A TRVE DISCOVRSE of the late voyages of discouerie, for the finding of a passage to Cathaya, by the Northvveast, vnder the conduct of Martin Frobisher Generall: Deuided into three Bookes.
In the first wherof is shewed, his first voyage. Wherein also by the vvay is sette out a Geographicall description of the Worlde, and what partes thereof haue bin discouered by the Nauigations of the Englishmen.
Also, there are annexed certayne reasons, to proue all partes of the Worlde habitable, with a generall Mappe adioyned.
In the second, is set out his second voyage, vvith the aduentures and accidents thereof.
In the thirde, is declared the strange fortunes which hapned in the third voyage, with a seuerall description of the Countrey and the people there inhabiting. VVith a particular Card therevnto adioyned of Meta Incognita, so farre forth as the secretes of the voyage may permit.
AT LONDON, Imprinted by Henry Bynnyman, seruant to the right Honourable Sir CHRISTOPHER HATTON Vizchamberlaine. Anno Domini. 1578.
What commodities and instructions may be [...]eaped by diligent reading this Discourse.
- 1 FIrst, by example may be gathered, how a Discouerer of new Countries, is to procéede in his first attempt of any Discouerie.
- 2 Item, how he shoulde be prouided of shipping, victuals, munition, and choice of men.
- 3 Howe to procéede and deale with straunge people, be the [...] neuer so barbarous, cruell and fierce, eyther by lenitie or otherwise.
- 4 Howe trade of Marchandize maye be made withoute money.
- 5 How a Pilot may deale, being enuironed wyth mountaines of Ise in the frosen Sea.
- 6 How lengths of dayes, chaunge of seasons, Sommers and Winters, do differ in sundry regions.
- 7 How dangerous it is to attempt new Discoueries, either for the length of the voyage or the ignoraunce of the language, the want of Interpretors, newe and vnaccustomed Elementes and ayres, straunge and vnsauery meats, daunger of théeues and robbers, fiercenesse of wilde beasts and fishes, hugenesse of wooddes, daungerousnesse of Seas, dreade of tempestes, feare of hidden rockes, stéepenesse of mountaines, darkenesse of sodaine falling fogges, continuall paines taking withoute anye reste, and infinite others.
- 8 How pleasaunt and profitable it is, to attempt newe Discoueries, either for the sundry sights & shapes of strāge beastes and fishes, the wonderful workes of nature, the different manners and fashions of diu [...]rse nations, the sundy [...] sortes of gouernemente, the sight of straunge trées, fruite, foules, and beastes, the infinite treasure of Pearle, Gold and Siluer, the newes of new found landes, the sundrie positions of the Sphere, and many others.
- [Page]9 How valiaunt Captaines vse to deale vpon extremitie, and otherwise.
- 10 How trustie souldiers dutifully vse to serue.
- 11 Also here may be seene a good exāple to be obserued of any priuate person, in taking notes, and making obseruations of al such things as are requisite for a Discouerer of new Countries.
- 12 Lastly, the Reader here maye sée a good paterne of a well gouerned seruice, sundrye instructions of matters of Cosmographie, Geographie, and Nauigation, as in reading more at large may be séene.
¶TO THE RIGHT HOnorable, my singular good Mayster, Sir Christopher Hattō, Knight, Capitaine of the Queenes Maiesties Garde, Vizchamberlaine to hir Highnesse, and one of hir Maiesties moste honourable priuie Counsayle.
RIGHT honorable, when I first entended the voyage of Discouerie wyth Mr. Frobisher, for the finding of the passage to Cataya (beyng a matter in oure age aboue all other, notable) I applyed my selfe wholy to the sciēce of Cosmographie, & sec [...]ets of Nauigation, to the ende, I mighte enable my s [...]lf [...] the better for the seruice of my Countrie, not onely to vnderstande what I read and hearde others speake, but also to execute in effect, and practise with my owne hands, the dutie and office appertayning to a Marriner: and so thereby be better able to make a true reporte of all occurrents in the same voyage. And for that now the common reporte therof is so vaine and vncertaine, bycause some men rather contendyng what they are able to say, than considering what in truth they should and ought to say, whereby, by sundrie mens fantasies, sundry vntruths are spred abroad, to the gret slaunder of this so honest and honorable an action: I haue [Page] thought good to lay open to your honourable iudgement, the plain truth, and ful discourse of the whole seruice, which I haue taken vpon me (though altogither vnable) to write, and to dedicate vnto your Honor especi [...]lly, for these speciall causes following Firste, the world doth witnesse, and I my selfe by good proofe haue tasted & foūd (being a mā by your Honorable goodnesse and good coūtenance, specially supported, and euen (as it were) the handy worke of youre owne hands) how honorable a regard you beare to Vertue, howe readye to countenaunce the meanest man that truely serueth his Countrie, howe willing to giue vnto suche both grace and opinion with hir Maiestie, howe ready to procure rewarde there, for those that shall iustlye merite the same. And therewithall, considering the sounde iudgement you haue to discern, as wel in this, as in al other causes of waight: And knowing wel, what place you hold with hir highnesse, (who, for the faithfull seruice you dayly doe hir, as well in Courte, as common Weale, whyche nowe by the true tuchstone of time, and long experience, shee hath founde, and therefore confirmeth a faste and sure opinion in you wyth the chiefest) I haue specially thoughte it necessarye, besides my dutie (whiche aboue all the worlde my alleageaunce reserued, I owe you moste) for these respects to make relation of this seruice vnto your Honoure aboue others. And for that this action, both for the worthinesse of the attempt, for the good and quiet gouernment, for the greate and maruellous daungers, for the straunge and vnknowne accidents of the vnknowne corners of the worlde, aboue all others, may appeare moste notable and famous: I haue bene the rather desirous to take some paine therein, and what I haue aship-boorde rudely and vnorderly framed or obserued, to commend to youre Honourable construction the same: being willing rather to hazarde mine own shame, by shewing my selfe an insufficient writer (whiche perchaunce maye s [...]eme somewhat besides my profession) than that so honest and [Page] worthy attemptes of our owne nation, wi [...]h the example of so well a gouerned seruice, should ly hidden from your Honours sight. And for that I wil be iniurious to no man, whiche in this action hath borne place, and well discharged the same, and that those men with the maner of their dayly proceedings there, by name maye be knowne vnto you, I haue in their place remembred them in order as becommeth: and haue not onely named each principall, but euerye priuate person (if by any speciall seruice hee hath merited the same) to the ende, that the well deseruing man, receiuing the due commendation of his deserte, maye bee encouraged to continue, and take pleasure in well dooyng after, and others being animated by like example, maye for hope of lyke rewarde also, desire to deserue well.
By this Discourse, it may please your Honour to behold the greate industrie of oure present age, and the inuincible mindes of oure Englishe nation, who haue neuer lefte anye worthy thing vnattempted, nor anye parte almoste of the whole worlde vnsearched, whome lately, neither stormes of Seas by long and tedious voyages, daunger of darke fogs and hidden rockes in vnknowne coastes, congealed and frosen Seas, with mountaines of fleeting Ise, nor yet presente death dayly before their face, coulde anye whit dismaye, or cause to desiste from intended enterpises: but rather preferring an honourable death beefore a shamefull retourne, haue (notwithstanding the former daungers, (after manye perillous repulses) recouered their desired Porte. So that, if nowe the passage to CATAYA thereby be made open vnto vs, (which only matter hitherto hath occupied the finest heades of the worlde, and promiseth vs a more riches by a nearer way than either Spaine or Portugale possesseth) whereof the hope (by the good industrie and greate attemptes of these men is greatelye augmented) or if the Golde Ore in these new Discoueries founde oute, doe in goodnesse, as in great plentie aunswere expectation, and the successe do [Page] folow as good, as the proofe thereof hitherto made, is great, wee may truely inferre, that the Englishman in these our dayes, in his discoueries, to the Spaniarde and Portingale is nothing inferior: and for his hard aduentures, and valiant resolutions, greatly superior. For what hath the Spaniarde or Portingale done by the Southeast and Southweast, that the Englishman by the Northeast and Northweaste hath not counteruailed the same?
And albeit I confesse that the Englishe haue not hytherto had so ful successe of profit and commoditie of pleasaunt place (considering that the former nations haue happily chanced to trauel by more temperate clymates, where they had not onlye good meates and drinkes, but all other things necessarie, for the vse of man) all whiche things, the English, trauelling by more intēperate places, & as it were with mayne force, making waye thorowe seas of Ise, haue wāted, which notwithstanding, argueth a more resolution; for Difficiliora pulchriora, that is, the aduēture the more hard the more honorable: yet concerning the perfecter knowledge of the world, and Geographicall description, (wherin the present age and posteritie also, by a more vniuersal vnderstāding is much furthered, as appeareth by my vniuersall Mappe with pricked boundes here annexed) herein, the Englishman deserueth chiefe honor aboue any other. For neyther Spaniard nor Portugale, nor anye other besides the English, haue bin found by so great daungers of Ise, so neare the Pole, to aduenture any discouerie, wherby the obscure and vnknowen partes of the world (which otherwise had laine hid) haue bin made knowen vnto vs.
So that it may appeare, that by oure Englishmens industries, and these late voyages, the world is grown to a more fulnesse and perfection: many vnknowen lands and Ilands, (not so much as thought vpon before) made knowen vnto vs: Christs name spred: the Gospell preached: Infidels like to be conuerted to Christianitie, in places where before the [Page] name of God hath not once bin hearde of: Shipping and Seafaring mē, haue ben employed: nauigation and the Nauie, (which is the chief strength of our Realm) maintayned: and Gentlemen in the Sea seruice, for the better seruice of their Country wel experienced. Al whiche things, are (no doubt) of so gret importāce, as being wel wayed, may seeme to counteruayle the aduentures charges: although the passage to CATAYA were not found out, neither yet the golde ore proue good, wher of both, the hope is good & gret. But notwithstanding all these, euen in this (if no otherwise) hyr most excellent Maiestie hath reaped no small profit, that she may now stand assured, to haue many more tried, able, & sufficient men against time of need, that are, (which with out vaūt may be spoken) of valour gret, for any great aduē ture, & of gouernemēt good for any good place of seruice. For this may truly be spoken of these men, that there hath not bin seene in any nation, being so many in nūber, & so far frō home, more ciuill order, better gouernement or agreement. For euen from the beginning of the seruice hitherto, there hath neither passed mutinie, quarrel, or notorious fact, either to the slaunder of the men, or daunger of the voyage, although the Gentlemen, Souldiors, and Marriners (whiche seldome can agree) were by companies matched togither.
But I may perchaunce (right Honourable) seeme to discourse somewhat too largely, especially in a cause that (as a partie) somewhat concerneth my selfe: which I doe, not for that I doubt of your Honorable opinion already conceiued of the men, but for that I knowe, the ignorant multitude is rather ready to slaunder, than to giue good encouragement by due commendation to good causes, who, respecting nothing but a present gaine, and being more than needefully suspitious of the matter, do therwithall condemne the men, and that without any further respect, either of their honest intents, either of their wel performing the matter they dyd vndertake (whiche according to their direction, was specicially [Page] to bring home Ore) either else of their painful trauel (whiche for their Prince, and the publike profite of their Countries cause they haue sustained.)
But by the way, it is not vnknown to the world, that this our natiue country of England, in al ages hath bred vp (and specially at this present aboūdeth with) many forward and valiāt minds, fit to take in hād any notable enterprise: wher by appeareth, that if the Englishman had bin in times paste as fortunate and foreseeing to accept occasion offered, as he hath bin alwayes forwarde in executing anye cause once taken in hand: he had bin worthily preferred before all nations of the worlde, and the Weast Indies had now bin in the possession of the Englishe.
For Columbus, the firste Discouerer of the Weaste Indies, made firste offer thereof, with his seruice, to King Henry the seauenth, then Kyng of Englande, and was not accepted: Wherevppon, for want of entertainement here, hee was forced to go into Spaine, and offred there (as before) the same to Ferdinando Kyng of Castyle, who presently acceptyng the occasion, did first himselfe, and now his successors, enioy the benefite thereof.
Also Sebastian Cabota, being an Englishman, and borne in Bristowe, after he had discouered sundrie parts of new found lande, and attempted the passage to CATAYA by the Northweast, for the King of England, for lacke of entertainment here, (notwithstanding his good desert) was forced to seeke to the Kyng of Spaine, to whose vse hee discouered all that tract of Brasile, & aboute the famous riuer Rio de la Plata, and for the same, and other good seruices there, was afterwardes renowmed, by title of Piloto Maggiore, that is, Graund Pylote, and constituted chiefe officer of the Contractation house of Siuilla: in whiche house, are handled all matters concerning the Weast Indies, and the reuenues therof: and further, that no Pylot shoulde be admitted for any discouerie, but by his direction.
[Page]But there hath bin two speciall causes in former age, that haue greatly hindered the English nation in their attempts. The one hath bin, lacke of liberalitie in the Nobilitie, & the other wāt of skill in Cosmographie, and the A [...]t of Nauigation. Whiche kinde of knowledge, is verye necessary for all our noble men, for that wee being Ilanders, oure chiefest strength consisteth by Sea. But these twoo causes are nowe in this present age (God be thanked) verye well reformed: for not only hir maiestie now, but all the nobilitie also, hauing perfect knowledge in Cosmographie, doe not onely with good wordes, countenaunce the forward mindes of men, but also with their purses do liberally and bountifully contribute vnto the same, whereby it commeth to passe, that Nauigation, whiche in the time of King Henrie the .7. was very rawe, & toke (as it were) but beginning (and euer since hath had by little and little continuall increase) is now in hir Maiesties raigne, growen to his highest perfection.
Thus right Honorable, as I haue in these my first trauels in these late voyages, vppon such occasions as passed there nowe, rendered your honour this bare and true accompte: So being further resolued to offer my self a continual sacrifice with the first, for hir Maiestie and my country, in thys or any other like seruice, I intend (God willing) according to this beginning, if any thing hereafter fall out worth the memorie, to present your honoure therewithall, and from time to time, to aduertise you of euery particular. And in all these things which I deliuer now, or shal hereafter aduertise, I humbly praye, your honour woulde vouchsafe to giue some credite therevnto, and rather to thinke, I may be deceiued, than that I meane to deceiue, colour, or conceale any thing: for I neither can, nor wil, vse any flourish in the matter, but a bare truth in all: And therevpon I giue my poore credite vnto your honour in pawnne. And herein I humbly pray pardon, for my rude order of writing, which proceedeth from the barren brayne of a souldiour and one [Page] professing armes, who desireth rather to be wel thought of with your honour, for his well meaning, than for anye hys cunning writing at all.
And thus, hauing presumed to present these vnt [...]mely and vnripe fruites to your honoures beste and fauourable construction, I humbly take my leaue, beseeching God to blesse you, as I do faithfully serue, and will honor you euer.
THE PRINTER to the Reader.
FOrasmuch as (gētle Reader) these three voyages lately by our Countreymen performed, do both for the matter of discouerie, for the strange and vnknovven accidentes, for the rare and hard aduentures, and also for the good and discrete order of gouernement, appeare aboue all others most notable and famous: I haue bin especially desirous, by all meanes possible I could, to procure the publication thereof, thinking it too great an iniurie to our common vvealth, to burie in obliuion so vvorthy attemptes of our ovvne nation, and to hide the ensample of so good and so vvell a gouerned seruice. And for that (as I vnderstād) many trifling Pamphlets haue bin secretly thrust out, not only vvithout the consent of the Captaynes and executioners of the same, but also rather to the greate disgrace of the vvorthy voyage, than othervvise, I hauing intelligence of a substantiall discourse vvhiche vvas diligently vvritten thereof, and priuately dedicated to my very Honourable Mayster, Sir Christopher Hatton Knight, by a Gentleman [Page] of his ovvne, vvho vvas personally present a Captain in all the same seruice, I haue, vvithout first making priuie the Authour, procured his Coppie out of the handes of a friende of mine, vvho had the vvriting and perusing therof, and haue presumed to publish and imprint the same, to the ende that thereby I mighte (gentle Reader) as vvell satisfye thy greedy expectation, by vnfolding these nevve and vnknovven matters, vvhereof the nature of man is most desirous, as also to performe that duetie vvhiche I ovve vnto my sayde Honourable Mayster, in publishing such things as are directed vnto him. And for that the mater is vvorthy to passe vnder the protection of his honourable name, I haue heerein bin vvilling, rather to beare the burthen of the Authoures priuate displeasure, if therevvith he shoulde aftervvards be offended, than not by publishing that same, seeme not only to do a publike iniurie vnto my natiue Countrey, but also shevv a lighte regarde of my duetie, in obscuring the doyngs and trauels of him, or anye of his, vvhose honour (as I am chiefely boūd) I tēder more than my ovvne safetie. And albeit I haue in a fevve p [...]aces somevvhat altered from my Coppie, and vvronged therby the Authoure, [Page] and haue sought to conceale vpon good causes some secretes, not fitte to be published or reuealed to the vvorld (as the degrees of Longitude and Latitude, the distance, and true position of places, and the variation of the compasse,) &c vvhiche neuerthelesse, by a generall, and particular Mappe concerning the same, heerevnto annexed, is so sufficiently explaned, that easilie any thing apperteyning vnto the voyage, or in this discourse mentioned, may sensibly be vnderstode: And though the matter be entirelie the Authours ovvne, yet am I contented (for thy sake) rather than the same shoulde not be published, to beare the burthē of blame, and to abide the reprofe of the faultes escaped, taking vpon me that reproche of presumption, and hazarding my name to the vvorld, al vvhich things the Author peraduenture taketh for so great disgraces, as vvillingly he vvould not aduēture in his ovvne name the publishing thereof. But specially, for that the commendation of a Historie consisteth in truth and playnenesse, I haue desired to bring forth, & prefer (before other Pamphlets) the same, knovving that the Authoure thereof, in nothing more than in truth, desireth to maynteyne credite vvith this honourable [Page] personage, vnto vvhome vvith his ovvne hand vvritten, he hath priuately dedicated the same, as by the Epistle Dedicatorie may appeare. If therefore thou shalte accept my vvell meaning in good parte, and yeelde but deserued prayse to the Authoure for doing, and thankes to me for publishing the same, it shall suffice to make me thinke my trauell vvell therein employed. And so fare you vvell.
¶ The fyrst Booke of the first voyage of Martin Frobisher Esquier, Captayne Generall for the discouerie of the passage to Cataya and the East India, by the Northweast, first attempted in Anno Dom. 1576. the .15. of May.
MAN is borne not only to serue his owne turne (as Tullie sayeth) but hys kinsfolke,Cicero O [...]fi [...] Lib. 1. s [...]eds, & the commō wealth especially, loke for some furtherance at hys handes, and some frutes of his laboure: wherevpon sundry men finding themselues as it were tyed by this bond and dutie of humane society, haue willinglye endeuoured sundry ways, to shew themselues profitable members of their common weale. Some men by study of the minde, haue employed themselues to giue out good lawes and ordinances for gouernement, as Solon, Lycurgus, and others. Some haue spente their time in deuising Artes and Sciences, for the better sharpening of Mans witte, and the easier expressing his conceytes, as in tyme past Aristotle for Logike and Philosophie, Cicero and Demosthenes for Rethoricke, Euclide and others for Arithmeticke and Geometrie. Others againe by long and diligent obseruation, haue found out the motion and courses of the celestiall Orbes, that thereby man might haue the distinction of times and seasons,Astronomie. the better to direct hys [Page 2] doings, both for taking paynes & rest, as occasion and circumstance do [...]h require. Some delight in feates of Armes, therby to be better able to defend their Countreys frō the force of the enimie, and rightfully (when occasion is) to enlarge their Dominions. And many others in sundry faculties & s [...]iences, haue both heretofore, and especially now in these later dayes, do so bestow and employ their time, that rightly they may be sayd to haue deserued the name of profitable mēbers in the cōmon wealth: so that now by cōtinuall practise, and exercising of good wittes, the world is waxed finer, and growen to more perfection, not only in all the speculatiue Artes and Sciences, but also in the practicall application of the same, to Mans vse, whereof as the one doth excéedingly delighte the inward mind, in séeing the sequele of things by arte and reason, so the other in the Mecanicall and practi [...]all application (whiche of late yeares,This is the flourishing age. more than euer héeretofore hath bin vsed) dothe so pleasure and profite the world, that this time only may rightely bée called the liberall and flourishing age. For when was there euer heard of such abundance of gold and siluer (whiche no doubt being well vsed, is the greate benefite and good blessing of God to Mankind) as in these our dayes. No, Salomon himselfe, with all the pretious mettall of Ophir, which he (one only King) had in that only place, can not be comparable to the greate store of golde, and all other mettals, which dayly are digged out of the bowels of the earth, almost in all parts of the world, and now lately in the supposed hard and congealed frosen Lands, almost vnder the Poles. Yea now euery priuate mā can witnesse this with me, that he is no more contented with the wealthe and riches that his Auncesters hadde, but thinkes himselfe base minded, if by his industrie he encrease not his priuat welth proportionallie, as the whole world increaseth in common wealth, and not only of gold & siluer is such great encrease, but also of all other things, seruing as well for pleasure, [Page 3] and delightes of the mind, as for the necessarie vses of mās life. For as we are p [...]aced in these lower Elementes,Abundance of all things. firste to know and acknowledge ye high Creator, and then thākefully to take the fruition of things for oure mayntenance,To what end Man is created. which are especially two, that is, meate and drinke, to susteyne the body, and couerture, to defend the same from the rigor of heate and cold, and so therby to glorifie God in his workes: what age hath bin euer héeretofore, that hath so abounded with store, not only of necessarie meates, but also of pleasant & delectable confections, to delight man withal? for whats [...]euer sundry sorte of corne, grayne, & meates former yeares haue had, we not only haue al the same in farre greater abundance, but therevnto are added thousandes of new things simple and compound, neuer héeretofore séene or heard of. And as for couerture to defende the bodye, the matter is growen to such excellencie of Architecture and building, to such finenesse of cloth & silkes of all sortes and coloures, that man studieth no more to multiplye the encrease thereof, so muche as to deuise fashions, to make it serue more for ornament, than for necessarie vses. And the chiefest cause of all these effects (next after ye diuine Prouidence) is the searching wit of man, whiche being more curious and inquisitiue of new and strange deuises, thā héeretofore, bringeth out dayly more strange inuentions, and causeth others, through emulation, to do the like, not onely in prouiding ye necessary things aforesaid, but also a continual care & cōstācie to find out other new Arts occupatiōs & faculties. For to remember one or two inuentions for al, found out of late yeares. The vse and benefite of Printing Bookes,Printing of Bookes. a deuise so cōmodious & necessarie, sauing within these few yeares in respect, hath layne vtterly hid and vnknowen. The Arte of War is nowe growen to that excellencie,The arte of Warre. that if Achilles, Alexander the Great, Iulius Caesar, and other, shoulde come in these later dayes, they themselues would more admire & wonder at the courages [Page 4] of our men, their engines, and their policies in warre, than the ignorant and barbarous multitude in their days did to them, in celebrating their solemnities with all the honor that might be. But to drawe néere to my purposed scope, that is, to discourse of inuentions by way of discoueries, I say, that one of the excellentest artes that euer hath bin deuised, is the Arte of Nauigation,Nauigation. which in times past was so raw, and vnknowen, that no man durst trauell by Sea, sauing only alongst the shore: and if by wind, currant or tē pest, he were driuen, against his will, so far frō the land, yt he lost the sight thereof, he made no other accompte, but to be cast away, his vessell was so rude, and his skill so little.
In those dayes they knew not the singular vse and benefite of the Loade stone, called in Latin Magnes, The Stone called Magnes. whiche besides the property of drawing Iron vnto it, it directeth, and with opposite poyntes sheweth two principall partes of the Worlde, the North, and the South, and that more distinctly, than the rising of the Sunne doth shew East and West (excepte it be onely in the dayes of Aequinoctium, which is but twice a yeare) whiche rare propertie of the Loade stone, if any Man desire at large to sée, let him put the sayd stone into a round dish, and they both so togyther in some vessell of water, wherein they mighte swimme at pleasure voluntarily, which dish when it standeth still, then doe the twoo principall and opposite poyntes of the stone firmely and constantly poynt out North and South: and if before the quarters of North and South were knowen, by this experience he may find out the two principall poyntes of the stone, so that the one being knowen, the other can not be wanting. And that a man may be the better persuaded of this effect, let him remoue or turne round the dish after it hathe once stoode still, and he shall euer finde it to returne constantly to the same poynt againe. Also, a piller, or péece of stéele, being but touched with the foresaid Magnes, playing Aequilibra vpō some Piramid or point, receyueth [Page 5] such vertue, that it produceth like effect. Whervnto, if wood or paper in circular forme deuided into .32. equall parts, be handsomely compacted,Two and thirt [...] poynts of the compasse. it will distinguishe and poynte out all parts of the Horizon, and direct into all coasts of the worlde, and that onely by the in [...]luent Spirite of the two principall pointes, respecting euer North and South.
This excellent propertie and benefite of the Lodestone, I the rather remember at large, bycause some Seamen whiche knowe this rare and miraculous effecte as well as I, doe not sufficiently admire the same, bycause it is now so commonlye knowen, and yet indéede is to be preferred before all pretious stones in the worlde, whiche only tend to ornament, and haue no other vertue, whereas this serueth to so necessarie vse. The vertue of this stone, as it is not long since it was first found, so in these dayes it is like to receiue his perfection, concerning his Northeasting and Northwesting to be brought in rule, & particularly in this noble voyage of our worthy Captain Martine Frobisher, who, as you shall after vnderstande in the discourse, hath diligentlye obserued the variation of the Néedle.The variation of the Needle, And suche obseruations of skilfull Pylots, is the onelye waye to bring it in rule, for it passeth the reach of naturall Philosophy. The making and pricking of Cardes, the shifting of Sunne and Moone, the vse of the compasse, the houre glasse for obseruing time, instrumentes of Astronomie to take Longitudes and Latitudes of Countreys, and many other helps, are so commonly knowen of euery Mariner now adayes, that he that hathe bin twi [...] at Sea, is ashamed to come home, if he be not able to [...]ender accompte of all these particularities. By whiche skill in Nauigation, is brought to passe, that the people of Europe can as easilye and farre more easilier make long voyages by Sea than by lande, whereby hathe come to passe, that within the memorie of man within these foure score yeares, there hathe béene moe newe Countries and regions discouered,Newe discoueries. [Page 6] than in fiue thousande yeares before, yea, more than halfe the worlde hathe béene discouered by men, that are yet (or might very well for their age be) aliue. When I name the world in this sense, I meane the vppermoste face an [...] Superficies of the Earth and Sea, which vnite togither, make one Globe or Sphere. And this face of the Earth, whiche Almightie God hath giuen man as most conuenient place to inhabite in, thorowe the negligence of man hathe, vntill of late dayes, layne so hidde and vnknowne, that he hathe loste the fruition, and benefit of more than halfe the earth.
A maruellous thing, that man, who hath always abhorred so muche thraldome and restrainte, and so gréedily desired libertie, coulde be contented so many thousande yeres, to be shut vp in so narrow bounds. For it is to be thought, that onely such Countries in times paste haue bin known as either did bounde and hang togither, or else were separated by very narrow Seas, as are Europa, Affrica, & Asia, out of which, from either to other, a man maye trauaile by lande, or else shal finde in some places very narrow Seas, separating them, and so mighte saile from the one to the other, onelye by lande markes, wythoute the Arte of Nauigation, bycause the one was wythin a ken of the other.
For euen the greate strength and stoutnesse of Hercules himselfe, whē out of Graecia Westward he had trauelled,The W [...]east [...] of [...]e [...]. & conquered al the Regions and Countries comming to the straight betwéene Spaine and Barbarie, made accompte to haue béene at the Weast ende of the worlde, and therefore there erected two Pillers, as a perpetual monument of his f [...]e, whiche to this daye are called Herculeae Columnae, the P [...]ll [...]s of Hercules, the one standing in Spaine of Europe, the other in Affrica, and called the straight Fretum Herculeum: and nowe commonlye is named the straightes of Mal [...]ga, or Gibraltar. And hauing come so farre Westward, [Page 7] contēted himselfe, and said: Non plus vltra, no further.
Likewise Alexander Magnus out of Macedonia in Greece, passing thorow Armenia, Persia and India, comming to the great Riuer Ganges, & conqueryng all these Countr [...]es [...]althoughe he was perswaded, that Asia extended somewhat further into the East and Northeast (yet knowing them not to be verye greate Countries, and thinking them to be of small moment, erected there certaine Aultars, whi [...]he are yet called Arae Alexandrinae, as beyond which, no man else in those dayes had passed, or néede to passe more Eastwarde,The E [...]st [...]nd o [...] [...]e old Worl [...]. and this was accompted, as it were a [...]ounder of the Easte side of the worlde, althoughe indéede Asia doeth extende further .20. degrées, and is enuironed with M [...]re Eo [...]m, and the straight Anian, which our Captaine Frobisher pretendeth to finde out.
Touching the South parts of the world towards Affrica, Ptolomeus King of Aegipt, a famous Cosmographer, who was more sollicite and curious in describing al the face of the Earth, than any King before him or after, (excepte of late dayes,) deliuered in plat described & knowen only 16. degrées beyond ye Equinoctiall to the Southwardes or pole Antartique,The ende of the old [...]orld Southward. and that bounder was called Montes Lunae, out of whiche the greate riuer Nilus is supposed to haue his beginning & spring. And as for the known land on the North parts of the world, Thyle being one of ye Ilands of Orcades (more probably than Iseland) was so long pronounced and continued Vltima, that it was estéemed a greate erroure for anye man to imagine anye lande more North than that.The end of ye olde [...]orld Northward.
Thus haue I briefly named the foure principall bounders of the worlde, whiche was onely known from the beginning of the worlde (as some thinke) vntill within these 80. last yeres. That is the straights of Gibraltar or Malega Weastward. The East part of Asia beyond Arae Al [...]xandrinae Eastwarde. Vltima Thyle by Scot [...]ande Northward: [Page 8] & .16. Grades beyōd ye Equinoctiall Southward. But these 16. degrées of South latitude, are to be vnderstoode only in the continent of Affrica, whiche extendeth not passyng .70 degrées in longitude. Therefore, whatsoeuer Countries or Regions haue since béene discouered and knowne beyonde 180. degrées in longitude .60. degrées in North latitude, and 16. degrees in South latitude,The greate discoueries of late yeres. all the commendation, honour, renoume, glorie, and fame therof, must be attributed to the Englishmen, Spaniardes, Portingales, Frenchmenne and Italians, whose valiaunt courage and high mindes, be suche, that either they alreadye haue, or shortly will dyscouer and searche out, euery narrowe corner of the world. By these mens valours and industries, the knowne Regions of the worlde, whiche before were diuided into thrée partes, that is, Europa, Aff [...]ica, and Asia, are now made sixe, by addition of other thrée. For like as the whole Massie frame of the world, being firste diuided into two principall regions, the one Elementall, the other Heauenly, the Elementall containeth foure partes, that is, the foure Elements, the Earth, the Water, the Ayre, and the Fyre: the Heauenly Region, although one yet for diuersitie of motion, may be compted two, that is, Primum Mobile, mouing onelye vppon the poles, Articke and Antarticke, and all the reste of Orbes and Planets, mouing vppon the poales of the Zodiacke are by this difference of motion imagined two, wherby ariseth the number of sixe substanciall partes of the world, that is, the foure Elements, and the two varieti [...]s of Orbes. So likewise the inferiour world, I meane the Superficies of the Earth, is also diuided into sixe partes, that is,The Earthe de [...]ided into syxe partes. Europa, Affrica, Asia, Terra Septentrionalis, America, & Terra Austrialis, whose bounders bycause this diuision séemeth somewhat strange, I thought good for the more particularitie, here briefly to repeate.
The chiefe bounders of the principall parts of the vvorld.
EVropa is bounded on the Weast side with oure Weaste Ocean: [...] on the South side wyth Mare Mediter [...]aneum: on the East with Mare Aegeum, Pontus Euxinus, and the riuer Tanais, folowing the Meridian thereof Northwarde: On the North side it was thoughte sometime to be bounded with Ilandes, Hebrides, Orcades, and Hyperbore [...] montes in Sarmatia of Europe. But nowe, by the nauigation of the Englishemen, the boundes are extended vnto that Sea, whiche compasseth Norway, Laplande, and Moscouia.
Affrica is bounded Westwarde with the Sea Atlanticum, [...] Southward with the South Ocean, passing by Cape d'buona Speranza, Eastwarde with the red Sea, and Northwarde by the Sea Mediterraneum.
Asia is bounded on the South side with the South Ocean,As [...] on the Easte side with Mare Eoum, and the straighte Anian, on the North side with the Scithian Sea, on the Weaste side with the Meridian of the riuer Tana [...], & pa [...]te of the Sea Mediterraeneum, as Pontus Euxinus, Mare Egeum, Sinus Issicus, and the red Sea.
Terra Septentrionalis is diuided from Asia by the Scythian Sea,Terra S [...]p [...]ntriona [...]s. from Europe by the North Sea aboute Iseland, called in times past Mare Congela [...]um, the frosen Sea, and frō America is deuided by Frobishers straits. It lyeth rounde about the Pole Artike, & is included by a Paralell, passing aboute .70. degrées in North latitude, as it is also more at large described in Mercators and Ortelius vniuersall Mappes.
This parte of the world hath béene most or onely made knowen by the Englishmens industrie. For as Mercator mentioneth out of a probable Author, there was a Frier [Page 10] of Oxforde, a greate Mathmatician, who himselfe went ver [...] farre North, aboue .200. yeares agoe, and with an Astrolabe described almoste all the lande aboute the Pole, f [...]ding it diuided into foure partes or Ilandes, by foure g [...]eate gutters, indrafts, or channels, running violently, a [...]d deliuering themselues into a mostrous receptacle, and swallowing sincke, with suche a violent force and currant, that a Shippe beyng entred neuer so little within one of t [...]ese foure indraftes, c [...]nnot be holden backe by the force of any great winde, but runneth in headlong by that déepe sw [...]ll [...]wing sincke into the bowels of the earth. Hée report [...]th, that th [...] Southweast parte of that lande, is a fruitfull, and a holesome soyle. The Northeast part (in respect of England) is inhabited with a people called Pygmaei, whyche are not at the vttermoste aboue foure foote highe. One of these foure greate monstrous gulfes wy [...]h hys violent raging course, followeth the Meridi [...]n of the fortunate Ilandes, a [...]d receiueth the Ocean with th [...]ée mouths, and is frosen o [...]er thrée moneths in the yeare, and is .37. leagues in b [...]adth: the ne [...]te Eastwarde beyonde the Ilande Vag [...]ts, is [...]. degrees in longitude, and receyueth the East Ocean w [...]th [...]ue months, and being narrowe and swifte, is neuer frosen. The third is at .19 [...]. degrées in longitude, & [...]ceiu [...]th the East Oceā with ninetéen receits. The fourth is at . [...]. degrées in longitude. Al these indraftes & raging channels, runne directly towards a point vnder the Pole, where is also said to be a monstrous gret Mountain of wō derful gret height, & about .35. leagues in cōpasse at the foot.
