1592, and ankered vpon the Southside in sixe fadomes
water, where we lost our anker, the place being rockie
and foule ground. Then we ranne along the Southwest
part of the sayd Iland, to a place called Punta del
Galle, where we ankered, determining there to haue
remained vntill the comming of the Bengala Fleet of
seuen or eight ships, and the Fleete of Pegu of two
or three sailes, and the Portugall shippes of Tanaseri
being a great Baie to the Southward of Martabam in
the kingdome of Siam: which ships, by diuers
intelligences which we had, were to come that way within
foureteene daye to bring commodities to serue the
Caraks, which commonly depart from Cochin for Portugall
by the middest of Ianuarie. The commodities of
the shippes which come from Bengala bee fine pauillions
for beds, wrought quilts, fine Calicut cloth, Pintados
and other fine workes, and Rice, and they make this
voiage twise in the yeere. Those of Pegu bring
the chiefest stones, as Rubies and Diamants, but their
chiefe fraight is Rice and certaine cloth. Those
of Tanaseri are chiefly freighted with Rice and Nipar
wine, which is very strong, and in colour like vnto
rocke water, somewhat whitish, and very hote in taste
like vnto Aqua vitae. Being shot vp to the place
aforesayd, called Punta del Galle, wee came to an anker
in foule ground and lost the same, and lay all that
night a drift, because we had nowe but two ankers
left vs, which were vnstocked and in hold. Whereupon
our men tooke occasion to come home, our Captaine
at that time lying very sicke more like to die then
to liue. In the morning wee set our foresaile
determining to lie vp to the Northward and there to
keepe our selues to and againe out of the current,
which otherwise would haue set vs off to the Southward
from all knowen land. Thus hauing set our foresayle,
and in hand to set all our other sayles to accomplish
our aforesayd determination, our men made answere
that they would take their direct course for England
and would stay there no longer. Nowe seeing that
they could not bee perswaded by any meanes possible,
the captaine was constrained to giue his consent to
returne, leauing all hope of so great possibilities.
Thus the eight of December 1592, wee set sayle for
the Cape of Buona Speransa, passing by the Ilands
of Maldiua, and leauing the mightie Iland of S. Laurence
on the starreboord or Northward in the latitude of
26 degrees to the South. In our passage ouer
from S. Laurence to the maine we had exceeding great
store of Bonitos and Albocores, which are a greater
kind of fish; of which our captain, being now recouered
of his sicknesse, tooke with a hooke as many in two
or three howers as would serue fortie persons a whole
day. And this skole of fish continued with our
ship for the space of fiue or sixe weekes, all which
while we tooke to the quantitie aforesayd, which was
no small refreshing to vs. In February 1593 we
fell with the Eastermost land of Africa at a place
called Baia de Agoa some 100 leagues to the Northeast


