to haue dominion and vse thereof Therefore we need no longer to doubt of the temperate and commodious habitation vnder the poles during the time of Summer But all the controuersie consisteth in the Winter for then the Sunne leaueth those regions and is â—o more seene for the space of other sixe moneths in the which time all the Sunnes course is vnder their horizon for the space of halfe a yere and then those regions say some must needs be deformed with horrible darknesse and continuall night which may be the cause that beasts can not seeke their food and that also the colde should then be intollerable By which double euils all liuing creatures should be constrained to die and were not able to indure the extremity and iniury of Winter and famine insuing thereof but that all things should perish before the Summer following when they should bring foorth their brood and yoong and that for these causes the sayd Clime about the pole should be desolate and not habitable To all which obiections may be answered in this maner First that though the Sunne be absent from them those six moneths yet it followeth not that there should be such extreme darknesse for as the Sunne is departed vnder their horizon so is it not farre from them and not so soone as the Sunne falleth so suddenly commeth the darke night but the euening doth substitute and prolong the day a good while after by twilight After which time the residue of the 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 nights are seldome darke which is verified in all parts of the world but least in the middle zone vnder the Equinoctiall where the twilights are short and the nights darker then in any other place because the Sunne goeth vnder their horizon so deepe euen to their antipodesâ— We see in England in the Summer nights when the Sunne goeth not farre vnder the horizon that by the light of the Moone Starres we may trauell all night and if occasion were do some other labour also And there is no man that doubteth whether our cattell can see to feed in the nights seeing we are so well certified therof by our experience and by reason of the sphere our nights should be darker then any time vnder the poles The Astronomers consent that the Sunne descending from our vpper hemisphere at the 18 parallel vnder the horizon maketh an end of twilight so that at length the darke night insueth and that afterward in the morning the Sun approching againe within as many parallels doth driue away the night by accesse of the twilight Againe by the position of the sphere vnder the pole the horizon and the equinoctiall are all one These reuolutions therefore that are parallel to the equinoctiall are also parallel to the horizon so that the Sunne descending vnder that horizon and there describing certaine parallels not farre distant doth not bring darke nights to those regions vntill it come to the parallels distant 18 degrees from the equinoctiall that is about the 21 degree of Scorpio which will be about the 4 day of our Nouember and after the Winter solstitium the Sunne returning backe againe to the 9 degree of Aquarius which will be about the 19 of Ianuary during which time onely that is from the 4 day of Nouember vntill the 19 day of Ianuary which is about six weeks space those regions do want the commodity of twilights therefore during the time of these sayd six moneths of darknesse vnder the poles the night is destitute of the benefit of the Sunne and the sayd twilights onely for the space of six weeks or thereabout And yet neither this time of six weeks is without remedy from heauen for the Moone with her increased light hath accesse at that time and illuminateth the moneâ—hs lacking light euery one of themselues seuerally halfe the course of that moneth by whose benefit it commeth to passe that the night named extreame darke possesseth those regions no longer then one moneth neither that continually or all at one time but this also diuided into two sorts of shorter nights of the which either of them indureth for the space of 15 dayes and are illuminate of the Moone accordingly And this reason is gathered out of the sphere whereby we may testifie that the Summers are warme and fruitfull and the Winters nights vnder the pole are tolerable to liuing creatures And if it be so that the Winter and time of darknesse there be very colde yet hath not nature left them vnprouided therefore for there the beasts are couered with haire so much the thicker in how much the vehemency of colde is greater by reason whereof the best and richest furres are brought out of the coldest regions Also the fowles of these colde countreys haue thicker skinnes thicker feathers and more stored of downe then in other hot places Our English men that trauell to S. Nicholas and go a fishing to Wardhouse enter farre within the circle Arctike and so are in the frozen zone and yet there as well as in Island and all along those Northerne Seas they finde the greatest store of the greatest fishes that are as Whales c. and also abundance of meane fishes as Herrings Cods Haddocks Brets c. which argueth that the sea as well as the land may be and is well frequented and inhabited in the colde countreys But some perhaps will maruell there should be such temperate places in the regions about the poles when at vnder 62 degrees in latitude our captaine Frobisher his company were troubled with so many and so great mountaines of fleeting ice with so great stormes of colde with such continuall snow on tops of mountaines and with such barren soile there being neither wood nor trees but low shrubs and such like To all which obiections may be answered thus First those infinite Islands of ice were ingendred and congealed in time of Winter and now by the great heat of Summer were thawed and then by ebs flouds winds and currents were driuen to and fro and troubled the fleet so that this is an argument to proue the heat in Summer there to be great that was able to thaw so monstrous mountaines of ice As for continuall snow on tops of mountaines it is there no otherwise then is in the hotest part of the middle zone where also lieth great snow all the Summer long vpon tops of mountaines because there is not sufficient space for the Sunnes reflection whereby the snow should be molten Touching the colde stormy winds and the barrennesse of the country it is there as it is in Cornwall and Deuonshire in England which parts though we know to be fruitfull and fertile yet on the North side thereof all alongst the coast within seuen or eight miles off the sea there can neither hedge nor tree grow
Angle of the Sunne beames heateth and what encrease the Sunnes continuance doeth adde thereunto it might expresly be set downe what force of heat and cold is in all regions Thus you partly see by comparing a Climate to vs well knowen and familiarly acquainted by like height of the Sunne in both places that vnder the Equinoctiall in Iune is no excessiue heat but a temperate aire rather tending to cold For as they haue there for the most part a continuall moderate heat so yet sometime they are a little pinched with colde and vse the benefite of fire as well as we especially in the euening when they goe to bed for as they lye in hanging beds tied fast in the vpper part of the house so will they haue fires made on both sides their bed of which two fires the one they deuise superstitiously to driue away spirits and the other to keepe away from them the coldnesse of the nights Also in many places of Torrida Zona especially in the higher landes somewhat mountainous the people a litle shrincke at the cold and are often forced to prouide themselues clothing so that the Spaniards haue found in the West Indies many people clothed especially in Winter whereby appeareth that with their heat there is colde intermingled else would they neuer prouide this remedy of clothing which to them is rather a griefe and trouble then otherwise For when they goe to warres they will put off all their apparell thinking it to be combersome and will alwayes goe naked that they thereby might be more nimble in their sight Some there be that thinke the middle zone extreme hot because the people of the countrey can and doe liue without clothing wherein they childishly are deceiued for our Clime rather tendeth to extremitie of colde because wee cannot liue without clothing for this our double lining furring and wearing so many clothes is a remedy against extremitie and argueth not the goodnesse of the habitation but inconuenience and iniury of colde and that is rather the moderate temperate and delectable habitation where none of these troublesome things are required but that we may liue naked and bare as nature bringeth vs foorth Others againe imagine the middle zone to be extreme hot because the people of Africa especially the Ethiopians are so cole blacke and their haire like wooll curled short which blacknesse and curled haire they suppose to come onely by the parching heat of the Sunne which how it should be possible I cannot see for euen vnder the Equinoctiall in America and in the East Indies and in the Ilands Moluccae the people are not blacke but tauney and white with long haire vncurled as wee haue so that if the Ethiopians blacknesse came by the heat of the Sunne why should not those Americans and Indians also be as blacke as they seeing the Sunne is equally distant from them both they abiding in one Parallel for the concaue and conuere Superficies of the Orbe of the Sunne is concentrike and equidistant to the earth except any man should imagine somewhat of Aux Solis and Oppositum which indifferently may be applied aswel to the one place as to the other But the Sunne is thought to giue no otherwise heat but by way of Angle in reflection and not by his neerenesse to the earth for throughout all Africa yea in the middest of the middle Zone and in all other places vpon the tops of mountaines there lyeth continuall snow which is neerer to the Orbe of the Sunne then the people are in the valley by so much as the height of these mountaines amount vnto and yet the Sunne notwithstanding his neerenesse can not melt the snow for want of conuenient place of reflections Also the middle region of the aire where all the haile frost and snow is engendred is neerer vnto the Sunne then the earth is and yet there continueth perpetuall cold because there is nothing that the Sunne beames may reflect against whereby appeareth that the neerenesse of the body of the Sunne worketh nothing Therefore to returne againe to the blacke Moores I my selfe haue seene an Ethiopian as blacke as a cole brought into England who taking a faire English woman to wife begat a sonne in all respects as blacke as the father was although England were his natiue countrey and an English woman his mother whereby it seemeth this blacknes procceedeth rather of some natural infection of that man which was so strong that neither the nature of the Clime neither the good complexion of the mother concurring coulde any thing alter and therefore wee cannot impute it to the nature of the Clime And for a more fresh example our people of Meta Incognita of whom and for whom this discourse is taken in hande that were brought this last yeere into England were all generally of the same colour that many nations be lying in the middest of the middle Zone And this their colour was not onely in the face which was subiect to Sunne and aire but also in their bodies which were stil couered with garments as ours are yea the very sucking childe of twelue moneths age had his skinne of the very same colour that most haue vnder the Equinoctiall which thing cannot proceed by reason of the Clime for that they are at least ten degrees more towardes the North then wee in England are No the Sunne neuer commeth neere their Zenith by fourtie degrees for in effect they are within three or foure degrees of that which they call the frosen Zone and as I saide fourtie degrees from the burning Zone whereby it followeth that there is some other cause then the Climate or the Sonnes perpendicular reflexion that should cause the Ethiopians great blacknesse And the most probable cause to my iudgement is that this blackenesse proceedeth of some naturall infection of the first inhabitants of that Countrey and so all the whole progenie of them descended are still polluted with the same blot of infection Therefore it shall not bee farre from our purpose to examine the first originall of these blacke men and howe by a lineall discent 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 remained no moe men aliue but Noe and his three sonnes Sem Cham and Iaphet who onely were left to possesse and inhabite the whole face of the earth therefore all the sundry discents that vntil this present day haue inhabited the whole earth must needes come of the off-spring either of Sem Cham or Iaphet as the onely sonnes of Noe who all three being white and their wiues also by course of nature should haue begotten and brought foorth white children But the enuie of our great and continuall enemie the wicked Spirite is such that as hee coulde not suffer our olde father Adam to liue in the felicitie and Angelike state wherein hee