Gui [...]elmus Postellus saith, that here vnder and aboute the Pole is beste habitation for man, and that they euer haue continuall daye, and know not what night or darkenesse meaneth. But this séemeth contrary to the principles of the Sphere, whyche alloweth well that they shoulde sée the Sunne halfe a yeare togither without any night. During the time of his being in the North signes from the one [Page 11] Equinoctium t [...] the other, yet, that in ye other halfe they shold haue continuall night without any day. But I thinke Postellus (being a good Astronomer) doubted noth [...]ng of y• reason of ye sphere, but meaneth yt for their great twiligh [...]s, & ye high swelling of ye erth, & ye high moūtaine vnder the Pole, they haue continuall light: but hereof you shal heare more [...]t large hereafter in this treatise, whē I speake of the [...]ep [...]rature of ye North Regions. This so particular a description of ye land & countries lying about the Pole, argueth, yt this Oxford Frier tooke great pains ther [...]in, and [...]ndur [...]th gre [...]t probabilitie & likelihood of ye t [...]uth therof, bicau [...] he ob [...] ued so diligently by measure, ye bredth of the in [...]raf [...], w [...]t time, and how long they co [...]t [...]nued frosen, & wt how [...]an [...]e mouths or receipts euery one of them receiued the Ocean.
Upō ye bounds & descriptiō of this part of ye erth, I haue ye lōger staid, bicause I find it discouered only by the English nation. And although ye greatest part herof was ma [...]e knowen .200: & odde yeres past, yet some bounders thereof were described & set out by ye trauel of S. Hugh Wi [...]oby [...]night, an Englishman, who ventured & lost his life in ye cause, & so died an honorable death, & with him Ric. Chancelor, chiefe Pilot in that voyage, in An. 1554. who discouered & founde out, ye Norway & Lapland. &c. conioyned not to Groneland, or any part of ye Northern regions, as one firme & continent, but yt by sea a man might trauel to ye country of M [...]sc [...]u [...]a, & a gret way more Estward, as far as the gret riuer Obby. [...]lso oure worthy General Ca. Frobisher in his .3. last voiages, w [...]er of we are briefly to entreat in these .3. books, hath discouered & described a gret part of ye Southwest boūds therof, & meneth (God willing) not only to describe the one halfe therof in going to Cataia by ye Northwest, but also to put in tria [...], whether he may return into Englād by the Northeast, & so also to discrybe ye other pa [...]t, which to do, is one of ye waightiest matters of the world, & a thing yt wil cause other Princes to admire ye fortunate state, & ye gret valor of ye English natiō. [Page 12] But to retourne againe to the bounding of the other parts of the worlde.
A [...]ri [...]a. America an Ilande is included on the East side with the Sea Antartique: On the Weast side with Mare del Sur, or Mare P [...]cificum: On the South side it is bounded wyth the straight of M [...]gellanus: and on the North with Frobishers straights.
[...] Terra A [...]strali [...] séemeth to be a great firme land, lying vnder and aboute the South pole, being in many places a fruitefull [...]oy [...]e, and is not yet thorowly discouered, but onl [...]e seene and touched on the North edge therof, by the trauaile of the Portingales and Spaniards, in their voyages to their East and Weast Indies.
It is included almost by a Paralell, passing at .40. degrées in South latitude, yet in some places it reacheth into the Sea with greate Promontories euen vnto the Tropicke Capricornus. Onely these partes of it are beste knowen, as euer against Capo d'buona Speranza [...]where the Portingales [...] Popingayes commonly of a wonderfull greatnesse, and againe it is knowen at the South side of the straight of Magellanus, and is called Terra del Fueg [...].
It is thoughte this Southlande, about the pole Antar [...]ke, is farre bigger than the North land aboute the pole Articke: but whe [...]her it be so or not, we haue no certaine k [...]ow [...]dge, for we haue no particular description hereof, as w [...] h [...]ue of the lande vnder and aboute the North p [...]le.
Thus I haue briefly [...]utted & bounded out all the parts o [...] the Earth, according vnto thys latter diuision into si [...]e p [...]rts. Which, that i [...] might be more apparant & sensible to euery mans vnderstāding [...] I haue here vnto adioyned an vniuersall Map, wherein my minde was to make knowne [...]o the eye what Countries haue béene discouered of late yeares, and what before of olde time. The olde knowne partes haue their boun [...]es traced and drawen with whole [Page 13] lines, the new [...] dis [...]ou [...]r [...]d C [...]u [...]tri [...]s [...] [...]oun [...]s draw [...]n w [...]th po [...]nts or broke [...] l [...]n [...], w [...]rb [...] the [...] sh [...]ll at the firste sight see both the shape and fa [...]h [...]on of the whole vn [...]uersall face of the Earth, compared al [...]og [...]ther, and also all the seuerall partes the [...]of, w [...]ether [...]hey were of old tim [...] discouered, or of l [...]te yeares, th [...] w [...]ch M [...]ppe, though it be roughly fram [...]d, w [...]thoute degrees of Longitude or L [...]titude, yet is it suffic [...]ent for the purpose it w [...]s ordeyned, for heerein, as in all the rest of this di [...]co [...]rse, of the thrée voyages of our wo [...]th [...] Generall Capt [...]ne F [...]obisher, my intente is, more to sette out simply the true and playne procéeding and handling of th [...] whol [...] m [...]tter, than to vse circumstance of many words, o [...] f [...]ne [...]loquent phrases, wherein if I shoulde once goe about to [...]n [...]angle my selfe, it would doe nothing else, but bewray my owne ignorance, and lacke of Schole sk [...]ll. The [...]efore, of me there is nothing else to be loked for, but such playne talke and writing, as Souldyers and Marriners doe vse in theyr dayly méetings and voyages, and this of necess [...]t [...]e must anye man vse, that will deale with suche a m [...]tter as thys is, although he w [...]re curious to the contr [...]rie.
By this discourse and Mappe, is to be séene, the v [...]liante cour [...]ges of men in this later age, within th [...]s [...] .8 [...] yeares, that haue so muche enlarged the bound [...] o [...] the Wo [...]lde [...] that now we haue twice and thrice so mu [...]e s [...]o [...]e for [...]ure earthlie p [...]grination, as we haue had [...]e in [...], so th [...]t nowe men neede no more content [...]ou [...] to [...] for ro [...]me to bui [...]d an house on, or for a little [...], of one acre or two, when greate Countr [...]s, [...] Worldes, offer and reache out themselues, [...] will first voutsa [...]e to possesse, inhabite, and [...] there are Countreys yet remayning [...] and possessors, whiche are fertile to b [...]g forth [...] of corne and grayne, infinite sortes of lande [...] Horse, Elephantes, Kin [...], Shéepe, great varietie [...] [Page 14] Fowles of the ayre, as Ph [...]sants, Partridge, Quayle, Po [...]ngeys, Ostridges &c. infinit [...] kinde of fruts, as Almonds, [...]ates, Quinces, Pomgranats, Oringes, &c. holesome mediem [...]ble, and delectable. Greate varietie of floures c [...]ntinu [...]llie springing. Winter and Sommer beautifull, for couloure odorif [...]rous, and comfortable. Abundance of faire hilles and valleys, furnished with all maner woddes, and pleasante riuers. Millions of newe fashions, and strange beastes a [...]d fishes, both in Sea and fresh waters. Mountaines bringing forth a [...]l maner of Mettals, as gold, siluer, yron [...] &c. All sorts of pretious stones and spices, in al which land wa [...]teth nothing that may be desired, eyther for pleasur [...], p [...]ofite, or [...]ecessarie vs [...]s, which sundry Countreys, to possesse and obte [...]ne, as it is an easie thi [...]g, so would I not haue our Englishe Nation to be slacke therein, le [...]st perh [...]ppes agayne they ouershoote themselues, in refusing oc [...]casion offered, as it was in the time of King Henry the seauenth, when all the West Indies were firste pr [...]fered to the Englis [...]men, to be giuen into their handes, whiche they little regarding, was aft [...]w [...]rd offer [...]d to the Spany [...]rdes, who presently a [...]cepted th [...] occasion, and now enioy the infinite treasure and commo [...]itie thereof. I would not wishe Englishme [...] to b [...] newe vnlike themselues, [...]or in all the later discouerie [...] the Englishe n [...]tion hath bin as forw [...]rd, as an [...] other. [...]s first [...] by their Nauigations North [...]stward, the boūds of Europe, wer made perf [...]ct on the North syde, for Ptolomie, St [...]abo, and al other Geogr [...]phers [...]e [...]te it des [...]ribed but onel [...] to the Ilandes Orcad [...]s i [...] I [...]elande, and Hyperboreos Montes in Sarma [...]i [...], a [...]d finding the l [...]nd on [...]he North sid [...] o [...] [...]rm [...]ny, Poland, Moscouia, and Asia, [...] e [...]tend Northw [...]d, [...]hey le [...]t [...]on [...]u [...]dly, [...] kn [...]w [...]ot whether it re [...]c [...]ed to the Pol [...], as one [...], or [...] [Page 15] voyage hath since bin perfected by ye two bréethren the Borowes, & other valiant yong mē of our time Eastward, beyonde ye great Riuer Obij, as farre as ye Empire of ye great Cam or Cane of Tartari [...], as [...]ppéereth in my general Map by ye pricked boūds therof. Th [...]t voyage was then takē in hand, of ye valiant Knight, with pretēce to haue gone Eastward to the rich Coūtrey of Cat [...]ya, & was groūded briefely vpon these reasons. First, bicause ther was a Unicornes horne found vpon the coast of Tarta [...]ia by the Riuer Obij, which (said he) was like by no other ways to come thither, but frō India or C [...]taya, where the saide Unicornes are only foūd, & that by some sea bringing it thither. Also a fishermā of Tartari [...] reported, yt he sailed verye farre South eastward, & found no end of sea, or likelyhoode therof. Lastly, a Tartarian, inhabiting néere ye Scithian Se [...], reported such a streame and currant to runne there cōtinually [...] towards the West, that if you cast any thing therein, it would presently be caried out of your sight towards the West, whereby necessaril [...] foloweth, ther should be some passage to some larg [...]r sea, wherin this cō [...]inua [...]l streame might emptie it self. And by ye experience of this vo [...]age, it w [...]s found, yt the frosen [...]ones were not fros [...]n, bu [...] h [...]b table and nauigable, a thing yt almost all the old Philosophers did deny, & went about with sundry reasons [...]o impugne, [...]or [...]n this voyage to Moscoui [...], our men passed be [...]ond .72. degrées in No [...]th Latitude, wheras ye frosen Zone beginneth at .66 d [...]grées & a halfe. This enterprise, althogh it t [...]ke not eff [...]ct, to find ye passage to Cataya Eastw [...]rd, b [...]c [...]use ye worthy knight, the chiefe Author therof, dyed in ye way thither, yet hath it bin very beneficiall to England, in finding out ye trade to S. Nicholas, both for ye mainten [...]nce of ye N [...]u [...]e, & the yerely profit is reaped therby, the which voyage is knowē to be more dāgerous & painful, thā any y• Spanyards or Portugals haue euer dealt in, for they being borne in a somewhat hote coū trey, hapned to deale with easie voyages, although they were lōg out, not much differing frō their own tēperature.
[Page 16]And I thi [...]ke, a man mighte be bolde to saye, that in all their long voyages, to the East and West Indies, they were neuer so muche distressed and oppressed with so infinite numbers, and sundrie kindes of dangers, as oure valiante Generall Captayne Frobisher, and his companye were in euery one of these his thrée voyages, as readyng it, you shall vnderstand more at large. And yet they couragiously persist and continue on their purposed enterprise, and will not surceasse, vntill they haue (God willing) found oute that long wished passage to Cataya, to the euerlasting renowne, glorie, and fame of the English nation.
Also, the valor of the English men, did first of all discouer and finde out all that part of America, whiche nowe is called B [...]cc [...]laos: for Sebastian Cabot, an Englishe man, borne in Bristow, was by commandement of Kyng Henry the seauenth, in Anno .1508. furnished with Shipping, munition, and men, and sayled along all that tract, pretending to discouer the passage to Cataya, and went alande in many places, and brought home sundry of the people, and manye other things of that Countrey, in token of possession, béeing (I say) the firste Christians that euer there sette foote on land.
Also, the sayde Englishman Cabot, did first discouer at the procurement of the King of Spayne, all that other porte of America, adioyning nexte beyond Brasill, lying aboute the famous Riuer called Rio de la plata.
Also, the English men haue made sundrye voyages to Guinea and Bynny, although the Spanyardes, and Portugalles, bycause of their néere dwelling therevnto, get thyther the firste starte of them, and there preuented them in building Townes and Castels, whereby appeareth, that the English nation, by their long and dangerous Nauigations, haue diligently and paynefullie searched out by sea, the temperature of all the Zones, whether they were burning, frosen, hot, colde, or indifferent, euen from the Pole [Page 17] Articke, to the Equinoctiall, and crossing it also, passed beyonde the Tropicke of Capricorne, and returned agayne. And therefore, as we are inferioure to no other nation, in making greate and long voyages by Sea, so knowe I no Nation comparable vnto vs, in taking in hande long trauels and voyages by lande. For what Nation is it, that hath euer had such a long trade by land, as is the Englishmens into Persia, which besides two Monethes sayling by Sea, along the Weast and Northerne coastes of Norwey, and Lapland, by Wardhouse, vnto the Bay of Saint Nicholas, it remayneth more in voyage by land and fresh riuers, aboute thrée thousande Englishe myles: for from the Merchantes house at Saint Nicholas, by the Riuer Duina and Sughana, to the Citie Volugda, is compted seauen hundred English miles, from thence to the Citie Yearuslane, standing vpon the great Riuer Molga, trauelling by only land, is reckned about .140. miles, where the Merchants making new Shipping for the freshe Riuer Volga, goe Eastwarde about .700. myles: then the sayde Riuer Volga turning agayne South by many windings, at the last by the greate Citie Astracan, deliuereth it selfe into the South side of the Sea Caspium, that tract being aboue nine hundred miles: then after in two or thrée dayes, with a good winde crossing the Caspium Sea, they ariue at a port named Bilbill, where after by lande iourneying with Camels in one and twenty dayes, being almost .600 myles, they come to the famous Citie of Tauris or Teuris, being the greatest Citie of Persia, for trade of Merchandise. This long and paynefull voyage by land, was taken in hand by a worthy Gentleman Mayster Anthony Ienkenson, who made therof a Plat, with the firste particular description that I haue séene of the whole Countrey of Moscouia, whiche is yet extant, and therefore the Englishmen are to be preferred before all other Nations, in making long voyages by lande. The Spanyards and Portugalles vndoubtedly are worthye [Page 18] immortal [...]ame and glorie, for their greate enterprises, and good [...]uccesses, they haue therein: yet haue they neuer seene nor hard such straunge and extraordinarie accidents of the Sphere, as hath happ [...]ned vnto the Englishmen. For neyther Sp [...]nia [...]de nor Portugal, euer sawe in all their long voyages, Sunne and the Moone to make whole and perfect reuolutions aboue the Horizon, as our men yearely do sée in their voyage to Moscouia, where when they abide any time at Wardehouse, they sée the Sunne goe continually aboue ground, the space of aboue two moneths togither, where if they take no great héede, they shal not know what day of the moneth it is, after the order of our Calender, for that they haue no nigh [...]s. But yet bycause once euerye 24. houres, the Sunne draweth neare to the Horizon in the North parts, it is there commonly shadowed with vapours and thicke fogges, whiche vsually rise from the Earth, and seeme a little to shad [...]we the bodye of the Sunne: and that lowest approching of the Snn to ye Earthward, they counte night, and so make good ynough reckning of the days of the moneth, according to our vsuall fashion. But one inconuenience there is, that dismayeth and deterreth moste men, (though they be of valiant courage) from taking in hande large voyages, eyther by sea or by lande, and that is, the newe and vncustomed elements, and the extreme ayres, of hot & cold, wherby (as some think) if they trauel far Northward, they shall be frosen to death, in the harde congealed & frosen sea: and again, if they trauel far toward the South, they feare they should be parched and broyled to death with the extreme heate of the middle burnyng: or else if perhaps they escape aliue, yet at least they shold be burned as black as a cole, as the Indians or Black Moores there are & thys to belieue they are partlye perswaded by the sight of those Indians, and partlye by the persuasions of certaine Philosophers, who went about with reasons to proue, yt betwéen the 2. Tropicks was no dwelling or being, for the extreme [Page 19] heate, the Sunne beating on them continuallye: neyther neare ey [...]her Pole, for the extreme frostes, colde, and snow, whiche continuallye hath there (fr [...]m the beginning of the world as some thinke) increased, the Sunne being so farre distante from them. Which opinion of some, bycause it importeth very much, I thought good here to do m [...] indeuour to refell, both bycause I know the contrarie, by my owne experience, and also for that I finde the course of the Sunne in Zod [...]acke, which God hath orda [...]ned to giue light & life to all things, can induce no such kinde of [...]x [...]remitie: and so lastly to confirme all partes of the worlde to be habitable.
Experiences and reasons of the Sphere, to proue al partes of the world habitable, and [...]hereby to con [...]ute the position of the fiue Zones.
FIrst it may be gathered by experience of our Englishmen in An.1553. for Captain Windam made a voyage with Merchandise to Guinea, & entred so far within the Torrida Zona, that he was within .3. or 4. degrées of the Equinoctial, & abiding there certain mone [...]hs, re [...]urned wt gain.
Also the Englishmen made another voyage verye prosp [...]rous & gainfull, An [...] 1554 to ye coasts of Binin, lying East frō Guinea, being within 3. degrées of ye Equinoctial. And yet it is reported of a truth, that al ye tract frō Cape de las Pa [...]mas trending by C. de tres puntas alongst by Benin vntil the Ile of Saint Thomas (which is perpendicular vnder the Equinoctial) al yt whole Bay is more subiect to many bloming and smothering heates, with infectious and contagious ayres, than any other place in al Torrida Zona: and the cause therof is some accidents in ye land. For it is most certain, yt mountaines, Seas, w [...]ods, and lakes, &c. may cause through their sundrie kind of situation, sundry straunge & extraordinarie effectes, whych the reason of the clyme otherwise woulde not giue. I mention these voyages of oure Englishemenne, not so muche to proue that Torrida Zona may be, [Page 20] and is inhabited, as to shew their readynesse in attempting long and dangerous Nauigations. We also among vs in England, haue blacke Moores, Ethiopians, out of all partes of Torrida Zon [...], whiche after a small continuance, can wel endure the colde of our Countrey, and why should not we as well abide the heate of their Countrey. But what shoulde I name anye more experiences, séeyng that all the coastes of Guynea and Bynnin are inhabited of Portugals, Spanyardes, French, and some Englishmen, and there haue built Castels a [...]d Townes. Onely this I will say to the Merchants of London, that trade yéerely to Marochus, it is very certayne, that the greatest part of the burning Zone, is farre more temperate and coole, than the Countrey of Marochus, as shall appéere by these reasons and experiences folowing. For let vs first consider the breadth and bignesse of this burning Zone, which as euery man knoweth, is .47. Degrées eache Tropicke, whiche are the bounders thereof, being .23. degrées and a halfe distant frō the Equinoctiall. Imagin againe two other Paralels, on eache side the Equinoctiall one, eyther of them distant from the Equinoctiall about twentie Degrées, whiche Paralels maye be described eyther of them twice a yeare by the Sunne, being in the firste Degrées of Gemini the eleuenth of May, and in Leo the thirtenth of Iuly, hauing North Latitude. And agayne, the Sunne béeyng in the first Degrées of Sagittarius, the twelfth of Nouember, and in Aquarius the ninth of Ianuary, hauyng South Latitude, I am to proue by experience and reason, that all that distance, included betwéene these two Paralels last named, conteyning fortye Degrées in Latitude, goyng rounde aboute the earthe, according to Longitude, is not onely habitable, but the same most frutefull and delectable, and that if anye extremitie of heate bée, the same not to bée within the space of twentye Degrées of the Equinoctiall on eyther syde, but onely vnder and [Page 21] about the two Tropickes, and so proportionally the nearer you do approche to either Tropicke, the more you are subiect to extremitie of heate (if any suche be) and so Marochus being scituate but .6. or .7. degrées from the Tropicke of Cancer, shall be more subiect to heate, than any place vnder or neare the Equinoctiall line [...]
And first by the experience of sundrie men, yea thousāds, Trauailers and Merchauntes, to the East and Weast Indies in manye places both directly vnder, and harde by the Equinoctiall, they with one consent affirme, that it aboundeth in the middest of Torrida Zona with all maner of grain, hearbes, grasse, fruite, wood, and cattell, that we haue here, and thousandes other sortes, farre more holesome, delectable, and pretious, than anye wée haue in these Northerne climates, as very well shall appeare to him that wil reade the Histories and Nauigations of suche as haue trauelled Arabia, India, intra and extra Gangem, the Ilandes Moluccae, America [...] &c. which all lye about ye middle of ye burning Zone, where it is truely reported, that the great hearbes, as are Radishe, Lettuce, Colewortes, Borage, and suche like, doe waxe ripe, greater, more sauerie and delectable in taste than ours, within sixetéene dayes after the séede is sowen. Wheat being sowed the first of Februarie, was foūd ripe the firste of May, and generally, where it is lesse fruitefull, the Wheate will be ripe the fourth Moneth after the séede is sowne, and in some places [...] will bring forth an eare as bigge as the wreste of a mans arme, containing .1000. graines. Beanes, Pease, &c. are there ripe twice a yeare. Also grasse being cutte downe, will growe vppe in sixe dayes aboue one foote highe. If our cattell be transported thither, within a small time their yong ones become of bigger stature, and more fatte than euer they would haue bin in these Countries. There are founde in euerie wood in great numbers, suche timber trées as twelue men holding handes togither are not able to fadome. And to be short, all they that [Page 22] haue bene there, with one consent affirme, that there are the goodlyest greene Meddowes and playnes, the faireste mountaines, couered with all sortes of trées & fruites, the fairest vallies, the goodliest pleasaunt fresh riuers, stoared with infinite kinde of fishes, the thickest woods, gréene and bearing fruite al the whole yeare, that are in al the worlde. And as for gold, siluer, and al other kinde of Metals, al kind of spices, and delectable fruites, both for delicacie, & health, are there in such aboundance, as hitherto they haue bene thought to haue bene bred no where else, but there. And in conclusion, it is now thought, that no where else but vnder the Equinoctiall, or not farre from thence, is the earthlye Paradise, and the only place of perfection in this world. And that the things may séeme the lesse straunge, bycause i [...] hath bin accompted of the old Philosophers, that there could nothing prosper, for the extreme heate of the Sunne continually going ouer their heades in the Zodiacke, I thoughte good here to alleage suche naturall causes as to mée séeme verie substanciall and sure reasons. First you are to vnderstande, that the Sunne doeth worke his more or lesse heate in these lower parts by two meanes, the one is [...] by the kind of Angle that the Sun beames doeth make with the earth, as in all Torrida Zona, it maketh perpendicularly righte Angles, in some place or other at noone, and towardes the two Poles verie oblique and vneuen Angles. And the other meane is the longer or shorter continuaunce of the Sunne aboue the Horizon. So that wheresoeuer these two causes do most concurre, there is moste excesse of heate: and when the one is wanting, the rigor of the heat is lesse. For though the Sunne beames do beate perpendicularly vpon any region subiect vnto it, if it hath no continuaunce or abode aboue the Horizon, to worke his operation in, there can no hote effect procéede. For nothing can be don in a momente. And this seconde cause, mora solis supra Horizontem, the time of the Sunnes abiding aboue the Horizon, the old Philosophers [Page 23] neuer remēbred, but regarded only the manner of angles, yt the Sun beames made with the Horizon, which if they were equall and right, the heate was the greater, as in Torrida Zona: if they were vnequall & oblique, the heat was the lesse, as towardes both poles, which reason is very good & substancial: for the perpendicular beames reflect and reuerberate in themselues, so that the heate is doubled, euery beame striking twice, & by vniting are multiplied, and continue strong in forme of a Columne. But in our latitude of 50. & .60. degrées, the Sun beams descend oblique & slanting wise, & so sthiketh but once & departeth, and therefore oure heate is the lesse, for any effect that the angle of the Suns beames make. Yet, because we haue a longer continuaunce of the Sunnes presence aboue our Horizon than they haue vnder the Equinoctiall, by whiche continuaunce the heate is increased, for it shineth to vs .xvj. or .xviii. houres sometime, when it continueth with them but twelue houres alwayes.
And againe, oure night is very shorte, wherein colde vapors vse to abound, being but .6. or .8. houres long, wheras theirs is alwayes twelue houres long, by which two aduā tages of long dayes and shorte nights, thoughe we wante the equalitie of Angle, it commeth to passe, that in Sommer oure heate here is as greate as theirs is there, as hath bin proued by experience, and is nothing dissonant from good reason.
Therefore, whosoeuer wil rightly way the force of colde & heate in any region, muste not onelye consider the Angle that the Sunne beames make, but also the continuaunce of the same aboue the Horizon. As firste to them vnder the Equinoctiall the Sunne is twice a yeare at noone in their Zenith perpendicular ouer their heades, & the [...]re during the .ij. houres of those two dayes the heat is very vrgent, & so perhaps it will be in .4. or .5. dayes more, an houre euerye [Page 24] daye vntill the Sunne in his proper motion, haue crossed the Equinoctiall, so that this extreame heate caused by the perpendicular Angle of the Sunne beames, endureth but two houres of two dayes, in a yeare. But if anye man say the Sunne maye s [...]alde a good while, before and after it come to the Meridian, so farre forthe as reason leadeth, I am content to allowe it, and therefore I will measure and proportion the Sunnes heate, by comparing the Angles there, with the Angles made here in England, bicause this tēperature is best knowen vnto vs. As for example, the .11. daye of Marche, when vnder the Equinoctiall it is halfe an houre paste eight of the clocke in the morning, the Sunne will be in the East, bycause there it ariseth alwayes at six of the clocke, and moueth euerye houre 15. degrees aboue ye Horizon, and so high verye neare wil it be with vs at London the saide .11. of March at noone. And therfore looke what force the Sunne hath with vs at noone, the .11. of March, the same force hath it vnder the Equinoctiall at halfe houre paste eight in the morning, or rather lesse force vnder the Equinoctiall. For with vs the Sunne hadde béene alreadye six y houres aboue the Horizon, and so had purified and clensed all the vapours, and thereby hys force encreased at noone, but vnder the Equinoctiall, the Sunne hauing béen vppe but [...] 2½ houres hadde sufficient to doe, to purge & consume the colde and moyste vapoures of the long night, and as yet had wrought no effect of heate. And therefore I may boldely pronounce, that there is muche lesse heate at halfe houre past eight vnder the Equinoctiall, than is with vs at noone (a fortiori.) Butte in Marche, wée are not onelye contented to haue the Sunne shining, but we greately desire the same. Likewise the .11. of Iune, the Sunne in oure Meridian is .62. degrées highe at London: and vnder the Equinoctiall it is so high after .10. of the clocke, and séeing then it is beneficiall with vs à fortiori, it is beneficial to them after .10. of the clocke.
[Page 25]And thus haue we measured the force of the Suns greatest heate, the hottest dayes in the yeare, vnder the Equinoctiall, that is, in March and September, from sixe tyll after tenne of the clocke in the morning, and from two vntill sunne set. And this is concluded, by respecting only the first cause of he [...]te, which is the consideration of the Angle of ye Sunne beames, by a certaine similitude, that whereas the sunne shineth neuer aboue twelue houres, more than eight of them would be coole and pleasaunt euē to vs much more to them that are acquainted alwayes with suche warme places. So there remayneth lesse than foure houres of anye excessiue heate, & that only in the two sommer dayes of the yeare, that is, the eleuenth of March, and the fourtéenth of September, for vnder the Equinoctiall they haue two sommers, in March, and September, which are our spring and Autumne: and likewise two winters, in Iune, and December, which are our Sommer and Winter, as may well appeare to him that hath onelye tasted the principles of the Sphere. But if the sunne be in eyther Tropicke, [...]or approching neare therevnto, then may we more easilye measure the force of his Meridian altitude, that it striketh vpon the Equinoctial. As for example, the twelfth of Iune, the sunne will be in the first degrée of Cancer. Then loke what force the heate of the sunne hath vnder the Equinoctiall, ye same force and greater, it hath in all that Paralel, where the Pole is eleuated betwéene 47. and 48. degrées. And therefore Paris in Fraunce, the 12. daye of Iulye sustayneth more heate of the Sunne, than Saint Thomas Ilande lying néere the same Meridian, doth likewise at noone, or the Ilandes Taprobana, Moluccae, or the firme lande of Peru in America, which al lye vnderneath the Equinoctial. For vpon the 12. day of Iune aforesayd, the sunne beames at noone doe make an Isocheles Triangle, whose Vertex is the Center of the Sunne, the Basis a lyne extended from Saint Thomas Ilande, vnder the Equinoctiall, vnto Paris in Fraunce, neare [Page 26] the same Meridian: therfore the two Angles of the Base,In Iune is greater heat at Paris than vnder the Equinoctial. muste néedes be equall p. 5. primi, Ergo the force of the heate equall, if there were no other cause, than the reason of the Angle, as the olde Philosophers haue appointed. But bycause at Paris the Sun riseth two houres before it riseth to them vnder the Equinoctiall, & setteth likewise two houres after thē, by means of the obliquity of the Horizō, in which time of the Sunnes presence .4. houres in one place, more thā the other, it worketh some effect more in the one place than in the other, & being of equall height at noone, it muste then néedes follow to be more hote in the Paralell of Paris, than it is vnder the Equinoctiall. Also this is an other reason, that when the Sun setteth to them vnder the Equinoctiall, it goeth very déep & lowe vnder their Horizon, almost euen to their Antipodes, whereby their twylights are very shorte, and their nightes are made verye extreame darke and long,The Twylights are shorter, and the nights darker, vnder the Equinoct [...]al [...] al than at Paris. and so the moysture and coldenesse of the long nightes, wonderfully encreaseth, so that at length the Sun rising, can hardly in many houres consume and driue away the colde humoures and moyst vapours of the nighte paste, which is cleane contrarye in ye Paralel of Paris: For ye Sun goeth vnder their Horizon but verye little, after a sloping forte, whereby their nights are not verye darke, but lightsome, as looking into the North in a cleare night withoute cloudes, it doeth manifestlye appeare, their twilightes are long, for the Paralel Cancer cutteth not the Horizon of Paris at right angles, (but at angles very vneuen, and vnlike) as it doth the Horizon of the Equinoctiall. Also the Sommer day at Paris, is sixtéene houres long, and the nighte but eight: where contrariwise, vnder the Equinoctial, the day is but twelue houres long, and so long is also the nighte, in what soeuer Paralell the Sunbe: and therefore looke what oddes and difference of proportion there is betwéene the Sunnes abode aboue the Horizon in Paris, and the abode it hath vnder the Equinoctiall, (it being in Cancer) the same [Page 27] proportion woulde séeme to be betwéen the heate of the one place and heate of the other: for other things (as the angle of the whole acke of the Sunnes progresse that day in both places) are equall.
But vnder the Equinoctiall, the presence and abode of the Sunne aboue the Horizon, is equall to his absence, and abode vnder the Horizon, eache being twelue houres. And at Paris, the continuaunce and abode of the Sunne is aboue the Horizon sixteene houres long, and but eight hours absence, whiche proportion is double, from whiche, if the proportion of the equalitie be subtrahed to find the difference, there will remaine stil a double proportion, whereby it séemeth to followe, that in Iune the heate at Paris were double to the heate vnder the Equinoctiall. For (as I haue saide) the angle of the Sunne beames, are in all pointes equall, and the cause of difference is, Mora Solis supra Horizontem, the staye of the Sunne in the one Horizon more than in the other. Therefore, whosoeuer coulde finde out in what proportion the angle of the Sunne beames heateth, and what encrease the Sunnes continuaunce doeth adde therevnto, it might expresly be sette downe, what force of heate and colde is in all regions.
Thus you partely sée by comparing a Clymate to vs well knowne, and familiarlye acquainted by lyke height of the Sunne in bothe places, that vnder the Equinoctiall in Iune, is no excessiue heate, but a temperate ayre rather tending to colde. For as they haue there for the moste parte a continuall moderate heate, so yet sometime they are a little pintched wyth colde,They vse and haue neede of fire vnder the Equinoctiall. and vse the benefite of Fyre as well as wée, especiallye in the euenyng when they goe to bedde, for as they lye in hanging beddes tyed faste in the vpper parte of the house, so wyll they haue fyres made on both sides their bed, of whych two fires, yt one they deuise superstitiouslye to driue awaye Spyrites, and the [Page 28] other to kéep away from them the coldenesse of the nights.
