The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 3.4
The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe (Foster) 3.4
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3.4.1
He perswaded me that wee might in many Places trade for gould and siluer ; that in Magadoxo the howses roofes were guilt, and that they had gould in Sand and mingled with earth, which they esteem not ; off the Inland hee knew little, only naming some Places or regions between Magadoxo and Prester Jhon as Odola, Maheza, Rehamy, and Gala ; of which Odola and Gala are Chapharrs which signifieth misbeleuers (I knowe not whether he means gentiles or christians, vsing the same promiscuously as well to Prester Jhon as to other gentiles). Off Prester Jhon he knoweth noe more then that he is a great Prince and a Capharr, From Magadoxo to Cambaya he was expert. His brother, who Came with him to me, was in fight against the Hope in a Portugall shipp pressed from Damon, in which 45 were slayne ; more he knewe not, but that 3 shipps were burned and the rest runne away. Hee said the king of Dabull tooke courage on this victory and surprised Chaul, Damon and other the Portugalls port townes and was Marching to Goa : That the Portugalls was in great distresse of victualls. I hoped to have stored myselfe with more discourse from him, but I was, I knowe not howe, prevented. It were tyme well bestowed to see this Coast, and I spake to some of it ; but it fared the woorse for the father.
3.4.2
The Road of Molalia lyes in 12° 10', and for the first 6 dayes the Current setts two leauges a watch S.W., the Moone increasinge. At the full, we wounde up N.E. the other way ; but veary easily, for the most parte riding vpon the Current. The Magadoxians made some absurdly beleeue that the Current sett 15 dayes one vvaye, and 15 another, and 15 dayes still; which, because of the first 6 dayes it sett S.W. and after wee wounde up N.E., it begott the opinione of a wonder. Butt the Current setts constantly S.W., and before the full of the Moone it had such Power on the ebbe and flood that wee neuer wound vp; but at the full Moone and springe tydes we rode vpon the flood against the Current, it runninge vnder and the tyde aboue, highinge 16 foote water, and the Ebbe wynding back with the Current; soe that the supposed Chainge of the Current was only strong tydes at the full Moone ouercomminge it aboue. For at sea, when the springe was Past, I found the same Current, and though we weare sett to the Eastward the first day we weighed, and to the westward the Next, the cause was the Eddies off Juanny one day and Angazesia the other; but being Clear of them, it sett his dew Course, that I raised little and did Westward much. August 2. — Wee weighed from Molalia and stood our Course for Socatra. August 4. — At night Angazesia bare by Compasse S.S.E. 6 leaugs off, we steering N.E. by E.
3.4.3
August 5. — Till noone the 5th day wee did not alter yt, yet we runn 16 leaugs, but raysed not aboue 10 Minnitts; wherby I gather we had a tyde setting 6 howers W.S.W. and backe E.N.E., by which wee raysed and altered litle. August 10. — In the Morning we repast the Equinoctiall. August 14. — In the Morninge wee saw the Coast of Magadoxo in 4° N. latitude 4 leagues off; sounding had 18 fadome of Lowe Land, whyte sandye bankes. Then wee stood off E.N.E. The difference of longitude betweene the mayne and Molalia in Mercators proiection agreeing with our Account and alsoe by course hauinge found the longitude of Cape Santa Augustine and Molalia to be one, I conclude that Saint Lawrance ought to be layde to the E. 39 or 40 leaugs, according to my first opinion, and all the Coast of the Mayne beeing broader then it is layde in the Carde must be also sett in proportion to the Eastward: because the distance of Longitude is right from one to the other, though all their longitude falce in themselues.
