vse after one yéere or two the ayre woulde séeme to hym more temperate It was compted a greate matter in the olde time that there was a brasse pot broken in sunder with frosen water in Ponthus which after was broughte and shewed in Delphis in token of a miraculous cold region and Winter and therefore consecrated to the Temple of Apollo This effecte being wroughte in the Paralell of .48 degrées in latitude it was presentlye compted a place verye hardly and vneasily to be inhabited for the greate cold And howe then can suche men define vppon other Regions very farre without that Paralell where they were inhabited or not séeing that in so neare a place they so grossely mistooke the matter and others their followers being conteÌ„ted with the inuentions of the olde Authors haue persisted willingly in the same opinion with more confidence thaÌ„ consideration of the cause so lightly was that opinion receiued as touching the vnhabitable Clime neare vnder the Poles Therfore I am at this present to proue that al the land lying betwéene the laste climate euen vnto the point directly vnder either Poles is or maye be inhabited especially of suche creatures as are ingendred and bredde therein For indéed it is to be confessed that some particular liuing creature cannot liue in euery particular place or region especially wyth the same ioy and felicitie as it did where it was firste bredde for the certaine agréement of nature that is betwéene the place and the thing bredde in that place as appeareth by the Elephant which being translated and brought out of the second or third climate though they may liue yet will they neuer ingender or bring forth yong Also wée sée the like in many kinds of plants and hearbs for example the OraÌ„ge trée although in Naples they bring forth fruit abundantly in Rome and Florence they wil beare only faire gréene leaues but not any fruite and translated into England they will hardly beare either flowers fruite or leaues but are the next winter pinched and withered with colde yet it followeth not for this that England Rome and Florence should not be habitable In the prouing of these colde regions habitable I shall be verye shorte bicause the same reasons serue for this purpose which were alleaged before in the prouing the middle Zone to be temperate especially séeing al heate cold procéede from the Sunne by the meanes eyther of the Angle his beames doeth make with the Horizon or else by the long or shorte continuance of the Suns presence aboue ground so that if the Sunnes beames do beate perpendicularlye at righte Angles then there is one cause of heate and if the Sunne doe also long continue aboue the Horizon then the heate thereby is muche encreased by accesse of this other cause and so groweth to a kind of extremitie And these .ij. causes as I said before doe moste concurre vnder the two Tropickes and therefore there is the greatest heate of the worlde And likewise where both these causes are most absent there is greatest want of heate and encrease of colde séeing that colde is nothing but the priuation and absence of heat and if one cause be wanting and the other present the effect will growe indifferent Therefore this is to bée vnderstanded that the nearer anye region is to the Equinoctiall the higher the Sunne doeth rise ouer their heads at noone so maketh either righte or neare righte angles but the Sun tarryeth with them so much the shorter time causeth shorter dayes with longer and colder nights to restore the domage of the daye paste by reasoÌ„ of the moisture consumed by vapour But in such regions ouer the which the Sun riseth lower as in regions extended towardes eyther pole it maketh there vnequall Angles but the Sunne continueth longer and maketh longer dayes causeth so much shorter and warmer nights as retayning warme vapoures of the daye paste For there are found by experience Sommer nights in Scotland and Gothland very hot when vnder the Equinoctiall they are found very colde This benefite of the Sunnes long continuaunce and encrease of the day doth augment so muche the more in colde regions as they are nearer the poles and ceaseth not encreasing vntil it come directly vnder the point of the Pole Articke where the Sunne continueth aboue grounde the space of sixe moneths or halfe a yeare togither so the daye is halfe a yere long that is the time of the Suns being in the North signes from the first degrée of Aries vntil the last of Virgo that is all the time from our .10 day of March vntill the .14 of September The Sun therfore during the time of these .6 moneths without any offence or hindraunce of the nighte gyueth his influence vpon those landes with heate that neuer ceaseth during that time which maketh to the great increase of Sommer by reason of the Sunnes continuaunce Therfore it followeth that though the Sunne be not there very high ouer their heads to cause right angle beams to giue great heate yet the Sun being there sometimes almâ—â—t 24. degrées high doth caste a conuenient and meane heate which there continueth without hinderaunce of the nighte the space of six moneths as is before saide during whiche time there foloweth to be a conuenient moderate and temperate heat or else rather it is to be suspected the heat there to be very great both for continuance also Quia virtus vnita crescit the vertue