The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 3.2
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 3.2
- Language
- English
3.2.1
Soldanya is, as I suppose, an Island, on the South end wherof is the Cape of Good hope, deuided from the Mayne by a deepe Bay on the S.E. side and due E. by a riuer which wee discerne vpon the table. The land is fructfull, bearing short thicke grasse. The Mayne is deuided with most high and steepe rocky Mountaynes couered with snow, and vnaccessable, except it be scearched by the riuer of Dulce, which doubtlesse is veary great, falling into the Bay on the East syde. There is on the Island 5 or 600 people, the most barberous in the world, eating Carrione, wearing the gutts of sheepe about their Necks for health, and rubbing their heads (curled like Negroos) with dung of beasts and durte. They have noe other Cloathing then beastes skins wrapt on their shoulders, the skinne next the body in heate, in could the hairy syde. Theyr howses are but one matt concaued like an Ouen, into which they Creepe, and turne them about as the wynde Chainges, for they haue no doores to keepe it out. They have lefte their stealinge by trading with vs, and by signes make showe their harte is good. They knowe noe kind of God or religion. The ayer and water is veary wholsome, and both of them subtile and searching. There is on the Island Bulls, Cowes, Antelops, Babones, Mowles of great bignes, Fezants, partriches, larckes, wildgoose, duckes, Pascer flamingos and many others.
3.2.2
On Pengwyn there is a foule soe Called that goes vpright, his winges without feathers hanging downe like sleues faced with whyte ; they fley not but walk in Pathes and keepe their diuisions and quarters orderly ; they are a strange fowle or rather a Miscelanius creator of beast, bird, and Fishe, but most of bird, confuting that difinition of man to be Animall bipes implume, which is nearer to a discription of this Creature. The Comodities here are, first, reasonable refreshings with Cattell (soe that a season be Chosen when they are not leane, a Month after the sunn is departed from them Northward) ; Nangin rootes ; Arras, if our Merchants be not deceiued ; and I doe strongly suppose that I found a Rocke yeelding quicksiluer and virmillion, the stone being spotted all without with a most pure redd Coulor, equall to any paynting, and that will come off vpon paper or other fitt matter ; by the description of John Acosta it cannot fayle to be the same ; it is alsoe veary heauie, full of Marquisate and minnerall apperannces. The Table, or high rocke soe Called, by a streight lyne from the water syde is 11853 foote high. The bay is full of whales and seales ; The dutch haue fished on Pengwyn for them. The lattitud is is 33° 45'; the longitude 28° 30' from the lizard; the variation doubtfull whyther to the East or West, but my opinion is that the variation is West 30", The cause of variation beeing in the Mayne, as apperes euidently by the many lynes and changes towards the Cape E.
3.2.3
and after Westerly. If any shipping (hauing tym enough) fall but 100 leaugs more to the North with the Mayne (which may be done with saftye, no wyndes forbidding it), I assure myselfe they shall haue good trade for Cattle and other Comodoties, and may by leauing some men discouer the land, and perhapes gett knowledge of the People that trade with the Spaniardes on the East syde in 21° for gould after the Manner of the Moores in Barbery to Gago. These lefte at the Cape will goe no further, but attend oportunity of passage; and thear can doe noe great good, beeing amounge the basest banished people, that knowe nothing sauoring of man, nor are no other way men, But as they speake and walke like men. June 17. — This night the Hope came to an Anchor in the Bay from Suratt, laden with Indicoes. June 20. — Wee weighed at 4 in the morning, the wynd at E.S.E., and stood off 5 leaugs N.W. by N., keeping the bay open. Then wee sawe a headland S. by E. 6 leaugs off; so steering S.E. by S., by Morning the 21th day, the Cape of Good Hope bearing from that headland S.E. and N.W., and from the Cape of Good Hope Cape Falso bearing E. by S. 1/2 S. and W. by N. 1/2 N. and from the ship N. by E. 7 leaugs off I proceeded towards Santa Lawrance. June 25. — Wee sawe the land, which I suppose was Cape Fernoso, N. by E. We sounded at 65 fadom 8 leauges off, and being Calme by an Eddy currant we draue to the N. 2 leaugs a watch.