3.4.4
From Molalia to fall with Cape de Bussos N.N.E. ½ E. way is the best Course, it beeinge necessarie to see the Mayne aboute the latitude. In this course since we lost the westerly current at Angazesia I found none or very little, contrary to all Iornalls. Our Marriners in this Course are off as many opinions as poynts in the Compasse, both for Currents, distances, and bearings, according to Compasse or variation. But I obserued the truth in the later end of this S.W. Monsone; which I confess may alter in the hart of a Contrary Monzon, the settlednes of the wynd causing much chainge in Currents of which noe rule can be geuen. August 16.—At 8 in the Morning, having stood N.E. [N.W.?] from 6 to make the Mayne, we heaued the dipsall and had no ground. At 7 a Clock at night, standing in still with much wynd, wee had suddenly whyte water as whyte as milke, soe that wee Could not discerne the flory of the sea.
3.4.5
Fearing we were near land, we heaued and had noe ground at 70 fadome; and by and by, discerning a black miste on our lee bowe, They cried out "land!" bringing the shipp too, to stand off East. A New alarume of land ahead and on both bowes; this made much Confusion amoungvs with all the babell language of the sea, stumbling almost aboord one another with more danger then of Rocks. But it vanished like a mist, and wee stood of N.E. 18 leaugs till 4 in the Morning, and then stood in againe N.W. 19 leaugs, with a high sea and much wynd. This night wee crost the Paralell of the sunne Northward. August 17. — At Noone we made Cape Guardefuy, 8 leaugs off west, being the Cape of the Enterance of the Red Sea. At this hower I was 5 leaugs ashoare vpon the Mayne, some others keeping me company; the rest out of reckoning, fearing wee could not fetch the Mayne till we should ouershoote Socatra. Hence I obserue that, seeing after we made the land the 14th day and standing off N.E. by N. and N.E. the variation alowed (as appears protracted in the table of Course) and the land lyeing in our Plotts but N.E. and by North, wee could not have beene farr off, yet we stood 16 leaugs North and sawe noe land; but I suppose wee weare veary neare yt in the whyte water the 16 day, and then standing off that night 18 leaugs N.E. wee stood in againe 19 leaugs N.W. before we made it 8 leaugs off west.
3.4.6
Hence I say I obserue that we had both some Current setting to the N.E., for we had raysed more then we could allowe by our way and wear farther off then we expected, and alsoe the land from Cape De Bussos in 4° to Cape Alabana in 11° trendeth N.N.E. and S.S.W. a poynt more to the Northward then it lyes in the Cardes. Soe that it is as much in the falce bearing of the land as in any Current which makes all men stand off too Eastwardly and looke for the lande soe soone. But the right and surest Course is to fall with the Mayne in 4° and soe to stand alonge the shoare within 7 or 8 leaugs, soe to see the land once in 4 howers if you please. The Coast is bould, as the Magadoxian Pilott did assure me. From Cape Alabana in 11° to Cape Guardafuy in 12° the land lyes N. and S. You may ride vnder the Cape, and bringe a high sandie Clifte Sowth East and the Northwardmost land you can see N.W. by W. by the Compasse, in 12 fadome water, faier whyte sandy grounde. The poynte bearing W.S.W. as we stood in is a downrighte sharpe rocke with two Notches making a Baye, lyeing in W.S.W. Thence it ryseth round and higher land and lyes away towards the red sea N.W. 1/2 W. by the Compass. We had sounding 56 fadome 5 leaugs off, and soe 40, 30, 20 and 15 till we Anchored in 12 fadome, in a little baye, wher we stayed the 18th day and sawe some people in Turbants, but they would not Come near vs.
3.4.7
Ashoare ther was a Tombe of whyte stone with a Pillar at each end, neare the water syde, in a sandy Baye. The latitude is 11° 55', the variation 17°. August 19. — At 3 in the Morning we wayed and steered for Abdalacora E. and E. by S. and E.S.E., having the sea on our starboord side, 17° variation, making an E. by N. waye 15 leaugs, and then we sawe Abdalacora E. by N. 3 leaugs off lyeing 12° 20' the bodye of the Island. Vpon the West poynt there lyes a daingerous ledge of rocks.