mber
before wee could get into the Downes: where for lacke of winde wee kept
our Christmas with dry breade onely for dropping of our clothes. (M67) One
thing very strange hapened in this voyage: to witte, that a mightie great
Whale followed our shippe by the space of many dayes as we passed by Cape
Razo, which by no meanes wee coulde chase from our ship, untill one of our
men fell ouerboord and was drowned, after which time shee immediatly
forsooke vs, and neuer afterward appeared vnto vs.(12)

XI. A briefe note concerning the voyage of M. George Drake of Apsham to
Isle of Ramea in the aforesayd yere 1593.

In the beginning of the former relation written by Richard Fisher seruant
to the worshipfull Master Hill of Redriffe is, as you reade, a briefe
reporte of their loosing of their consort the shippe of Master George
Drake of Apsham: which though shee came directly to the Isle of Ramea, yet
because shee was not ready so soone by two moneths as she ought to haue
bene, she was not onely the hinderance of her consort the Marigolde, and
lost the season of the yere for the making of her voyage of killing the
Morses or Sea Oxen, which are to be taken in Aprill, May, and Iune: but
also suffered the fit places and harboroughs in the Isle which are but
two, as farre as I can learne, to be forestalled and taken vp by the
Britons of Saint Malo and the Baskes of Saint Iohn de Luz, by comming a
day after the Fayre, as wee say. Which lingering improuidence of our men
hath bene the ouerthrowe of many a worthy enterprize and of the
vndertakers of the same.

The relation of this voyage at large I was promised by the Authour
himselfe: but the same not comming to my handes in tyme I am constrained
to leaue it out. The want whereof, for the better vnderstanding of the
state of the sayde Island, the frequenting of that gainefull trade by the
aforesayd nations of the Britons and Baskes, may in part be supplyed by
the voyage of Master Charles Leigh to the sayde Island of Ramea: which
also comming much too late thither, as Master George Drake had done, was
wholly preuented and shutte out to his and his friendes no small detriment
and mischiefe, and to the discouraging of others hereafter in the sayde
gainefull and profitable trade.

Neuerthelesse albeit hitherto the successe hath not answered our
expectation through our owne default, as is abouesaid, yet I was very
willing to set downe in briefe and homely stile some mention of thes