RIght Honourable, being in­formed by my learned friend and most earnest and effe­ctuall furtherer of Nauiga­tion for the common good of his countrey M. Richard Hackluit, vpon the dedica­tion of his first volume of discoueries vnto your Lor. about a yeere since, of the singular affection your Lor. beareth towardes the aduancement of knowledge and skill among our seamen in marine causes; so farre foorth that to the end they might be the more stirred vp and holpen this way, your Lor. would not onely be a meane vnto her Maiestie for the establishing of an ordinary Lecture to be read for their instruction, but also rather then so good a purpose should fall to the ground would be at some charges your selfe for the bringing of it to effect: I conceiued no smal comfort vpon this report, [Page] considering that now of late, the right honorable Count Maurice of Nassaw, L. high Admirall of the vnited Prouinces of the low countries hath shewed himselfe wholly to be of your Lor. minde, thinking it a most principal point for the welfare of their estate to haue their mariners now entring in­to long voyages to be better informed in matters cō ­cerning their faculty, thē heretofore they haue bene. To which end he hath lately caused a certaine ex­hortatory iniunction to be published, and hath also giuen commandement that the same should be dili­gētly obserued by all masters of ships and their com­panies within the same Prouinces. By obseruation wherof they may haue a more certaine and compen­dious way, whereby they may guide themselues to come to any place they shall desire at sea, with a streighter course, and in shorter time then hath bin commonly accustomed: VVhich way is to be found by knowledge of the latitude and variation of the place wherto they purpose to go. For seeing one and the same place hath alwaies the same latitude and variation, whereof the one sheweth what situation the place hath between North and South, the other between East and VVest, it cannot be but that the master of the ship bringing himselfe to the latitude [Page] and variation of the place to which he purposeth to go, must needs bring himselfe to the same place also.

Considering therefore howe great profit might hereby redound to seamen if the variations of all places were truely known, the said Count Mau­rice hath giuen commandement to all that shall take charge of ships, that before they set forth, they should prouide themselues meete instruments for that purpose, that into what place soeuer they shall come, they may diligently search out the declination of the magneticall needle from the true North (which they cōmonly cal the variation of the Com­passe) and that after their returne into their owne countrey they should giue a true certificate of those obseruations to the rest of their collegues and com­panies of the Admiralty, that by them they may be brought into some good order and method, and so be published for their common good. Desiring also as it may appeare to stirre vp other nations to the same care and diligence in obseruing the variation, he hath caused the said iniunction to be published, not only in his own natiue tongue, but in the French and Latine also: intending (as it may seeme hereby) to make not only it, but also his honorable desire in furthering this obseruation commonly known to [Page] all Christendome. Desiring therefore, according to the measure of my small abilitie, to be a fur­therer of so good a purpose of so famous a per­sonage, I haue done mine indeuour to make the same knowen to all English mariners, by publishing the foresaid Iniunction in their mother tongue: nothing doubting, but as they haue not bene inferiour to a­ny nation, either for excellency of skill, or felicitie in performance of their most wonderfull Nauiga­tions, and that principally in this most happy time of your Lor. enioying your most honorable office of high Admiralty: So, if it might please your Lor. to giue them to vnderstand that your Lor. would be very loth that English mariners (whom I haue knowen to haue had the skill, to finde out places at sea by the latitude & variation, after the same ma­ner that is prescribed in this booke, more then ten yeres since) should now (either for too much spa­ringnes in not preparing, or for want of diligence in heedful vsing meete instrumēts for that purpose) cast themselues behinde the Netherlanders; there may assured hope be conceiued, that they wil not on­ly not come behind, but farre exceed, and go beyond them, or any other nation. And so much the rather there is reason to induce vs to be of this opinion, be­cause [Page] there hath bene a secret of the magneticall needle first reuealed by our countriman M. Rob. Norman, wherof other nations as yet seeme to be ignorant, I meane the falling of the North end of the needle touched with the loadstone vnder the ho­rizon. Of which new-found propertie if there shal be diligent and continuall obseruation made, espe­cially in long voyages, there may in all likelihood no lesse profit arise thereby then by the variation.

