s riuer many fishes shaped like horses, which as
our wild men told vs, all the day long lie in the water, and the night on
land: of which we saw therin a great number. (M117) The next day being the
21 of the moneth, by breake of day we hoysed saile, and sailed so long
along the said coast, that we had sight of the rest of the sayd Northerne
coast, which as yet we had not seene, and of the Island of the Assumption
which wee went to discouer, departing from the sayd land: which thing so
soone as we had done, and that we were certified no other passage to be
there, we came to our ships againe, which we had left at the said Islands,
where is a good harborough, the water being about nine or ten fadome.
(M118) In the same place by occasion of contrary winds and foggie mists,
we were constrained to stay, not being either able to come out of it, or
hoise saile, till the 24 of the moneth: On which day we departed and came
to a hauen on the Southerly coast about 80 leagues from the said Islands.
This hauen is ouer against three flat Islands that lie amidst the riuer,
because on the midway betweene those Islands, and the sayd hauen toward
the North, there is a very great riuer that runneth betweene the high and
low landes, and more then three leagues into the sea it hath many shelues,
and there is not altogether two fadome water, so that the place is very
dangerous: and neere vnto the said shelues, there is either fifteene or 20
fadomes from shore to shore. All the Northerly coaste runneth Northeast
and by North, and Southwest and by South. The said hauen wherin we stayed
on the South side, is as it were but a sluce of the waters that rise by
the flood, and but of smal accompt: we named them S. Iohns Islets, because
we found them, and entred into them the day of the beheading of that
Saint. And before you come to the said hauen, there is an Island lying
Eastward about 5 leagues distant from the same: betweene which and the
land there is no passage sauing only for smal boats. The hauen of S. Iohns
Islets dryeth vp all the waters that rise by flowing, although they flow
two fadome at the least. The best place to harborough ships therein is on
the South part of a little Island that is ouer against the said hauen,
whereby the bancke or shore of the Island riseth. (M119) Vpon the first of
September we departed out of the said hauen, purposing to go toward
Canada; and about 15 leagues from it toward the West, and Westsouthwest,
amidst the