there no small fish as Cods c. and few great ones nor any bones of Whales Morsses or the like found upon the shore nor any drift wood 3. Because in 65 deg 30 min. the ice lay all in rands which he believes to be produc'd as in the shoal'd Bays For had there been any Ocean beyond it it would have been broken to pieces as they found it coming thro the Strait into the Sea Eastward 4. Because the ice seeks its way out to the Eastward driving out at Hudsons Straits But if there be any passage it is very narrow and the voyoge very long nor can any large Vessels fit to merchandise be able to endure the ice and other incommodities as the long nights cold snows frosts c. P. 24. col 2. l. 36. till Vasile Ivanowitz about the year 1509. P. 36. col 2. l. 63. as 5509 â— 1679. ibid. l. 66 7188-5509 P. 36. col 1. l. 41. Hungary About the year 1188 Bela was King of Hungary perhaps the original of the Imperial Family of the Russes the time corresponding very well P. 39. col 2. l. 1. del whose name seems to have been Zac. Litspenow l. 67. He died in the forty-ninth year of his age and two and thirtieth of his reign in the year 1677 and left his son Feodor Alexowich a young Prince of about ninteen years of age who reigns this present year 1680. In the Description of Sweden The times of the Kings supply thus the 6th began his reign A. M. 2014 the 25th the times of the rest being uncertain began A. M. 2637 the 26th A. M. 2712 the 27th A. M. 2831 the 31th the intermediate being also uncertain A. M. 3031 the 32th A. M. 3060 the 33th A. M. 3125 the 34th A. M. 3174 the 35th 3252 the 36th A. M. 3551 the 46th A. D. 3916 the 47th Ericus III. A. M. 3929 in whose time according to Loccenius whose computation we have here follow'd conceives our Saviour to have been born A MAP of the NORTH-POLE and the PARTS ADIONING OXON At the THEATER MDCLXXX NOVA ZEMBLA In the Philosophicll Transactions of a o 1674 n 101 there is set down a Description of a Nova Zembla as it was sent to the Royall Society from a Russia Merchant and discovered by order of the Grand Czaar but there being not joyned to it either Longitude Latitude or other measure we though it better to follow the two newest Maps one printed at Amsterdam a o 1678 the other at Nuremberg 1679 and to place this by itselfe which shews it not an Iland but joyned with the Continent at the letter K. K. To the Right honble Charles Fitz Charles Earle of Plymouth Viscount Totnes and Baron Dartmouth This Map is Humbly Dedicated by M Pitt Letter C. stands for Cape I. Iland M. Mount P. Point R. River S. Sound OXON … UNIV DOMINUS ILLVMINATIO MEA GREENLAND GREENLAND â—â—e Siâ—â—ation of Greenland call'd by the Dutch Spitsbergen because of its sharp-pointed Rocks and Mountains lies from 76 Degrees of Northerly Latitude to 82 but how much farther as also whether Island or Continent is not yet discover'd for as much as no man hitherto is known to have passed beyond that Our Mariners generally conceive it an Island the Dutch only say that they believe the Land to reach more North because the Ice they found was not broken and floating as in the Sea but firm and stable as continued to the shoar The South part of it looks towards the Promontories of Finland and Lapland North-Cape North-Kin c. The next Land on the West is the large Country of Groenland and Nova Zembla on the East but these at so vast a distance that they cannot be reckon'd as its confines or neighbours The Dutch attribute the first discovery of it to three of their own Pilots The Discovery of Greenland and have given most of the names to the Creeks and Promontories according to their own fancy Which diligence had our men used from time to time as also been careful to make Charts as our industrious Neighbours oblige their Shipmasters to do divers discoveries had been asserted to this Nation which are now almost disputed from us L. 4. c. 17. The Dutch gave names saith Purchas upon this very occasion to places long before discovered by the English as if themselves had been the finders I shall instance only in these discoveries which strangers as you may see in Hackluit attribute to us Vol. 1. â— 512 513 c. But the Dutch tho following our steps endeavour to assert them to three of their own Pilots ann 1596 who searching for a passage to the East-Indies light upon Greenland these were Jacob Heemskerck William Barents and John Cornelis Ryp what these men effected will be best known by their own Journal recorded by Purchas June 7 1696 they were in 74 Degrees the water as green as grass by the way it were worth enquiry whether this be not the cause of the blue Ice which is by every one noted as peculiar to these Coasts June 9 they were upon Cherry or Bear-Island in 74 Degrees and 13 Minutes the variation of the needle was 13 Degrees June 13 they departed thence North and by East 16 Dutch miles June 14 15 they continued their course 20 miles June 16 17 18 they continued 30 miles June 19 they saw land at 80 Degrees and 11 Minutes and sailed Southward upon the Western Coast till 79 deg 30 m. where they found a good road but could not land because of Ice June 20 they kill'd a mighty Bear whose skin was 13 foot long they found also a very good Haven and good anchorage on the East were two Islands on the West a great Creek or a River where they found many Geese sitting upon their Eggs of a perfect red colour such as come once a year into some parts of Holland as it should seem from this place This land they supposed to be Greenland the Compass varied 16 deg June 23 they weighed Anchor but were forced back with Ice 25 They weighed Anchor again and sailed Southward coasting till they entred into a River whence they got not to Sea again till the 27th 28 They kept on their course Southward where there were so many Fowls that they flew against their Sails and Masts 30 They were in 75 deg July 1 they saw Cherry or Bear-Island This is all that I can find concerning their voyage To this I shall oppose two voyages the first of Sir Hugh Willoughby 1553 the other of Steven Burrows 1556. The Dutch do not allow Sir Hugh Willoughby to have passed Seynam Blaeu's Maps which is in 70 deg and that also in 1571. Yet in their Maps they call a small Island by the name of Willoughby's Land of which our men know nothing except it be the same with Hope Island a part of Greenland as it is most likely for the land he discover'd was a large Country by the
