Diego Flores Steer’d four years before Candish to the Straights of Magellan with twenty three Sail of Ships, Mann’d with three thousand five hundred Seamen, besides five hundred old Netherland Soldiers, with which he unhappily weigh’d Anchor from Cales; for before he got out of sight of the Spanish Coast, he lost five of his Ships and eight hundred Men; yet prosecuting his Voyage, he stay’d during the Winter Season on the Coast of Brasile and was surpris’d by so vehement a Storm, near the Island Catalina, that a company of Women, sent under the Charge of Peter Sarmiento to Settle in the Straights of Magellan, were all cast away, with the greatest part of the Ammunition and Provisions. The English Admiral Fenton took three Ships of this Fleet from Flores, two were cast away in the River La Plata, and one ran back to Spain, whilest Flores came into the Straights of Magellan on the last day of March, at which time the whole Countrey lay cover’d with Snow; wherefore seeing no hopes of finding out any place to Settle Sarmiento upon, he stood back with eight Sail to Brasile, and in his Return burnt three French Ships, took two more, and Sail’d home. But his Lieutenant Diego Ribera, and the Governor Peter Sarmiento, Landed the Year after Flores his departure, with four hundred Men, thirty Women, and Provisions for eight Moneths, in the Straights of Magellan; from whence Ribera Sail’d back, whilest Sarmiento built on the North side of the Mouth of the Straights, the Town Nombre de Jesus; and fifty Leagues farther in the narrowest place, Philip-stadt, with four Bulwarks; the Inhabitants of which (as is before related) were destroy’d by Famine.
Description of Terra del Fuego.
Terra del Fuego, already mention’d, opposite to the Countrey of the Patagones, lying the South between the Straights of Magellan, is a broken Countrey, with high Mountains full of Trees, and wash’d by pleasant Rivulets: four Foot deep in the Ground it begins to be all Rocky. The Air is troubled with exceeding great Winds out of the West. The Inhabitants are pale Countenanc’d, but Paint their Bodies with divers Colours; they have long, thick, and black Hair, and very sharp Teeth; the Men go stark naked; the Women cover their secret Parts with a piece of Leather, and wear Strings full of Shells about their Necks; some also Mantle themselves with the Skins of wild Beasts, which affords but little warmth against the Cold that is here in Winter. Their Huts consist of Trees, and are made round at bottom, and sharp on the top like a Tent, having onely a Hole for the Smoak to go out at; they are digg’d three Foot deep into the Ground, and also heap’d round with Earth; within the Huts nothing is to be found but Baskets with Fishing Utensils and Stone Hooks. Their offensive Arms the Men always carry about with them, because they always maintain Wars with their Neighbors. They handle a Quarter-staff very dexterously, are good Slingers and Bowemen; they also use Lances with sharp Stone Points. Moreover they make Boats of the Bark of Trees, which they first cut out into a Form, then sewing it together, bow the same after the manner of a Boat, which rises before and behind, and being fifteen or sixteen Foot long, can carry eight Men, going exceeding swift. These People are not onely beastial in their Practices, but also Murderers.
Lastly, besides the Straights of Le Maire, Henrick Brewer hath found a new Passage to the Eastward above the States-Island, out of the Northern Ocean to the South Sea.
CHAP. IV.
The unknown South-Land.
The unknown South-Land extends with several Points to the Southern Ocean, which have been more seen than discover’d by divers Nations.
Opposite to the East-India Island Gilolo, lies Terra des Papous, to which Jacob Le Maire gave the Denomination of New Guinee.
The English Commander, Richard Hawkins, Sailing to the Southward behind Papou, found the Inhabitants black like Negro’s: round about appear several Isles and convenient Harbors. Herrera places here on the East, the Countrey Agnanda, the Road St. Jago, the Island Los Crespos, the Haven Andreas, the River Virginum, and the little Isle La Vellena, before the Mouth of the Stream Augustine. Next you meet Easterly with the Rivers St. Peter and St. Paul, the Havens Hieronymus, the Isles Punta Salida, Abrigo, Malagente, and Maure de Dios, inhabited by white People.
Discoveries in Terra Australis incognita.