regions habitable I shal be very short because the same reasons serue for this purpose which were alleged before in the prouing the middle zone to be temperate especially seeing all heat and colde proceed from the Sunne by the meanes either of the Angle which his beames do make with the Horizon or els by the long or short continuance of the Suns presence aboue ground so that if the Sunnes beames do beat perpendicularly at right Angles then there is one cause of heat and if the Sunne do also long continue aboue the Horizon then the heat thereby is much increased by accesse of this other cause so groweth to a kinde of extremity And these two causes as I sayd before do most concurre vnder the two Tropicks and therefore there is the greatest heat of the world And likewise where both these causes are most absent there is greatest want of heat and increase of colde seeing that colde is nothing but the priuation and absence of heat and if one cause be wanting and the other present the effect will grow indifferent Therefore this is to be vnderstood that the neerer any region is to the Equinoctiall the higher the Sunne doth rise ouer their heads at noone and so maketh either right or neere right Angles but the Sunne carieth with them so much the shorter time and causeth shorter dayes with longer and colder nights to restore the domage of the day past by reason of the moisture conâ—umed by vapour But in such regions ouer the which the Sunne riseâ—h lower as in regions extended towards either pole it maketh there vnequall Angles but the Sunne continueth longer and maketh longer dayes and causeth so much shorter and warmer nights as retaining warme vapours of the day past For there are found by experience Summer nights in Scotland and Gothland very hot when vnder thâ— Equinoctiall they are found very cold This benefit of the Sunnes long continuance increase of the day doth augment so much the more in colde regions as they are nerer the poles and ceaseth not increasing vntill it come directly vnder the point of the pole Arcticke where the Sunne continueth aboue ground the space of sixe moneths or halfe a yere together and so the day is halfe a yere long that is the time of the Sunnes being in the North signes from the first degree of Aries vntill the last of Virgo that is aâ—l the time from our 10 day of March vntill the 14 of September The Sunne therfore during the timâ— of these sixe moneths without any offence or hindrance of the night giueth his influence vpon those lands with heat that neuer ceaseth during that time which maketh to the great increase of Summer by reason of the Sunnes continuance Therefore it followeth that though the Sunne be not there very high ouer their heads to cause right angle beames and to giue great heat yet the Sun being there sometime almost 24 degrees high doth cast a conuenient and meane heat which there continueth without hindrance of the night the space of sixe moneths as is before sayd during which time there followeth to be a conuenient moderate and temperate heat or els rather it is to be suspected the heat there to be very great both for continuance and also Quia virtus vnita crescit the vertue and strength of heat vnited in one increaseth If then there be such a moderate heat vnder the poles and the same to continue so long time what should moone the olde writers to say there cannot be place for habitation And that the certainty of this temperate heat vnder both the poles might more manifestly appeare let vs consider the position quality of the sphere the length of the day and so gather the height of the Sunne at all times and by consequent the quantity of his angle and so lastly the strength of his heat Those lands and regions lying vnder the pole and hauing the pole for their zenith must needs haue the Equinoctial circle for their Horizon therefore the Sun entring into the North signes and describing euery 24 houres a parallel to the Equinoctiall by the diurnall motion of Primum mobile the same parallels must needs be wholly aboue the Horizon and so looke how many degrees there are from the first of Aries to the last of Virgo so many whole reuolutions there are aboue their Horizon that dwell vnder the pole which amount to 182 and so many of our dayes the Sunne continueth with them During which time they haue there continuall day and light without any hindrance of moist nights Yet it is to be noted that the Sunne being in the first degree of Aries and last degree of Virgo maketh his reuolution in the very horizon 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 seeing the greatest declination of the Sunne is almost 24 degrees it followeth his greatest height in those countreys to be almost 24 degrees And so high is the Sun at noone to vs in London about the 29 of October being in the 15 degree 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 the same force of heat it hath to them that dwell vnder the pole the space almost of two moneths during the time of the Summer solstitium and that without intermingling of any colde night so that if the heat of the Sunne at noone could be well measured in London which is very hard to do because of the long nights which ingender great moisture and cold then would manifestly appeare by expresse numbers the maner of the heat vnder the poles which certainly must needs be to the inhabitants very commodious and profitable if it incline not to ouermuch heat and if moisture do not want For as in October in England we finde temperate aire and haue in our gardens hearbs and floures notwithstanding our cold nights how much more should they haue the same good aire being continuall without night This heat of ours continueth but one houre while the Sun is in that meridian but theirs continueth a long time in one height This our heat is weake and by the coolenesse of the night vanisheth that heat is strong and by continuall accesse is still increased and strengthened And thus by a similitude of the equall height of the Sun in both places appeareth the commodious and moderate heat of the regions vnder the poles And surely I cannot thinke that the diuine prouidence hath made any thing vncommunicable but to haue giuen such order to all things that one way or other the same should be imployed and that euery thing and place should be tollerable to the next but especially all things in this lower world be giuen to man
onely one halfe houre the Minion was made readie to auoide and so leesing her hedfaâ—ls and hayling away by the sterâ—â—fastes she was gotten out tâ—us with Gods helpâ— she dâ—fendeâ— the violence of the first brunt of these three hundred men The Minion being past out they came aboâ—rd the Iesus which also with very much a doe and the losse of manie of our men were defended and kept out Then were there also two other ships that assaulted the Iesus at the same instant so that she had hard getting loose but yet with some time we had cut our head-fastes and gotten out by the sterne-fastes Nowe when the Iesus and the Minion were gottâ—n about two shippes length from the Spanish fleete the fight beganne so hotte on all sides that within one houre the Admirall of the Spaniards was supposed to be sunke their Uiceadmirall burned and one other of their principall ships supposed to be sunke so that the shippes were little able to annoy vs. Then is it to be vnderstood that all the Ordinance vpon the Ilande was in the Spaniardes handes which did vs so great annoyance that it cut all the mastes and yardes of the Iesus in such sort that there was no hope to carrie her away also it sunke our small shippes wereupon we determined to place the Iesus on that side of the Minion that she might abide all the batterie from the land and so be a defence for the Minion till night and then to take such reliefe of victuall and other necessaries from the Iesus as the time would suffer vs and to leaue her As we were thus determining and had placed the Minion from the shot of the land suddenly the Spaniards had fired two great shippes which were comming directly with vs and hâ—uing no meanes to auoide the fire it bredde among our men a maruellous feare so that some sayd let vs depart with the Minion other said let vs see whither the winde will carrie the fire from vs. But to be short the Minions men which had alwayes theâ—r sayles in a readinesse thouâ—ht to make sure worke and so without either consent of the Captâ—ine or Master cut therâ— saile so that very hardly I was receiued into the Minion The most part of the men that were left a liue in the Iesus made shift and followed the Minion in a small boat the rest which the little bâ—ate was not able â—o receiue were inforâ—â—d â—â— abide the mercie of the Spaniards which I doubt was very little so with the Minion only and the â—udith a small barke of 50 tunne we escaped which barke the same night forsooke vs in our great miserie we were now remooued with the Minion from the Spanish ships two bow-shâ—oâ—es and there rode all that night the next morning we recouered aâ— Iland a mile from the Spaniardes where there tooke vs a North winde and being left onely with two ankers and two cables for in this conflict we lost three cables and two ankers we thought alwayes vpon death which euer was present but God preserued vs to a longer time The weather waxed reasonable and the Saturday we set saile and hauing a great number of men and little victuals our hope of life waxed lesse and lesse some desired to yeeld to the Spaniards some rather desired to obtaine a place where they might giue themselues to the Infidels and some had rather abide with a little pittance the mercie of God at Sea so thus with many sorowfull hearts we wandred in an vnknowen Sea by the space of 14 dayes till hunger inforced vs to seeke the land for hides were thought very good meat rats cats mice and dogs none escaped that might be gotten parrats and monkeyes that were had in great price were thought there very profitable if they serued the turne one dâ—nner thus in the end the 8 day of October we came to the land in the boâ—ome of the same bay of Mexico in 23 degrees and a halfe where we hoped to haue found inhabitants of the Spaniards reliefe of victuals and place for the repaire of our ship which was so sore beaten with shot from our enemies and brused with shooting off our owne ordinance that our wearie and weake armes were scarce able to defende and keâ—pe out water But all things happened to the contrary for we found neither people victuall nor hauen of reliefe but a place where hauing faire weather with some perill we might land a boat our people being forced with hunger desired to be set on land whereunto I consented And such as were willing to land I put them apart and such as were desirous to goe homewardes I put a part so that they were indifferently parted a hundred of one side and a hundred of the other side these hundred men we set a land with all diligence in this little place before said which being landed we determined there to take in fresh water and so with our little remaine of vâ—ctuals to take the sea The next day hauing a land with me fiftie of our hundreth men that remained for the speedier preparing of our water aboord there arose an extreame storme so that in three dayes we could by no meanes repaire aboord our ship the ship also was in such perill that euery houre we looked for shipwracke But yet God againe had mercie on vs and sent faire weather we had aboord our water and departâ—d the siâ—teenth day of October after which day we had faire and prosperous weather till the siâ—teenth day of Nouâ—mber which day God be praysed we were cleere from the coast of the Indies and out of â—hâ— chanell and gulfe of Bahama which is betweene the Cape of Florida and the Ilandes of Iucayo After this growing neere to the colde countrey our men being oppressed with famine died continually and they that were left grew into such weaknesse that we were scantly able to manage our shippe and the winde being alwayes ill for vs to recouer England we determined to goe with Galicia in Spaine with intent there to relieue our companie and other extreame wantes And being arriued the last day of December in a place neere vnto Vigo called Ponce Vedra our men with excesse of fresh meate grew into miserable disseases and died a great part of them This matter was borne out as long as it might be but in the end although there were none of our men suffered to goe a land yet by accesse of the Spaniards our feeblenesse was knowen to them Whereupon they ceased not to seeke by all meanes to betray vs but with all speede possible we departed to Vigo where we had some helpe of certaine English ships and twelue fresh mâ—n wherewith we repaired our wants as we might and departing the 20 day of Ianuary 1568 arriued in Mounts bay in Cornewall the 25 of the same moneth praised be God therefore If all the miseries and troublesome affâ—ires of this sorowfull voyage
