Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/115

 where for my life I laboured to the best of my power. The ship all this while driuing vpon the lee-shore, when wee came aboord, we helped to set sayle, and weighed the ankor: for before our comming they could scarse hoise vp their yardes, yet with much adoe they set their fore-coarse.

Thus in a mighty fret of weather the seuen and twentieth day of October wee were free of the Streights, and the thirtieth of October we came to Penguin-isle being three leagues from Port Desire, the place which wee purposed to seeke for our reliefe.

When wee were come to this Isle wee sent our boate on shore, which returned laden with birdes and egges; and our men sayd that the Penguins were so thicke vpon the Isle, that shippes might be laden with them; for they could not goe without treading vpon the birds, whereat we greatly reioiced. Then the captaine appointed Charles Parker and Edward Smith, with twenty others to goe on shore, and to stay vpon the Isle, for the killing and drying of those Penguins, and promised after the ship was in harborough to send the rest, not onely for expedition, but also to saue the small store of victuals in the shippe. But Parker, Smith, and the rest of their faction suspected, that this was a diuise of the Captaine to leaue his men on shore, that by these meanes there might bee victuals for the rest to recouer their countrey: and when they remembered, that this was the place where they would haue slaine their Captaine and Master, surely (thought they) for reuenge hereof will they leaue vs on shore. Which when our Captaine vnderstood, hee vsed these speeches vnto them: I vnderstand that you are doubtful of your security through the peruerenesse our owne guilty consciences: it is an extreame griefe vnto me, that you should indulge mee bloodthirstie, in whome you haue seene nothing but kinde conuersation: if you haue found otherwise, speake boldly, and accuse mee of the wrongs that I haue done; if not, why do you then measure me by your owne vncharitable consciences? All the company knoweth indeed, that in this place you practized to the vtmost of your powers, to murther me and the master causeles, as God knoweth, which euil in this place we did remit you: and now I may conceiue without doing you wrong, that you againe purpose some euil in bringing these matters to repetition: but God hath so shortened your confederacie, as that I nothing doubt you: it is for your Masters sake that I haue forborne you in your