Japan and the Japanese

134 JAPAN.---A. D. 15131607.
make a little experience of the small knowledge which God had
given him," he was induced to cuter that service.
Mahay's squadron, in which Adams sailed as chief pilot, con-
sisted of the Hope, of two hundred and fifty tons and one hundred
and thirty men, the Faith, of one hundred and fifty tons and one
hundred and nine men, the Charity, of one hundred and sixty tons
and one hundred and ten men, the Fidelity, of one hundred tons
and eighty-six men, and the Good JXews, of seventy-five tons and
fifty-six men ; but these names of good omen did not save these
small and over-crowded vessels from a succession of disasters, too
common in the maritime enterprises of those days. They left \he
Texel the 24th of June, and on the 21 st of August reached the
Cape Verde Islands, where they remained twenty-one days to refresh
the men, of whom many were sick with scurvy, including
Mahay, their chief commander, who died soon after they had recommenced
their voyage. Encountering contrary winds and heavy
rains, they were forced to the coast of (Juineu, and landed on Cape
Gonsalves, just south of the line. The sick were set on shore, and
soon after, a French sailor came aboard, who promised to do them
all favor with the negro king.
The country could furnish very lew
supplies ; and as the sick recovered from the scurvy, those hitherto
well began to suffer from fever.
In this state of distress they set sail for the coast of Brazil ; but
falling in soon after with the island of Annabon,
in the Gulf of
Guinea, they landed, took the town, which contained eighty houses,
and obtained a supply of oxen, and of oranges and other fruits ;
but still the men continued to die, of whom they buried more than
thirty on this island.
Two months were thus spent on the African coast. The ships,
Betting sail again about the middle of November, were greatly
delayed by one of the vessels losing her mainmast, and it was five
months before they reached the Straits of Magellan, the crews
during most of that time on short allowance, and driven to
such extremity as to eat the calf-skins with which the ropes were
covered.
Having entered the straits the beginning of April, 1509, they
obtained a good supply of penguins for food ; but the commander
stopping to wood and water, they were overtaken by the winter