that land to the end you may winter there the first yeere if you be let by contrary winds and to the end that if we may in short time come vnto Cambalu and vnlade and set saile againe for returne without venturing there at Cambalu that you may on your way come as farre in returne as a port about Noua Zembla that the summer following you may the sooner be in England for the more speedy vent of your East commodities and for the speedier discharge of your Mariners if you cannot go forward and backe in one selfe same Summer And touching the tract of the land of Noua Zembla toward the East out of the circle Arcticke in the more temperate Zone you are to haue regard for if you finde the soyle planted with people it is like that in time an ample vent of our warme wollen clothes may be found And if there be no people at all there to be found then you shall specially note what plentie of whales and of other fish is to be found there to the ende we may turne our newe found land fishing or Island fishing or our whale fishing that way for the ayde and comfort of our newe trades to the Northeast to the coasts of Asia Respect of fish and certaine other things ANd if the aire may be found vpon that tract temperate and the soile yeelding wood water land and grasse and the seas fish then we may plant on that maine the offals of our people as the Portingals do in Brasill and so they may in our fishing in our passage and diuers wayes yeelde commoditie to England by harbouring and victualling vs. And it may be that the inland there may yeeld masts pitch tarre hempe and all things for the Nauie as plentifully as Eastland doth The Islands to be noted with their commodities and wants TO note the Islands whether they be hie land or low land mountaine or flat grauelly clay chalkie or of what soile woody or not woody with springs and riuers or not and what wilde beastes they haue in the same And whether there seeme to be in the same apt matter to build withall as stone free or rough and stone to make lime withall and wood or coale to burne the same withall To note the goodnesse or the badnesse of the hauens and harborowes in the Islands If a straight be found what is to be done and what great importance it may be of ANd if there be a straight in the passage into the Scithian seas the same is specially and with great regard to be noted especially if the same straight be narrow and to be kept I say it is to be noted as a thina that doeth much import for what prince soeuer shall be Lorde of the same and shall possesse the same as the king of Denmarke doeth possesse the straight of Denmarke he onely shall haue the trate out of these regions into the Northeast parts of the world for himselfe and for his priuate profit or for his subiects onely or to enioy wonderfull benefit of the toll of the same like as the king of Denmarke doth enioy of his straights by suffring the merchants of other Princes to passe that way If any such straight be found the eleuation the high or lowe land the hauens neere the length of the straights and all other such circumstances are to be set downe for many purposes and al the Mariners in the voyage are to be sworne to keepe close all such things that other Princes preuent vs not of the same after our returne vpon the disclosing of the Mariners if any such thing should hap Which way the Sauage may bee made able to purchase our cloth and other their wants IF you find any Island or maine land populous and that the same people hath need of cloth then are you to deuise what commodities they haue to purchase the same withall If they be poore then are you to consider of the soile and hâ—w by any possibilitie the same may be made to inrich them that hereafter they may haue something to purchase the cloth withall If you enter into any maine by portable riuer and shall find any great woods you are to note what kind of timber they be of that we may know whether they are for pitch tarre mastes deale-boord clapboord or for building of ships or houses for so if the people haue no vse of them they may be brought perhaps to vse Not to venture the losse of any one man YOu must haue great care to preserue your people since your number is so small and not to venture any one man in any wise To bring home besides merchandize certaine trifles BRing home with you if you may from Cambalu or other ciuil place one or other yong man although you leaue one for him Also the fruites of the Countreys if they will not of themselues dure drie them and so preserue them And bring with you the kernels of peares and apples and the stones of such stonefruits as you shall find there Also the seeds of all strange herbs flowers for such seeds of fruits and herbs comming from another part of the world and so far off will delight the fansie of many for the strangenesse and for that the same may grow and continue the delight long time If you arriue at Cambalu or Quinsay to bring thence the mappe of that countrey for so shall you haue the perfect description which is to great purpose To bring thence some old printed booke to see whether they haue had print there before it was deuised in Europe as some write To note their force by sea and by land If you arriue to Cambalu or Quinsay to take a speciall view of their Nauie and to note the force greatnesse maner of building of them the sailes the tackles the ankers the furniture of them with ordinance armour and munition Also to note the force of the wals and bulwarks of their cities their ordonance and whether they haue any calâ—uers and what powder and shot To note what armour they haue What swords What pikes halberds and bils What horses of force and what light horses they haue And so throughout to note the force of the Countrey both by sea and by land Things to be marked to make coniectures by TO take speciall note of their buildings and of the ornaments of their houses within Take a speciall note of their apparell and furniture and of the substance that the same is made of of which a Merchant may make a gesse as well of their commoditie as also of their wants To note their Shoppes and Warehouses and with what commodities they abound the price also To see their Shambles and to view all such things as are brought into the Markets for so you shall soone see the commodities and the maner of the people of the inland and so giue a gesse of many things To note their fields of graine and their trees of fruite and how they
pases yet lesse by one quarter then an English mile If the whole dominion of the Russe Emperour were all habitable and peopled in all places as it is in some he would either hardly holde it all within one regiment or be ouer mightie for all his neighbour Princes Of the Soile and Climate THe soyle of the Countrey for the most part is of a sleight sandie moulde yet very much different one place from another for the yeeld of such things as grow out of the earth The Countrey Northwards towards the parts of S. Nicholas and Cola and Northeast towards Siberia is all very barren and full of desert woods by reason of the Climate and extremitie of the colde in Winter time So likewise along the Riuer Volgha betwixt the Countreys of Cazan and Astracan where notwithstanding the soyle is very fruitfull it is all vnhabited sauing that vpon the riuer Volgha on the Westside the Emperour hath some fewe Castels with garisons in them This happeneth by meanes of the Crimme Tartar that will neither himselfe plant Townes to dwel there liuing a wild and vagrant life nor suffer the Russe that is farre off with the strength of his Countrey to people those parts From Vologda which lyeth almost 1700. verst from the port of S. Nicholas downe towards Mosco and so towards the South part that bordereth vpon the Crimme which conteineth the like space of 1700. verst or there abouts is a very fruitfull and pleasant Countrey yeelding pasture and corne with woods and waters in very great plentie The like is betwixt Rezan that lyeth Southeast from Mosco to Nouogrod and Vobsko that reach farthest towards the Northwest So betwixt Mosco and Smolensko that lyeth Southwest towards Lituania is a very fruitfull and pleasant soile The whole Countrey differeth very much from it selfe by reason of the yeere so that a man would marueile to see the great alteration and difference betwixt the Winter and the Summer Russia The whole Countrey in the Winter lieth vnder snow which falleth continually and is sometime of a yard or two thicke but greater towards the North. The Riuers and other waters are all frosen vp a yard or more thicke how swift or broade so euer they bee And this continueth commonly fiue moneths viz. from the beginning of Nouember till towardes the ende of March what time the snow beginneth to melâ—â— So that it would breede a frost in a man to looke abroad at that time and see the Winter face of that Countrey The sharpenesse of the aire you may iudge of by this for that water dropped downe or cast vp into the aire congealeth into yce before it come to the ground In the extremitie of Winter if you holde a pewter dish or pot in your hand or any other mettall except in some chamber where their warme stoaues bee your fingers will friese fast vnto it and drawe off the skinne at the pâ—rting When you passe out of a warme roome into a colde you shall sensibly feele your breath to waxe starke and euen sâ—ifeling with the colde as you drawe it in and out Diuers not onely that trauell abroad but in the very markets and streetes of their Townes are mortally pinched and killed withall so that you shall see many drop downe in the streetes many trauellers brought into the Townes sitting dead and stiffe in their Sleds Diuers lose their noses the tips of their eares and the bals of their cheekes their toes feâ—te c. Many times when the Winter is very hard and extreeme the beares and woolfes issue by troupes out of the woods driuen by hunger and enter the villages tearing and rauening all they can finde so that the inhabitants are faine to flie for safegard of their liuesâ— And yet in the Sommer time you shal see such a new hiew and face of a Countrey the woods for the most part wâ—ich are all of firre and birch so fresh and so sweete the pastures and medowes so greene and well growen and that vpon the sudden such varietie of flowers such noyse of birâ—es specially of Nightingales that seeme to be more lowde and of a more variable noâ—e then in other Couâ—treys that a man shall not lightly trauell in a more pleasant Countrey And this fresh and speedy growth of the Spring there seemeth to proceede from the benefite of the snow which all the Winter time being spread ouer the whole Countrey as a white robe and keeping it warme from the rigour of the froft in the Spring time when the Sunne waxeth warme and dissolueth it into water doeth so throughly drench and soake the ground that is somewhat of a sleight and sandie mould and then shineth so hâ—tely vpon it againe that it draweth the hearbes and plants foorth in great plentie and varietie in a very short time As the Winter exceedeth in colde so the Sommer inclineth to ouer much heat specially in the moneths of Iune Iuly and August being much warmer then the Sommer aire in England The Countrey throughout is very well watred with springs riuers and Ozeraes or lakes Wherein the prouidence of God is to be noted for that much of the Countrey being so farre inland as that some part lieth a thousand miles and more euery way from any Sea yet it is serued with faire Riuâ—rs and that in very great number that emptying themselues one into another runne all into the Sea Their lakes are many and large some of 60. 80. 100. and 200 miles long with breadth proportionate The chiefe Riuers are these First Volgha that hath his head or spring at the roote of an Aldeâ—tree about 200. verst aboue Yaruslaue and groweth so bigge by the encrease of other Riuers by that time it commeth thither that it is broad an English nule and more and so runnesh into the Caspian sea about 2800. verst or miles of length The next is Boristhenes now called Neper that diuideth the Countrey from Lituania and falleth into the Euxin sea The third Tanais or Don the ancient bounder betwixt Europe and Asia that taketh his head out of Rezan Ozera and so running through the Countrey of the Chrim Tartar falleth into the great Sea lake or meare called Maeotis by the Citie of Azou By this Riuer as the Russe reporteth you may passe from their Citie Mosco to Constantinople and so into all those parts of the world by water drawing your boate as their maner is ouer a little Isthmus or narrowe slip of land a few versts ouerthwart Which was proued not long since by an Ambassadour sent to Constantinople who passed the Riuer of Moscua and so into another called Ocka whence hee drew his boat ouer into Tanais and thence passed the whole way by water The fourth is called Duyâ—a many hundred miles long that falleth Northward into the bay of S. Nicholas and hath great Alabaster rockes on the bankes towards the sea side The fifth Duna that emptieth into the Baltick sea by the towne Riga The sixt Onega that
