Francis Bacon

The New Atlantis Francis Bacon

We sailed from Peru, (where we had continued for the space of one whole year)for China and Japan, by the South Sea; taking with us victuals for twelve months;and had good winds from the east, though soft and weak, for five months space, and more. But the wind came about, and settled in the west for many days, so as wecould make little or no way, and were sometime in purpose to turn back. But thenagain there arose strong and great winds from the south, with a point east, whichcarried us up (for all that we could do) towards the north; by which time ourvictuals failed us, though we had made good spare of them. So that findingourselves, in the midst of the greatest wilderness of waters in the world, withoutvictuals, we gave ourselves for lost men and prepared for death. Yet we did lift upour hearts and voices to God above, who showeth his wonders in the deep, beseeching him of his mercy, that as in the beginning he discovered the face of thedeep, and brought forth dry land, so he would now discover land to us, that wemight not peris