Considering therefore how greatly your Lor. au­thority, yea inclination or beck onely mought pre­uaile to moue the minds of all English mariners to the diligent, heedfull, and continual obseruation of these so rare and wonderful properties of the mag­neticall needle, at all places wheresoeuer they shall come, wherby so great profit may assuredly redound not onely to seamen, but euen to the whole body of the Christian commonwealth: I was imboldened, recounting with my selfe your Lor. exceeding cle­mencie conioyned with so high authority to bring before your most honorable presence this Dutch Pi­lot (as it were, for so I may not vnfitly call this booke) whom since his arriuall here I haue onely taught to speake English that so he might be the more seruiceable vnto your Lor. and to all English [Page] seamē in that he professeth, which is to bring them to any place in the main Ocean, by a shorter course, then hath bene accustomed. VVherein because the renowmed Count Maurice his master hath giuē him so great credit, as to cōmand him to be imploied by al that take charge of ships vnder his office of admiralty, may it therfore please your L. to affoord him the fauour as to commend him to all English maisters to be thorowly examined by due triall of exact obseruatiō in al places at sea; to the end that if he shall be found indeed to performe so much as he promiseth (whereof there is giuen exceeding great hope by proofe already made by some of our skilful­lest English nauigators) he may for euer after be re­ceiued with enterteinmēt worthy so notable seruice.

Thus nothing doubting that this Dutch Pilot so highly commended by so worthy a personage, shall find such fauourable acceptation at your L. hands, as in your Lor. high wisedom to him duely appertai­neth: I most humbly beseech the Lord of all Lords to increase your Lor. with all true honour in this life, and with endlesse blisse in that life which shal last for euer. 23. Aug. 1599.

HAuing dedicated this litle Booke to the Right Hon. the Lord high Admirall of England, to whom the gouernement of sea causes next vnder her Maiestie chiefly appertaineth (with whom also it hath found such fauourable ac­ceptation as of so honorable a per­sonage might be iustly expected) I thought it meete in the next place to commend the same to your Wor. societie also, as to them who haue best occasion in your so manifold nauigations to make most plentifull and sufficient triall thereof, and to whom it may assuredly doe most necessary and profitable seruice. But least you should stand in doubt of this my commendation, the Right Honourable Count Maurice, Lord high Admirall of the vnited Prouinces of the Low Countries, hath not only commended the same to all Masters of ships and their companies (or brother­hoods as we may call them) that are vnder his iurisdicti­on; but hath also commanded them to make diligent and continuall obseruation in all their voyages, according to the directions prescribed herein. He also, as not content that the fruit which may spring here of should be conteined within the narrow boundes and compasse of the Lowe Countries, hath caused this booke to be translated into the [Page] French and Latine tongues: endeuouring as it may seeme hereby to make the same knowen to all nations in Chri­stendome. Amongst whom as the Latine translatour M. Hugo de Groot hath chosen the Venctians for their excellencie in Nauigation (as he conceiueth) to whom he might especially dedicate this small Volume togither with his owne labour in translating the same: So I thought it meete to make choise of your worshipfull socie­ty, whom I take to be nothing at all inferiour to the Vene­tians either for excellencie of skill, or for vse and experi­ence in that facultie: and to whom I may more iustly com­mend this little Booke, euen almost with the same words which Hugo de Groot vseth to the Venetians as fol­loweth.

Therefore that we may enter a little more deepely in­to the matter, Aristotle the wittiest of all philosophers and the most famous Lawyers doe witnesse that all arts were founde, out of the necessitie of mans nature, that what is wanting in one, might be supplied by that which is abounding in another: and that because euery countrey yeeldeth not all things, there might be a mutual exchange of one thing for another by way of merchandise. But now because diuerse countries are very far distant each from other, that there can be no carriage of any wares or mar­chandise from the one to the other, either on beasts backs or in cartes: the art of Nauigation was therefore inuen­ted, that the sea might supply the want of dry land. Yet surely skilfull nature hath done all this in vaine, if a cer­taine way how to sayle cannot in some sort be found, but that mariners must be constrained to make their voyages doubtfully not knowing what course to keepe. Therefore [Page] the ancient nauigators (thinking not without cause that there was great affinitie betweene Astronomie and Na­uigation) directed all their course by the starres, the Si­donians by the lesser beare which is the certainer, the Gre­cians by the greater which is the clearer. But because nei­ther star truely shewed the North part of the world, they were oftentimes deceiued in their coniectures: and be­cause the night is not alwayes so cleare that those starres may be seene, if the skie were at any time ouercast they had no meanes wherby they might know which way they ought to guide themselues. Hereof it commeth that in ancient authors oftentimes, & in many places we see the mariners complaining of the darknesse of the nights, and that the greatest and most famous nauies haue beene dis­persed and discomfited, by reason of the vncertaintie of these things.