the materials and substances that the Turkes vse in dying be they of Herbes simple or compound be they Plants Barkes Wood Berries Seedes Graines or Minerall matter or what els soeuer But before all other such things as yeeld those famous colours that carrie such speciall report of excellencie that our Merchaunts may bring them to this realme by ordinarie trade as a right meane for the better vent of our clothes 4 To know the vse of those and where the naturall place of them and of ech of them is I meane the place where ech of them groweth or is bred 5 And in any wise if Anile that coloureth blew be a naturall commodity of these parts and if it be compounded of an herbe to send the same into this realme by seed or by root in barrell of earth with all the whole order of sowing setting planting replanting and with the compounding of the same that it may become a naturall commodity in this realme as Wood is to this end that the high price of forreine Wood which deuoureth yeerely great treasure may be brought downe So shall the marchant buy his cloth lesse deare and so he shal be able to occupy with lesse stocke be able to afoord cloth cheaper make more ample vent and also become a greater gainer himselfe and all this to the benefit of this realme 6 To do the like with herbe plant or tree that in dying is of any excellent vse as to send the same by seed berry root c for by such meanes Saffron was brought first into this realme which hath set many poore on worke and brought great wealth into this realme Thus may Sumack the plane wherewith the most excellent blacks be died in Spaine be brought out of Spaine and out of the Ilands of the same if it will grow in this more colde climat For thus was Woad brought into this realme and came to good perfection to the great losse of the French our olde enemies And it doth maruellously import this realme to make naturall in this realme such things as be special in the dying of our clothes And to speake of such things as colour blew they are of greatest vse and are grounds of the most excellent colours and therefore of all other to be brought into this realme be it Anile or any other materiall of that quality 7 And because yellowes and greenes are colours of small prices in this realme by reason that Olde and Greenweed wherewith they be died be naturall here and in great plenty therefore to bring our clothes so died to common sale in Turkie were to the great benefit of the marchant and other poore subiects of this realme for in sale of such our owne naturall colours we consume not our treasure in forren colours and yet we sell our owne trifles dearely perhaps 8 The woolles being naturall and excellent colours for dying becomming by this meanes here also naturall in all the arte of Clothing then we want but one onely speciall thing For in this so temperate a climat our people may labor the yere thorowout whereas in some regions of the world they cannot worke for extreme heat as in some other regions they cannot worke for extreme colde a good part of the yere And the people of this realme by the great and blessâ—d abundance of victuall are cheaply fed and therefore may afoord their labour cheape And where the Clothiers in Flanders by the flatnesse of their riuers cannot make Walkmilles for their clothes but are forced to thicken and dresse all their clothes by the foot and by the labour of men whereby their clothes are raised to an higher price we of England haue in all Shires store of milles vpon falling riuers And these riuers being in temperate zones are not dried vp in Summer with drought and heat as the riuers be in Spaine and in hotter regions nor frozen vp in Winter as all the riuers be in all the North regions of the world so as our milles may go and worke at all times and dresse clothes cheaply Then we haue also for scowring our clothes earths and claies as Walkers clay and the clay of Oborne little inferior to Sope in scowring and in thicking Then also haue we some reasonable store of Alum and Copporas here made for dying and are like to haue increase of the same Then we haue many good waters apt for dying and people to spin and to doe the rest of all the labours we want not So as there wanteth if colours might be brought in and made naturall but onely Oile the want whereof if any man could deuise to supply at the full with any thing that might become naturall in this realme he whatsoeuer he were that could bring it about might deserue immortall fame in this our Common wealth and such a deuise was offered to the Parliament and refused becaused they denied to endow him with a certaine liberty some others hauing obtained the same before that practised to worke that effect by Radish seed which onely made a triall of small quantity and that went no further to make that Oile in plenty and now he that offered this deuise was a marchant and is â—ead and withall the deuise is dead with him It is written by one that wrote of Afrike that in Egyptin a city called Muhaisira there be many milles imployed in making of Oile of the seed of an herbe called Sesanium Pena and Lobell Physicians write in our time that this herbe is a codded herbe full of oily seed and that there is plenty of this seede brought out of Egypt to diuers Cities in Italy If this herbe will prosper in this realme our marchants may easily bring of it c. 9 Hauing heerein thus troubled you by raising to your minde the consideration of certaine things it shall not be impertinent to tell you that it shall not be amisse that you note all the order of the degrees of labour vsed in Turky in the arte of Clothing and to see if any way they excell in that profession our people of these parts and to bring notice of the same into this realme 10 And if you shall finde that they make any cloth of any kind not made in this realme that is there of great vse then to bring of the same into this realme some Mowsters that our people may fall into the trade and prepare the same for Turkie for the more kinds of cloth we can deuise to make the more ample vent of our commoditie we shall haue and the more sale of the labour of our poore subiects that els for lacke of labour become idle and burdenous to the common weale and hurtfull to many and in England we are in our clothing trade to frame our selues according to the desires of forren nations be it that they desire thicke or thinne broad or narowe long or short white or blacke 11 But with this prouiso alwayes that our cloth passe out with as much
in taste much like vnto whey but somewhat sweeter and more pleasant They cut the branches euery euening because they are feared vp in the day by the heate of the Sunne They haue also great beanes as bigge as chestnuts and very hard with a shell in the stead of a huske Many things more nught be saide of the maners of the people and of the wonders and monstrous things that are engendred in Africke But it shall suffice to haue saide thus much of such things as our men partly sawe and partly brought with them And whereas before speaking of the fruit of graines I described the same to haue holes by the side as in deede it hath as it is brought hither yet was I afterward enfourmed that those holes were made to put stringes or twigges through the fruite thereby to hang them vp to dry at the Sunne They grow not past a foote and a halfe or two foote from the ground and are as red as blood when they are gathered The graines themselues are called of the Phisicions Grana Paradisi At their câ—mming home the keeles of their shippes were marueilously ouergrowne with certaine shelles of two inches length and more as thicke as they could stand and of such bignesse that a man might put his thumbe in the mouthes of them They certainely affirme that in these there groweth a certaine slimie substance which at the length slipping out of the shell and falling in the sea becommeth those foules which we call Barnacles The like shelles haue bene seene in ships returning froÌ„ Iseland but these shels were not past halfe an inch in length Of the other that came from Guinea I sawe the Primerose lying in the docke and in maner couered with the said shels which in my iudgement should greatly hinder her sayling Their ships were also in many places eaten with the wormes called Bromas or Bissas whereof mention is made in the Decades These creepe betweene the plankes which they eate through in many places Among other things that chanced to them in this voyage this is worthy to be noted that wheras they sailed thither in seuen weekes they could returne in no lesse space then twentie weekes The cause whereof they say to be this That about the coast of Cabo Verde the winde is euer at the East by reason whereof they were enforced to saile farre out of their course into the maine Ocean to finde the winde at the West to bring them home There died of our men at this last voyage about twentie and foure whereof many died at their returne into the clime of the colde regions as betweene the Islands of Azores and England They brought with them certaine blacke slaues whereof some were tall and strong men and could wel agree with our meates and drinkes The colde and moyst aire doth somewhat offend them Yet doubtlesse men that are borne in hot Regions may better abide colde then men that are borne in colde Regions may abide heate forasmuch as vehement heate resolueth the radicall moysture of mens bodies as colde constraineth and preserueth the same This is also to be considered as a secret worke of nature that throughout all Africke vnder the AEquinoctial line and neere about the same on both sides the regions are extreeme hote and the people very blacke Whereas contrarily such regions of the West Indies as are vnder the same line are very temperate and the people neither blacke nor with curlde and short wooll on their heads as they of Africke haue but of the colour of an Oliue with long and blacke heare on their heads the cause of which variety is declared in diuers places in the Decades It is also worthy to be noted that some of them that were at this voyage told me That is that they ouertooke the course of the Sunne so that they had it North from them at noone the 14. day of March. And to haue said thus much of these voyages it may suffice The first voyage made by Master VVilliam Towrson Marchant of London to the coast of Guinea with two Ships in the yeere 1555. VPon Munday the thirtieth day of September wee departed from the Isle of Wight out of the hauen of Neuport with two good shippes the one called the Hart the other the Hinde both of London and the Masters of them were Iohn Ralph and William Carter for a voyage to bee made vnto the Riuer de Sestos in Guinea and to other hauens thereabout It fell out by the varietie of windes that it was the foureteenth day of October before wee coulde fetch Dartmouth and being there arriued wee continued in that roade sixe dayes and the 20. of October we warpt out of the hauen and set saile directing our course towards the Southwest and the next morning we were runne by estimation thirty leagues The first of Nouember we found our selues to be in 31. degrees of latitude by the reckoning of our Master This day we ranne about 40. leagues also The second day we ranne 36. leagues The third day we had sight of Porto Santo which is a small Island lying in the sea about three leagues long and a league a halfe broad is possessed by Portugals It riseth as we came from the Northnorthwest like two small hilles neere together The East end of the same Island is a high land like a saddle with a valley which makes it to beare that forme The West ende of it is lower with certaine small round hillocks This Island lyeth in thirty and three degrees The same day at 11. of the clocke we raysed the Isle of Madera which lieth 12. leagues from Porto Santo towards the Southwest that Island is a faire Island and fruitfull and is inhabited by Portugals it riseth afarre off like a great whole land and high By three of the clocke this day at afternoone we were thwart of Porto Santo and we set our course Southwest to leaue the Isle of Madera to the Eastward as we did Porto Santo These two Islands were the first land that we saw since wee left the coast of England About three of the clocke after midnight wee were thwart of Madera within three leagues of the West ende of it and by meanes of the high hilles there we were becalmed We suppose we ranne this day and night 30. leagues The fourth day wee lay becalmed vnder the Isle of Madera vntill one of the clocke at afternoone and then the winde comming into the East wee went our course and ranne that day fifteene leagues The 5. day we ranne 15. leagues more The 6. day in the morning we raysed the Isle of Tenerif otherwiseâ— called the Pike because it is a very high Island with a pike vpon the top like a loafe of suger The same night we raised the Isle of Palma which is a high land also and to the Westward of the Isle of Tenerif The 7. day we
