Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/20

 *

Streights standeth in the same height that the entrance standeth in when we passe out of the North sea, which is about 52. degrees and 2/3 to the Southward of the line.

The 24. day of February wee entred into the South sea: and on the South side of the going out of the Streights is a faire high Cape with a lowe poynt adioyning vnto it: and on the North side are 4. or 5. Ilands, which lye 6. leagues off the mayne, and much broken and sunken ground about them: by noone the same day wee had brought these Ilands East of vs 5. leagues off; the winds being Southerly.

The first of March a storme tooke vs at North, which night the ships lost the company of the Hugh Gallant, beeing in 49-1/2. and 45. leagues from the land.

This storme continued 3. or 4. dayes, and for that time we in the Hugh Gallant being separated from the other 2. ships, looked euery houre to sinke, our barke was so leake, and ourselues so diluered and weakened with freeing it of water, that we slept not in three dayes and three nights.

The 15. of March in the morning the Hugh Gallant came in betweene the Iland of St. Mary and the mayne, where she met with the Admiral and the Content, which had rid at the Iland called La Mocha 2. dayes, which standeth in the Southerly latitude of 38. degrees: at which place some of our men went on shore with the Vice-admirals boate, where the Indians fought with them with their bowes and arrowes, and were marueilous warie of their Caliuers. These Indians were enemies to the Spaniards, and belonged to a great place called Arauco, and tooke vs for Spaniards, as afterward we learned.

This place which is called Arauco is wonderfull rich, and full of gold mynes, and yet could it not be subdued at any time by the Spaniards, but they alwayes returned with the greatest losse of men. For these Indians are marueilous desperate and carelesse of their liues to liue at their owne libertie and freedome.

The 15. day aforesayde in the afternoone wee weighed anchor, and ranne vnder that West side of Saint Marie Iland, where