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made good spare of them. So that finding ourselves in the midst of the greatest wilderness of waters in the world without victual, we gave ourselves for lost men, and prepared for death. Yet we did lift up our hearts and voices to God above, who showeth his wonders in the deep, beseeching him of his mercy, that as in the beginning He discovered the face of the deep, and brought forth dry land, so He would now discover land to us, that we might not perish. And it came to pass, that the next day about evening, we saw within a kenning before us, towards the north, as it were thicker clouds, which did put us in some hope of land, knowing how that part of the South-Sea was utterly unknown, and might have islands or continents that hitherto were not come to light. Wherefore we bent our course thither, where we saw the appearance of land, all that night; and in the dawning of the next day we might plainly discern that it was a land flat to our sight and full of boscage, which made it show the more dark; and after an hour and a half's sailing we entered into a good haven, being the port of a fair city, not great indeed, but well built, and that gave a pleasant view from the sea. And we, thinking every minute long till we were on land, came close to the shore and offered to land. But straightways we saw divers of the people, with bastons in their hands (as it were), forbidding us to land; yet without any cries or fierceness, but only as warning us off by signs that they made. Whereupon, being not a little discomforted, we were advising with ourselves what we should do; during which time there made forth to us a small boat, with about eight persons in it, whereof one of them had in his hand a tipstaff of a yellow cane, tipped at both ends with blue, who made aboard our ship without any show of distrust at all; and when he saw one of our number present himself somewhat afore the rest, he drew forth a little scroll of parchment (somewhat yellower than our parchment, and shining like the leaves of writing-tables, but otherwise soft and flexible), and delivered it to our foremost man; in which scroll were written in ancient Hebrew, and in ancient Greek, and in good Latin of the school, and in Spanish, these words: "Land ye not, none of you, and provide to be gone from this coast within sixteen days, except you have further time given you; meanwhile, if you want fresh water or victual, or help for your sick, or that your ship needeth repair, write down your wants, and you shall have that which belongeth to mercy." This scroll was signed with a stamp of cherubims' wings, not spread, but

hanging downwards, and by them a cross: this being delivered, the officer returned, and left only a servant with us to receive our answer. Consulting hereupon amongst ourselves we were much perplexed; the denial of landing and hasty warning us away troubled us much; on the other side, to find that the people had languages and were so full of humanity did comfort us not a little; and above all, the sign of the cross to that instrument was to us a great rejoicing, and, as it were, a certain presage of good. Our answer was in the Spanish tongue : that for our ship it was well, for we had rather met with calms and contrary winds than any tempests; for our sick, they were many and in very ill case, so that if they were not permitted to land they ran in danger of their lives. Our other wants we set down in particular, adding that we had some little store of merchandize, which, if it pleased them to deal for, it might supply our wants without being chargeable unto them. We offered some reward in pistolets unto the servant, and a piece of crimson velvet to be presented to the officer, but the servant took them not, nor would scarce look upon them; and so left us, and went back in another little boat which was sent for him.

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About three hours after we had dispatched our answer there came towards us a person (as it seemed) of place. He had on him a gown with wide sleeves, of a kind of water chamolet, of an excellent azure colour, far more glossy than ours; his under apparel was green, and so was his hat, being in the form of a turban, daintily made, and not so huge as the Turkish turbans, and the locks of his hair came down below the brims of it. reverend man was he to behold; he came in a boat gilt in some part of it, with four persons more only in that boat, and was followed by another boat wherein were some twenty. When he was come within a flight-shot of our ship, signs were made to us that we should send forth some to meet him upon the water, which we presently did in our ship-boat, sending the principal man amongst us save one, and four of our number with him. When we were come within six yards of their boat they called to us to stay, and not to approach further, which we did. And thereupon the man, whom I before described, stood up, and with a loud voice, in Spanish, asked, "Are ye Christians?" We answered, we were, fearing the less because of the cross we had seen in the subscription; at which answer the said person lift up his right hand towards heaven and drew it softly to his mouth (which is the gesture they use

when they thank God), and then said: "If you will swear (all of you), by the merits of the Saviour, that ye are no pirates, nor have shed blood lawfully nor unlawfully within forty days past, you may have license to come on land." We said we were all ready to take that oath; whereupon, one of those that were with him, being (as it seemed) a notary, made an entry of this act; which done, another of the attendants of the great person, which was with him in the same boat, after his lord had spoken a little to him, said aloud, “ My lord would have you know, that it is not of pride or greatness that he cometh not aboard your ship; but for that, in your answer, you declare that you have many sick amongst you, he was warned by the conservator of health of the city that he should keep a distance." We bowed ourselves towards him, and answered, we were his humble servants, and accounted for great honour and singular humanity towards us that which was already done; but hoped well that the nature of the sickness of our men was not infectious. So he returned, and a while after came the notary to us aboard our ship, holding in his hand a fruit of that country like an orange, but of colour between orange-tawny and scarlet, which cast a most excellent odour; he used it (as it seemeth) for a preservative against infection. He gave us our oath, by the name of Jesus and his merits; and after, told us that the next day by six of the clock in the morning, we should be sent to and brought to the stranger's house (so he called it) where we should be accommodated of things both for our whole and for our sick, so he left us; and when we offered him some pistolets, he, smiling, said, he must not be twice paid for one labour: meaning (as I take it), that he had salary sufficient of the state for his service: for (as I after learned) they call an officer that taketh rewards twice paid.

