Scheeps-togt van Martin Pringe, gedaan in 't jaar 1603. Van Bristol na 't noorder-gedeelte van Virginien....

Their intention to search for Mewis Nevis lignum vitae wood of life.

Catch sight of Dominica.

Indians come to trade with them.

as there was no ground to come to anchor, back and forth along the land to trade with the inhabitants. Subsequently, we set our course to St. Vincent, but as we found the current against us here, and the wind did not serve us, we were concerned whether we would get there, and if so, that we might fall to the leeward of Dominica; and thus of Mewis Nevis, upon which island, however, we had special orders to search for lignum vitae wood of life; therefore Mr. Gilbert found it advisable to leave St. Vincent alone, although the best tobacco is there. But finally, getting the wind more favorable, he set his course for Dominica, which we caught sight of on the 17th of June and came close to the land; here, just as at Santa Lucia, a canoe with two men came to our board, likely to find out who we were and how one would receive them, whom we treated kindly and let go; whereupon several others, better manned and bringing all sorts of goods, followed.

Mewis Nevis.

Scarcity of lignum vitae wood of life.

Pious concern.

A very large sea turtle.

On the 19th, being Sunday, we dropped our anchor in a good roadstead at Mewis Nevis, where we went ashore to search for lignum vitae wood of life. Captain Gilbert, the skipper, and several of our company went far into the woods, but found none except a small tree, and here and there one that had already been cut, so that we feared we would not find our ship's cargo here: a just punishment for us because we had pursued our worldly business without necessity and had profaned the Sabbath. Toward evening, some went ashore with the boat and brought a sea turtle on board, which was so large that four men could not get it into the boat, so they fastened it to the boat by one leg and thus towed it to the ship, and subsequently hauled it on board with great difficulty.