Several Voyages toMagellanica.
Northward againstChiliandRio de la Platajuts the Countrey, which fromFerdinand Magaglianusis wrongly call’dMagellanica; to which several Voyages have been made by sundry People from the North-Sea to the Southern Ocean, divers Steering still new Courses: for some follow’d theStraightsofMagellan; others Sail’d more or less South-West: By which meansLe Mairopen’d a new Passage betweenMauritiusand theStates-Island; andH. Brewer, a Way below theStates-Island; yet all Steer’d their Course Westerly, so that none of them return’d the same Way, exceptElias Herkmansand Capt.Ladrillero, the last of whom coming fromChilito go to the North-Sea, met with such Storms, that he was forc’d to Tack about, and stand back again toChili, asHerkmansdid fromChilitoBrasile.
Pedro Sarmiento’s Expedition.
Anno 1579.Peter Sarmientoweigh’d Anchor with two Ships, and Sailing fromCallao de Limathrough theStraightsofMagellantoSpain, ran by the IslesFelixandAmber, discover’d in one Inlet eighty five Isles, most of them desolate, sounded all the Havens, found abundance of Oysters with Pearls in them, call’d an InletFrancisco, and a Mountain on the right-hand,Punta de la Gente Rubra, because the Inhabitants thereof painted their Bodies red, found the HavensMisericordiaandCandelaria, and the IslandSataynes, where five of the Natives gave him an Account of SirFrancis Drake, for whom he Cruis’d, and had sight of a snowy Mountain, whose top vomited Fire. On the PromontoryAnahe erected a woodden Cross, and laid a Writing under the same, wherein he advertis’d all Persons to take notice, that PopeAlexanderthe Sixth had freely given the King ofSpainall the Countreys thereabouts. Not long after he Steer’d through theStraightsofMagellanalong the Coast ofBrasile, toSpain.
The Sea-Coast fromChilitoMagellanica.
Concerning the Sea-Coast, which extends fromChilitoMagellanica, it is as followeth: Next to the PromontoryFelislieCypriaen,Clara,Cabo de las Islas, the IslandSocora, the HavenDomingo, the PointGallego, the RoadStevan, the CapeAndres, andOchavario, and the ValleyNuestra Sennora, between two Hills. Along the Southern Ocean lieAbra de San Guillen,Punta del Gada,Los Reyes,Innocentes,Augustine,Roia,Catalina,Amaro, andVictoriano; before which the three Isles call’dThe Sorlings, are seen in the Mouth of theStraightsagainst the South Sea.
MagaglianusSteering hither, Winter’d within theStraightsin an Inlet call’dSt. Julian, stay’d two Moneths before the Mouth of the RiverSanta Cruiz, where he took abundance of Fish, and from thence ran along the Shore to the PromontoryLas Virgines, which receiv’d that Denomination, because it was discover’d on the Day Consecrated toSt. Ursulaand her eleven thousandVirgins: Going a League up into the Countrey, he found a Hut, in which above two hundred dead Bodies were bury’d after a strange manner, and on the Shore a great Whale, driven on the Sands by a Storm. He nam’d the Countrey to the Southward,Terra del Fuego, because from the PromontorySeverinoin the Night he espy’d several Fires. He was exceedingly delighted with the pleasant Coasts on each side of theStraights, which were the more pleasant, by reason of several Hills overgrown with sweet-smelling Trees, whose tops lay cover’d with Snow.
The Expedition ofGarcias Loaysa,Alcazova, and others.
Magaglianuswas follow’d,Anno 1525.byGarcias Loaysa, who Sailing into theStraightsnear the PromontoryVirgines, endur’d great Colds; in the HavenSt. Georgehe found store of green Cinamon: The People he reported to be of so monstrous a stature, that they might well be accounted Giants; some of whom went naked, others wore a Net of Feathers made fast about their Wastes, and others a loose Garment all over their Bodies.Loaysagave this Countrey, inhabited by Giants, the Denomination ofTerra del Patagoni. He judg’d theStraightsofMagellanto be a hundred and tenSpanishMiles long between the two Promontories,Virginesat the North Sea, andDeseadoat the Southern Ocean. Within lie three Inlets, which have seven Leagues in breadth.
