The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
out of the sea aboue their watermarke, hauing their knees and timbers
within boord both bowed and broken therewith.
And amidst these extremes, whilest some laboured for defence of the ships,
and sought to saue their bodies, other some of more milder spirit sought to
saue the soule by deuout prayer and meditation to the Almightie, thinking
indeede by no other meanes possible then by a diuine Miracle to haue their
deliuerance: so that there was none that were either idle, or not well
occupied, and he that helde himselfe in best securitie had (God knoweth)
but onely bare hope remayning for his best safetie.
Thus all the gallant Fleete and miserable men without hope of euer getting
foorth againe, distressed with these extremities remayned here all the
whole night and part of the next day, excepting foure ships, that is the
Annie Francis, the Moone, the Francis of Foy, and the Gabriell, which being
somewhat a Seaboord of the Fleete, and being fast ships by a winde, hauing
a more scope of cleare, tryed it out all the time of the storme vnder
sayle, being hardly able to beare a coast of each.
And albeit, by reason of the fleeting yce, which were dispersed here almost
the whole sea ouer, they were brought many times to the extreamest point of
perill, mountaines of yce tenne thousand times scaping them scarce one
ynch, which to have striken had bene their present destruction, considering
the swift course and way of the ships, and the unwieldinesse of them to
stay and turne as a man would wish: yet they esteemed it their better
safetie, with such perill to seeke Sea-roome, then without hope of euer
getting libertie to lie striuing against the streame, and beating against
the Isie mountaines, whose hugenesse and monstrous greatnesse was such,
that no man would credite, but such as to their paines sawe and felt it.
And these foure shippes by the next day at noone got out to Sea, and were
first cleare of the yce, who now enioying their owne libertie, beganne a
new to sorrow and feare for their fellowes safeties. And deuoutly kneeling
about their maine Mast, they gaue vnto God humble thankes, not only for
themselues, but besought him likewise highly for their friendes
deliuerance. And euen now whilst amiddest these extremities this gallant
Fleete and valiant men were altogither ouerlaboured and forewatched, with
the long and fearefull continuance of the foresayd dangers, it pleased God
with his eyes of mercie to looke downe from heauen to sende them helpe in
good time, giuing them the next day a more favourable winde at the West
Northwest, which did not onely disperse and driue foorth the yce before
them, but also gaue them libertie of more scope and Sea-roome, and they
were by night of the same day following perceiued of the other foure
shippes, where (to their greatest comfort) they enioyed againe the
fellowship one of another. Some in mending the sides of their ships, some
in setting vp their top Mastes, and mending their sayles and tacklings;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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