Al [...]o in manye places of Torrida Zona, especially in the higher landes somewhat mountainous, the people a little shrincke at the colde, and are often forced to prouide themselues clothing, so that ye Spaniards haue found in the West Indies, many people clothed, especially in Winter, whereby appeareth, that with their heate, there is colde intermingled, else would they neuer prouide this remedy of clothing, which to them is rather a griefe & trouble than otherwise. For when they go to warres, they wil putte off al their apparell, thinking it to be combersome, and will alwayes goe naked, that they thereby mighte bée more nymble in their fight. Some there be that thinke the middle Zone extreme hote, bycause ye people of yt Countrie can liue withoute clothing, wherein they childishly are deceiued, for oure clime rather tendeth to extreamitie of colde, bicause we cannot liue without clothing: for this our dubble lining & furring, & wearing so many cloths, is a remedy against extremitie, & argueth not ye goodnesse of yt habitation, but incoueniēce & iniury of cold: & that is rather ye moderate, tēperate, & delectable habitation, where none of these troublesome things are required, but that we may liue naked & bare, as nature bringeth vs forth. Others again imagine ye midle Zone to be extreme hote, bycause the people of Affrica, especially ye Ethiopians, are so cole blacke, & their haire like wooll [...]urled shor, twhich blacknesse & crooked haire, they suppose to come only by ye parching heate of ye Sun, which how it should be possible I cannot sée. For euē vnder ye Equinoctiall in America, & in ye East Indies, & in the Ilāds Moluccae, yt people are not blacke, but white, with lōg haire vncurled as we haue, so that if the Ethiopians blacknesse came by the heate of the Sun, why should not those Americans and Indians also bée as blacke as they, séeyng the Sunne is equally distant frō them both, they abiding in one paralel: for the concaue and cōuexs Superficies of ye Orbe of the Sun is concentrike, and [Page 29] equidistant to ye earth, except any man should imagine somwhat of Aux Solis, & Oppositum, whiche indiff [...]r [...]ntly may be applied aswel to ye one place, as to the other. But y• same is thought to giue no otherwise heate, but by way of angle in reflection, not by his néerenesse, for throughout all Africa, yea in the middest of ye middle, and in al oth [...]r places, vpon ye tops of Moūtains, there lyeth cōtinuall Snow, which is neerer to the Orbe of the Sunne, than the people are in the valley, by so muche as the height of these: Mountaynes amount vnto, and yet the Sunne notwithstanding his nerenesse, can not melt the Snow, for want of conuenient place of reflections. Also the middle region of the Ayre, where all the Hayle, Frost, and Snowe is engendred, is néerer vnto the Sunne than the earth is, and yet there continueth perpetuall colde, bycause there is nothing that the Sunnes beames may reflect against, whereby appeareth the néerenesse of the body of ye Sunne worketh nothing. Therfore to returne again to the blacke Moores, I my selfe haue séene an Ethiopian as blacke as a cole broughte into Englande, who taking a faire Englishe woman to Wife, begatte a Sonne in all respectes as blacke as the Father was, although England were his natiue Countrey, & an English woman his Mother: whereby it séemeth this blacknesse procéedeth rather of some naturall infection of that man, whiche was so strong, that neyther ye nature of the Clime, neyther the good complexion of the Mother concurring, coulde any thing alter, and therefore we can not impute it to the nature of ye Clime. And for a more fresh example, our people of Meta Incognita (of whome and for whome thys discourse is taken in hande) that were broughte this last yeare into Englande, were all generallie of the same coloure, that many Nations be, lying in the middest of the middle Zone. And this their couloure was not only in the face whiche was subiecte to Sunne and Ayre, but also in their bodies, which were still couered with garments, as [Page 30] oures are, yea, the very sucking childe, of twelue Moneths age,The complexion of the people of Meta Incognica. hadde his skinne of the very same couloure that most haue vnder the Equinoctiall, which thing can not procéede by reason of the clime, for that they are at least tenne degrées more towards the North, than we in Englande are, no, the Sunne neuer commeth néere their Zenith by .40. Degrées, for in effect, they are within thrée or four degrées of that, which they call the frosen Zone, and as I said, fortie degrées from the burning Zone, whereby it foloweth, that there is some other cause than the Clymate, or the Sunnes perpendicular reflection, that shoulde cause the Ethiopians great blacknesse. And the most probable cause to my iudgemente is, that this blacknesse procéedeth of some naturall infection of the first inhabitāts of that Countrey, and so all the whole progenie of them descended, are still poluted with the same blot of infection. Therefore it shall not be farre from our purpose, to examine the first originall of these blacke men, and how by lineall discente, they haue hitherto continued thus blacke.The cause of the Ethiopiās blackenesse. It manifestly and plainely appeareth by holy Scripture, that after the generall Inundation and ouerflowing of the Earth, there remayned no moe mē aliue, but Noe & his thrée sonnes, Sem, Cham, and Iaphet, who only were lefte to possesse & inhabit the whole face of the earth: therefore all the land that vntill this daye hath bin inhabited by sundry discents, must néedes come of the ofspring eyther of Sem, Cham, or Iaphet, as the onely sonnes of Noe, who all thrée being white, and their wiues also, by course of nature, should haue begotten and brought forth white children. But the enuie of our great and continuall enimie the wicked Spirit is such, that as he could not suffer our old Father Adam to liue in the felicitie & Angelike state wherein he was first created, but tempting him, sought & procured his ruine & fal: So againe, finding at this floud none but a father and thrée sonnes liuing, he so caused one of them to transgresse & disobey his fathers commandement, [Page 31] that after him, all his posteritie shoulde be accursed. The fact of disobedience was this. When Noe at the commandement of God had made & entred the Arke,The Arke of Noe. & the fludgates of Heauen were opened, so that the whole face of the earth, euery trée & Mountaine was couered with abundāce of water, he straitely commanded his sonnes & their wiues, yt they should with reuerence & feare behold the iustice and mighty power of God, & that during the time of the floud, while they remained in the Arke, they should vse cōtinēcie, & absteine frō carnall copulation with their wiues: & many other preceptes he gaue vnto thē, & admonitions, touching the iustice of God, in reuenging sinne, & his mercie in deliuering thē, who nothing deserued it. Which good instructions & exhortatiōs notwithstāding, his wicked sonne Cham disobeyed,Chus y• sonne of Cham accursed. and being persuaded that the first child borne after the floud (by right & law of nature) should inherit & possesse all the dominion of ye earth, he, contrarie to his fathers commandement, while they were yet in the Arke, vsed cō pany with his wife, & craftily went about, thereby to disinherit the ofspring of his other two bréethren, for the which wicked and detestable fact, as an example for contempte of Almightie God, and disobedience of parents, God would a sonne shuld be borne, whose name was Chus, who not only it selfe, but all his posteritie after him, should be so blacke & lothsome, that it might remaine a spectacle of disobedience to all the World. And of this blacke & cursed Chus came al these blacke Moores which are in Africa, for after the water was vanished frō off the face of the earth, and that the land was drie, Sem chose that part of the land to inhabit in which now is called Asia, and Iaphet had that which nowe is called Europa wherin we dwel, and Africa remained for Cham, & his blacke sonne Chus, & was called Chamesis, A [...]frica was called Chamesis. after ye fathers name, being perhaps a cursed, dry, sandy, & vnfruteful groūd, fit for such a generatiō to inhabit in. Thus you sée, yt the cause of ye Ethiopians blacknesse, is the curse & [Page 32] infection of bloud, & not the distemperature of the clymate, which also may be proued by this example, that these black men are found in all partes of Africa, as well withoute the Tropicks, as within, euen vnto Capo d'buona Speranza Southward, where, by reason of the Sphere, should be the same temperature as is in Spayne, Laddigna, and Sicilia, where all be of very good complexions. Wherefore I conclude, that the blacknesse procéedeth not of the hotenesse of the Clime, but as I sayd, of the infection of bloud, and therfore this their argumente gathered of the Africans blacknesse, is not able to destroy the temperature of the middle Zone. We may therefore very well be assertayned, that vnder the Equinoctiall, is the most pleasant and delectable place of the worlde to dwell in, where, although the Sunne for two houres in a yeare, be directe ouer their heads, and therefore the heate at that time somewhat of force, yet bycause it commeth so seldome, and continueth so small a time, when it commeth, it is not to be wayed, but rather the moderate heate of other times is all the yeare to be remembred. And if the heate at any time should in the shorte daye ware somewhat vrgent, the coldnesse of the long night there, would easilie refreshe it, according as Honterus sayth, speaking of the temperature vnder the Equinoctiall.
If the heate of the Sunne in the day time doe burne or parch any thing, the moysture of the nighte dothe coole and refresh the same againe, the Sunne being as long absente in the night, as it was present in the day. Also our Author of the Sphere, Iohannes d' Sacro bosco, in the Chapter of the Zodiacke, deriueth the Etimologie of Zodiacus, of the Gréeke word Zoe, whiche in Latin signifyeth Vita, life, for [Page 33] out of Aristotle he alledgeth, that Secundum accessum & recessum solis in Zodiaco, fiunt generationes & corruptiones in rebus inferioribus: according to the Sunnes going to and fro in the Zodiake, the inferiour bodies take their causes of generation and corruption. Then it foloweth, that where there is most going too and fro, there is most generation and corruption: whiche must néedes be betwéene the two Tropikes, for there the Sunne goeth too and fro most, and no where else, but there. Therefore, betwéene the two Tropikes, that is, in the midle Zone, is greatest increase, multiplication, generation,Under the Equinoctiall is greatest generation. and corruption of things, which also we find by experience, for there is Sommer twice in the yeare, and twice Winter, so that they haue two Haruests in the yeare, and continuall spring. Seing then the middle Zone falleth out so temperate, it resteth to declare where the hotest part of the World should be, for we fynde some places more hote than others. To answere this doubt, reason persuadeth, the hotest place in the Worlde to be vnder and about the two Tropickes, for there more than in anye other place doe both the causes of heate concurre,Greatest heare vnder the Tropiks. that is, the perpendicular falling of the Sunne beames, at righte Angles, and a greater continuance of the Sunne aboue the Horison (the Pole there being eleuated thrée or foure and twentie degrées.) And as before I concluded, that though the Sunne were perpendicular to them vnder the Equinoctiall, yet bycause the same continued but a small tyme, (theyr dayes being short, and theyr nightes long) and theyr spéedie departure of the Sunne from their Zenith, bycause of the suddayne crossing of the Zodiake with the Equinoctiall, and that by such continuall course and recourse of hote and cold, the temperature grew moderate.
So now to thē vnder ye two Tropikes, the Sun hauing once by his proper permotiō declined .20. degrées from the Equinoctial, beginneth to draw néere theyr Zenith, which may bée (as before, aboute the eleuenth day of May, and [Page 34] then beginneth to send his beames almost at right Angles, about which tyme, the Sunne entreth into the first degrée of Gemini, and with this almost right Angle, the Sunne beames will continue, vntill it be past Cancer, that is, the space of two Monethes euery day at noone, almost perpendicular ouer their heads, being then the time of So [...]stitium Aestiuale, whiche so long continuance of the Sun aboute their Zenith, maye cause an extreame heate (if anye be in the world) but of necessitie farre more heate, than can bée vnder the Equinoctiall, where the Sunne hathe no suche long abode in the Zenith, but passeth away therehence very quickly. Also vnder the Tropikes, the day is longer by an houre and a halfe, than it is vnder the Equinoctiall, wherefore the heate of the Sunne, hauing a longer tyme of operation, must néedes be encreased, especially séeing the nighte, wherein colde and moysture doe abounde vnder the Tropikes, is lesse than it is vnder the Equinoctiall. Therefore I gather, that vnder the Tropikes is the hotest place, not onely of Torrida Zona, but of any other parte of the Worlde, especially bycause there both causes of heate doe concurre, that is, the perpendicular falling of the Sunne beames two Monethes togyther, and the longer abode of the Sunnes presence aboue the Horison. And by this meanes, more at large is proued, that Marochus in Sommer, is farre more hote, than at any tyme vnder the Equinoctiall, bycause it is scituate so néere the Tropike Cancer, and also for the length of their dayes. Neyther yet doe I thynke, that the Regions scituate vnder the Tropikes, are not habitable, for they are founde to be verye frutefull also, although Marochus, and some other partes of Africa néere the Tropike, for the drynesse of the natiue sandie soyle, and some accidentes, maye séeme to some to be intemperate for ouermuch heate. For Ferdinandus Ouiedus, speaking of Cuba and Hispaniola, Cuba Hispaniola. Ilands of America, lying hard vnder, or by the Tropike Cancer, sayeth, [Page 35] that these Ilandes haue as good pasture for Cattell, as anye other Countrey in the world.
Also, they haue most holesome and cléere water, and temperate ayre, by reason whereof, the heards of Beas [...]es are muche bigger, fatter, and of better tast, then any in Spayne, bycause of the rancke pasture, whose moysture is better digested in the hearbe or grasse, by continuall and temperate heate of the Sunne, whereby being made more fatte and vnctious, it is of better and more stedfast nourishment. For continuall and temperate heate dothe not only draw much moysture out of the earth, to the nourishmente of suche things as growe, and are engendred in that Clime, but dothe also by moderation, preserue the same from putrifying, digesting also, and condensating or thickning the sayd moyst nourishmente into a gummie and vnctious substance,Under the Tropickes is a mode [...]nte temperature whereby appeareth also, that vnder the Tropikes is both holesome, frutefull, and pleasant habitation, whereby lastly it followeth, that al the middle Zone, whiche vntyll of late dayes hathe bin compted and called the burning, broyling, and parched Zone, is now found to bée the most delicate, temperate, commodious, pleasaunte, and delectable part of the World, and especially vnder the Equinoctiall.
Hauyng nowe sufficiently at large declared the temperature of the middle Zone, it remayneth to speake somewhat also of the moderate and continuall heate in colde Regions, as well in the nighte as in the day all the Sommer long, and also how these Regions are habitable to the inhabitantes of the same, contrarie to the opinion of the olde writers.
Of the temperature of colde Regions all the Sommer long, and also hovve in Winter the same is habitable, especially to the inhabitants thereof.
THe colde Regions of the Worlde are those, whiche tending towarde the Pole Artike, and Antartike, are without the circuit or bounds of the seauen Climates, which agréeable to the opinion of the old Writers, is founde, and sette out in oure Authour of the Sphere, Iohannes de Sacrobosco, where hée playnely sayeth, that without the seauenth Climate, which is bounded by a Paralell, passing at fiftie degrées in Latitude, all the habitation beyonde that,Nine Climates. to be discommodious and intollerable: but Gemma Phrisius a late writer, finding England and Scotland to be withoute the compasse of those climates, wherein he knew to be very temperate and good habitation, added therevnto two other Climates, the vttermost Paralell whereof, passeth by .56. degrées in Latitude, and therein comprehendeth ouer and aboue the first computation, England, Scotland, Denmarke, Moscouia, &c. which all are rich and mightie Kingdomes.
The old writers perswaded by bare coniecture, wente aboute to determine of those places, by comparing them to their owne complexions, bycause they felt them to be hardlie tolerable to themselues, and so toke thereby an argument of the whole habitable earth, as if a Man borne in Morochus, or other part of Barbarie, should at the later end of Sommer, vpon the suddayne, eyther naked, or with hys thinne vesture,A comparison betweene Marochus, and England. be broughte into England, he woulde iudge this Region presently not to be habitable, bycause he being broughte vp in so warme a Countrey, is not able héere to [Page 37] liue, for so sodaine an alteration of the colde ayre: but if the same man hadde come at the beginning of Sommer, and so afterwarde by little and little by certaine degrées, had felt & acquainted himselfe with the Frost of Autumne, it would haue séemed by degrées to harden him, and so to make it far more tollerable, and by vse after one yéere or two, the ayre woulde séeme to hym more temperate. It was compted a greate matter in the olde time, that there was a brasse pot broken in sunder with frosen water in Ponthus, which after was broughte and shewed in Delphis, in token of a miraculous cold region and Winter, and therefore consecrated to the Temple of Apollo.
This effecte being wroughte in the Paralell of .48. degrées in latitude, it was presentlye compted a place verye hardly and vneasily to be inhabited for the greate cold. And howe then can suche men define vppon other Regions very farre without that Paralell, where they were inhabited or not, séeing that in so neare a place they so grossely mistooke the matter, and others their followers being contēted with the inuentions of the olde Authors, haue persisted willingly in the same opinion, with more confidence thā consideration of the cause, so lightly was that opinion receiued, as touching the vnhabitable Clime neare & vnder the Poles.
Therfore I am at this present to proue, yt al the land lying betwéene the laste climate euen vnto the point directly vnder either Poles, is or maye be inhabited, especially of suche creatures as are ingendred and bredde therein.Al the North regions are habitable. For indéed it is to be confessed, that some particular liuing creature cannot liue in euery particular place or region, especially wyth the same ioy and felicitie, as it did where it was firste bredde, for the certaine agréement of nature that is betwéene the place, and the thing bredde in that place, as appeareth by the Elephant,Elephant. which being translated and brought out of the second or third climate, though they may liue, yet will they neuer ingender or bring forth yong. Also [Page 38] wée sée the like in many kinds of plants and hearbs: for example,Orange tree. the Orāge trée, although in Naples they bring forth fruit abundantly, in Rome and Florence they wil beare only faire gréene leaues, but not any fruite: and translated into England, they will hardly beare either flowers, fruite, or leaues, but are the next winter pinched and withered with colde: yet it followeth not for this, that England, Rome, and Florence should not be habitable.
In the prouing of these colde regions habitable, I shall be verye shorte, bicause the same reasons serue for this purpose, which were alleaged before in the prouing the middle Zone to be temperate, [...]uses [...] especially séeing al heate & cold procéede from the Sunne, by the meanes eyther of the Angle his beames doeth make with the Horizon, or else by ye long or shorte continuance of the Suns presence aboue ground: so that if the Sunnes beames do beate perpendicularlye at righte Angles, then there is one cause of heate, and if the Sunne doe also long continue aboue the Horizon, then the heate thereby is muche encreased by accesse of this other cause, and so groweth to a kind of extremitie. And these .ij. causes, as I said before, doe moste concurre vnder the two Tropickes, and therefore there is the greatest heate of ye worlde. And likewise, where both these causes are most absent, there is greatest want of heate, and encrease of colde (séeing that colde is nothing but the priuation and absence of heat) and if one cause be wanting, and the other present, the effect will growe indifferent. Therefore this is to bée vnderstanded, that the nearer anye region is to the Equinoctiall, the higher the Sunne doeth rise ouer their heads at noone, & so maketh either righte or neare righte angles, but the Sun tarryeth with them so much the shorter time, & causeth shorter dayes, with longer and colder nights, to restore the domage of the daye paste, by reasō of the moisture consumed by vapour. But in such regions, ouer the which the Sun riseth lower (as in regions extended towardes eyther pole) it maketh there vnequall Angles, but the Sunne [Page 39] continueth longer, and maketh longer dayes, & causeth so much shorter and warmer nights, as retayning warme vapoures of the daye paste.Hote nightes neere [...] [...]. For there are found by experience Sommer nights in Scotland and Gothland very hot, when vnder the Equinoctiall they are found very colde. This benefite of the Sunnes long continuaunce and encrease of the day,Colde nights vnder the Equinoctiall. doth augment so muche the more in colde regions, as they are nearer the poles, and ceaseth not encreasing, vntil it come directly vnder the point of the Pole Articke, where the Sunne continueth aboue grounde the space of sixe moneths or halfe a yeare togither, & so the daye is halfe a yere long, that is the time of ye Suns being in the North signes, from the first degrée of Aries, vntil the last of Virgo, that is all the time from our .10. day of March, vntill the .14. of September.One day of sixe moneths. The Sun therfore during the time of these .6. moneths without any offence or hindraunce of the nighte, gyueth his influence vpon those landes with heate that neuer ceaseth during that time, which maketh to the great increase of Sommer, by reason of the Sunnes continuaunce. Therfore it followeth, that though the Sunne be not there very high ouer their heads, to cause right angle beams, & to giue great heate, yet the Sun being there sometimes alm [...]t 24. degrées high, doth caste a conuenient and meane heate which there continueth without hinderaunce of the nighte the space of six moneths (as is before saide) during whiche time, there foloweth to be a conuenient moderate and temperate heat. or else rather it is to be suspected, the heat there to be very great, both for continuance, & also, Quia virtus vnita crescit, the vertue and strength of heat vnited in one encreaseth. If then there be suche a moderate heat vnder the Poles, and the same to continue so long time, what shoulde moue the olde writers to say there cannot be place for habitation. And that the certaintie of this temperate heat vnder both the Poles might more manifestlye appeare, lette vs consider the position & qualitie of the Sphere, the length of the day, and so to gather the heighte of the Sunne at all [Page 40] times, and by consequent, the quantitie of his Angle, and so lastely the strength of his heate.
Those landes and regions lying vnder the pole, and hauing the Pole for their Zenith, muste néedes haue the Equinoctiall circle for their Horizon, therefore the Sunne entring into the North signes, and describing euery .24. houres a Paralell to the Equinoctiall by the diurnall motion of Primum Mobile, the same Paralels must néedes be wholy aboue the Horizon, and so looke howe many degrées there are frō the fyrst of Aries to the last of Virgo, so many whole reuolutions there are aboue theyr Horizon yt dwell vnder the Pole,The Sunne neuer letteth in a 18 [...]. da [...]es. whiche amounteth to .182. and so manye of oure dayes the Sunne continueth with them. During whiche tyme, they haue there continuall daye and lighte, withoute anye hinderaunce of moiste nightes. Yet it is to be noted, that the Sunne being in the fyrst degrée of Aries, and laste degrée of Virgo, maketh his reuolution in the very Horizon,Horizon and Equinoctial al on vnder the Pole. so that in these .24. houres, halfe the body of the Sunne is aboue the Horizon, and the other halfe is vnder his only Center, describing both the Horizon, and the Equinoctiall circle.
And therefore séeing the greatest declination of the Sun is almost .24. degrées, it followeth, his greatest height in those Countries to be almost .24. degrées. And so high is the Sun at noone to vs in Londō about ye .29. of October, being in the .15. degrée of Scorpio, and likewise the .21. of Ianuary being in the .15. of Aquarius. Therefore looke what force the Sun at noone hath in London the .29. of October,London. the same force of heate it hathe, to them that dwel vnder the Pole, the space almoste of two moneths, during the time of the Sommer Solstitium, and that without intermingling of any colde night [...] so that if the heate of the Sunne at noone coulde be well measured in London, (which is verye harde to doe, bycause of the long nights whiche engender greate moysture and colde), then woulde manifestlye appeare by [Page 41] expresse numbers, the maner of the heate vnder the Poles, which certainly must néedes be to the inhabitaunts verye commodious and profitable, if it inclyne not to ouer much heate, and if moysture do not want.
For as in October, in England we find temperate aire, and haue in our Gardens hearbes, and floures, notwithstā ding our colde nights, how much more shoulde they haue ye same good ayre, being continual without night. This heate of ours continueth but one houre, while the Sunne is in ye Meridiā, but theirs continueth a long time in one height. This our heate is weake, and by the coolenesse of the night vanisheth, that heate is strong, and by continual accesse, is still increased and strengthned. And thus by a similitude of the equal height of the Sunne in both places,Cōmo [...]io [...]s d [...]elli [...] vnder y• Poles appeareth the commodious and moderate heate of the regions vnder the Poles.
And surely, I can not thinke that the diuine prouidence, hath made any thing vncōmunicable, but to haue giuē such order to all things, that one way or other the same shoulde be imploied, and that euery thing, and place, should be tollerable to the next. But especiallye all things in this lower world, be giuen to man, to haue dominion and vse thereof. Therefore wée néede no longer to doubt of the temperate and commodious habitation vnder the Poles, during the tyme of Sommer.
But al the controuersie consisteth in the Winter, for then the Sun leaueth those regions, and is no more séene, for the space of other sixe moenths, in the which time al the Sunnes course is vnder their Horizon, for the space of half a yeare, and then those regions (saye some) muste néedes be deformed with horrible darkenesse,The nightes vnder ye Pole and continuall nyghte, whiche maye be the cause that beastes can not séeke theyr foode, and that also the cold should then be intollerable. By which double euils, al liuing creatures should be constrayned to die, and were not able to indure the extremitie and [Page 42] iniury of Winter, and famine ensuing therof, but that all things shoulde perish before the Sommer folowing, when they should bring forth their broode & yong, & that for these causes ye said Clime about the Pole, shold be desolate & not habitable. To al which obiectiōs, may be answered in this maner: First, that thoughe the Sun be absent from them those sixe moneths, yet it followeth not, there should be such extreame darkenesse, for as the Sunne is departed vnder their Horizon,The twylights gyue light vnder the Pole almoste al the Winter. so is it not farre from them. And not so soone as the Sunne falleth, so sodainly commeth the darke night, but the euening doth substitute and prolong the daye a good while after by twilight. After whiche time the residue of ye night, receiueth light of the Moone and Starres, vntill the breake of the day, which giueth also a certaine light before the Sunnes rising, so that by these meanes the nightes are seldome darke, which is veryfied in al parts of ye world, but least in the middle Zone vnder the Equinoctiall, where the twylights are short, & the nights darker, than in any other place, bycause the Sun goeth vnder their Horizon so déepe, euen to their Antipodes. Wée sée in Englande in the Sōmer nights whē the Sun goeth not far vnder the Horizon, that by the light of the Moone & stars, wée may trauel al night, & if occasion were, do some other laboure also. And there is no man that doubteth, whether our cattel can sée to féede in ye nights, séeing wée are so well certified thereof by our experience:The ending of twylight. & by reason of the sphere, our nights should be darker than any time vnder the Poles.
The Astronomers consent, that the Sun descending frō our vpper Hemisphere at the .18. Parallel vnder the Horizon, maketh an end of twylight, so that at length the darke night ensueth, and that afterward in the morning, the Sun approching againe within as many Paralels, doth driue away ye night by accesse of ye twylight. Againe, by the position of the sphere vnder ye Pole, the Horizon, & the Equinoctial, are al one. These reuolutions therfore yt are Paralell to [Page 43] ye Equinoctiall, are also Paralel to the Horizon, so that the Sun descēding vnder ye Horizon, & there describing certain Paralels not farre distant, doeth not bring darke nights to those Regions, vntil it come to the Paralels distant .18. degrées frō ye Equinoctial, that is, about ye .21. degrée of Scorpio which wil be about ye .4. day of our Nouēber, & after ye Winter Solstitium, ye Sun retourning backe againe to ye .9. degrée of Aquarius, whiche wil be aboute ye .19. of Ianuary, during which time only, that is frō ye .4. of Nouēber, vntill the .xix. day of Ianuary, which is about six wéeks space, those regions do want ye cōmoditie of twylights.But sixe weekes dark vnder the Pole. Therefore, during ye time of these said six moneths of darknesse vnder ye Poles, ye night is destitute of ye benefite of ye Sun, & ye said twilights, only for ye space of six weeks or thereabout. And yet neither this time of six wéeks is without remedy frō Heauē. For ye Moone with hir encreased light, hathe accesse at that time & illuminateth the moneths lacking light euery one of themselues seuerally halfe the course of ye moneth, by whose benefite it cōmeth to passe, yt the night named extreame dark, possesseth those regions no longer than one moneth, neither that continually, or al at one time, but this also diuided into two sorts of shorter nights, of yt which either of thē endureth for ye space of .15. days, & are illuminate of ye Moone accordingly. And this reason is gathered out of the sphere, whereby we may testifie, yt the Sōmers are warme & fruitful, & the Winters nights vnder the pole, are tollerable to liuing creatures. And if it be so, that the winter and time of darknes there be very cold, yet hath not nature left thē vnprouided therefore.The Creatures of that Countrie are are prouided for the colde, For there ye beasts are couered wt haire so much the thicker, in how much the vehemencie of cold is greater, by reason wherof the best & richest furres are broughte out of the coldest regions. Also the foules of these cold countries haue thicker skins, thicker feathers, & more stored of down, thā in other hot places. Our Englishmē yt trauel to S. Nicholas, and go a fishing to Ward house, enter far wtin the circle Artike, & so are in the frosē Zone, & yet there, [Page 44] as wel as in Iseland, and all along those Northerne Seas, [...]hey finde the greatest store of the greatest fishes that are, as Whales, &c. and also abundaunce of meane fishes, as Herings, Coddes, Haddockes, Brettes, &c. whiche argueth, that the Sea, as well as the Land, maye bée, and is well frequented and inhabited in the colde Countries.
But some perhaps wil maruel, there should be such tēperate places in ye Regions aboute ye Poles, when at vnder degrées in latitude, oure Capitaine Frobisher and his companye, were troubled wyth so manye and so greate mountaines of fléeting Ise, with so great stormes of colde, with suche continuall snow on toppes of mountaines, and with such barren soyle, there being neither woodde or trées, but lowe shrubbes, and suche like.An obiection of Meta Incognita. To al which obiections may be answered thus: First those infinite Ilandes of Ise were engēdred & congealed in time of winter, & now by the gret heate of Sommer, were thawed, and then by ebbes, flouds, windes and currants, were driuen to and fro, and troubled the Fléete, so that this is an argument to proue the heat in Sommer there, to be great, that was able to thaw so monstrous mountaines of Ise. As for continuall snow on tops of moūtains, it is there no otherwise, than is in the hottest parte of the middle Zone, where also lyeth great snowe al the Sommer long vppon toppes of mountaines, bycause there is not sufficient space for the Sunnes reflection, wherby the snowe should be molten. Touching the colde stormy windes, and the barrennesse of the country, it is there, as it is in Cornwall & Deuonshire in England, which parts thoughe we know to be fruitful & fertile, yet on the North side therof al alongst the coast within seauen or eight myles off the Sea, there can neither hedge nor trée grow, althoughe they be diligently by Art husbanded & séene vnto: And the cause thereof, are the Northerne driuing winds, whiche cōming from the Sea, are so bitter & sharp, that they kill al ye yong and tender plāts, and suffer scarce any thing to grow, and [Page 45] so is t in ye Ilands of Meta Incognita, which are subiect most to East & Northesterne winds,Meta Incognita inhabited. which ye last yere choked vp ye passage so with Ise, yt the Fléet could hardly recouer their Port: yet notwithstanding all the obiections that may be, the Countrey is habitable, for there are Men, Women, Children, and sundrie kind of Beastes in great plentie, as Beares, Dere, Hares, Foxes, & Dogges: all kind of flying Fowles, as Duckes, Seamewes, Wilmots, Partriches, Larkes, Crowes, Hawkes, and such like, as in the thirde Booke you shall vnderstand more at large. Then it appeareth, that not only the middle Zone, but a [...]so the Zones about the Poles are habitable. Which thing being wel considered, and familiarly knowen to our Generall Captaine Frobisher, Captayne Frobi [...]her. as well for that he is throughly furnished of the knowledge of the Sphere, and all other skilles apperteyning to the art of Nauigation, as also for the confirmation he hath of the same by many yeares experience, both by sea and land, and being persuaded of a new and néerer passage to Cataya, than by Capo d'buon [...] Speranz [...], which the Portugalles yéerely vse. He began first with himselfe to deuise, and then with his friendes to conferre, and layde a playne platte vnto them, that that voyage was not onely possible by the Northweast, but also as he coulde proue, easie to bée performed. And further, he determined and resolued wyth himselfe,Frobishers first voyage. to go make full proofe thereof, & to accomplishe, or bring true certificat of the truth, or else neuer to returne againe, knowing this to be the onely thing of the Worlde that was left yet vndone, whereby a notable mind mighte be made famous and fortunate. But although his will were great to performe this notable voyage, whereof hée had conceyued in his mind a great hope by sundry sure reasons, and secret intelligence, whiche héere for sundry causes I leaue vntouched, yet he wanted altogither meanes and abilitie to set forward, and performe the same. Long tyme he conferred with his priuate friendes of these secretes, and [Page 46] made also manye offers for the performing of the same in effect, vnto sundry Merchants of our Countrey,Captayne Frobisher pretended this discouerie aboue .xv. yeares agoe. aboue .xv. yeares before he attempted the same, as by good witnesse shall well appeare (albeit some euill willers whiche chalenge to themselues the frutes of other mens laboure [...], haue greately iniured him in the reportes of the same, saying, that they haue bin the first Authors of that Action, and that they haue learned him the way, which themselues as yet haue neuer gone.) But perceyuing that hardly he was hearkened vnto of the Merchantes, whiche neuer regarde Uertue, withoute sure, certayne, and present gaynes, hée repayred to the Courte (from whence, as from the fountaine of oure common wealth, all good causes haue theyr chiefe encrease and mayntenance) and there layde open to manye great estates and learned men, the plot and summe of hys deuise. And amongst manye honourable myndes, whyche fauoured hys honest and commendable enterprise, hée was specially bounde, and beholdyng to the ryghte Honourable Ambrose Dudley, Earle of Warwike, whose fauourable mynde, and good disposition, hathe alwayes bin readye to countenance and aduance all honest actions, wyth the Authours, and executers of the same: and so by meanes of my Lorde hys honourable countenance, hée receyued some comforte of hys cause, and by little and little, with no small expence and payne, brought hys cause to some perfection, and hadde drawen togyther so many aduenturers, and suche summes of money, as myghte well defray a reasonable charge, to furnishe hymselfe to Sea withall.
Furniture for the firste voyage.He prepared two small Barkes, of twentie, and fyue and twentie tunne a péece, wherein hée intended to accomplish hys pretended voyage. Wherefore, béeyng furnished wyth the foresayde two Barkes, and one small Pinnesse of tenne tunne burthen, hauyng therein victuals, and other necessaries for twelue Monethes prouision, he departed [Page 47] vppon the sayde voyage from Blacke wall the fiftenth of Iune Anno Domini. 1576.
One of the Barkes wherein hée wente,Gabriell and Michaell was named the Gabriell, and the other the Michaell, and sayling Northweast from Englande, vppon the firste of Iul [...], at length hée hadde sighte of a highe and ragged lande, whiche hée iudged Freeselande, (whereof some Authoures haue made mention,) but durst not approche the same, by reason of the greate store of Ise that lay alongst the coast, and the greate mistes, that troubled them not a little.
Not farre from thence hée lost companye of his small Pinnesse,The Pinnesse lost. whyche by meanes of the greate storme, he supposed to bée swallowed vppe of the Sea, wherein he lost onely foure men.
Also the other Barke named the Michaell, mistrusting the matter,The Michaell returned home. conueyed themselues priuilie away from him, and returned home, wyth greate reporte that he was cast awaye.
The worthie Captayne, notwithstanding these discomfo [...]tes, although hys Mast was sprong, and hys toppe Mast blowen ouerboorde wyth extreame foule weather, continued hys course towardes the Northweast, knowing that the Sea at length must néedes haue an endyng, and that some lande shoulde haue a beginning that way: and determined therefore at the least, to bryng true proofe what lande and Sea the same myghte bée, so farre to the Northweastwardes, beyonde anye man that hathe héeretofore discouered. And the twentith of Iuly, hée hadde sighte of a highe lande, whyche hée called Queene Elizabethes Forlande, Queene Elizabeths forlande. after hyr Maiesties name. And sayling more Northerlie alongst that coast, he descried another forlande, with a greate gutte, bay, or passage, deuiding as it were two mayne lands or continents asunder. There he met with store of excéeding great yse al this coast alōg, & [Page 48] coueting still to continue his course to the Northwardes, was alwayes by contrarie winde deteyned ouerthwarte these straytes, and could not get beyond. Within few days after, he perceyued the Ise to be well consumed, and gone, eyther there engulfed in by some swifte currants or indraftes, caried more to the Southwardes of the same straytes, or else conueyed some other way: wherefore he determined to make profe of this place,Frobishers first entrance [...]ithin, in the s [...]reightes. to sée how farre that gutte had continuance, and whether he mighte carrie himselfe thorough the same, into some open Sea on the backe syde, whereof hée conce [...]ued no small hope, and so entred the same the one and twentith of Iuly, and passed aboue fyftie leagues therein, as hée reported, hauing vpon eyther hande a greate mayne or continent. And that land vppon hys right hande, as hée sayled Westward, he iudged to bee the continente of Asia, and there to bée deuided from the firme of America, whiche lyeth vppon the lefte hande ouer-against the same.
This place he named after his name Frobishers Streytes, Frobish [...]rs s [...]reytes. lyke as Magellanus at the Southweast ende of the worlde, hauyng discouered the passage to the South Sea (where America is deuided from the continente of that lande, whiche lyeth vnder the South Pole) and called the same straites Magellanes streightes.
After he hadde passed .6 [...]. leagues into this foresayde strayte, hée wente ashore, and founde signe where fire had bin made.
Deere:He saw mightie Déere, yt séemed to be Mankind, which ranne at him, and hardly he escaped with his life in a narrow way, where he was fayne to vse defence and policie to saue his life.
In this place he saw and perceyued sundry tokens of the peoples resorting thither. And being ashore, vpon the toppe of a hill, he perceiued a number of small things fléeting in the Sea a farre off, whyche hée supposed to be Porposes, [Page 49] or Ceales, or some kinde of strange fishe: but comming nearer, he discouered them to be men,The first sight of the Saluage. in small boates made of leather. And before he could discende downe from the hyll, certain of those people had almost cut off his boate frō him, hauing stollen secretely behinde the rocks for that purpose, where he s [...]éedily hasted to his boate, and bent himselfe to his Holbert, and narrowly escaped the daunger, and saued his bote. Af [...]erwards, he had sundry conferences with thē, and they came aborde his ship, and brought him Salmon and raw fleshe and fishe,Salmon and gréedily deuoured the same before our mens faces. And to shewe their agilitie, they try [...]d many maisteries, vpon the ropes of the ship, after our Mariners fashion, and appeared to be verie strong of the [...]r armes, and nimble of their bodies. They exchaunged coates of Ceale, and Beares skinnes, and suche like, with oure men, and receiued belles, loking glasses, a [...]d other toyes in recompence thereof againe. After great curtesie, and manye méetings, our Mariners,Fiue Englishmen intercepted and raken. contrarie to their Captaines dy [...]rection, began more easily to trust them, and fiue of our mē going a shoare, were by them intercepted with their boate, and were neuer since hearde of to this day againe. So that the Captaine being destitute of boate, barke, and al company, had scarcely sufficient number to conduct back his bark againe. He coulde nowe neither conuey himselfe a shore to rescue his men (if he had bin able) for want of a boate, and again, the subtile traytours, were so warie, as they would after that neuer come within our mens danger. The Captaine (notwithstanding) desirous to bring some token from thence, of his being there, was greatly discontented, that he had not before apprehended some of them. And therefore to deceiue the deceiuers, he wrought a prettie pollicie, for knowing well how they greatly delighted in our toyes, and specially in belles, he rang a pretie Lowbel, making wise yt he would giue him the same that would come and fetch it. [Page 50] And bycause they would, not come within his daunger for feare, he flung one bell vnto thē, which of purpose he threw short, that it might fal into the sea and be lost. And to make them more gréedie of the matter, he rang a lowder bell, so that in the ende one of them came neare the ship side, to receiue the bell, which when he thought to take at the Captaines hand, he was therby taken himself. For the Captain being redily prouided, let the bel fal, & cought the man fast, & plucked him with maine force, boate and al into his bark, out of the Sea:Ta [...]ng of y• [...]irs [...] Sa [...]age Whervpon when he founde himself in captiuitie, for very choller & disdain he bit his tong in twayne within his mouth: notwithstanding, he died not therof, but liued vntill he came in Englande, and then he died, of colde which he had taken at Sea.