West-side whereof he sailed some days together with a good wind and therefore could not be a small Island as they describe this which H. Hudson could not find when he sought for it see a discourse of this in Purchas's Pilgrim l. 3. c. 1 15. We have nothing of this voyage but those imperfect or short notes which were found lying upon his table after his death wherein it is contain'd that they parted from Seynam Aug. 2. Aug. 14 they were 160 leagues North and Easterly from Seynam they continued sailing till Sept. 14 when they landed on a country high rocky and uninhabited from whence the cold and Ice forced them to return more South which they did till they reach'd Arzina a River in Lapland where the next Spring they were all found frozen to death in their Ship A few years after this about 1556 we read of Steven Burrows who searching a passage by the north-North-East unto the Indies arrived in 112 deg 25 min. of Longitude and 76 of Latitude and so sailed to 80 deg 11 min. and thence to Nova Zembla Now this cannot be any known place but Greenland which is also confirm'd because the Land was desolate the Ice of a blew colour and great store of Fowls All signs of Greenland But from this time began a great and familiar trade from England to all those Northern Regions and many trials made to discover the North-East passage so that no question but that they landed many times upon Greenland but took no notice of it as neither did the Dutch till many years after when a gainful fishing was there found out Before which none either gave it a name took possession of it or pretended to the discovery This trade was managed for divers years by the Russia company of English Merchants as will appear by the story of it which is this In 1553 the King and Queen Philip and Mary gave a commission to certain Merchants to trade into Russia and made them a corporation who presently not only began a very brisk and profitable negotiation into those Northern Countries but employed divers Ships for finding out a passage that way into the Indies Particularly Arthur Pet and Charles Jackman about the year 1580 rambled over all those Seas and it is very probable they also were upon Greenland but there is nothing particularly known concerning them No nation but the English frequented those Northern Seas till 1578 that a Dutch Ship came to Cola and a year or two after another to St. Nicholas by the solicitation of an English man that set himself against the company Afterwards they crept in more and more and in 1594 they employed Barents and others to find out a passage to the Indies and in 1596 the three Dutch Pilots aforenamed upon the same design who first light upon Bear-Island and thence to Greenland Barents separating from his company sayled to the Northeast of Nova-Zembla where he lost his Ship and himself died In 1603 Steven Benet was employed who went no farther then Cherry-Island whence he brought some Lead Oar. In 1608 Henry Hudson was sent forth to discover the North-pole who went to 82 deg as did also Thomas Marmaduke of Hull 1612 but saw divers Islands beyond that and gave names to divers places upon Greenland formerly discovered as Whale-bay Hackluits-Headland c. The company having been informed of the great number of Sea-horses Morsses and Whales that frequented Cherry-Island and Greenland first applyed themselves with one or two Ships to the killing of Morsses which in a short time made Morsses grow scarce In the year therefore 1610 they set out the Ship Amity Jonas Pool commander for Whale-fishing who fell upon the land formerly discovered though not regarded and called it Greenland whether because of the green Moss wherewith it was covered or mistaking it for Groenland a Northern Countrey formerly discovered or for some other reason I know not He called it also King James New-land but that name is grown obsolete He also gave names to many of the most eminent places upon the west side of the Country as to Horn-Sound because there they found an Unicorns-horn Ice-Point Bell-Point Lowness-Island Black-Point Cape-cold Ice-Sound Knotty-Point Fowl-Sound Deer-Sound And in Cross-Road 79 deg 15 min. variation 18 deg 16 min. northwest he seized upon the Country to the use of his Masters by setting up a red Cross and fastning a writing to it There also he made some quantity of Oyl and brought an Unicorns-horn as they called it from thence And this was the first time that any benefit was made by the fishing of that place In 1611 the company hired six Basques expert Fishermen and sent them with two Ships to fish for Whales in Greenland where the first Whale they killed yielded them twelve tuns of Oyl Some of his company looking about the Harbours for Whales discovered in Sir Thomas Smiths Bay a great number of Morsses The Master of one of the Ships taking with him some of his men went thither and killed of them 500 and kept 1000 alive on Shoar which afterwards they let go In 1612 two Ships more were sent when they killed seventeen Whales and some Morsses and made 180 tuns of oyl This year the Hollanders came thither with one Ship conducted by Andrew Sallows an Englishman Another English Pilot brought thither also a Spanish Ship the English Ships met with and threatned them but notwithstanding they made a good voyage In 1613 the company