leagues from Lisbone westwards early in the morning Captaine Preston descried a sayle some two or three leagues a head of vs after which we presently hastened our chase and ouertooke her about eight or nine of the clocke before noone She came lately from Saint Michaels roade hauing beene before at Brasill loden with Sugar and Brasile Hauing sent our boat to them to bring some of the chiefe of their men aboord the Victorie in the meane time whilest they were in comming to vs one out of the maine toppe espied another saile a head some three or foure leagues from vs. So immediately vpon the returne of our boate hauing sent her backe againe with some of our men aboord the prize we pursued speedily this new chase with all the sayles we could packe on and about two a clocke in the afternoone ouertooke her she had made prouision to fight with vs hauing hanged the sides of the ship so thicke with hides wherewith especially she was loden that musket shot could not haue pearced them but yer we had discharged two great pieces of our Ordinance at her she stroke sayle and approching neerer we asking of whence they were they answered from the West-Indies from Mexico and Saint Iohn de Lowe truely called Vlhuaâ— This ship was of some three or foure hundred tunnes and had in her seuen hundred hides worth tenne shillings a peece sixe chests of Cochinell euery chest houlding one hundred pound weight and euery pound worth sixe and twentie shillings and eight pence and certaine chests of Sugar and China dishes with some plate and siluer The Captaine of her was an Italian and by his behauiour seemed to be a graue wise and ciuill man he had put in aduenture in this shippe fiue and twentie thousand Duckats Wee tooke him with certaine other of her chiefest men which were Spaniards into the Victorie and Captaine Lister with so manie other of the chiefest of our Mariners souldiers and saylers as were thought sufficient to the number of 20. or there abouts were sent into her In the meane time we staying our other prizes which followed after came vp to vs. And nowe wee had our hands full and with ioy shaped our course for England for so it was thought meetest hauing now so many Portugals Spaniards and French men amongst vs that if we should haue taken any more prizes afterwards wee had not bene well able to haue manned them without endangering our selues So about 6. of the clocke in the afternoone when our other prize had ouertaken vs wee set saile for England But our prizes not being able to beare vs company without sparing them many of our sailes which caused our ship to rowle and wallow in such sort that it was not onely veâ—y troublesome to vs but as it was thought would also haue put the maine Maste in danger of falling ouerboord hauing acquainted them with these inconueniences we gaue them direction to keepe their courses together folowing vs and so to come to Portsmouth We tooke this last prize in the latitude of 39. degrees and about 46. leagues to the Westwards from The Rocke She was one of those 16. ships which we saw going into the hauen at Angra in Terçera October 8. Some of the men that we tooke out of her tolde vs that whilest wee were plying vp and downe before that hauen as before was shewed expecting the comming foorth of those shippes three of the greatest and best of them at the appointment of the Gouernour of Terçera were vnloden of their treasure and marchandize And in euery of them were put three hundred Souldiers which were appointed to haue come to lay the Victory aboord in the night and take her but when this should haue bene done the Victory was gone out of their sight Now we went meerily before the winde with all the sailes we could beare insomuch that in the space of 24. houres we sailed neere 47. leagues that is seuenscore English miles betwixt Friday at noone and Saturday at noone notwithstanding the shippe was very foule and much growne with long being at Sea which caused some of our company to make accompt they would see what running at Tilt there should bee at Whitehall vpon the Queenes day Others were imagining what a Christmas they would keepe in England with their shares of the prizes we had taken But so it befell that we kept a colde Christmas with the Bishop and his clearks rockes that lye to the Westwards from Sylly and the Westerne parts of England For soone after the wind scanting came about to the Eastwards the worst part of the heauens for vs from which the winde could blow in such sort that we could not fetch any part of England And hereupon also our allowance of drinke which was scant ynough before was yet more more scanted because of the scarcitie thereof in the shippe So that now a man was allowed but halfe a pinte at a meale and that many times colde water and scarce sweete Notwithstanding this was an happie estate in comparison of that which followed For from halfe a pinte we came to a quarter and that lasted not long neither so that by reason of this great scarcitie of drinke and contrarietie of winde we thought to put into Ireland there to relieue our wants But when wee came neere thither lying at hull all night tarrying for the daylight of the next morning whereby we might the safelyer bring our ship into some conuenient harbour there we were driuen so farre to lee-ward that we could fetch no part of Ireland so as with heauie hearts and sad cheare wee were constreined to returne backe againe and expect till it should please God to send vs a faire winde either for England or Ireland In the meane time we were allowed euery man three or foure spoones full of vineger to drinke at a meale for other drinke we had none sauing onely at two or three meales when we had in stead hereof as much wine which was wringed out of Wine-lees that remained With this hard fare for by reason of our great want of drinke wee durst eate but very litle wee continued for the space of a fourtnight or thereabouts Sauing that now and then wee feasted for it in the meane time And that was when there fell any haile or raine the haile-stones wee gathered vp and did eate them more pleasantly then if they had bene the sweetest Comfits in the world The raine-drops were so carefully saued that so neere as wee coulde not one was lost in all our shippe Some hanged vp sheetes tied with cordes by the foure corners and a weight in the midst that the water might runne downe thither and so be receiued into some vessell set or hanged vnderneth Some that wanted sheetes hanged vp nakins and cloutes and watched them till they were thorow wet then wringing and sucking out the water And that water which fell downe and washed away the filth and soyling of the shippe trod vnder foote
men hurt at the Capsten wee were faine to giue ouer and leaue it behinde holding on our course to Ventre hauen where wee safely arriued the same day that place being a very safe and conuenient harbor for vs that now wee might sing as we had iust cause They that goe downe to the Sea c. So soone as we had ankered here my Lord went foorthwith to shoare and brought presently fresh water and fresh victuals as Muttons pigges hennes c. to refresh his company withall Notwithstanding himselfe had lately bene very weake and tasted of the same extremitie that his Company did For in the time of our former want hauing a little fresh water left him remaining in a pot in the night it was broken and the water drunke and dried vp Soone after the sicke and wounded men were carried to the next principall Towne called Dingenacusli being about three miles distant from the foresaide hauen where our shippe roade to the Eastwards that there they might be the better refreshed and had the Chirurgians dayly to attend vpon them Here we wel refreshed our selues whilest the Irish harpe sounded sweetely in our eares and here we who for the former extremities were in maner halfe dead had our liues as it were restored vnto vs againe This Dingenacush is the chiefe Towne in al that part of Ireland it coÌ„sisteth but of one maine streete from whence some smaller doe proceede on either side It hath had gates as it seemeth in times past at either ende to open and shut as a Towne of warre and a Castle also The houses are very strongly built with thicke stone walles and narrow windowes like vnto Castles for as they confessed in time of trouble by reason of the wilde Irish or otherwise they vsed their houses for their defence as Castles The castle and all the houses in the Towne saue foure were won burnt and ruinated by the Erle of Desmond These foure houses fortified themselues against him and withstood him and all his power perforce so as he could not winne them There remaineth yet a thicke stone wall that passeth ouerthwart the midst of the streete which was a part of their fortification Notwithstanding whilest they thus defended themselues as some of them yet aliue confessed they were driuen to as great extremities as the Iewes besieged by Titus the Romane Emperour insomuch that they were constrained to eat dead mens carcases for hunger The Towne is nowe againe somewhat repaired but in effect there remaine but the ruines of the former Towne Commonly they haue no chimneis in their houses excepting them of the better sort so that the smoake was very troublesom to vs while we continued there Their fewell is turfes which they haue very good and whinnes or furres There groweth little wood thereabouts which maketh building chargeable there as also want of lime as they reported which they are faine to fetch from farre when they haue neede thereof But of stones there is store ynough so that with them they commonly make their hedges to part ech mans ground from other and the ground seemeth to be nothing else within but rockes and stones Yet it is very fruitfull and plentifull of grasse and graine as may appeare by the abundance of kine and cattel there insomuch that we had good muttons though somewhat lesse then ours in England for two shillings or fiue groates a piece good pigges and hennes for 3. pence a piece The greatest want is industrious painefull and husbandly inhabitants to till and trimme the ground for the common sort if they can prouide sufficient to serue from hand to mouth take no further care Of money as it seemeth there is very small store amongst them which perhaps was the cause that made them double and triple the prizes of many things we bought of them more then they were before our comming thither Good land was here to be had for foure pence the Acre yeerely rent There are Mines of Alome Tinne brasse and yron Sâ—ones wee sawe there as cleare as Christall naturally squared like Diamonds That part of the Countrey is all ful of great mountaines and hills from whence came running downe the pleasant streames of sweete fresh running water The naturall hardnesse of that Nation appeareth in this that their small children runne vsually in the middest of Winter vp and downe the streetes bare-foote and bare-legged with no other apparell many times saue onely a mantell to couer their nakednesse The chiefe Officer of their Towne they call their Soueraigne who hath the same office and authoritie among them that our Maiors haue with vs in England and hath his Sergeants to attenâ— vpon him and beare the Mace before him as our Maiors We were first intertained at the Soueraignes house which was one of those 4. that withstood the Erle of Desmond in his rebellion They haue the same forme of Common prayer word for word in Latin that we haue here in England Upon the Sunday the Soueraigne commeth into the Church with his Sergeant before him and the Sheriffe and others of the Towne accompany him and there they kneele downe euery man by himselfe priuately to make his prayers After this they rise and go out of the Church againe to drinke which being done they returne againe into the Church and then the Minister beginneth prayers Their maner of baptizing differeth something from ours part of the seruice belonging thereto is repeated in Latin and part in Irish. The Minister taketh the child in his hands and first dippeth it backwards and then forwards ouer head and eares into the cold water in the midst of Winter whereby also may appeare their naturall hardnesse as before was specified They had neither Bell drum nor trumpet to call the Parishioners together but they expect till their Soueraigne come and then they that haue any deuotion follow him They make their bread all in cakes and for the tenth part the bakers bake for all the towne We had of them some 10. or 11. Tunnes of beere for the Victory but it proued like a present purgation to them that tooke it so that we chose rather to drinke water then it The 20. of December we loosed froÌ„ hence hauing well prouided our selues of fresh water and other things necessary being accompanied with sir Edw. Dennie his Lady and two yong sonnes This day in the morning my Lord going ashoare to dispatch away speedily some fresh water that remained for the Victory the winde being very faire for vs brought vs newes that there were 60. Spanish prizes taken and brought to England For two or three dayes wee had a faire winde but afterwards it scanted so that as I said before we were faine to keepe a cold Christmas with The Bishop and his clearkes After this we met with an English ship that brought vs ioyful news of 91. Spanish prizes that were come to England and sorrowfull newes withall that the last and best prize we tooke had suffered shipwracke at