Nowe with this newe pray (whiche was a sufficiente witn [...]sse of the Captaines farre and tedious trauell towardes the vnknowne partes of the worlde, as did well appeare by this strange Infidel, whose like was neuer séen, red, nor harde of before, and whose language was neyther knowne nor vnderstoode of anye) the saide Captaine Frobisher returned homeward,Frobishers returne. and arriued in England, in August folowing. An. 1 [...]76. where he was highly commended of all men, for his great and notable attempt, but specially, famous for the great hope he brought of the passage to Cataya, which he doubted nothing at alto find, and passe thorow, in those parts, as he reported.
And it is especially to be remembred at the first arriu [...]ll in those partes, there laye so great store of Ise, all the coaste along so thicke togither, that hardely his boate coulde passe vnto the shoare. At lengthe, after diuer [...] attemptes, he commaunded his company, if by anye possible meanes they could get ashoare, to bring him whatsoeuer thing they could first find whether it were liuing or dead, stocke or stone, in token of Christian possession, which [Page 51] thereby he toke in behalfe of the Quéenes moste excellente maiestie,The taking possession of Meta Incognita [...] thinking that therby he might iustify the hauing and enioying of ye same things that grew in these vnknown partes.
Some of his companye broughte floures, some gréene grasse, and one brought a péece of a blacke stone, much lyke to a seacole in coloure, whiche by the waight séemed to be some kinde of mettal or Mynerall. [...]ow the Ore was [...]ounde [...] c [...]aunce. This was a thing of no accompt, in the iudgement of the Captain at the first sight. And yet for nouelty it was kept, in respect of the place from whence it came.
After his arriual in LONDON, being demanded of sundrie his friendes, what thing he had brought them [...]ome of that country, he had nothing lest to present them withal, but a péece of this blacke stone. And it fortuned a gentlewoman, one of ye aduenturers wiues, to haue a péece thereof, which by chance she threw and burned in the fire, so lōg, that at the length being taken forth, and quenched in a little vinegre, it glistered with a bright Marquesset of golde. Whervpon ye matter being called in some question, it was brought [...]o certain Goldfinders in London, to make assay therof, who indéed found it to hold gold, and that very ritchly for the quantity. Afterwards, the same Goldfinders promised great matters thereof, if there were anye store to be found, and offred themselues to aduenture for the serching of those partes from whence the same was brought.Many aduentures. Some that had great hope of the matter, fought secretly to haue a lease at hir Maiesties hands of those places, wherby to enioy the Masse of so great a publike profit, vnto their owne priuate gaines.
In conclusion [...] the hope of more of the same golde Ore to be founde, kindled a greater opinion in the heartes of man [...], to aduaunce the voyage againe. Wherevpon, preparation was made for a new [...] voyag [...], against the yeare [Page 52] following, and the Captaine more speciallye derected by commission,In the secōd voyage commission was giuen only for ye bringing of Ore. for the searching more of this golde Ore, than for the searching any further discouerie of the passage. And being wel accompanied with diuerse resolute and forward gentlemen, hir maiestie then lying at the right honorable the Lord of Warwicks house in Essex, came to take theyr leaues, & kissing hir highnesse hands, with gracious countenance, & comfortable words, departed towardes their charge.
¶ A true Reporte of such things as hapned in the second voyage of Captayne Frobysher, pretended for the Discouerie of a new passage to Cataya, China, and the East India, by the Northwest. Anno. Do. 1577.
BEeyng furnished with one tall Shippe of hir Maiesties, named ye Ayde, of two hundreth tunne, and two other small Barkes, the one named the Gabriell, the other the Micha [...]l, about thirtie tunne a péece, béeing fitlie appointed with men, munition, victuals, and all things necessary for the voyage, the sayde Captayne Frobysher, with the rest of his companie, came aboorde his Shippes riding at Blackwall, intēding (with Gods help) to take ye first winde and tyde seruing him, the fyue and twentith day of May, in the yeare of oure Lorde God, a thousande fiue hundred, seuentie and seauen.
- [Page 2]ABoord the Ayde being Admirall, were ye number of one C. men of all sorts, whereof .xxx. or moe were Gentlemen and Souldyers, the rest sufficiente and tall Saylers
- Aboorde the Gabriell being Uiceadmirall, were in all .18. persons, whereof sixe were Souldyers, the rest Mariners.
- Aboorde the Michaell were sixtéene persons, whereof fiue were Souldyers, the rest Mariners.
- Aboorde the Ayde was
- Generall of the whole cōpany for hir Maiesty
- Martin Frobysher.
- His Lieutenant
- George Best.
- His Aunciente
- Richar. Philpot.
- Corporall of ye shot
- Frauncis Forder.
- The rest of ye Gentlemē
- Henry Carew.
- Edmund Stafford.
- Iohn Lee.
- Haruie.
- Mathew Kynersley.
- Abraham Lyns.
- Robert Kynersley.
- Frauncis Brackenburye.
- William Armshow.
- The Mayster
- Christofer Hall.
- The Mate
- Charles Iackmā.
- The Pylotte
- Andrew Dyer.
- The M. Gunner
- Richarde Coxe.
- Aboorde the Gabriell was
- Captayne
- Edward Fenton.
- One Gentleman
- Williā Tamfield.
- The Mayster
- William Smyth.
- Aboorde the Michaell was
- Captayne
- Gilbert Yorke.
- One Gentleman
- Tho. Chāberlaine
- The Mayster
- Iames Beare.
[Page 3]ON Whitsonday, being the .26. of May, Anno. 1577. earely in the morning, we wayed Ancker at Blackwal, and fell that tyde downe to Grauesende, where were mayned vntill Monday at night.
On Monday morning the .27. of May, aboorde the Ayde, we receyued all the Communiō, by the Minister of Grauesende, and prepared vs, as good Christians towardes God, and resolute men for all fortunes: and towards nighte we departed to Tilberie Hope.
Tewsday the .28. of May, aboute nine of the clocke at nighte, we arriued at Harwitch in Essex, and there stayed, for the taking in of certayne victualles, vntill Friday, being the thirtith of May, during whyche tyme, came letters from the Lordes of the Counsell, streightelye commaundyng oure Generall, not to excéede hys complemente and number appoynted hym, whyche was, one hundred and twentye persons:The number of men in this voyage. The cōdemned men discharged. wherevppon he discharged many proper men, whiche wyth vnwilling myndes departed.
Hée also dismissed all hys condemned men, whyche he thoughte for some purposes verie néedefull for the voyage, and towardes nyghte vppon Friday, the one and thirtith of May, wée sette Sayle, and putte to Seas agayne. And sayling Northwarde alongst the East coastes of Englande and Scotlande, the seauenth day of Iune, wée arriued in Sainte Magnus sounde in Orckney Ilandes,The first ariuall after our departing from Englande. called in Latine Orcades, and came to Ancker on the South syde of the Bay.
Héere oure company goyng on lande, the Inhabitantes of these Ilandes beganne to flée, as from the Enimie, wherevppon, the Lieutenante wylled euerye man to staye togyther, and wente hymselfe vnto theyr Houses, to declare what wée were, and the cause of oure comming thyther, whyche béeyng vnderstoode, after [Page 4] their poore manner they friendly entreated vs, and brought vs for oure money, such things as they had. And héere oure Goldfyners found a mine of Siluer. [...] [...]ne of Siluer [...]ound in O [...]ney.
Orkney is the principall of the Isles of Orcades, and standeth in the Latitude of . [...]. degrées and a halfe. The Countrey is much subiect to colde, aunswerable for suche a climate, and yet yéeldeth some frutes, and sufficient mayntenance for the people, contented so poorely to liue.
There is plentie ynough of Poultrey, store of Egges, Fishe, and Fowle.
For theyr bread, they haue [...]aten Cakes, and theyr drinke is Ewes milke, and in some partes Ale.
Their houses are but poore without, and sluttish ynough within, and the people in nature therevnto agréeable.
For their fire, they burne heath and turffe, the Countrey in most parts being voyde of woodde.
They haue greate wante of Leather, and desire our olde shoes, apparell, and old ropes (before money) for their victuals, and yet are they not ignorant of the value of our coine. The chiefe towne is called Kyrway. Kyrway the chiefe towne of Orkney.
In this Iland hath bin sometime and Abbey, or a religious house, called Saint Magnus, being on the West side of the Ile, whereof this sound beareth name, through whyche we passed.Saint Magnus sound why so called Their Gouernoure or chiefe Lorde, is called the Lord Robert Steward, who at oure being there, as wée vnderstoode, was in durance at Edenburgh, by the Regents commaundement of Scotlande.
After we had prouided vs héere of matter sufficiente for our voyage, the eyght of Iune we sette sayle agayne, and passing through Saint Magnus sounde, hauing a merrie winde by night, came cléere, and lost sight of all the lande, and kéeping oure course West Northwest by the space of two dayes, the winde shifted vpon vs, so that we lay in trauerse on ye Seas, with contrarie, making good (as néere as we could) our course to ye Westward, and sometime to the [Page 5] Northward, as the winde shifted. And héereabout we met with thrée Sayle of English fishermen from Iseland, boūd homewarde, by whome we wrote our letters vnto oure friends in England. We trauersed these Seas by the space of .26. dayes, without sight of any land, and met with much drift wodde, and whole bodyes of trées.Great bodies of trees dryuing in the Seas. We saw many monsterous Fishe, and strange Fowle, whyche sémed to liue only by the Sea,Mons [...]rous fis [...] & strange Fowle [...]yuiug only by the Sea. being there so farre distant from anye land. At length, God fauoured vs with more prosperous windes, and after we hadde sayled foure dayes with good wind in the P [...]upe, the fourth of Iuly the Michaell (being formost a head) shotte off a péece of Ordinance, and stroke all hir sayles, supposing that they descryed land, whyche by reason of the thicke mistes, they could not make perfit: howbeit, as wel our accompt, as also the greate alteration of the water, whiche became more blacke and smooth, dyd playnely declare we were not farre off the coast.Water beeyng blacke and smooth, signifyeth lād to be neere. Our Generall sent his Maister aboorde the Michaell (who had bin within the yeare before) to beare in with the place, to make proofe thereof, who des [...]ryed not the land perfecte, but sawe sundrie huge Ilands of Ise,Ilandes of Ise. which we déemed to be not past twelue leagues frō the shore, for about tenne of the clocke at night, being the fourth of Iuly, the weather being more cléere, we made the land perfect, and knew it to be Fréeseland.The f [...]rste fyght of Freeselande. And the heigth being taken héere, we founde oure selues to be in the Latitude of .60. Degrées and a halfe, and were fallen with the Southermost parte of this land. Betwéene Orkney and Freeseland are reckned leagues.
This Freeseland sheweth a ragged and high lande, hauing the Mountaynes almost couered ouer with Snow, alongst the coast full of drift Ise, and séemeth almost inaccessible, & is thought to be an Iland in bignesse not inferior to England, and is called of some Authours, Weast Freeseland, Freeseland des [...]rib [...]d. I thinke, bycause it lyeth more Weast, then anye part of Europe. It extendeth in Latitude to the Northward [Page 6] verie farre as séemed to vs, and appeareth by a description set out by two bréethren Venetians, Nicholaus, and Antonius Genoa, who being driuen off from Ireland with a violent tempest, made Shipwracke héere, and were the first knowen Christians that discouered this lande, aboute thrée hundred yeares sithence, and they haue in their Sea-Cardes set out euerie part thereof, and described the condition of the inhabitants, declaring them to be as ciuill and Religious people as we. And for so much of this land as we haue sayled alongst, comparing their Carde with ye coast, we find it very agréeable. This coast séemeth to haue good fishing, for we lying becalmd, let fall a hooke without anye bayte,On easie kind of Fishing. and presently caught a great fish called a Hollibut, which serued the whole companie for a dayes meate, and is dangerous meate for surfetting. And sounding about fyue leagues off frō the shore, our leade brought vp in the tallow a kind of Corrall almost white,Whyte Corrall gotte by sounding. and small stones as bright as Christall: & it is not to be doubted, but that this lād may be found very rich, and beneficiall, if it were throughly discouered, although we saw no creature there but little birds. It is a maruellous thing, to behold, of what great bignesse and depth some Ilandes of Ise be héere, some .70. some .80. fadome vnder water,Monstrous Isles of Ise, in [...]ast freshe, wherehence they are supposed to come besides that which is aboue, séemyng Ilands, more than halfe a mile in circuite. All these Ise are in tast freshe, and séeme to be bredde in the sounds thereaboutes, or in some land néere the pole, and with the wind & tides are driuen alongst the coastes. We foūd none of these Ilands of Ise salt in tast, wherby appeareth they were not congealed of the Ocean Sea water,The opinion of the frosen Seas is destroyed by experience. which is always salt, but of some standing or little mouing lakes, or great fresh waters, néere the shore, caused eyther by melted snow frō tops of Mountaines, or by continuall accesse of fresh riuers frō the lād, and intermingling with ye Sea water, bearing yet the dominion (by the force of extreame frost) may cause some part of salt water to fréese so with it, & so séeme a little [Page 7] brackish, but otherwise ye maine sea fréeseth not, & therefore there is no Mare Glaciale or frosen Sea, as the opinion hytherto hath bin. Our General proued lāding here twice, but by ye suddaine fall of mistes (wherevnto this coast is much subiect) he was like to lose sight of his Ships, & being greatly endangered with the driuing Ise alongst the coast, was forced aboord, and faine to surceasse his pretēce, till a better oportunitie might serue: and hauing spent .4. days & nights sailing alongst this lād, finding the coast subiect to such bitter cold & continuall mistes, he determined to spend no more time therin, but to beare out his course towards ye streights called Frobishers straightes, after ye Generals name, who being the firste that euer passed beyonde .58. degrées to the Northwards, for any thing hath bin yet knowē of certainty of New found lād, otherwise called ye continent or firme lād of America, discouered ye said streights this last yeare .1576. and hopeth that there wil be found a thorough passage into the sea,F [...]obishers streigh [...]es, which lieth on the back side of ye said new found lād called Mare pacificum, or Mare de Sur, by the which we maye go vnto Cataya, China, the East India, and all the dominiōs of the Great Cane of Tartaria. Betwéene Freeseland & the straights we had one great storme, wherin yt Michael was somewhat in dāger, hauing hir Stéerage broken, & hir top Mastes blowē ouer bord,The Steerage of the Micha [...]ll broken by Tempest. & being not past .50. leagues short of ye straights by our accōpt, we strooke sayle, & lay a hull, fearing the cōtinuance of the storme, the wind being at the Northeast, and hauing lost company of the Barkes in that flaw of wind, we happily mette againe the .17. day of Iuly, The first entrance of the straightes. hauing the euening before séene diuers Ilandes of fléeting Ise, which gaue an argument that we were not farre from land. Our Generall in ye morning frō the maine top (ye weather being reasonable cléere) descried lād, but to be better assured, he sent the two Barkes two cōtrarie courses, wherby they might discrie either the South or North forlande, the Ayde lying off & on at Sea, with a small saile by an Iland [Page 8] of Ise, whiche was the marke for vs to méete togither agayne. And aboute noone, the weather being more cléere, we made the North Forlande perfite, which otherwise is called Halles Iland,Halles Ilād. and also the small Ilande bearing the name of the saide Hall, whence the Ore was taken vppe, whiche was broughte into Englande this last yeare 1576. the sayd Hall being present at the finding and takyng vp thereof, who was then Maister in the Gabriell with Captayne Frobysher. At oure arriuall héere, all the Seas about this coast were so couered ouer with huge quantitie of great Ise, that we thought these places mighte only deserue the name of Mare Glaciale, and be called the Isie Sea.
The description of the streyghtes.This North forlande, is thought to be deuided from the continente of the Norther lande, by a little sounde, called Halles sound, whiche maketh it an Iland, and is thoughte little lesse, than the Ile of Wight, and is the firste entrance of the streightes vpon the Norther side, and standeth in the Latitude of .62. Degrées . [...]. Minutes, and is reckned from Freeseland leagues. God hauing blessed vs wyth so happie a lande fall, we bare into the streightes, whyche runne in next hande Weast, and somewhat to the Northwarde, and came as néere the shore as we mighte for the Ise, and vpon the eyghtéenth day of Iuly, our Generall taking the Goldfiners with him, attempted to go on shore with a small rowing Pinnesse, vpō the small Iland where the Ore was taken vp, to proue whether there were anye store thereof to be found, but he could not gette in all that Iland a péece so bigge as a Walnut,No more gold ore foūd in the fyrste Ilande. where the firste was found, so that it may séeme a great miracle of God, that being only one rich stone in all the Iland, the same should be found by one of our Countreymen, whereby it shoulde appeare, Gods diuine will and pleasure is, to haue oure common wealth encreased with no lesse abundance of his hydden treasures and golde mynes, than any other nation, and would, that the fayth of his Gospell and holy name should [Page 9] be published and enlarged throughe all those corners of the earth, amongest those Idolatrous Infidels. But oure men, whiche sought the other Ilandes thereaboutes, found them all to haue good store of the Ore, wherevppon our Generall with these good tidings retourned aboorde aboute ten of the clocke at night, and was ioyfully welcomed of the company with a volie of shotte. He brought Egges, Fowle,E [...]ges and Fowles of Meta Incognita and a yong Seale aboord, which the companie hadde killed ashore, and hauing founde vpon those Ilandes, ginnes set to catch fowle,Snares sette to catche birds withal. and stickes newe cut, with other things, he well perceiued, that not long before, some of the countrey people had resorted thither. Hauing therefore founde those tokens of the peoples accesse in those partes, and being in his firste voyage well acquainted with their subtile and cruell dispotion, he prouided well for his better safetie, and on Friday the nintéenth of Iuly in the morning earely, with his best companie of Gentlemen and souldioures, to the number of fortie persons, went on shoare, aswell to discouer the Inlande and habitation of the people, as also to fynd out some fitte harborowe for our shippes. And passing towardes the shoare with no small difficultie, by reason of the abundance of Ise whiche lay alongest the coaste so thicke togither, that hardely any passage throughe them might be discerned, we arriued at length vpon the maine of Halles greater Iland, and founde there also, aswel as in the other small Ilands, good store of the Ore. And leauing his boats here with sufficient guarde, passed vp into the countrey about two Englishe miles, and recouered the toppe of a highe hill, on the top whereof our men made a Columne or Crosse of stones heaped vppe of a good heigth togither in good sorte, and solempnely sounded a Trumpet, and said certaine prayers, knéeling aboute the Ancient,The building of a Columne, called Mount warwicke. and honoured the place by the name of Mount Warwicke, in remembrance of the Right Honorable the Lord Ambrose Dudley Erle of Warwick, whose noble minde, and good countenaunce in this, as in all [Page 10] other good actions gaue great encouragement and good furtherāce. This done, we retired our companies, not séeing any thing here worth further discouerie, the coūtrie séeming barren and full of ragged mountaines, in most parts, couered with Snow. And thus marching towards our boats, we espied certaine of the countrie people on the top of Mount Warwicke with a flag, wafting vs backe againe, & making great noise, with cries like the mowing of Bulles, séeming greatly desirous of conference with vs:The firste sight of the countrie people, wafting with a Flag. whervppon the General, being therewith better acquainted, answered them again with the like cries, whereat, and with the noise of our trumpets, they séemed greatly to reioyce, skipping, laughing, and dauncing for ioy. And herevppon we made signes vnto them, holding vp two fingers, cōmaunding two of our menne to goe aparte from our companies, whereby they might doe the like. So that forthwith two of oure menne, [...]he meting apart of two Englishmen, with two of that Countr, and two of theirs mette togither a good space from companie, neither partie hauing their weapons about them. Our men gaue them pinnes and pointes, and sued trifles as they had. And they likewise bestowed on our men, two bowe cases, and suche things as they had. They earnestlye desired oure menne to goe vppe into their Countrie, and our men offered them like kindnesse aboorde oure shippes, but neyther parte (as it séemed) admitted or trusted the others curtesie. Their manner of trafficke is thus, they doe vse to lay downe of their marchandise vppon the ground,The order of thei [...] tr [...]f [...]icke so much as they meane to parte withall, and so looking that the other partie, with whome they make trade, shoulde doe the like, they themselues doe departe, and then, if they doe like of their marte, they come againe, and take in exchange the others marchandise, otherwise, if they like not, they take their owne and departe. The daye being thus well near [...] spent, in haste we retired our companies into our boates againe, minding forthwith to searche alongest the coast for some harborowe fitte for oure shippes, for the present necessitie [Page 11] thereof was much, considering, that all this while they lay off and on betwéen the two lands, being continually subiect, aswell to great danger of fléeting yse, which enuironed them, as to the sod [...]in flawes which the coast seemeth much subiect vnto. But when the people perceiued our departure, with great tokēs of affection they earnestly called vs backe againe, following vs almost to our boates: wherevpon our Generall taking his Maister with him who was beste acquainted with their maner, went apart vnto two of them, meaning, if they could lay sure holde vpon them, forcibly to bring them aboord, with intent, to bestow certain toyes and apparell vpon the one,Another mee [...]ing of two of our men with two of the [...] and so to dismisse him with all arguments of curtesie, and retaine the other for an Interpreter. The Generall & his Maister being met with their two cō panions togither, after they hadde exchanged certaine thinges the one with the other, one of the Saluages, for lacke of better marchandise, cutte off the tayle of his coate (whiche is a chiefe ornament among them) and gaue it vnto oure General for a present. But he presently vpon a watchword giuen, with his Maister sodainely laid holde vpon the twoo Saluages. But the grounde vnderféete being slipperie, with the Snow on the side of the hill, thire handfast fayled, and their pray escaping, ranne away, and lightlye recouered their bowe and arrowes, which they had hid not farre from them behinde the rockes. And being only two Saluagies in sight, they so fiercely, desperately, and with suche furie assaulted and pursued our Generall and his Maister, bebeing altogither vnarmed, and not mistrusting their subtiltie, that they chased them to their boats, and hurte the Generall in the Buttocke with an arrow, who the rather spéedily sled backe,The Englishemen chesed to their boates. bycause they suspected a greater number behind ye rockes. Our soldiors (which wer commanded before to kéepe their boates) perceiuing the danger, & hearing our men calling for shot, came spéedily to rescue, thinking there had bin a more number. But when ye Sauages heard ye shot [Page 12] of one of our caliuers. And yet (hauing first bestowed their arrows) they rā away, our mē spéedily folowing thē. But a seruaunte of my Lorde of Warwickes, called Nicholas Conger, a good footeman, and vncombred with anye furniture,One of that Count [...]u [...]en taken. besides a dagger at his backe, ouertooke one of them, and being a Cornishman, and a good wrastler, shewed hys companion suche a Cornishe tricke, that he made his sides ake againste the grounde for a moneth after. And so béeing s [...]ayed, he was taken aliue, and brought away, but the other escaped. Thus with their straunge and newe praye, oure men repaired to their boates, and passed from the maine to a small Ilande of a myle compasse, where they resolued to [...]arrie all night, for euen now a sodaine storme was grown so great at sea, that by no meanes they coulde recouer their ships. And here euerie man refreshed himselfe with a small portion of victualles, whiche was laide into the boates for their dinners, hauing neither eate nor drunke all the daye before. But bycause they knewe not howe long the storme might laste, nor how far off the ships might be put to Sea, nor whether they should euer recouer thē again or not, they made greate spare of their victualles, as it greatly behoued them: For they knew ful wel, that the best cheare the countrey coulde yéelde them, was golden rockes and stones, a harde foode to liue withall, and the people more readie to eate them, than to giue them wherewithall to eate. And thus kéeping verie good watche and warde, they lay there al night vpon harde cliffes of Snowe and Ise, both wette, cold and comfortlesse.
These things thus hapning with the company on lande, the danger of the shippes at Sea was no lesse perilous. For within one houre after the Generalls departing in ye morning, by negligence of the Cooke in ouer-heating, and the workman in making the chimney, the Aide was set on fire,The A [...]de set on fire. and had bin the confusion of the whole, if by chaunce a boye espying it, it hadde not bin spéedily with great labour and [Page 13] Gods helpe well extinguished.
This day also, were diuerse stormes and flawes, and by nine of the clocke at night the storme was growen so great, and continewed suche vntil the morning, that it putte our shippes at sea in no small perill: for hauing mountaines of fléeting Ise on euery side, we went romer for one, & loofed for another, some scraped vs, & some happily escaped vs, that the least of a M. wer as dāgerous to strike, as any rocke,The great daunger of those rockes Ise. & able to haue split asunder the strongest shippe of the world. Wée had a scope of cleare without Ise, (as God would) wherein we turned, beyng otherwise compassed on euery side about: but so much was the winde, and so little was our sea roome, that being able to beare only our forecoast, we cast so oft about, that we made fourtéene bordes in eighte glasses running, being but foure houres: but God being our best Steresmā, and by ye industry of Charles Iackman and Andrew Dyer then maisters mates, both very expert Mariners, and Richard Coxe the maister Gunner, with other very carefull saylers, then within borde, and also by the helpe of ye cleare nightes which are without darkenesse, we did happily auoyde those present daungers,Night without darknes in that countrey. whereat since we haue more maruelled than in the present daunger feared, for that euery man within borde, both better and worse, had ynough to doe, with his handes to hale ropes, and with his eyes to looke out for daunger. But the nexte morning, being the 20. of Iuly, as God would, the storme ceased, and the General espying the shippes with his newe Captiue, and whole companie, came happilye aborde, and reported what hadde passed a shoare, whervpon, altogither vpon our knées, gaue God humble and hartie thankes, for that it hadde pleased him, from so spéedy peril to send vs such spéedie deliuerance, and so from this Norther shoare, we stroke ouer towardes the Southerland,
The one and twentith of Iuly, we discouered a bay, which ranne into the lande, that séemed a likely harborow for our [Page 14] shippes, wherefore our General rowed thither with hys boates, to make proofe thereof,Our first commyng on the Southerland of the sayde stra [...]ghtes. and with his goldfiners [...]o searche for Ore, hauing neuer assayed anye thing on [...]he south shoare as yet, and the first small Ilande, which wée landed vppon, here all the sands and cliftes, did so glister & had so bright a marquesite, that it séemed all to be golde, but vpon tryal made, it proued no better than blacke leade, and verifyed the prouerbe. All is not golde that shineth.
A Myne of Blacklead.Upon the two & twentith of Iuly, we bare into the sayd sounde & came to Anker a reasonable bredth off the shoare, where thinkyng our selues in good securitie, we were greatly endaungered with a peece of dri [...]te Ise, which the Ebbe brought forth of the soundes, and came thwart vs, ere wée were aware. But the gentlemen & souldiers within borde, taking great paynes at this pinche at the Capstone, ouercame the most daunger therof, and yet [...]or all that might be done, it stroke on our sterne such a blowe, that we seared least it had stryken away our rudder, and being forced to cut our Cable in the hawse, were fayne to set our foresaile to runne further vp within, and if our sterage had not bin stronger, than in the present time we feared, we had run [...]o the shippe vpon the rockes, hauing a very narrowe Channel to turne in, but as God woulde, all came well to passe. And this was named Iackmans sounde, after the name of the Maisters mate,Iackmans sounde. who had first liking vnto the place.
Upon a small Ilande, within this sound, called Smithes Iland (bycause he first set vp his forge there) was founde a Myne of siluer, but was not wonne out of the rockes without great labour Here our goldfyners made saye of suche Ore as they founde vppon the Northerlande, and founde foure sortes thereof to holde golde in good quantitie. Upon another small Ilande here was also founde a great deade fishe, which as it should séeme, had bin embayde with yse, [...]m [...]th [...] Iland and was in proportion rounde like to a Porpose, being about twelue foote long, and in bignesse answerable, hauyng [Page 15] a horne of two yardes long, growing out of the snoute or nostrels. This horne is wreathed and strayte,The fyndyng of an Unicornes horne like in fashion to a Taper made of waxe, and maye truely be thoughte to be the sea Unicorne. This horne is to be séene and reserued as a Iewel, by the Quéens maiesties commaundemēt, in hir Wardrop of Robes. The forme whereof is here set downe.
Tewsday, the thrée & twentyth of Iuly, our general with his best company of gentlemen, souldiers and saylers, to the number of seauentie persons in all, marched with Auntient displayde, vppon the continent of the Southerlande (the supposed continent of America) where, commaunding a Trumpet to sounde a call for euery man to repayre to the Auncient, he declared to the whole company, how much the cause imported, for the seruice of hir Maiestie, our country, our credites, and the safetie of our own liues, and therfore required euery man to be conformable to order, and to bée directed by those he shoulde assigne. And appointed for leaders, Captaine Fenton, Captain Yorke, and his Lieutenāt George Beste, whiche done, we cast our selues into a ring, and altogither vppon oure knées, gaue GOD humble thankes, for that it had pleased him of his greate goodnesse in preseruing vs from such imminent dangers, to bestow so great & hidden treasures vpon vs his poore and vnworthye seruants, beséeching likewise the assistaunce of his holy spirite, so to deliuer vs in saftie, into our Countrey, whereby [Page 16] the light and truth of these secretes being known, it might redoūd to the more honor of his holy name, & consequently to the aduancement of our common wealth. And so, in as good sorte as the place suffered, we marched towardes the tops of the mountaines, which were no lesse painful in clyming, thā dangerous in descending, by reasō of their stéepenesse, & yse. And hauing passed about fiue miles, by such vnweldie wayes, we returned vnto oure ships, without sighte of any people, or likelyhoode of habitation. Here diuerse of the gentlemen desired oure general to suffer them to the number of twentie or thirtie persons, to marche vp thirtie or forty leagues in the countrie, to the ende they might discouer the Inlande, and do some acceptable seruice for their countrey. But he, not contented with the matter he sought for, and well considering the short time he had in hande, and the gréedie desire our countrey hath to a present sauour and returne of gayne, bente his whole indeuour onely to finde a Mine, to fraight his ships, & to leaue the reste (by Gods help) hereafter to be well accomplished. And therefore the twentie sixte of Iulye he departed ouer to the Northlande, with the two barkes, leauing the Ayde riding in Iackmās, sound, and ment (after he had founde conuenient harborowe, and fraight there for his shippes) to discouer further for the passage. The Barkes came the same night to Ancker, in a sound, vpon the Northerland, where the tydes did runne so swifte, and the place so subiect to indraftes of Ise, that by reason thereof they were greatly endaungered, and hauing founde a very rich Myne, and got almoste twentie tunne of Ore togither, vpon the 28. of Iuly the Ise came driuing into the sounde where the Barkes road, in such sort, that they were therewith greatly distressed. And the Gabriell riding asterne the Michael, had hir Cable gaulde asunder in the hawse, with a péece of driuing Ise, and lost another Ancker, and hauing but one cable and ancker lefte, for she had loste two before, and the Ise still driuing vppon hir, she was (by [Page 17] [...] [Page 18] eache side, with small Ilandes, lying of the mayne, whych break the force of the Tydes, and make the place frée from any indraftes of yse, did proue a very fitte harborow for our ships, where we came to Ancker vnder a smal Iland, whiche now togither with the sound, is called by ye name of that right Honorable and vertuous Lady, Anne Countesse of Warwicke. And this is the furthest place that this yeare we haue entred vppe within the streyghtes, and is reconed from the Cape of the Queenes forelande, which is the entrance of the straightes,Thirtie leagues discouered within the straytes. not aboue 30. leagues. Upon this Ilande was found good store of the Ore, which in the washing h [...]lde golde plainly to be séene: where vpon it was thoughte beste rather to leade here, where there was store and indifferent good, than to séeke further for better, and spend time with [...]operdie. And therefore cure Generall setting the Myners to worke, and shewing fyrste a good president of a painefull labourer & a good Captaine in himselfe,A good president of a good Captaine shewed b [...] Captayne F [...]obi [...]her. gaue good examples for others to follow him: wherevppon euery man, both better and worse, with their best endeuors, willingly laide to their helping handes. And the nexte daye, being the .30. of Iuly, the Michaell was sente ouer to Iackmans sounde, for the Ayde and whole companye to come thither. Upon the maine land ouer against the Countesses Iland we discouered, and behelde to our great maruell, the poore caues and houses of those countrie people, which serue them (as it shoulde seeme) for their winter dwellings,The maner [...] hou [...] in [...] Co [...]n [...]rey. & are made two fadome vnder grounde in compasse rounde, lyke to an [...]uen, being ioyned fast one by another, hauing holes like to a Foxe or Conny berrie, to kéepe and come togither. They vnder [...]rench these places with gutters so, that the water falling from the hilles aboue them, may slide awaye without their a [...]oi [...]unce: & are feated commonly in the foote of a hil,Wh [...]l [...]s bones [...]sed in [...] of timber. to shielde them better from the colde winds, hauing their dore and entrance euer open towardes the South. From the ground vpward they builde with whales bones, [Page 19] for lacke of timber, whiche bending one ouer another, are handsomly compacted in the toppe togither, & are couered euer with Seales skinnes, whiche instead of tiles, sen [...]eth them from the rayne. In eache house they haue only one roo [...]e, hauing the one halfe of the floure rayses with broad stone [...] a fote higher than ye other, whereon [...]rawing Moss [...], they make their nests to sléepe in. They defile thes [...] [...] most filthylie with their beastly [...]ee [...]ing, & dwell so lo [...]g in a plac [...] (as we thinke) vntill their own [...] [...] thē, [...] people. they are forced to seeke a sweeter ayre, and a new seate, and are no doubt) a dispersed and wandring nation, as the Ta [...]tarians, & liue in hords and troupes, withoute anye certayne abode, as may ap [...]are by sundry circumstances of our experi [...]ce. Here our c [...]tiue being ashore with vs to d [...]clare ye v [...]e of such thi [...]gs as we saw, stayd himselfe alone behind the cō [...]ny, & did set vp fiue small [...]t [...]ckes round in a circle, o [...] b [...] another, with one small bone placed iust in ye nuddest of a [...]l: which [...] wh [...]n on [...] of ou [...] men perceiued,A signe se [...] vp by the sauage Cap [...]i [...]e, and the meaning thereof. he called vs backe to behold the mat [...]er, thinking that he had meant some charme or witchcraft therin. But ye best cōiecture we could make thereof was, that he would thereby his Countreymē should vnderstand, yt for our fiue mē which they be [...] the last yeare (whome he signifi [...]d by ye fiue stickes) he [...]s taken & kept prisoner, which he signified by ye bone in ye midst. For afterwards whē we shewed him ye picture of his Countre [...]mā, which ye last yeare was brought into Englād (whose counterfet we had drawne, with boate, & other furniture, both as he was in his own,The sauage captiue amazed of his Countreymans picture & also in english aparell) he was vpon the suddayne muche amazed therat, & beholding abuis [...]dly the same with silence a good while, as thou [...]h he would streyne courtesie whether shoulde begin ye spéech (for he thoughte him no doubte a liuely creature) at l [...]ngth [...] begā to questiō with him, as with his companion, & finding [...]im dumme & mu [...]e, semed to suspect him as one disdeynful, & wold wt a little help haue growē into choller at ye [Page 20] [...] [Page 21] feare, either else for pollicie, to drawe our men from rescue further within their danger: wherefore our men construing their comming thither was but to seeke adu [...]untage, followed spéedily after them, but they rowed so swiftly awa [...], that our men could come nothing neere thē. Howbeit they failed not of their beste endeuour in rowing, and hauing chased them aboue two myles into the Sea, returned into their shippes againe,
The morning following, being the first of August, Captaine Yorke with the Michaell came into Iackm [...]ns sound, and declared vnto the company there, that the l [...]ste night [...] past, he came to anker in a certaine baye (whiche he [...]thens was named Yorkes Sounde,Y [...] soūde.) aboute foure leagues distant from [...]ackmans sound, being putte to l [...]warde of that place for lacke of winde, where he discouered certaine tents of the Countrie people, where going with his comp [...]nye ash [...]re, he entred into them, but founde the people departed, as i [...] shoulde seeme, for feare of their comming. But among [...]st sundrie straun [...]e things, whiche these tentes they [...], there was rawe and nowe killed fleshe of vnknown [...], with dead carcasses and bones of dogs,The apparell [...]ound againe of o [...]e En [...]lis [...]m [...]n wh [...]che the [...]eare before were taken captiue and I know not what. They also beheld (to their greatest m [...]ru [...]ile) a du [...]le [...] of Canuas made after the Englishe fashion, a shirt, a girdle, thrée shoes for contrarie féete, and of vnequall bignesse, whiche they well coniectured to be the apparell of our fiue poore countriemen, whiche were intercepted the laste yeare by these Countrie people, aboute fi [...]tye leagues from this place, further within the straightes. Wherevpon, our men being in good hope, that some of them might be here, and yet liuing, the Captaine deu [...]s [...]ng for the best, lefte his mind b [...]hind him in writing, with pen, [...]ncke, and paper also, wh [...]r [...]by our poore captiue countriem [...]n if it mighte come to their handes,A good de [...]ic [...] of ca [...] t [...]ine Yorke. mighte knowe their frie [...]des mindes, and of th [...]ir arriuall, and likewise retourne their aunswere. And so without taking any thing away in their [Page 22] tentes, leauing there also looking glasses, pointes, & other of our toyes the better to allure thē by such friendly means,) departed aboorde hys Barke,A good de [...] of Cap [...] York [...]. wyth intent to make haste to the Ayde, to giue notice vnto the companye, of all suche things as he has there discouered: and so ment to returne to these ten [...]s againe, hoping, that he might by force or policie, entrappe or enti [...] the people to some friendly conferēce. Which things, when he had deliuered to the company there, they determined for [...]hwith to go [...] [...]ande with the matter. Herevpon Captain Yorke [...] of the Ayde & his mate (who the night before [...] at the te [...]s, and came ouer from the other si [...]e in the Michael with him) being accompanied with diuers of the Gentlemen & souldiors, to the number of .3 [...] or .4 [...]. persons in two small rowing p [...]nnesses, made towards the place, where the night before they discou [...]r [...]d the t [...]nts of those people, and setting Charles I [...]kman, bring the Master mate, ashoare with a conuenient nūber, for that he coulde best guide them to the place, they marc [...]ed ouer land, mouing [...] on the one side, whil [...]st t [...]e Captain with his [...] might entrap them on the other side. Bu [...] landing at last at ye place where the night before they left them, they found them with their tēts remoued. Notwithstāding, our mē which marched vp into ye coūtrie, passing ouer two or thrée tedious moūtains, by chance espied certaine tentes in a valley vnderneath thē neare vnto a créeke by the Sea side, whiche, bycause it was not the place where the guide had [...]in the night before, they iudged them to be another company,T [...] Sauages haue Bo [...]es of [...]undry big [...]. The English men p [...]rsue [...]hose people of that countrey. and b [...]s [...]tting them about, determined [...]o take thē if they could. But they hauing quickly descried our companie, lanched one great, & another small boate, being about .16. or .18. persons, & very narrowly escaping, put thems [...]lues to sea. Wherevpon our soldiours discharged th [...]ir Caliuers, and followed them, thinking the noise therof being hearde to our boats at sea, our men there woulde make what spéede they mighte to that place. And [Page 23] thervpon indéede our men whiche were in the boates (crossing vppon them in the mouth of the sounde, whereby their passage was [...]et from getting sea roome, wherein it had bin impossible for vs to ouertake them by rowing) forced them to put themselues ashoare vpon a point of lande within the said sound (which vpon the occasion of the slaughter there,The swift ro [...]ing of those people. was since named the Bloudie point) wherevnto our men so spéedily followed,The bloudy poynt. that they hadde little leysure lefte them to make any escape. But so soone as they landed, eche of them brake his Oare, thinking by that meanes to preuent vs, in carying awaye their boates for want of Oares. And desperately retorning vpon our men, resisted them manfullye in their landing, so long as theyr arrows and dartes lasted, & after gathering vp those arrows which our mē shot at thē,A bote skirmish betwene the Englishe, and them of that countrey yea, and plucking our arrowes out of their bodies, encountred afresh againe, and maintained their cause, vntil both weapons & life vtterly failed them. And when they founde they were mortally wounded, being ignorant what mercy meaneth,The desperat nature of those people. with deadly furie they cast themselues headlong from off the rocks into the sea, least perhaps their enimies shoulde receiue glorie or praye of their dead carcasses, for they supposed vs be like to be Canibales, or eaters of mans flesh. In this conflict one of our men was dangerouslie hurt in the bellie with one of their arrowes, and of them were slayne fiue or sixe. The rest by flight escaped among the Rockes, sauing two wo [...], whereof the one being old and ougly, oure men [...]ght she had bin a Diuell or some Witch, & therefor [...] [...] the other being yong, & combred with [...] at hir backe, hiding hirselfe behinde the [...]cks, was espied by one of oure men,The taking of the woman and hir child. who supposing she had bin a man, shot through the heare of hir head, & pierced through the childs arme, wherevpon she cried out, & was takē, & our Surgeō meaning to heale hir childs arme,A prettie kind of Surgerie, [...]yche nature teacheth. applyed salues thervnto. But she not acquainted with such kinde of surgerie, plucked th [...]se s [...]lues away, & by cōtinuall [Page 24] with hir owne tongue, not muche vnlike oure dogges, healed vppe the childes arme. And bycause the daye was well neare [...]pent, oure menne made haste vnto the reste of oure companie, which on the other side of the water remained at the [...]entes, where they founde by the apparell, [...]e [...]ter, and other Englishe furniture, that they were the same companye whiche Capitaine Yorke discouered the night before, hauing remoued thēselues frō the place where he left thē.
