wee had Some raines, which from 7 deg. So. lattd. till you come to
28 deg. So. lattd., is never no raine by the Spaniards report nor since
thay have inhabited the cuntry, which hath been about 180 years; yett
very good Corne growes, and all sorts of Herbs and graine, but thay
[have] Extreeme dues. wee stands still to the Southward, and haveing
now great variation, 13 or 14 degrees, we wear very Exact in takeing
Amplitudes,[84] to be the more Sattisfied in thick weather of our true
course made. wee stood to the S.E. and S.E. and B.S. 700 leagues, and
about 3 aclock in the Morning the watch saw breakers very near us
under our Lea. it blew hard, that 2 nights before we had handed[85]
our topp sailes, and went under a pair of Coarses and our mizon. wee
wear gott now up to 50 deg. 8' So. lattd. itt being a little light, before
day wee saw the land plaine. wee heaved out our topp sailes reeved and
made shift to weather all the breakers, and when twas day we discried
a place between 2 keys which we concludes to beare up to see if wee
could finde any good Anchoring and saife rideing till twas a little
later in the year. twas very colde heare, much raine, The Hills coverd
with Snow. wee went in along the key side about 4 leagues and saw a
very convenient cove. wee came to an Anchor the 3d of November,
thinking to stay hear till the weather was a little warmer. the first
night we lost one Anchor, the Cable being Very bad. we warped and
towed into another Cove, lieing a little more to the Southwards, the
wind blowing N.N.W. wee gott the ends of all our cable and Hassers and
made fast ashore to the trees; yett all would Hardly doe, for when it
blew hard, our cable would give way and our shipp in dainger of
driveing ashore, which if had we should lived like Heathens amounge
the Savage Indians, and never have come to rights, but we spliced and
Strengthend our cables what we could and with much difficulty made
them hold out. the 21 day of november 81 wee putt out of thiss place
to sea. wee lay here about 22 dayes, feadeing most on lempotts[86] and
Mussles, which wee gatherd of the rocks and makes very good foode. our
wine and brandie was a greate Help to us thiss cold weather. clothing
wee had good Store. some times we gott a Penguine, which are plenty in
these streights, which are as greate as a goose, but cant fly, haveing
on their winges onely stubbs of feathers. hear we saw a fier and made
to itt, wheir we saw an Antient Indian, an