yet for diuersitie of motion may be compted two that is Primum Mobile mouing onelye vppon the poles Articke and Antarticke and all the reste of Orbes and Planets mouing vppon the poales of the Zodiacke are by this difference of motion imagined two wherby ariseth the number of sixe substanciall partes of the world that is the foure Elements and the two varietiâ—s of Orbes So likewise the inferiour world I meane the Superficies of the Earth is also diuided into sixe partes that is Europa Affrica Asia Terra Septentrionalis America Terra Austrialis whose bounders bycause this diuision séemeth somewhat strange I thought good for the more particularitie here briefly to repeate The chiefe bounders of the principall parts of the vvorld EVropa is bounded on the Weast side with oure Weaste Ocean on the South side wyth Mare Mediterâ—aneum on the East with Mare Aegeum Pontus Euxinus and the riuer Tanais folowing the Meridian thereof Northwarde On the North side it was thoughte sometime to be bounded with Ilandes Hebrides Orcades and Hyperboreâ— montes in Sarmatia of Europe But nowe by the nauigation of the Englishemen the boundes are extended vnto that Sea whiche compasseth Norway Laplande and Moscouia Affrica is bounded Westwarde with the Sea Atlanticum Southward with the South Ocean passing by Cape d'buona Speranza Eastwarde with the red Sea and Northwarde by the Sea Mediterraneum Asia is bounded on the South side with the South Ocean on the Easte side with Mare Eoum and the straighte Anian on the North side with the Scithian Sea on the Weaste side with the Meridian of the riuer Tanaâ—â— paâ—te of the Sea Mediterraeneum as Pontus Euxinus Mare Egeum Sinus Issicus and the red Sea. Terra Septentrionalis is diuided from Asia by the Scythian Sea from Europe by the North Sea aboute Iseland called in times past Mare Congelaâ—um the frosen Sea and froÌ„ America is deuided by Frobishers straits It lyeth rounde about the Pole Artike is included by a Paralell passing aboute .70 degrées in North latitude as it is also more at large described in Mercators and Ortelius vniuersall Mappes This parte of the world hath béene most or onely made knowen by the Englishmens industrie For as Mercator mentioneth out of a probable Author there was a Frier of Oxforde a greate Mathmatician who himselfe went verâ—â— farre North aboue .200 yeares agoe and with an Astrolabe described almoste all the lande aboute the Pole fâ—â—ding it diuided into foure partes or Ilandes by foure gâ—eate gutters indrafts or channels running violently aâ—d deliuering themselues into a mostrous receptacle and swallowing sincke with suche a violent force and currant that a Shippe beyng entred neuer so little within one of tâ—ese foure indraftes câ—nnot be holden backe by the force of any great winde but runneth in headlong by that déepe swâ—llâ—wing sincke into the bowels of the earth Hée reportâ—th that thâ— Southweast parte of that lande is a fruitfull and a holesome soyle The Northeast part in respect of England is inhabited with a people called Pygmaei whyche are not at the vttermoste aboue foure foote highe One of these foure greate monstrous gulfes wyâ—h hys violent raging course followeth the Meridiâ—n of the fortunate Ilandes aâ—d receiueth the Ocean with thâ—ée mouths and is frosen oâ—er thrée moneths in the yeare and is .37 leagues in bâ—â—adth the neâ—te Eastwarde beyonde the Ilande Vagâ—ts is 〈…〉 degrees in longitude and receyueth the East Ocean wâ—th â—â—ue months and being narrowe and swifte is neuer frosen The third is at 19â— degrées in longitude â—â—ceiuâ—th the East OceaÌ„ with ninetéen receits The fourth is at â—â—â— degrées in longitude Al these indraftes raging channels runne directly towards a point vnder the Pole where is also said to be a monstrous gret Mountain of woÌ„derful gret height about .35 leagues in coÌ„passe at the foot Guiâ—â—elmus Postellus saith that here vnder and aboute the Pole is beste habitation for man and that they euer haue continuall daye and know not what night or darkenesse meaneth But this séemeth contrary to the principles of the Sphere whyche alloweth well that they shoulde sée the Sunne halfe a yeare togither without any night During the time of his being in the North signes from the one Equinoctium tâ— the other yet that in the other halfe they shold haue continuall night without any day But I thinke Postellus being a good Astronomer doubted nothâ—ng of y reason of the sphere but meaneth that for their great twilighâ—s the high swelling of the erth the high mouÌ„taine vnder the Pole they haue continuall light but hereof you shal heare more â—t large hereafter in this treatise wheÌ„ I speake of the â—epâ—rature of the North Regions This so particular a description of the land countries lying about the Pole argueth that this Oxford Frier tooke great pains therâ—in and â—ndurâ—th greâ—t probabilitie likelihood of the tâ—uth