Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/259

 a most dangerous voyage, and impossible to be perfourmed, by reason of the sholds on that side of the Streights, yet sent he forth the two said ships.

The Admirall being a ship of an hundreth tunnes, and the other of eighty tunnes, and hauing one hundreth and twenty men in them both, sayled from Lima vnder the conduct of Pedro Sarmiento, who was then accompted the best nanigator in all Peru.

These ships after their departure touching on the coast to take in victuals, were nine moneths before they came to the latitude of the Streights, and there were they encountred with a cruel storme: but Pedro Sarmiento being a man of good courage, bare in with the land in this storme, and n a night hee was put into the streights, not knowing how nor which way; and the other ship running farther into the sea, sayled to 58 degrees of Southerly latitude.

The storme being past, this other shippe found many Islands neere vnto the main land, and so returned with faire weather all along the shore, neither could they find any other way to enter the Streights, but onely that which Magellan discouered: notwithstanding that others affirme the contrary, saying that the Streights be full of Islands to the Southwards: but they may be deceiued, for if there be any other Streight, it is beyond 58 degrees, and hath neuer bene seene by any man: for this ship was farthest to the Southwards of all that euer I heard of: for Francis Drake being driuen by the tempest no farther then 57 degrees could not know so much as this other; which ship from hence returned backe to Lima. But Pedro Sarmiento entered the Streights, where his men falling into a mutinie would haue returned to Lima: whereupon hanging one of them he proceeded on his voyage for Spaine.

Where being arriued, he told the king that there were two narrow places in the Streights where he might build a forte, and that there was a very good countrey abounding with great store of riches and other necessaries, and very well inhabited with Indians. Vpon whose wordes, and for that there were more ships making ready in England to passe the sayd Streights, the king sent Diego Flores de Valdez with 23 ships and 3500 men, and a new gouernour to Chili with fiue hundred old souldiers newly come out of Flanders. These ships had the hardest hap of any that euer went out of Spaine since the