Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/67

 he offered, if we would bring our ship neere his port, to put in her lading thereof. But because most of our caske was not yron bound, and in making stowage way to remoue it, would haue bene the losse of our Sider and other drinke; I therefore referred the taking of any quantity to fitter opportunitie; thinking it sufficient at this time, to haue only my boats lading thereof: which afterwards in extremitie of foule weather, before we could get aboord our ship, wee were inforced in a darke night to heaue all ouerboord: thinking our selues happy, to haue recouered thither at seuen dayes ende, with safetie of life onely. All which time we could no where set foote on shore, but rested day and night wet and weatherbeaten in our couertlesse boate, which was sometimes ready to sinke vnder vs. For wee had in this place without comparison more raine, wind, and gustes, then elsewhere at any time. To be briefe, my men became weake and sicke, and if wee had stayed any longer time out, I doubt whether the greatest part of vs had euer come aboord again.

I afterwards vnderstood by my Indian pilot, that this weather is for most part of the yeere vsuall, neere the Island Oncaiarie, which lyeth North from the riuer Capurwacka some sixe leagues into the sea: and that they hold opinion how this Island is kept by some euill spirit: for they verily beleeue, that to sleepe in the daytime neere it (except it be after much drinke) is present death. The only season wherein little raine doth fal there, is (as I gathered by their speech, they diuiding all times by their Moones) at our Winter Solstice. The mother-wind of this coast is for the most part to the Northward of the East, except when the Sunne is on this side of the Equinoctiall, for then it often veares Southerly, but most in the night. This our guid is of the Iaos, who doe al marke themselues, thereby to bee knowen from other nations after this maner. With the tooth of a small beast like a Rat, they race some their faces, some their bodies, after diuers formes, as if it were with the scratch of a pin, the print of which rasure can neuer bee done away againe during life. When he had sometime conuersed with our Indians, that went from England with vs, hee became willing to see our countrey. His sufficience, trustinesse, and knowledge is such, that if the pretended voyage for Guiana doe take place, you shall (I doubt not) find him many wayes able to steed your Lordship in your designes and purposes. For besides his precise knowledge of all