Sir Francis Drake's Famous Voyage Round the World eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 38 pages of information about Sir Francis Drake's Famous Voyage Round the World.

Sir Francis Drake's Famous Voyage Round the World eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 38 pages of information about Sir Francis Drake's Famous Voyage Round the World.
and in one house we found a pot, of the quantity of a bushel, full of reals of plate, which we brought to our ship.  And here one Thomas Moon, one of our company, took a Spanish gentleman as he was flying out of the town; and, searching him, he found a chain of gold about him, and other jewels, which he took, and so let him go.  At this place our General, among other Spaniards, set ashore his Portugal pilot which he took at the islands of Cape Verde out of a ship of St. Mary port, of Portugal.  And having set them ashore we departed hence, and sailed to the island of Canno; where our General landed, and brought to shore his own ship, and discharged her, mended and graved her, and furnished our ship with water and wood sufficiently.

And while we were here we espied a ship and set sail after her, and took her, and found in her two pilots and a Spanish governor, going for the islands of the Philippinas.  We searched the ship, and took some of her merchandises, and so let her go.  Our General at this place and time, thinking himself, both in respect of his private injuries received from the Spaniards, as also of their contempts and indignities offered to our country and prince in general, sufficiently satisfied and revenged; and supposing that her Majesty at his return would rest contented with this service, purposed to continue no longer upon the Spanish coast, but began to consider and to consult of the best way for his country.

He thought it not good to return by the Straits, for two special causes; the one, lest the Spaniards should there wait and attend for him in great number and strength, whose hands, he, being left but one ship, could not possibly escape.  The other cause was the dangerous situation of the mouth of the Straits in the South Sea; where continual storms reigning and blustering, as he found by experience, besides the shoals and sands upon the coast, he thought it not a good course to adventure that way.  He resolved, therefore, to avoid these hazards, to go forward to the Islands of the Malucos, and therehence to sail the course of the Portugals by the Cape of Buena Esperanza.  Upon this resolution he began to think of his best way to the Malucos, and finding himself, where he now was, becalmed, he saw that of necessity he must be forced to take a Spanish course; namely, to sail somewhat northerly to get a good wind.  We therefore set sail, and sailed 600 leagues at the least for a good wind; and thus much we sailed from the 16th of April till the third of June.

The fifth of June, being in 43 degrees towards the pole Arctic, we found the air so cold, that our men being grievously pinched with the same, complained of the extremity thereof; and the further we went, the more the cold increased upon us.  Whereupon we thought it best for that time to seek the land, and did so; finding it not mountainous but low plain land, till we came within 38 degrees towards the line.  In which height it pleased God to send us into a fair

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Sir Francis Drake's Famous Voyage Round the World from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.