sent thither seven Ships who had a Patent to prohibit all strangers except the Muscovia company from frequenting those coasts Yet they met with fifteen Sail of Dutch French Flemish and some interlopers of our own Nation To some the General gave liberty to fish with others he made composition to have half or part of what they caught others he drave away from the Country after he had taken out the English that were in their Ships though themselves also by that means were not so well laden as they might have been this year they discovered Hope-Island and other Islands to the West In 1614 they set out thirteen great Ships besides two Pinnaces well armed and the Dutch eighteen whereof four men of war who being stronger stayed and fished there as did our men also but both parties made a poor voyage This land they fully discovered to 80 deg by Tho. Sherwin and Will. Baffin and by others divers Islands toward the East They also took possession of several parts of the Country for the King setting up a Cross and the Kings Arms in Lead the Dutch afterwards did the like in the same places for the Prince of Orange In 1615 they set out two great Ships and two Pinaces which by reason of fourteen Sail sent by the Hollanders came home not fully laden This year the King of Denmark sent three Ships men of war with an English Pilot James Vaden to demand Custom of the Ships for fishing upon his Island as he pretended the
added to the former because it was at twelve hours before noon his place at that instant was 2 deg 26 min. of Virgo whose declination is as before 10 deg 35 min. The Latitude of the place was 78 deg 47 min. whose complement was 11 deg 13 min. the declination being subducted from the complement of of the elevation of the Pole leaveth 38 min. four fifths of which is 12 min. being substracted from 38 leaveth 26 min. for the refraction which is more or less according to the thickness or thinness of the air But to return to Nova-Zembla Situation of Nova-Zembla There is lately a new Chart of Nova-Zembla put out in Holland which separates it from Samoiedia by the Streights of Nassau or Fretum Waygats but makes the North of it wherein Barents in 1595 wintered in the same parallel with part of Greenland and that Nova-Zembla is inhabited with people like in clothing stature and manner of life to the Samoieds that they are Idolaters as many of the others Barbarous c. Another Map joyned with the former also continues Groenland to Greenland on the South-west corner which also is contrary to all other Relations but the Map of Nova-Zembla is manifestly calculated out of the observations of them that wintered there with W. Barents and therefore I shall neither disparage nor approve it further trial may determine it A late Traveller a French-man Chyrurgeon in a Danish Ship saith That Nova-Zembla is a Continent joyned on the South to Samoiedia by a ledg of Mountains called by him the Pater-Noster-Mountains and on the North to Greenland which is contrary both to this new Chart and to the observations of all Marriners both English and Dutch He saith also that he with others went ashore upon Nova-Zembla and brought away some of the inhabitants into Denmark that they were more barbarous then any other nation he had ever seen A Groenland-Monk in the Chron. of Iseland saith that the Pigmies inhabited Nova-Zembla this Traveller indeed saith they were but short truss'd persons but not so little as to deserve the name of Pigmies nor indeed much lesser then his Countreymen the Gronelanders are described The Dutch who wintered there Beasts mention no other beasts then Bears Foxes and such other as live upon prey for that say they there is neither Leaves nor Grass for other Beasts to feed upon but Mr. Hudson saith that all the land they had seen of Nova-Zembla seemed pleasant much high-land and without Snow in some places also green and Deer feeding upon it nor were all the high hills covered with Snow But Mr. Hudson was there in Summer and it is probable that assoon as winter begins the Deer betake themselves to Samoieda or some other place Our Merchants that have lived in Russia say Fowls that upon Nova-Zembla is a great lake wherein a wonderful number of Swans and Geese do breed which moult their feathers about St. Peters day and at that time the Russes go thither to gather their feathers and to kill the Fowls which they dry and bring into their own Countrey for winter provision Both English and Dutch in their frequenting this coast have given names to several places And it is a remarkable inconvenience that the Dutch very rarely make use of a name given by another nation but had rather give new ones themselves that the world may take them to be the great discoverers and diligent observers In 73d was a land discovered by H. Hudson and called Hold-with-hope unknown as he conceived to any Christian till that time and as our late Navigators say to any since CHERRY and other ISLANDS OUr men conceive Greenland to be broken land Northern Islands or a great number of Islands at least very near to one another On the West-side they discovered as far as 82 deg the most Northerly point they called Point Purchas there they found very many Islands which they thought not worthy to give names to being careful only to take notice of those six or eight Harbours which were commodious for their fishing On the East-side they went no farther then 78 deg because the Dutch disturbed their trading on that side There are also many Islands some of which are named Hope-Island as Hope-Island discovered in 1613 which may be that the Dutch call willoughbies-Willoughbies-land or John Mayens-Island though indeed it corresponds well to neither but rather to the later It belongeth to Greenland and is but a small Island and lies North-east and South-west whereas the Countrey Sir H. Willoughby landed upon was