But assuredly it seemeth to be so ordeined by nature, that all things should not be brought to light at one time: but that after a long continuance of times the certaintie of things should be knowen. There is a stone which for the exceeding great strength thereof is called Herculeus, that is the stone of Hercules, & because it draweth iron vnto it, is by the Grecians called [...], cōmonly it is cal­led by the name of him that first found it, Magnes, that is the Magnete or Load-stone. For it appeareth out of Ni­cander and Plinie, that one Magnes found it sticking to a sharpe pointed piece of yron. After a great number of yeeres a new propertie of that stone was reueiled, that be­ing rubbed vpon yron, or rather vpon steele, it would make the same point to the North. Therefore when by this marueilous pointing the mariners knew the North, [Page] and ouer against it the South, and making account by the eleuation of the pole they learned also the latitude: then they had (as it was thought) means sufficient of infallible direction how to guide thēselues at all times. But neither did this ioy (as many times it commeth to passe) continue long. For when they sayled from the East westwards, the Loadstone was found by litle and litle to decline from the North; which thing strooke no small doubtfulnesse and vncertaintie into the mariners mindes. Yet nowe at the length, by long obseruation of the declinations of the load­stone that haue bene diligently sought out in diuerse pla­ces and times, the matter is brought to that issue, that they which are most skilfull in the Mathematicks, and amongst them the said Count Maurice of Nassau, haue supposed that this declination of the Loadstone happeneth not by chance, but is caused by some certaine reason in na­ture, that according to the varietie of places the pointing of the needle should also varie.

Wherefore the said Count Maurice sent this exhor­tatorie iniunction (for so I may call this litle booke writ­ten by his Mathematician Steuinius) to them that take charge of ships, that if these things were not found in all points to be so as his obseruation importeth, they should do so much as in them lay, that out of diuerse experiments some certaine reason and rule of the variation might be gathered: which if it may by diligent obseruation be obtei­ned, then there shall not onely be a more certaine way to knowe the course from place to place by the instrument made to finde the variation (of which way more shall be spoken in the booke it selfe) but the longitude also, or ra­ther the effect of the longitude shall be giuen by the varia­tion; [Page] which thing also shalbe shewed more at large in the Treatise it selfe following. Because therefore it is cer­taine that this knowledge cannot otherwise be found but by the experiments of diuers men compared togither, and that by diuers obseruations a more easie way may be pre­pared for science (which from the particulars ariseth vp vnto the vniuersall) I thought good to present vnto you this iniunction of the worthy Count Maurice, that if you (which are most expert in Nauigation) be of opinion that there may be so great profite of this matter as we (which thinke it to appertaine to the principall state of the com­mon-wealth) you might doe your best endeuour vnto what place soeuer you shall come (taking with you needfull in­struments for that purpose) to obserue diligently the va­riation of the magneticall needle, that at length we may come to that certaintie, that they which take charge of ships may know in their nauigations to what latitude and to what variation (which shall serue in stead of the longi­tude not yet found) they ought to bring themselues, that by this meanes they may assuredly finde what place soeuer they will in the midst of the maine Ocean sea. And al­though this bee the end for which principally this Booke was made, notwithstanding we make no doubt that there may many more be found no lesse profitable then this; of which sort is that which wee of late haue found, which may also be of very great profit vnto vs: To wit, that when any nauie (for which cause our common-wealth hath obteyned exceeding great renowne) is prepared a­gainst the enemie, a certaine place may be appointed in the midst of the sea, into which (if perchance too great a force should come vpon them vnlooked for) all the ships [Page] after a certaine time might assemble themselues. Where­to I may also adioyne a third vse of the variation, that is, the reforming of many errors which must needes be in the ordinarie sea-charts, because the coasts of all countries and the courses from place to place, haue beene set downe in them by direction of the varying compasse, without a­batemēt or allowance answerable to the variation; wher­of there must needes follow much deformitie and confu­sion in many parts of the chart, especially where the va­riation is great, as it is vpon the coast of Newfound­land; where the variation being two whole points of the compasse (as it is reported) there must needes be so much error also in laying out all the sea coast of that countrey, and in the courses of all places neere adioyning in the or­dinarie sea charts. All which errors may be amended, if the variations be first truely obserued, and then abated from, or allowed to the courses of all places, as neede shall require.

