Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/253

 sent to discouer the land, and then returned back. And after these, two French ships were sent from the riuer of Ienero by Monsieur de Villegagnon, but being come to the latitude of 45. degrees, they were driuen backe by a storme of contrary winds. After all this the gouernour of Chili called Don Garcia de Mendoça sonne to the Marques of Cadnette determining to discouer the sayd Streights from the South sea, sent from Chili two ships vnder the conduct of a captaine called Latherelio: but the danger to seeke these Streights by the South sea is more then by the North sea, because all the stormes of the North sea come from the land, but in the South sea all the windes and stormes come off the sea, and force the ships to run vpon the leeshore, insomuch that the sayd two ships were cast away in fiftie degrees.

The seeking of these Streights of Magellan is so dangerous and the voyage so troublesome, that it seemeth a matter almost impossible to be performed, insomuch that for the space of thirty yeeres no man made account thereof; vntill of late one Francis Drake an Englishman (of whom I haue before spoken) seeing he could doe no good on the maine lande of the West Indies to benefite himselfe, because of the galleys of Cartagena that kept the coast, determined to seeke the Streights of Magellan, and to passe into the South sea. And so hauing prouided two ships and three pinnesses in England, he proceeded on his voyage, and comming to the Islandes of Cape Verde tooke a Portugal shippe laden with wine, the Pilot whereof being a Poatugal called Nuno da Sylua, hee caried along with him, who was a great helpe and furtherance vnto him in his voyage. And this which I shall here say, I had in writing of the Portugall pilot himselfe.

From the Islands of Cape Verde the sayd Francis Drake sailed vnto Port Sant Iulian, where he wintered: and there also hee put to death a gentleman of his company, because hee would haue returned home. This port I take to bee accursed, for that Magellan likewise put some to death there for the like offence.

This Francis Drake putting out of the sayd port, entred the Streights, and within twelue dayes gotte into the South sea. And two dayes after there arose such a storme of Westerly windes (which are vsuall in those parts) that he lost his pinnesse, and his Viceadmirall master Iohn Winter was driuen backe againe into the