Simon AlcazovaSailing hither nine years afterLoaysa, shunn’d the Land on the left-side of theStraights, because it lay most under Water, and was forc’d by his Men to return to the HavenLeones, where he and all his Seamen were put to death.
Not long after the Bishop ofPlacentiafitted out three Sail, which entring theStraights, Anno 1540. lost their Admiral; the Vice-Admiral Wintering at the InletLas Zorras, (so call’d, because they took many Foxes on a Champain Countrey without Trees) return’d toSpainwithout any farther success: the third Ship with much ado arriv’d also atArequipa.
The Voyages ofHawkins,Drake, andCandish.
TheEnglishCaptain,Richard Hawkins, also Sailing hither, found the Land on the South side of theStraights, most broken, and in some places a few Huts.
Anno 1578.SirFrancis DrakeSailing hither along the Coast ofBrasile, Landing on an Island in the Mouth of theStraights, kill’d above three thousand Birds. Sailing from hence he was miserably toss’d in the South Sea, and discover’d about the middle of theStraights, that the Current out of the Southern and Northern Ocean met at the place where a great Bay bends Southwardly: To three Isles he gave the Name ofElizabeth,Bartholomew, andGeorge, and drove three Weeks without making any Sail, in snowy, misty, and rainy Weather, falling amongst dangerous Rocks, and at last Anchor’d in the HavenHealth, which he so call’d, because his sick and wearied Men being refresh’d there, he set Sail from thence and return’d home.
CaptainThomas Candishfollowing SirFrancis Drakeeight years after, found near a Creek within the CityPhilip-stadt, built there by theSpaniards, to secure the Passage out of the Northern to the Southern Ocean for themselves; to which purpose they held four hundred Men in Garrison in the said City, which lying near a pleasant Wood, was defended by four Bulwarks, each fortifi’d with a Brass Gun: But theSpaniardsnot being able to endure the Cold, nor get in their Harvest, which was continually spoil’d by the Natives, were so pinch’d with Hunger, that after three years stay many of them dy’d in their Houses, which caus’d a filthy Stink, and consequently a vile Distemper, not unlike the Small-pox; at last twenty three of them, amongst whom were two Women, judg’d it convenient to bury their great Guns, and march away with their Musquets; a whole Year they travell’d in great want, feeding on the Leaves of Trees, wild Roots, and Fowls which they now and then kill’d; at last they resolv’d to travel by Land toRio de la Plata, but never any news was heard what became of them, onely oneSpaniard, call’dFerdinand, being stray’d from the rest, was taken byCandish, to whom he gave the foremention’d Relation.CandishentringPhilip-stadt, found a Gibbet, on which hung a Malefactor in Chains, a Church, the Houses full of famish’d Bodies, and four Brass Guns, which he digg’d out of the Ground. From hence he ran to a fresh-water River (which disembogues into theStraights,) whose Banks are inhabited by cruel Cannibals, and the Countrey all about plain Pasture Grounds, whereas mostpart of the Shore in theStraightsis very mountainous.CandishLanding, foundSpanishKnives and Stilletto’s amongst the Man-eaters, and lay a whole Moneth at Anchor in the western Mouth ofMagellanica, by reason of great Storms, feeding on Mussles, Cockles, and Fowl; and from thence Sail’d about the World, returning home at last with a Booty of twenty Tun of Gold.
Anno 1599.Simon de CordesCommanding fiveNetherlandVessels, entring theStraightsofMagellan, found in the green Bay, Mussles of a Span long, abundance of Ducks and Geese, and a great many Trees not unlike Laurel, they being onely bigger, and had a sharp biting Shell. The Wind blew exceeding hard here over the Rocks, insomuch that they were sometimes driven from four Anchors.
The BirdPinguyn.
A few Moneths afterOliver van Noordfollow’dCordes, and Anchor’d near thePinguynIsles, the biggest whereof is call’dCastemme, and the leastTalke; the Inhabitants thereof dwell in Caverns under Ground, and feed on the BirdsPinguyns, of whose Skins they make Mantles. These Birds weigh generally fifteen or sixteen Pound, have black Backs, white Bellies, very thick Skins, long Bills like Ravens, short thick Necks, two plum’d Fins in stead of Wings, black Feet like a Goose, and delicate Flesh, notwithstanding they feed on Fish, after which they swim very swift with the fore-mention’d Fins, which hang down on each side along their Bodies when they walk upright on the Shore; they sit generally four together in their Holes, made after such a manner, that a Man which knows not of them, may ere he be aware, sink up to the Knees in the same, and be bitten terribly by the Legs.Cordeshis Seamen got in two hours time above nine hundred of these Birds, whilest he discover’d the salvage PeopleEnoo, which inhabit the CountreyCossi, and are divided into the FamiliesKemenetes,Kennekas, andCaraike; the first inhabited the TerritoryCarray; the secondCaramay; and the third,Morine: all of them Paint their Cheeks and Forehead. Farther into the Countrey dwell theTrimenes, a gigantick sort of People, eleven Foot high, who maintain continual Wars with their Neighbors.