and strength of heat vnited in one encreaseth If then there be suche a moderate heat vnder the Poles and the same to continue so long time what shoulde moue the olde writers to say there cannot be place for habitation And that the certaintie of this temperate heat vnder both the Poles might more manifestlye appeare lette vs consider the position qualitie of the Sphere the length of the day and so to gather the heighte of the Sunne at all times and by consequent the quantitie of his Angle and so lastely the strength of his heate Those landes and regions lying vnder the pole and hauing the Pole for their Zenith muste néedes haue the Equinoctiall circle for their Horizon therefore the Sunne entring into the North signes and describing euery .24 houres a Paralell to the Equinoctiall by the diurnall motion of Primum Mobile the same Paralels must néedes be wholy aboue the Horizon and so looke howe many degrées there are froÌ„ the fyrst of Aries to the last of Virgo so many whole reuolutions there are aboue theyr Horizon that dwell vnder the Pole whiche amounteth to .182 and so manye of oure dayes the Sunne continueth with them During whiche tyme they haue there continuall daye and lighte withoute anye hinderaunce of moiste nightes Yet it is to be noted that the Sunne being in the fyrst degrée of Aries and laste degrée of Virgo maketh his reuolution in the very Horizon so that in these
.24 houres halfe the body of the Sunne is aboue the Horizon and the other halfe is vnder his only Center describing both the Horizon and the Equinoctiall circle And therefore séeing the greatest declination of the Sun is almost .24 degrées it followeth his greatest height in those Countries to be almost .24 degrées And so high is the Sun at noone to vs in Londō about the .29 of October being in the .15 degrée of Scorpio and likewise the .21 of Ianuary being in the .15 of Aquarius Therefore looke what force the Sun at noone hath in London the .29 of October the same force of heate it hathe to them that dwel vnder the Pole the space almoste of two moneths during the time of the Sommer Solstitium and that without intermingling of any colde night ◠so that if the heate of the Sunne at noone coulde be well measured in London which is verye harde to doe bycause of the long nights whiche engender greate moysture and colde then woulde manifestlye appeare by expresse numbers the maner of the heate vnder the Poles which certainly must néedes be to the inhabitaunts verye commodious and profitable if it inclyne not to ouer much heate and if moysture do not want For as in October in England we find temperate aire and haue in our Gardens hearbes and floures notwithstāding our colde nights how much more shoulde they haue the same good ayre being continual without night This heate of ours continueth but one houre while the Sunne is in the Meridiā but theirs continueth a long time in one height This our heate is weake and by the coolenesse of the night vanisheth that heate is strong and by continual accesse is still increased and strengthned And thus by a similitude of the equal height of the Sunne in both places appeareth the commodious and moderate heate of the regions vnder the Poles And surely I can not thinke that the diuine prouidence hath made any thing vncōmunicable but to haue giuē such order to all things that one way or other the same shoulde be imploied and that euery thing and place should be tollerable to the next But especiallye all things in this lower world be giuen to man to haue dominion and vse thereof Therefore wée néede no longer to doubt of the temperate and commodious habitation vnder the Poles during the tyme of Sommer But al the controuersie consisteth in the Winter for then the Sun leaueth those regions and is no more séene for the space of other sixe moenths in the which time al the Sunnes course is vnder their Horizon for the space of half a yeare and then those regions saye some muste néedes be deformed with horrible darkenesse and continuall nyghte whiche maye be the cause that beastes can not séeke theyr foode and that also the cold should then be intollerable By which double euils al liuing creatures should be constrayned to die and were not able to indure the extremitie and iniury of Winter and famine ensuing therof but that all things shoulde perish before the Sommer folowing when they should bring forth their broode yong that for these causes the said Clime about the Pole shold be desolate not habitable To al which obiectiōs may be answered in this maner First that thoughe the Sun be absent from them those sixe moneths yet it followeth not there should be such extreame darkenesse for as the Sunne is departed vnder their Horizon so is it not farre from them And not so soone as the Sunne falleth so sodainly commeth the darke night but the euening doth substitute and prolong the daye a good while after by twilight After whiche time the residue of 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 nightes are seldome darke which is veryfied in al parts of the world but least in the middle Zone vnder the Equinoctiall where the twylights are short the nights darker than in any other place bycause the Sun goeth vnder their Horizon so déepe euen to their Antipodes Wée sée in Englande in the Sōmer nights whē the Sun goeth not far vnder the Horizon