An Account of Two Voyages to New-England Made During the Years 1638, 1663
9781465667267
213 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
Anno Dom. 1638. April the 26th being Thursday, I came to Gravesend and went aboard the New Supply, alias, theNicholas of London, a Ship of good force, of 300 Tuns burden, carrying 20 Sacre and Minion, man’d with 48 Sailers, the Master Robert Taylor, the Merchant or undertaker Mr. Edward Tinge, with 164 Passengers men, women and children. At Gravesend I began my Journal, from whence we departed on the 26. of April, about Six of the clock at night, and went down into the Hope. The 27. being Fryday, we set sail out of the Hope, and about Nine of the clock at night we came to an Anchor inMargaret-Road in three fathom and a half water: by the way we past a States man of war, of 500 Tun, cast away a month before upon the Goodwin, nothing remaining visible above water but her main mast top, 16 of her men were drowned, the rest saved by Fishermen. The 28. we twined into the Downs, where Captain Clark one of His Majesties Captains in the Navy, came aboard of us in the afternoon, and prest two of our Trumpeters. Here we had good store of Flounders from the Fishermen, new taken out of the Sea and living, which being readily gutted, were fry’d while they were warm; me thoughts I never tasted of a delicater Fish in all my life before. The Third of May being Ascension day, in the afternoon we weighed out of the Downs, the wind at E. and ran down into Dover Road, and lay by the lee, whilst they sent the Skiffe ashore for one of the Masters mates: by the way we pastSandwich in the Hope, Sandown-Castle, Deal; So we steered away for Doniesse, from thence we steered S. W. ½S. for the Beachie, about one of the clock at night the wind took us a stayes with a gust, rain, thunder and lightning, and now a Servant of one of the passengers sickned of the small pox. The Fifth day in the afternoon we Anchored, the Isle of Wight W. N. W. 10 leagues off, Beachie E. N. E. 8 leagues off, rode in 32 fathom water at low water, at 8 of the clock at night the land over the Needles bore N. W. 4 leagues off, we steered W. afore the Start, at noon the Boult was N. W. by W. about 3½ leagues off, we were becalmed from 7 of the clock in the morning, till 12 of the clock at noon, where we took good store of Whitings, and half a score Gurnets, this afternoon an infinite number of Porpisces shewed themselves above water round about the Ship, as far as we could kenn, the night proved tempestuous with much lightning and thunder. The Sixth day being Sunday, at five of the clock at night the Lizard was N. W. by W. 6 leagues off, and the Blackheadwhich is to the westward of Falmouth was N. W. about 5 leagues off. The Seventh day the uttermost part of Silly was N. E. 12 leagues off, and now we began to sail by the logg. The Eighth day, one Boremans man a passenger was duck’d at the main yards arm (for being drunk with his Masters strong waters which he stole) thrice, and fire given to two whole Sacree, at that instant. Two mighty Whales we now saw, the one spouted water through two great holes in her head into the Air a great height, and making a great noise with puffing and blowing, the Seamen called her a Soufler; the other was further off, about a league from the Ship, fighting with the Sword-fish, and the Flail-fish, whose stroakes with a fin that growes upon her back like a flail, upon the back of the Whale, we heard with amazement: when presently some more than half as far again we spied a spout from above, it came pouring down like a River of water; So that if they should light in any Ship, she were in danger to presently sunk down into the Sea, and falleth with such an extream violence all whole together as one drop, or as water out of a Vessel, and dured a quarter of an hour, making the Sea to boyle like a pot, and if any Vessel be near, it sucks it in.
