halfe further into the sea there is a dangerous
shallow, wherein are fiue rockes, which lie from Saint Marthas Islands
about seuen leagues as you passe into the sayd Islands, on the East and on
the West side, to which we came the sayd day an houre after noone, and
from that houre vntill midnight we sailed about fifteene leagues athwart a
cape of the lower Islands, which we named S. Germans Islands.
Southeastward, from which place about three leagues, there is a very
dangerous shallow. Likewise betweene S. Germans cape and Saint Marthas,
about two leagues from the sayd Islands, there lyeth a banke of sand, vpon
which banke the water is but foure fadome deepe, and therefore seeing the
danger of the coast, we strucke saile and went no further that night: The
next day being the last of Iuly, we went all along the coast that runneth
East and West, and somewhat Southeasterly which is all enuironed about
with Islands and drie sands, and in trueth is very dangerous. The length
from S. Germans Cape to the said Islands is about 17 leagues and a halfe,
at the end of which there is a goodly plot of ground full of huge and high
trees, albeit the rest of the coast be compassed about with sands without
any signe or shew of harboroughs, till we came to Cape Thiennot, which
trendeth Northwest about seuen leagues from the foresaid Islands, which
Cape Thiennot we noted in our former voyage, and therefore we sailed on
all that night West and Westnorthwest, till it was day, and then the wind
turned against vs, wherefore we went to seeke a hauen wherein we might
harbour our ships, and by good hap, found one fit for our purpose, about
seuen leagues and a halfe beyond Cape Thiennot, and that we named S.
Nicholas Hauen, it lieth amidst 4 Islands that stretch into the sea: Vpon
the neerest wee for a token set vp a woodden crosse. But note by the way,
that this crosse must be brought Northeast, and then bending toward it,
leaue it on the left hand and you shall find sixe fadome water, and within
the hauen foure. Also you are to take heede of two shelues that leane
outward halfe a league. All this coast is full of shoulds and very
dangerous, albeit in sight many good hauens seeme to be there, yet is
there nought else but shelues and sands. We staied and rested our selues
in the sayd hauen, vntill the seuenth of August being Sonday: on which day
we hoysed sayle, and came toward land on the South side toward Cape
Rabast, distant from the sayd hauen ab