nd his
men bent to depart every man to his home; and then the wind serving to
proceed higher upon the coast, they demanded money to carry them home,
some to London, others to Harwich, and elsewhere, if the barque should
be carried into Dartmouth and they discharged so far from home, or else
to take benefit of the wind, then serving to draw nearer home, which
should be a less charge unto the captain, and great ease unto the men,
having else far to go. Reason accompanied with necessity persuaded the
captain, who sent his lawful excuse and cause of this sudden departure
unto Sir John Gilbert, by the boat of Dartmouth, and from thence the
_Golden Hind_ departed and took harbour at Weymouth. All the men tired
with the tediousness of so unprofitable a voyage to their seeming, in
which their long expense of time, much toil and labour, hard diet, and
continual hazard of life was unrecompensed; their captain nevertheless
by his great charges impaired greatly thereby, yet comforted in the
goodness of God, and His undoubted providence following him in all that
voyage, as it doth always those at other times whosoever have confidence
in Him alone. Yet have we more near feeling and perseverance of His
powerful hand and protection when God doth bring us together with others
into one same peril, in which He leaveth them and delivereth us, making
us thereby the beholders, but not partakers, of their ruin. Even so,
amongst very many difficulties, discontentments, mutinies, conspiracies,
sicknesses, mortality, spoilings, and wracks by sea, which were
afflictions more than in so small a fleet or so short a time may be
supposed, albeit true in every particularity, as partly by the former
relation may be collected, and some I suppressed with silence for their
sakes living, it pleased God to support this company, of which only
one man died of a malady inveterate, and long infested, the rest kept
together in reasonable contentment and concord, beginning, continuing,
and ending the voyage, which none else did accomplish, either not
pleased with the action, or impatient of wants, or prevented by death.

Thus have I delivered the contents of the enterprise and last action of
Sir Humfrey Gilbert, Knight, faithfully, for so much as I thought meet
to be published; wherein may always appear, though he be extinguished,
some sparks of his virtues, be remaining firm and resolute in a purpose
by all pretence honest and godly, as was this, to discover, pos