a large Countrey in as much as he sayled many days by the side of it and lies North and South which must be Greenland Edges-Island was discovered 1616 Edges-Island Wyches-Island by Capt. T. Edge who had made that voyage ten times Wyches-Island so call'd from a Gentleman of that name was found out 1617 but there being nothing remarkable come to our knowledg concerning these we pass them over Only it is worth noting that both the Whale and Morss-fishing was known and practised 800 years ago as appears by the Relation which Octher the Norwegian made to his Lord Alfred King of England where he also saith that the Morsses were hunted for their teeth which were mightily esteemed Cherry-Island Cherry-Island when first discovered I know not but it received not its name nor was known to be of any profit till 1603 when a Ship set out at the charges of Sir Francis Cherry touched upon it and found there some Lead and a Morsses tooth but stayed not to fish because the year was too far spent However they called it in honour of Sir Francis Cherry for whose use they took possession of it Cherry-Island In 1604 Morss-fishing a Ship set sail Mr. Welden the Merchant and Steven Bennet the Master from London April 15 and arrived at Cola in Lapland May 1 they stayed in Lapland till July 1 and July 8 they came in sight of Cherry and they came to an Anchor on the south-south-South-south-east side but because of the stream could not land so that they sailed round about the Isle and at length anchored two miles from the Shore Going on land one of them with his Gun killed as many Fowl as almost laded their Boat July 9 they found on Shore nothing but store of Foxes that part of the Island was in 74 deg 45 min. July 10 they weighed Anchor and stood into another Bay and came to anchor in eight fathoms where they saw an incredible number of Morsses swimming in the Sea Coming to Shore they espied a vast company of them lying on the ground they shot at them with three Guns they carried with them but with all their weapons they could kill but fifteen of above 1000 that lay there like Hogs hudling together on heaps but they found as many teeth as filled an Hogshead Before the 13th they killed near 100 more making use only of their teeth In 1605 the
place sprung out of Hills of Allum Brimstone and Niter but their Waters are not so hot here as at Baden Drunk inwardly they have been known to cure Asthmaes and all manner of stoppage and shortness of breath as also old and inveterate Agues and Feavers By washing and bathing they cure the Itch Scab and Leprosie and are an excellent remedy against old sores and bruises Rotel Sponheim Susenburg and Mahlberg Badenweiler are places which have been formerly of some note by reason of the Castles or Palaces of some ancient Princes of the Empire who have borrow'd their Titles from the ancient Seat of their Family And hence the names of these old Towns are still registred in the Titles of the Marquises of Baden but otherwise they have nothing worthy of a description THE LANDGRAVIATES OF ALSACE ALSATIA or Elsass has its name in all probability from the River Ell or Ill which runs thorow it Whence Elsassen as the Germans call the inhabitants of this Country signifies no more then die an der Elle Sassen oder wohnen i.e. the people that dwell on the banks of the Elle Some I know would have the ancient name of the Country to be Edel-Sassen intimating a delicate and Noble Seat our Countryman Mr. Sheringham as we have elsewhere observed makes this a part of the Territories of the ancient Saxons and by them call'd Edel-Sassen or Noble as a piece of the richest and pleasantest ground they were masters of The Country is certainly as these later Etymologists would make it as rich and noble a Province as any in the German Empire and as plentifully stock'd with all manner of necessaries especially Corn and Wine The Hills are commonly cover'd with Chesnut-Groves and Leberthal with some other Valleys afford good store of Copper Lead and other Mettals In some places you meet with rich Meadows and fat Pasture-grounds which furnish the inhabitants with good Butter and a sort of Cheese equal if not preferable to the best in Holland 'T is bounded on the East with Schwaben and the Dukedom of Wirtenberg on the South with Switzerland on the West with the Dukedom of Lorrain and on the North with the County Palatinate of the Rhine The length of it is reckon'd at about twenty German miles tho the bredth scarce any where exceeds four This whole Land was formerly subject to the Kings of the Francks and by their King Hilderic bestow'd under the name of a Dukedom on his Favorite Etico in the year 684. Etico was succeeded by his Son Adelprecht who left his two Sons Linfrid and Eberhard Coheirs of the Dukedom After this the Dukes of this Country were driven out of their Dominions by Charles Martel Hofmeister or Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold to the King of France But in the days of the Emperor Otho I. the Counts of Kiburg the Emperor's Kinsmen got possession of Alsatia and as some will have it were made the first Landgraves of this Country Others say that 't was first divided into two Landgraviates in the reign of the Emperor Otto III. In whose time the Upper Alsace came first into the hands of the Counts of Hapsburg who from thenceforward were Lords of that part of the Country The Lower Alsace was afterwards by the Earls of Ottingen who got the possession of it after the decease of Henry its Landgrave without issue sold to the Bishop of Strasburg who is like to continue Master of it so long as the French King will give him leave Alsatia is usually divided into the Upper and Lower Alsace besides the lesser Territories of Ortenaw Brisgow Hagenaw Sungaw c. But most of these petty Provinces may be referr'd to the Upper Alsace and coming within the