But O Minerua, helpe me aye, my wits astond be quite. Yea helpe, ye muses nine, lot no thought me withstand, Aid me this thing well to define, which here I take in hand. Well, thus it fortuned tho, in Ginney now arriu'd, Nine men in boat to shoe we go, where we traffike espide, And parting at midday from ship, on good intent In hope of traffike there I say to shore away we went. Our ships then riding fast in sea at anker bight, We minded to dispatch in hast, cke to returne that night. But being hard by land, there suddenly doth rise A mightie winde, wherewith it raind and thundred, in such wise, That we by shore did ride, where we best Port might finde, Our ships we thinke from anker slide, a trice before the winde. This night Vulcan begins on vs reueng'd to be, And thunderbolts about he flings most terrible to see, Admixt with fierie flame which cracks about our cares. And thus gins he to play his game, as now to him appeares, He Eolus hath feed herein to be his friend, And all the whirling windes with speed among vs doth he send, Thus hard by shore we lay, this wet and weary night, But on next morne and all the day of ship we had no sight. For Vulcan all this night from fierie forge so fast Sent thunder bolts with such great light, that when the night was passed, The next day there remaind so great smoke all about, Much like a mist, eke therewith raine, that we were wet throughout. And thus in smoke mindes he to part vs from our ship: Thus nere a one ech other see, and so haue we the slip. Our ships then backe againe, thinking we were behinde, Do saile by shore a day or twaine in hope there vs to finde. And we the contrary, do row along the shore Forward thinking our ships to be still sailing vs before. They sailing thus two dayes or three, and could not finde vs than Do thinke in that foule night we were drowned euery man. Our ship then newes doth beare when she to England wends That we nine surely drowned were, and thus doth tell our friends: While we thus being lost, aliue in miserie Do row in hope yet on this coast, our ships to finde truly. Well thus one day we spent, tho next and third likewise, But all in vaine was our intent, no man a saile espies: Three dayes be now cleane past since any of vs nine, Of any kinde of food hath tast, and thus gan we to pine, Till at the last bare need bids vs hale in with land, That we might get some root or weed our hunger to withstand: And being come to shore, with Negros we intreat, That for our wares which we had there they would giue vs to eat. Then fetch they vs of roots, and such things as they had, We gaue to them our wares to boote and were thereof right glad. To sea go we againe, in hope along the shore,