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 oures are yea the very sucking childe of twelue Moneths age 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 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 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 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 that 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 C ham disobeyed and being persuaded that the first child borne after the floud by right law of nature should inherit possesse all the dominion of the earth he contrarie to his fathers commandement while they were yet in the Arke vsed cōpany 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 after the fathers name being perhaps a cursed dry sandy vnfruteful groūd fit for such a generatiō to inhabit in Thus you sée that the cause of the Ethiopians blacknesse is the curse 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 Quodque die solis violento incanduit aestu Humida nox reficit paribusque refrigerat horis 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 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
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 moneâ—hs reâ—urned with gain Also the Englishmen made another voyage verye prospâ—rous gainfull Anâ— 1554 to the coasts of Binin lying East froÌ„ Guinea being within 3. degrées of the Equinoctial And yet it is reported of a truth that al the tract froÌ„ Cape de las Paâ—mas trending by C. de tres puntas alongst by Benin vntil the I le of Saint Thomas which is perpendicular vnder the Equinoctial al that 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 the land For it is most certain that mountaines Seas wâ—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 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 Zonâ— 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 aâ—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 froÌ„ 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 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 lineâ— And first by the experience of sundrie men yea thousaÌ„ds 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 Americaâ— c. which all lye about the middle of the 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 fouÌ„d 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 placesâ— 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 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 iâ— 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 isâ— 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 neuer remeÌ„bred but regarded only the manner of angles that 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 aduaÌ„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 â—â—â—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 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 sâ—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 teÌ„perature 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 the 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 butâ— 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 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 heâ—te which is the consideration of the Angle of the 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 eueÌ„ 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 â—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 the 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 the same Meridian therfore the two Angles of the Base 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 theÌ„ by means of the obliquity of the HorizoÌ„ in which time of the Sunnes presence .4 houres in one place more thaÌ„ 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
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 things different from themselues They left in their tents all their furniture â—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 bâ—y whyâ—h cannot be but by coÌ„ioyning 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. 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. On Monday the laste of Iune wée mette with manye greate Whales as they hadde béene Porposes This same daye the Salamander being vnder both hir corses and bonets hapned to strike a grâ—â—te Whale with hir â—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 froâ—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 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 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 caÌ„ be frosen as I haue more at large herein shewed my opinioÌ„ 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 fadâ—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 mightie mountaines By which means some of the fléete where they founde the yse to open entred in and pasâ—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 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
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 FraÌ„ces 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 to be made of lyme and stone vpon the Countesse of Warwickes Ilande to the ende we mighte proue againste the nexte yere whether the snowe coulde ouerwhelme it the frosts breake vppe or the people dismeÌ„ber 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 lâ—stâ— 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 the first signe seale confirmatioÌ„ of Christes name death passion euer knowen in all these quarters The said M. Wolfall made sermons celebrated the CoÌ„munion 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 the General calling togither the GeÌ„tlemen Captains to consult told them that he was very desirous that some further discouery should be attempted that he woulde not only by Gods help bring home his Shippes laden with golde Ore but also meant to bring some certificat of a further discouerie of the Countrie 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 the great timber seacole which lay so waighty vpoÌ„ the barrels brake brused rotted the hoopes in â—uÌ„der Yet notwithstaÌ„ding these reasons alledged the Generall himselfe willing the rest of the GeÌ„tlemeÌ„ Captains euery man to looke to his seuerall charge and laâ—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 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