bounds of the Upper Landgraviate and the rest to the Lower The chief Cities and great Towns in the Lower ALSACE NEXT to Strasburg of which anon the chief Town in the Lower Alsace is Zabern Zabern or Elsasszabern as 't is sometimes call'd to distinguish it from the other two Cities of the same name one in the Palatinate and the other in Bergen 'T is thought to be the Tabernae mention'd by Antonine and Marcellinus one of the old Roman Garrisons demolish'd by the ancient Germans but rebuilt by Julian the Apostate The City is defended by a strong Castle on the top of a high Rock up to which you are led by a narrow and rugged way cut out of the hard craggy Mountain by William III. Bishop of Strasburg This Prelate and his successors have usually kept their Residence at Zabern where they had also erected a Court of Judicature for the decision of all Controversies arising within the Precincts of their Diocess but 't is thought that the French King who pretends to be Master of the place will employ the Castle otherwise hereafter 2. Weissenburg WEISSENBURG is an Imperial City but reckon'd a part of the Lower Alsace as being incorporated into the Province of Hagenaw Beatus Rhenanus says that 't was the Seat of the ancient Sebusii and therefore 't is call'd by Latin Authors Sebusium Dagobert King of France presented this City with a Crown of Silver gilt with Gold and adorn'd with a great many Turrets and other flourishes of Art whose diameter was four and twenty foot In remembrance of which noble present the Citizens had a Crown of Copper of the same bigness hung up in their great Church which continued there till in the late Civil Wars of Germany 't was broken in pieces by the Soldiery who siezed on it for good plunder The same King granted the Citizens of Weissenburg priviledg to hunt and fish within the compass of a certain circle which in some places reaches two German miles from the Town in others no more then one This Circle is in their Charter stiled Emunitas which the modern inhabitants of the place have corrupted into Mundat The Emperor Charles IV. made the Abbot of this place as well as of the Monasteries at Fulda Kempten and Murbach a Prelate of the Empire bestowing on him the Title of a Prince and allowing him to sit at his feet in all Diets and other public Assemblies of the States General of the Empire 3. Brisach The Imperial City Hagenaw is seated between the two Rivers Motter and Sorna about four German miles from Strasburg 'T is encompassed round with a sandy Soil and thick Woods but at some distance from the Town there are large and pleasant Corn-fields with good store of Vineyards It has anciently been reckon'd one of the four chief Villages of the German Empire and indeed it may now as properly as ever be term'd a Village since 't was burnt to the ground by the French Forces A. D. 1677 but had in it even in those days the supreme Court of Judicature for both the Upper and Lower Alsace Afterwards the Emperor Frideric I. wall'd it round beautifying it with a fair Palace wherein himself for some time kept his Residence and making it
them Gudbrandus Thorlacius an Islandish Bishop and discreet person saith that the Islandish Chronicles affirm that they used formerly to trade to Engroneland and that in the days of Popery that Country had Bishops Now our men in all the places where they have landed find none but Savages and those also Idolaters speaking a language different from all that ever they heard though the Natives in their customs most resemble the Laplanders of whom more in due place The occasion of our voyages to those Coasts Later discoveries by the English Sir Martin Frobisher was to find out a way to China c. by the Northwest which had been fruitlesly sought toward the north-North-east The first whom we read to have searched the North-west for a passage was Martyn Frobisher who in 1576 with two Barks coming to the height of 62 deg found a great Inlet called by him Frobishers Straits whereinto having sailed 60 leagues with main land on either side returned He found there a certain Oar which he conceived to be of Gold and the next year he made a second voyage to fetch a quantity of it but it proving to be nothing but black Lead answer'd not expectation yet they found a Silver Mine which lay so deep and fast in the Rocks that they could not dig it They melted Gold also but in very small quantities out of several stones they found there upon Smiths Isle They found also a dead fish of about twelve foot long not unlike in shape to a Porcpoise having an horn six foot long such as is commonly called Unicorns-horn growing out of his snout which is still kept at Windsor In 1578 he went out again upon a discovery wherein passing as far as he thought good he took possession of the Land in the name of Queen Elizabeth calling it Meta incognita In 1583 Sir Hum. Gilbert Sir Humphrey Gilbert upon the same design went to the great River of St. Laurence in Canada took possession of the Country and setled a fishing trade there This voyage I suppose was made upon suggestion of a Greek Mariner who assured some of our Nation that himself had passed a great Strait North of Virginia from the West or South Ocean and offer'd to be Pilot for the discovery but dyed before he came into England In 1585 Mr. Davis Mr. John Davis was employed with two Barks to the same search The first Land he came to he named the Land of Desolation and is one part of Groneland then he arrived in 64 deg 15 min. in Gilberts Sound where they found a great quantity of that Oar which Frobisher brought into England and also Lapis Specularis Thence they went to 66 deg 40 min. to Mount Raleigh Totness Sound c. where they saw some few low shrubs but nothing else worth noting In 1586 he made a second voyage to the same place where he found amongst the Natives Copper Oar as also black and