Richard Ferris his trauailes to Bristowe.
AFter that I had rashly determined to passe the seas with a Wherry, and to rowe my selfe in the same to the Citie of Bristow, though with the euill will of sundrie my good friendes, but especially full sore against my aged fathers consent now dwelling in the Citie of Westminster where I was borne, I thought it conuenient to séeke out some one expert Pilot to direct me and my companion by his skill, the better to passe the perilles and dangers whereof I was foretold. Wherevpon I tooke vnto me one W. Thomas, a man of sufficient skill and approoued experience, by whom I was still content to be aduised euen from my first going foorth, vntill my last comming home.
The Boate wherein I determined to performe my promise, was new built, which I procured to be painted with gréene, & the Oares & sayle of the same collour, with the red Crosse for England and her Maiesties armes with a vane standing fast to the sterne of the sayd Boate, which being in full readinesse vpon Midsommer day last, my selfe with my cōpanions Andrew Hill, & William Thomas, with a great many of our friends and welwillers accompanyed vs to the Tower wharfe of London, there wee entred our Boate, and so with a great many of our friends in other like boates rowed to the Court at Gréenewitch, where before the Court gate we gaue a volley of shot: then we landed and went into the Court, where we had great entertainement at euery office, and many of our friendes were full sorie for our departing: And hauing obtained leaue before of the Right Honorable the Lord Chamberlaine, the Lord Admirall, and M. vize Chamberlaine, for my departure, I tooke my leaue and so departed, setting vp our sayles, and taking [Page] vs to our Oares, wee departed towarde this our doubtfull course: and first we tooke our way to Grauesende, and from thence to these places hereafter mencioned, namely:
- To Margat.
- To Douer.
- To new Hauen in Sussex.
- To Portchmouth.
- To Sandwitch in Dorcetshire.
- To Abbots Berry.
- To Lyme.
- To Seaton.
- To Tingmouth.
- To Dartmouth.
- To Saucombe.
- To Plymmoth.
- To Lowe in Cornewall.
- To S. Mawes in faumouth.
- To the gret bay at Pensans called Mounse bay.
- To S. Iues at the further side of the landes end.
- To Gooddriuie.
- To Padstowe.
- To Bottricks Castle, which is in the race of Hartlande alias Hartey-point.
- To Cleuelley.
- To Ilford Co [...]me.
- To Mynnet high Cliffes.
- And lastly, to the Citie of Bristowe.
At these places before recited we stayed and refreshed our selues, sometime we were constrained to put into these places for want of victuals, sometime for to haue their certificats to testifie of our being there: sometimes we were weather bound, and sundrie accidents worth the noting happened vnto vs in many of these places, and our welcome in all places deserueth due commendations, the particulars wherof hereafter followeth.
After we had passed Grauesend as is aforesayd, we came to the lands end, then we bent our course to Margat, which place hauing passed, we woone the forelande with some high billowes.
From thence to the south forelande, and soone after we put in at Douer, where we stayed about vi. houres, and where we were greatly entertayned.
From thence we tooke to the Camber nestes, which is betwéene Rie and Douer, and so along the mayne Sea towards [Page] fayre Lée. Then we rowed and sayled along the Coast vntill we came to Beachie and passing by it we harbored at new Hauen in Sussex; where we had reasonable good weather fill we came betwéene the Ile of Wight and Portchmouth: there we had a great storme, and in such sort ouerpressed with weather, that wee were constrayned to make towardes a Castle called Hurst Castle, from whence at the fall of winde and tide, we put foorth againe to sea, and recouered to Sandwitch in Dorcetshire. From thence we passed through a race called S. Albons which is a hed land, where we were in a great frett by reason of the race and so continued hazarding our liues by meanes of that fret, to the great and daungerous race of Portland, where by the good direction of our Pilot and master, we sought and stroue by great labour to take the aduantage of the tide and weather, whereby we passed through it in one houre.
Here did the billowes rise verie hie, so that we were in great daunger, yet God be thanked we escaped them without any dammage. From thence we passed to Lime bay, where we staied but one night and from thence to Seaton, at which place we were compelled to carrie and lift vp our boate on shoare, by extremitie of foule weather, for wee were there in great danger, by reason of frets, sands, and fowle weather, which greatly troubled vs.
From thence we went to Tingmoth, and so to Dartmoth, there we remained two daies, and had good intertainement, and great courtesie offred vs by the inhabitants thereof. And vppon the next day morning being Sunday, wée put to Sea againe, there hauing a faire winde and tide wée came to the Start, where the winde rose and hemde vs in round about, into a verie dangerous race, (this was on the fifteenth of Iuly) where wée were in such an extremitie, that we had like to haue béene drowned, yet it pleased God so farre to worke for vs, that we escaped the danger thereof, which done, wée went to the westward of Sawcombe, there wée were constrained to hale vppe our [Page] Bote in a coue called S [...]wer Mill, behind a rocke neare to Sir William Courtney, a verie bountiful knight, at whose house wée laie all that night, and would haue had vs to haue staide longer. But from thence hauing faire weather wée came to Plimmoth.
Heere wee mette with her Maiesties shippes, where maister Captaine Fenner and maister Captaine Wilkinson, gaue vs great intertainement, especially for that they saw we had leaue giuen vs from the right Honourable of her Maiesties counsell, for our quiet and safe passage. And for that I was her Maiesties messenger, they gaue vs the greater intertainement, and staide there one night, from thence we went to Lowe, and there staide one night, from thence to Sainte Mawes, with verie calme and good weather, vntil wee came to the Lizard, being a place well knowen to be most dangerous and full of rockes and rases, where God be thanked we passed in the currant of the tide, with great swiftness, but with wonderfull danger, where had it not beene well looked vnto of the maister wée had all beene cast away.
