BY A
Course never sailed before.
BEING
A VOYAGE undertaken by some Merchants, whoafterwards proposed the Setting up an East-IndiaCompany in Flanders.
LONDON:
Printed for A. Bettesworth, at the Red-Lyon,in Pater-Noster-Row; and W. Mears, at theLamb, without Temple-Bar. M.DCC.XXV.
NEW VOYAGE
ROUND THE WORLD.
It has for some ages been thought so wonderful a thing to sail the touror circle of the globe, that when a man has done this mighty feat, hepresently thinks it deserves to be recorded like Sir Francis Drake's. Sosoon as men have acted the sailor, they come ashore and write books oftheir voyage, not only to make a great noise of what they have donethemselves, but pretending to show the way to others to come after them,they set up for teachers and chart makers to posterity. Though most ofthem have had this misfortune, that whatever success they have had inthe voyage, they have had very little in the relation; except it be totell us, that a seaman when he comes to the press, is pretty much out ofhis element, and a very good sailor may make but a very indifferent author.
I do not in this, lessen the merit of those gentlemen who have made sucha long voyage as that round the globe; but I must be allowed to say, asthe way is now a common road, the reason of it thoroughly known, and theoccasion of it more frequent than in former times, so the world has donewondering at it; we no more look upon it as a mighty thing, a strangeand never heard of undertaking; this cannot be now expected of us, thething is made familiar, every ordinary sailor is able to do it, if hismerchants are but qualified to furnish him for so long a voyage; and hethat can carry a ship to Lisbon, may with the same ease carry it round the world.
Some tell us, it is enough to wonder at a thing nine days, one wouldreasonably then conclude, that it is enough that sailing round the worldhas been wondered at above a hundred years. I shall therefore let thereader know, that it is not the rarity of going round the world that hasoccasioned[Pg 194] this publication, but if some incidents have happened insuch a voyage, as either have not happened to others, or as no otherpeople, though performing the same voyage have taken notice of, thenthis account may be worth publishing, though the thing, viz. The Voyageround the World, be in itself of no value.
It is to be observed, of the several navigators whose Voyages round theWorld have been published, that few, if any of them, have diverted uswith that variety which a circle of that length must needs offer. Wehave a very little account of their landings, their diversions, theaccidents which happened to them, or to others by their means; thestories of their engagements, when they have had any scuffle either withnatives, or European enemies, are told superficially and by halves; thestorms and difficulties at sea or on shore, have nowhere a fullrelation; and all the rest of their accounts are generally filled upwith directions for sailors coming that way, the bearings of the land,the depth of the channels, entrances, and bars, at the several ports,anchorage in the bays, and creeks, and the like things, useful indeedfor seamen go