red Copper Thence they searched many places Westward and returned with good hopes of discovering the desired passage In 1587 he made a third voyage to 72 deg 12 min. the compass varying to 82 deg Westward the Land they called London-Coast and there they found an open Sea and forty leagues between Land and Land thinking this to be the most likely place to find the passage and it was from him called Fretum Davis Thus from time to time proceeded the discovery of these Countries Mr. Hudson but now not upon hopes of a passage to the Indies but for the profit of trading till Mr. Hudson in 1610 after he was satisfied that there was no passage North-easterly was sent to make a trial here also He proceeded an hundred leagues further than any before had done and gave names to certain places as Desire-provokes Isles of Gods mercies Prince Henry's-Cape King James's Cape Queen Ann's-Cape and the like but the Ice hindred him from going further and the sedition of his men from returning home In 1612 James Hall returning into England James Hall and with him William Baffin who discovered Cockins Sound in the height of 65 deg 20 min. which differed in Longitude from London 60 deg 30 min. Westward They saw also the footing of a great Beast they supposed an Elk or the like James Hall was killed in the Boat by a Native pretending to trade with them They tried the Mine at Cunninghams River which the Danes had digged before and found it to be nothing worth There were Rocks of very pure stone finer and whiter than Alabaster and Angelica growing plentifully in many places which the Savages use to eat In 1615 Mr. Baffin was sent again Mr. Baffin he found Fair-Point to differ in Longitude from London 74 deg and 5 min. Westward But the chief thing they discover'd was that there was no passage in the North of Davis Straits it being no other than a great Bay but that profit might be made by fishing for Whales Morsses and Unicorns of which there are good store In 1616 Mr. Baffin went again In Sir Tho. Smiths Sound 78 deg Lat. their Compass varied 56 deg Westward the greatest variation that is any where known Despairing to discover their desired North-west passage they returned home and since that we hear of no more voyages made from England upon that design The King of Denmark also By the Danes partly to advance the trading of his own and partly to renew his ancient pretence to that country if any thing should be discovered worth the claiming whilst the English were busie in these discoveries set out two Ships and a Pinnace 1605 the Admiral was Capt. John Cunningham a Scot Godske Lindenaw a noble Dane was Vice-Admiral the chief Pilots were James Hall and John Knight English men Gotske arrived on some part of the country where he traffick'd some small matters with the natives took two of them and returned into Denmark The other two Ships arrived at Cape Farewell thence went to Frobishers Straits gave Danish names to divers places traded with the natives of whom they brought away three and found certain stones in a place call'd Cunninghams Ford out of an hundred pound of which were extracted twenty-six ounces of fine silver In 1606 He sent again four Ships and a Pinnace Godske Lindenaw Admiral and James Hall Pilot-General they brought away five of the natives In 1607 James Hall was sent again but the Seamen mutining as soon as he came to the coast brought the Ship back again into Denmark without any thing done The King of Denmark set out two Ships more under Christian Richardson an Holsteiner with Norwegian and Iselandish Mariners who returned before they saw shore More of their expeditions we know not till 1619 when he sent out John Munck with two Ships They arrived safe at Cape Farewell 60 deg 30 min. where their tackle was so frozen and full of isicles that they could not handle them the next day was so hot
that great Conqueror From his Loins after several generations descended Billiengus a potent King of the Vandals whose Mother say some was Charles the Great 's Sister He was the first that after his own conversion brought in the profession of Christianity into Mecklenburg tho afterwards at the instigation of his Son Micislaus both himself and all his Subjects turn'd Apostates The next famous Prince of Mecklenburg was Gottschalck surnam'd the Godly who would often himself take the pains to preach Christianity to his Subjects by whom he was at last for his Religion murder'd in the year 1066. From him descended amongst many others Henry II. who dying in the year 1228 left behind him two Sons Nicolot and John From the former of these sprang all the succeeding Princes of the Vandals until William the last Prince of that Line who died in the year 1430. From the later surnam'd Knese Janko or John the Divine because he had taken a Doctor of Divinity 's degree in the University at Paris are descended the present Dukes of Mecklenburg This John left behind him Henry who was six and twenty years kept prisoner by the Turks Father to Henry surnam'd the Lion whose two Sons Albert and John Dukes of Mecklenburg were by the Emperor Charles IV. created Princes of the Empire in the year 1349. Which is not to be understood tho I find this construction put upon it by several of the modern German Historians as if these two Princes before Charles's creation had been only ordinary Lords or Barons of Mecklenburg and by the Emperor advanc'd to the dignity of Princes or Dukes For from him they receiv'd no more than an admission into the number of the Estates of the Empire under whose protection they were brougth by making themselves members thereof upon condition they should be subject to its Laws and contribute to its necessities Albert's eldest Son Albert II. was chosen King of Sweden and not long after taken prisoner by Margaret Queen of Denmark by whom after several years imprisonment he was