Then we did cutte ouer the Mouse bay to Mouthole which is foure myles beyond the mount, where we were constrained for want of necessarie victuals to come backe againe to Pensance, where we lodged all night.
The next morning, we set out to goe for the landes end, where setting from Pensans with our halfe tyde, to recouer the first of the tyde at the lands end, we being in our Boate a great way from the shore, our maister descryed a Pyrate, hauing a vessel of foure tunne, who made towards vs amaine, meaning doubtles to haue robbed vs, but doubting such a matter, we rowed so neare the shoare as wee might: and by that time as he was almost come at vs, we were neare to a rocke standing in the sea, where this Pyrate thought to haue taken vs at an aduantage: for being come close to the out side of the saide rocke, called Raynalde stones, he was becalmed & could make no way, and so were [Page] we. But God who neuer faileth those that put their trust in him, sent vs a comfort vnlooked for: for as we rowed to come about by this rocke, suddenly we espyed a plaine and verie easie way for vs to passe on the inner side of the saide rocke, where we went through very pleasantly, and by reason thereof he could not follow vs: thus we escaped safely, but he was soone after taken and brought in at Bristow. Here we found great breaches, races and rocks, the winde then being Northerly and altogether against vs, which was wonderfull painefull, troublesome, and daungerous to vs, neuerthelesse (God be thanked) we escaped in safetie, and recouered to Saint Iues, where we were well entertained. The next day we put to sea againe, but being within fiue myles of Saint Iues, we were constrained to séeke for a Coue, which we found called Saint Dryuey in Cornwale.
Here, for that we wanted victualles, our maister was constrained to goe climbe the great Cliffe at Goodryvey which is at the least fortie fatham hye, and wonderfull stéepe, which none of vs durst venture to doe, and (God be blessed for it) he had no harme at all, but surely to all likelyhoodes, had his foote once slipped, there could haue béene no recouery to haue saued him, but that he would haue béene brused in péeces.
At this place we stayed two dayes at maister Aro [...] dalles house, where we were greatly welcome, and from thence we went to Bottricks Castell, where dwelleth a gentleman called maister Hynder, there we were wether bound, and constrained to stay full seuentéene dayes, where we had great entertainement, he himselfe offering vs, if we would stay a whole yeare, wee should be welcome, and the rather for that I was one of her Maiesties seruants. But vpon the eightéenth day, the foule wether seasing we did againe put to the sea through the race of Hartland, alias Hartipointe, which is as ill as the race of Portlande, which wee escaped and recouered to Cleuelley, [Page] where wee were entertained by a very courteous gentleman called maister Carey. And from thence wee came to Ilforde Coume, which was on Satterday at night the first of August last past, whereupon for that wee were so neare Bristow, I desired my company that wee might put to sea that night, which they were loth to doe, yet at my importunate sute they graunted thereto. But being at sea, the winde arose very sore from of the land, which put vs all in great feare, whereby I my selfe was constrained to row foure houres alone on the Larboorde side, and my fellowe Rower was compelled to lade forth water so fast as it came into the Boate, which did beate vpon me and ouer me, very sore, the winde then being East and by South. Thus I was constrained to labour for life, and yet had almost killed my selfe through the heate I tooke in that time, rowing as is aforesaide, vntill we came to Mynette.
This done, we went from Mynytte, and so betwéene the two homes came to Bristow in one tyde, and arriued at the backe of Bristow, about sixe of the clocke at night.
But it was wonderfull to sée and heare what reioycing there was on all sides at our coming: The Maior of Bristow, with his bretheren the Aldermen, came to the water side, and welcomed vs most louingly, and the people came in great multitudes to sée vs, in so much as by the consent of the Magistrates, they tooke our Boate from vs, not suffering vs once to meddle with it, in respect that we were all extreame wearie, and carried our saide Boate to the high Crosse, in the Citie, from thence it was conuaied to the towne house, there locked safe all night. And on the next morning the people of the Citie gathered them selues together, & had prepared Trumpets, Drummes, Fyfes, & Ensignes to go before the Boate, which was carried vpon mens shoulders round about the Citie, with the Wait [...]s of the saide Citie, playing orderly in honour of our rare and daungerous attempt atchiued. Afterwardes we were had [Page] to maister Maiors, to the Aldermen and Sherifies houses, where we were feasted most royally and spared for no cost all the time that we remained there. Thus hauing a while refreshed our selues after our so tedious labours, we came to London on Saterday being the eight of August .1590. where to speake truth without dissembling, our entertainement at our coming was great and honourable, especially at the Court, and in the Cities of London and Westminster, and generally I found that the people greatly reioyced to sée vs in all places?
To conclude, I haue giuen order that the saide Boate shal be brought by land from Bristow to London, where the watermen & sundry other haue promised to grace the saide Boate with great melodie, and sundry volleyes of shot, which very shortly is entended to be performed.
Here is to be remembred, that betwéene Hartie-point and Cleuelly, the winde being verie strong, my companion and oare fellow Andrew Hill in taking downe our sayle, fell ouer boord into the sea, where by great good happe, and by meanes that he helde fast to a péece of our sayle, we recouered him and got him vp againe (although he were a verie waightie man) which if we had not done I could not haue gotten any man to haue supplyed his roome: but when we sawe that he was amended, we gaue God thankes for his recouerie.
Thus to God I with my fellow mates, giue most hartie prayers and thankes for our safe deliuerance from so imminent daungers as we haue béene in since our departure from the Court at Gréenewitch, being still defended by the mightie and handie worke of Almightie God, to whom we in all obedience and duetie dayly pray for the prosperous health of her Maiestie, and her honourable Councell, whose liues and welfare is the strength and maintenance of this land, and whom Almightie God, prosper and preserue now and euer. Amen.