TEXT: Thomas Canner, 'A Relation of the Voyage made to Virginia, in the Elizabeth of London, a Barke of fiftie tunnes by Captaine Bartholomew Gilbert, in the yeere 1603. Written by Master Thomas Canner a Gentleman of Bernards Inne his companion in the same Voyage' (Purchas his Pilgrimes, 1625, part IV, book viii, chap. xii, pp. 1656-1658). SOURCE EDITION: Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas His Pilgrimes, Glasgow: James MacLehose and Sons, 1906, vol. XVIII, pp. 329-335 (original spelling; bracketed '[IV. viii. 1657.]' markers give the 1625 pagination; marginal notes interleaved by OCR). Uncorrected OCR (Internet Archive djvu.txt). URL FETCHED: https://archive.org/download/hakluytusposthu84purcgoog/hakluytusposthu84purcgoog_djvu.txt DATE FETCHED: 2026-09-14 ============================================================================== and within five weekes space came from our Port of Virginia, into the Soundings of England, but there being long encountred with Easterly winds, we came at length into Kingrode, the second or October 1603. The Dis- coverer was out five moneths and an halfe. The Speedwell was out sixe moneths upon the Voyage. A Relation of the Voyage made to Virginia, in the Elizabeth of London, a Barke of fiftie tunnes by Captaine Bartholomew Gilbert, in the yeere 1603. Written by Master Thomas Canner a Gentleman of Bernards Inne his companion in the same Voyage. UPon Wednesday in Easter weeke, the seventeenth of Aprill, after I had taken my leave of some few of my loving and deere friends in Bernards Inne, I rode 329 A.D. PURCHAS HIS PILGRIMES 1603. toward Southampton, there to bespeake Bisket and some other provision for our Barke, wherein Master Bar- tholomew Gilbert went as Captaine, which had beenc in Virginia the yeere before with Captaine Bartholomew [IV. viii. Gosnold. After our businesse was dispatched here, wee *^57] came into Plimmouth, from whence wee put forth the tenth of May. And the six and twentieth of the same, we were in the latitude of 32. degrees, hoping to have had sight of the He of Madera, whereof we missed, in which course we met with two or three English men of warre. The first of June, we were in the latitude of 27. degrees, and haled over toward the Hands of the West Indies, and the fifteenth of this moneth toward night wee saw Land. Master Gilbert and the Master Henrie Suite dwelling within the Iron Gate of the Towre of London, tooke it to be the Bermudas : being very neere the shore they sounded many times and had no ground, at the last they found good ground in fourteene or fifteene fathomes. There wee cast Anchor. In the morning we weighed, and sounded still as we trended by the shoare : but after wee were past a Cables length from our Road, we had no Land againe in forty or fifty fathomes: we kept still by the snore not yet being certaine what Hand it was. The sixteenth in the morning, wee spied the people comming from the shore, who when they came neere, cried out for barter or trade : when they came close aboord, they made signes and cried out to see our colours, which we presently put forth in the maine top, and told them we were Inglcscs, Amigos, and Hermanos, that is. Englishmen, their friends and brothers. Assoone as they understood we were Englishmen, they were bolder to come neere : we threw them a Rope, and one came aboord us : wee traded with them for some Tobacco, Pine-apples, Plantanes, Pompions and such things as they had: wee gave them Bugles, Knives, Whistles, and such toyes. Here we kept close by the shore. When this Canoa had traded with us, and uttered all they had and drunke of our Beere, beeing 330 BARTHOLOMEW GILBERT A.D. 1603. They trade at Santa Lucia, kindly used they departed : and then presently after divers Canoas came, we traded and used them as the first. One of them told us that Iland was Santa Lucia. We bestowed all that forcnoone shaking in the wind ^for we had no wound to Anchor) neere the shore to trade with them. Then wee set our course for Saint Vincent, but finding a current against us and the wind very scant, we doubted we should not fetch it, and that if we did, per- adventure we might bee put to the leeward of Dominica, and so consequently of Mevis or Nieves ; for which Hand we were specially bound for to cut Lignum vitae, in the same. Therefore Master Gilbert thought good to let Saint Vincent alone, although in it is the best Tobacco of all the Hands, yet in the end hee put roomer for Dominica, Dominica, whereof we had sight the seventeenth of June, and came close to the shore ; and