that by the light of the Moone stars wée may trauel al night if occasion were do some other laboure also And there is no man that doubteth whether our cattel can sée to féede in the nights séeing wée are so well certified thereof by our experience by reason of the sphere our nights should be darker than any time vnder the Poles The Astronomers consent that the Sun descending frō our vpper Hemisphere at the .18 Parallel vnder the Horizon maketh an end of twylight so that at length the darke night ensueth and that afterward in the morning the Sun approching againe within as many Paralels doth driue away the night by accesse of the twylight Againe by the position of the sphere vnder the Pole the Horizon the Equinoctial are al one These reuolutions therfore that are Paralell to the Equinoctiall are also Paralel to the Horizon so that the Sun descēding vnder the Horizon there describing certain Paralels not farre distant doeth not bring darke nights to those Regions vntil it come to the Paralels distant .18 degrées frō the Equinoctial that is about the .21 degrée of Scorpio which wil be about the .4 day of our Nouēber after the Winter Solstitium the Sun retourning backe againe to the .9 degrée of Aquarius whiche wil be aboute the .19 of Ianuary during which time only that is frō the .4 of Nouēber vntill the .xix. day of Ianuary which is about six wéeks space those regions do want the cōmoditie of twylights Therefore during the time of these said six moneths of darknesse vnder the Poles the night is destitute of the benefite of the Sun the said twilights only for the space of six weeks or thereabout And yet neither this time of six wéeks is without remedy frō Heauē For the Moone with hir encreased light hathe accesse at that time illuminateth the moneths lacking light euery one of themselues seuerally halfe the course of the moneth by whose benefite it cōmeth to passe that the night named extreame dark possesseth those regions no longer than one moneth neither that continually or al at one time but this also diuided into two sorts of shorter nights of that which either of thē endureth for the space of .15 days are illuminate of the Moone accordingly And this reason is gathered out of the sphere whereby we may testifie that the Sōmers are warme fruitful the Winters nights vnder the pole are tollerable to liuing creatures And if it be so that the winter and time of darknes there be very cold yet hath not nature left thē vnprouided therefore For there the beasts are couered with haire so much the thicker in how much the vehemencie of cold is
for a more fresh example our people of Meta Incognita of whome and for whome thys discourse is taken in hande that were broughte this last yeare into Englande were all generallie of the same coloure that many Nations be lying in the middest of the middle Zone And this their couloure was not only in the face whiche was subiecte to Sunne and Ayre but also in their bodies which were still couered with garments as oures are yea the very sucking childe of twelue Moneths age hadde his skinne of the very same couloure that most haue vnder the Equinoctiall which thing can not procéede by reason of the clime for that they are at least tenne degrées more towards the North than we in Englande are no the Sunne neuer commeth néere their Zenith by .40 Degrées for in effect they are within thrée or four degrées of that which they call the frosen Zone and as I said fortie degrées from the burning Zone whereby it foloweth that there is some other cause than the Clymate or the Sunnes perpendicular reflection that shoulde cause the Ethiopians great blacknesse And the most probable cause to my iudgemente is that this blacknesse procéedeth of some naturall infection of the first inhabitāts of that Countrey and so all the whole progenie of them descended are still poluted with the same blot of infection Therefore it shall not be farre from our purpose to examine the first originall of these blacke men and how by lineall discente they haue hitherto continued thus blacke It manifestly and plainely appeareth by holy Scripture that after the generall Inundation and ouerflowing of the Earth there remayned no moe mē aliue but Noe his thrée sonnes Sem Cham and Iaphet who only were lefte to possesse inhabit the whole face of the earth therefore all the land that vntill this daye hath bin inhabited by sundry discents must néedes come of the ofspring eyther of Sem Cham or Iaphet as the onely sonnes of Noe who all thrée being white and their wiues also by course of nature should haue begotten and brought forth white children But the enuie of our great and continuall enimie the wicked Spirit is such that as he could not suffer our old Father Adam to liue in the felicitie Angelike state wherein he was first created but tempting him sought procured his ruine fal So againe finding at this floud none but a father and thrée sonnes liuing he so caused one of them to transgresse disobey his fathers commandement that after him all his posteritie shoulde be accursed The fact of disobedience was this When Noe at the commandement of God had made entred the Arke the fludgates of Heauen were opened so that the whole face of the earth euery trée Mountaine was couered with abundāce of water he straitely commanded his sonnes their wiues that they should