And now considering their sodaine flying from our men, and their desperate manner of fighting, we beganne to suspecte, that we hadde already hearde the laste newes of our men, whiche the laste yeare were betrayed of these people. And considering also their rauennesse and bloudy disposition, in eating anye kinde of rawe fleshe or carr [...]e [...], howsoeuer stincking, it is to be thoughte, that they had s [...]aine and deuoured oure men. For the doublet whiche was soun [...]e in their tents had many holes therein, being made with their arrowes and dartes.
But nowe the night being at hande, our men with their captiues and suche poore stuffe as they founde in their tentes, returned towardes their shippes, when being at Sea, there arose a sodaine flawe of winde, whiche was not a little daungerous for their small boates. But as God would, they came all safely aboorde. And with these good newes they retourned (as before mentioned) into the Countesse of Warwicks sound, vnto vs And betwene Iackmans sounde, from whence they came, and the Countesse of Warwickes sound, betwene land & land, being thoughte the narrowest place of the straights,The narrowest place of the [...]raig [...]ts is .9. leagues ouer. were iudged nine leagues ouer at leaste: and Iackmans sounde being vppon the Southerlande, lyeth directlye almoste ouer againste the Countesses sound, as is reckned, scarce thirty leagues within the straightes from the Queenes Cape, whiche is the entrance of the straights of Southerland, being the supposed continent of America. This Cape béeing named Queene [Page 25] Elizabethe; Cape,The Quene [...] Cape. standeth in the Latitude of degrées and a halfe to the Northwardes of Newe found lande, and vpon the same continent, for any thing that is yet knowen to the contrarie.
Hauing now got a woman captiue for the comforte of our man,The manner of the meeting o [...] [...] Captiues, and their entertaynement we broughte them both togither, and euery man with silence desired to beholde the manner of their meeting and entertaynement, the whiche was more worth the beholding, than can be well expressed by writing. A [...] theyr first encountring, they behelde each the other very wistly a good space, withoute spéeche or worde vttered, with greate change of coloure and countenaunce, as though it séemed, the gréefe and disdeyne of their captiuitie had taken away the vse of their tongs and vtterance: the woman at the first verie suddaynely, as though she disdeyned or regarded not the man, turned away, and beganne to sing, as though she minded another matter: but being agayne broughte tog [...] ther, the man brake vp the silence first, and with sterne and stayed countenance, beganne to tell a long solemne tale to the woman, wherevnto she gaue good hearing, and interrupted him nothing, till he had finished, & afterwards, being growen into more familiar acquayntance by spéech, were turned togither, so that (I thinke) the one would hardly haue liued, without the comfort of the other. And, for so muche as we coulde perceiue, albeit they liued continually togither, yet did they neuer vse as man and wife, though the woman spared not to do all necessarie things that apperteyned to a good huswife indifferently for them both, as in making cleane their Cabin, and euery other thing that apperteyned to his ease: for when hée was Seasicke, shee would make him cleane, she would kill and flea ye Dogges for their eating, and dresse his meate.The shame fastnesse and chastitie of those sauage Captiues. Only I thinke it worth the noting, the continencie of them both, for the man would neuer shift himselfe, except he had firste caused the woman to depart out of his Cabin, and they both were [Page 26] most sha [...] fast, least anye of their priuie parts should bée discouered, eyther of themselues, or any other body.
On Monday the sixth of August, the Lieutenante, wyth all the Souldyers, for the better garde of the Myners, and the other things a shore, pitched their tents in the Countess [...] Ilande, and fortifyed the place for their better defence as well as they could, and were to the number of forty persons, when being all at labour, they might perceyue vppon the toppe of a hill ouer against them,Another appearance of that Countrey people. a number of the countrey people wasting with a flagge, and making great out cryes vnto them, and were of the same companie, whyche had encountred lately our men vpon the other shore, béeing come to complayne their late losses, and to entreate (as it seemed) for restitution of the Woman and Chylde, whyche our men in the late conflict had taken, and brought away: wherevpon the Generall taking the sauage Captiue with him, and setting the Woman where they mighte best perceyue hir, in the highest place of the Ilande, wente ouer to talke with them. Thys Captiue at the fyrste encountrie of hys friendes, fell so out into teares, that he coulde not speake a worde in a greate space, but after a whyle, ouercomming his kyndnesse, hée talked at full wyth hys companyons, and bestowed friendly vppon them suche toyes and trifles as we hadde gyuen hym, whereby we noted, that they are verie kynde one to the other, and greately sorowfull for the losse of their friendes. Oure Generall by signes requyred hys fyue men whyche they tooke Captiue the last yeare, and promised them, not only to releasse those whyche hée hadde taken, but also to rewarde them wyth greate giftes and friendship. Our Sauage made signes in aunswere from them, that oure men shoulde bée delyuered vs, and were yet lyuing, and made signes lykewise vnto vs, that wee shoulde write oure letters vnto them, for they kn [...]we very well the vse wée haue of writting,These people know the vse of writing. and receyued knowledge thereof, eyther of oure poore Captiue [Page 27] Countre [...]men, whyche they betrayed, or else by thys oure newe [...]aptiue, who hathe séene vs day [...]y write, and [...]epeate agayne suche wordes of h [...]s language, as we des [...]red to learne: but they for thys nyghte, bycause it was [...], departed, without any letter, although the [...] called [...]arne [...] lie in hast for the same. And the nexte mornyng ear [...]lie, beeyng the seauenth of August, they called agayne for the Letter, whyche béeyng delyuered vnto them, they spéedily departed, [...] Letter sent vnto [...]he fyue English Cap [...]tiues. makyng signes wyth thrée fingers, and poyntyng to the Sunne, that they meante to returne wythin thrée dayes, vnt [...]ll whyche tyme wée hearde no more of them, and aboute the tyme appoynted, they returned, in suche [...]orte as you shall afterwardes heare.
Thys nyghte, bycause the people were very néere vnto vs, the Lieutenaunte caused the Trumpet to sounde a call, and euerie man in the Ilande repayring to the [...]untiente, hée putte them in mynde of the place so farre from theyr Countrey wherein they lyued, and the daunger of a multitude whyche they were subiect vnto, if good watche and w [...]rde were not kepte, for at euerie lowe water, the Enimie myghte come a [...]most dryfoote from the mayne vnto vs, wherefore, hée wylled euerye man to prepare hym in good readynesse vppon all suddayne occasions, and so giuing the watch their charge, the company departed to rest.
I thoughte the Captaynes Letter well worth the remembring, not for the circumstance of curious enditing, but for the substance and good meaning therein contayned, and therefore haue repeated héere the same, as by himselfe it was hastilie written.
¶ The forme of Martin Frobishers letter to the Englishe Captiues.
IN the name of God, in whom we al beleue, who I trust hath preserued your bodyes and soules amongst these Infidels, I cōmend me vnto you. I will be glad to seeke by all meanes you can deuise, for your deliuerance, eyther with force, or with any commodities within my Shippes, whiche I will not spare for your sakes, or any thing else I can doe for you. I haue aboord, of theyrs, a Man, a Woman, and a Childe, whiche I am contented to delyuer for you, but the man which I carried away from hence the last yeare, is dead in ENGLAND. Moreouer, you may declare vnto them, that if they deliuer you not, I wyll not leaue a manne aliue in their Countrey. And thus, if one of you can come to speake with me, they shall haue eyther the Man, Woman, or Childe in pawne for you. And thus vnto God, whome I trust you do serue, in hast I leaue you, and to him we will dayly pray for you. This Tuesdaye morning the seauenth of August. Anno. 1577.
I haue sente you by these bearers, Penne, Incke, and Paper, to write backe vnto me agayne, if personally you can not come to certifye me of your estate.
[Page 29]NOw had the Generall altered his determination for going any further into the straights at this time,The cause why F [...]obishe [...] entred no further within ye straights this yeare. for any further discouerie of the passage, hauing taken a man, and a woman of that Countrey, whiche he thought sufficiente for the vse of language: and hauing also mette wyth these people héere, which intercepted his mē the last yeare, (as the apparell, and Englishe furniture which was found in their tentes, very well declared) he knewe it was but labour lost to séeke them further off, when he had found them there at hand. And considering also the shorte time he had in hande, he thought it best to bend his whole endeuour for the getting of Myne, and to leaue the passage, further to be discouered héereafter. For his commission directed hym in this voyage, only for the searching of the Gold Ore, and to deferre the further discouerie of the passage vntill another tyme.
On Thurseday the ninth of August, we beganne to make a small Fort for our defence in the Coūtesses Iland, and entrenched a corner of a cliffe, which on thre parts like a wall of good heygth was compassed and well fenced with the Sea, & we finished the rest, with caskes of earth, to good purpose, and this was called Bestes Bulwarke,Bestes Bulwarke. after the Lieutenants name, who first deuised the same. This was done, for that we suspected more least the desperate men might oppresse vs with multitude, than any feare we had of their force, weapons, or policie of battell: but as wisedome would vs in such place (so far from home,) not to bée of our selues altogither carelesse: so the signes whiche oure captiue made vnto vs, of the comming downe of his Gouernoure or Prince, which he calleth Catchoe, Their King called Catchoe. gaue vs occasion to foresée what might ensue thereof, for he shewed by signes, that this Catchoe was a mā of higher stature farre than any of our nation is,How he is honoured. and he is accustomed to be carried vpon mens shoulders.
About midnighte, the Lieutenant caused a false Alarme [Page 30] to be giuen in the Iland, to proue as well the readynesse of the companie there a shore, as also what help might be hoped for vpon the suddayne from the Shyppes if néede [...] [...] quired, and euery part was found in good re [...]ynes [...]e v [...]on such a suddayne.
Saterday the eleuenth of August, the people shewed themselues agayne, and called vnto vs from the side of a hil ouer against vs. The Generall with (good hope to heare of hys men, and to haue answere of his Letter) wente ouer vnto them, where they presented themselues, not aboue three in sight, but were hidden in déede in greater numbers behynde the Ro [...]kes, and makyng signes of delay with vs, to entrappe some of vs, to redeeme theyr owne, did onely séeke aduantage to trayne oure Boate aboute a poynte of lande from sight of oure companie [...] wherevpon our menne iustly suspecting them, kepte aloofe w [...]thout their daunger, and yet sette one of our companie a shore, whyche tooke vp a greate blather, whiche one of them offered vs, and leauing a looking glasse in the place, came into the Boate agayne.A bladder changed for a [...]o [...]ing glasse. In the meane whyle, our men whyche stoode in the Countesses Ilande to behold, who mighte better discerne them, than those in the Boate, by reason they were vppon higher ground, made a greate outcrye vnto our men in the boate, for that they sawe diuers of the Sauages créeping behynde the Rockes towardes our men,No newes of the Englishe Cap [...]iues. wherevppon the Generall presently returned without tidings of his men.
Concerning this Blather which we receyued, our Captiue made signes, that it was giuen him to kéepe water and drincke in, but we suspected rather, it was gyuen hym to swimme and shift away withall, for he and the woman sought diuers times to escape,To what end the blather was deliuered. hauing loosed our Boates from a Sterne our Shyppes, and wée neuer a Boate lefte to pursue them withall, and had preuayled verie farre, had they not bin verie timelie espyed, and preuented therein.
After our Generalles comming away from them, they [Page 31] mustered themselues in our sight, vppon the toppe of a hill, to the number of twentie in a rancke,Those people daunsing vpon the hill toppes [...] all holdyng handes ouer theyr heads, and dauncing, with greate noyse and songs togither, wée supposed they made thys daunce and shew for vs to vnderstand, that we might take vew of theyr whole companyes and force, meaning belike, that wée should doe the same. And thus they continued vppon the hyll toppes vntyll nighte, when hearing a peece of oure greate Ordinance, whyche thundered in the hollownesse of the hygh hylles, made vnto them so fearefull a noyse, that they hadde no greate wyll to tarrie long after. And this was done, more to make them knowe oure force, than to do them any hurte at all.
On Sunday the twelfth of August, Captayne Fenton trayned the companye, and made the Souldyoures maineteyne skyrmishe among themselues,A skirmishe shewed to th [...]se people. as w [...]ll for theyr exercise, as for the Countrey people to beholde in what readynesse oure menne were alwayes to bee founde, for it was to bée thoughte, that they lay hydde in the hylles thereaboute, and obserued all the manner of oure proceedings.
On Wensday the fouretéenth of August, oure Generall wyth two small Boates well appoynted, for that hee suspected the Countrey people to lye lurking thereaboute, wente vp a certayne Bay wythin the Countesses sound, to searche for Ore, and mette agayne wyth the Countrey people, who so soone as they saw our men, made greate outcryes, and with a white flagge made of blathers,Their Flags made of b [...]athe [...]s. sowed togyther wyth the guttes and sinewes of beastes, wafted vs amayne vnto them, but shewed not aboue three of theyr companye. But when wée came néere them, wée myghte perceyue a greate multitude créeping behynde the Rockes, whyche gaue vs good cause to suspecte theyr trayterous meaning: wherevpon wée made them [Page 32] signes, that if they would lay their weapōs aside, and come forth, we woulde deale friendly with them, although theyr intente was manifested vnto vs: but for all the sign [...] [...]f friendship we coulde make them, they cam [...] still créeping towards vs behinde the rockes, to gette more aduantage of vs, as though we had no eyes to sée them, thinking belike, that our single wittes could not discouer so bare deuises and simple driftes of theyrs. Their spokesman earnestly persuaded vs, with many enticing shewes, to come, eate and sléepe ashore, with great arguments of courtesie, and clapping his bare handes ouer his head in token of peace and innocencie, willed vs to do the like. But the better to allure our hungry stomackes, he broughte vs a trimme bayte of raw flesh, which for fashiō sake with a boatehooke we caught into our Boate: but when the cunning Cater perceyued his first cold morssell could nothing sharpen our stomackes, he cast about for a new trayne of warme fleshe to procure our appetites,Great offers. wherefore, he caused one of hys fellowes in halting manner, to come forth as a lame man from behind the rockes, and the better to declare his kindnesse in caruing, he hoysed him vppon his shoulders, and bringing him hard to the water side where we were, lefte him there lymping, as an easie pray to be taken of vs. His hope was, that we would bite at this bayte, & spedily leape a shore within their danger, whereby they might haue apprehended some of vs, to raunsome theyr friendes home againe, which before we had taken: but I doubt, our flesh is so swéet meate for them, that they will hardly part from so good morsels, if we come once nere their hādling. The Gē tlemen and Souldiers had great will to encounter them ashore, but the Generall more carefull by processe of time to winne them, than wilfullie at the firste to spoyle them, woulde in no wise admitte that any man shoulde put himselfe in hazarde ashore, considering the matter he now entended, was for the Ore, and not for the Conquest: notwithstanding, [Page 33] to proue this Criples footemanshippe, hée gaue libertie for one to shoote: wherevppon the Criple hauing a parting blowe, lightly recouered a Rocke, and went awaye a true and no fained Criple, and hathe learned his lesson for euer halting afore suche Criples againe. But his fellows whiche lay hid before, full quickely then appeared in their likenesse, and maintained the skirmishe with theyr slings, bowes and arrowes verye fiercely, and came as néere as the water suffered them: and with as desperate minde as hath bin séene in any men, without feare of shotte or any thing, followed vs all along the coaste, but all their shotte fell shorte of vs, and are of little danger. They had belayd al the coaste along, and being dispersed so, were not able to be numbred, but we might discerne of them aboue one hundreth persons, and to suspecte, a greater number. And thus without losse or hurte we returned to our shippes againe.
Nowe our worke growing towardes an end, and hauing onely with fiue poore Miners, and the helpe of a fewe Gentlemen and Souldiours, brought aboorde almost twoo hundreth of golde ore, in the space of twentie dayes, euery man therewithall well comforted, determined lustilye to worke afreshe for a boone voyage, to bring our laboure to a spéedie and happy ende.
And vpon Wednesday at night, being the one and twentith of August, we fully finished the whole worke. And it was now good time to leaue, for as the men were wel wearied, so their shoes and clothes were well worne, their baskets bottoms torne out, their tooles broken, and the shippes reasonably well filled. Some with ouer-straining themselues receiued hurtes not alittle daungerous, some hauing their bellies broken, and others their legges made lame. And aboute this time the Ise beganne to congeale & fréese about our shippes sides, whiche gaue vs a good argument [Page 34] of the Sunnes declyning Southward, and put vs in minde to make more hast homeward.
It is not a little worth the memorie, to the commendation of the Gentlemen and Souldioures héerein, who leauing all reputation aparte, with so great willingnesse, and with couragious stomackes, haue themselues almost ouercome in so short a time, the difficultie of this so great a laboure. And this to be true, the matter, if it be well wayed, without further proofe, nowe brought home, dothe well witnesse. God graunt for their forwarde mindes, they may be as well considered, as their honest merites haue well deserued.
Thurseday the .22. of August, we plucked downe oure tentes, and euery man hasted homewarde, and making bonefires vppon the toppe of the highest Mount of the Iland, and marching with Auntiente displayd round aboute the Iland, we gaue a vollie of shotte for a farewell, in honour of the right Honourable Lady Anne, Countesse of Warwicke, whose n [...]me it [...]eareth: and so departed aboorde.
The .23. of August, hauing the wind large at West, wée sette Sayle from out of the Countesses sound homeward, but the winde calming, we came to Ancker within the poynt of the same sound agayne.
The .24. of August, about thrée of the clocke in the morning, hauing [...]he winde large at West, we sette Sayle agayne, and by nine of the Clocke at nighte, we lefte the Quéenes forlande ast [...]rne vs, and being cléere of the Straytes, we bare further into the m [...]yne Ocean, kéeping our course more Southerly, to bring our selues the sooner vnder the Latitude of our owne C [...]ymate.
The wynde was very greate at Sea, so that we laye a hull all night, and had Snowe halfe a foote déepe on the hatches.Snow ha [...]f [...] a foote deepe in [...]ugust.
Fro [...] [...]he 24. vntill the .28. we had very mu [...]he winde, [Page 35] but large kéeping our course South Southeast, and were lyke to haue lost the Ba [...]kes, but by good happe we mette agayne. The heygth being taken, we were in Degrées and a halfe.
The nine and twentith of August, the winde blewe muche at Northeast, so that we cou [...]de beare but onely a bu [...]t of our foresayle, and the Ba [...]kes not being able to carrie any sayle at all.
The Michaell lost company of vs, and shaped hir course towardes Orckney as we supposed, bycause that way was better knowne vnto them.
The thirtith of August, with the force of the wynd, and a surge of the Sea, the Mayster of the Gabriell, and the Boateson, were stricken both ouerboorde,The Mayster of the Gabriell stricken ouerboorde. and hardly was the Boateson recouered, hauing holde on a roape hanging ouerboorde in the Sea, and yet the Barke was laced fore and afte with ropes a breast high within boorde.
Thys Mayster was called William Smyth, béeyng but a yong man, and a very sufficient Maryner, who béeyng all the mornyng before excéeding pleasaunte, tolde hys Captayne hée dreamed that he was cast ouerboorde, and that the Boateson hadde hym by the hande, and coulde not saue hym, and so immediately vppon the ende of hys tale, hys Dreame came right euelly to passe, and in déede the Boateson in like sort helde him by one hande, hauyng hold on a rope with the other, vntill hys force fayled, and the Mayster drowned. The heygth being taken, we found oure selues to bée in the Latitude of Degrées, and a halfe, and reckned our selues from the Quéenes Cape homeward, about two hundreth leagues.
The last of August, aboute midnighte, we had two or thrée great and suddayne flawes or stormes.
[Page 36]The firste of September, the storme was growne very great, and continued almoste the whole day and night, and lying a hull to tarry for the barkes, our ship was much beaten with the Seas, euery Sea almoste ouertaking oure poope, that we were constrained with a bunte of oure saile, to try it out, and ease the rolling of oure shippe. And so the Gabriel not able to beare any saile to kéepe company with vs, and oure shippe being higher in the poope, and a tall shippe, whereon the winde had more force to driue, went so faste awaye, that we loste sight of them, and lefte them to God and their good fortune of Sea. The seconde daye of September in the morning, it pleased God of hys goodnesse to sende vs a calme, whereby we perceiued the Rudder of oure shippe torne in twaine, and almost ready to fal away.The Rudder of the Ay [...]e torne in twaine. Wherfore taking the benefite of the time, wée slung halfe a dosen couple of our best men ouerboord, who taking great paines vnder water, driuing plancks, and binding wyth ropes, did wel strengthen and mend the matter, who returned the most parte more than halfe deade out of the water, and as Gods pleasure was, the Sea was calme vntill the worke was finished. The fifth of September, the height of the sterne being taken, wée founde our selues to be in the latitude of degrées and a half. In all this voyage we took the latitude of the place by the height of the sunne, bycause the long day taketh away the light not only of the Polar, but also of all other fixed Starres. And here the North Starre is so muche eleuated aboue the Horizon,How the Latitudes were alwayes takē in this voyage rather wyth the Staffe than astrolobe. that with the Staffe it is hardly to be wel obserued, and the degrées in the Astrolobe, are too small to obserue minutes. Therefore we alwaies vsed the Staffe and the Sunne; as fittest instrumentes for this vse.
Hauing spent foure or fiue dayes in trauerse of the seas with contrarye winde, making oure Souther way good as neare as we could, to raise oure degrées to bring our selues [Page 37] with the latitude of Sylley, wée tooke the height the tenth of September, and founde our selues in the latitude of degrées and ten minutes. The eleauenth of September about sixe a clocke at night the winde came good sowthwest, we were shot and set our course southest.
And vpon Thursday, the twelfth of September, taking the height, we were in the latitude of and a halfe, and reckened oure selues not paste one hundred and fiftie leagues shorte of Sylley, the weather faire, the winde large at westsouthwest, we kepte our course southest.
The thirtéenth daye the height being taken, we founde our selues to be in the latitude of [...] degrées, the wind westsouthwest, then being in the height of Sylley, we kept our course East, to run in with the sléeue or channell so called, being our narrow Seas, and reckened vs shorte of Sylley twelue leagues.
Sonday, the fiftéenth of September aboute foure of the clocke, wée beganne to sounde with oure lead, and hadde grounde at .61. fadome depth, white small sandie grounde, and reckned vs vpon the backe of Sylley, and set our course Easte and by North, Easte Northeast, and Northeast among.
The sixtéenth of September, about eight of the clocke in the morning sounding, we had .65. fadome osey sande, and thought our selues thwart of Saint Georges channell a little within the bankes. And bearing a small saile all nighte, wée made many soundings, whiche were aboute fortie fadome, and so shallowe, that wée coulde not well tell where we were.
The seauentéenth of September we sounded, and had fortie fadome, and were not farre off the landes, and branded sande with small wormes and Cockle shells, and were shotte betwéen Sylley and the landes ende, and being within the baye, we were not able to double the pointe wyth a [Page 38] South and by East way, but were fayne to make another boorde, the wynde béeyng at Southweast, and by Weast, and yet coulde not double the poynte, to come cléere of the landes ende, to beare along the Channell: and the weather cléered vp when we were hard aboorde the shore, and wée made the landes ende perfite, and so put vp alongst Sainte Georges Channell. And the weather béeyng very foule at Sea, we coueted some harborough, bycause our Stéeradge was broken, and so came to Ancker in Padstowe roade in Cornewall. The arriuall of the Ayde at Padstow in Cornewall. But riding there, a very daungerous roade, we were aduised by the Countrey, to put to Sea agayne, and of the two euils, to choose the lesse, for there was nothing but present perill where we roade: where vppon we plyed along the Channell to gette to Londy, from whence we were agayne driuen, being but an open roade, where our Ancker came home, and with force of weather put to Seas agayne, and aboute the thrée and twentith of September, arriued at Milforde Hauen in Wales, whyche béeyng a very good harborough, made vs happy men,Our comming to Milford Hauen. that we hadde receyued suche long desired safetie. And more happie we helde our selues, not for the safetie of our selues so muche, as the comforte that we had that oure Countrey shoulde thereby haue perfecte knowledge of oure discouerie, to the greate benefyte of oure common wealth.
Aboute one moneth after oure arriuall héere, by order from the Lordes of the Counsell, the Shippe came vp to Bristowe, where the Ore was committed to kéeping in the Castell there. Héere we founde the Gabriell one of the Barkes,The arriuall of the Gabriell at Bristow. arriued in good safetie, who hauing neuer a man within boorde very sufficient to bring home the Shyppe, after the Mayster was lost, by good fortune, when shée came vpon the coast, mette with a Shyppe of Bristowe at Sea, who conducted hir in safetie thither.
Héere we heard good tidings also of the arriuall of the [Page 39] other Barke called the Michaell, in the North partes,The Michael arriued in the North parts. whyche was not a little ioyfull vnto vs, that it pleased God so to bring vs to a safe méeting agayne, and lost in all the voyage only one man, besydes one that dyed at Sea, whiche was sicke before he came aboorde, and was so desirous to followe this enterprise,Only one man dyed in this voyage. that he rather chose to dye therein, than not to be one to attempte so notable a voyage.
¶ The thirde voyage of Captayne Frobisher, pretended for the discouerie of Cataya, by Meta Incognito. Anno Do. 1578.
THE GEnerall béeing returned from the second Uoyage, immediatlye a [...]ter hys arriual in Englande, repayred wt all hast to the Court [...]éeing thē at Windsore, to aduertise hir Maiesty of his properous proc [...]eding, and good successe in this last voyage, and of the plēty of gold Ore, with other matters of importance which he hadde in these Septentrionall partes dis [...]ouered. He was court [...]ously enterteyned, and hartily w [...]lcomed of many noble men, but especially for his great aduenture, commended of hir Maiestie, at whose hands he receyued great thankes, [...] cō m [...]nded of hir Mai [...]s [...]ie. and most gratious countenance, according to his deserts. Hir Highnesse also greatly commended the rest of the Gentlemen in this seruice, for their great forwardnes in this so dāgerous [Page 2] toyling and painefull attempte: but especiallye shée praysed and reioiced,The Gentlemen c [...]mēded that among them there was so good order of gouernement, so good agreement, euerye man so readye in his calling, to doe whatsoeuer the General should commaunde, which due commendation gratiously of hir Maiestie remembred, gaue so greate encouragement to al the Captaines & Gentlemen, that they, to continue hir highnesse so good and honorable opinion of them, haue since ne [...]ther spared laboure, limme, nor life, to bring this matter (so well begon) to a happie and prosperous ende. And finding, that the matter of the gold ore had appearaunce & m [...]de shew of great riches & profite, and the hope of ye passage to CATAYA, by this last vo [...]age greatly encreased, hir Maiestie appointed speci [...]l Commissioners, chosen for this purpose [...] Commissioners appointed [...]o [...] the goodnesse of [...]he Ore. Gentlemen of great iudgement, art, & skill, to looke thorowly into ye cause, for ye true trial & due examination therof, & for the full handling of al matters therevnto appertaining. And bicause that place & country, hathe neuer heretofore bin dis [...]ouered, and therefore had no speciall name, by which it might be called & known, hir Maiestie named it very properly Meta Incognita, A name giuē to the place newe discouer [...]d. as a marke and boūds vtterly hitherto vnknown. The cōmissioners after sufficiēt triall & proofe made of ye Ore, & hauing vnderstood by sundrie reasons, & substanciall groūds, the possibilitie & likelihoode of ye passage, aduertised hir highnes, yt the cause was of importance, & ye voyage gretly worthy to be aduā ced again. Wherevpon preparatiō was made of ships & al other things necessary, wt such e [...]pedition, as ye time of the yere thē required. And bycause it was assuredly made accompt of, yt the cōmoditie of Mines, there already discouered, wold at yt least counterua [...]e in all respects, the aduēturers charge, & giue further hope & likelihood of greter matters to follow: it was thought néedful, both for the better guard of those parts alredy foūd, & for further discouery of the Inland & secreats of those countries,The hope of the pas [...]age to Cataya. & also for further search of ye passage to Cataya (wh [...]rof the hope continually [Page 3] more & more encrease [...]h) that certain numbers of chose [...]o [...] diers & discréete men for those purposes should be as [...]ig [...]d to inhabite there. [...] Whervpon the [...]e w [...]s a s [...]r [...]ng [...]or [...] or house of timber, artificially fr [...]med, & [...]ingly deuised by a notable learned man here at home, i [...] ships to be carryed thither, wherby [...]hose mē that were apointed there to winter & make their abode ye whole yeare, might aswel be defē ded from the danger of ye falling snow and colde ayre, as also be fortified from the force or offen [...]e of those Countrie people, which perhaps otherwise with too greate cōpan [...]es & multitudes might oppresse them. And so this greate auē ture & notable exploit, many wel minded and [...]orward yōg Gentlemen of our countrey willingly h [...]ue offered t [...]emselues. And firste Captaine Fenton Lieu [...]t G [...]rall, for Captaine Frobysher, and in charge of the [...]ōpany with him there, Capitaine Be [...]t, & Captai [...]e [...], vnto whose good discretions the gouernment of [...] was chiefly commended, who, as men not rega [...]ding p [...]rill in respect of the profite and common wealth of their Coun [...]rie, were willing to abide the f [...]s [...]e br [...]nt & adu [...]nture o [...] those daungers among a sau [...]ge and brutishe kinde of people, in a place hitherto euer thoght [...]or e [...]treme cold not habitable. The whole number of men whiche had offered, & were appointed to inhabite Meta Inc [...]gnita al the yeare, were one hundreth persons,A hundreth men appointed to inhab [...]tn there, wherof . [...]l. shoulde be Marriners, for the vse of ships .30. Miners, for gathering the golde Ore togyther for the next yeare, & .3 [...]. souldiers for the better guarde of the rest, within which last nūber are included ye gentlemen, Gold [...]iners, B [...]kers, Carpēters, & al other necessary persons. To othe of ye Captaines was assigned one ship, as wel for the further searching of the coast & countrie there, as for to returne & bring backe their companies againe, if the necessitie of the place so vrged, or b [...] miscarying o [...] the fléete in the yeare following, they mighte be disappointed of their further prouision.
