that place not
being agreeable to him; here we took in good store of Aloes, and some
other Commodities, and victualled our Ship for our return home. {{29 }}

After four dayes failing we met with two Portugal Ships which came from
Lisbon, one whereof had in a storm lost its Top-mast, and was forced
in part to be towed by the other. We had no bad weather in eleven
dayes space, but then a sudden storm of Wind did us much harm in our
Tacklings, and swept away one of our Sailors off from the Fore Castle.
November the sixth had like to have been a fatal day unto us, our Ship
striking twice upon a Rock, and at night was in danger of being fired by
the negligence of a Boy, leaving a Candle carelesly in the Gun-room; the
next day we were chafed by a Pyrate Argiere, but by the swiftness of our
Sails we out ran him. December the first we came again to Madagascar,
where we put in for a fresh recruit of Victuals and Water.

During our abode here, there hapned a very great Earthquake, which
tumbled down many Houses; The people of themselves are very Unhospitable
and Treacherous, hardly to to be drawn to Traffique with any people;
and now, this calamitie happening upon them, so enraged them against the
Christians, imputing all luch calamities to the cause of them, that
they fell upon some Portugais and wounded them, and we seeing their
mischievous Actions, with all the speed we could put forth to Sea again,
and sailed to the Island of St. Hellens.

Here we stayed all the Chrismas Holy-dayes, which was vere much
celebrated by the Governour there under the King of Spain. Here we
furnished ourselves with all necessaries which [85]we wanted; but upon
our departure, our old acquaintance Mr. Petrus Ramazina, coming in a
Skiff out of the Isle del Principe, or the Princes Island, retarded our
going for the space of two dayes, for both my self and our Purser had
Emergent business with him, he being concerned in those Affairs of which
I wrote to you in April last: Indeed we cannot but {{30 }} acknowledge
his Courtesies unto us, of which you know he is never sparing. January
the first, we again hoisted Sail, having a fair and prosperous gail of
Wind, we touched at the Canaries, but made no tarriance, desirous now
to see our Native Countrey; but the Winds was very cross unto us for
the space of a week, at last we were savoured with a gentle Gale, which
brought us on merrily; though we were on a sudden stricken again into a
dump; a Sailor from t