Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/211

 that it was the thirde voyage that was made into the Riuer of Plate these 30. yeeres.

The 12. of Ianuary wee came to the Seale yland, and the 14. day to the Greene yland, where going in we found hard abord the maine[* manie made maine previously] 8. fathome, 7. and 6. and neuer lesse then fiue fathome. There lies a ledge of rocks in the faire way, betwixt the yland and the maine, so that you must bee sure to borrow hard abord the maine, and leaue the ledge on the larbord side.

One of the Portugals which wee caried along with vs in our shippe seemed to be a man of experience, and I entred into speach with him concerning the state of the Riuer: hee told mee that the towne of Buenos Ayres is from the Greene yland about seuentie leagues, standing on the Southside of the Riuer, and from thence to Santa Fee is 100. leagues, standing on the same side also. At which towne their shippes doe discharge all their goods into small Barkes, which rowe and towe vp the Riuer to another towne called Ascension, which is from Santa Fee 150. leagues, where the boats discharge on shoare, and so passe all the goods by carts and horses to Tucaman, which is in Peru.

The towne of Ascension stands in a very fertile place, reaping corne twise in the yeere, with abundance of wine, cattell, and fruits. In the townes of Ascension and Tucaman a rapier of 20. rials of plate is worth 30. duckats, a boxe of Marmalade 20. duckats; a looking glasse a foote ouer is worth 30. li. pictures in tables of 14. inches, 30. and 40. li. a piece.

The 16 day wee went from Greene yland to the watering place, which is about a league to the Westward, where wee tooke in about 18. tunnes of water, and the 22 day came againe to Seale yland to make prouision of Seales, where a storme arose, which put vs in some danger, by the breaking of our anckers and cables, and the winde blew so colde, that wee much marueiled at it, considering the height of the place. I must needes in this place finde fault with our selues and the whole company, that riding in this Riuer 16. dayes, the chanell was not sounded, nor the way made perfect.

The 29. day wee tooke into our ship one Miles Philips, which was left in the West Indies by M. Hawkins.

The first of February I tooke the Sunne in 38. degrees. And the 3. day I tooke it againe and found it to be in 41. degrees.