with reuerence feare behold the iustice and mighty power of God that during the time of the floud while they remained in the Arke they should vse cōtinēcie absteine frō carnall copulation with their wiues many other preceptes he gaue vnto thē admonitions touching the iustice of God in reuenging sinne his mercie in deliuering thē who nothing deserued it Which good instructions exhortatiōs notwithstāding his wicked sonne C ham disobeyed and being persuaded that the first child borne after the floud by right law of nature should inherit possesse all the dominion of the earth he contrarie to his fathers commandement while they were yet in the Arke vsed cōpany with his wife craftily went about thereby to disinherit the ofspring of his other two bréethren for the which wicked and detestable fact as an example for contempte of Almightie God and disobedience of parents God would a sonne shuld be borne whose name was Chus who not only it selfe but all his posteritie after him should be so blacke lothsome that it might remaine a spectacle of disobedience to all the World. And of this blacke cursed Chus came al these blacke Moores which are in Africa for after the water was vanished frō off the face of the earth and that the land was drie Sem chose that part of the land to inhabit in which now is called Asia and Iaphet had that which nowe is called Europa wherin we dwel and Africa remained for Cham his blacke sonne Chus was called Chamesis after the fathers name being perhaps a cursed dry sandy vnfruteful groūd fit for such a generatiō to inhabit in Thus you sée that the cause of the Ethiopians blacknesse is the curse infection of bloud not the distemperature of the clymate which also may be proued by this example that these black men are found in all partes of Africa as well withoute the Tropicks as within euen vnto Capo d'buona Speranza Southward where by reason of the Sphere should be the same temperature as is in Spayne Laddigna and Sicilia where all be of very good complexions Wherefore I conclude that the blacknesse procéedeth not of the hotenesse of the Clime but as I sayd of the infection of bloud and therfore this their argumente gathered of the Africans blacknesse is not able to destroy the temperature of the middle Zone We may therefore very well be assertayned that vnder the Equinoctiall is the most pleasant and delectable place of the worlde to dwell in where although the Sunne for two houres in a yeare be directe ouer their heads and therefore the heate at that time somewhat of force yet bycause it commeth so seldome and continueth so small a time when it commeth it is not to be wayed but rather the moderate heate of other times is all the yeare to be remembred And if the heate at any time should in the shorte daye ware somewhat vrgent the coldnesse of the long night there would easilie refreshe it according as Honterus sayth speaking of the temperature vnder the Equinoctiall Quodque die solis violento incanduit aestu Humida nox reficit paribusque refrigerat horis If the heate of the Sunne in the day time doe burne or parch any thing the moysture of the nighte dothe coole and refresh the same againe the Sunne being as long absente in the night as it was present in the day Also our Author of the Sphere Iohannes d' Sacro bosco in the Chapter of the Zodiacke deriueth the Etimologie of Zodiacus of the Gréeke word Zoe whiche in Latin signifyeth Vita life for out of Aristotle he alledgeth that Secundum accessum recessum solis in Zodiaco fiunt generationes corruptiones in rebus inferioribus according to the Sunnes going to and fro in the Zodiake the inferiour bodies take their causes of generation and corruption Then it foloweth that where there is most going too and fro there is most generation and corruption whiche must néedes be betwéene the two Tropikes for there the Sunne goeth too and
greater by reason wherof the best richest furres are broughte out of the coldest regions Also the foules of these cold countries haue thicker skins thicker feathers more stored of down thaÌ„ in other hot places Our EnglishmeÌ„ that trauel to S. Nicholas and go a fishing to Ward house enter far within the circle Artike so are in the froseÌ„ Zone yet there as wel as in Iseland and all along those Northerne Seas â—hey finde the greatest store of the greatest fishes that are as Whales c. and also abundaunce of meane fishes as Herings Coddes Haddockes Brettes c. whiche argueth that the Sea as well as the Land maye bée and is well frequented and inhabited in the colde Countries But some perhaps wil maruel there should be such teÌ„perate places in the Regions aboute the Poles when at vnder degrées in latitude oure Capitaine Frobisher and his companye were troubled wyth so manye and so greate mountaines of fléeting Ise with so great stormes of colde with suche continuall snow on toppes of mountaines and with such barren soyle there being neither woodde or trées but lowe shrubbes and suche like To al which obiections may be answered thus First those infinite Ilandes of Ise were engeÌ„dred congealed in time of winter now by the gret heate of Sommer were thawed and then by ebbes flouds windes and currants were driuen to and fro and troubled the Fléete so that this is an argument to proue the heat in Sommer there to be great that was able to thaw so monstrous