London 1622

Hakluyt Society, Volume I, ed C.R.Drinkwater Bethune, London 1847, p118-21

Some man might aske me how we came to have so many emptie caske in lesse then two moneths; for it seemeth much that so few men in such short time, and in so long a voyage, should waste so much ?

Whereto I answere, that it came not of excessive expense; for in health we never exceeded our ordinary; but of a mischance which befell us unknowne in the island of Saint James, or Saint Anne, in the coast of Brasill, where we refreshed ourselves, and according to the custome layd our caske a shore, to trimme it, and after to fill it, the place being commodious for us. But with the water a certain worm, called broma by the Spaniard, and by us arters, entred also, which eat it so full of holes that all the water soaked out, and made much of our caske of small use. This we remedied the best we could, and discovered it long before we came to this place.

Hereof let others take warning, in no place to have caske on the shore where it may be avoyded; for it is one of the provisions which are with greatest care to be preservd in long voyages,and hardest to be supplyed. These arters or broma, in all hott countries, enter into the plankes of shippes, and especially where are rivers of fresh water; for the common opinion is that they are bred in fresh water, and with the current of the rivers are brought into the sea; but experience teacheth that they breed in the great seas in all hott clymates, especially neare the equinoctiall lyne; for lying so long under and neare the lyne, and towing a shalop at our sterne, comming to clense her in Brasill, we found her all under water covered with these wormes, as bigge as the little finger of a man, on the outside of the planke, not fully covered but halfe the thicknesse of their bodie, like to a gelly, wrought into the planke as with a gowdge. And naturall reason, in my judgement, confirmeth this; for creatures bred and nourished in the sea, comming into fresh water die; as those actually bred in ponds or fresh rivers, die presently, if they come into salt water.

But some man may say, this fayleth in some fishes and beasts. Which I must confess to be true; but these eyther are part terrestryall, and part aquatile, as the mare-maide, sea-horse, and other of that kind, or have their breeding in the fresh, and growth or continuall nourishment in the salt water, as the salmond, and others of that kinde.

In little time, if the shippe be not sheathed, they put all in hazard; for they enter in no bigger than a small Spanish needle, and by little and little their holes become ordinarily greater than a mans finger. The thicker the planke is, the greater he groweth; yea, I have seene many ships so eaten, that the most of their plankes under water have beene like honey combes, and especially those betwixt wind and water. If they had not beene sheathed, it would have bin impossible that they could have swomme.

The entring of them is hardly to be discerned, the most of them being small as the head of a pinne. Which, all such as purpose long voyages, are to prevent by sheathing their shippes.

And for that I have seen divers manners of sheathing, for the ignorant I will set them downe which by experience I have found best.

In Spain and Portingall, some sheathe their shippes with lead; which, besides the cost and waight, although they use the thinnest sheet-lead that I have seene in any place, yet it is nothing durable, but subject to many casualties.

Another manner is used with double plankes, as thicke without as within, after the manner of furring; which is little better than that with lead; for, besides his waight, it dureth little, because the worme in small time passeth through the one and the other.

A third manner of sheathing hath beene used amongst some with fine canvas; which is of small continuance, and so not to be regarded

The fourth prevention, which now is most accompted of, is to burne the utter planke till it come to be in every place like a cole, and after to pitch it; this is not bad.

In China, as I have beene enformed, they use a certaine betane or varnish, in manner of an artificiall pitch, wherewith they trim the outside of their shippes. It is said to be durable, and of that vertue, as neither worme nor water pierceth it; neither hath the sunne power against it.

Some have devised a certaine pitch, mingled with glasse and other ingredients, beaten into powder, with which if the shippe be pitched, it is said, the worme that toucheth it dyeth; but I have not heard that it hath beene useful.

But the most approved of all, is the manner of sheathing used now adayes in England, with thin bourds, halfe inche thicke; the thinner the better; and elme better than oake; for it ryveth not, it indureth better under water, and yeeldeth better to the shippes side.

The invention of the materialles incorporated betwixt the planke and the sheathing, is that indeed which avayleth; for without it many plankes were not sufficient to hinder the entrance of this worme; this manner is thus:

Before the sheathing board is nayled on, upon the inner side of it they smere it over with tarre halfe a finger thicke and upon the tarre another halfe finger ythicke of hayre, such as the whitelymers use, and so nayle it on, the nayles not above a spane distance one from another; the thicker they are driven, the better.

Some hold opinion that the tarre killeth the worme; others that the worme passing the sheathing, and seeking a way through, the hayre and the tarre so involve him that he is choked therewith; which me thinkes is most probable; this manner of sheathing was invented by my father, and experience hath tought it to be the best and of least cost.