to an anker seuen miles from the shore, and sent the skiffe with
the Pilot and the master gunner, to learne the coast, but they returned,
not hauing seen tree nor house, nor spoken with any man. But when they came
to the sea side againe, they went vp a little hill standing hard by the
brinke, whereon as they thought, they sawe the hill of Ierusalem, by the
which the Pilot knew (after his iudgement) that we were past our port. And
so this place where we rode was, as the mariners sayd, about 50. mile from
Iaffa. This coast all alongst is very lowe, plaine, white, sandie, and
desert, for which cause it hath fewe markes or none, so that we rode here
as it were in a gulfe betweene two Capes.

[Sidenote: A great currant.] The 18. day we abode still at anker, looking
for a gale to returne backe, but it was contrary: and the 19. we set saile,
but the currant hauing more force then the winde, we were driuen backe,
insomuch that the ship being vnder saile, we cast the sounding lead, and
(notwithstanding the wind) it remained before the shippe, there wee had
muddie ground at fifteene fadome. The same day about 4. of the clocke, wee
set saile againe, and sayled West alongst the coast with a fresh
side-winde. [Sidenote: A Cat fallen into the sea and recouered.] It chanced
by fortune that the shippes Cat lept into the Sea, which being downe, kept
her selfe very valiauntly aboue water, notwithstanding the great waues,
still swimming, the which the master knowing, he caused the Skiffe with
halfe a dozen men to goe towards her and fetch her againe, when she was
almost halfe a mile from the shippe, and all this while the ship lay on
staies. I hardly beleeue they would haue made such haste and meanes if one
of the company had bene in the like perill. They made the more haste
because it was the patrons cat. This I haue written onely to note the
estimation that cats are in, among the Italians, for generally they esteeme
their cattes, as in England we esteeme a good Spaniell. The same night
about tenne of the clocke the winde calmed, and because none of the shippe
knewe where we were, we let fall an anker about 6 mile from the place we
were at before, and there wee had muddie ground at twelue fathome.

The 20 it was still calme, and the current so strong still one way, that we
were not able to stemme the streame: moreouer we knew not where we were,
whereupon doubting whither wee were past, or short of our port, the Master,
Pilot, and other O