therof bicauâ—â— he obâ—â—â—ued so diligently by measure the bredth of the inâ—rafâ—â— wâ—â—t time and how long they coâ—tâ—nued frosen with how â—anâ—e mouths or receipts euery one of them receiued the Ocean UpoÌ„ the bounds descriptioÌ„ of this part of the erth I haue the loÌ„ger staid bicause I find it discouered only by the English nation And although the greatest part herof was maâ—e knowen .200 odde yeres past yet some bounders thereof were described set out by the trauel of S. Hugh Wiâ—â—oby â—night an Englishman who ventured lost his life in the cause so died an honorable death with him Ric. Chancelor chiefe Pilot in that voyage in An. 1554. who discouered founde out the Norway Lapland c. conioyned not to Groneland or any part of the Northern regions as one firme continent but that by sea a man might trauel to the country of Mâ—scâ—uâ—a a gret way more Estward as far as the gret riuer Obby â—lso oure worthy General Ca. Frobisher in his .3 last voiages wâ—er of we are briefly to entreat in these .3 books hath discouered described a gret part of the Southwest bouÌ„ds therof meneth God willing not only to describe the one halfe therof in going to Cataia by the Northwest but also to put in triaâ—â— whether he may return into EnglaÌ„d by the Northeast so also to discrybe the other paâ—t which to do is one of the waightiest matters of the world a thing that wil cause other Princes to admire the fortunate state the gret valor of the English natioÌ„ But to retourne againe to the bounding of the other parts of the worlde America an Ilande is included on the East side with the Sea Antartique On the Weast side with Mare del Sur or Mare Pâ—cificum On the South side it is bounded wyth the straight of Mâ—gellanus and on the North with Frobishers straights Terra Aâ—straliâ— séemeth to be a great firme land lying vnder and aboute the South pole being in many
in durance at Edenburgh by the Regents commaundement of Scotlande After we had prouided vs héere of matter sufficiente for our voyage the eyght of Iune we sette sayle agayne and passing through Saint Magnus sounde hauing a merrie winde by night came cléere and lost sight of all the lande and kéeping oure course West Northwest by the space of two dayes the winde shifted vpon vs so that we lay in trauerse on the Seas with contrarie making good as néere as we could our course to the Westward and sometime to the Northward as the winde shifted And héereabout we met with thrée Sayle of English fishermen from Iseland bouÌ„d homewarde by whome we wrote our letters vnto oure friends in England We trauersed these Seas by the space of .26 dayes without sight of any land and met with much drift wodde and whole bodyes of trées We saw many monsterous Fishe and strange Fowle whyche sémed to liue only by the Sea being there so farre distant from anye land At length God fauoured vs with more prosperous windes and after we hadde sayled foure dayes with good wind in the Pâ—upe the fourth of Iuly the Michaell being formost a head shotte off a péece of Ordinance and stroke all hir sayles supposing that they descryed land whyche by reason of the thicke mistes they could not make perfit howbeit as wel our accompt as also the greate alteration of the water whiche became more blacke and smooth dyd playnely declare we were not farre off the coast Our Generall sent his Maister aboorde the Michaell who had bin within the yeare before to beare in with the place to make proofe thereof who desâ—ryed not the land perfecte but sawe sundrie huge Ilands of Ise which we déemed to be not past twelue leagues froÌ„ the shore for about tenne of the clocke at night being the fourth of Iuly the weather being more cléere we made the land perfect and knew it to be Fréeseland And the heigth being taken héere we founde oure selues to be in the Latitude of .60 Degrées and a halfe and were fallen with the Southermost parte of this land Betwéene Orkney and Freeseland are reckned leagues This Freeseland sheweth a ragged and high lande hauing the Mountaynes almost couered ouer with Snow alongst the coast full of drift Ise and séemeth almost inaccessible is thought to be an Iland in bignesse not inferior to England and is called of some Authours Weast Freeseland I thinke bycause it lyeth more Weast then anye part of Europe It extendeth in Latitude to the Northward verie farre as séemed to vs and appeareth by a description set out by two bréethren Venetians Nicholaus and Antonius Genoa who being driuen off from Ireland with a violent tempest made Shipwracke héere and were the first knowen Christians that discouered this lande aboute thrée hundred yeares sithence and they haue in their Sea-Cardes set out euerie part thereof and described the condition of the inhabitants declaring them to be as ciuill and Religious people as we And for so much of this land as we haue sayled alongst comparing their Carde with the coast