[Page 4] Fifteene Sayle [...]Being therefore thus furnished with all necessaries, there were ready to depart vpon the said voyage [...] xv. Sayle of good Shippes, whereof the whole number was to returne agayne with their loading of gold Ore in the end of the Sommer, except those thrée Shippes, which should bée left for the vse of those Captaynes whiche should inhabite there the whole yeare. And being in so good readynesse, the Generall, with all the Captaynes came to the Court, then lying at Greenewich, to take their leaue of hir Maiestie, at whose hands they all receyued great encouragemente, and gracious countenance. Hir Highnesse, besides other good giftes, and greater promises, bestowed on the Generall a faire Cheyne of Gold,A cheyne of gold [...]iuen to [...]robishe [...]. and the rest of the Captaynes kissed hir hande, tooke their leaue, and departed euery man towardes their charge.
- 1 In the Ayde being Admirall, vvas the Generall
- Captayne Frobisher.
- 2 In the Tho. Allen Viceadmirall
- Ca. Yorke.
- 3 In the Iudith Lieutenāt General
- Ca. Fēton.
- 4 In the Anne Frances
- Cap [...]ayne Best.
- 5 In the Hopevvell
- Captayne Carevv.
- 6 In the Beare.
- Captayne Filpot.
- 7 In the Thomas of Ipsvvich
- Cap. Tanfield.
- 8 In the Emanuell of Exceter
- Ca. Courtney.
- 9 In the Frances of Foy
- Captayne Moyles.
- 10 In the Moone
- Captayne Vpcot.
- 11 In the Ema. of Bridgevvater
- Ca. Nevvton.
- [Page 5]12 In the Salamō of VVeymouth
- Ca. Randal.
- 13 In the Barke Dennis
- Captayne Kendall.
- 14 In [...]he Gabriell
- Captayne Haruey.
- 15 In the Michaell
- Captayne Kinnersley.
The sayd .xv. Sayle of Shippes arriued and mette togyther at Harwitch, the seauen and twentith day of May Anno .1578. where the Generall, and the other Captaynes made view, and mustered theyr companyes. And euery seuerall Captayne receyued from the Generall certayne Articles of direction, for the better kéeping of order and company togither in the way, which Articles are as followeth.
¶ Articles and orders to be obserued for the Fleete, set dovvne by Captayne Frobisher Generall, and deliuered in writing to euery Captayne, as well for keeping company, as for the course, the 31. of May.
1 IN primis, to banishe swearing, dice, and cardplaying, and filthy communication, and to serue God twice a day, with the ordinarie seruice, vsually in Churches of England, and to cleare the glasse, according to the old order of England.
2 The Admirall shal carrie the light, and after his light be once put out, no man to go a head of him, but euery man to fitte his Sayles to follow as néere as they may, without dangering one another.
3 That no man shall by day or by night depart further from the Admirall, than the distance of one English Mile, [Page 6] and as néere as they may, withoute daunger one of another.
4 If it chance to growe thicke, and the wind contrary, eyther by daye, or by night, that the Admirall be forced to c [...]st aboute, before hir casting aboute, she shal gyue warning, by shoot [...]ng off a péece, and to him shall answere the U [...]zeadmirall, and the Rereadmirall, with euery one of them a péece, if it be by nighte, or in a fogge, and that the Uizeadmiral sh [...]ll aunswere [...]irste, and the Rereadmirall last.
5 That no man in the Fléete descrying any Sayle or Sayles, giue vppon anye occasion anye chace, before hée haue spoken with the Admirall.
6 That euerye euening, all the Fléete come vppe and speake with the Admirall, at seauen of the Clocke, or betwéene that and eyght, and if weather will not serue them all to speake with the Admirall, then some shall come to the Uizeadmirall, and receyue your order of your course of Maister Hall, chiefe Pylot of the Fléete, as he shal direct you.
7 If to any mā in the Fléete, there happē any mischāce, they shall presently shoote off two péeces by day, and if it be by night, two peeces, and shew two lightes.
8 If any man in ye Fléete come vp in y• night, and hale his fellow, knowing him not, he shal giue him this watchword, Before the world was God. The other shall aunswer him, if he be one of our Fléete After God came Christe his Sonne. So that if anye be founde amongst vs, not of oure owne company, he that firste descryeth anye such Sayle or Sayles, shall giue warning to the Admirall by himselfe, or any other that he can speake to that Sailes, better than he, being néerest vnto him.
9 That euery Ship in the Fléete, in the time of fogges, whiche continually happen with little windes, and most parte calmes, shall kéepe a reasonable noyse with Trumpet, [Page 7] Drumme, or otherwise to kéepe themselues cléere one of another.
10 If it fall out thicke or misty that we lay it to Hull, the Admirall shall giue warning by a péece, and pu [...]ting out thrée lightes one ouer another, to the ende, that eu [...]ry man may take in his Sayles, and at his setting of Sayles agayne do the like, if it be not cléere.
11 If any man discouer land by nighte, that he giue the like warning, that he dothe for mischances, two lightes, and two péeces, if it be by day one péece, and putte out hys slagge, and strike all his Sayles he hath aboorde.
12 If any Shyppe shall happen to lose company by force of weather, then any suche Shippe or Shippes, shall gette hir into the Latitude of. .and so kéepe that Latitude, vntyll they gette Freeselande. And after they be past the West partes of Freeselande, they shall gette them into the Latitude of. .and. .and not to the Northwarde of .and béeing once entred within the straytes, all suche Shyppes shall euerye watche shoote off a good péece, and looke out well for smoke and fire, whych those that gette in first, shall make euery night, vntill all the Fléete bée come togither.
13 That vppon the sighte of an Ensigne in the Mast of the Admirall, and a péece shot of, the whole Fléete, shal repaire to the Admirall, to vnderstande such conference, as the Generall is to haue with them.
14 If we chance to méete with any enimies, that foure Shyppes shall attend vpon the Admirall, viz. the Frances of Foy, the Moone, the Barke Dennis, and the G [...]brie [...] [...] and foure vpon my Lieutenant generall in the Iudith, viz. the Hopewell, the Armenall, the Beare, and the Salomon: and the other foure vpon the Uizadmirall, the Anne Frances, the Thomas of Ipswich, the Emanuell, and the Michaell.
[Page 8]15 If there happen any disordered person in the fléete, that he be taken and kept in safe custodie vntil he may conueniently be brought aboorde the Admirall, and ther [...] to receiue such punishment as his or their offences shal deserue.
Oure departure f [...]om England.
HAuing receiued these articles of direction, we departed from Harwich the one and thirtith of May. And say [...]ing alongest the South partes of England westward, wée at length came by the coaste of Ireland, at Cape Cleare the sixth of Iune, and gaue chace there to a small barke which was supposed to be a Pyrat, or Rouer on the Seas, but it fell out in déede that they were poore menne of Bristowe, who hadde mette with suche company of Frenchmen, as hadde spoyled and slayne manye of them, and left the rest so sore wounded, that they were lyke to perishe in the Sea, hauing neyther hande, nor foote hole, to helpe themselues withall, nor victuals to susteyne theyr hungrie bodyes. Oure Generall, who well vnderstandeth the office of a Souldioure, and an Englishman, and knoweth well what the necessity of the sea meaneth, pitying much ye miserie of the poore men, releiued them with Surgerie and salues, to heale their hurtes, and with meate and drinke to comfort their pining hartes.A charitable deede. Some of them hauing neither eate nor drunck more than oliues & stinking water in many days before, (as they reported.) And after this good déed done, hauing a large winde, we kept our course vppon our sa [...]de voyage withoute staying for the taking in of freshe water, or any other prouision, whereof many of the fléete were not throughly furnished, (and sayling towardes the Northwest partes, from Ireland, we mette with a greate currant from oute of the Southwest, which carryed vs (by our reckning) one point to the Northestwardes of our said course, whiche currant séemed to vs to continue it selfe towardes [Page 9] Norway, and other the Northeast partes of the World, whereby we may be induced to beléeue, that this is the same whiche the Portugalles méete at Capo d'buona speranza, Mark [...] thys Currant. where striking ouer from thence to the straytes of Magellanes, and finding no passage there for the narrownesse of the sayde straytes, runneth alongst into the greate Bay of Mexico, where also hauing a let of lande, it is forced to strike backe agayne towardes the Northeast, as we not only héere, but in another place also, further to the Northwardes, by good experience this yeare haue founde, as shall be héereafter in his place more at large declared.
Nowe had wée sayled aboute fouretéene dayes, without sight of any land, or any other liuing thing, except certayne Fowles, as Wylmots, Nodies, Gulles, &c. whiche there séeme only to liue by Sea.
The twentith of Iune, at two of the clocke in the morning, the Generall descryed land, and found it to be Weast Freeseland, now named Weast England. Weast Englande. Héere the Generall, and other Gentlemen wente ashore, being the fyrste knowen Christians that we haue true notice of, that euer set foote vpon that ground: and therefore the Generall toke possession thereof to the vse of our Soueraigne Lady the Quéenes Maiestie, and discouered héere a goodly harborough for the Shippes, where were also certaine little Boates of that Countrey. And being there landed, they espyed certayne tents and people of that Countrey, which were (as they iudge) in all sorts, very like those of Meta Incognita, as by theyr apparell, and other things whych wée found in theyr tentes, appeared.
The sauage and simple people, so soone as they perceyued our men comming towards them (supposing there had bin no other Worlde, but theirs) fledde fearefully away, as men muche amazed at so strange a sight, and creatures of humane shape, so farre in apparell, complexion, and other [Page 10] things different from themselues. They left in their tents all their furniture [...]or haste behinde them, where amongst other things were founde a boxe of small nayles, and certayne redde Hearings, boordes of Fyrre trée well cutte, with dyuers other things artificially wroughte, whereby it appeareth, that they haue trade with some ciuill people, or else are in déede themselues artificiall workemen.
Oure menne broughte awaye wyth them, onelye twoo of theyr Dogges, leauing in recompence belles, looking-glasses, and dyuers of oure Countrey toyes behynde them.
This Countrie no doubte, promiseth good hope of great commoditie and riches, if it maye be well discouered. The discription whereof you shall finde more at large in my seconde booke, Page .5.
Some are of opinion, that this Weaste Englande is firme lande with the Northeast partes of Meta Incognita, or else with Groenlande. And their reason is, bicause the people, apparell, boates, and other thinges, are so like to theirs: and an other reason is, the multitude of Ilandes of Ise, whyche laye betwéene it and Meta Incognita, doeth argue, that on the North side there is a b [...]y, why [...]h cannot be, but by cōioyning of these two lands togither.
And hauing a fayre and large winde, wée departed from thence towardes Frobyshers straites, the thrée and twentith of Iune. But fyrste we gaue name to a byghe clyffe in Weast England, the laste that was in oure sight, and for a certaine similitude, we called it Charing Crosse.Charing Crosse. Then we bare Southerly towards the Sea, bycause to the Northwardes of this coaste wée mette wyth muche driuing Ise, whyche by reason of the thicke mistes and weather might haue bin some trouble vnto vs.
[Page 11]On Monday the laste of Iune, wée mette with manye greate Whales, as they hadde béene Porposes.A Whale mo [...]e a ship.
This same daye the Salamander being vnder both hir corses and bonets, hapned to strike a gr [...]te Whale with hir [...]ull stemme, wyth suche a blow, that the ship stoode stil, and stirred neither forwarde nor backeward. The Whale thereat made a great and vgly noise, and caste vp his body and tayle, and so went vnder water, and within twoo dayes after, there was founde a greate Whale dead swimming aboue water, which we supposed was that the Salamander stroke.
The seconde daye of Iuly early in the morning, wée hadde sighte of the Quéenes forelande, and bare in with the lande all the daye, and passyng thorow great quantitie of Ise, by nighte were entered somewhat within the straites, perceiuing no waye to passe further in, the whole place being fro [...]en ouer from the one side to the other, and as it were with many walles, mountaines, and bulwarkes of yse, choaked vppe the passage, and denied vs entraunce.Frobishers straites choaked vp wyth Ise. And yet doe I not thinke, that this passage or the Sea hereaboutes, is frosen ouer at anye time of the yeare: albeit it séemed so vnto vs, by the abundaunce of Ise gathered togyther, whyche occupyed the whole place. But I doe rather, suppose these Ise to bée bredde in the hollowe soundes and freshets thereaboutes: whyche by the heate of the Sommers Sunne, béeyng loosed, doe emptie themselues wyth the ebbes into the Sea, and so gather in great abundance there togither.
And to speake somewhat here, of the auntiente opinion of the frosen Sea in these partes: I doe thinke it to be rather a bare coniecture of menne, than that euer anye manne hathe made experience of anye suche Sea. And that whiche they [Page 12] speake of Mare Glaciale, may be truely thought to be spoken of these partes: for this maye well be called in deede the ysie Sea, but not the frosen Sea, for no Sea consisting of salte water cā be frosen,Salte water cannot freese as I haue more at large herein shewed my opiniō in my seconde booke page .6. for it seemeth impossible for any Sea to be frosen, which hath his course of ebbing and flowing, especiallye in those places, where the tides doe ebbe and flowe aboue tenne fad [...]me. And also all these aforesaide Ise, which we sometime met a hundreth mile from lande, being gathered out of the salt Sea, are in taste fresh, and being dissolued, become swéet and holesome water.
The cause why thys yeare we haue béene more combred with Ise (than at other times before) may be by reason of the Easterly and Southerly windes, whyche brought vs more timely thither now than wee looked for. Whiche blowing from the Sea directlye vppon the place of our straites, hath kept in the Ise, and not suffered them to be caryed out by the ebbe to the maine Sea, where they woulde in more shorte time haue béene dissolued. And all these fléeting Ise, are not onelye so daungerous, in that they winde and gather so neare togither, that a man maye passe sometimes tenne or twelue myles as it were vpon one firme Ilande of Ise: But also, for that they open and shutte togither againe in suche sorte wyth the tydes and Sea-gate, that whilest one Shyppe followeth the other with full sayles, the Ise whyche was open vnto the foremoste, will ioyne and close togyther, before the latter can come to followe the fyrste, whereby manye tymes oure Shippes were broughte into greate daunger, as béeyng not able so sodainelye to take in oure sayles, or staye the swifte waye of oure Shippes.
Wée were forced manye tymes to stemme and strike great rockes of Ise, and so as it were make way through [Page 13] mightie mountaines. By which means some of the fléete, where they founde the yse to open, entred in, and pas [...]ed so farre within the daunger thereof, with continuall desire to recouer their port, that it was the greatest wonder of the world, that they euer escaped safe, or were euer heard of againe. For euen at this present, we missed two of the fléete, that is, the Iudyth, wherein was the Lieuetenaunt general Captaine Fenton, and the Michael, whome both wée suppoposed hadde bene vtterlye lost, hauing not heard any tydings of them, in moe than twentie dayes afore.
And one of our fléete named the Barke Dennys, Bar [...] Den [...]is sunke. being of an hundereth Tunne burden, séeking way in amongst these Ise, receiued such a blowe with a rocke of Ise, that she sunke downe therewith, in the sighte of the whoale fléete. Howbeit hauing signified hir daunger by shooting of a péece of great ordinaunce, newe succour of other shippes came so readily vnto them, that the men were al saued with boates.
Within this shippe that was drowned, there was percell of our house,Part of the house lost. whiche was to be erected for them that shoulde staye all the Winter in Meta Incognita.
Thys was a more fearefull spectacle for the Fléete to beholde, for that the outragious storme, which presentlye followed, threatned them the like fortune and daunger. For the Fléete being thus compassed (as aforesayde) on euery side with Ise, hauing left muche behynde them, thorow which they had passed, & finding more before them, thorow whiche it was not possible to passe, there arose a sodaine and terrible tempest at the Southeast, which blowing from the mayne Sea, directlye vpon the place of the straytes, broughte togither al the Ise a seaborde of vs, vpon our backes, and thereby debarde as of turning backe to recouer sea roome againe: so that being thus compassed with daunger on euery side, sundrye men with sundrie deuises, sought the best waye to saue themselues. Some of the [Page 14] Shippes, where they could find a place more cleare of Ise, and get a lit [...]le berth of sea roome, did take in their Sayles, and there lay adrift. Other some fastened and mored Ancker vpon a great Iland of Ise, and roade vnder the [...]ee thereof, supposing to be better garded thereby, from the outrageous windes, and the daunger of the lesser fleeting Ise. And againe some were so fast shut vp, and compassed in amongst an infinite number of great Countreys and Ilands of Ise, that they were fayne to submit themselues, & their Ships, to the mercie of the vnmercifull Ise, and strengthned the sides of their Ships with iunckes of cables, beds, Mastes, planckes, and such like, whiche being hanged ouerboord, on the sides of their Shippes, mighte the better defende them from the outragious sway and strokes of the said Ise. But as in greatest distresse, men of best value are best to be discerned, so it is greatly worthy commendation and noting, with what inuincible minde euery Captayne encouraged his company, and with what incredible labour, the paynefull Mariners, and poore Miners (vnaquainted with suche extremities) to the euerlasting renowne of our nation, dyd ouercome the brunt of these so greate and extreame daungers: for some, euen without boorde vpon the Ise, and some within boorde, vppon the sides of their Shippes, hauing poles, pikes, péeces of timber, and Ores in their handes, stoode almost day and night, withoute any rest, bearing off the force, and breaking the sway of the Ise, with suche incredible payne and perill, that it was wonderfull to behold, which otherwise no doubt had stricken quite through and through the sides of their Shippes, notwithstandyng our former prouision: for planckes of timber, of more than thrée ynches thicke, and other things of greater force and bignesse, by the surging of the Sea, and billowe, with the Ise, were sheuered, and cutte in sunder, at the sides of oure Shippes, that it will séeme more than credible to be reported of. And yet (that whiche is more) it is faythfully and [Page 15] playnely to be proued, and that by many substantiall witnesses, that our Shippes, euen those of greatest burdens, with the méeting of contrary waues of the Sea, were heaued vp betwéene Ilandes of Ise, a foote welnéere out of the Sea, aboue their watermarke, hauing their knees and timbers within boorde, both bowed, and broken therewith.
And amidst these extremes, whilest some laboured for defence of the Shippes, and sought to saue their bodyes: othersome of more mylder spirit, soughte to saue the Soule by deuoute Prayer and mediation to the Almightie, thinking indéede by no other meanes possible, than by a diuine Miracle, to haue their deliuerance: so that there was none, that were eyther ydle, or not well occupyed, and hée that helde himselfe in best securitie, had (God knoweth) but only bare hope remayning for his best safetie.
Thus all the gallant Fléete, and miserable men, without hope of euer getting forth agayne, distressed with these extremities, remayned héere all the whole night, and parte of the ne [...]t day, excepting foure Shippes, that is, the Anne Frances, the Moone, the Frances of Foy, and the Gabriell, which being somewhat a Seaboorde of the Fléete, and béeing fast Ships, by a winde, hauing a more scope of cléere, tryed it out all the time of the storme, vnder Sayle, béeyng hardly able to beare a coast of each.
And albeit, by reason of the fléeting Ise, whych were dispersed héere almost the whole Sea ouer, they were broughte manye times to the extreamest poynte of perill, Mountaynes of Ise tenne thousande tymes scaping them scarce one ynch, whiche to haue stricken, had bin theyr presente destruction, considering the swifte course and way of the Shippes, and the vnwildynesse of them to stay and turne as a mā would wish. Yet they estéemed it their better safetie, with such perill to séeke Searome, thā without hope of euer getting libertie, to lie striuing against ye strea [...]e, & beating amongst the Isie Mountaines, whose hugenesse, [Page 16] and monstrous greatnesse was suche, that no man woulde c [...]e [...]ite, but such as to their paynes sawe and felte it. And these foure Shippes by the nexte day at noone, gote out to Sea, and were fyrste cléere of the Ise, who nowe enio [...]ing theyr owne libertie, beganne a new to sorrowe and feare for their fellowes safeties. And deuoutely knéeling aboute theyr mayne Mast, gaue vnto God humble thankes, not only for themselues, but besoughte him lykewise highly for theyr friends deliuerance. And euen nowe, whilest amiddest these extremities, thys gallante Fléete and valiant men were altogither ouerlaboured, and forewatched, with the long and fearefull continuance of the foresayde dangers, it pleased God with his eyes of mercie to looke downe from Heauen, to sende them help in good time, giuing them the nexte daye a more fauourable wind at the West Northweast, whiche did not only disperse and dryue forthe the Ise before them, but also gaue them libertie of more scope and Sea roome, and were by night of the daye following perceyued of the other foure Shippes, where to their greatest comforte they enioyed agayne the fellowship of one another. Some in mending the sides of theyr Shyppes, some in setting vp their toppe Mastes, and mending theyr Sayles and tacklings. Agayne, some complayning of theyr false Stemme borne away, some in stopping their Leakes, some in recounting their daungers past, spent no small time and labour, that I dare well auouche, there were neuer men more daungerously distressed, nor more mercifully by Gods Prouidence deliuered. And héereof both the torne Shippes, and the forwéeryed bodyes of the men arriued, doe beare most euidente marke and witnesse. And now the whole Fléete plyed off to Seaward, resoluing there to abide, vntill the Sunne might consume (or the force of wind disperse) these Ise from the place of theyr passage: and being a good berth off the shore, they toke in their Sayles, and lay adrift.
[Page 17]The seauenth of Iuly, as men nothing yet dismayed, we cast about towards the inward, and had sight of lande, which rose in forme like the Northerland of the straytes,Another assault [...] which some of the Fléete, and those not the worst Marriners, iudged to be the North forlande: howbeit, othersome were of contrary opinion. But the matter was not well to be discerned, by reason of the thicke fogge, whiche a long time hung vppon the coast,Fogge, snow, and mi [...]es hinder the Marriners markes. and the newe falling Snowe which yearely altereth the shape of the land, and taketh away oftentimes the Marriners markes. And by reason of the darke mistes, whiche continued by the space of twenty dayes togither, this doubt grew the greater and the longer perillous. For wheras indéede we thought our selues to be vpon the Northeast side of Frobishers straytes, we were now carried to the Southweastwards of the Queenes forlande, and being deceyued by a swift Currant comming from the Northeast, were broughte to the Southweastwardes of oure sayd course, many miles more than we dyd thinke possible could come to passe. The cause whereof we haue since found, and shall be at large héereafter declared.
Héere we made a poynt of land, which some mistooke for a place in the straytes, called Mount Warwicke: but howe we shoulde be so farre shotte vp so suddaynely within the sayde straytes, the expertest Mariners began to maruell, thinking it a thing impossible, that they coulde be so farre ouertaken in their accomptes, or that any Currant coulde so deceyue them héere,A Currant [...] whiche they had not by former experience proued and found out. Howbeit, many confessed, that they founde a swifter course of floud than before time they had obserued. And truly it was wonderfull to heare and sée the rushling and noyse that the tydes do make in thys place with so violente a force, that oure Shippes lying ahull, were turned sometimes rounde aboute euen in a momente, after the manner of a whirlepoole, and the noyse of the streame no lesse to be hearde a farre off, than the waterfall [Page 18] of London Bridge.
But whilest the Fléete lay thus doubtfull amōgst great store of Ise in a place they knewe not, withoute sighte of sunne, whereby to take the height, and so to know the true eleuation of the pole, and withoute any cleare of lighte to make perfite the coast, the Generall with the Captaynes and Maysters of his Shippes, beganne doubtfully to question of the matter, and sent his Pinnesse aboorde to heare each mans opinion, and specially of Iames Beare, Iames Beare a good Mariner. Mayster of the Anne Frances, who was knowen to be a sufficiente and skilful Mariner, and hauing bin there the yeare before, had well obserued the place, and drawne out Cardes of the coast. But the rather this matter grew the more doubtful, for that Christopher H [...]ll chiefe Pylot of the voyage,Christopher Hall chiefe Pylot. deliuered a playne and publike opinion in the hearing of the whole Fléete, that he had neuer séene the foresayde coast before, and that he could not make it for any place of Frobishers straytes, as some of the Fléete supposed, and yet the lands do lye and trend so like, that the best Mariners therin may be deceyued.
The tenth of Iuly, the weather still continuing thicke and darke, some of the Shippes in the fogge lost sighte of the Admirall and the rest of the Fléete, and wandering too and fro, with doubtfull opinion whether it were best to séeke backe againe to seaward through great store of Ise, or to follow on a doubtfull course in a Sea, bay, or straytes they knew not, or alongst a coast, whereof by reason of the darke mistes they coulde not discerne the daungers, if by chance any Rocke or brokē ground should lye of the place, as commonly in these partes it doth.
The Uizeadmirall Captayne Yorke considering the foresayd opinion of the Pylot Hall, who was with him in the Thomas Allen, hauing lost sight of the Fléete, turned backe to Sea agayne, hauing two other Shippes in company with him.
[Page 19]Also the Captaine of the Anne Fraunces hauing likewise lost companye of the Fléete, and being all alone, helde it for best to turne it out to Sea agayne, vntyll they mighte haue cléere weather to take the Sunnes Altitude, and with incredible payne and perill got out of the doubtfull place, into the open Sea agayne, being so narrowly distressed by the way, by meanes of continuall fogge and Ise, that they were many times ready to leape vpon an Ilande of Ise, to auoyde the present daunger, and so hopyng to prolong life a while, meante rather to dye a pining death.
Some hoped to saue themselues on chestes, and some determined to tye the Hatches of the Shippes fast togyther,Hard shiftes to saue mens liues. and to bynde themselues wyth theyr furniture fast therevnto, and so to bée towed with the Shippeboate ashore, whyche otherwise coulde not receyue halfe of the companye, by whyche meanes if happilie they hadde arriued, they shoulde eyther haue perished for lacke of foode to eate, or else shoulde themselues haue bene eaten of those rauenous, bloudye, and Man eating people.
The rest of the Fléete following the course of the Generall whyche ledde them the way, passed vp aboue .60. Leagues within the sayd doubtfull and supposed straytes, hauyng alwayes a fayre continente vppon their starreboorde syde, and a continuance still of an open Sea before them.
The Generall albeit with the fyrste perchance he found out the error, and that this was not the old straytes, yet he persuaded the Fléete alwayes that they were in theyr righte course, and knowne straytes.Mistaken straytes. Howbeit I suppose he rather dissembled hys opinion therein, than otherwyse, meaning by that policie (being hymself ledde with an honorable desire of further discouerie) to enduce ye fléete to follow [Page 20] him to sée a further proofe of that place. And as some of the company reported, he hath since confessed, that if it had not bin for the charge and care he had of ye Fléete, and fraughted Shippes, he both would and could haue gone through to the South Sea, called Mare del Sur, and dissolued the long doubt of the passage which we séeke to find to the ritch Countrey of Cataya. Pr [...]bisher could [...]aue passed to Cataya.
1 Of which mistaken straytes, considering the circumstance, we haue greate cause to confirme oure opinion, to like and hope well of the passage in this place. For the foresaide bay or Sea, the further we sayled therein, the wyder we found it,Faire open way. with great likelyhoode of endlesse continuance. And where in other places we were muche troubled wyth Ise, as in the entrance of the same,Reasons to prooue a passage heere. so after we had sayled 50. or .60. leagues therein, we had no lette of Ise, or other thing at all, as in other places we found.
2 Also this place séemeth to haue a maruellous greate indraft, and draweth vnto it most of the drift yse, and other things,Great indraftes. which do fléete in the Sea, eyther to the North, or Eastwardes of the same, as by good experience we haue founde.
3 For héere also we mette with boordes, latthes, and diuers other things driuing in the Sea, which was of the wracke of the shippe called the Barke Dennys, which perished amongst the Ise, as beforesaid,Currant. being lost at the first attempt of the entrance ouerthwart the Quéens foreland, in the mouth of Frobishers straytes, whiche coulde by no meanes haue bin so brought thither, neyther by winde nor tide, being lost so many leagues off, if by force of the sayde Currant the same had not bin violently brought. For if the same hadde bin brought thither by the tyde of fludde, looke how farre in the said fludde had caried it, the ebbe woulde haue recaryed it as farre backe agayne, and by the winde it could not so come to passe, bycause it was then sometime calme, and most times contrary.
[Page 21]And some Marriners doe affyrme, that they haue diligently obserued,Nine houres [...] to [...] ho [...]res eb [...]e [...]. yt there runneth in this place nine houres floud to thrée ebbe, which may thus come to pass [...] by [...] o [...] the saide currant: for whereas the Sea in most places o [...] the world, doth more or lesse ordinarily ebbe and flow once euery twe [...]ue houres, with sixe houres ebbe, and si [...]e houres floud, so also would it doe there, were it not for the violen [...]e of this hastning currant, which forceth the [...]loud to m [...]ke appearance to beginne before his ordinary time one houre and a halfe, and also to continue longer than his natural course by an other houre and a halfe, [...]ntil the fo [...]ce of the ebbe be so greate, that it will no longer b [...] resisted (according to the saying: Naturam expellas furca li [...]t [...]men vsq recurrit, Although nature and n [...]turall courses be forced and resisted neuer so muche, yet at l [...]ste it will haue their own sway [...]ga [...]ne.)
Moreouer, it is not possible, that so great course of flouds and currant, so highe swelling tides with continuaunce of so déepe waters, can be digested here without vnburdening themselues into some open Sea beyonde th [...]s place, which argueth the more likelihood of the pass [...]ge to be hereaboutes. Also we suppose these great indrafts do growe, and are made by the reue [...]beration and reflection of that same Currant, whiche at oure comming by Irelande, mette and crossed us, of whiche in the firste parte of this discourse I spake, whyche comming from the bay of Mexico, passing by, and washing the Southweast parts of Ireland, reboū deth ouer to the Northest parts of the world, as Norway, Islande. &c. where not finding any passage to an open Sea, but rather is there encreased by a new accesse, and another Currant meéeting with it from ye Scythian Sea, passing the bay of Saint Nicholas Westwarde, doeth once againe rebound backe, by the coasts of Groenland, and from thence vppon Frobishers straites being to the Southwestwardes of the same.
[Page 22]5 And if that principle of Philosophie be true,The sea moueth from East to Oest continuallye. that Inferiora corpora reguntur à superioribus, that is, if inferior bodies be gouerned, ruled, and caried after the maner and course of the superiors, thē the water being an inferior Element, muste néedes be gouerned after the superior Heauen, and so to followe the course of Primum mobile from East to Weast.
Authoritie.6 But euerye man that hathe written or considered anye thing of this passage, hath more doubted the retourne by the same way, by reason of a greate downefall of water, whyche they imagine to be thereaboutes (which we also by experience partly find) than any mistruste they haue of the same passage at all. For we find (as it were) a great downfall in this place, but yet not suche, but that we may return, althoughe with muche adoe. For we were easilyer caried in in one houre, than we coulde gette forth againe in thrée. Also by an other experience at an other time, we founde thys currant to deceiue vs in this sort:Harde, but yet possible turning back againe. That whereas we supposed to bée 15. leagues off, and lying a hull, we were brought within .2. leagues of the shoare, contrarie to al expectation.
Oure menne that sayled furthest in the same mistaken straites, (hauing the maine lande vppon their starboorde side) affyrme, that they mette with the outlet or passage of water whiche commeth thorowe Frobyshers straites, and followeth as all one into this passage.
Some of oure companye also affyrme, that they hadde sight of a continēt vpon their larbordside, being .60. leagues within the supposed straites: howbeit excepte certaine Ilandes in the entraunce hereof, we could make no part perfect thereof. All the foresaid tract of land séemeth to be more fruitful and better stored of Grasse, Déere, Wilde foule, as Partridges, Larkes, Seamews, Guls, Wilmots, Falcōs and tassell Gentils, Rauens, Beares, Hares, Foxes, and other things, than any other parte we haue yet discouered, & is more populous. And here Luke Ward, a Gentleman of ye company, traded merchandise, & did exchange kniues, bells, [Page 23] looking glasses. &c. with those countrey people,Trafficke. who brought him foule, fishe, beares skinnes, and suche like, as their coū trey yéeldeth for the same. Here also they saw of those greater boates of the Country, with twentie persons in a péece.
Nowe, after the Generall hadde bestowed these manye dayes here, not without many daungers, he returned backe againe. And by the way sayling alongest this coaste (being the backeside of the supposed continent of America) and the Queenes forelande, he perceiued a great sounde to goe thorowe into Frobyshers straites. Wherevppon he sente the Gabriell the one and twentith of Iuly,Returne out of t [...] mistaken s [...]raites. to proue whether they mighte go thorowe and méete againe with him in the straites, whiche they did, and as we imagined befo [...]e, so the Queenes forelande proued an Ilande, as I thinke most of these supposed continentes will. And so he departed towardes the straites, thinking it were highe time nowe to recouer hys Porte, and to prouide the fléete of their lading, wherof he was not a little carefull, as shall by the processe and his resolute attempts appeare. And in his returne with the rest of the fléete, he was so entangled, by reason of the darke fogge, amongest a number of Ilandes and broken ground that lyeth of this coast, that many of the ships came ouer the top of rocks, which presently after they might perc [...]iue to ly a drie, hauyng not halfe a foote water more than some of their ships did draw. And by reason they coulde not with a small gale of wind stem the force of ye floud, wherby to go cleare of ye rocks, they were faine to let an ancker fall with twoo bent of Cable togither, at a .C. and odde fadome deapth, where otherwise they hadde bin by the force of the tides caried vpon ye rocks again, & perished: so that if God in these fortunes, as a merciful guyde,Great daungers. (beyond ye expectatiō of man) had not caried vs thorow, we had surely more than .x. M. times perished amiddest these dangers. For being many times driuen harde aboorde the shoare withoute any sighte of lande, vntill we were readye to make shipwracke thereon, héeyng forced commonlye with oure boates, [Page 24] to sounde before oure shippes, leaste we might light thereon before we coulde discerne the same. It pleased God to giue vs a cleare of Sunne and light for a shorte time, to sée and auoide thereby the daunger, hauing bin continuallye darke before, and presently after. Manye times also by meanes of fogge and currants, being driuen neare vppon the coaste, God lent vs euen at the very pintch one prosperous breath of winde or other, whereby to double the land, and auoyde the perill, and when that wée were all without hope of helpe, euery man recommending himselfe to death, and crying out, Lorde nowe he [...]pe or neuer: nowe Lorde looke downe from Heauen and saue vs sinners, or else oure safetie commeth too late: euen then the mightie maker of Heauen, and oure mercifull God, did deliuer vs: so that they who haue bin partakers of these daungers, do euen in their soules confesse, that God euē by miracle hath soughte to saue them, whose name be praised euermore.
Long tyme nowe the Anne Frances had layne beating off and on all alone, before the Queenes forelande, not béeing able to recouer their Porte for Ise, albeit many times they daungerously attempted it, for yet the Ise choaked vp the passage, and woulde not suffer them to enter. And haueng neuer séene any of the fléete since twentie dayes past, when by reason of the thicke mistes they were seuered in the mistaken straites,Anne F [...]aun [...]e [...] met [...]ith some of [...]he [...]ee [...]e [...]. did nowe this present thrée and twē [...]th of Iuly ouerthwart a place in the straites called Hattons Hedland, where they mette with seuen shippes of the Fléete again, which good happe did not only reioyce them, for themselues, in respect of the comforte which they receiued by suche good companye, but especiallye, that by this meanes they were put out of doubt of their deare fréendes, whose safeties long time they did not a little suspecte and feare.
At their méeting they haled the Admirall after the maner of the Sea, and with great ioy welcomed one an other [Page 25] with a thundring voly of shot. And now euery man decla [...]ed at large the fortunes and dangers, which they hadde pass [...]d.
