These had told him that the best course was to sail west to the extremity of England, then to steer due south until they came upon the north coast of Spain.

They would follow this to its western extremity; and then run south, following the land till they came to a channel some ten miles wide, which formed the entrance to the Mediterranean.
They decided, therefore, to follow this course in hopes of interrupting the galleys there; they would thus avoid the dangerous navigation of the west coast of France, where there were known to be many islands and rocks, around which the tides ran with great fury.

For a fortnight the Dragon lay windbound; then came two days of calm; and then, to their delight, the pennon on the top of the mast blew out from the east.
They were lying in the mouth of the Colne, and would therefore have no difficulty in making the Foreland; and with her sail set and her oars out the Dragon dashed away from her moorings.

Swiftly they ran round the south-easterly point of England and then flew before the breeze along the southern coast.

On the third day they were off Land's End and hauled her head to the south.