Great Discoveries of theNetherlandersabout theMagellan Straights.
Moreover,Noorddiscover’d several Inlets full of Ice and fresh Water in theStraightsofMagellan, whither theUnited Netherlandshave since sent the AdmiralsWilliam Schouten,Joris Spilbergen, andJaques le Heremite. The common opinion, that the Countrey on the South side ofMagellanis of the Main Continent, Experience hath manifested; forSchoutenfound the same,Anno 1616.who Sailing fromPorto Desire, left theStraightsofMagellanon the right-hand, and Sail’d Southerly through whitish Water, and in fifty four Degrees discover’d a Channel eight Leagues broad, through which ran a strong Current. The Coast rose with high Mountains, whose tops were cover’d with Snow. The utmost Point was call’dMauritius, from the Prince ofOrange; the broken Coast on the other side,The States-Island; and theStraightsit self,Le Maire, upon the Request of the MerchantJacob Le Maire, whose FatherIsaacwas chief owner of the two Ships of whichSchoutenwas Commander, who found so many Whales here, that he could scarce Steer clear of them, they swimming by hundreds in a Shoal. The Sea-pies, much bigger than Swans, suffer’d themselves to be caught by the Hands of the Sea-men. Moreover he call’d the barren grey Rocks, and others lesser, lying North-East from the PromontoryHoorn,Barnevields Isles. Sailing beyond the PointHoorn, he was toss’d by the vast Billows that came rowling out of the West.
It was no sooner nois’d abroad, that theNetherlandershad found the StraightsLe Maire, but theSpanishKingPhilipimmediately sent two Carvels thither, under the Command ofGarcias de Nodal, who took an exact Account of the Heads, Roads, and Inlets belonging to the fore-mention’dStraights, and return’d without performing any other Exploits.
Diego Floreshis unsuccessful Voyage to theStraightsofMagellan.
Diego FloresSteer’d four years beforeCandishto theStraightsofMagellanwith twenty three Sail of Ships, Mann’d with three thousand five hundred Seamen, besides five hundred oldNetherlandSoldiers, with which he unhappily weigh’d Anchor fromCales; for before he got out of sight of theSpanishCoast, he lost five of his Ships and eight hundred Men; yet prosecuting his Voyage, he stay’d during the Winter Season on the Coast ofBrasileand was surpris’d by so vehement a Storm, near the IslandCatalina, that a company of Women, sent under the Charge ofPeter Sarmientoto Settle in theStraightsofMagellan, were all cast away, with the greatest part of the Ammunition and Provisions. TheEnglishAdmiralFentontook three Ships of this Fleet fromFlores, two were cast away in the RiverLa Plata, and one ran back toSpain, whilestFlorescame into theStraightsofMagellanon the last day ofMarch, at which time the whole Countrey lay cover’d with Snow; wherefore seeing no hopes of finding out any place to SettleSarmientoupon, he stood back with eight Sail toBrasile, and in his Return burnt threeFrenchShips, took two more, and Sail’d home. But his LieutenantDiego Ribera, and the GovernorPeter Sarmiento, Landed the Year afterFloreshis departure, with four hundred Men, thirty Women, and Provisions for eight Moneths, in theStraightsofMagellan; from whenceRiberaSail’d back, whilestSarmientobuilt on the North side of the Mouth of theStraights, the TownNombre 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 ofTerra del Fuego.
Terra del Fuego, already mention’d, opposite to the Countrey of thePatagones, lying the South between theStraightsofMagellan, 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 Mantlethemselves 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 theStraightsofLe Maire,Henrick Brewerhath found a new Passage to the Eastward above theStates-Island, out of the Northern Ocean to the South Sea.