relief. We found here such
remarkably low ebbs as we had never before seen, by means of which we
procured muscles in great plenty. Providence also sent such great
abundance of smelts about our ship, that all the people were able to
take as many as they could eat, with hooks made of crooked pins. By
these means we husbanded the ship's provisions, and did not spend any of
them during our abode at this place.

Considering what was best to be done in our present circumstances, that
we might find our general, and as it was obvious we could not refit our
ship for sea in less than a month, our captain and master concluded to
take the pinnace and go in search of the general, leaving the ship and a
considerable part of the men till the return of the general, who had
vowed he would return again to the straits. Hearing of this
determination, two pestilent fellows, named Charles Parker and Edward
Smith, secretly represented to the men, that the captain and master
meant to leave them to be devoured by cannibals, and had no intention to
come back; on which the whole company secretly agreed to murder the
captain, master, and all those who were thought their friends, among
whom I was included. This conspiracy was fortunately known to our
boatswain, who revealed it to the master, and he to the captain. To
appease this mutiny the captain found it necessary to desist from his
intentions, and it was concluded not to depart, but to wait at Port
Desire for the return of the general. After this the whole company, with
one consent, made a written testimonial of the circumstances by which we
had lost company of the general, and the indispensable necessity of
returning home.

In this testimony or protest, dated Port Desire, 2d June, 1592, it is
represented, that the shrouds of the ship are all rotten, the ropes all
so decayed that they could not be trusted; the sails reduced to one
shift all worn, of which the topsails were utterly unable to abide any
stress of weather; the ship unprovided with pitch, tar, or nails for
repairs of any kind, and no means of supplying these wants; the
provisions reduced to five hogsheads of salt pork, and such quantity of
meal as admitted only an allowance of three ounces for a man each day,
and no drink remaining except water. This instrument is signed by John
Davis and Randolph Cotton, the captains of the Desire and Black pinnace,
and thirty-eight more, but the name John Jane, or Lane, does not appear
among th