in maner an infant his parents caried with them into England hauing occasion to resort thither for trade of marchandise as is the maner of the Venetians to leaue no part of the world vnsearched to obtaine riches Hee therefore furnished two ships in England at his owne charges and first with 300 men directed his course so farre towards the North pole that euen in the moneth of Iuly he found monstrous heapes of ice swimming on the sea and in maner continuall day light yet saw he the land in that tract free from ice which had bene molten by the heat of the Sunne Thus seeing such heapes of yce before him hee was enforced to turne his sailes and follow the West so coasting still by the shore that he was thereby brought so farre into the South by reason of the land bending so much Southwards that it was there almost equall in latitude with the sea Fretum Herculeum hauing the Northpole eleuate in maner in the same degree He sailed likewise in this tract so farre towards the West that hee had the Island of Cuba on his left hand in maner in the same degree of longitude As hee trauelled by the coastes of this great land which he named Baccalaos he saith that hee found the like course of the waters toward the West but the same to runne more softly and gently then the swift waters which the Spaniards found in their Nauigations Southward Wherfore it is not onely more like to be true but ought also of necessitie to be concluded that betweene both the lands hitherto vnknowen there should be certaine great open places whereby the waters should thus continually passe from the East vnto the West which waters I suppose to be driuen about the globe of the earth by the vncessant mouing and impulsion of the heauens and not to bee swallowed vp and cast vp againe by the breathing of Demogorgon as some haue imagined because they see the seas by increase and decrease to ebbe and flowe Sebastian Cabot himselfe named those lands Baccalaos because that in the Seas thereabout hee found so great multitudes of certaine bigge fishes much like vnto Tunies which the inhabitants call Baccalaos that they sometime stayed his shippes He found also the people of those regions couered with beastes skinnes yet not without the vse of reason He also saith there is great plentie of Beares in those regions which vse to eate fish for plunging themselues into y e water where they perceiue a multitude of these fishes to lie they fasten their clawes in their scales and so draw them to land and eate them so as he saith the Beares being thus satisfied with fish are not noisome to men Hee declareth further that in many places of these Regions he saw great plentie of Copper among the inhabitants Cabot is my very friend whom I vse familiarly and delight to haue him sometimes keepe mee company in mine owne house For being called out of England by the commandement of the Catholique King of Castile after the death of King Henry the seuenth of that name King of England he was made one of our councill and Assistants as touching the affaires of the new Indies looking for ships dayly to be furnished for him to discouer this his secret of Nature The testimonie of Francis Lopez de Gomara a Spaniard in the fourth Chapter of the second Booke of his generall history of the West Indies concerning the first discouerie of a great part of the West Indies to wit from 58. to 38. degrees of latitude by Sebastian Cabota out of England HE which brought most certaine newes of the countrey people of Baccalaos saith Gomara was Sebastian Cabote a Uenetian which rigged vp two ships at the cost of K. Henry the 7. of England hauing great desire to traffique for the spices as the Portingals did He caried with him 300. men and tooke the way towards Island from beyond the Cape of Labrador vntill he found himselfe in 58. degrees and better He made relation that in the moneth of Iuly it was so cold and the ice so great that hee durst not passe any further that the dayes were very long in a maner without any night and for that short nâ—ght that they had it was very cleare Cabot feeling the cold turned towards the West refreshing himselfe at Baccalaos and afterwards he sailed along the coast vnto 38. degrees and from â—hence he shaped his course to returne into England A note of Sebastian Cabots first discouerie of part of the Indies taken out of the latter part of Robert Fabians Chronicle not hitherto printed which is in the custodie of M. Iohn Stow a diligent preseruer of Antiquities IN the 13. yeere of K. Henry the 7. by meanes of one Iohn Cabot a Venetian which made himselfe very expert and cunning in knowledge of the circuit of the world and Ilands of the same as by a Sea card and other demonstrations reasonable he shewed the king caused to man and victuall a ship at Bristow to search for an Island which he said hee knew well was rich and replenished with great commodities Which shippe thus manned and victualled at the kings cost diuers Marchants of London ventured in her small stocks being in her as chiefe patron the said Venetian And in the company of the said ship sailed also out of Bristow three or foure small ships fraught with sleight and grosse marchandizes as course cloth caps laces points other trifles And so departed from Bristow in the beginning of May of whom in this Maiors time returned no tidings Of three Sauages which Cabot brought home and presented vnto the King in the foureteenth yere of his raigne mentioned by the foresaid Robert Fabian THis yeere also were brought vnto the king three men taken in the Newfound Island that before I spake of in William Purchastime being Maior These were clothed in beasts skins did eate raw flesh and spake such speach that no man could vnderstand them and in their demeanour like to bruite beastes whom the King kept a time after Of the which vpon two yeeres after I saw two apparelled after â—he maner of Englishmen in Westminster pallace which that time I could not discerne from Englishmen til I was learned what they were but as for speach I heard none of them vtter one word A briefe extract concerning the discouerie of Newfound-land taken out of the booke of M. Robert Thorne to doctor Leigh c. I Reason that as some sickenesses are hereditarie so this inclination or desire of this discouery I inherited from my father which with another marchant of Bristol named Hugh Eliot were the discouerers of the Newfound-lands of the which there is no doubt as nowe plainely appeareth if the Mariners would then haue bene ruled and followed their Pilots minde but the lands of the West Indies from whence all the golde commeth had bene ours for all is one coast as by the Card appeareth and is
the day is longer by an houre and a halfe then it is vnder the Equinoctiall wherefore the heate of the Sunne hauing a longer time of operation must needes be encreased especially seeing the night wherein colde and moysture doe abound vnder the Tropickes is lesse then it is vnder the Equinoctiall Therefore I gather that vnder the Tropickes is the hotest place not onely of Torrida Zona but of any other part of the world especially because there both causes of heate doe concurre that is the perpendicular falling of the Sunne beames two monethes together and the longer abode of the Sunnes presence aboue the Horison And by this meanes more at large is prooued that Marochus in Sommer is farre more hote then at any time vnder the Equinoctiall because it is situate so neere the Tropick of Cancer and also for the length of their dayes Neither yet do I thinke that the Regions situate vnder the Tropicks are not habitable for they are found to be very fruitfull also although Marochus and some other parts of Afrike neere the Tropike for the drinesse of the natiue sandie soile and some aâ—cidents may seeme to some to be intemperate for ouer much heat For Ferdinandâ—â— Ouieduâ— speaking of Cuba and Hispaniola Ilands of America lying hard vnder or by the Tropike of Câ—ncer saith that these Ilands haue as good pasture for cattell as any other countrey in the world Also they haue most holesome and cleare water and temperate aire by reason whereof the heatâ—s of beastes are much bigger fatter and of better taste then any in Spaine because of the â—anke pasture whose moysture is better dâ—gested in the hearbe or grasse by continuall and temperâ—tâ— heate of the Sunne whereby being made more fat and vnctious it is of better and more stedfast nourishment For continuall and temperate heate doeth not onely drawe much moysture out of the earth to the nourishment of such things as growe and are engendred in that Clime but doeth also by moderation preserue the same from putrifying digesting also and condensating or thickning the said moyst nourishment into a gamme and vnctious substance whereby appeareth also that vnder the Tropikes is both holesome fruitefull and pleasant habitation whereby lastly it followeth that all the middle zone which vntill of late dayes hath bene compted and called the burning broyling and parched zone is now found to be the most delicate tempâ—rate commodious pleasant and delectable part of the world and especially vnder the Equinoctiall Hauing now sufficiently at large declared the temperature of the middle zone it remaineth to speake somewhat also of the moderate and continuall heate in colde Regions as well in the night as in the day all the Sommer long and also how these Regions are habitable to the inhabitants of the same contrary to the opinion of the olde writers Of the temperature of colde Regions all the Sommer long and also how in Winter the same is habitable especially to the inhabitants thereof THe colde Regions of the world are those which tending toward the Poles Arctike and Antarctike are without the circuite or boundes of the seuen Climates which assertion agreeable to the opinion of the olde Writers is found and set out in our authour of the Sphere Iohannes de Sacrobosco where hee plainely saith that without the seuenth Climate which is bounded by a Parallel passing at fiftie degrees in Latitude all the habitation beyonde is discommodious and intollerable But Gemma â—â—isius a late writer finding England and Scotland to be without the compasse of those Climates wherein hee knewe to bee very temperate and good habitation added thereunto two other Climates the vttermost Parallel whereof passeth by 56. degrees in Latitude and therein comprehendeth ouer and aboue the first computation England Scotland Denmarke Moscouia c. which all are rich â—nd mightie kingdomes The olde writers perswaded by bare coniecâ—ure went about to determine of those places by comparing them to their owne complexions because they felt them to bee hardly tollerable to themselues and so took thereby an argument of the whole habitable earth as if a man borne in Marochus or some other part of Barbarie should at the latter end of Sommer vpon the suddeine either naked or with his thinne vesture bee brought into England hee would iudge this Region presently not to bee habitable because hee being brought vp in so warme a Countrey is not able here to liue for so suddeine an alteration of the colde aire but if the same man had come at the beginning of Sommer and so afterward by little and little by certaine degrees had felt and acquainted himselfe with the frost of Autumne it would haue seemed by degrees to harden him and so to make it farre more tollerable and by vse after one yeere or two the aire would seeme to him more temperate It was compted a great matter in the olde time that there was a brasse pot broken in sunder with frosen water in Pontus which after was brought and shewed in Delphis in token of a miraculous colde region and winter and therefore consecrated to the Temple of Apollo This effect being wrought in the Parallel of fouretie three degrees in Latitude it was presently counted a place very hardly and vneasily to be inhabited for the great colde And how then can such men define vpon other Regions very farre without that Parallel whether they were inhabited or not seeing that in so neere a place they so grossely mistooke the matter and others their followers being contented with the inuentions of the olde Authours haue persisted willingly in the same opinion with more confidence then consideration of the cause so lightly was that opinion receiued as touching the vnhabitable Clime neere and vnder the Poles Therefore I am at this present to proue that all the land lying betweene the last climat euen vnto the point directly vnder either poles is or may be inhabited especially of such creatures as are ingendred and bred therein For indeed it is to be confessed that some particular liuing creature cannot liue in euery particular place or region especially with the same ioy and felicite as it did where it was first bred for the certeine agreement of nature that is betweene the place and the thing bred in that place as appeareth by the Elephant which being translated and brought out of the second or third climat though they may liue yet will they neuer ingender or bring forth yong Also we see the like in many kinds of plants and herbs for example the Orange trees although in Naples they bring forth fruit abundantly in Rome and Florence they will beare onely faire greene leaues but not any fruit and translated into England they will hardly beare either flowers fruit 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
