To finde our ships, yet thinking plaine that they had beene before. And thus with saile and ore twelue dayes we went hard by The strange vncomfortable shore where we nothing espie, But all thicke woods and bush and mightie wildernesse, Out of the which oft times do rush strange beasts both wilde and fierse, Whereof oft times we see, at going downe of Sunne, Diuers descend in companie, and to the sea they come. Where as vpon the sand they lie, and chew the cud: Sometime in water eke they stand and wallow in the floud. The Elephant we see, a great vnweldie beast, With water fils his troonke right hie and blowes it on the rest. The Hart I saw likewise delighted in the soile, The wilde Boare eke after his guise with snout in earth doth moile. A great strange beast also, the Antelope I weene I there did see, and many mo, which erst I haue not seene. And oftentimes we see a man a shore or twaine, Who strait brings out his Almadie and rowes to vs a maine. Here let we anker fall, of wares a shew we make, We bid him choose among them all, what wares that he will take To bring to vs some fish, and fresh water therefore, Or else of meat some daintie dish, which their cookes dresse ashore. They bring vs by and by great roots and beries eke, Which grow vpon the high palme tree, such meat as they do like. We drinke eke of their wine much like our whey to see: Which is the sappe as I haue seene that runnes out of a tree. Thus do they bring ech thing which they thinke to be good, Sometime wilde hony combes they bring Which they finde in the wood, With roots and baggage eke our corps we thus sustaine From famine though it be so weake, that death was figured plaine In euery ioynt for lacke of sustenance and rest. That still we thinke our hearts would breake with sorrowes so opprest. We now alongst the coast haue saild so many a mile, That sure we be our ships be lost, what should we do this while? In Heathen land we be, impossible it is That we should fetch our owne countrey in such a boat as this. We now gan to perceiue that wee had ouerpast The Melegate coast so much, that we were come at last Vnto the coast of Myne, for Niegros came aboord With weights to poise their golde so fine, yea speaking euery word In Portugesse right well demanding traffike there? If we had any wares to sell, and where our ships then were? We answered them againe, we had two ships at sea, The which would come trafike with them we thought within a day. The cause why we thus said, was hope to be well vsde: But seeing this, as men dismaid away we went and musde Whither our ships were gone, what way were best for vs: Shall we here perish now saith one? no, let vs not do thus: We see all hope is past