we find it very agréeable This coast séemeth to haue good fishing for we lying becalmd let fall a hooke without anye bayte and presently caught a great fish called a Hollibut which serued the whole companie for a dayes meate and is dangerous meate for surfetting And sounding about fyue leagues off froÌ„ the shore our leade brought vp in the tallow a kind of Corrall almost white and small stones as bright as Christall it is not to be doubted but that this laÌ„d may be found very rich and beneficiall if it were throughly discouered although we saw no creature there but little birds It is a maruellous thing to behold of what great bignesse and depth some Ilandes of I se be héere some .70 some .80 fadome vnder water besides that which is aboue séemyng Ilands more than halfe a mile in circuite All these Ise are in tast freshe and séeme to be bredde in the sounds thereaboutes or in some land néere the pole and with the wind tides are driuen alongst the coastes We fouÌ„d none of these Ilands of Ise salt in tast wherby appeareth they were not congealed of the Ocean Sea water which is always salt but of some standing or little mouing lakes or great fresh waters néere the shore caused eyther by melted snow froÌ„ tops of Mountaines or by continuall accesse of fresh riuers froÌ„ the laÌ„d and intermingling with the Sea water bearing yet the dominion by the force of extreame frost may cause some part of salt water to fréese so with it so séeme a little brackish but otherwise the maine sea fréeseth not therefore there is no Mare Glaciale or frosen Sea as the opinion hytherto hath bin Our General proued laÌ„ding here twice but by the suddaine fall of mistes wherevnto this coast is much subiect he was like to lose sight of his Ships being greatly endangered with the driuing Ise alongst the coast was forced aboord and faine to surceasse his preteÌ„ce till a better oportunitie might serue and hauing spent .4 days nights sailing alongst this laÌ„d finding the coast subiect to such bitter cold continuall mistes he determined to spend no more time therin but to beare out his course towards the streights called Frobishers straightes after the Generals name who being the firste that euer passed beyonde .58 degrées to the Northwards for any thing hath bin yet knoweÌ„ of certainty of New found laÌ„d otherwise called the continent or firme laÌ„d of America discouered the said streights this last yeare .1576 and hopeth that there wil be found a thorough passage into the sea which lieth on the back side of the said new found laÌ„d called Mare pacificum or Mare de Sur by the which we maye go vnto Cataya China the East India and all the dominioÌ„s of the Great Cane of Tartaria Betwéene Freeseland the straights we had one great storme wherin that Michael was somewhat in daÌ„ger hauing hir Stéerage broken hir top Mastes bloweÌ„ ouer bord being not past .50 leagues short of the straights by our accoÌ„pt we strooke sayle lay a hull fearing the coÌ„tinuance of the storme the wind being at the Northeast and hauing lost company of the Barkes in that flaw of wind we happily mette againe the .17 day of Iuly hauing the euening before séene diuers Ilandes of fléeting Ise which gaue an argument that we were not farre from land Our Generall in the morning froÌ„ the maine top the weather being reasonable cléere descried laÌ„d but to be better assured he sent the two Barkes two coÌ„trarie courses wherby they might discrie either the South or North forlande the Ayde lying off on at Sea with a small saile by an Iland of Ise whiche was the marke for vs to méete togither agayne And aboute noone the weather being more cléere
procéede For nothing can be don in a momente And this seconde cause mora solis supra Horizontem the time of the Sunnes abiding aboue the Horizon the old Philosophers neuer remeÌ„bred but regarded only the manner of angles that the Sun beames made with the Horizon which if they were equall and right the heate was the greater as in Torrida Zona if they were vnequall oblique the heat was the lesse as towardes both poles which reason is very good substancial for the perpendicular beames reflect and reuerberate in themselues so that the heate is doubled euery beame striking twice by vniting are multiplied and continue strong in forme of a Columne But in our latitude of 50. .60 degrées the Sun beams descend oblique slanting wise so sthiketh but once departeth and therefore oure heate is the lesse for any effect that the angle of the Suns beames make Yet because we haue a longer continuaunce of the Sunnes presence aboue our Horizon than they haue vnder the Equinoctiall by whiche continuaunce the heate is increased for it shineth to vs .xvj. or .xviii. houres sometime when it continueth with them but twelue houres alwayes And againe oure night is very shorte wherein colde vapors vse to abound being but .6 or .8 houres long wheras theirs is alwayes