at last releas'd upon the payment of a vast ransom So that the management of the Dukedom of Mecklenburg was committed to his Brother Magnus a Prince that if we believe Chytraeus who in his first Book of the Saxon Chronicle has given him a noble character was nomine re Magnus endow'd with all the excellent qualities that are requisite to make a brave Prince His Son John who succeeded his Father in the Dukedom founded the University at Rostock in the year 1419. This Duke's Successors Henry the Fat and Magnus II. Founder of the Cathedral Church at Rostock upon the death of William the last Prince of the Vandals made themselves Masters of the whole Land of Mecklenburg After the death of this Magnus and his Son Albert II. the Dukedom came to his Grandchild John Albert in the year 1547 who first brought in the Lutheran Confession into his Dominions by demolishing Popish Abbeys and converting their Revenues to the use of the University at Rostock His Son John III. who died in the year 1592 left two Sons the eldest was Adolph Frideric who married Ann-Mary Countess of East Frisland by whom amongst other children he had Christian-Ludowic the present Duke of Mecklenburg-Swerin His youngest Son was Gustavus Adolphus who seated himself at Gustrow In the late Civil Wars in Germany the whole Land of Mecklenburg was overrun by the Imperial Army and the Dukedom conferr'd upon their ambitious and at last unfortunate General Albrecht Duke of Friedland However within a little while after the two Dukes Adolph Frideric and John Albrecht were reinstated in their Dominions by Gustavus Adolphus the victorious King of Sweden their Kinsman For a character of the present Dukes of Mecklenburg the Reader may have recourse to the following descriptions of Swerin and Gustrow the places of their residence The strength of these Princes would be considerable enough Militâ—â—â— strength sufficient to secure their own Territories and keep their neighbours in awe if firmly united Their equal pretensions to the sole government of the City and University at Rostock did formerly occasion some animosities between the two Houses but this quarrel has for some years last past been quite laid aside and now a difference in Religion the Duke of Swerin being a Romanist and he of Gustrow a Lutheran is the greatest cause of their mutual fears and jealousies Heretofore they thought it their chief interest to adhere to the Swedes and secure themselves under the wings of the potent Kings of that Nations but when after the many conquests of the brave Gustavus Adolphus the power of those Princes grew so formidable as to threaten an universal slavery to their neighbours round about them rather then the defence of any of their Liberties the Dukes of Mecklenburg thought it high time to relinquish that party and join with the Dane and Branburger in opposing their common enemy the King of Sweden They saw Wismar rent out of their hands without any probability of being ever recover'd and they had reason to fear that a great part of the adjoining Country would follow it if their ruin were not timely prevented by the strength of their new Allies The whole Land of Mecklenburg so much I mean as is now subject to the two Dukes which bear that Title is usually divided into these six parts Territries The Dukedomes of Mecklenburg strictly so call'd and Vandalia the Earldom of Swerin the Baronies of Rostock and Stargard and the Bishopric of Butzow In the Dukedom of Mecklenburg are reckon'd the Cities of Wismar to which is the neighbouring Island Poel Tempsin Gades Rhena and Bucow In the Dukedom of Vandalia Gustrow Sterneberg Malchin Stavenhagen Ivenack Neu-Calven Warin Pentzlin Rebell Wredenhagen Malchau Tetrou Goltberg Parchum Plage Lupsian Grabou Domitz Neu-Statt Eldenau and Gorlosen In the Barony of Rostock the City of Rostock Ribnitz Gnoien Tessin Laga Schwan Salines and Morlou In the Barony of Stargard Brandeburg Stargard Furstenburg Strelitz Mirow Fredland and Wesenberg And lastly in the Bishopric of Butzow the City of Butzow and the Peninsula of Swerin The most considerable Cities in the Dukedom of MECKLENBURG I. LUBEC Lubec This City is indeed situate in Wagerland and for that reason we have already given the Reader some short account of it in the Description of Denmark but because it is of it self an Imperial City wholly independant upon the Crown of Denmark and immediately subject to the Emperor of Germany we have reserv'd a more particular survey of it for this place And it cannot so properly be referr'd to any particular Province of the Empire as the Dukedom of Mecklenburg For altho the Citizens of Lubec do not pay any manner of tribute or homage to the Princes of Mecklenburg yet it may perhaps as justly be reckon'd part of that Dukedom as Bremen which never yet acknowledg'd any subjection to the Kings of Sweden may be esteem'd part of that Principality which now bears
six chief Courts of Judicature Courts of Judicature for the examination and trial of Cases Civil and Ecclesiastical in the Elector's Dominions 1. At Coen on the Spree or in the Elector's Palace at Berlin 2. At Colberg in Pomeren 3. Cleve 4. Halberstadt 5. Petershagh where all Causes depending between any of the Elector's Subjects in the Dukedom of Minden are brought to trial 6. Konigsberg in Prussia To these may be added the Court of Magdeburg since that Archbishopric is now fall'n into the Elector's hands But of this more hereafter The whole Marquisate of Brandenburg strictly so call'd is commonly divided into the Alt Mittel Neue and Vcker-Marck with the Territories of Prignitz and Sternberg But taking Prignitz and Vcker-Marck into the Middle and Sternberg into the New we may include them all under the three following heads ALT-MARCK FIrst ALT-MARCK or the old Marquisate is bounded on the North with the Dukedom of Mecklenburg on the