The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 3.1
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 3.1
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3.1.1
IT is necessary that shipping be ready in the downes to take oportunity of wynd by the 20th of January, that they may fale with the Cape of Good hope before the dead of wynter, wherby men may have some leasure of Refreshinges, and the sicke may recouer in the warme seasone; for in the wynter the ayre is sharpe and rawe, and those that daylie wade, and are often wett, endainger their healths; and if the Roote Nangin be of valew, it must be gathered in that Season, for when the sapp returnes, the roote is withered in the ground, and driing up shrinkes and comes to nothing. Besides, the Season wilbe better to gett aboute the Cape, subiecte to foule weather, and hereby they shall have tyme enough to staye at the Isles of Comoro, for new refreshing, which is necessarie, that men may come stronge and in health amonng their enemyes ; for it is doubtfull that the Trade with the Mogull must be mayntayned with Armes. I wish the Coast from the Cape as high as Mosambique were discouered. It is veary probable ther is good matter, and doubtlesse braue Harbours. The Portugall hath trade for gould in a River not far from Mosambique, and the people make fiers to any shipping they see, to invite them to Commerce. This were done easily by two pinnaces (who might with great hope leaue some men on that Coast) which after might goe into the Indies, and serue the Company to transport goods from harbor to harbor in Japan, Sumatra, Coromandell, or Jaua.
3.1.2
March 6. — This day wee lost sight of the Lizard, and begann our Course for the Cape of Good Hope. March 26. — On this day in the Morning wee saw the Mayne of Barbery, making that for Fortauentura, and then stood away S.W. by S. till Noone, and saw land N.W. for the Canarye 8 leauges off; then wee steerd S.S.W. all night. March 27. — At 6 in the Morning Cape Bugador bare E. by S. 4 leaugs off; wherby wee found 30 leagues error in westerly way. This Cape lyeth in 26 lattitude, 353° 50' longitude, differing from the Meridian of the Lizard 6° 10' by Mercator's proiection, but I suppose it is layd 20 leagues to much to the E., the Canarye Islands in the same error. The land to the Sowthward trendeth S.S.W.; for steering S.W. by S. I could not Cleare the land in 24 howers. So that when, on the 26 day, wee tooke our selues to bee betweene the Island, we were betweene the Mayne and Forteuentura, a sandy shoure, 16 fadome, 4 leagues off; and steering that day 6 howers S.W. by S. we could only discerne land in the Topp for the Canarye. Wheras, had wee bene with the Islands, we should with that Course from Forteuentura haue shott faire out by the canarye. The 27th at Noone the Mayne bearing E. in 26° 5 leaugs off, wee shaped our Course.
3.1.3
March 31. — From the Cape Bugador ther is a Currant that setts swift S.S.W., for from the 27th day to the 31th of March we had little wynd, yet by obseruation we raysed euery day aboue a degree; wherby I conclude the Current setts neare two leaugs a watch and more aboord the shoare. April 5. — This day the sunne was in our Zenith, crossing the paralell at Midnight. April 10. — This night we meett the Turnados next hand in 2°; the wynd at E. with a terrible Gust of Raine for two howers. April 12. — This day a Counsell was held, wherin a Captain Complayned against his Master; the Playntiffe was satisfied, the accused aduanced, the inocent punished, all pleased. With the hinder foote of the Centaure, ther is a blacke spott like a lozenge which neuer alters shape nor motion from that part of the Constellation, but because it is inuironed with Galaxia I suppose it is the skie, only darkened with much neighbouring brightnes.
3.1.4
April 14. — This night I passd the line; Cape de Golinus, the next land, bearing N.N.E. half E. 158 leaugs off. In this course from Cape Bugador, the Current setts with the trending off the shoare, which forsaking the Coast is weaker, yet we felt yt in our reckoning vntill the 13th day, some dayes 10 leauges, and soe 8, 6, 4 & 2 leauges, as wee stood off. Whence I conclud it a good Course to hale in betweene 20 and 30 leagues of the shoare till within fiue or sixe degrees of the line, soe you shall haue helpe of the Currant, or less subiect to calmes ; for the wynd wilbe off the land, when it is calme without, and you shall make the shorter way, rayse the faster to passe the Equinoctiall and the Turnados in 356 degrees of longitud and come sonner and to more aduantage in the generall wyndes way, which blowes betweene the N.E. and S.E. For you may goe the lardger, and again shorten the southerly course with all aduantage to the E. ; prouided that you make not soe much Easterly way, though you could, as to bring the Cape of Good Hope to the Sowthward of S.E. by E. till you haue raised 16 or 17°. Then you may shorten the easterly way as you rayse the latitude ; for if you doe meete with westerly wyndes you shall by soe much lesse neede them. May 2. — This day the Sowth Tropique.
