made sales to the amount of 1 lib. 1/3 oz. for the company.  The 29th in the morning we heard two caliver shots on shore, which we judged might either be the Portuguese or some of their negroes, and we accordingly manned our boats, armed ourselves and our men, and went on shore, but they were gone off.  The 30th we made more sales both for the company and the masters.  The 31st we sent our boats on shore to take in sand for ballast; and our men met the negroes with whom they had dealt the day before, who were now employed fishing, and helped them to fill sand; and having now no gold, sold fish to our men for their handkerchiefs and neckerchiefs.  The 1st of February we weighed and went to another place, where we took 1 lib. 9 1/3 oz. of gold.  The 2d we made more sales; but on taking a survey of our provisions, we resolved not to stay much longer on the coast, most of our drink being spent, and what remained turning sour.  The 3d and 4th we made some sales though not great; and finding the wind on this last day come off shore, we set sail and went along the coast to the westwards.  Upon this coast, we found by experience that ordinarily, about 2 o’clock in the night[257] the wind came off shore from N.N.E., and continued in that direction till 8 o’clock in the morning, blowing all the rest of the day and night at S.W.  The tide or current on this shore goes continually with the wind.[258] We continued our course along shore on the 5th, expecting to have met some English ships, but found none.

[Footnote 257:  It is hard to say whether this means 2 hours after sunset, or after midnight—­E.]

[Footnote 258:  Apparently running from the east during the land breeze, and from the west with the sea breeze—­E.]

The 6th February 1556, we altered our course S.W. leaving the coast, to fetch under the line, and ran 24 leagues by estimation.  By the 13th we reckoned ourselves off Cape Palmas, and by the 22d we were by our reckoning abreast of Cape Mount, 30 leagues west from the river Sestos or Sestro.  The 1st March we lost sight of the Hind in a tornado; on which we set up a light and fired a gun, but saw nothing of her, wherefore we struck sail and lay by for her, and in the morning had sight of her 3 leagues astern.  This day we found ourselves in the latitude of Cape Verd which is in 14 deg. 30’ [14 deg. 50’ N.] Continuing our course till the 29th, we were then in 22 deg., on which day one of our men named William King died in his sleep, having been long sick.  His clothes were distributed among those of the crew who were in want of such things, and his money was kept to be delivered to his friends at home.  The 30th we found ourselves under the tropic.  On the 1st April we were in the latitude of the Azores, and on the 7th of May we fell in with the south of Ireland, where we sent our boat on shore for fresh water, and where we bought two sheep and such other victuals as we needed from the country people, who are wild kernes.  The 14th of the same month we went into the port of Bristol called Hungrode[259], where we cast anchor in safety, giving God thanks for our happy arrival.