Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tremity there died 40 men and sickened 70; so that there was not 50
men that were able to stand upon the hatches.'
12
Everyone now looked to the commander for an initiative. Cav-
endish called the company together and declared his intention of
abandoning his present course and crossing the southern Atlantic to
make for China by way of the Cape of Good Hope:
These persuasions, with many others which I used, seemed to
content them for the present but they were no sooner gone from me
but forthwith all manner of discontents were aired amongst them-
selves and to go that way they plainly and resolutely determined
never to give their willing consents.
13
Instead, the men suggested a return to Brazil for revictualling
and refitting, so that they could make another attempt on the west-
erly route when the weather improved. Cavendish gave way with
great reluctance and, apparently, despite the advice of Davis, who,
with his sights fixed on his own personal quest, wanted to winter at
Port Desire or Port St Julian.
Cavendish returned to the
Galleon Leicester
and, presumably to
impress the troublesome crew with his ruthless determination to let
nothing hamper his plans, he immediately had eight of the sickest
men rowed ashore, where they were left to die. The result of this on
the morale of their comrades can easily be imagined.
Out of the Straits, the ships battled northwards through storms
and high seas. They kept well together, despite the conditions, until
21 May. At first light on that day the lookout on the flagship reported
that the
Desire
and the
Black Pinnace
had been lost to sight. Cav-
endish was convinced that this was deliberate treachery by Davis,
whom he castigated as:
. . . that villain that hath been the death of me and the decay of
the whole action whose only treachery in running from me hath been
