all our rudder-irons along with the old rudder:  Yet we proceeded with all expedition; One of our men dived, to search what might remain of our rudder-irons on the stern port, who found but two, and another that was broken.  Yet, with God’s help, finding a fair day, we made fast our new rudder, and were able to make sail homewards.  Within three or four hours, the sea took it off again, and we had great difficulty to save it, losing another of our irons, so that only two now remained to hang it by, and our men began to propose quitting the ship and going on board the Hector to save themselves.  “Nay,” said the general, “we will abide God’s leisure, and see what mercy he will shew us; for I do not yet despair to save ourselves, the ship, and the goods, by some means which God will appoint.”  With that, he went into his cabin, and wrote a letter for England, proposing to send it by the Hector, commanding her to continue her voyage and leave us; but not one of our ship’s company knew of this command.  The tenor of the letter was as follows, little more or less, addressed to the Governor and Company: 

RIGHT WORSHIPFUL,

What hath passed in this voyage, and what trades I have settled for the company, and what other events have befallen us, you shall understand by the bearers hereof, to whom (as occasion has fallen) I must refer you, I shall strive with all diligence to save my ship and her goods, as you may perceive by the course I take in venturing my own life, and those that are with me.  I cannot tell where you should look for me, if you send any pinnace to seek me; because I live at the devotion of the winds and seas.  And that, fare you well, praying God to send us a merry meeting in this world, if it be his good will and pleasure.

The passage to the_ East India lieth in 62 1/2 degrees, by the north-west on the America side.[118]

Your very loving friend,

JAMES LANCASTER_.

[Footnote 117:  At the commencement of this article, the burden of the Dragon is only stated at 600 tons.—­E.]

[Footnote 118:  This latter paragraph obviously refers to the ignis fatuus of a northwest passage by sea to India, to be noticed in an after part of this work.—­E.]

When this letter was delivered to the Hector, together with his orders for her departure, the general expected she would have gone off from us in the night, according to instructions; but when he espied her in the morning, he said to me that they regarded no orders.  But the Hector kept some two or three leagues from us, not coming any nearer; for the master was an honest and good man, who loved our general, and was loth to leave him in such great distress.  It was now incumbent upon us to try every means to save ourselves and the ship.  Our carpenter mended our new rudder, and in a few days the weather became somewhat fair and the sea smooth.  So we made a signal for the Hector to come near, out of which came the master, Mr Sander Cole, bringing the best swimmers and divers belonging to his ship, who helped us materially in our work.  By the blessing of God, we hung our rudder again on the two remaining hooks, and then had some hope of being able to fetch some port for our relief.