3.2.4
I found by falling with the land that the Currant kept us both from raysing and Eastering, so that notwithstanding the ships way by the passing of the water gaue soe many leauges as the table of Course mentions, yet the error was great, and must be corrected in the whole course. For at fower in the afternoone the 25th day we sawe land bearing from W. to N.E. by E. all along, wheras by rekoning I was more then 40 leaugs off, so that two errors are here discouered; one of the Cardes that lay the land away E.N.E. and W.S.W., the true bearing beeing from Cape des Agullas to Cape Aracifo E. ½ N., W. ½ S., and from thence it beginns to trend more North; the other, that wee were kept back by the Current in this Course 50 leauges at least, wherby we dayly mistooke our longitude, Judging it only by our Easterly way. From the last of June till the 5 of July, we raysed more then course and varriation did bring out by 4, 5, and 6 leaugs in 24 howers, right before the wynd; another Current setting alsoe to the North besides, which helped me to the N. I alwayes made two or 3° more variation then all the fleete, for my needle beeing touched afresh once in 10 dayes I suppose it was more animated and fixed then those that beeing long touchd must daylie somwhat weaken; the Needles I touchd for others performing the same difference. July 8. — I was ashore by reckoning on Santa Lawrance in 22° 30' latitude, 51° 10' longitude, the fleete having by account looked for land 24 howers;
3.2.5
but we could not make the Cape Augustine, the wynd hanginge off the land. But wee found that wee were hindered of Eastering by the first Currents at Cape des Agullas 50 leaugs, and by the Current setting after to the North we made more N. way then wee Could alowe, and by Consequence lesse E., the Current setting N.N.W. betweene the latitude of 30 and longitude of 46, and the lattitude 24 and longitude 29 [39 ?]. For we wanted, as I suppose, 20 leaugs off Santa Lawrance notwithstanding wee had runn over him 80 leaugs. But of this I dare affirme on good reason, that the Cape Augustine must be layed in the E. 40 leaugs more then it is in Mercators plott, being there in 51° 10', truly in 53°. The land alsoe at the foote of Affrica is more in longitude then it lyeth for. Seeing in 3 dayes we could not gett into the land, and beeing put to the N., the 12th day, the wynd at N.E., we stood away for Molalia, iudging myselfe to be 20 leaugs from Saint Lawrance W. in 21° 10'. It is Necessary to see the Cape of Augustine, to Correct the errors of the Currents, else hee that shall shape his Course by reckoninge may be deceiued in Longitude 50 or 60 leaugs, which is veary daingerous because of the shoales of Iudia near 21, and the Currents soe variable that it wilbe hard to coniecture on which hand you leave them. Therfore I advise (if weather be faier at the Cape of Good Hope) to make Aracifo in 33° 30; so you shall Correct the fierst currents. Then to runn large away E.
3.2.6
neare to the longitude of the Island before you hale to the North, for you will rayse apace both by the Current and variation, into the latitude of Cape Augustine. If it be foule weather getting about the Cape of Good Hope, stand into 37° before you hale to the East; and then runn in a Paralell, or little to the N., aloweing by Coniecture for the Currents, but not soe much as if you stood nearer into the shoare, wher they are more violent, but are soone lost in the sea. From Cape Augustine a N.W. by N. Course will goe Cleare both of the shoales of Iudia and the shoales of Saint Lawrance in 20°. These shoales are bould, and as a Pilott of Magadoxa tould me haue fine shoalinge 12 and 15 fadome to the shoare. I thinke I lefte Iudia 20 leaugs W., because at Molalia my reckoninge came well out.