Master the rest Mariners The 7. of Iune the Captaine and the Master drewe out a proportion for the continuance of our victuals The 8. day the wind being at Southwest and West southwest we put in for Falmouth where we remained vntil the 13. The 13. the wind blew at North and being faire weather we departed The 14. with contrary wind we were forced to put into Silley The 15. wee departed thence hauing the wind North and by East moderate and faire weather The 16. wee were driuen backe againe and were constrained to arriue at newe Grymiby in Silley here the winde remained contrary 12. dayes and in that space the Captaine the Master and I went about all the Ilands and the Captaine did plat out and describe the situation of all the Ilands rocks and harboroughs to the exact vse of Nauigation with lines and scale thereunto conuenient The 28. in Gods name we departed the wind being Easterly but calme The first of Iuly wee sawe great store of Porposes The Master called for an harping yron and shot twise or thrise sometimes he missed and at last shot one and stâ—ooke him in the side and wound him into the ship when we had him aboord the Master sayd it was a Darlie head The 2. we had some of the fish sodden and it did eat as sweete as any mutton The 3. wee had more in sight and the Master went to shoote at them but they were so great that they burst our yrons and we lost both fish yrons pastime and all yet neuerthelesse the Master shot at them with a pike and had welnigh gotten one but he was so strong that he burst off the barres of the pike and went away then he tooke the boat-hooke and hit one with that but all would not preuaile so at length we let them alone The 6. we saw a very great Whale and euery day we saw whales continually The 16. 17. and 18. we saw great store of Whales The 19. of Iuly we fell into a great whirling and brustling of a tyde setting to the Northwards and sayling about halfe a league wee came into a very calme Sea which bent to the Southsouthwest Here we heard a mighty great roaring of the Sea as if it had bene the breach of some shoare the ayre being so foggie and full of thicke mist that we could not see the one ship from the other being a very small distance asunder so the Captaine and the Master being in distrust how the tyde might set them caused the Mooneshine to hoyse out her boate and to sound but they could not finde ground in 300. fathoms and better Then the Captaine Master and I went towards the breach to see what it should be giuing charge to our gunners that at euery glasse they should shoote off a musket-shot to the intent we might keepe our selues from loosing them Then comming nere to the breach we met many Ilands of yce floting which had quickly compassed vs about then we went vpon some of them and did perceiue that all the roaring which we heard was caused onely by the rowling of this yce together Our companie seeing vs not to returne according to our appoyntment left off shooting muskets and began to shoote falkonets for they feared some mishap had befallen vs but before night we came aboord againe with our boat laden with yce which made very good fresh water Then wee bent our course toward the North hoping by that meanes to double the land The 20. as we sayled along the coast the fogge brake vp and we discouered the land which was the most deformed rockie and mountainous land that euer we saw The first sight whereof did shew as if it had bene in forme of a sugar-loafe standing to our sight aboue the cloudes for that it did shew ouer the fogge like a white liste in the skie the tops altogether couered with snow and the shoare beset with yce a league off into the Sea making such yrkesome noyse as that it seemed to be the true patterne of desolation and after the same our Captaine named it The land of Desolaâ—ion The 21. the winde came Northerly and ouerblew so that we were constrained to bend our course South againe for we perceiued that we were runne into a very deepe Bay where wee were almost compassed with yce for we saw very much toward the Northnortheast West and Southwest and this day and this night wee cleared our selues of the yce running Southsouthwest along the shoare Upon Thursday being the 2â— of this moneth about three of the clocke in the morning wee hoysed out our boate and the Captaine with sixe saylers went towards the shoare thinking to â—ind a landing place for the night before we did perceiue the coast to be voyde of yce to our iudgement and the same night wee were all perswaded that we had seene a Canoa rowing along the shoare but afterwards we fell in some doubt of it but we had no great reason so to doe The Captaine rowing towards the shoare willed the Master to beare in with the land after him and before he came neere the shoare by the space of a league or about two miles hee found so much yce that hee could not get to land by any meanes Here our mariners put to their lines to see if they could get any fish because there were so many seales vpon the coast and the birds did beate vpon the water but all was in vaine The water about this place was very blacke and thicke like to a filthy standing poole we sounded and had ground in 120. fathoms While the Captaine was rowing to the shoare our men sawe woods vpon the rocks like to the rocks of Newfoundland but I could not discerne them yet it might be so very well for we had wood floting vpon the coast euery day and the Mooneshine tooke vp a tree at Sea not farre from the coast being sixtie foote of length and foureteene handfuls about hauing the roote vpon it After this the Captaine came aboord the weather being very calme and faire we bent our course toward the South with intent to double the land The 23. we coasted the land which did lie Eastnortheast and Westsouthwest The 24. the winde being very faire at East we coasted the land which did lie East and West not being able to come neere the shoare by reason of the great quantitie of yce At this place because the weather was somewhat colde by reason of the yce and the better to encourage our men their allowance was increased the captaine and the master tooke order that euery messe being fiue persons should haue halfe a pound of bread and a kan of beere euery morning to breakfast The weather was not very colde but the aire was moderate like to our April-weather in England when the winde came from the land or the ice it was somewhat colde but when it came off the sea it was very hote
another that hath the like propertie called a Squid these be the fishes which when â—â— please to beemeâ— iâ— with my old companions I say doe come on shore when I commaund them in the name of the 5. ports and coniure them by such like words These also bee the fishes which I may sweepe with broomes on a heape and neuer wet my foote onely pronouncing two or three wordes whatsoeuer they be appoynted by any man so they heare my voyce the vertue of the wordes be small but the nature of the fish great and strange For the Squid whose nature is to come by night as well as by day I tell them I set him a candle to see his way with which he is much delighted or els commeth to wonder at it as doe our fresh water fish the other commeth also in the night but chiefly in the day being forced by the Cod that would deuoure him and therefore for feare comming so neere the shore is driuen drie by the surge of the Sea on the pibble and sands Of these being as good as a Smelt you may take vp with a shoue-net as plentifully as you do Wheate in a shouell sufficient in three or foure houres for a whole Citie There be also other fishes which I tell â—hose that are desirours of strange newes that I take as fast as one would gather vp stones and them I take with a long pole and hooke Yea marrie say they wee beleeue so and that you catch all the rest you bring home in that sort from Portugals and Frenchmen No surely but thus I doe with three hookes stretched foorth in the ende of a pole I make as it were an Eele speare with which I pricke those Flounders as fast as you would take vp fritters with a sharpe pointed sticke and with that toole I may take vp in lesse then halfe a day Lobsters sufficient to finde three hundred men for a dayes meate This pastime ended I shewe them that for my pleasure I take a great Mastiue I haue and say no more then thus Goe fetch me this rebellious fish that obeyeth not this Gentleman that commeth from Kent and Christendome bringing them to the high water marke and when hee doubteth that any of those great Cods by reason of sheluing ground bee like to tumble into the Sea againe hee will warily take heede and carrie him vp backe to the heape of his fellowes This doeth cause my friendes to wonder and at the first hearing to iudge them notorious lies but they laugh and are merrie when they heare the meanes howe each tale is true I tolde you once I doe remember how in my trauaile into Africa and America I found trees that bare Oisters which was strange to you till I tolde you that their boughes hung in the water on which both Oisters and Muskles did sticke fast as their propertie is to stakes and timber Nowe to let these merrie tales passe and to come to earnest matters againe you shall vnderstand that Newfoundland is in a temperate Climate and not so colde as foolish Mariners doe say who finde it colde sometimes when plentie of Isles of yce lie neere the shore but vp in the land they shall finde it hotter then in England in many parts of the countrey toward the South This colde commeth by an accidentall meanes as by the yce that commeth fleeting from the North partes of the worlde and not by the situation of the countrey or nature of the Climate The countrey is full of little small riuers all the yeere long proceeding from the mountaines ingendred both of snow and raine few springs that euer I could finde or heare of except it bee towards the South in some places or rather in most places great lakes with plentie of fish the countrey most couered with woods of firre yet in many places indifferent good grasse and plentie of Beares euery where so that you may kill of them as oft as you list their flesh is as good as yong beefe and hardly you may know the one from the other if it be poudred but two dayes Of Otters we may take like store There are Sea Guls Murres Duckes wild Geele and many other kind of birdes store too long to write especially at one Island named Penguin where wee may driue them on a planke into our ship as many as shall lade her These birdes are also called Penguins and cannot flie there is more meate in one of these then in a goose the Frenchmen that fish neere the grand baie doe bring small store of flesh with them but victuall themselues alwayes with these birdes Nowe againe for Uenison plentie especially to the North about the grand baie and in the South neere Cape Race and Plesance there are many other kinds of beasts as Luzarnes and other mighty beastes like to Camels in greatnesse and thei feete clouen I did see them farre off not able to discerne them perfectly but their steps shewed that thâ—ir feete were clouen and bigger then the feete of Camels I suppose them to bee a kind of Buffes which I read to bee in the countreyes adiacent and very many in the firme land There bee also to the Northwards Hares and Foxes in all parts so plentifully thâ—â— at noone dayes they take away our flesh before our faces within lesse then halfe a paire of buts length where foure and twentie persons were turning of drie fish and two dogs in sight yet stoode they not in feare till wee gaue shot and set the dogs vpon them the Beares also be as bold which will not spare at midday to to take your fish before your face and I beleeue assuredly would not hurt any bodie vnlesse they be forced Nowe to shew you my fancie what places I suppose meetest to inhabite in those parts discouered of late by our â—â—tion There is neere about the mouth of the grand Bay an excellent harbour called of the Frenchmen Chasteaux and one Island in the very entrie of the streight called Bell Isle which places if they be peopled and well fortified as there are stones and things meete for it throughout all Newfound land wee shall bee lordes of the whole fishing in small time if it doe so please the Queenes Maiestie and from thence send wood and cole with all necessaries to Labrador lately discouered but I am of opinion and doe most stedfastly beleeue that we shall finde as rich Mines in more temperate places and Climates and more profitable for fishing then any yet we haue vsed where wee shall haue not farte from thence plentie of salt made by fire vndoubtedly and very likely by the heate of the Sunne by reason I finde salt kerned on the rockes in nine and fortie and better these places may bee found for salte in three and fortie I know more touching these two commodities last remembred then any man of our nation doeth sor that I haue some knowledge in such matters and haue most desired the finding of them by
