Page:Diuers voyages touching the discouerie of America, - and the ilands adiacent vnto the same, made first of all by our Englishmen (IA diuersvoyagestou00hakl).pdf/1

❦ To the moſt Chriſtian king of Fraunce, Fraunces the firſt.

The relation of Iohn Verarzanus a Florentine, of the lande by him diſcouered in the name of his Maieſtie, written in Diepe the eight of Iuly 1524.

I Wꝛote not to your Maieſtie (moſt Chꝛiſtian king) ſince the time wee ſuffered the tempeſt in the Noꝛth partes, of the ſucceſſe of the foure Ships, which your Maieſtie ſent foꝛth to diſcouer new lands by the Ocean, thinking your Maieſtie had been alreadie duly enfoꝛmed thereof. Nowe by theſe pꝛeſents I will giue your Maieſtie to vnderſtand, howe by the violence of the windes wee were foꝛced with ye two ſhips, the Norman and the Dolphin, in ſuch euill caſe as they were, to lande in Britaine. Whereafter wee had repaired them in all pointes as was needefull and armed them very well, wee took our courſe a long by the coaſt of Spaine. Afterwardes with the Dolphin alone, wee determined to make diſcouerie of newe Countries, to pꝛoſecute at this pꝛesent to recount unto your Maieſtie, to make manifeſt the whole pꝛoceeding of the matter. The 17 of Januarie, the yeere 1524 by the grace of God, wee departed from the diſhabited Rocke, by the Iſle of Madêra, appertaining to the king of Portingall, with fiftie men, with victuals, weapon, and other ſhip munition very well pꝛouided and furniſhed foꝛ 8 monethes: And ſayling weſtwards with a faire Eaſterly winde, in 25. dayes wee ranne 500. leagues, and the 20. of Febꝛuarie wee were ouertaken with as ſharpe and terrible a tempeſt as euer any ſaylers ſuffered: whereof with ye diuine helpe 🙰 mercifull aſſiſtaunce of Almightie God, and the goodneſſe of our ſhip accompanied