Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/50

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hospital there a long time before, and was a very simple soule, and such a one as could answere to very little that hee was asked, concerning the state of the countrey. Here wee roade at anker all that night, and perceiued that the Spaniards had dispersed their band into 2 or 3 parts, and kept great watch in seueral steedes with fires and shooting off their pieces. This island hath much plaine ground in it in many places, and many fayre and straight trees do grow vpon it, fit for to make excellent good mastes for all sorts of ships.

There are also mynes of very fine gold in it which are in the custodie of the Indians. And to the South-ward of this place, there is another very great island, which is not subdued by the Spaniards, nor any other nation.

The people which inhabite it are all Negros: and the island is called the island of Negros: and is almost as bigge as England, standing in 9 degrees: the most part of it seemeth to be very lowe land, and by all likelihood is very fruitfull.

The 29 day of Ianuary aboute sixe of the clocke is the morning we set saile, sending our boate before vntil it was two of the clocke in the afternoone, passing all this time as it were through a strait betwixt the said 2 islands of Panama, and the island of Negros, and about 16 leagues off we espied a fayre opening, trending Southwest and by South, at which time our boate came aboord, and our Generall sent commendations to the Spanish captaine which wee came from the euening before by the Spaniard which we tooke, and willed him to prouide good store of gold: for he meant for to see him with his company at Manilla within fewe yeeres, and that he did but want a bigger boate to haue landed his men, or else hee would haue seene him then: and so caused him to be set on shore.

The 8 day of February by 3 of the clocke in the morning we espied an island neere Gilolo, called Batochina, which standeth in one degree from the Equinoctial line Northward.

The 14 day of February we fell with 11 or 12 very small islands, lying very low and flat, full of trees, and passed by some islands which be suncke and haue the dry sands lying in the maine sea. These islands neere the Malucoes, stand in three degrees and 10 min. to the South-ward of the lyne.