Anno 1578. Sir Francis Drake Sailing hither along the Coast of Brasile, Landing on an Island in the Mouth of the Straights, kill’d above three thousand Birds. Sailing from hence he was miserably toss’d in the South Sea, and discover’d about the middle of the Straights, that the Current out of the Southern and Northern Ocean met at the place where a great Bay bends Southwardly: To three Isles he gave the Name of Elizabeth, Bartholomew, and George, and drove three Weeks without making any Sail, in snowy, misty, and rainy Weather, falling amongst dangerous Rocks, and at last Anchor’d in the Haven Health, which he so call’d, because his sick and wearied Men being refresh’d there, he set Sail from thence and return’d home.
Captain Thomas Candish following Sir Francis Drake eight years after, found near a Creek within the City Philip-stadt, built there by the Spaniards, to secure the Passage out of the Northern to the Southern Ocean for themselves; to which purpose they held four hundred Men in Garrison in the said City, which lying near a pleasant Wood, was defended by four Bulwarks, each fortifi’d with a Brass Gun: But the Spaniards not being able to endure the Cold, nor get in their Harvest, which was continually spoil’d by the Natives, were so pinch’d with Hunger, that after three years stay many of them dy’d in their Houses, which caus’d a filthy Stink, and consequently a vile Distemper, not unlike the Small-pox; at last twenty three of them, amongst whom were two Women, judg’d it convenient to bury their great Guns, and march away with their Musquets; a whole Year they travell’d in great want, feeding on the Leaves of Trees, wild Roots, and Fowls which they now and then kill’d; at last they resolv’d to travel by Land to Rio de la Plata, but never any news was heard what became of them, onely one Spaniard, call’d Ferdinand, being stray’d from the rest, was taken by Candish, to whom he gave the foremention’d Relation. Candish entring Philip-stadt, found a Gibbet, on which hung a Malefactor in Chains, a Church, the Houses full of famish’d Bodies, and four Brass Guns, which he digg’d out of the Ground. From hence he ran to a fresh-water River (which disembogues into the Straights,) whose Banks are inhabited by cruel Cannibals, and the Countrey all about plain Pasture Grounds, whereas most part of the Shore in the Straights is very mountainous. Candish Landing, found Spanish Knives and Stilletto’s amongst the Man-eaters, and lay a whole Moneth at Anchor in the western Mouth of Magellanica, by reason of great Storms, feeding on Mussles, Cockles, and Fowl; and from thence Sail’d about the World, returning home at last with a Booty of twenty Tun of Gold.
Anno 1599. Simon de Cordes Commanding five Netherland Vessels, entring the Straights of Magellan, found in the green Bay, Mussles of a Span long, abundance of Ducks and Geese, and a great many Trees not unlike Laurel, they being onely bigger, and had a sharp biting Shell. The Wind blew exceeding hard here over the Rocks, insomuch that they were sometimes driven from four Anchors.
The Bird Pinguyn.
A few Moneths after Oliver van Noord follow’d Cordes, and Anchor’d near the Pinguyn Isles, the biggest whereof is call’d Castemme, and the least Talke; the Inhabitants thereof dwell in Caverns under Ground, and feed on the Birds Pinguyns, of whose Skins they make Mantles. These Birds weigh generally fifteen or sixteen Pound, have black Backs, white Bellies, very thick Skins, long Bills like Ravens, short thick Necks, two plum’d Fins in stead of Wings, black Feet like a Goose, and delicate Flesh, notwithstanding they feed on Fish, after which they swim very swift with the fore-mention’d Fins, which hang down on each side along their Bodies when they walk upright on the Shore; they sit generally four together in their Holes, made after such a manner, that a Man which knows not of them, may ere he be aware, sink up to the Knees in the same, and be bitten terribly by the Legs. Cordes his Seamen got in two hours time above nine hundred of these Birds, whilest he discover’d the salvage People Enoo, which inhabit the Countrey Cossi, and are divided into the Families Kemenetes, Kennekas, and Caraike; the first inhabited the Territory Carray; the second Caramay; and the third, Morine: all of them Paint their Cheeks and Forehead. Farther into the Countrey dwell the Trimenes, a gigantick sort of People, eleven Foot high, who maintain continual Wars with their Neighbors.
Great Discoveries of the Netherlanders about the Magellan Straights.
Moreover, Noord discover’d several Inlets full of Ice and fresh Water in the Straights of Magellan, whither the United Netherlands have since sent the Admirals William Schouten, Joris Spilbergen, and Jaques le Heremite. The common opinion, that the Countrey on the South side of Magellan is of the Main Continent, Experience hath manifested; for Schouten found the same, Anno 1616. who Sailing from Porto Desire, left the Straights of Magellan on the right-hand, and Sail’d Southerly through whitish Water, and in fifty four Degrees discover’d a Channel eight Leagues broad, through which ran a strong Current. The Coast rose with high Mountains, whose tops were cover’d with Snow. The utmost Point was call’d Mauritius, from the Prince of Orange; the broken Coast on the other side, The States-Island; and the Straights it self, Le Maire, upon the Request of the Merchant Jacob Le Maire, whose Father Isaac was chief owner of the two Ships of which Schouten was Commander, who found so many Whales here, that he could scarce Steer clear of them, they swimming by hundreds in a Shoal. The Sea-pies, much bigger than Swans, suffer’d themselves to be caught by the Hands of the Sea-men. Moreover he call’d the barren grey Rocks, and others lesser, lying North-East from the Promontory Hoorn, Barnevields Isles. Sailing beyond the Point Hoorn, he was toss’d by the vast Billows that came rowling out of the West.
It was no sooner nois’d abroad, that the Netherlanders had found the Straights Le Maire, but the Spanish King Philip immediately sent two Carvels thither, under the Command of Garcias de Nodal, who took an exact Account of the Heads, Roads, and Inlets belonging to the fore-mention’d Straights, and return’d without performing any other Exploits.
Diego Flores his unsuccessful Voyage to the Straights of Magellan.