3.1.5
May 3. — The Magillan cloudes first appeare, and they keepe their course with the Polar Starre about the pole, alway equidistant, 11 or 12° the most southermost. They are streamy and glaring, whyte, like the Galaxia. May 14. — From the 9th to the 13th much wynd and stormy, that I neither could obserue sunne nor starr, but plyeing near in a Paralell the Variation altered little. June 5. — Pengyn Island at one in the Morning 4 leagues E. This day at 9 a Clocke I came to Anchor in the bay of Soldania in 5 fadom water, from Pengyn bearing E. 4 leagues ; steering S.E. for the bay, fine shoaling hard sand, from 15 fadom to 5 ; bringinge the ledge of Rockes at the poynt of the bay N.W. by W., the table S. by E., is the best roade. In Comminge in it is better to hale in with the Sowth then the North Shoare, for the flatts and sandes and breaches of Pengyn. The 4th of June I was by reckoning 28 leagues off 33° 35'; soe that, the wynd standing, I did expect to be near land the first night watch. Most of our fleete, all except John Hatch, who keept the same manner of Reckoning, havinge looked for land 2 and 3 dayes before; their Accounts out. Besides, they made sure to see it within 12 howers after the variation was lessened to one degree, but this alsoe deceiued them and is an error.
3.1.6
I was open and confident on my dead reckoninge, the rather because the longitude of the Cape by Mercator's proiection is rectefyed in 28° 30' from the Meridian of the Lizard, and is, I suppose, truly proiected; and though the variation be an excellent evidence in the whole course of nearing land, yet it deliuereth no other certainty But warninge to looke out, for it lessens not in the same proportion near land, but by a much slower; for which I could give a perspicuous reason, but to learge for this place. Nor can any Judgment att all be made to 20 leaugs therby that shalbe infallible, the Magneticall amplitude being soe difficult to obserue truly, by the shipps Motion and the Needles quicknes, that a degree is scarce an error. This consideration made me confident that wee should see noe land untill the 5th day early in the morninge. The wynd at N.N.W. and fresh, wee steering E. to the sowthward, at one aclock after midnight the Admirall tacked, and sawe land faier bye, & heaving the dipsall we had 35 fadome. Standing off in two glasses we deepned to 60 fadom. Nowe to this hower from Noone the 4th day we had runn 27 leaugs, and my reckoning was the day before 28 leauges, soe that in tyme I faild not an hower, in distance but one leauge, if wee had not stoode off in the night. At breake of day the 5th day we stood in, and sawe Pengwin Island East, and steering away S.E. for the baye came to Anchor.
3.1.7
It is an opinion begotten by chance and Mayntaind by error, which our Pilotts hould and defend, that it is necessarie from the line to make a sowth way into the latitude of the Cape of Good hope to meete with West or S.W. wynds, to runn in a Parralell; whereby they loose in Easteringe by the advantage of the lardgnes of the generall wyndes sometymes 200 or 300 leauges, and become distant, in the Paralell of the Cape, some 600 some 700 leauges; which course is most obsurd. First, it is contrary to a Principall in Nauigation, to direct the shipes way next hand to the Porte desiered, prouided they goe lardge enough to runn thorough the sea, and fall not into any certaine and experienced inconveniency of contrary wynds or Currents. Now admitt it be true that in the lattitude of the Cape you shall meete with West or Sowthwest wyndes, yet it is most obsurd that therfore you will make more westerly way then you neede by 200 leaugs or a due sowth to meete with that wynd which will doe you the same good 200, yea 500, leaugs more to the East, or none at all; for if it forsake you before it bring you in, it had beene better to haue been soe far as it will bring you without it. If it be said you shall haue it sooner, I answer some few howers, for the wynd crosseth from his rising (if it raigne soe farr) halfe the earth in soe much of a day : and therefore it is said, for expression of swiftnes, that God sitteth on the wynges of the wynd.
