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ROSICRUCIAN APOLOGISTS : JOHN HEYDON. 349
next day about evening we saw before us, towards the
North, as it were thick clouds, which did put us in hope of
land, knowing that part of the south sea was utterly un-
known, and might have islands or continents hitherto not
come to light. We bent our course thither all that evening,
and in the dawning of the next day discerned a land flat
and full of boscage. After an houre and a half's sayling,
we entred into a good haven, the port of a faire city, not
great indeed, but well built, and that gave a pleasant view
from sea. We came close to shore, and offered to land, but
straightwayes we saw divers people with bastons in their
hands forbidding us, yet without any cryes or fierceness,
but onely warning us off by signes that they made, where-
upon, being not a little discomfitted, we were advising with
ourselves what we should do, during which there made
forth to us a small boat, with about eight persons in it,
whereof one had in his hand a tipstaff of yellow cane,
tipped at both ends with green, who came aboard without
any shew of distrust, and drew forth a little scroule of
parchment, somewhat yellower than our parchment, and
shining like the leaves of writing tables, but otherwise soft
and flexible, and delivered it to our foremost man. In this
scroule were written in antient Hebrew, antient Greeke,
good Latine of the School, and in Spanish, these words :
" Land ye not, none of you, and provide to be gone from
this coast within sixteen dayes, except you have further
time given you. Mean while, if you want fresh water,
victual, or help for your sick, or that your ship
needeth re-
paire, write down your wants, and you shall have that which
belongeth to mercy." This scroule was signed with
a stamp of cherubin's wings, not spread but hanging
downwards, and by them a crosse. This being delivered,