The next morning early there came to us the same officer that came to us at first with his cane, and told us he came to conduct us to the strangers' house, and that he had prevented the hour because we might have the whole day before us for our business; "For," said he, "if you will follow my advice, there shall first go with me some few of you and see the place, and how it may be made convenient for you; and then you may send for your sick, and the rest of your number which ye will bring on land." We thanked him, and said, that this care which he took of desolate strangers God would reward; and so six of us went on land with him; and when

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we were on land he went before us, and turned to us, and said, he was but our servant and our guide, He led us through three fair streets, and all the way we went there were gathered some people on both sides, standing in a row, but in so civil a fashion as if it had been not to wonder at us, but to welcome us; and divers of them as we passed by them put their arms a little abroad, which is their gesture when they bid any welcome. The strangers' house is a fair and spacious house, built of brick of somewhat a bluer colour than our brick, and with handsome windows, some of glass, some of a kind of cambric oiled. He brought us first into a fair parlour above stairs, and then asked us what number of persons we were, and how many sick. We answered we were in all (sick and whole) one and fifty persons, whereof our sick were seventeen. He desired us to have patience a little, and to stay till he came back to which was about an hour after, and then he led us to see the chambers which were provided for us, being in number nineteen; they having cast it (as it seemeth) that four of those chambers, which were better than the rest, might receive four of the principal men of our company and lodge them alone by themselves, and the other fifteen chambers were to lodge us two and two together. The chambers were handsome and cheerful chambers, and furnished civilly. Then he led us to a long gallery, like a dorture, where he showed us all along the one side (for the other side was but wall and window) seventeen cells, very neat ones, having partitions of cedar-wood, which gallery and cells, being in all forty (many more than we needed), were instituted as an infirmary for sick persons; and he told us withal, that as any of our sick waxed well, he might be removed from his cell to a chamber: for which purpose there were set forth ten spare chambers, besides the number we spake of before. This done, he brought us back to the parlour, and lifting up his cane a little (as they do when they give any charge or command), said to us, "Ye are to know that the custom of the land requireth that, after this day and to-morrow (which we give you for removing your people from your ship), you are to keep within doors for three days: but let it not trouble you, nor do not think yourselves restrained, but rather left to your rest and ease. You shall want nothing, and there are six of our people appointed to attend you for any business you may have abroad." We gave him thanks with all affection and respect, and said, "God surely is manifested in this land." We offered him also twenty pis

tolets but he smiled, and only said, "What? twice paid!" and so he left us. Soon after our dinner was served in, which was right good viands, both for bread and meat, better than any collegiate diet that I have known in Europe. We had also drink of three sorts, all wholesome and good: wine of the grape, a drink of grain, such as is with us our ale, but more clear, and a kind of cider made of a fruit of that country, a wonderful pleasing and refreshing drink; besides, there were brought in to us great store of those scarlet oranges for our sick, which they said were an assured remedy for sickness taken at sea. There was given us also a box of small grey or whitish pills, which they wished our sick should take one of the pills every night before sleep, which they said would hasten their recovery. The next day, after that our trouble of carriage and removing of our men and goods out of our ship was somewhat settled and quiet, I thought good to call our company together, and when they were assembled, said unto them, "My dear friends, let us know ourselves, and how it standeth with us. We are men cast on land, as Jonas was, out of the whale's belly, when we were as buried in the deep; and now we are on land we are but between death and life, for we are beyond both the old world and the new; and whether ever we shall see Europe God only knoweth. It is a kind of miracle hath brought us hither, and it must be little less that shall bring us hence; therefore, in regard of our deliverance past, and our danger present and to come, let us look up to God, and every man reform his own ways. Besides, we are come here amongst a Christian people full of piety and humanity; let us not bring that confusion of face upon ourselves as to show our vices or unworthiness before them. Yet there is more: for they have by commandment (though in form of courtesy) cloistered us within these walls for three days; who knoweth whether it be not to take some taste of our manners and conditions, and if they find them bad, to banish us straightways; if good, to give us further time? For these men that they have given us for attendance may withal have an eye upon us. Therefore, for God's love, and as we love the weal of our souls and bodies, let us so behave ourselves as we may be at peace with God and may find grace in the eyes of this people." Our company with one voice thanked me for my good admonition, and promised me to live soberly and civilly, and without giving any the least occasion of offence. So we spent our three days joyfully, and without care, in expectation what

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