'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎392] (415/448)

Saint Helena.
either flux or reflux near the ftiore; feeming as if we were in the mid Ocean where nei
ther ebb nor flood is to be difcerned. Ho wbeit, the fait water plaihes and froaths to fee
it felf fo fuddenly refifted: but the moift breath ufually vaporing in or upon the Seas
makes it fometimes turbulent.
This Ifle is hard to be afcended; not that the palfage is craggy, but that it is fo Preci-
pitious. The Sailers have an Ironick Proverb, The way is fuch, as a man may chufe
whether he will break his heart going up, or his neck coming down : but being once up
fcarce any place can yield a more large or more delightful profpedt. The Land is very
even and plain at the top, and fwells no where to a deformed rifing; fome Springs above
be fweet which below are brackiih: the reafon may be, for that in their drilling de-
fcent they may relilh of the fait hills through which it cuts an ufual pafTage, fo as thev
become fait both by their own compofition and the fait breath which the Sea eva^
porates. Neverthelefs, there are but two noted Rivolets ^ one which bubbles down
towards the Ghappel, the other into the Lemmon Valley/ fo called from a Lemmon
Tree and Chappel built at the bottom of the Ifle by the Spaniard Anno 1571. and
by the Dutch of late pull'd down^ a place once intended for God's worlhip*, but
now dilpofed of to common ufes. There are alio fome ruines of a little Town lately
demolilht by the Spaniard, in that it became a Magazine of private trade in turning
and returning out of both the Indies; no other Monuments nor Antiquities are there
found. You fee all if you look upon the ribs of a weather-beaten Carrique and fome
broken pieces of great Ordnance which albeit left there againft the owners liking
ferve fome inftead of Anchors. Human Inhabitants there are none-, nor were of
late, fave that in the year 1591. Captain Kendall weighing Anchor fooner than was
expeded, one Segar a Marriner was accidentally left afhore: 18 months after, Cap
tain Parker coming to an anchor found poor Segar alive, but fo amazed, or rather
overjoyed at his arrival, that he dyed fuddenly *, by which we fee that fudden joy is not
eafily digefted. Ho wbeit of Hogs and Goats here are plenty, who agree wellfavour-
edly and multiply even to admiration; happy in their eafe and fafety till Ships arrive
there for refrefhment. The Goats leap wildly from Rock to Rock, and to avoid the
reach of our finall Guns keep their Centinels.
pendentcm fumma Capratn dc rupe videbis
Cafluram fperis decipit ilia Canes.
Theftately Goat- (Pre fteepefl Rocks makes way
T0 frlift rate greedy Dogs of hopeful prey.
Here alfo with a little labour we got ftore of Phefants, Powts, Quails, Hens, Par
tridge-, and which was no lefs acceptable, divers forts of Grafs and Roots, as Wood-
forrel, Three-leav'd Grafs, Scurvy-grafs and like acid Herbs foveraign againit the Scur
vy, the ufual Difeafe from the Sea, and moft predominating amongft Iflanders: we had
alfoBafil, Parfly, Mint, Spinage, Fennel, Annis,Radifh,Muftard-fced, Tabaco, and fome
others, which by a willing hand, direded by an ingenious eye, may foon be gathered •,
brought hither, and here fown, by Fernanda Lupiks, a Portugal, in the year of our Lord
1509. for the good of his Country-men*, who neverthelefs at this day dare hardly land
to over-fee their Seminary, or own their labours *, the English and Dutch in the churlifh
language of a Cannon fometime difputing the propriety. Anno 1588. Candijh, our Coun
tryman, landed here in his circum-navigating the Globe-, and found ftore of Lemons
Orenges, Pomgranads, Pomcitrons, Figs and Dates, but how the alteration comes who
knows: for none of thofe grow there now that I could either fee or hear of, one Lemon-
tree excepted. To conclude : In the old Chappel here we buried our Captain, Andrew
Evans, whofe deaths wound (as formerly told) was unhappily given him by a Mannatee
at the Mauritm. He was an expert Seaman, and no lefs vigilant than expert: fo as
doubtlefs the Company had a great lofs of him. Cretenfis nefcit Pelagm? was an old
Adage fettirig forth the excellency of thofe Iflanders in Marine affairst for it is with
out controverfie. That in thofe times they inftruded other Nations in the Art of Na
vigation v but upon the fubverfion of the Terfian Monarchy by the Greeks, and of theirs
by the Romans, the perfedion of that Art was transferred nearer our Quarters ; que*
ftionlefs the Portugals by their ingenious and induftrious difcovery of the Sea-panage
into the Eafl Indies (fomewhat lefs than two hundred years fince) gave that Art its
greatefb perfedion : but who is now the moft excellent ? let Reckerman decide the
Queftion 5 which learned obfervator in his Treatife of the Spanifh and Portugal di-
fcoveries makes this Refult, 'Hoc tamen cmnm eft, ommbus hodie Gentibus Navigandi indu-
# ftria