thereby assured by their proper inheritance of grounds conuenient to dresse and to drie their fish whereof many times before they did faile being preuented by them that came first into the harbor For which grounds they did couenant to pay a certaine rent and seruice vnto sir Humfrey Gilbert his heires or assignes for euer and yeerely to maintaine possession of the same by themselues or their assignes Now remained only to take in prouision granted according as euery shippe was taxed which did fish vpon the coast adioyning In the meane while the Generall appointed men vnto their charge some to repaire and trim the ships others to attend in gathering togither our supply and prouisions others to search the commodities and singularities of the countrey to be found by sea or land and to make relation vnto the Generall what eyther themselues could knowe by their owne trauaile and experience or by good intelligence of English men or strangers who had longest frequented the same coast Also some obserued the eleuation of the pole and drewe plats of the countrey exactly graded And by that I could gather by each mans seuerall relation I haue drawen a briefe description of the Newfound land with the commodities by sea or lande alreadie made and such also as are in possibilitie and great likelihood to be made Neuerthelesse the Cardes and plats that were drawing with the due gradation of the harbors bayes and capes did perish with the Admirall wherefore in the description following I must omit the particulars of such things A briefe relation of the New found lande and the commodities thereof THat which we doe call the Newfound land and the Frenchmen Bacalaos is an Iland or rather after the opinion of some it consisteth of sundry Ilands and broken lands situate in the North regions of America vpon the gulfe and entrance of the great riuer called S. Laurence in Canada Into the which nauigation may be made both on the South and North side of this Iland The land lyeth South and North containing in length betweene three 400 miles accounting from cape Race which is in 46 degrees 25 minuts vnto the Grand bay in 52 degrees of Septenâ—rionall latitude The Iland round about hath very many goodly bayes and harbors safe roads for ships the like not to be found in any part of the knowen world The common opinion that is had of intemperature extreme cold that should be in this countrey as of some part it may be verified namely the North where I grant it is more colde then in countries of Europe which are vnder the same eleuation euen so it cannot stand with reason and nature of the clime that the South parts should be so intemperate as the brute hath gone For as the same doe lie vnder the climats of Briton Aniou Poictou in France betweene 46 and 49 degrees so can they not so much differ from the temperature of those countries vnlesse vpon the outcoast lying open vnto the Ocean and sharpe windes it must in deede be subiect to more colde then further within the land where the mountaines are interposed as walles and bulwarkes to defend and to resist the asperitie and rigor of the sea and weather Some hold opinion that the Newfound land might be the more subiect to cold by how much it lyeth high and neere vnto the middle region I grant that not in Newfound land alone but in Germany Italy and Afrike euen vnder the Equinoctiall line the mountaines are extreme cold and seeldome vncouered of snow in their culme and highest tops which commeth to passe by the same reason that they are extended towards the middle region yet in the countries lying beneth them it is found quite contrary Euen so all hils hauing their discents the valleis also and low grounds must be likewise hot or temperate as the clime doeth giue in Newfound land though I am of opinion that the Sunnes reflection is much cooled and cannot be so forcible in the Newfound land nor generally throughout America as in Europe or Afrike by how much the Sunne in his diurnall course from East to West passeth ouer for the most part dry land and sandy countries before he arriueth at the West of Europe or Afrike whereby his motion increaseth heate with little or no qualification by moyst vapours Where on the contrarie he passeth from Europe and Afrike vnto America ouer the Ocean from whence it draweth and carieth with him abundance of moyst vapours which doe qualifie and infeeble greatly the Sunnes reuerberation vpon this countrey chiefly of Newfound land being so much to the Northward Neuerthelesse as I sayd before the cold cannot be so intollerable vnder the latitude of 46 47 and 48 especiall within land that it should be vnhabitable as some doe suppose seeing also there are very many people more to the North by a great deale And in these South parts there be certaine beastes Ounces or Leopards and birdes in like maner which in the Sommer we haue seene not heard of in countries of extreme and vehement coldnesse Besides as in the monethes of Iune Iuly August and September the heate is somewhat more then in England at those seasons so men remaining vpon the South parts neere vnto Cape Rece vntill after Hollandtide haue not found the cold so extreme nor much differing from the temperature of England Those which haue arriued there after Nouember and December haue found the snow exceeding deepe whereat no maruaile considering the ground vpon the coast is rough and vneuen and the snow is driuen into the places most declyning as the like is to be seene with vs. The like depth of snow happily shall not be found within land vpon the playner countries which also are defended by the mountaines breaking off the violence of winds and weather But admitting extraordinary cold in those South parts aboue that with vs here it can not be so great as in Swedland much lesse in Moscouia or Russia yet are the same countries very populous and the rigor of cold is dispensed with by the commoditie of Stoues warme clothing meats and drinkes all which neede not to be wanting in the Newfound land if we had intent there to inhabite In the South parts we found no inhabitants which by all lilkelihood haue abandoned those coastes the same being so much frequented by Christians But in the North are sauages altogether harmelesse Touching the commodities of this countrie seruing either for sustentation of inhabitants or for maintenance of traffique there are may be made diuers so y t it seemeth Nature hath recompenced that only defect and incommoditie of some sharpe cold by many benefits viz. With incredible quantitie and no lesse varietie of kindes of fish in the sea and fresh waters as Trouts Salmons and other fish to vs vnknowen Also Cod which alone draweth many nations thither and is become the most famous fishing of the world Abundance of Whales for which
behelde many constellations in the firmament and set downe certaine newe starres raised to the Southwards All day and night wee went South and South by East among The seuenteenth day in the afternoone wee shot off three peeces of ordinance in honour of our Queenes Maiestie This day after dinner came master Maddox and Captaine Drake with others to take their leaue of master Walker as I with all my company had done before supposing him past hope of recouerie At foure of the clocke finding our selues in nineteene degrees to the Southwards of the line and cleare of the shoalds called by vs Powles wee went hence Southsouthwest all night following The 18 day being Sunday after dinner the Generall M. Maddox Captaine Parker and many other came aboord and visited M. Walker which done they dranke and departed aboord againe All this day and night we went our course Southwest by South with a franke gale The 19 day about noone the Sun was in our Zenith being declined to the Southwards 2â— degrees and 33 minutes where wee found the aire fresh and temperate as in England in Iune when a fresh gale of winde doeth blow in the heate of the day but the euening the night and the morning are more fresh and colder here then it is in England either in Iune or Iulie The first of December about sixe of the clocke in the morning wee sawe lande on the coast of Brasil in the height of 28 degrees or there abouts which bare Northwest and was eight leagues from vs very high land Wee stood in with it being much winâ—e and comming neere sound diuers Islands and seeing the Francis would not come roome nor run ahead vs wee stood in with the shore and â—oundeâ— in 30 fathom oaze three leagues off the lande bearing from the Westnorthwest to the Northnorthwest of vs and so sâ—oode still till it shoalded orderly into seuen fathom within a mile of a headland then perceiuing a breach ouer our bowe and no hope of a good harbour in that place wee bare vp roome and our Admirall after vs whom wee haled then hee tolde vs hee would seeke harbour to â—eewards requiring me to go ahead Then seeing the barke was asterne I hoised out my skiffe and set her maste and saile taking her ging and Tobias one of my Masters mates with mee and ranne before the shippe sounding in 15 fathom faire sand leauing a ledge of rockes a sea-boord of vs so the ships and the barke looffed vp vnder a headland and ankered in eight fathom halfe a mile off the lande hauing brought the headland which lyeth in 27 degrees 50 minutes Southsoutheast off them and the North land Northeast off thâ—m I stoode on with the skiffe hoping to â—inde a better harbour to leeward three leagues but it prooued not so wherefore I returned and in my way aboord I met with a rocke in the seaâ— where we landed and killed good store of fowleâ— and after I went aboord the Admirall where I presented him with fowle and returned aboord to supper In this time our boates had beene aland and found water bassasâ—e and two decayed houses as they told me and our men aboord hooked fresh-fish This night wee rode quietly The second being Sunday our masters moared our ships further into the bay We brought the South point Southeast off vs and the North land Northeast and so rid After dinner captaine Parker with my boat and company went a land and there placed pipes and made three wels In the meane time I accompanied with M. Hawkins M. Maddox M. Cotton and diuers of mine owne people landed farther within the bay and found two riuers of fresh waterâ— and a good fishing place Presently I sent aboord for my net with which at one draught we drew 600 great mullets and 5 great basses the like draugâ—â— was neuer seene with so small a net with which we went aboord giuing to the admirall 240 to the Francis 80 and the rest our company spent and gaue almighty God thanks for his great goodnesse All this while was captaine Parker and others gone into the land and fired thâ— woods which burned extremely The third day in the morning our carpenter talked without boord and the master and others tooke vp all the merchandize in the stearne sheets to the keele and there put downe a boats loding of stone and seeing the merchandize well conditioned stowed the same againe In the meanâ— time my selfe and others in our boats scraped off the wormes and washed the rudder and part of one side of our ship After dinner the master pilot and I went ashore and obserued the Sunne at noone which being past with our net we drew plenty of diuers sorts of fishes and went from that bay to the watering place from thence aboord the generall which had taken physicke and gaue them and the Francis fish for their companiesâ— and so went aboord where our company had romaged aforemast so that this afternoone we tooke in two boats more lading of stones afore mast The sixt day iâ— the morning before sixe of the clocke we saw a saile which wâ—nt towards the Southwards the admirall not hauing knowledge thereof I went aboord and certified him who appointed me to goe and bring her in and to take captaine Parker and some of the gallions meâ— into the Francis and the admirals skiffe with vs so we gaue her chase and tooke her sixe leagues to the leewards of the place we rode in Then not being able to fetch the rode againe we ankered in the sea I intending to come away in the pinnesse and leaue the Francis and the prize together being ready to depart the winde blew at South a stout gaâ—e and raine so that about sixe of the clocke we ankered in the rode where our ships rid After we had taken them and that captaine Parker and I were aboord we had much talke with them before they came to the ships and being ankered there the chiefe men were caried abord the general which was a gentleman named Don Francisco de Torre Vedra nephew to the gouernour of the riuer of Plate named Don Iohn de Torre Vedra We found and Englishman named Richard Carter borne in Limehouse who had bene out oâ— England foure and twenty yeres and hath bene nere twelue yeres dwelling in the riuer of Plate at a towne named Ascension three hundred leagues vp in the riuer whither they were now determined to go inhabit hauing two women and two yonâ— children seuen friâ—rs the rest boyes and â—ailers to the number of one and twenty persons The olde frier was had in great reuerence among the reâ—â— insomuch that they called him the Holy father He was abiding in no place but as visitour he went visiting from monastery to monastery The substance of all the speeches was that the Spanish fleet was before the streights of Magellan as they thought for they were departed sixe