Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/121

 mad, and some died in most lothsome and furious paine. It were incredible to write our misery as it was: there was no man in perfect health, but the captaine and one boy. The master being a man of good spirit with extreme labour bore out his griefe, so that it grew not vpon him. To be short, all our men died except 16, of which there were but 5 able to mooue. The captaine was in good health, the master indifferent, captaine Cotton and myselfe swolne and short winded, yet better then the rest that were sicke, and one boy in health: vpon vs 5 only the labour of the ship did stand. The captaine and master, as occasion serued, would take in, and haue out the top-sailes, the master onely attended on the sprit-saile, and all of us at the capsten without sheats and tacks. In fine our miserie and weaknesse was so great, that we could not take in, nor haue out a saile: so our top-saile and sprit-sailes were torn all in pieces by the weather. The master and captaine taking their turnes at the helme, were mightily distressed and monstrously griued with the most wofull lamentation of our sick men.

Thus as lost wanderers vpon the sea, the 11 of Iune 1593, it pleased God that we arriued at Bear-hauen in Ireland, and there ran the ship on shore: where the Irish men helped vs to take in our sailes, and to more our ship for flooting: which slender paines of theirs cost the captaine some ten pounds before he could haue the ship in safetie. Thus without victuals, sailes, men, or any furniture God onely guided vs into Ireland, where the captaine left the master and three or four of the company to keepe the ship; and within 5 dayes after he and certaine others had passage in an English fisher-boat to Padstow in Cornewall. In this maner our small remnant by Gods onely mercie were preserued, and restored to our countrey, to whom be all honour and glory world without end.

The letters ot the Queenes most excellent Maiestie sent in the yere 1596 vnto the great Emperor of China by M. Richard Allot and M. Thomas Bromefield marchants of the citie of London, who were embarqued in a fleet of 3 ships, to wit, The Beare, The Beares whelpe, and the Beniamin; set forth principally at the charges of the honourable knight Sir Robert Duddely, and committed vnto the command and conduct of M. Beniamin Wood, a man of