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CHAP. X.
Certaine Notes of a Voyage made by mee DAVID MIDDLETON into the West Indies with Captaine MICHAEL GEARE, An. Dom. 1601.
THe fiue and twentieth day of May, wee set saile from the Lyzard, and the tenth day of Iune we fell with the Grand Canarie: the Towne standeth on the North-east point of the Iland, and the Road is one league to the Northward of it. [ 10] That night we stood of South South-west. And the fiue and twentieth day of Iune we were in the latitude of twentie two degrees thirtie minutes.
The sixe and twentieth day of Iune wee came in companie of seuen saile of Hollanders, that were bound for the West Indies, to Punta delaraya to lode Salt, and the seuen and twentieth day we lost sight of them.
The second day of Iulie we fell with Saint Vincent. When you came from Saint Uincent to the Testogos, you must make the way South-west by West, or else you shall not fetch it, for the Cur∣rent sets North and by West from them.
Being to leeward from Caracus, two leagues we stood ouer North North-west, the wind be∣ing at East North-east, we fell twelue leagues to the Eastward of Boinara, beeing the twelfth of Iulie. If you stand ouer from Boinara to Qurasao, minded to goe to the South ward of the Iland, [ 20] you must stand South and by West, or else you cannot get about, because there is a Current that sets North-west, and may set you vpon the Iland.
The three and twentieth day of Iulie wee anchored to the Westward of Qurasao, and there the Land lies North and South.
The nine and twentieth of Iulie we landed vpon Aruba, for to get fresh water, and there we had seuen men slaine by the Indians of the Iland: and we rid with our ship in fiue fathomes wa∣ter, halfe a mile from the shoare. One point of the Land bare North, the other South-east and by South, and there is an high Hill in the mid••le of the Iland, and that bare East and by South. Betwixt Coque and the Maine the course is East and West.
The shoale of Puntall lieth two leagues off: the best of the Channell betwixt that Point, and [ 30] Coque is in eight, nine and ten fathomes.
From Bracheo to the Parretaes is fiue leagues course West and by South.
From the Parretaes to Cape Caldera is twentie fiue leagues course North-west and by West, and betwixt the Parretaes and the Maine, you shall haue foure, fiue, six and seuen fathoms water,
The Road of Morecapana lieth betwixt the Maine and Boracheo, within the Ilands.
The eight day of August we set saile from Aruba, and we stood ouer South for the Maine, the wind being at East and by South, wee fell with Mecola, being nine leagues from Aruba. Saine Ann is an high Hill vpon the Maine neere vnto Mecola.
The seuen and twentieth day of August we came to anchor at Portete, that is to the Eastward [ 40] of Cape La uela, foure leagues. The Cape bare West a little to the Southwards, at the going to Portete. And on your Larboord side going into Portete, there is a round Hill: being in the offing it sheweth verie blacke. The going into this Harbour is verie narrow, but within it is a verie broad Sound, and two thousand saile of ships may ride there in verie good ground, and you may ride from fiue fathomes to twentie, but wee ridde in three, a little within the point, on our Lar∣boord side going in.
The eighteenth of Ianuary wee parted from our Man of Warre at Cape Saint Anthony, and set saile for England, in a Prize, a ship of some one hundred and fortie tunnes, laden with Campe∣che Wood and Hides, the Master of the Prize, was William Goobreath: and from Cape Saint An∣thony we stood off North-west and by North. [ 50]
The nine and twentieth day at noone, we had sight of the Westermost Land of the Organes, being East South-east from vs, and then we stood North-east, and the twentieth day we were in latitude 23. degrees 15. minutes, the winde being at East North-east, we stood off North, and from the twentieth day to the one and twentieth day wee made our way West and by North, and this day we were in latitude 23. degrees 20. minutes, then we stood to the Eastward.
The two and twentieth day, we were North-west and by North, from the Crowne in Cuba, fourteene leagues, then we stood to the North-ward: these fourteene leagues we turned vp and downe with the winde Easterly. The three and twentieth day, wee were in la••itude of 24. de∣grees no minutes, the wind being at East North-east, and we lay North with the stemme, and this night we came in twelue fathomes, being then in latitude of 24. degrees 35. minutes, the [ 60] winde being at East and by South we stood to the Southward. The fiue and twentieth day, wee fell with Cobey twelue leagues to the Eastward of the Hauana, and this day about foure of the clocke in the afternoone, we had the Pam of the Matanças South-east, and by South from vs some sixe leagues, the winde being at East, and we stood North North-east three Watches, and