Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/165

 which were slaine. We wintered in this port two moneths, during which time we had such weather as is commonly in England in the depth of winter, or rather colder. After we had trimmed vp our ships, and made prouision of fewell and fresh water, we departed thence with 3 ships the 17 of August about noone.

And the 20 of the said moneth we seized Cape Victorie, by the which Cape is the way into the South sea, called The streights of Magellan, the first discouerer thereof. Wee found the mouth of the streights to bee 52 degrees 1/2 Southward of Equinoctiol. [Sidnote: Ordinarie flood and ebb in the streight.] In this streight, we found the sea to haue no such current as some doe imagine, (following the course of the primum moble from East to West) but to eb and flow as ordinarily as vpon other coasts, 5 fathoms vpright. The flood riseth out of the East ocean, and stretcheth it selfe so far into the streights, that it meeteth the flood of the South sea neere about the midst of the streights, where it bendeth like an elbow, tending to the West-north-west into the South Sea, whereas the East part from the mouth of the streights to this elbow lyeth South-west and by West, or South west to 53 degrees and 1/3. 30 leagues within the streights there be 3 islands. To the greatest our general gaue to the name of Elizabeth: to the 2 Bartholomew, because we found it on S. Bartholomews day: the 3 he named S. Georges island.

Here we staied one day and victualled our selues with a kinde of foule which is plentifull in that isle, and whose flesh is not farre vnlike a fat goose here in England: they haue no wings, but short pineons which serue their turne in swimming. Their colour is somewhat blacke mixt with white spots vnder their belly, and about their necke. They walks so vpright, that a farre off a man would take them to be litle children. If a man aproch any thing neere them, they run into holes in the ground, (which be not very deepe) whereof the island is full. So that to take them we had staues with hookes fast to the ends, wherewith some of our men pulled them out, and others being ready with cudgels did knocke them on the head, for they bite so cruellie with their crooked bils, that none of vs was able to handle them aliue. The land on both parts is very high; but especially toward the South sea, monstrous high hils and craggy rocks do exalt themselues, whose tops be all hoary with snowe,