The foure and twenti [...]h of Iuly we mette with the Frances of Foy, Fraunces of Foy. who with much adoe s [...]ughte way backe againe thorowe the yse from out of the mistaken straites, where to their greate perill, they proued to recouer their Porte. They broughte the firste newes of the Uizeadmirall Capitaine Yo [...]ke, who manye dayes with themselues, and the Busse of Bridgewater was missing.Bri [...]gewater Shippe. They reported that they lefte the Uizeadmiral reasonably cleare of the Ise, but the other shippe they greatly [...]eared, whom they could not come to helpe, being themselues so hardly distressed, as neuer men more. Also they tolde vs of of the Gabriel, who hauing gote thorow from the backside, and Wester point of the Queens forelande, into Frobyshers straites, fell into their companye about the Cape of Good hope.
And vppon the seauen and twentith of Iulye, the ship of Bridgewater gote oute of the Ise, and met with the fleete whiche laye off and on vnder Hattons Hedland. They reported of their maruellous accidentes and daungers, declaring their Shyppe to be so leake, that they muste of necessitie séeke harborowe, hauing their stem beaten within theyr huddings, that they hadde muche adoe to kéepe themselues aboue water. They had (as they say) fiue hundreth strokes at the poupe in lesse than halfe a watche, being scarce twoo houres. Their menne being so ouer-weari [...]d therewith, and with the former dangers, that they desired helpe of menne from the other Shippes. Moreouer, they declared, that ther was nothing but Ise and Daunger, where they hadde bin, and that the straites within was frosen vppe, And that it was the moste impossible thyng of the worlde, to passe vppe vnto the Countesse of Warwickes sounde, Straightes f [...]osen ouer. whiche was the place of oure Porte.
The reporte of these daungers by these Shyppes thus published amongest the Fléete, wyth the remembraunce [Page 26] of the perilles paste, and those presente before their face, broughte no small feare and terror into the hartes of many considerate men. So that some beganne priuily to murmure against the Generall for this wilfull maner of proceeding. Some desired to discouer some harborowe thereaboutes, to refreshe themselues, and reforme their broken vesselles for a while, vntill the North and Northwest winds might disperse the Ise, and make the place more frée to passe. Other some forgetting themselues, spake more vndutifully in this behalfe, saying: that they hadde as léeue be hanged when they came home, as without hope of safetie, to séeke to passe, and so to perishe amongest the Ise.
The Generall not opening his eares to the péeuishe passion of anye priuate person, but chiefly caryng for the publike profite of his Countries cause, and nothyng at all regardyng hys owne ease, lyfe, or safetie, but especiallye respecting the accomplishement of the cause he hadde vndertaken, (wherein the chiefe reputation and fame of a Generall and Capitaine consisteth,) and calling to his remembraunce the shorte time he hadde in hande,A valiaunt mynde of F [...]ob [...]sher. to prouide so greate number of Shyppes their loading, determined with this resolution, to passe and recouer hys Porte, or else there to bury himselfe with hys attempte, and if suche extremitie so befell him, that he muste néedes perish amongest the Ise, when all helpe shoulde be paste, and all hope of safetie set aside, hauing all the ordinaunce within boorde well charged, resolued wyth pouder to burne and bury himse [...]fe and all togyther with hir Maiesties Shyppes. And with this peale of ordinaunce, to receyue an honourable knell, in stéede of a better buriall, estéeming it more happye so to ende hys lyfe, rather than hymselfe, or anye of hys companye or anye one of hir Maiesties Shyppes shoulde become a praye or spectacle to those base bloudye and man eating people.
[Page 27]Notwithstandyng, somewhat to appease the féeble passions of the fearefuller sorte, and the better to entertaine time for a season, whilest the Ise might the better be dissolued, hée haled on the Fléete, wyth beléefe, that he woulde putte into harborowe: therevppon whilest the Sheppes laye off and on, vnder Hattons Hedlande, hée soughte in wyth hys Pynnesses amongest the Ilandes there, as thoughe hée meant to searche for harborowe, where in déede hée meant nothyng lesse, but rather sought if anye Ore mighte be sound in that place, as by the sequele appeared.
In the meane time, whilest the Fléete laye thus doubtfull wythoute anye certaine resolution what to doe, béeing harde aboorde the [...]éeshoare, there arose a sodaine and terrible tempest at the Southsouthest, whereby the Ise began maruellouslye to gather aboute vs.
Wherevppon euerye manne, as in suche case of extreamitie hée thoughte beste, soughte the wisest waye for hys owne safetie. The moste parte of the Fléete whych were further shotte vppe within the straites, and so farre to the léewarde, as that they coulde not double the lande, following the course of the General, who led thē the way, tooke in their Sayles, and laide it a hull amongest the Ise, and so passed ouer the storme, and hadde no extreamitie at all, but for a shorte time in the same place.
Howbeit the other Shyppes whiche plyed oute to Seawarde, hadde an extreame storme for a longer season. And the nature of the place is suche, that it is subiect diuersly to diuers windes, according to the sundrie situation of the greate Alpes and mountaynes there, euerye mountaine causing a seuerall blaste, and pirrie, after the manner of a Leuant
In this storme being the sixe and twentith of Iuly, there [Page 28] fell so much snow, with such b [...]tter cold ayre, that wee coulde not scarce [...]ee one another for the same,Snowe in I [...]ly. nor open [...]ure eies to handle our ropes and sayles, the snow being aboue halfe a f [...]ote deepe vppon the hatches of oure shippe, which did so wette [...]horowe our poore Marriners clothes, that he that hadde fiue or sixe shifte of apparell, hadde scarce one drie thréede to his backe, whiche kinde of wette and coldenesse, togither with [...]he ouer-labouring of the poore menne amiddest the Ise, bred no small sickenesse amongest the Fléete, whyche somewhat discouraged some of the poore men, who h [...]dde not exp [...]ience of the like before, euerye man perswading himselfe, that the wynter there must néeds be extreme, where they be founde so vnseasonable a Sommer.E [...]reame [...].
G [...]at heate in [...].And yet notwythstandyng this cold ayre, the Sunne many times hath a maruellous force of heate amongest those mountaines, insomuche, that when ther is no breth of wind to bring ye cold ayre from ye dispersed Ise vppon vs, we shall be weary of the bloming heate, & then sodainly with a perry of wind whiche commeth down frō ye hollownes of ye hilles,Unconstant weather. we shal haue such a breth of heate brought vpon our face, as though we w [...]re entred within some bastow or hote-house, & when the first of t [...]e pirry & blast is past, we shall haue the winde sodainly anew blow cold againe.
In this storme the Anne Fraunces, the Moone, and the Thom [...] of Ipswich, who founde themselues able to holde it vppe with a S [...]yle, and coulde double aboute the Cape of the Queenes forelande, plyed oute to Sea-warde, holding it for better policie and safetie, to séeke Sea roome, than to hazarde the continuaunce of the storme, the daunger of the Ise and the léeshoare.
And being vncertaine at this time of the Generalles priuate [...]eterminations, the weather being so darke, that they coulde not discerne one another, nor perceiue wh [...]che wa [...]e he wrought, betooke themselues to this course [...]or best and saf [...]st.
[Page 29]The Generall notwithstanding the greate storme, following his owne former reso [...]ution, soughte by all meanes possible, by a shorter way, to recouer his Port, and where he saw the Ise neuer so little open, he gat in at one gappe, and out at another, and so himselfe valiantly ledde the way through before, to induce ye Fléete to followe after, & with incredible payne & perill, at lēgth gat through the I [...]e, and vpon the one and thirtith of Iuly recouered his long wished Porte after many attemptes,The Generall recouereth his port. and sundry times being put backe, and came to Ancker in the Countesse of Warwickes sound, in the entrance whereof, when he thoughte all perill past, he encountred a great Iland of Ise, whyche gaue the Ayde suche a blow, hauing a little be [...]ore wayed hir Ancker a cocke bill, that it stroke the Ancker flouke through the Shippes bowes vnder the water, whych caused so great a leake, that with muche adde they preserued the Shippe from sincking.
At theyr ariuall héere, they perceyued two Shyppes at Ancker within the harborough, whereat they beganne muche to maruell, and greately to reioyce, [...]or those they knewe to bée the Michaell, wherein was the Lieutenante generall Captayne Fenton, and the small Barke called the Gabriell, who so long tyme were missing, and neuer hearde of before, whome euery man made the last reckning, neuer to heare of agayne.
Héere euery man greately reioysed of their happie méeting, and welcomed one another after the Sea manner, with their great Ordinance, and when eache partie hadde reaped vp their sundry fortunes and perils past, they highlye praysed God, and altogither vppon their knées gaue hym due, humble and harty thanckes, and Marster Wolfall a learned man,Mayster Wolfall Preacher. appoynted by hir Maiesties Councell to bée theyr Minister and Preacher, made vnto them a godly Sermon, exhorting them especially to be thankefull to God for theyr strange and miraculous deliuerance [Page 30] in those so dangerous places, and putting them in mynde of the vncertainetie of mans life, willed them to make thē selues alwayes ready, as resolute men, to enioy and accept thankefully whatsoeuer aduenture his deuine Prouidence should appoynt. This Mayster Wolfall being well seated and setled at home in his owne Countrey, with a good and large liuing, hauing a good honest woman to wife, and verie towardly Children, being of good reputation among the best, refused not to take in hand this paynefull voyage, for the only care he had to saue Soul [...]s, and to reforme those Infidels, if it were possible, to Christianitie: and also partly for the great desire he hadde that this notable voyage so well begunne, might be brought to perfection: and therfore he was contented to stay there the whole yeare, if occasion had serued, being in euery necessarie action as forward, as the resolutest men of all. Whefore in this behalfe he may rightly be called a true Pastor and minister of Gods word, which for the profite of his flocke, spared not to venture his owne life.
But to returne agayne to Captayne Fentons company, and to speake somewhat of their dangers (albeit they bée more than by writing can be expressed.) They reported,The aduentures of captayne Fenton and his company. that from the night of the first storme, whiche was aboute the first day of Iuly, vntill seauen dayes before the Generalles arriuall, whiche was the sixe and twentith of the same, they neuer sawe any one day or houre, wherein they were not troubled with continuall daunger and feare of deathe, and were twentie dayes almost togither fast amongst the Ise. They had their Shippe stricken through and through on both sides, their false stemme borne quite away,Extremitie causeth men to deuise new ar [...]s and remedies. and could go from their Shippes in some places vppon the Ise very many miles, and might easilie haue passed from one Iland of Ise to another, euen to the shore, and if God had not wonderfully prouided for them, and theyr necessitie, and time had not made thē more cunning & wise [Page 31] to séeke strange remedies for strange kinds of dangers, it had bin impossible for them euer to haue escaped: for amōg other deuises, wheresoeuer they founde any Iland of Ise of greater bignesse than the rest (as there be some of more thā halfe a mile compasse about, and almost .400. fadome high) they commonly coueted to recouer the same, and thereof to make a bulwarke for their defence, wheron hauing more [...] Ancker, they roade vnder the lée thereof for a time, béeyng therby garded from ye danger of the lesser driuing Ise. But when they must néedes forgoe this newe founde forte, by meanes of other Ise, whiche at length woulde vndermine, and compasse them round about, and whē that by heauing of the billow they were therwith like to be brused in peces,Hard shiftes. they vsed to make fast the Ship vnto the most firme and broad péece of Ise they could find, and binding hir nose fast therevnto, would fill all their Sayles, whereon the winde hauing great power, would force forward the Ship, and so the Ship bearing before hir the yse, & so one yse driuing forward another, should at lēgth get scope & searoome. And hauing by this meanes at length put their enimies to slight, occupyed the cléere place for a prettie season, among sundry Mountaynes, and Alpes of Ise. One there was founde by measure to be .65. fadome aboue water, which for a kind of similitude, was called Salomons porch. Some thinke those Ilands eight times so muche vnder water, as they are aboue, bycause of their mōstrous weight. But now I remē ber. I saw very strange wonders, men walking, running, leaping, & shoting vpon the maine seas .40 miles from any land, without any Shippe or other vessell vnder them.Strange wonders, Also I saw fresh Riuers running amidst the salt Sea a hundred myle from land, which if any man will not beléeue, let him know that m [...]ny of our company lept out of their Shippe vppon Ilandes of Ise, and running there vppe and downe, did shoote at buttes vppon the Ise, and with their Caliuers did kill greate Ceales, whic [...]e v [...]e to lye and sléepe [Page 32] vpon the Ise, and th [...]s Ise melting aboue at the toppe by re [...]lection of the Sunne, came downe in sundrye streames, whyche vniting togither, made a prettie brooke able to driue a Mill.
The sayd Captayne Fenton recouered his Porte tenne dayes before any man, and spente good time in searchyng for mine, and found good store thereof, which bycause it proued good, was after called Fentons Fortune. He also discouered aboute tenne Miles vp into the Countrey, where he perceyued neyther Towne, Uillage, nor likelyhode of habitati [...]n, but séemeth (as he sayth) barrennous as the other parts which as yet we haue entred vpon: but their victuals and prouision went so scante with them, that they had determined to returne homeward within seauen dayes after, if the Fléete had not then arriued.
The Generall after his arriual in the Coūtesses sound, spent no time in vayne, but immediately at his first lāding, called the chiefe Captaynes of his Councell togither, and consulted with them for the spéedier executiō of such things as then they had in hand. As first, for searching and finding out good Minerall for the Miners to be occupyed on. Then to giue good orders to be obserued of the whole company on shore. And lastly, to consider for the erecting vp the Forte and House for the vse of them whiche were to abide there the whole yeare. For the better handling of these, and all other like important causes in this seruice, it was ordeined from hir Maiestie and the Councell, that the Generall should call vnto him certayne of the chiefe Captaynes and Gentlemē in councell, to cōferre, consult, and determine of al occurrēts in this seruice, whose names are here as folow.
- Captayne Fenton.
- Captayne Yorke.
- Captayne Best.
- Captayne Carew.
- Captayne Philpot.
[Page 33] And in Sea causes [...]o haue as assistants, Christopher H [...]l, and C [...]arles Iackmā, [...]eing both very goo [...] Pylo [...]s, [...] ficient Mariners, whe [...]eof [...]he one was chi [...]f [...] Pylot of [...]he voyage, and the other for the discouerie. From the place o [...] our habitation weastward, Maister Selm [...]n was appointed Notarie, to register the whole manner of procéeding [...]n these affaires, that true relation thereof might be made, i [...] it pleased hir Mai [...]stie to require it.
The first of August euery Captaine by order, from the General & his counsell, was commaunded to bring ashore vnto the Coun [...]esses Iland, al such g [...]ntlemen, soul [...]iou [...]s, and Myners, as were vnder their charge, with such [...] prouision as they had of victuals, tents, and things necessarye for the spéedie getting togither of Mine, and fraught for the shippes.
The Muster of the men being taken, and the victuals with all other things viewed and considered, euery mā was set to his charge, as his place and office required. The Myners were appointed where to worke, and the Mariners discharged their shippes.
Uppon the seconde of August, was published and proclaymed, vppon the Countesse of Warwickes Iland, with sound of Trumpet, certain orders by the general and hys counsel, appointed to be obserued of the companye, during the time of their abiding there. The copie whereof here followeth.
Orders set down by M. Frobisher Esquire, Captaine Generall for the voyage to Cataya, to be obserued of the companie, during the tim [...] of th [...]ir abode in Meta Incognit [...]. P [...]bl [...]shed the second day of August. Anno .1578.
1 IN primis, the Generall in hir Maiesties name, straightly chargeth and commaundeth, that no person or persons, with Boate nor Pinnesse, shall go ashoare, for any cause, but to the Countesse of Warwickes Ilande, and Winters Fornace, without licence of the general, or his deputies. And if they fortune at anye time, hauing licence, to méete with any of the Countrey people, that they shall not enter into any conference or armes wyth them, vntyl they haue giuen intelligence thereof to the Generall or hys Lieutenaunt.
2 Item that no person of what calling soeuer he bée, shal make an assay of any maner of mettal, matter, or Ore, in ye partes nowe called Meta Incognita, but only suche as shal be appointed by the General, or in his absence by his Lieutenaunt, to doe the same: nor that anye person shall take vp and kepe to his priuate vse, anye parte or parcel of Ore, pretious stone, or other matter of commoditie to be had or founde in that lande, but he the sayde person, so seased of such Ore, stone, or other matter of commoditie, shall with al spéede, as soone as he can, detect the same, and make deliuerie thereof to the Generall, or his Lieuetenaunt Generall, vppon paine to forfaite for euerye suche ounce thereof, the value treble of anye wages he is to receiue, [Page 35] after the daye of such offence committed: And further, to receyue suche punishmente as to hyr Maiestie shall séeme good.
3 Item that no shippe or shippes, shall take vppon them to loade any manner of Ore, without licence of the General, or he that shal be appointed deputie for him, for ye view of the same.
4 Item that all the Maisters of euerye shippe or shippes within the Fleete, shal vpon Mundaye next comming, by foure of the clocke in the morning, wyth all the moste parte of theyr companies, make theyr repayre to the Countesses Ilande aforesayde, there to viewe and make suche places, for loading and vnloading of Ore and other thyngs, as shall be moste commodious and méete for that purpose.
5 Item that no person or persons within this seruice, by sea or l [...]nde, shall vse anye discouered spéeches, swearyng, brauling, or cursing, vppon payne of imprysonmente.
6 Item that no person or persons, eyther by Sea or lande, shal drawe his or theyr weapons in quarrellyng manner, to the intente to offende or disturbe the quiete of anye person or persons wythin thys seruice, vppon paine that being so taken, he or they whatsoeuer, immediately to loose his right hande.
7 Item that no person or persons, shall washe their handes or anye other things, in the Spring, vppon the Countesses Ilande, where the water is vsed, and preserued for the dressing of their victuals, vpon paine to receiue such punishmente as shall be thought good, by the generall or his Lieutenaunte, for the same. And for the better preseruation and healthe of euerye manne, that no person or persons shall doe his easemente but vnder the cliffes where the Sea maye washe the same awaye [Page 36] vpon paine that euerye one so offending, for the first time shall be imprisoned in the billow fourteene houres, and for the second time being so taken by the prouest Martiall, to pay twelue pens.
8 Item, that no person or persons of what nature or condition soeuer, shall cast out of their shippe or shippes, anye ballast or rubbish, into the roade, where these shippes now rydeth, or may conueniently ryde, within this sounde, that thereby the same sounde or roade steade maye be impared, but shall carrie the same, and lay it where it may not offēd. Upon paine that euery man so offending, the owner of such shippe or shippes, shall forfaite the fraught of one tunne.
IN the meane time, whylest the Mariners plyed their work, ye Captaines sought out new Mynes, the Goldfiners made tryall of the Ore, the Marriners discharged their shippes, the Gentlemen for example sake laboured hartily, and honestlye encouraged the inferiour sorte to worke. So that small time of that little leasure, that was leste to tarrie, was spent in vaine.
The second of August, the Gabriel arriued, who came from the Uizeadmirall, and being distressed sore with yse, put into harborrow néere vnto Mount Oxford. And now was the wheale Fleete arriued safely at their port, excepting foure, besides the shippe that was loste: that is, the Thomas Allen, the Anne Frances, the Thomas of Ipswich, and the Moone, whose absēce was some let vnto the works and other procéedings, aswell for that these shippes were furnished with the better sort of Myners & other prouision for the habitation.
The ninth of August, the Generall with the Captaynes of his counsell assembled togither, beganne to consider and take order for the erecting vp of the house or forte, for them that were to inhabite there the whole yeare, and that [Page 37] presently the Masons and Carpentees might go in hande therewith. First therefore they perused the Bils of ladyng, what euery man receiued into his shippe, and founde that there was arriued only the east side, and the Southside [...] house, and yet not that perfecte and [...], for many [...] thereof were vsed for fenders in many shippes, and so b [...] ken in péeces, whyles they were distressed in the Ise. And after due examinatiō had, a true accompt taken, there was founde want of drinke and fuel, to serue one hundreth mē, which was the number appointed firste to inhabite there bycause their greatest store was in the ships, which were not yet arriued. Then Captaine Fenton seeing the scarcity of ye necessarie things aforesayd, was contented, and offred himselfe to inhabite there, with sixtie men. Whervpon they caused the Carpenters and Masons to come before them, and demaunded in what time they woulde take vpon them to erect vp a lesse house for sixtie men. They required eight or nine wéekes, [...] if there were Tymber sufficient, whereas now they had but sixe and twentie dayes in al to remayne in that Countrey. Wherefore it was fully agréed vppon, & resolued by the General and his couunsell, that no habitation shoulde be there this yeare. And therefore they willed Maister Selman the Register, to set downe this decree, with all their consentes, for the [...] of hir Maiestie, the Lords of the Counsel, and the [...].
The Anne Frances, since she was parted from the Fléete, in the last storme before spoken of, could neuer recouer aboue fiue leagues within the straightes, the wind being sometyme contrarie, and moste times the Ise compassing them round about. And from that time, being aboute the seauen and twentith of Iuly, coulde neyther heare nor haue sight of any of the Fléete, vntill the third of August, when they descried a sayle nere vnto Mount Oxford, with whome when they had spoken, they could vnderstande no newes of any of the fléete at all. And this was the Thomas [Page 38] of Ipswich, who hadde layne beating off and on at sea, with very foule weather, and contrarye winds, euer since that foresaide storme, without s [...]ght of any man. They kepte company not long togyther, but were forced to lose one an other again, the Moone being consort always with the Anne Fraunces, and keping verie good company plyed vp togither into the straites, with great desire to recouer their long wished port: and atempted as often, and passed as far as possible the winde, weather, and Ise, gaue leaue, whyche commonly they found very contrary. For when the weather was cleare, and without fogge, then commonly ye wind was contrarie. And when it was eyther easterly or southerly, whiche woulde serue their turnes, then had they so great a fogge, and darke miste therewith, that eyther they could not discerne way thorow the Ise, or else the Ise laye so thicke togither, that it was impossible for them to passe. And on the o [...]her side, when it was calme, the Tydes hadde force to bryng the Ise so sodaynelye, about them that comm [...]nlye then they were moste therewyth destressed, hauing no Win [...]e to carry them from the daunger therof.
And by the sixte of August, being with much adoe, got vp as high as Leicester point, they had good hope to find the Souther shore cleare, and so to passe vppe towardes their porte. But being there becaulmed, and lying a hull openly vpon the great Bay which commeth oute of the mystaken straites be [...]ore spoken of, they were so sodainlye compassed with Ise rounde about, by meanes of the swifte Tydes whiche runne in that place, that they were neuer afore so hardly beset as nowe. And in séeking to auoyde these dangers, in the darke weather, the Anne Fra [...]ces lo [...]t sighte of the other two ships, who being likewise hardly d [...]st [...]essed, signifyed their daunger, as they since reported, by s [...]ting off their ordinaunce, whiche the other coulde not hea [...]e, nor if they had hearde, coulde haue giuen them no [...]emedie, [...] ing [Page 39] so busily occupied to winde themselues out of their owne troubles.
The Fléeboate called the Moone, The Moon [...]. was here heaued aboue the water with the force of the I [...]e, and receiued a great leake therby. Likewise the Th [...]mas of Ipswich, and the Anne Frances were sore brused at that instant, hauyng their false stemme borne aw [...]y, and their ship [...]e sides stroken quite through.
Now considering the continuall daunge [...]s and contraries, and the little leasure that they had lefte to tarrie in these partes, besides that, euery night the roapes of theyr shippes were so frosen, that a man cou [...]de not handle them without cutting his handes, togither with [...]he great doubt they had of the Fléetes safely, thinking it an impossibilitie for them to passe vnto their port, as well for that they saw themselues, as for that they harde by the former report [...] of the shippes whiche had proued before, who affi [...]med that the straites were al frosen ouer within. The [...] thought it now very hie time, to consider of their estates and sa [...]eties that were yet left togither. And herevppon the Captaines and maisters of these shippes, desired the Captaine of the Anne Frances to enter into consideration with thē of these matters,The Anne F [...]ances the T [...]omas of Ipswich and the Moone consult. wherfore Captaine Tanfield of the Thomas of Ipswich, with his Pylot Richard Coxe, and Captaine Vpcote of the Moone, with his maist [...]r Iohn Lakes came aboorde the Anne Frances the eight of August to consult of these causes. And being assembled togither in the Captaynes Cabin, sundrie doubtes were there alleaged. For the fearefuller sorte of Mariners being ouertyred with the continuall labour of the former daungers, coueted to returne homewarde, saying that they woulde not againe tempte God so muche, who hadde giuen them so manye warnings, and deliuered them from so wonderfull daungers: that they rather desired to loose wages fraughte and all, than to continewe and followe [Page 40] [...] desperate fortunes. Again their shippes were so leake, [...] the men so we [...]rie, that to [...] [...]he one, and refresh the other, they mu [...]e of neces [...]it [...] [...]ke into harborough.
But on the o [...]her side, it wa [...] argued ag [...]ine, to the contrarie, that to séeke into ha [...]b [...]row thereabou [...]es, was but to subiect themselues to double daungers, for if happilye they escape the daungers of rockes in their entring, yet being in, they were neuerthelesse subiect there to the daunger of the Ise, which with the swift tydes and currantes, is caried in and out in most harborowes thereaboutes, and may thereby gaule their Cables asunder, driue them vppon ye shoare, and bring them to muche trouble. Also the coast is so much subiect to broken ground & rockes, especially in the mouth and entraunce of euerye harborow, that albeit the channell be sounded ouer and ouer againe, yet are you neuer the neare to discerne the daungers. For the bottome of the sea, holding like sh [...]pe and forme as the lande, beyng full of hilles, dales and ragged rockes, suffereth you not, by your soundings, to knowe and kéepe a true gesse of ye depth. For you shall sounde vpon the side or hollownesse of one hil or rocke vnder water, and haue a hundreth, fiftie, or fourtie fadome depth: and before the next cast, ere you shal bée able to haue your lead againe, you shall be vppon the toppe thereof, and come agrounde, to your vtter confusion.
Another reason against going to harborowe, was, that the colde ayre did threaten a sodaine fréesing vppe of the sounds, séeing yt euery night there was new congealed Ise, euen of that water which remayned within their shippes. And therefore it should séeme to be more safe to lye off and on at sea, than for lacke of winde to bring them forth of harborow, to hazard by sodaine frostes to be shut vppe the whole yeare.
After many such daungers and reasons alleaged, & large [Page 41] debating of these causes on both sides, the Captayne of the Anne Fr [...]nces deliuered his opinion vnto the company to this eff [...]ct. First cōcerning the question of returning home,Ca [...]a [...]ne [...] resol [...]i [...]n. he thought i [...] so much dishonorable, as not to grow in any farther question: and a [...]ayne to returne home at length (as at length they must needes) and not to be able to bring a certayne report of the Fléete, whether they were liuing or lost, or whether any of them had recouered their porte, or not, in the Countesses founde (as it was to be thoughte the most part would if they were liuing) he sayd that it would be so great an argumēt, eyther of wante of courage or discretion in them, as he resolued rather to fall into any danger, than so shamefully to consent to returne hom [...], protesting that it should neuer be spoken of him, that he wou [...]de euer returne, withoute doing his endeauour to finde the Fléete, and knowe the certaynetie of the Generals safetie. He put his company in remembrance of a pinnesse of fiue tunne burthen, which he had within his Ship, whiche was caryed in péeces, and vnmade vp for the vse of those whiche should inhabite there the whole yeare, the whiche if they coulde fynde meanes to ioyne togither, hée offered himselfe to proue before therewith, whether it were possible for any Boate to passe for Ise, whereby the Shippe myghte bée broughte in after, and mighte also thereby gyue true notice, if any of the Fléete were arriued at theyr porte or not.
But notwithstanding, for that he well perceyued that the most parte of hys companye were addicted to put into harborough, he was willing the rather for these causes somewhat to enclu [...] therevnto. As first, to search alongst the same coast, and the soundes thereaboutes, he thoughte it to be to good purpose, for that it was likely to fynd some of the Fléete there, whi [...]he béeing leake, and sore brused with the Ise, was the rather thought lykely to be put into an yll harborough, beyng distressed with foule weather in [Page 42] the last storme, than to hazarde theyr vncertayne safeties amongst the Ise: for about this place they lost them, and lefte the Fléete then doubtfully questioning of harborough.
It was lykely also, that they mighte fynde some fitte harborough thereaboutes, whiche myghte bée houefull for them againste another tyme. It was not likewise impossible to fynde some Ore or Myne thereaboutes, wherewithall to fraughte theyr Shyppes, whiche woulde bée more commodious in this place, for the néerenesse to Seawarde, and for a better outlette, than further within the straytes, béeyng lykely héere alwayes to loade in a shorter tyme, howsoeuer the strayte shoulde be pestered wyth Ise within, so that if it myghte come to passe, that thereby they mighte eyther fynd the Fléete, Mine, or conuenient harborough, any of these thrée woulde well serue theyr presente turnes, and gyue some hope and comforte vnto theyr companyes, whiche nowe were altogyther comfortlesse. But if that all fortune shoulde fall out so contrarye, that they coulde neyther recouer theyr Porte, nor anye of these aforesayde helpes, that yet they woulde not departe the coast, as long as it was possible for them to tarrie there, but woulde lye off and on at Sea athwart the place Therefore hys finall conclusion was sette downe thus, Firste, that the Thomas of Ipswiche and the Moone, shoulde consorte and kéepe companye togyther carefully wyth the Anne Frances as néere as they could, and as true Englishmen, and faythfull friends, should supplye one anothers want in all fortunes and dangers. In the morning following, euery Shippe to sende of hys Boate, with a sufficiente Pylot, to searche out, and sounde the harboroughes for the safe bringing in of theyr Shippes. And béeyng arriued in harborough, where they mighte finde conuenient place for the purpose, they resolued forthwith to ioyne, and set togyther the Pinnesse, [Page 43] wherewythall the Captayne of the Anne Frances might accordyng to his former determination, discouer vp into the straytes.
After these determinations thus sette downe [...] the Thomas of Ipswiche the nyghte following lost company o [...] the other Shyppes, and afterwarde shaped a contrarye course homewarde, whyche fell out as it manyfestlie appeared, very muche agaynste theyr Captayne Mayster Tanfieldes mynde, as by due examination before the Lordes of hir Maiesties most Honorable pri [...]te Counsell, it hathe since bin proued, to the greate discredite of the Pilot Coxe, who specially persuaded his company, againste the opinion of hys sayde Captayne, to returne home.
And as the Captayne of the Anne Frances dothe witnesse, euen at theyr conference togither, Capta [...]ne T [...]nfield tolde hym, that hee did not alittle suspect the sayde Pylot Coxe, saying, that he had neyther opinion in the man of honest duetie, manhoode, or constancie. Notwythstanding the sayde Shippes departure, the Captayne of the Anne Frances béeyng desirous to putte in execution hys former resolutions, went with hys Shyppeboate (béeyng accompanyed also wyth the Moones Skyffe) to proue amongst the Ilandes whiche lye vnder H [...]ttons headland, if anye conueniente harborough, or any knowledge of the Fléete, or anye good Ore, was there to bée founde. The Shyppes lying off and on at Sea the whyle vnder Sayle, and searching through manye soundes, they saw them all full of manye dangers, and broken grounde, yet one there was, which séemed an indifferent place to harborough in, and whiche they did very diligently sounde ouer, and searched agayne.
Héere the sayde Captayne founde a great blacke Iland, whervnto he had good liking, & certifying the cōpany therof, they wer somewhat cōforted, & with the good hope of his [Page 44] words rowed chéerefully vnto the place, where when they arriued, they found such plentie of blacke Ore of the same sorte whiche was broughte into Englande thys last yeare, that if the goodnesse myghte aunswere the greate plentye thereof, it was to be thoughte that it might reasonably suffise all the golde gluttons of the worlde. Thys Ilande the Captayne for cause of his good happe, called after his owne name, Bestes blessing, Bestes blessing and wyth these good tydings returning aboorde hys Shyppe the ninth of August, about tenne of the Clocke at nighte, he was ioyfully welcomed of hys companye, who before were discomforted, and greatelie expected some better fortune at hys handes.
The nexte daye béeyng the tenth of August, the weather reasonably fayre, they put into the foresayde harborough, hauing their Boate for theyr better securitie sounding before theyr Ship. But for all the care and diligence that coulde be taken, in soundyng the Channell ouer and ouer agayne, the Anne Frances came agrounde vppon a a suncken Rocke within the Harborough,Anne Frances in daunger. and lay thereon more than halfe drye vntill the nexte floud, when by Gods Almighty prouidence, contrarye almost to all expectation, they came afloate agayne, béeyng forced all that tyme to vndersette theyr Shyppe wyth their mayne yarde, whyche otherwyse was lykely to ouersette and putte thereby in d [...]unger the whole companye. They hadde aboue two thousande strokes togyther at the Pumpe, before they coulde make theyr Shyppe frée of the water agayne, so sore shée was brused by lying vppon the Rockes.The Moone in harborough. The Moone came safely, and roade at Ancker by the Anne Fraunces, whose helpe in theyr necessitie they coulde not well haue missed.
[Page 45]Nowe, whilest the Marriners were romaging theyr Shyppes, & mending that whiche was amisse, the Miners followed their laboure, for getting togither of sufficient quantitie of Ore, and the Carpenters endeuou [...]ed to doe theyr beste, for the making vppe of the boate or pinnesse, whiche to bring to passe, they wanted two speciall and moste necessary things, that is, certaine principal timbers that are called Knées, whiche are the chiefest strength of any boate, & also nayles, wherwithal to ioyne the plancks togither. Wherevpon hauing by chance a Smyth amongest them, (and yet vnfurnished of his necessarie tooles to worke and make nayles withall,) they were faine of a gunnne chamber to make an a [...]ile to worke vppon, and to vse a pickare in stéede of a sledge, to beate withall, and also to occupy two small bellowes in stéede of one payre of greater Smiths bellowes. And for lacke of small Iron, for the easier making of the nayles, were forced to breake their tongs, grydiern, and fiershouell in péeces.
The eleauenth of August, the Captaine of the Anne Fraunces, taking the Maister of hys Ship with hym, went vp to the toppe of Hattons Hedland, Hattons Hedlande. whych is the highest lande of all the straites, to the ende to descry the situation of the Country vnderneath, and to take a true plot of the place, whereby also to sée what store of Ise was y [...]t [...]fte in the straites, as also to searche what Mine matter or fruite that soyle might yéelde. And the rather for the honor ye said Captaine doth owe to that Honorable name which himselfe gaue therevnto the laste yeare, in the highest parte of this Hedlande, he caused his companye to make a Columne or Crosse of stone, in token of Christian possession. In this place there is plentie of blacke Ore, and diuers preatie stones.
The seauentéenth of Auguste, the Capitaines wyth their companies chaced and killed a greate white Beare, whiche aduentured, and gaue a fierce assaulte vpon twentie [Page 46] men being weapned. And he serued them for good meat many dayes after.
The eightéenth of August, the Pinnesse with muche adoe, being set togyther, the saide Captaine Beste determined to departe vppe the straites, to proue and make trial, as before was pretended, some of his companye greatlye persuading him to the contrarie,A Pinnesse there builte. and specially the Carpē ter that set the same togither, who saide that he would not aduenture himselfe therein, for fiue hundreth poundes, for that the boate hung togither but onelye by the strength of the nayles, and lacked some of hir principall knées & tymbers.