presently one Canoa came aboord, as at Santa Lucia, being sent with two men belike to discover us, and to see what entertainment they should have, we used them kindly and so dismissed them. There came more foil of men, with divers of their commodities. The nineteenth in the morning being Sunday, we anchored in a good Road at Mevis, and after went on shore Mevis. to seeke Lignum vitae. Master Gilbert, with the Master and divers of the company sought fiirre into the Woods, but found none but one little Tree, and here and there where one had bin cut: so we were in doubt to find enough heere to load our ship, a just plague unto us for prophaning the Sabbath in travelling about our worldly busmesse, when there was no necessitie. This day in the Evening some went out with the Boate unto the shore, and brought on boord a Tortoyse so big that foure men could not get her into the Boate but tied her fast by one legge unto the Boat, and so towed her to the ship, when they had her by the ship, it was no easie matter to get her on boord. The next day we went on shore againe to search another part of the wood for Lignum vitae : and then God be Lignum vitte, thanked we found enough. This day at night we opened 331 Great Tortoyse. A.D. PURCHAS HIS PILGRIMES 1603. our Tortoyse, which had in her about 500. Eggcs, excellent sweet mcate, and so is all the whole fish. Upon Tuesday in the morning we went all on shore saving the Carpenter and Thomas, and Master Gilberts man to fell wood, and this day we felled good store. All the rest of this moncth and three dayes more we continued here every day labour- ing sore, first in sawing downe the great trees, and sawing them againe into logs, portable out of the thicke wood to the Sea-shoare, so in the Boates, and so to the ship : where M. Gilbert his paines profited double as well in example as in worke, for hee was never idle, but either searching out more trees, or fetching drinke for the Labourers, or doing one thing or other : so that in this just fcMtnight that wee stayed here, wee had gotten on boord some twenty tuns. Within a few dayes after the Tortoyse was eaten God sent us another. One of these fishes were sufficient meat for twentie men for three or foure dayes if it could bee preserved, but in that Climate no salting can preserve it above two dayes, hardly so long. Now the wood growing thinne, and hardly to be found on this Hand, he thought it best to stay no longer here, but to goe for Virginia, to search for better store. And so upon Sunday the third of July in the afternoone we weighed Anchor, and sailed North-west and by North, and that S. ChristO' night passed bv Saint Christopher, and another little Hand fher. Munday the fourth in the morning we had sight of the Hand, we went into the Woods to search for Lignum vitae, but found none but one tree, which he cut and went on boord, we sought also for fresh water, but found none : At Evening went on shore into the bottome of the Bay to dray the Net ; and there we gat good store of fine fresh fish, and much more, enough to have laden our Boat we should have gotten, if at every Abundance of draught we had not had in the Net a Tortoyse, which stil Tortoyses, hr^ through and so carried away the fish with them. At one draught among the rest we had two in the Net, a [IV. viii. y^^R o"c and an old one : the Net held the young one. 1658.] Wee weighed and went through betweene the two 332 BARTHOLOMEW GILBERT ad, 1603. Hands into the mayne Ocean, toward our long desired Thr^ Countrey Virginia, distant three hundred and fiftic leagues ^w/«ii»i/. from us. Wee sayled North North-west. The seventh, we ran still North-west and North and by West. The eight, wee kept the same course. The ninth, we kept stiU the same course. The winde beeanne to vere some thing to the Southward, which had beene constant still, from the Hands of the Canaries, unto the Hands of the West Indies. And now began the winde to The Wesume draw towards the West, and then is it as constant there. ^^^^ ^'^^' The reason I deferre to longer consideration. The current setteth out of the Gulfe of Mexico, and from the mayne shore. Sunday the tenth, we kept still the same course, and had now but a small gale almost becalmed. The eleventh, we continued the same course with the same small gale we went North. Tuesday the twelfth we kept the same course, if any at all, for, for the most part we were becalmed. Wednesday the thirteenth, the calme continued, the Sunne being extremely hot in the calme. Thursday the fourteenth, the calme continued as hot as