From Elizabeth bay to the river of Ieronimo, is some five leagues. The course lyeth west and by north, and west. Here the wind scanted, and forced us to seek a place to anchor in. Our boates going alongst the shore, found a reasonable harbour, which is right against that which they call river Ieronimo; but it is another channell, by which a man may disemboake the straite, as by the other which is accustomed; for with a storme, which tooke us one night, suddenly we were forced into that opening unwittingly; but in the morning, seeing our error, and the wind larging, with two or three bourds wee turned out into the old channell, not daring for want of our pynace to attempt any new discoverie.[155]
Blanches bay.
This harbour we called Blanches bay: for that it was found by William Blanch, one of our masters mates. Here having moored our shippe, we began to make our provision of wood and water, whereof was plentie in this bay, and in all other places from Pengwin ilands, till within a dozen leagues of the mouth of the Straites.
Now finding our deckes open, with the long lying under the lyne and on the coast of Brasill, the sunne having beene in our zenith many times, we calked our ship within bourd and without, above the decks. And such was the diligence we used, that at foure dayes end, we had above threescore pipes of water, and twentie boats of wood stowed in our ship; no man was idle, nor otherwise busied but in necessary workes: some in felling and cleaving of wood: some in carrying of water; some in romaging; some in washing; others in baking; one in heating of pitch; another in gathering of mussells; no man was exempted, but knew at evening whereunto he was to betake himselfe the morning following.
Objection of wast.
Some man might aske me how we came to have so many emptie caske in lesse then two moneths; for it seemeth much that so few men in such short time, and in so long a voyage, should waste so much?
Answere.
Whereto I answere, that it came not of excessive expence; for in health we never exceeded our ordinary; but of a mischance which befell us unknowne in the iland of Saint James, or Saint Anne, in the coast of Brasill, where we refreshed our selves, and according to the custome layd our caske a shore, to trimme it, and after to fill it, the place being commodious for us. But with the water a certaine worm, called broma by the Spaniard, and by us arters, entred also, which eat it so full of holes that all the water soaked out, and made much of our caske of small use. This we remedied the best wee could, and discovered it long before we came to this place.
Warning against wormes.
Hereof let others take warning, in no place to have caske on the shore where it may be avoyded; for it is one of the provisions which are with greatest care to be preserved in long voyages, and hardest to be supplyed. These arters or broma, in all hott countries, enter into the plankes of shippes, and especially where are rivers of fresh water; for the common opinion is that they are bred in fresh water, and with the current of the rivers are brought into the sea; but experience teacheth that they breed in the great seas in all hott clymates, especially neere the equinoctiall lyne; for lying so long under and neere the lyne, and towing a shalop at our sterne, comming to clense her in Brasill, we found her all under water covered with these wormes, as bigge as the little finger of a man, on the outside of the planke, not fully covered, but halfe the thicknesse of their bodie, like to a gelly, wrought into the planke as with a gowdge. And naturall reason, in my judgement, confirmeth this; for creatures bred and nourished in the sea, comming into fresh water die; as those actually bred in ponds or fresh rivers, die presently, if they come into salt water.