twelue houres long by which two aduaÌ„tages of long dayes and shorte nights thoughe we wante the equalitie of Angle it commeth to passe that in Sommer oure heate here is as greate as theirs is there as hath bin proued by experience and is nothing dissonant from good reason Therefore whosoeuer wil rightly way the force of colde heate in any region muste not onelye consider the Angle that the Sunne beames make but also the continuaunce of the same aboue the Horizon As firste to them vnder the Equinoctiall the Sunne is twice a yeare at noone in their Zenith perpendicular ouer their heades the â—â—â—re during the .ij. houres of those two dayes the heat is very vrgent so perhaps it will be in .4 or .5 dayes more an houre euerye daye vntill the Sunne in his proper motion haue crossed the Equinoctiall so that this extreame heate caused by the perpendicular Angle of the Sunne beames endureth but two houres of two dayes in a yeare But if anye man say the Sunne maye sâ—alde a good while before and after it come to the Meridian so farre forthe as reason leadeth I am content to allowe it and therefore I will measure and proportion the Sunnes heate by comparing the Angles there with the Angles made here in England bicause this teÌ„perature is best knowen vnto vs As for example the .11 daye of Marche when vnder the Equinoctiall it is halfe an houre paste eight of the clocke in the morning the Sunne will be in the East bycause there it ariseth alwayes at six of the clocke and moueth euerye houre 15. degrees aboue the Horizon and so high verye neare wil it be with vs at London the saide .11 of March at noone And therfore looke what force the Sunne hath with vs at noone the .11 of March the same force hath it vnder the Equinoctiall at halfe houre paste eight in the morning or rather lesse force vnder the Equinoctiall For with vs the Sunne hadde béene alreadye six y houres aboue the Horizon and so had purified and clensed all the vapours and thereby hys force encreased at noone but vnder the Equinoctiall the Sunne hauing béen vppe butâ— 2½ houres hadde sufficient to doe to purge consume the colde and moyste vapoures of the long night and as yet had wrought no effect of heate And therefore I may boldely pronounce that there is muche lesse heate at halfe houre past eight vnder the Equinoctiall than is with vs at noone a fortiori Butte in Marche wée are not onelye contented to haue the Sunne shining but we greately desire the same Likewise the .11 of Iune the Sunne in oure Meridian is .62 degrées highe at London and vnder the Equinoctiall it is so high after .10 of the clocke and séeing then it is beneficiall with vs à fortiori it is beneficial to them after .10 of the clocke And thus haue we measured the force of the Suns greatest heate the hottest dayes in the yeare vnder the Equinoctiall that is in March and September from sixe tyll after tenne of the clocke in the morning and from two vntill sunne set And this is concluded by respecting only the first cause of heâ—te which is the consideration of the Angle of the Sunne beames by a certaine similitude that whereas the sunne shineth neuer aboue twelue houres more than eight of them would be coole and pleasaunt eueÌ„ to vs much more to them that are acquainted alwayes with suche warme places So there remayneth lesse than foure houres of anye excessiue heate that only in the two sommer dayes of the yeare that is the eleuenth of March and the fourtéenth of September for vnder the Equinoctiall they haue two sommers in March and September which are our spring and Autumne and likewise two winters in Iune and December which are our Sommer and Winter as may well appeare to him that hath onelye tasted the principles of the Sphere But if the sunne be in eyther Tropicke â—or approching neare therevnto then may we more easilye measure the force of his Meridian altitude that it striketh vpon the Equinoctial As for example the twelfth of Iune the sunne will be in the first degrée of Cancer Then loke what force the heate of the sunne hath vnder the Equinoctiall the same force and greater it hath in all that Paralel where the Pole is eleuated betwéene 47. and 48. degrées And therefore Paris in Fraunce the 12. daye of Iulye sustayneth more heate of the Sunne than Saint Thomas Ilande lying néere the same Meridian doth likewise at noone or the Ilandes Taprobana Moluccae or the firme lande of Peru in America which al lye vnderneath the Equinoctial For vpon the 12. day of Iune aforesayd the sunne beames at noone doe make an Isocheles Triangle whose Vertex is the Center of the Sunne the Basis a lyne extended from Saint Thomas Ilande vnder the Equinoctiall vnto Paris in Fraunce neare the same Meridian therfore the two Angles of the Base muste néedes be equall p. 5. primi Ergo the force of the heate equall if there were no other cause than the reason of the Angle as the olde Philosophers haue appointed But bycause at Paris the Sun riseth two houres before it riseth to them vnder the Equinoctiall setteth likewise two houres after theÌ„ by means of the obliquity of the HorizoÌ„ in which time of the Sunnes presence .4 houres in one place more thaÌ„ the other it worketh some effect more in the one place than in the other being of equall height at noone it muste then néedes follow to be more hote in the Paralell of Paris than it is vnder the Equinoctiall Also this is an other
