Sir Humphrey Gilbert's Voyage to NewfoundlandHayes, Edward, active 1602
History
Sir Humphrey Gilbert's Voyage to Newfoundland
Hayes, Edward, active 1602
Gilbert, Humphrey, Sir, 1539?-1583; Newfoundland and Labrador -- History; Voyages and travels
5. Item, if the fleet should happen to be scattered by weather, or other
mishap, then so soon as one shall descry another, to hoise both topsails
twice, if the weather will serve, and to strike them twice again; but
if the weather serve not, then to hoise the maintopsail twice, and
forthwith to strike it twice again.
6. Item, if it shall happen a great fog to fall, then presently every
ship to bear up with the Admiral, if there be wind; but if it be a calm,
then every ship to hull, and so to lie at hull till it clear. And if
the fog do continue long, then the Admiral to shoot off two pieces
every evening, and every ship to answer it with one shot; and every man
bearing to the ship that is to leeward so near as he may.
7. Item, every master to give charge unto the watch to look out well,
for laying aboard one of another in the night, and in fogs.
8. Item, every evening every ship to hail the Admiral, and so to fall
astern him, sailing through the ocean; and being on the coast, every
ship to hail him both morning and evening.
9. Item, if any ship be in danger in any way, by leak or otherwise,
then she to shoot off a piece, and presently to bring out one light;
whereupon every man to bear towards her, answering her with one light
for a short time, and so to put it out again; thereby to give knowledge
that they have seen her token.
10. Item, whensoever the Admiral shall hang out her ensign in the main
shrouds, then every man to come aboard her as a token of counsel.
11. Item, if there happen any storm or contrary wind to the fleet after
the discovery, whereby they are separated; then every ship to repair
unto their last good port, there to meet again.
OUR COURSE _agreed upon_.
The course first to be taken for the discovery is to bear directly to
Cape Race, the most southerly cape of Newfoundland; and there to harbour
ourselves either in Rogneux or Fermous, being the first places appointed
for our rendezvous, and the next harbours unto the northward of Cape
Race: and therefore every ship separated from the fleet to repair to
that place so fast as God shall permit, whether you shall fall to the
southward or to the northward of it, and there to stay for the meeting
of the whole fleet the space of ten days; and when you shall depart, to
leave marks.
Beginning our course from Scilly, the nearest is by west-south-west
(if the wind serve) until such time as we have brought ourselves in
the latitude of 43 or 44 degrees, because the ocean is subject much to
southerly winds in June and July. Then to take traverse from 45 to 47
degrees of latitude, if we be enforced by contrary winds; and not to go
to the northward of the height of 47 degrees of septentrional latitude
by no means, if God shall not enforce the contrary; but to do your
endeavour to keep in the height of 46 degrees, so near as you can
possibly, because Cape Race lieth about that height.
NOTE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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