before. These dayes we ayred our Newland fish called Poore John, which ^^^ •^^'*»- proved ill done. For after it was ayred, it rotted the sooner, being burnt in the same. On Friday the fifteenth, God sent us a reasonable gale. The sixteenth and seven- teenth, the calme came againe. Munday, we had a good gale, and went North and by West, and North North- west. The nineteenth, twentieth, and one and twentieth, we had an excellent gale, and ranne North North-west. Then we cast out the Lead and looked out for land, but found no ground nor saw no land, and therefore we much doubted that the current had set us very farre to the lee- ward of the place which wee were bound for, being the Chesepian Bay; but that could not be knowne till it pleased God to bring us to land. In the afternoone about sixe of the clocke we cast out the Lead againe, and had Qmmdin 30. ground in thirtie fathomes, whereof we were glad and fatkmes, 333 AD. PURCHAS HIS PILGRIMES 1603. thanked God, knowing we could not be farre from land. Satiirday the three and twentieth in the morning, about eight of the clocke wee saw land in the height of 40. degrees and odde minutes, very fine low land, appearing farre off to bee full of tall Trees, and a fine sandie shoare, but a great siege: we saw no Harbour, and therefore coasted along to seeke one to the Northward, the wind being at West. Sunday the foure and twentieth, the wind being about An Headland, the North-east we beat hard to fetch an Head-land, where we thought we saw an Harbour : but when we came up with it, wee perceived it was none, and all our labour lost. And therefore the wind beeing now more full in our teeth at the North-east, wee considered it were better to put roome, so that if the winde should stand, then we should fetch the Bay of Chesepian, which Master Gilbert so much thirsted after, to seeke out the people for Sir Walter Raleigh left neere those parts in tne yeere 1587. if not, perhaps we might find some Road or Harbour in the way to take in some fresh water : for now wee had none aboord. On Munday the five and twentieth of July at ni^ht wee The mouth of Came neere the mouth of the Bay : but the wind blew so the Chesepian sore, and the Sea was so high, that the Master durst not •^* put in that night into the Sea : and so continued next day. On Wednesday the seven and twentieth, at night the winde came &ire againe, and wee bare againe for it all night, and the wind presently turned againe. Thursday the eight and twentieth, considering our extremitie for water and wood, victuals and beere likewise consuming The^ departed ^^^ ^^*> ^^ could no longer beate for it, and therefore Eastward ran roomer, determining for this time to seeke it no more. from the mouth Friday the nine and twentieth, being not farre from the oftheChese- shoare, which appeared unto us exceeding pleasant and ^T shew of ^^^ ^^ goodly Trees, and with some shew of the entrance entrance of a ^f a River, our Captaine Bartholomew Gilbert accompanied River. with Master Thomas Canner a Gentleman of Bernards 334 BARTHOLOMEW GILBERT a.v. 1605. Inne, Richard Hanson the Masters Mate, Henry Kenton our Chirurgion, and one Derricke a Dutchman, went on shore in the Boate from the ship which lay above a mile from the land, and with their weapons marched up into the Countrey, leaving two youths to keepe the Boate : but shortly after the Indians set upon them, and one or two Captaine of them fell downe wounded in sight of our yong men Gilbert and that kept the Boat, which had much a doe to save them- -^^J^^^'m/ selves and it. For some of the Indians roming downe Yndlanl to them, would have haled it on shore, which notwith- standing they saved, and with heavie hearts gat unto the ship with the losse of their Captain and foure of their principall men. Thus being but eleven men and Boyes m all in the ship, though our want of water and wood were great, y^t wee durst not adventxire the losse of any more of our small company in this place ; Therefore our Master Henry Sute tooke his course home for England by the lies of the Azores, and fell first with the Pike, and after- ward entring into our Chanell, had first sight of Portland, and thence came up the River of Thames unto Ratcliffe, about the end of September 1603. finding the Citie most grievously infected with a terrible plague. Chap. XIII. [iv.viii. 1659.] Extracts of a Virginian Voyage made An. 1605. by Captaine George Waymouth, in the Arch- angell. Set forth by the Right Honorable Henry Earle of South-hampton, and the Lord Thomas Arundel, written by James Rosier.