he lost onely foure men Also the other Barke named the Michaell mistrusting the matter conueyed themselues priuilie away from him and returned home wyth greate reporte that he was cast awaye The worthie Captayne notwithstanding these discomfoâ—tes although hys Mast was sprong and hys toppe Mast blowen ouerboorde wyth extreame foule weather continued hys course towardes the Northweast knowing that the Sea at length must néedes haue an endyng and that some lande shoulde haue a beginning that way and determined therefore at the least to bryng true proofe what lande and Sea the same myghte bée so farre to the Northweastwardes beyonde anye man that hathe héeretofore discouered And the twentith of Iuly hée hadde sighte of a highe lande whyche hée called Queene Elizabethes Forlande after hyr Maiesties name And sayling more Northerlie alongst that coast he descried another forlande with a greate gutte bay or passage deuiding as it were two mayne lands or continents asunder There he met with store of excéeding great yse al this coast aloÌ„g coueting still to continue his course to the Northwardes was alwayes by contrarie winde deteyned ouerthwarte these straytes and could not get beyond Within few days after he perceyued the Ise to be well consumed and gone eyther there engulfed in by some swifte currants or indraftes caried more to the Southwardes of the same straytes or else conueyed some other way wherefore he determined to make profe of this place to sée how farre that gutte had continuance and whether he mighte carrie himselfe thorough the same into some open Sea on the backe syde whereof hée conceâ—ued no small hope and so entred the same the one and twentith of Iuly and passed aboue fyftie leagues therein as hée reported hauing vpon eyther hande a greate mayne or continent And that land vppon hys right hande as hée sayled Westward he iudged to bee the continente of Asia and there to bée deuided from the firme of America whiche lyeth vppon the lefte hande ouer-against the same This place he named after his name Frobishers Streytes lyke as Magellanus at the Southweast ende of the worlde hauyng discouered the passage to the South Sea where America is deuided from the continente of that lande whiche lyeth vnder the South Pole and called the same straites Magellanes streightes After he hadde passed 6â— leagues into this foresayde strayte hée wente ashore and founde signe where fire had bin made He saw mightie Déere that séemed to be Mankind which ranne at him and hardly he escaped with his life in a narrow way where he was fayne to vse defence and policie to saue his life In this place he saw and perceyued sundry tokens of the peoples resorting thither And being ashore vpon the toppe of a hill he perceiued a number of small things fléeting in the Sea a farre off whyche hée supposed to be Porposes or Ceales or some kinde of strange fishe but comming nearer he discouered them to be men in small boates made of leather And before he could discende downe from the hyll certain of those people had almost cut off his boate froÌ„ him hauing stollen secretely behinde the rocks for that purpose where he sâ—éedily hasted to his boate and bent himselfe to his Holbert and narrowly escaped the daunger and saued his bote Afâ—erwards he had sundry conferences with theÌ„ and they came aborde his ship and brought him Salmon and raw fleshe and fishe and gréedily deuoured the same before our mens faces And to shewe their agilitie they tryâ—d many maisteries vpon the ropes of the ship after our Mariners fashion and appeared to be verie strong of theâ—r armes and nimble of their bodies They exchaunged coates of Ceale and Beares skinnes and suche like with oure men and receiued belles loking glasses aâ—d other toyes in recompence thereof againe After great curtesie and manye méetings our Mariners contrarie to their Captaines dyâ—rection began more easily to trust them and fiue of our meÌ„ going a shoare were by them intercepted with their boate and were neuer since hearde of to this day againe So that the Captaine being destitute of boate barke and al company had scarcely sufficient number to conduct back his bark againe He coulde nowe neither conuey himselfe a shore to rescue his men if he had bin able for want of a boate and again the subtile traytours were so warie as they would after that neuer come within our mens danger The Captaine notwithstanding desirous to bring some