Some credible persons affirm that, in this voyage to Guinea, they felt a sensible heat in the night from the beams of the moon; which, though it seem strange to us who inhabit a cold region, may yet reasonably have been the case, as Pliny writes that the nature of stars and planets consists of fire, containing a spirit of life, and cannot therefore be without heat.  That the moon gives heat to the earth seems confirmed by David, in the 121st psalm, where, speaking of such men as are defended from evils by the protection of God, he says, “The sun shall not burn thee by day, neither the moon by night[220].”  They said likewise, that in some parts of the sea they saw streams of water, which they call spouts, falling out of the air into the sea, some of them being as large as the pillars of churches; insomuch that, when these fall into ships, they are in great danger of being sunk.  Some allege these to be the cataracts of heaven, which were all opened at Noah’s flood:  But I rather consider them to be those fluxions and eruptions said by Aristotle, in his book de Mundo, to happen in the sea.  For, speaking of such strange things as are often seen in the sea, he writes thus:  “Oftentimes also, even in the sea are seen evaporations of fire, and such eruptions and breaking forth of springs, that the mouths of rivers are opened.  Whirlpools and fluxions are caused of such other vehement motions, not only in the midst of the sea, but also in creeks and straits.  At certain times also, a great quantity of water is suddenly lifted up and carried about by the moon,” &c.  From these words of Aristotle it appears, that such waters are lifted up at one time in one place, and suddenly fall down again in another place at another time.  To this also may be referred what Richard Chancellor told me, as having heard from Sebastian Cabot, as far as I remember, either on the coast of Brazil or of the Rio de la Plata, that his ship or pinnace was suddenly lifted from the sea and cast upon the land, I know not how far.  Which, and other strange and wonderful works of nature considered, and calling to remembrance the narrowness of human knowledge and understanding, compared with her mighty power, I can never cease to wonder, and to confess with Pliny, that nothing is impossible to nature, whose smallest power is still unknown to man.

[Footnote 220:  In our present version the word smite is used instead of burn.  But the quotation in the text is a literal translation from the Latin vulgate, and agrees with the older English version, still used in the Book of Common Prayer.—­E.]

Our people saw and considered many things in this voyage that are worthy of notice, and some of which I have thought fit to record, that the reader may take pleasure, both in the variety of these things, and in the narrative of the voyage.  Among other matters respecting the manners and customs of these people, this may seem strange, that their princes and nobles are in use to pierce and wound their skins