But the variation cannot serue to so great vse as other­wise it might, except other errors also aswell in the chart, as in other instruments and meanes of nauigation be also auoyded. For the chart as it hath beene hitherto gene­rally made with right-lined rumbes and degrees of lati­tude euery where equall, must needes be very erroneous, especially in the Northerne parts thereof, that although all the foresaid errors arising by the variation were cor­rected, yet for this cause onely you may bee deceiued one, two, yea three whole points of the compasse, in the courses of many places: and in measuring the distance you may erre one halfe, yea three quarters and more sometimes, accounting the same to be twise, yea thrise greater then [Page] indeede it is, especially in farre Northerly nauigations. If therefore these so notorious errors be not also amended, the correction of the errors arising by the variation, can­not be to so great purpose as otherwise it might.

Neither can that be so fully performed which in the Treatise following is chiefly intended (that is, to find any place at sea by the variation and latitude) ex­cept the meanes that haue beene vsed for finding the la­titude be also amended. For in obseruing the heigth of the sunne and starres, with the small crosse-staues which are most vsuall for that purpose, there may be error of halfe a degree, and more sometimes by neglect of the pa­rallax or eccentricity of the obseruers eye. The Regiments or Tables of declination of the sunne that haue bene most commonly vsed by English mariners doe erre oft times ten, eleuen, or twelue minutes. The rule of allowances and abatements to be added to, or subtracted from the heigth of the pole-starre for finding the heigth of the pole (being grounded vpon a false position, to wit, that the pole-starre is three degrees and an halfe distant from the pole, when indeede it is almost 40 minutes lesse) must needes be false many times more then halfe a degree.

The declinations of the principall fixed starres as they are set downe in the bookes of Nauigation, that haue bene heretofore published, are for the most part erroneous; ma­ny of them differing from trueth aboue halfe a degree, & some of them an whole degree, yea two whole degrees and more. All which imperfections of so excellent an art, I haue since the time of my first employment at sea (now more then tenne yeeres since) by diligent search with no small labour discouered and amended, not onely by tenne [Page] whole moneths experience at sea, but also by often and di­ligent obseruation on land, as it may more at large appeare in my booke of errors in Nauigation (which at mine own charges is also published for the common good of you all) wherein the way is shewed how your charts and crosse­staues may be freed from the errors aforesaid; and the de­clinations of the sunne and fixed starres are set foorth vn­to you, agreeably to the trueth of the heauens found out by often and exact obseruations, whereby the latitudes of places may be found much more truely then hath beene accustomed. This Booke therefore, because it may affoord needfull ayd for accomplishing the sayd renowmed Count Maurice his desire in finding the latitude more exactly, and may also deliuer you from much inconuenience and daunger, which may necessarily be expected to follow out of so many and notable errors as hitherto haue beene in the vsuall meanes of Nauigation alreadie mentioned: I commend the same togither with this small Treatise now following vnto you all, to be dayly tried and examined by the touchstone of your long and skilfull experience at sea: nothing doubting but as they haue endured the more ex­quisite triall of exact obseruation, and Geometricall de­monstration both by seamen and landmen on shore, so they shall be found agreeable to the heedefull experiments of all skilfull Nauigators at sea. And so with my whole heart commending you all to him whose worde both seas and windes obey, I end.