These wordes somewhat discouraged some of the company which should haue gone therin. Wherevpō the Captaine, as one not altogither addicted to his own selfe-wil, but somewhat foreséeing how it might be afterwards spoken, if contrarye fortune shoulde happen him (Lo he hathe followed his own opinion and desperate resolutions, and so thereafter it is befallen him) calling the Maister Marriners of beste iudgement togyther, declared vnto them howe muche the cause imported him in his credite, to séeke out the Generall, as wel to conferre with him of some causes of waight, as otherwise to make due examination and triall of the goodnesse of the Ore, wherof they had no assuraunce but by gesse of the eie, and was wel like the other: whiche so to cary home, not knowing the goodnesse thereof, might be asmuch as if they should bring so many stones. And therefore hée desired them to delyuer their plaine and honest opinion, whether the Pinnesse were sufficient for him so to aduenture in or no. It was aunswered, that by carefull héede taking therevnto amongest the Ise, and the foule weather, the Pinnesse might suffise. And herevppon the Maisters mate of the Anne Frances called Iohn Gray, manfully and honestly offering himselfe vnto his Captain in this aduenture and seruice, gaue cause to others of hys [Page 47] Marriners to follow the attempt.
And vpon the nintéenth of August, the said Captain being accompanied with Captayne Vpcote of the Moone, & xviij. persons in the small Pinnesse, hauing conuenient portion of victualles & things necessary, departed vpon the said pretended voyage, leauing their shippe at ancker in a good readinesse for the taking in of their fraight. And hauing little winde to saile withall, they plyed alongest the Souther shoare, and passed aboue .30. leagues, hauing the onely helpe of mans labour with Ores, and so entendyng to kéepe that shoare aboorde vntill they were gote vp to the farthest & narrowest of ye straites, minded there to crosse ouer, & to search likewise alongest the Northerland, vnto the Countessss sound, & from thence to passe all that coaste along, where by if any of the Fléete hadde béen distressed by wracke of rocke or Ise, by that meanes they might be perceiued of them, and so they thereby to giue them such helpe and reliefe as they could. They did greatly feare, and euer suspecte that some of the Fléete were surely caste awaye, & driuen to séeke sowre sallets amongest the colde cliffes.
And being shot vp about .40. leagues within ye straites, they put ouer towards ye Norther shore, whiche was not a little daungerous for theyr small boates. And by meanes of a sodaine flawe, were driuen, and faine to séeke harboroughe in the night amongest all the rockes and broken grounde of Gabiels Ilandes, Gabriels Ilād [...] a place so named within the straites aboue the Countesse of Warwickes sounde: And by the way where they landed, they did find certaiue great stones sette vppe by the Countrie people, as it séemed for markes, where they also made manye Crosses of stone, in token that Christians had hin there. The .xxij. of August, they hadde sighte of the Countesses sounde, and made the place perfecte from the toppe of a hill, and kéepyng along the Norther shoare, perceiued the smoake of a fyre vnder a hylles side. whereof they diuerslye déemed, [Page 48] whē they came nearer ye place, they perceyued people whiche wafted vnto them, as it séemed, with a flagge or auntient. And bycause the Caniballes and countrie people had vsed to doe the like, when they perceiued any of our boats to passe by, they suspected them to be the same. And comming somewhat nearer, they might perceyue certaine tēts, and discerne this aunt [...]ent to be of mingled coloures, black and white, after the Englishe fashion. But bycause they coulde sée no shippe, nor likelihoode of harborowe within fiue or sixe leagues aboute, and knowe that none of oure men were wonte to frequent those partes, they coulde not tell what to iudge thereof, but imagined, that some of the Shyppes being carried so highe wyth the storme and mistes, had made shipwracke amongest the Ise or the broken Ilandes there, and were spoyled by the Countrey people, who might vse the sundrye coloured flagge for a policie, to bring them likewise within their daunger. Whervpon the saide Captaine wyth his companies, resolued to recouer the same Auntient, if it were so, from those base, cruell, and man eating people, or else to lose their liues, & all togither. One promised hymselfe a payre of garters, an other a scarffe, the third, a lace to tye hys Whistle withal, of the same. In the ende, they discerned them to be theyr Countreymen, and then they déemed them to haue loste theyr Shyppes, and so to be gathered togyther for theyr better strength. On the other side, the companye a shoare feared, that the Capitayne hauing loste his shippe, came to séeke forth the Fléet for his reliefe, in hys poore pinnesse, so that their extremities caused eache parte to suspecte the worste.
The Captaine nowe with his pinnesse being come néere the shoare, commaunded his Boate carefully to be kepte as [...]ote, least in their necessitie, they might winne the same from hym, and séeke firste to saue themselues (for euerye manne in that case is nexte himselfe.Proximus [...]m [...]gome [...] mihi.) They haled one another [Page 49] according to the manner of the Sea, and demaunded what cheare? & either partie answered ye other, that all was well: wherevppon there was a sodaine and ioyfull outeshoote, with greate flinging vp of cappes, and a braue voly of shotte to welcome one an other. And truelye it was a moste straunge case, to sée howe ioyfull and gladde euerye partie was to sée themselues méete in safetie againe, after so straunge and incredible daungers: Yet to be shorte, as their daungers were greate, so their God was greater.
And here the companye were workyng vppon newe Mines, whych Captayn Yorke being here arriued not lōg before,Captaine York arriue [...] hadde founde out in this place, and it is named the Countesse of Sussex Mine.
After some conference wyth oure friends here, the Captaine of the Anne Fraunces departed towardes the Countesse of Warwickes sounde, to speake with the Generall, & to haue triall made of suche mettall as he hadde broughte thither, by the Goldfiners. And so determined to dispatche againe towardes his shippe. And hauing spoken wyth the Generall, hée receiued order for all causes, and direction as well for the bringing vppe of his Shippe to the Countesses sounde, as also to fraight his Shippe with the same Ore he himselfe hadde found, which vpon triall made, proued to be very good.
The thirtéenth of Auguste, the saide Capitaine mette togither with the other Capitaines (Commissioners in counsell with the Generall) aboorde the Ayde, where they considered and consulted of sundrie causes, whiche particularly registred by the Notarie, were appointed, where and howe to be done againste an other yeare.
The fourtéenth of August, the Generall with two Pinnesses and good numbers of men, wente to Beares sounde, commaunding the saide Capitaine with his Pinnesse, to attend the seruice, to sée if he could encoūter or apprehēd any of the Caniballes, for sundry tymes they shewed thē selues [Page 50] busy thereaboutes, sometimes with .7. or .8. boates in one company, as though they minded to encoūter with oure company, whiche were working there at the mines, in no greate numbers. But when they perceiued anye of oure shippes to ride in that roade (being belike more amazed at the countenaunce of a shippe, and a more number of men) didde neuer shewe themselues againe there at all. Wherfore oure men soughte with their Pinnesses to compasse aboute the Iland,None of the people wil be [...]aken. where they did vse, supposing there sodainely to intercept some of them. But before oure men coulde come neare, hauing belike some watch in the toppe of the mountaines, they conueyed thēselues priuily away [...] and lefte (as it shoulde séeme) one of their great dartes behinde them for haste, whiche we founde neare to a place of their caues and housing. Therefore, though our Generall were very desirous to haue taken some of the [...] [...]o haue brought into Englande, they being nowe [...] more wary by their former losses, woulde not at [...] [...]ome within our daungers. About [...] Captaine of the Anne Fraunces [...] course ouer the [...] about fiftéene [...] ouer, the fiue [...], to the great [...] of his [...] [...]pected hys comming, where [...] rigged and loaden. Wherfore [...] agayne the next morning towards the [...] [...]ounde, where he arriued the eight and [...] same. By the waye he sette hys Miners ashoare a [...] Beares sounde, for the better dispatche and gathering the Ore togither, for that some of the ships were behinde hande with their fraighte, the time of the yeare passyng spéedily away.
The thirtith of August, the Anne Frāces was brought a ground, & had .viij. great leakes mended, whiche she had receiued by meanes of the rockes and Ise. This daye the Masons finished a house whiche Captaine Fenton caused [Page 51] to be made of lyme and stone vpon the Countesse of Warwickes Ilande, [...] house builded and lef [...]e there. to the ende we mighte proue againste the nexte yere, whether the snowe coulde ouerwhelme it, the frosts breake vppe, or the people dismēber the same. And the better to allure those brutish & vnciuill people to courtesie, againste other times of oure comming, we left therein dyuers of oure countrie toyes, as belles, and kniues, wherein they specially delight, one for the necessarie vse, and the other for the great pleasure thereof. Also pictures of men & women in lead, men a horsebacke, looking lasses, whistles, and pipes. Also in the house was made an ouen, and breade l [...]st [...] baked therein, for them to sée and taste.
We buryed the timber of our pretended forte, with manye barrels of meale, pease, griste, and sundrie other good things, which was of the prouision of those whych should inhabite, if occasion serued. And instéede therof we fraight oure ships full of Ore, whiche we holde of farre greater price. Also here we sowed pease, corne, and other graine, to proue the fruitfulnesse of the soyle against the next yeare.
Maister Wolfall on Winters Fornace preached a godly Sermon, whiche being ended, he celebrated also a Communion vpon the lande, at the pertaking whereof, was the Capitaine of the Anne Fraunces, and manye other Gentlemen & Soldiors, Marriners, & Miners wyth hym. The celebration of diuine mistery was ye first signe, seale, & confirmatiō of Christes name death & passion euer knowen in all these quarters. The said M. Wolfall made sermons, & celebrated the Cōmunion at sundrie other times, in seuerall and sundrie Ships, bicause the whole company could neuer méet togither at any one place. The fléet now being in some good readinesse for their lading, ye General calling togither the Gētlemen & Captains, to consult, told them, that he was very desirous, yt some further discouery should be attempted, & yt he woulde not only by Gods help bring home his Shippes laden with golde Ore, but also [Page 52] meant to bring some certificat of a further discouerie of ye Countrie,Consultation for a further discouerie. which thing to bring to passe (hauing sometime therein consulted) they founde verye harde, and almost inuincible. And considering, that alreadie they hadde spente some time in searching out the trending and fashion of the mistaken straites, and hadde entred verye farre therein, therefore it coulde not be saide, but that by thys voyage they haue notice of a further discouery, and that the hope of the passage thereby is muche furthered and encreased, as appeared before in the discourse thereof. Yet notwithstandyng, if anye meanes mighte be further deuised, the Capitaynes were contented and willing as the Generall shoulde appointe and commaunde, to take anye enterprise in hande. Whiche after long debating, was found a thing verye impossible, & that rather consultation was to bée had of returning homewarde, especiallye for these causes followyng. First, the darke foggy mistes, the continuall fallyng Snowe and stormy weather which they commonly were vexed with, and nowe daylye euer more and more increased, haue no small argument of the Winters drawing neare. And also the froste euerye nighte was so harde congealed within the sounde, that if by euill happe they shoulde be long kepte in wyth contrarye windes, it was greatlye to be feared, that they should be shutte vppe there faste the whole yeare, whyche being vtterly vnprouided, woulde be their vtter destruction. Againe, drincke was so scant throughout al the Fléete, by meanes of the greate leakage, that not onely the prouision whiche was layde in for the habitation was wanting and wasted, but also eache Shippes seuerall prouision spent and lost, which many of oure companye, to their greate griefe, founde in their returne since, for al the way homewards they dranke nothing but water. And the great cause of this lekage and wasting was, for that ye great timber & seacole, which lay so waighty vpō ye barrels, brake, brused, & rotted ye hoopes in [Page 53] [...]ūder. Yet notwithstāding, these reasons alledged ye Generall himselfe (willing the rest of the Gētlemē & Captains euery man to looke to his seuerall charge, and la [...]ing, that against a day appoynted, they shoulde be all in a readinesse to sette homeward) himselfe went in his Pinnesse, and discouered further Northward in the straytes, and found that by Beares sound and Halles Iland, the land was not firme, as it was first supposed, but all broken Ilandes in manner of an Archipelagus, and so with other secret intelligence to himselfe, he returned to the Fléete. Where presentlye vpon his arriuall at the Countesses sound, he began to take order for their returning homeward, and first caused certayne Articles to be proclaymed, for the better kéeping orders and courses in their returne, which Articles were deliuered to euery Captayne, and are these that follow.
¶ Articles sette downe by Martin Frobisher Esquier, Captayne Generall of the whole Fleete, appoynted for the Northweast discoueries of Cataya, published and made knowen to the Fleete, for the better obseruing certayne orders and course in their returne homevvarde.
1 FIrste and principallie he doth straytely charge and commaunde, by vertue of hir Maiesties commission which he hath, and in hir Maiesties name, that euery Captayne and Captaynes, Mayster and Maysters of the sayde Fléete, do vigilently and carefully kéepe company with the Admirall, and by no maner of meanes breake companye willingly now in our returne homewards, vppon peyne of forfeture his or their whole frayte, that shall be found culpable therein, and further, to receyue suche punishment, as to hir Maiestie shal séeme good therein, and also to answere [Page 54] all suche damages or losses as may happen or growe by dispersing and breaking from the Fléete. And therefore for the better kéeping of companye, the Generall straytely chargeth and commaundeth all the Maysters of these Shippes, and euery of them, that they repayre to speake with the Admirall once euery day, if he or they may conuenientlye doe it, vppon payne of forfeting of one tunne fraighte to hir Maiestie, for euery daye neglecting the same.
2 Item, that euery Mayster in the sayde Fléete, obserue and kéepe orderly and vigilantly, all such Articles as were outwardes bounde, drawen, and published by the Generall in hyr Maiesties name, whereof there was delyuered to euery Shippe a copie.
3 Item, that all Captaynes and Maysters of euerye Ship and Shippes, doe proclayme, and make it knowen to their company, that no person or persons within the sayde Fléete, of what condition soeuer, doe take or kéepe to theyr vse or vses any Ore, or stones, of what quantitie so euer it be, but forthwith vpon publication hereof, to delyuer them, and yéelde them to the custodie of the Captayne, to deliuer vnto the Generall his officers, that shall be appoynted to call for them, vpon payne or losse of his or their wages, and treble the value of them or him that shall be founde giltie, the one halfe thereof to be giuen vnto him that shal apprehend any suche person, and the other halfe at hir Maiesties appoyntmēt, and the partie found guiltie therein, to be apprehended as a fellon.
4 Item, that no person or persoos, conuey or carrie out of any Ship or Shippes, any Ore or stone, or other commoditie whatsoeuer were had or found in the land called Meta Incognita, before they come in the place appoynted, which is against Dartford créeke in ye Riuer of Thames, and then and there to deliuer none to anye person or persons, but such as shall be appoynted by hir Highnesse most [Page 55] honorable priuie Counsell, vpon the payne and danger abouesayd.
5 Item, forasmuche as in my voyage hither bounde, I landed vpon Freeseland, and diuers other of the said Fléete, which land I named West England, from which lād some brought stones, Ore, and other cōmodities, whereby hereafter they might vse coulorable meanes, to conuey as well Ore, stones, and other things found in the abouesayd land, I do therefore charge euery person and persons in the sayd Fléete, to deliuer, or cause to be deliuered, al maner of Ore, stones, and other commodities, founde as well there, as héere, to the Captaynes of euery Shippe or Shippes, to be redeliuered by him or them to the Generall, vpon payne and danger abouesayd.
6 Item, that if any Shippe or Shippes by force of weather, shall be separated from the Admirall, and afterwards happen to fall, or shall be in danger to fall into the handes of their enimies, that then all and euery suche Shippe or Shippes shall haue speciall regard before his falling into theyr handes, to conuey away, and cast into the Seas all soche plattes or Cardes, as shall be in any suche Shippe or Shippes, of the abouesayde discouered lande, and all other k [...]wle [...]es thereof.
7 Item, that if any such Shippe or Shippes by force of weather, shall be separated from the Fléete or Admirall, and shall afterwardes arriue at any Port in England, that then in suche case he shall not depart from that Porte, but shall giue order and aduertisemente to Michaell Locke, Treasourer of the companye, by whome hée or they shall haue order from the Lordes of the priuie Councell, what they shall do.
8 Item, forasmuch as sundry of the Fléetes companies haue had lent thē Crowes of Iron, [...]ledges, pikeares, shouels, spades, hatchets, a [...]es, and diuers other instrumentes for Mines, and mining vs [...]d. And also dyuers of the sayde [Page 56] kind of instruments aboue named, was lefte at the Countesse of Su [...]lex Mine by the Aydes companye, and are yet kept from their knowledge by such as wrought at the sayd M [...]ne, which instruments do apperteyne to the righte honorable and worshipfull company of the abouesayde discouerie. I do therefore charge all Captaynes and Maysters of euery Shippe or Shippes, to make it knowen to his or their companyes, to the end that all such instrumentes, as well those lente, as those that are otherwise deteyned and kept away, may be agayne restored, and broughte aboord the Admirall vpon payne and danger expressed in the third Article.
The Fleetes returning homevvard.
HAuing nowe receyued Articles and direction for oure returne homewardes, all other things being in forwardnesse and in good order, the last day of August, the whole Fléete departed from the Countesses sound, excepting the Iudith, and the Anne Frances, who stayed for the taking in of fresh water, and came forth the next daye, and mette the Fléete lying off and on, athwart Beares sounde, who stayed for the Generall, which then was gone ashore, to dispatch the two Barkes,Returne homeward. and the Busse of Bridewater, for their loading, whereby to get the companyes, and other things aboorde. The Captayne of the Anne Frances hauing most part of his company ashore, the first of September, went also to Beares sound in his Pinnesse, to fetch hys men aboorde, but the winde grew so great immediately vppon their landing, that the Shippes at Sea were in great danger, and some of them hardly put from their Anckers, and greately feared to be vtterly lost, as the Hopewell, wherein was Captayne Carew and others, who could not tell on which side their danger was most, for hauing mightie Rockes threatning on the one side, and driuing Ilands [Page 57] of cutting Ise on the otherside, they greatly feared to make shipwrack, ye Ise driuing so neare thē, that it touched their borde sprete. And by meanes of ye sea, that was growne so hie, they were not able to put to seas with their smal Pynnesses, to recouer their shippes. And againe, the ships were not able to tarrie or lye athwarte for them, by meanes of the outrageous windes & swelling seas. The General willed the Captaine of the Anne France, with his companye, for that nighte to lodge aboorde the Busse of Bridgewater, & went himself with the rest of his men aborde the barkes. But their numbers were so great, and the prouision of the Barkes so scant, that they pestered one another excéedingly. They had good hope, that the nexte morning the weather woulde be fayre, wherby they might recouer their shippes. But in the morning following it was farre worse, for the storme contin [...]ed greater, the sea being more swollen, & the Fléete gone quite out of sighte. So that now their doubts beganne to growe great, for the ship of Bridgewater which was of greatest receit, and wherof they had best hope and made most accompt, roade so far to leewarde of the harborow mouth, that they were not able for the rockes (that lay betwéene the winde and them) to leade it out to sea with a sayle. And the Barkes were so alreadie pestered with mē, and so slenderly furnished of prouision, that they had scarce meate for sixe dayes, for such numbers.
The Generall in the morning departed to sea in the Gabriel, to seke for the Fléete, leauing the Busse of Bridgewater, and the Michael, behinde in Be [...]res sound. The Busse set sayle, and thought by turning in the narrowe channell within the harborow, to get to windewarde: but b [...]ing put to léewarde more. by that meanes was fayne to come to Ancker for hir better safetie, amongst a number of rockes, and there left in great danger, of euer getting forth againe. The Michaell set sayle to follow the Generall, and could giue ye Busse no reliefe, although they earnestly desired the [Page 58] same. And the Captaine of the Anne Frances was le [...]e in ha [...]de election of two euils: either to abide his fortune with the Busse of Bridgewater, which was doubtfull of euer getting forthe, or else to be towed in his smal Pinnesse at the s [...]rne of the Michael thorow the raging seas, for that the Barke was not able to receiue or releeue halfe his company, wherin his daunger was not a little perillous.
So after, resolued to committe himselfe, withall his company, vnto that fortune of God and sea, hée was daungerously towed at the sterne of the Barke for many myles, vntill at length they espyed the Anne Frances vnder sayle, harde vnder their Lée, which was no smal comforte vnto them. For no doubt, both those and a great number moe had perished for lacke of victuals, and conueniente roome in the Barkes, without the helpe of the sayde ships. But the honest care that the Maister of the Anne Frances had of his Captaine, and the good regarde of dutie towards his General, suffered him not to depart, but honestly abode to hazarde a daungerous roade all the night long, notwithstanding all the stormy weather, when all the Fléete besides departed And the Pinnesse came no sooner aborde the shippe, and the m [...]n entred, but she presently sheauered and fel in péeces, and sunke at the ships sterne, with al the poore mens f [...]rniture: so weake was the boate with towing, and so so [...]e was the sea to bruse hir in péeces. But (as God woulde the men were all saued.
At this presente in this storme manye of the fléete were daungerously distressed, and were seuered almost al asunder. And there were lost in the whole Fléete well néere xx. b [...]tes and Pinnesses in this storme, and some men strokē [...]u [...]r boorde into the sea, and vtterly lost. Manye also spente their mayne yardes and mastes, and wi [...]h the continuall frostes, and deawe, the roapes of our shippes were nowe growen so rotten, that they went all asunder. Yet thankes be to God, all the fléete arriued safely in Englande aboute [Page 59] [...]
The [...] [...] discoue [...]ed. Southeastwarde [...] in the la [...]itude of Degrée [...], which w [...]s n [...]u [...]r y [...] [...]ounde before, and sa [...]led thr [...] days [...] the co [...]st the land séeming to be fruiteful, full of woods, and a champion countrie.
There dyed in the whole Fléete in all this voyage not aboue fortie persons, whiche number is not great, considering howe many ships were in the Fléete, and how strange Fortunes wée passed.
A generall and briefe Description of the Countrey, and condition of the people, which are found in Meta Incognita.
HAuing now sufficiently and truly set forth ye whole circumstāce, and particular hand [...]ing of euery occurrente in the thrée Uoyages of our worthy Generall, Captayne Frobisher, it shal not be frō the purpose to speake somewhat in generall, of the nature of this Coū trey called Meta Incognita, and the condition of the sauage people there inhabiting.
A [...] M [...]t [...] In [...]ognita.First therefore concerning the Topographicall description of the place. It is nowe sound in the last voyage, that Queene Elizabethes Cape, being scituate in Latitude at Degrées and a halfe, which before was supposed to be parte of the firme land of America. And also all the rest of the South side of Frobishers straytes, are all seuerall Ilāds and broken land, and likewise so will all the North side of the said straytes fall out to be, as I thinke. And some of our company being entred aboue .60. leagues within the mistaken straytes, in the third Booke mentioned, thought certaynely that they had descryed the firme lande of America towards the South, which I thinke will fall out so to bée.
These broken landes and Ilandes, being very many in number, do seeme to make there an Archipelagus, which as they all differ in greatnesse, forme, and fashion one from another, so are they in goodnesse, couloure, and soyle muche vnlike. They all are very high lands, Mountaynes, and in most parts couered with Snow, euen all the Sommer lōg. The Norther lands haue lesse store of Snow, more grasse, and are more playne Countreys, the cause may be, for that the Souther Ilands receiue al the Snow, yt the cold winds, and percing ayre bring out of the North. And contrarily, the Norther partes receiue more warme blastes of milder [Page 61] aire from the South, wherevpon may grow the cause why the people couet and inhabit more vpon the North partes, than the South, as farre as we can yet by our experience perceiue they doe. The [...]e people I iudge to be a kinde of Tartar, or rather a kind of Samowey, of the same sort & cō ditiō of life yt the Samoweides be to the Northeastwards, beyond Moscouy, who are called Samoweydes, which is as much to say in the Moscouy tong, as eaters of themselues, and so the Russians their borderers doe name them. And by late conference with a friend of mine (with whome I dyd sometime trauell in the parts of Moscouy) who hath great experience of those Somoweides & people of ye Northeast, I finde, that in all their maner of liuing, those people of the Northeast, and these of the Northweast, are like. They are of the couloure of a ripe Oliue, which how it may come to passe, being borne in so cold a climate, I referre to ye iudgement of others, for they are naturally borne children of the same couloure & complexiō as all the Americans are, which dwell vnder the Equinoctiall line.
They are men very actiue and nimble. They are a strong people, and very warlike, for in our sighte, vppon the toppes of the hilles, they would often muster thēselues, and after the maner of a skirmish, trace their ground very nimbly, and mannage their bowes and dartes with greate dexteritie. They goe clad in coates made of the skinnes of beastes, as of Ceales, Dere, Beares, Foxes, and Hares. They haue also some garments of feathers, being made of the cases of Foules, finely sowed and compact togither. Of all which sortes, we broughte home some with vs into England, whiche we found in their tents. In Sommer, they vse to weare the hearie side of their coates outwarde, and sometime go naked for too much heate. And in Winter (as by signes they haue declared) they weare foure or fiue folde vpō their bodies with ye heare (for warmth) turned inward. Hereby it appeareth, that the ayre there is not indifferente, [Page 62] but e [...]ther it is feruent hote, or else extréeme colde, and far more excessiue in both qualities, than the reason of the clymate shoulde yeelde [...] For there it is colder, being vnder Degrees in latitude, thā it is at W [...]r [...]in [...] in the voyage to Saint Nicolas in Moscouie, being at aboue 70. degrees in lati [...]ude. The reason hereof perhappes, maye be, that thys Meta Incognita is much frequēted and vexed with eastern and Northeasterne windes, whiche from the sea and Ise bringeth often an intollerable colde ayre, whiche was also the cause that this yere our straites were so long shutte vp. But there is great hope and likelyhoode, that further within the straightes it will be more constant and temperate weather.
These people are in nature verye subtil, and sharpe witted, readie to concei [...]e our meaning by signes, and to make answere, well to be vnderstoode againe. As if they haue not séene the thing wherof you aske them, they wyll winck, or couer their eyes with their hands, as who would say, it hath bene hyd from their sighte. If they vnderstande you not, wherof you aske them, they wil stoppe their eares. They will teache vs the names of eache thing in their language, which we desire to learne, and are apt to learne any thing of vs. They delight in Musicke aboue measure, and will kepe time and stroke to any tune which you shal sing, both with their voyce, heade, hande and féete, and wyll sing the same tune aptlye after you. They will rowe with our Ores in our boates, and kepe a true stroke with oure Mariners, and séeme to take great delight therein. They liue in Caues of the Earth, and hunte for their dinners or praye, euen as the Beare, or other wilde beastes do. They eate rawe fleshe and fishe, and refuse no meate, howsoeuer it be stincking. They are desperate in their fighte, sullen of nature, and rauenous in their manner of féeding.
Their sullen and desperate nature doth herein manifestly appeare, that a companie of them being enuironed of our [Page 63] men on the toppe of a hie cliffe, so that they coulde by no meanes escape our handes, finding themselues in this c [...]se distressed, chose rather to cast themselues h [...]dlong downe the rockes into the Sea, and so to be bruse [...] and drowned, rather than to yeelde themselues to our mens mercies.
For their weapons, to offende their en [...]ies, or kill their pray with [...]l, they haue Dartes, slings, bowes, and arrows headed with sharp stones, bones, and some with yron. They are exceeding friendly and kinde harted, one to the other, & mourne greatly at the losse or harme of their fellowes, and expresse their griefe of minde, when they pa [...]t one from an other, with a mournefull song, and Dirges. They are very shamefast in bewraying the secretes of nature, and verye chaste in ye maner of their liuing: for whē the mā which we brought frō thence into England ye last voyage should put of his coat, or discouer his whole body for chāge, he would not suffer the woman to be present, but put hir forth of hys Cabyn. And in all the space of two or thrée monethes, while the man liued in companie of the woman, there was neuer any thing séene or perceiued betwéene them, more than might haue passed betwéene brother and sister: but the woman was in all things very seruiceable for the man, attending him carefully, when he was sicke, and he likewise in al the meates whiche they did eate togither, would carue vnto hir of the swéetest, fattest, and best morsels they had. They wondred muche at all our things, and were afraide of our horses, and other beastes, out of measure. They beganne to growe more ciuill, familiar, pleasaunt, and do [...]ib [...]e amongst vs in a verye shorte time.
They haue boates made of leather, and couered cleane ouer, sauing one place in the middle to sit in, plācked within with timber, and they vse to rowe therein with one Ore, more swiftly a great deale, than we in our boates can doe with twentie. They haue one sort of greater boates wherin they can carrie aboue twentie persons, and haue a Mast [Page 64] with a Sayle thereon, whiche Sayle is made of thinne Skinnes or bladders, sowed togither with the sinewes of fishes.
They are good fishermen, and in their small Boates, béeing disguised with their coates of Ceales skinnes, they deceyue the Fishe, who take them rather for their fellowe Ceales, than for deceyuing men.
They are good marke men. With their dart or arrowe they will commonly kill Ducke, or any other foule, in the head, and commonly in the eye.
When they shoote at a greate fishe with anye of theyr Dartes, they vse to tye a bladder therevnto, whereby they may the better finde them agayne, and the fishe not able to carrie it so easily away, for that the bladder dothe boy the darte, will at length be wéerie, and dye therewith.
They vse to traffike and exchange their commodities with some other people, of whome they haue such things, as their miserable Countrey, and ignorance of arte to make, denyeth them to haue, as barres of iron, heads of iron for their dartes, néedles made fouresquare, certayne buttons of copper, whiche they vse to weare vppon theyr forheads for ornament, as our Ladyes in the Court of England do vse great pearle.
Also they haue made signes vnto vs, that they haue sene gold, and such bright plates of mettals, whiche are vsed for ornaments amongst some people, with whome they haue conference.
We foūd also in their tents a Guinney Beane, of redde couloure, the which dothe vsually grow in the hote Countreys: whereby it appéereth they trade with other Nations whiche dwell farre off, or else themselues are greate trauellers.
They haue nothing in vse among them to make fyre withall, sauing a kind of Heath and Mosse which groweth there.
[Page 65]And they kindle their fyre with continuall rubbing and fretting one sticke againste an other, as we do with flints. They drawe with dogges in sleads vpon the Ise, and remoue their tents therwithal, wherein they dwel, in sōmer, when they goe a hunting for their praye and prouision againste Winter. They do sometime parboyle their meate a little and séeth the same in kettles made of beasts skins: they haue also pannes cutte and made of stone very artificially:Their Kettls and Pannes. they vse preaty ginnes wherewith they take foule. The women carry their sucking children at their backes, and doe féede them with rawe fleshe, whiche firste they doe a [...]ittle chawe in their mouths. The women haue their faces marked or painted ouer with small blewe spottes: they haue blacke and long haire on their heades, and trimme the same in a decent order. The men haue but little haire on their faces, and very thinne beardes. For their common drincke, they eate Ise to quench their thirst withal. Their earth yéeldeth no graine or fruite of sustenaunce for man, or almost for beast to liue vppon: and the people will eate grasse and shrubs of the grounde, euen as oure Kine do [...]. They haue no woodde growing in theyr countrey thereaboutes, and yet wée finde they haue some timber among them, whiche we thinke doth grow farre off to the Southwardes of this place, about Canada, or some other part of newe founde land: for there belike, the trées standing on the cliffes of the Sea side, by the waight of Ise and snowe in Winter ouercharging them with waighte, when the Sommers thawe commeth aboue, and also the Sea vnderfretting them beneath, whiche winneth daylye of the land, they are vndermined and fall down from those cliffes into the Sea, and with the tydes and currants are driuen to and fro vpon the coastes further off, and by coniecture are taken vppe here by these countrie people, to serue them to plancke and strengthen their boates withall, and to make dartes, bowes, and arrowes, and suche other things [Page 66] necessarie for their vse. And of this kind of drift woodde wée finde all the Seas ouer, great store, whiche being [...]utte or sawed asunder, by reason of long driuing in the Sea, is eaten of wormes, and full of hoales, of whych sorte theirs is founde to be.
We haue not yet founde anye venomous Serpent or other hurtefull thing in these partes, but there is a kinde of small flye or gnat that stingeth and offendeth sorelye, leauing many red spots in they face, & other places, where she stingeth. They haue snowe and hayle in the beste time of their Sommer, and the ground frosen thrée fadome déepe.Frost and Snow.
These people are greate inchaunters, and vse manye charmes of Witchcraft: for when their heads do ake, they tye a great stone with a string vnto a sticke, and with certaine prayers & wordes done to the sticke, they litte vp the stone frō ground, which sometimes wyth all a mans force they cannot stir, & sometime againe they lifte as easily as a feather, and hope thereby with certaine ceremonious words to haue ease and helpe.Inchanters. And they made vs by signes to vnderstand, lying groueling with their faces vppon the grounde, and making a noise downewarde, that they worshippe the Diuell vnder them.
They haue great store of Déere, Beares, Hares, Foxes, and innumerable numbers of sundry sortes of wilde Foule, as Seamews, Gulles, Wilmotes, Duckes, &c.Store of wild Fowle. wherof our men killed in one day fiftéene hundred.
They haue also store of Hawkes, as Falcons, Tassels, &c. whereof two alighted vpon one of our Shippes at theyr returne, & were brought into England, which some thinke wil proue very good. They haue also great heards of Dogs which they vse for theyr ready prouision to eate.
There are also greate store of Rauens, Larkes, and Partridges, whereof the Countrey people féede.
All these Fowles are farre thicker clothed with downe and feathers, and haue thicker skinnes than anye in England haue: for as that Countrey is colder, so nature hathe [Page 67] prouided a remedie therevnto.
Our men haue eaten of their Beares, Hares, Partriches, Larkes, and of their wilde Fowle, and find them reasonable good meate, but not so delectable as oures.
Their wilde Fowle must be all fleyne, their skinnes are so thicke: and they tast best fryed in pannes.
The Countrie séemeth to be muche subiecte to Earthquakes.
The ayre is very subtile, piercing and searching, so that if any corrupted or infected body,The qualitie of theyr especially with the disease called Morbus Gallicus come there, it will presentlye breake forth and shewe it selfe, and cannot there, by anye kinde of salue or medicine be cured.
Their longest Sommers day is of greate length, without any darke night, so that in Iuly all the night long, we might perfitely and easilie wright & reade whatsoeuer had pleased vs, which lightsome nightes were very beneficiall vnto vs, being so distressed with abundance of Ise as wee were.
The Sunne setteth to them in the Euening at a quarter of an houre after tenne of the clocke,The length of their day [...] and riseth agayne in the morning at thrée quarters of an houre after one of the clocke, so that in Sommer, theyr Sunne shineth to them twentie houres and a halfe, and in the nighte is absent but thrée houres & a halfe. And although the Sunne be absent these 3 ½ houres, yet is it not darke that time, for that the Sunne is neuer aboue thrée or foure degrées vnder the edge of their Horizon: the cause is, that the Tropicke Cancer doth cutte their Horizon at very vneauen and oblique Angles. But the Moone at any time of the yeare béeing in Cancer, hauing North Latitude, doth make a full reuolution aboue their Horizon, so that sometimes they sée the Moone aboue .24. houres togither. Some of oure companie, of the more ignorant sort, thought we mighte continually haue séene the Sunne and the Moone, had it not bin [Page 68] for two or thrée high Mountaynes.
The people are nowe become so warye, and so circumspecte, by reason of their former losses, that by no means we can apprehend any of them, althoughe we attempted often in the laste voyage. But to saye truth, we could not bestowe any great time in pursuing them, bycause of oure greate businesse in lading, and other things.
To conclude, I finde in all the Countrie nothing, that maye be to delite in, either of pleasure or of accompte, only the shewe of Mine, bothe of golde, siluer, stéele, yron and blacke lead, with diuers preaty stones, as blewe Saphyre, very perfect and others, whereof we founde great plentie, maye giue encouragement for men to séeke thyther. And there is no doubt, but being well looked vnto and thorowly discouered, it wyll make our Countrie both rich and happye, and of these prosperous beginnings will growe hereafter (I hope) moste happye endings. Whiche GOD of hys goodnesse graunte, to whom be all Prayse and Glorie.
Amen.
AT LONDON, Printed by Henry Bynnyman. Anno Domini. 1578. Decembris. 10.