After this heavy chance, we continued in beating the sea up and down, expecting when the weather would clear up that we might yet bear in with the land, which we judged not far off either the continent or some island.  For we many times, and in sundry places found ground at 50, 45, 40 fathoms, and less.  The ground coming upon our lead, being sometime cozy sand and other while a broad shell, with a little sand about it.

Our people lost courage daily after this ill success, the weather continuing thick and blustering, with increase of cold, winter drawing on, which took from them all hope of amendment, settling an assurance of worse weather to grow upon us every day.  The leeside of us lay full of flats and dangers, inevitable if the wind blew hard at south.  Some again doubted we were ingulfed in the Bay of St. Lawrence, the coast full of dangers, and unto us unknown.  But above all, provision waxed scant, and hope of supply was gone with the loss of our Admiral.  Those in the frigate were already pinched with spare allowance, and want of clothes chiefly:  thereupon they besought the General to return to England before they all perished.  And to them of the Golden Hind they made signs of distress, pointing to their mouths, and to their clothes thin and ragged:  then immediately they also of the Golden Hind grew to be of the same opinion and desire to return home.

The former reasons having also moved the General to have compassion of his poor men, in whom he saw no want of good will, but of means fit to perform the action they came for, he resolved upon retire:  and calling the captain and master of the Hind, he yielded them many reasons, enforcing this unexpected return, withal protesting himself greatly satisfied with that he had seen and knew already, reiterating these words:  Be content, we have seen enough, and take no care of expense past:  I will set you forth royally the next spring, if God send us safe home.  Therefore I pray you let us no longer strive here, where we fight against the elements. Omitting circumstance, how unwillingly the captain and master of the Hind condescended to this motion, his own company can testify; yet comforted with the General’s promise of a speedy return at spring, and induced by other apparent reasons, proving an impossibility to accomplish the action at that time, it was concluded on all hands to retire.

So upon Saturday in the afternoon, the 31 of August, we changed our course, and returned back for England.  At which very instant, even in winding about, there passed along between us and towards the land which we now forsook a very lion to our seeming, in shape, hair, and colour, not swimming after the manner of a beast by moving of his feet, but rather sliding upon the water with his whole body excepting the legs, in sight, neither yet diving under, and again rising above the water, as the manner is of whales, dolphins, tunnies, porpoises, and all other fish:  but confidently