token from thence of his being there was greatly discontented that he had not before apprehended some of them And therefore to deceiue the deceiuers he wrought a prettie pollicie for knowing well how they greatly delighted in our toyes and specially in belles he rang a pretie Lowbel making wise that he would giue him the same that would come and fetch it And bycause they would not come within his daunger for feare he flung one bell vnto theÌ„ which of purpose he threw short that it might fal into the sea and be lost And to make them more gréedie of the matter he rang a lowder bell so that in the ende one of them came neare the ship side to receiue the bell which when he thought to take at the Captaines hand he was therby taken himself For the Captain being redily prouided let the bel fal cought the man fast plucked him with maine force boate and al into his bark out of the Sea Whervpon when he founde himself in captiuitie for very choller disdain he bit his tong in twayne within his mouth notwithstanding he died not therof but liued vntill he came in Englande and then he died of colde which he had taken at Sea. Nowe with this newe pray whiche was a sufficiente witnâ—sse of the Captaines farre and tedious trauell towardes the vnknowne partes of the worlde as did well appeare by this strange Infidel whose like was neuer séen red nor harde of before and whose language was neyther knowne nor vnderstoode of anye the saide Captaine Frobisher returned homeward and arriued in England in August folowing An. 1â—76 where he was highly commended of all men for his great and notable attempt but specially famous for the great hope he brought of the passage to Cataya which he doubted nothing at alto find and passe thorow in those parts as he reported And it is especially to be remembred at the first arriuâ—ll in those partes there laye so great store of Ise all the coaste along so thicke togither that hardely his boate coulde passe vnto the shoare At lengthe after diuerâ—â— attemptes he commaunded his company if by anye possible meanes they could get ashoare to bring him whatsoeuer thing they could first find whether it were liuing or dead stocke or stone in token of Christian possession which thereby he toke in behalfe of the Quéenes moste excellente maiestie thinking that therby he might iustify the hauing and enioying of the same things
foote vpon that ground and therefore the Generall toke possession thereof to the vse of our Soueraigne Lady the Quéenes Maiestie and discouered héere a goodly harborough for the Shippes where were also certaine little Boates of that Countrey And being there landed they espyed certayne tents and people of that Countrey which were as they iudge in all sorts very like those of Meta Incognita as by theyr apparell and other things whych wée found in theyr tentes appeared The sauage and simple people so soone as they perceyued our men comming towards them supposing there had bin no other Worlde but theirs fledde fearefully away as men muche amazed at so strange a sight and creatures of humane shape so farre in apparell complexion and other things different from themselues They left in their tents all their furniture â—or haste behinde them where amongst other things were founde a boxe of small nayles and certayne redde Hearings boordes of Fyrre trée well cutte with dyuers other things artificially wroughte whereby it appeareth that they haue trade with some ciuill people or else are in déede themselues artificiall workemen Oure menne broughte awaye wyth them onelye twoo of theyr Dogges leauing in recompence belles looking-glasses and dyuers of oure Countrey toyes behynde them This Countrie no doubte promiseth good hope of great commoditie and riches if it maye be well discouered The discription whereof you shall finde more at large in my seconde booke Page .5 Some are of opinion that this Weaste Englande is firme lande with the Northeast partes of Meta Incognita or else with Groenlande And their reason is bicause the people apparell boates and other thinges are so like to theirs and an other reason is the multitude of Ilandes of Ise whyche laye betwéene it and Meta Incognita doeth argue that on the North side there is a bâ—y whyâ—h cannot be but by coÌ„ioyning of these two lands togither And hauing a fayre and large winde wée departed from thence towardes Frobyshers straites the thrée and twentith of Iune But fyrste we gaue name to a byghe clyffe in Weast England the laste that was in oure sight and for a certaine similitude we called it Charing Crosse. Then we bare Southerly towards the Sea bycause to the Northwardes of this coaste wée mette wyth muche driuing Ise whyche by reason of the thicke mistes and weather might haue bin some trouble vnto vs. On Monday the laste of Iune wée mette with manye greate Whales as they hadde béene Porposes This same daye the Salamander being vnder both hir corses