[Footnote 184:  This cape is only in lat. 34 deg. 4S’ S. So that their latitude here could not exceed 35 deg. 10’, giving an error in excess of eighteen minutes in the text—­E.]

The 10th January, 1610, we weighed and set sail homewards.  The 20th about noon we passed the tropic of Capricorn; and that evening the Dutch officers came and supped with me, whom I saluted with three guns at parting.  The 30th before day-light, we got sight of St Helena, having steered sixty-six leagues west in that latitude.  We came to anchor a mile from shore, in twenty-two fathoms sandy ground, N.W. from the chapel.  This island is about 270 or 280 leagues west from the coast of Africa.  We were forced to steer close under the high land to find anchorage, the bank being so steep as to have no anchorage farther out.

We weighed on the 9th February, making sail homewards, having received from the island nineteen goats, nine hogs, and thirteen pigs.  The 16th we saw the island of Ascension, seven or eight leagues to the W.S.W.  In the morning of the 28th, the wind westerly and reasonably fair weather, we spoke the Dutch ship, which made a waft for us at his mizen-top-mast head.  He told us that he had only eight or nine men able for duty, all the rest being sick, and forty-six of his crew dead.  This was a grievous chastisement for them, who had formerly offered to spare me twenty men or more upon occasion, and a never-sufficiently-to-be-acknowledged mercy to us, that they should be in so pitiable a case, while we had not lost one man, and were even all in good health.  Towards night, considering our leak, with many other just causes on our part, besides our want of means to aid them, and at my company’s earnest desire, we made sail and left them, not without sensible Christian grief that we could give them no assistance.  Indeed, without asking us to remain by them, they desired us to acquaint any Dutch ship we might meet of their extreme distress, that the best means might be pursued for their relief.  We were then in lat. 45 deg. 6’ N.

The 1st May, having fine weather and the wind at S.W. we were in lat. 49 deg. 13’ N. Early in the morning of the 2d, the wind came S. and blew a storm, putting us under our fore course.  Towards night we spoke a Lubecker, who told us Scilly bore E. by N. thirty-eight German miles from us, which are fifty leagues.  I told them of the Dutchman’s distress; and as the wind was fair, made sail for England.  In the morning of the 9th, Beechy-head was three leagues from us N.N.E. and on the 10th May, 1610, we anchored in the Downs about sunset, having spent three years, one month, and nine days on this voyage.

* * * * *

SECTION V.

Narrative by William Hawkins, of Occurrences during his Residence in the Dominions of the Great Mogul.[185]

INTRODUCTION.