Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/106

 were inforced for the preseruing of our victuals, to liue the most part vpon muskles, our prouision was so slender; so that many of our men died in this hard extremitie. Then our General returned for Brasil there to winter, and to procure victuals for this voyage against the next yeere. So wee departed The Streights the 15 of May. The 21 being thwart of Port Desire 30 leagues off the shoare, the wind then at Northeast and by North, at fiue of the clocke at night lying Northeast, wee suddenly cast about lying Southeast and by South, and sometimes Southeast: the whole fleete following the admirall, our ship coming vnder his lee shot ahead him, and so framed saile fit to keepe companie.

This night we were seuered, by what occasion wee protest wee know not, whether wee lost them or they vs. In the morning we only saw the Black pinnesse, then supposing that the admirall had ouershot vs. All this day wee stoode to the Eastwards, hoping to find him, because it was not likely, that he would stand to the shoare againe so suddenly. But missing him towards night, we stood to the shoareward, hoping by that course to finde him. The 22 of May at night we had a violent storme, with the winde at Northwest, and wee were inforced to hull, not being able to beare saile, and this night we perished our maine tressle-trees, so that wee could no more vse our maine top-saile, lying most dangerously in the sea. The pinnesse likewise receiued a great leake, so that wee were inforced to seeke the next shoare for our reliefe. And because famine was like to bee the best end, wee desired to goe for Port Desire, hoping with seales and penguins to relieue our selues, and so to make shift to followe the Generall, or there to stay his comming from Brasil. The 24 of May wee had much winde at North. The 25 was calme, and the sea very loftie, so that our ship had dangerous foule weather. The 26 our fore-shrowdes brake, so that if wee had not beene neere the shoare, it had beene impossible for vs to get out of the sea. And nowe being here mored in Port Desire, our shroudes are all rotten, not hauing a running rope whereto wee may trust, and being prouided onely of one shift of sailes all worne, our top sailes not able to abide any stresse of weather, neither haue wee any pitch, tarre, or nailes, nor any store for the supplying of these wantes; and wee liue onely vpon seales and muskles, hauing but fiue hogsheads of pork within bourd, and meale three ounces for a man a