Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/19

 The 22. wee departed from Elizabeth Bay in the afternoone, and went about 2. leagues from that place where there was a fresh water riuer, where our Generall went vp with the ship-boate about three myles, which riuer hath very good and pleasant ground about it, and it is lowe and champion soyle, and so we saw none other ground els in all the Streights but that was craggie rocks and monstrous high hilles and mountaines.

In this riuer are great store of Sauages which wee sawe, and had conference with them: They were men-eaters, and fedde altogether vpon rawe flesh, and other filthie foode: which people had preyed vpon some of the Spaniardes before spoken of. For they had gotten kniues and peeces of Rapiers to make dartes of. They vsed all the meanes they could possibly to haue allured vs vp farther into the riuer, of purpose to haue betrayed vs, which being espyed by our Generall, hee caused vs to shoote at them with our harquebuzes, whereby we killed many of them.

So wee sayled from this riuer to the Chanell of Saint Ierome, which is 2 leagues off.

From this riuer of Saint Ierome about three or foure leagues, wee ranne West vnto a Cape which is on the North side: and from that Cape vnto the mouth of the Streights the course lyeth Northwest and by West, and Northwest.

Betweene which place and the mouth of the Streights to the Southward we lay in Harborough vntill the three and twentieth of Februarie, by reason of contrary windes and most vile and filthie fowle weather, with such rayne and vehement stormie windes which came downe from the mountaines and high hilles, that they hazarded the best cables and anchors that we had for to holde, which if they had fayled, wee had bene in great danger to haue bene cast away, or at least famished. For during this time, which was a full moneth, we fedde almost altogether vpon muskles, and limpits, and birds, or such as we could get on shore, seeking euery day for them, as the fowles of the ayre doe, where they can finde foode, in continuall raynie weather.

There is at euery myle or two myles ende an Harborough on both sides of the land. And there are betweene the riuer of Saint Ierome and the mouth of the Streights going into the South sea about 34. leagues by estimation.

So that the length of the whole Streights is about 90. leagues. And the said mouth of the