The 4th day, in the morning, the master went on shore with ten of his men, and they brought us four of the people rowing in their boats, aboard of the ship.And in the afternoon I went on shore with six of our men, and there came to us seven of them when we were on land.We found on shore three dead people, and two of them had their staves lying by them, and their old skins wrapped about them, and the other had nothing lying by, wherefore we thought it was a woman.We also saw their houses, near the seaside, which were made with pieces of wood on both sides, and crossed over with poles and then covered over with earth.We found foxes running upon the hills.As for the place, it is broken land all the way that we went, and full of broken islands.The 21st of August the master sent the boat on shore for wood, with six of his men, and there were one-and-thirty of the people of the country, which went on shore to them, and they went about to kill them as we thought, for they shot their darts towards them, and we that were aboard the ship did see them go on shore to our men, whereupon the master sent the pinnace after them; and when they saw the pinnace coming towards them they turned back, and the master of the pinnace did shoot off a culliver to them the same time, but hurt none of them, for his meaning was only to put them in fear.Divers times they did wave us on shore to play with them at the football, and some of our company went on shore to play with them, and our men did cast them down as soon as they did come to strike the ball.And thus much of that which we did see and do in that harbour where we arrived first.
The 23rd day we departed from the merchants where we had been first, and our course from thence was south and by west, and the wind was north-east, and we ran that day and night about five or six leagues until we came to another harbour.
The 24th, about eleven of the clock in the forenoon, we entered into the aforesaid new harbour, and as we came in we did see dogs running upon the islands.When we were come in, there came to us four of the people which were with us before in the other harbour; and where we rowed we had sandy ground.We saw no wood growing, but found small pieces of wood upon the islands, and some small pieces of sweet wood among the same.We found great harts' horns, but could see none of the stags where we went, but we found their footings.
As for the bones which we received of the savages, I cannot tell of what beasts they be.The stones that we found in the country were black, and some white; as I think, they be of no value; nevertheless I have brought examples of them to you.
The 30th of August we departed from this harbour towards England, and the wind took us contrary, so that we were fain to go to another harbour the same day at eleven of the clock.And there came to us thirty-nine of the people and brought us thirteen seal-skins, and after we received these skins of them the master sent the carpenter to change one of our boats which we had bought of them before; and they would have taken the boat from him perforce, and when they saw they could not take it from us they shot with their darts at us, and struck one of our men with one of their darts, and John Filpe shot one of them in the breast with an arrow.And they came to us again, and four of our men went into the ship boat, and they shot with their darts at our men; but our men took one of their people in his boat, into the ship boat, and he hurt one of them with his knife, but we killed three of them in their boats, two of them were hurt with arrows in the breast, and he that was aboard our boat was shot with an arrow, and hurt with a sword, and beaten with staves, whom our men cast overboard; but the people caught him and carried him on shore upon their boats, and the other two also, and so departed from us.And three of them went on shore hard by us where they had their dogs, and those three came away from their dogs, and presently one of their dogs came swimming towards us hard aboard the ship, whereupon our master caused the gunner to shoot off one of the great piecestowards the people, and so the dog turned back to land, and within an hour after there came of the people hard aboard the ship, but they would not come to us as they did before.
The 31st of August we departed from Gilbert's Sound for England, and when we came out of the harbour there came after us seventeen of the people looking which way we went.
The 2nd of September we lost sight of the land at twelve of the clock at noon.
The 3rd day at night we lost sight of the North Star, our pinnace, in a very great storm, and lay a-hull tarrying for them the 4th day, but could hear no more of them.Thus we shaped our course the 5th day south-south-east, and sailing unto the 27th of the said month, we came in sight of Cape Clear in Ireland.
The 30th day we entered into our own Channel.
The 2nd of October we had sight of the Isle of Wight.
The 3rd we coasted all along the shore, and the 4th and 5th.
The 6th of the said month of October we came into the River of Thames as high as Ratcliffe in safety, God be thanked!
THE THIRD VOYAGE NORTH-WESTWARD, MADE BY JOHN DAVIS, Gentleman, as chief captain and pilot general for the discovery of a passage to the Isles of the Molucca, or the coast of China, in the year 1587.Written by John Janes, servant to the aforesaid Master William Sanderson.