and bonets hapned to strike a grâ—â—te Whale with hir â—ull stemme wyth suche a blow that the ship stoode stil and stirred neither forwarde nor backeward The Whale thereat made a great and vgly noise and caste vp his body and tayle and so went vnder water and within twoo dayes after there was founde a greate Whale dead swimming aboue water which we supposed was that the Salamander stroke The seconde daye of Iuly early in the morning wée hadde sighte of the Quéenes forelande and bare in with the lande all the daye and passyng thorow great quantitie of Ise by nighte were entered somewhat within the straites perceiuing no waye to passe further in the whole place being froâ—en ouer from the one side to the other and as it were with many walles mountaines and bulwarkes of yse choaked vppe the passage and denied vs entraunce And yet doe I not thinke that this passage or the Sea hereaboutes is frosen ouer at anye time of the yeare albeit it séemed so vnto vs by the abundaunce of Ise gathered togyther whyche occupyed the whole place But I doe rather suppose these Ise to bée bredde in the hollowe soundes and freshets thereaboutes whyche by the heate of the Sommers Sunne béeyng loosed doe emptie themselues wyth the ebbes into the Sea and so gather in great abundance there togither And to speake somewhat here of the auntiente opinion of the frosen Sea in these partes I doe thinke it to be rather a bare coniecture of menne than that euer anye manne hathe made experience of anye suche Sea. And that whiche they speake of Mare Glaciale may be truely thought to be spoken of these partes for this maye well be called in deede the ysie Sea but not the frosen Sea for no Sea consisting of salte water caÌ„ be frosen as I haue more at large herein shewed my opinioÌ„ in my seconde booke page .6 for it seemeth impossible for any Sea to be frosen which hath his course of ebbing and flowing especiallye in those places where the tides doe ebbe and flowe aboue tenne fadâ—me And also all these aforesaide Ise which we sometime met a hundreth mile from lande being gathered out of the salt Sea are in taste fresh and being dissolued become swéet and holesome water The cause why thys yeare we haue béene more combred with Ise than at other times before may be by reason of the Easterly and Southerly windes whyche brought vs more timely thither now than wee looked for Whiche blowing from the Sea directlye vppon the place of our straites hath kept in the Ise and not suffered them to be caryed out by the ebbe to the maine Sea where they woulde in more shorte time haue béene dissolued And all these fléeting Ise are not onelye so daungerous in that they winde and gather so neare togither that a man maye passe sometimes tenne or twelue myles as it were vpon one firme Ilande of Ise But also for that they open and shutte togither againe in suche sorte wyth the tydes and Sea-gate that whilest one Shyppe followeth the other with full sayles the Ise whyche was open vnto the foremoste will ioyne and close togyther before the latter can come to followe the fyrste whereby manye tymes oure Shippes were broughte into greate daunger as béeyng not able so sodainelye to take in oure sayles or staye the swifte waye of oure Shippes Wée were forced manye tymes to stemme and strike great rockes of Ise and so as it were make way through mightie mountaines By which means some of the fléete where they founde the yse to open entred in and pasâ—ed so farre within the daunger thereof with continuall desire to recouer their port that it was the greatest wonder of the world that they euer escaped safe or were euer heard of againe For euen at this present we missed two of the fléete that is the Iudyth wherein was the Lieuetenaunt general Captaine Fenton and the Michael whome both wée suppoposed hadde bene vtterlye lost hauing not heard any tydings of them in moe than twentie dayes afore And one of our fléete named the Barke Dennys being of an hundereth Tunne burden séeking way in amongst these Ise receiued such a blowe with a rocke of Ise that she sunke downe therewith in the sighte of the whoale fléete Howbeit hauing signified hir daunger by shooting of a péece of great ordinaunce newe succour of other shippes came so readily vnto them that
