The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 07: England's Naval Exploits Against SpainHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 07: England's Naval Exploits Against Spain
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
But the second day of December 1589. was a festiuall day with vs, for then
it rained a good pace, and wee saued some pretie store of raine water
(though we were well wet for it, and that at midnight) and filled our skins
full besides: notwithstanding it were muddie and bitter with washing the
shippe, but (with some sugar which we had to sweeten it withall) it went
merrily downe, yet remembred we and wished for with all our hearts, many a
Conduit, pumpe, spring, and streame of cleare sweete running water in
England: And how miserable wee had accompted some poore soules whom we had
seene driuen for thirst to drinke thereof, and how happy we would now haue
thought our selues if we might haue had our fills of the same: yet should
we haue fared the better with this our poore feasting, if we might haue had
our meat and drinke (such and so much as it was) stand quietly before vs:
but beside all the former extremities, wee were so tossed and turmoiled
with such horrible stormie and tempestuous weather, that euery man had best
holde fast his Canne, cup, and dish in his hands, yea and himselfe too,
many times, by the ropes, railes, or sides of the ship or else he should
soone finde all vnder feet.
Herewith our maine saile was torne from the yarde and blowne ouerboord
quite away into the sea without recouery, and our other sailes so rent and
torne (from side to side some of them) that hardly any of them escaped
hole. The raging waues and foming surges of the sea came rowling like
mountaines one after another, and ouerraked the waste of the shippe like a
mightie riuer running ouer it, whereas in faire weather it was neere 20.
foote aboue the water, that nowe wee might cry out with the princely
Prophet Psalme 107. vers. 26. They mount vp to heauen, and descend to the
deepe, so that their soule melteth away for trouble: they reele too and
fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and all their cunning is gone. With
this extremitie of foule weather the ship was so tossed and shaken, that by
the craking noise it made, and by the leaking which was now much more than
ordinary, wee were in great feare it would haue shaken in sunder, so that
now also we had iust cause to pray a litle otherwise than the Poet, though
marring the verse, yet mending the meaning.
Deus maris et Coeli, quid enim nisi vota supersunt,
Soluere quassatae parcito membra ratis.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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