon the coast of China and found that he said true. The furthest or vttermost of these I∣slands both Northward and Eastward lie vnder 29. degrées.
Béeing past these Islands, then you come to the Islandes of Iapon, whereof the first lying West and South is the