The 25, beinge Tusdaye, we mett with the Rebeka of London and the Gren Dragon of Bristoll.
The 29, the wynde beinge faire, we paste by Cape Bone; 10 leagues from that we paste by a litle Ilande caled Simbre,[161] a verrie hie mountaine also the same daye by Porta Farren,[162] the goinge into Tunis.
The firste daye of Aprill we Croste the Gulfe of Lions. Our vitals beinge verrie badd, I was invited to diner with our marchantes in the great Cabbin, and beinge at diner, we harde the crye of a mearmaide, like as yf one had hailed our shipe; but our bootswane forbid any man to make answeare or to louke oute.
The second daye the wynde came faire; the thirde day the wynde being bade, we came to an anker at Firma[163] Teara, wheare our botes wente a shore for freshe water and stores, not inhabeted, but with bannished men thare. Neare unto a watche tower we founde a man lyinge deade withoute a heade, for it had bene cut of by som Turks as we supposed. This Iland is verrie neare a place or towne in Spaine caled Iverse.[164] Our ship did rid but a litle from the toune and Castle, which Castell is verrie stronge. The 6 daye, beinge Sondaye, in the morninge, as we weare wayinge anker, Thare came a boate from that toune, and broughte our marchantes for a presente tow gootes, oringis, Lemons, leekes, and Chibbals,[165] and grene beans, indeco, lettes, and other earbs. The 7th daye we sailed by Caldaroune[166] and by Alligante, which is an hondrethe Leagues within the straites mouthe; thare we mett with tow Flemishe sale that came from Talloune.[167] The 8 daye we weare becalmed before Alligante. The 9 daye we paste by Cape Pale,[168] in the nyghte folloinge by Cape Degate[169]; in the morninge we weare becalmed before Alama,[170] a fair toune in Spaine, as it is said, not moche inferrier to London. We weare in a maner becalmed all that daye and the nyghte followinge.
This day we saw greate store of the spane (spawn) of whales, whearof they make spermacetie; it did swym upon the water as the whale lefte it: upon the water it showed reed; but when we touke upe som of it in a buckete, it was whyte, and like grease.
Also this daye, beinge a verrie smale gale of wynde, a great fishe caled a storke (shark?), of a marvalus length, did follow our ship, sid by sid, with his eyes a bove water waytinge for a praye; for if a man had come withe in his lengthe of the water, he would hardly have escaped him.
Our Mr. goner made reddie his harpinge iron, and, when the sutle fishe se him reddie to pitche it at him, he staied and fell behinde the ship, and came up on the other side, and sarved him so 2 or 3 times; but at laste he hitt him a litle behinde the heade with a full blowe, but his skine was so harde that the iron turned duble and would not enter anythinge at all, only we myghte se a litle whyte spott wheare it lighte. Nether did the fishe make any show of felinge it, but turned him a boute, and wente awaye direcktly from the ship.
The 11th daye, the wynde beinge muche againste us, as we weare turninge to gitt somthinge of the wynde, we came neare unto the Castell Defeare[171] in Spaine, and verrie neare unto the shore, we loukinge still when the Castell would shoute at us, but they would not. Than, beinge com less than a league from the shore, we had no wynde at all, and so it contenued all the nexte daye. By this meanes our fleete weare scattered one a league from another, so that yf the Spainishe gallis had come forthe they myghte have taken us one after another.
That daye it was strainge to se how the porposis did rune in greate fleetes or scoles (shoals), in what maner it is credable to reporte, and the noyes that they made.