- tinued my purpose for the West Indies, and first for Cape Blanco
in Africa vpon the deserts of Libya. My last hope was to meete my lost ship, and withall to renue my victuals vpon the Canthers, which are Portugal fishermen: but the Canthers had bene so frighted by Frenchmen, as I could get none. Riding vnder this White Cape two daies, and walking on shore to view the countrey, I found it a waste, desolate, barren, and sandie place, the sand running in drifts like snow and being very stony; for so is all the countrey sand vpon stone (like Arabia deserta, and Petrea) and full of blacke venemous lizards, with some wilde beasts and people which be tawny Moores, so wilde, as they would but call to my Carauel from the shore, who road very neere it.
The ysle of Trinidad descried.
Punta de Curispan.
But not desirous
to make any longer aboad in this place, by reason of the most infectious
serenas or dewes that fall all along these coasts of Africa,
I caused my Master Abraham Kendall to shape his
course directly for the isle of Trinidad in the West
Indies; which after 22. dayes, we descried, and the
first of February came to an anker vnder a point thereof
called Curiapan, in a bay which was very full of
pelicans, and I called it Pelicans bay. About 3.
leagues to the Eastwards of this place we found a mine of
Marcazites which glister like golde (but all is not gold that
glistereth) for so we found the same nothing worth, though the
Indians did assure vs it was Caluori, which signifieth gold with
them. These Indians are a fine shaped and a gentle people, al
naked and painted red, their commanders wearing crownes of
feathers. These people did often resort vnto my ship, and
brought vs hennes, hogs, plantans, potatoes, pinos, tobacco, and
many other pretie commodities, which they exchanged with vs
for hatchets, kniues, hookes, belles, and glasse buttons.
Paracoa or Parico. From this bay I fell downe lower to a place called Paracoa, where I desired rather to ride, because it was a conuenient place to water, balast, ground, and graue my Carauels.
They inskonce themselues. Then I commanded al my men to lye on shore, after I had caused to be made for them a little skonce like an halfe moone for their defence, being iealous of the Spaniards, of whose estate I could gather no certaintie, till from Margarita Antonie Berreo for his defence had gotten some 300. souldiers, a greater number then I was able to encounter withall, hauing then but 50. men, because my Carauels before their comming were sent away.
