The fourth, was very hot: we stood to the north-west two watches, and one south in for the land, and came to an anchor at the norther end of the headland, and heard the voyce of men call. Then we sent our boat on shoare, thinking they had beene some Christians left on the land: but wee found them to bee savages, which seemed very glad of our comming. So wee brought one aboord with us, and gave him meate, and he did eate and drinke with us. Our master gave him three or foure glasse buttons, and sent him on land with our shallop againe. And at our boats comming from the shoare he leapt and danced, and held up his hands, and pointed us to a river on the other side: for we had made signes that we came to fish there. The bodie of this headland lyeth in 41 degrees 45 minutes. We set sayle againe after dinner, thinking to have got to the westward of this headland, but could not; so we beare up to the southward of it, and made a south-east way; and the souther point did beare west at eight of the clocke at night. Our soundings about the easter and norther part of this headland, a league from the shoare are these: at the easterside thirtie, twentie-seven, twentie-seven, twentie-foure, twentie-five, twentie. The north-east point 17 degrees 18 minutes, and so deeper. The north end of this headland, hard by the shoare thirtie fathomes: and three leagues off north north-west, one hundred fathomes. At the south-east part a league off, fifteene, sixteene, and seventeene fathomes. The people have greene tabacco and pipes, the boles whereof are made of earth and the pipes of red copper. The land is very sweet.
The fift, all mystie. At eight of the clocke in the morning wee tact about to the westward, and stood in till foure of the clocke in the after-noone; at which time it cleered, and wee had sight of the head-land againe five leagues from us. The souther point of it did beare west off us: and we sounded many times, and had no ground. And at foure of the clocke we cast about, and at our staying wee had seventie fathomes. Wee steered away south and south by east all night, and could get no ground at seventie and eightie fathomes. For wee feared a great riffe that lyeth off the land, and steered away south and by east.
The sixth, faire weather, but many times mysting. Wee steered away south south-east, till eight of the clocke in the morning; then it cleered a little, and we cast about to the westward. Then we sounded and had thirtie fathomes, grosse sand, and were come to the riffe. Then wee kept our lead, and had quicke shoalding from thirtie, twentie-nine, twentie-seven, twentie-foure, twentie-two, twentie and an halfe, twentie, twentie, nineteene, nineteene, nineteene, eighteene, eighteene, seventeene; and so deeping againe as proportionally as it shoalded. For we steered south and south-east till we came to twentie-sixe fathomes. Then we steered south-west, for so the tyde doth set. By and by, it being calme, we tryed by our lead; for you shall have sixteene or seventeene fathomes, and the next cast but seven or six fathomes. And farther to the westward you shall have foure and five foot water, and see rockes under you and you shall see the land in the top. Upon this riffe we had an observation, and found that it lyeth in 40 degrees, 10 minutes. And this is that headland which Captaine Bartholomew Gosnold discovered in the yeere 1602, and called Cape Cod, because of the store of cod-fish that hee found thereabout. So we steered south-west three leagues, and had twentie and twentie-foure fathomes. Then we steered west two glasses, halfe a league, and came to fifteene fathomes. Then we steered off south-east foure glasses, but could not get deepe water; for there the tyde of ebbe laid us on; and the streame did hurle so, that it laid us so neere the breach of a shoald that wee were forced to anchor. So at seven of the clocke at night wee were at an anchor in tenne fathomes: and I give God most heartie thankes, the least water wee had was seven fathomes and an halfe. We rode still all night, and at a still water I sounded so farre round about our ship as we could see a light; and had no lesse then eight, nine, ten, and eleven fathomes: the myst continued being very thicke.
The seventh, faire weather and hot, but mystie. Wee rode still hoping it would cleere, but on the floud it fell calme and thicke. So we rode still all day and all night. The floud commeth from the south-west, and riseth not above one fathome and an halfe in nepe streames. Toward night it cleered, and I went with our shallop and sounded, and found no lesse water then eight fathomes to the south-east off us; but we saw to the north-west off us great breaches.
The eight, faire and cleere weather. In the morning, by sixe of the clocke, at slake water, wee weighed, the wind at north-east, and set our fore-sayle and mayne top-sayle, and got a mile over the flats. Then the tyde of ebbe came, so we anchored againe till the floud came. Then we set sayle againe, and by the great mercie of God wee got cleere off them by one of the clocke this afternoone. And wee had sight of the land from the west north-west to the north north-west. So we steered away south south-east all night, and had ground untill the middle of the third watch. Then we had fortie-five fathomes, white sand and little stones. So all our soundings are twentie, twentie, twentie-two, twentie-seven, thirtie-two, fortie-three, fortie-three, fortie-five. Then no ground in seventie fathomes.