Oct. 8. About 10 o’clock the Burlinges appear’d S. from us (which are rocks lying of from the nethermost Cape of the last stretch before you go into Lisbon). We were in 39° 55´ of latitude, and observ’d a current on those coasts setting Southwards. That night we lay by. Next morning we reckon’d 26 sail between us and the Rock of Lisbon. They were Flemings, and we supposed them to be the same which we had seen the day before standing to the Southwards.
Oct. 9. Sunday, about 2 afternoon, some Hollanders came into our Company. It blew a violent gust of wind; we lay by with our head to the westward all night till next morning.
Oct. 11. At 4 afternoon the ships from Cadiz or Cales went in. We saw there in the Harbour a great ship at Anchor, with the English Flag at the main top mast head, which we concluded to be Sir Thos. Allen.[185]
Oct. 12. At noon we were in 18 fathom water northwards of from Tangier. The Admiral’s boat went ashoar to carry letters and newes, but stay’d not long, so that in 18 dayes we went from Plymouth Sound to the Streight’s mouth.
Capt. 4.—From the Streight’s Mouth to Tunis.
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The seamen have a custome to demand passage-money of every one that never past the streights before. Those that refuse to pay, they seise them and duck them down from main yard end into the Sea. There were several that chose rather to be plunged than to part with their money; for many that could swim would in calm weather, for a smal reward, leap from the main yard and into the Sea, but they alwayes took care to fall streight up (end wayes) upon their feet, with their legs close, into the Sea; for to fall otherwise so high on the water (especially upon the belly) would bruise or spoil a man.
Our seamen told us that they had the very same custome whenever they past between the Burlenges and the main land of Portugal, in their voyages to Lisbon; and a French sailor who was on board us told us of a mad ceremonious fashion they had of dousing every freshwaterman (with a pail of sea-water), which they nicknamed his Baptism, if he never before had past between Les Scenes and the firme land at Bretaigne.
Having run a convenient while on the Barbary coast, we shar’d of toward Gibraltar, and Oct. 12, at 4 o’clock, we were within lesse than a league of it, having it N. b. W. We saw two Flag Ships in the Bay. The mountain that overlooks the Town of old was called Calpe. It seem’d, indeed, very high—much higher than Abila, especially when we were near it.[186] The side to the south shows reddish, and hollow’d in, as if it had been battered down or mouldred away. The top is little and flat, and this, perhaps, might make some of the Antients to compare it to half of a broken pitcher inverted, or turn’d with the bottom upwards. It shew’d very steep towards the E., but in all its shapes as we past bye I could by no means fancy either it or Abila in the least.