3.1.8
And to feare any Calmes, especially without the Tropique, is a pannique terror and voyd of reason, and Contrary to the only ground layd of this course. For if they feare it from the rule of Calmes betweene two wyndes, then they doe confesse the west wyndes expected betweene the longitud they seek it in and the Cape doe loose themselves ; and then I say they goe out of their way to find that frennd which forsakes them in their greatest neede, and leaues them in the calmes they feare. But grannting it for true (as it is) that the west wyndes supposed are vncertaine, then they runn this dainger, that a North wynd will not fetch the Cape, which is to great a hazard. For the variation being 17° to the East of the North makes your waye so much to the Sowth of the East ; and when you shall hale your tackes close aboord for that then the Lewarly way wilbe as much as the Variation, and in a head sea more ; wherby you shall beate your ships, aduance little, and can make your true way noe better then E. and by Sowth, and soe ouershoote the roade. But these ar suppositions and discources of Admittance on bothe sides, when the truth is aproueable by Nature and reason, that without the Tropique of Capricorne the wynds are variable as in our devision of the world and, if any wynds be more frequent then others, they are betweene that and the Cape in Aperill and May N. and N.E. wynds, as in our Tropique, corresponding in latitude and season, S. and S. Westerly ;
3.1.9
First because the sunne beeing Come to the North, both exhales the wyndes and disperseth them ; besides the greatest lands and nearest as you stand in (and all wyndes are made at lande) vear E. and N. But the Conclusion is the wyndes are variable and subiect to blowe (if any way) contrary to the wyndes most ordinary in our October and Nouember, being the opposite season and Climatt to us. Therefore I say it is best to make use of the Generall vvyndes from the lyne, soe far as they raigne, haling as much E. as they will suffer you to goe large through the sea with a fadome or two of the sheate flowne. So shall you be alsoe in a N. and N.E. wyndes way, and may stand large, soe longe as you borowe on the Sowth, to rayse at pleasur, and if these prophecyed wyndes at W. doe blow, you are alsoe so much more in their waye by how much lesse you neede them. And if any man obiect to me his experience, I reply he knowes not the force of that woord; for experience ariseth from a frequent and often approbation in one course of the same truth and had neede of the authoritye of 100 tryalls, and not of two or 3 voyadges, which is the moste any of our great Masters can bragg off. And I affirm reason grounded on good principles shall proue their experience the resolutions of leuitie and of men affected to their owne wayes; and it is noe good argument: "I have found it soe, therfore it will euer be soe";
3.1.10
but from Causes to effects is the lodgique of wise men: "thus in reason it ought to be, and therfore it is most probable it is soe". Yet, to sett Game against Game (for all the former courses are grounded on chance), I oppose the triall of Sir Henry Middelton, who beate it off in the Latitud of the Cape many dayes, with much E. wynd. The Hector with Captain Towerson gott in with N. wyndes little westerly or at largest N.N.W. Captain Newport with the Persian Ambassador held it up East as nere as he Could, and neuer had breath of W. wyndes, but keeping the Sowth to frend went lardge in with a N. wynd. Dauis gave instructions to the fleete with Captain Beast not to hale Easterly until 28° ; but soe soone as the wynds fauoured him in 23° he stood E.S.E. himselfe. Being asked why hee did contrary to his owne directions, though he answered " it was for his pleasur", any man may discerne that hee would not teache other men to goe out of a beaten path (all bye wayes requiring the best guide), and that if they had parted company by weather, he would haue made them woonder at him getting in long before them that followed his directions. Soe that which was an abuse to them would have apeared skill in him. Lastly I oppose my owne tryall in the Lyon with Captaine Newport, when I went His Majesties Ambassador to the Great Mogull ; we troad in this high Sowtheren way, and though often the wynds were soe lardge that wee might have made a Sowth and by East and S.S.E.
3.1.11
way or between them in the whole we made it all from the line next hand Sowth only to rayse the latitud ; which if it had been advantage for us and the west wyndes expected in a bagg, yet was the Course ill ; for a Poynte and halfe to the East of the Sowth in raysing 33° had aduantaged us 200 leaugs to the East and shortned the Sowth way not aboue 35 leaugs or a degree and ½, and soe in proportion as the wynd might haue lardged. When wee were in the latitude the wynd was scanter than euer & veary feirce at E. & E.S.E. and S.E., wherby we were forced to make a S. Westerly way most opposits to our port till wee raysed 35° 30'. Then the wynds Rainginge to the N. of the E. and betweene them, to late we beleued it reasonable to stand back to the N. or as near it as we could to fetch Frendship of that wynd which was most Vsuall. Thus wee plyed it 9 or 10 dayes, with foule stormie weather ; at the end wheroff the wynd veering to the North and N.N.W. with our tacks close aboord, the variation and lewarly way Considered, we had labor enough to make our true way E. by N. to recouer the Cape. Our Pilotts and masters rather found their error then confeste it, yet made vse of my opinione and reasons; for a Counsell beeing called at the Cape concerning the Course past, the most voyces enclining this way, it was resolued on as their owne. And, because my advise nor counsell was neuer desired, I made noe secrett of their Ignoranncye;
3.1.12
on the other syde they doubted not their element to be aboue myne, that had to doe only at land. But hee that stands on the advantage of a hill doth see and iudge both valleyes and seas and all belowe him and will say: Nihill ignorantia audacius, et cæcæ experientiæ nixo petulantius.