West with Saxon-Lawenburg and some part of the Duke of Lunenburg's Territories on the South with the Dukedom of Magdeburg and on the East with the Middle Marck containing about thirty English miles in length or bredth Some Authors for the plenty it affords of all manner of Herbs and Fruits have been pleased to call it the Galilee of Germany It is commonly subdivided into four petty Provinces whereof that on the East called Das Balsamerland or Ostland contains Stendal Arneburg the City and County of Osterburg with some other Towns of note On the South lies Die Langer or Das Angerland taking its name from the River Anger Towards the West Das land zu Zermund in which is situate the ancient City Soltwedel And lastly Das Senland on the North supposed to have its name from the Senones who are thought to have been the ancient inhabitants of these parts The most considerable Cities and great Towns in the Old Marck are 1. Stendal the Metropolis of this Province Stendal seated upon the River Vcht about five English miles distant from the Elb and Angermund in a pleasant plain and at the side of a large Forest It was built by the Emperor Henry the First in the year of Christ 920 and afterwards fortified with strong Walls and Bulwarks by Marquise Albert surnam'd Vrsus in the year 1150. In this neat and well-built Hans-Town are kept the ordinary Quarter-Sessions for decision of all Law-Suits in the Old Marck The chief trade of the Citizens is in Corn and Linnen Cloth with which and the daily opportunity of entertaining Passengers that travel this road from Hamburg and Lubec towards Magdeburg Erfurt c. they make a shift to live handsomly MARCHIA VETUS Vulgo ALTE MARCK in March Brandenburgico To the R. t Wor. ll Ralph Macro M. D. r this Plate is Humbly Dedicated by Moses Pitt MARCHIA MEDIA Vulgo MIDLE MARCK in Brandenburg IE NE SERCH QVâ— To the R. t Hon. t Iames Earle of Northampton This Mapp is humbly Dedicated by M. Pitt 3. Gardleben GARDLEBEN Some Authors tell us that the ancient name of this Town was Isoburgum from the Image of Isis here worshipp'd Others believe 't was Isernburg and so called from its impregnable strength that name signifying properly a City of Iron The neighbouring old Fort call'd still by its ancient Wendish name Iseren Schnippe i. e. Iron Jaws gave occasion to both these opinions which are purely conjectural and are neither countenanc'd by Antiquity nor Probability But omitting these fancies with that of other Authors equally impertinent who write the Gardelegia and fetch its Etymology from Gardalegionum or Custodia Legionum because forsooth Claudius Drusus quarter'd some of his Soldiers here as well as at Soltwedel 't is most likely this City had its name from the multitude of pleasant Gardens among which 't is seated The Beer brewed in this Town is famous all Germany over and reckon'd amongst the greatest Blessings of the Old Marck Henry Meibonius a Professor in Helmstadt whither great quantities of this Liquor is ordinarily convey'd has writ a Panegyrick in commendation of it Another great commodity of the Town is Hops which are preferr'd by the Danish Merchants and others before the best in Germany and bought up at a higher rate The Arms of the City are three Hop-poles laden with Hops IV. Angermund ANGERMUND or Tangermund Seated as the name intimates on the mouth of the River Anger or Tanger about thirty English miles from Magdeburg The Emperor Charles IV. having bought the whole Marquisate of Brandenburg built the Castle of Angermund in the year 1376 making this the usual place of his residence for some years after The Citizens have a considerable trade from the advantage of the Elb by which their Corn and other Commodities of the Country are convey'd in Vessels down to Hamburg and thence into foreign Nations Other places of less note are 1. Seehusen or Senheusen as some write it seated on the River Alant and falsely suppos'd to have been built by the Senones who were indeed a Gaulish people and never inhabited these parts 2. Osterburg a great Corn-Market 3. Werben seated at the confluence of the Rivers Elb and Havel built by Henry surnamed the Fowler out of the ruins of the old Castellum Vari Gustavus Adolphus fancied this place capable of being made the strongest Fort in Germany and himself contributed so far towards its fortification as to cause that Castle to be built which now commands the whole Town 4. Havelberg anciently a Bishop's See 5. Perleberg the chief Town in Prignitz seated in a pleasant and fruitful plain Arneburg Wittemberg Bismarcht Schnakenburg with some others are Villages rather then great Towns II. MIDDLE-MARCK MIDDLE-MARCK as its name intimates is situate in the very midst of the Marquisate of Brandenburg 'T is the largest of the three and reaches from the banks of the Elb to the Oder about an hundred English miles The chief Towns in it are I. BRANDENBURG which Brandenburg tho at present far inferior to many of the neighbouring Cities well merits the preeminence as having been formerly the Metropolis of the whole Land and to this day giving name to the Marquisate Some of the German Historians endeavour to perswade us that 't was built 416 years before the birth of our Saviour by one Brenno a famous Captain of the Semnones Others more modestly fetch its original and name from one Brando who as they tell the story first built this City about the year 230. At present the Town is considerable for little but its age and the inhabitants would be put to a hard shift to pick up a livelihood if the neighbouring Lake about ten English miles in length did not supply them with good store of Fish In the great Church there are a great many Monuments and Sepulchers of Princes and Bishops and in the Market-place a Statua Rolandina of which last we have already given the Reader a short account II. BERLIN Berlin Angelius a