The Boy's Hakluyt: English Voyages of Adventure and DiscoveryHakluyt, Richard
History
The Boy's Hakluyt: English Voyages of Adventure and Discovery
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English -- Juvenile literature; Voyages and travels -- Juvenile literature
They departed hence with their lighter load on the sixteenth of October.
A month later they were “clear from the coast of the Indies and out of
the channel and gulf of Bahama.” Afterward approaching the “cold
country” many of the company “oppressed with famine” died, while those
that were left “grew into such weaknesses” that they were scarcely able
to manage the ship. Shortly new perils came upon them. “The winde
alwayes ill for us to recover England, we determined to goe with Galicia
in Spaine, with intent there to relieve our companie and other extreame
wantes. And being arrived the last day of December in a place neere unto
Vigo called Ponte Vedra, our men with excesse of fresh meate grew into
miserable diseases, and died a great part of them. This matter was borne
out as long as it might be, but in the end although there were none of
our men suffered to goe a land, yet by accesse of the Spaniards our
feeblenesse was knowen to them. Whereupon they ceased not to seeke by
all meanes to betray us.” To escape this danger they made with all speed
for Vigo. Here at last fortune favoured them. With the help of some
English ships in this port and “twelve fresh men” they “repaired their
wants” sufficiently to complete the voyage; and on the twenty-fifth of
January, 1568/9 the “Minion” entered Mounts Bay, Cornwall, and the worn
and shattered survivors were at home.
“If all the miseries and troublesome affaires of this sorowful voyage
should be perfectly and throughly written,” Hawkins opined in closing
his narration, “there should neede a painefull man with his pen, and as
great a time as he had that wrote the lives and deathes of the Martyrs.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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