mountaines of Ise. As for continuall snow on tops of mouÌ„tains it is there no otherwise than is in the hottest parte of the middle Zone where also lyeth great snowe al the Sommer long vppon toppes of mountaines bycause there is not sufficient space for the Sunnes reflection wherby the snowe should be molten Touching the colde stormy windes and the barrennesse of the country it is there as it is in Cornwall Deuonshire in England which parts thoughe we know to be fruitful fertile yet on the North side therof al alongst the coast within seauen or eight myles off the Sea there can neither hedge nor trée grow althoughe they be diligently by Art husbanded séene vnto And the cause thereof are the Northerne driuing winds whiche coÌ„ming from the Sea are so bitter sharp that they kill al the yong and tender plaÌ„ts and suffer scarce any thing to grow and so is t in the Ilands of Meta Incognita which are subiect most to East Northesterne winds which the last yere choked vp the passage so with Ise that the Fléet could hardly recouer their Port yet notwithstanding all the obiections that may be the Countrey is habitable for there are Men Women Children and sundrie kind of Beastes in great plentie as Beares Dere Hares Foxes Dogges all kind of flying Fowles as Duckes Seamewes Wilmots Partriches Larkes Crowes Hawkes and such like as in the thirde Booke you shall vnderstand more at large Then it appeareth that not only the middle Zone but aâ—so the Zones about the Poles are habitable Which thing being wel considered and familiarly knowen to our Generall Captaine Frobisher as well for that he is throughly furnished of the knowledge of the Sphere and all other skilles apperteyning to the art of Nauigation as also for the confirmation he hath of the same by many yeares experience both by sea and land and being persuaded of a new and néerer passage to Cataya than by Capo d'buonâ— Speranzâ— which the Portugalles yéerely vse He began first with himselfe to deuise and then with his friendes to conferre and layde a playne platte vnto them that that voyage was not onely possible by the Northweast but also as he coulde proue easie to bée performed And further he determined and resolued wyth himselfe to go make full proofe thereof to accomplishe or bring true certificat of the truth or else neuer to returne againe knowing this to be the onely thing of the Worlde that was left yet vndone whereby a notable mind mighte be made famous and fortunate But although his will were great to performe this notable voyage whereof hée had conceyued in his mind a great hope by sundry sure reasons and secret intelligence whiche héere for sundry causes I leaue vntouched yet he wanted altogither meanes and abilitie to set forward and performe the same Long tyme he conferred with his priuate friendes of these secretes and made also manye offers for the performing of the same in effect vnto sundry Merchants of our Countrey aboue .xv. yeares before he attempted the same as by good witnesse shall well appeare albeit some euill willers whiche chalenge to themselues the frutes of other mens laboureâ— haue greately iniured him in the reportes of the same saying that they haue bin the first Authors of that Action and that they haue learned him the way which themselues as yet haue neuer gone But perceyuing that hardly he was hearkened vnto of the Merchantes whiche neuer regarde Uertue withoute sure certayne and present gaynes hée repayred to the Courte from whence as from the fountaine of oure common wealth all good causes haue theyr chiefe encrease and mayntenance and there layde open to manye great estates and learned men the plot and summe of hys deuise And amongst manye honourable myndes whyche fauoured hys honest and commendable enterprise hée was specially bounde and beholdyng to the ryghte Honourable Ambrose Dudley Earle of Warwike whose fauourable mynde and good disposition hathe alwayes bin readye to countenance and aduance all honest actions wyth the Authours and executers of the same and so by meanes of my Lorde hys honourable countenance hée receyued some comforte of hys cause and by little and little with no small expence and payne brought hys cause to some perfection and hadde drawen togyther so many aduenturers and suche summes of money as myghte well defray a reasonable charge to furnishe hymselfe to Sea withall He prepared two small Barkes of twentie and fyue and twentie tunne a péece wherein hée intended to accomplish hys pretended voyage Wherefore béeyng furnished wyth the foresayde two Barkes and one small Pinnesse of tenne tunne burthen hauyng therein victuals and other necessaries for twelue Monethes prouision he departed vppon the sayde voyage from Blacke wall the fiftenth of Iune Anno Domini 1576. One of the Barkes wherein hée wente was named the Gabriell and the other the Michaell and sayling Northweast from Englande vppon the firste of Iulâ— at length hée hadde sighte of a highe and ragged lande whiche hée iudged Freeselande whereof some Authoures haue made mention but durst not approche the same by reason of the greate store of Ise that lay alongst the coast and the greate mistes that troubled them not a little Not farre from thence hée lost companye of his small Pinnesse whyche by meanes of the greate storme he supposed to bée swallowed vppe of the Sea wherein