daungerously towed at the sterne of the Barke for many myles vntill at length they espyed the Anne Frances vnder sayle harde vnder their Lée which was no smal comforte vnto them For no doubt both those and a great number moe had perished for lacke of victuals and conueniente roome in the Barkes without the helpe of the sayde ships But the honest care that the Maister of the Anne Frances had of his Captaine and the good regarde of dutie towards his General suffered him not to depart but honestly abode to hazarde a daungerous roade all the night long notwithstanding all the stormy weather when all the Fléete besides departed And the Pinnesse came no sooner aborde the shippe and the mâ—n entred but she presently sheauered and fel in péeces and sunke at the ships sterne with al the poore mens fâ—rniture so weake was the boate with towing and so soâ—â—â—â—e was the sea to bruse hir in péeces But as God woulde the men were all saued At this presente in this storme manye of the fléete were daungerously distressed and were seuered almost al asunder And there were lost in the whole Fléete well néere xx bâ—â—tes and Pinnesses in this storme and some men strokeÌ„â—uâ—r boorde into the sea and vtterly lost Manye also spente their mayne yardes and mastes and wiâ—h the continuall frostes and deawe the roapes of our shippes were nowe growen so rotten that they went all asunder Yet thankes be to God all the fléete arriued safely in Englande aboute 〈…〉 The 〈…〉 Southeastwarde 〈…〉 in the laâ—itude of Degréeâ— which wâ—s nâ—uâ—r yâ—â—â—ounde before and saâ—led thrâ—â— days 〈◊〉 the coâ—st the land séeming to be fruiteful full of woods and a champion countrie There dyed in the whole Fléete in all this voyage not aboue fortie persons whiche number is not great considering howe many ships were in the Fléete and how strange Fortunes wée passed A generall and briefe Description of the Countrey and condition of the people which are found in Meta Incognita HAuing now sufficiently and truly set forth the whole circumstaÌ„ce and particular handâ—ing of euery occurrente in the thrée Uoyages of our worthy Generall Captayne Frobisher it shal not be froÌ„ the purpose to speake somewhat in generall of the nature of this CouÌ„trey called Meta Incognita and the condition of the sauage people there inhabiting First therefore concerning the Topographicall description of the place It is nowe sound in the last voyage that Queene Elizabethes Cape being scituate in Latitude at Degrées and a halfe which before was supposed to be parte of the firme land of America And also all the rest of the South side of Frobishers straytes are all seuerall IlaÌ„ds and broken land and likewise so will all the North side of the said straytes fall out to be as I thinke And some of our company being entred aboue .60 leagues within the mistaken straytes in the third Booke mentioned thought certaynely that they had descryed the firme lande of America towards the South which I thinke will fall out so to bée These broken landes and Ilandes being very many in number do seeme to make there an Archipelagus which as they all differ in greatnesse forme and fashion one from another so are they in goodnesse couloure and soyle muche vnlike They all are very high lands Mountaynes and in most parts couered with Snow euen all the Sommer loÌ„g The Norther lands haue lesse store of Snow more grasse and are more playne Countreys the cause may be for that the Souther Ilands receiue al the Snow that the cold winds and percing ayre bring out of the North. And contrarily the Norther partes receiue more warme blastes of milder aire from the South wherevpon may grow the cause why the people couet and inhabit more vpon the North partes than the South as farre as we can yet by our experience perceiue they doe Theâ—e people I iudge to be a kinde of Tartar or rather a kind of Samowey of the same sort coÌ„ditioÌ„ of life that the Samoweides be to the Northeastwards beyond Moscouy who are called Samoweydes which is as much to say in the Moscouy tong as eaters of themselues and so the Russians their borderers doe name them And by late conference with a friend of mine with whome I dyd sometime trauell in the parts of Moscouy who hath great experience of those Somoweides people of the Northeast I finde that in all their maner of liuing those people of the Northeast and these of the Northweast are like They are of the couloure of a ripe Oliue which how it may come to passe being borne in so cold a climate I referre to the iudgement of others for they are naturally borne children of the same couloure complexioÌ„ as all the Americans are which dwell vnder the Equinoctiall line They are men very actiue and nimble They are a strong people and very warlike for in our sighte vppon the toppes of the hilles they would often muster theÌ„selues and after the maner of a skirmish trace their ground very nimbly and mannage their bowes and dartes with greate dexteritie They goe clad in coates made of the skinnes of beastes as of Ceales Dere Beares Foxes and Hares They haue also some garments of feathers being made of the cases of Foules finely sowed and compact togither Of all which sortes we broughte home some with vs into England whiche we found in their tents In Sommer they vse to weare the hearie side of their coates outwarde and sometime go naked for too much heate And in Winter as by signes they haue declared they weare foure or fiue folde vpoÌ„ their bodies with the heare for warmth turned inward Hereby it appeareth that the ayre there is not indifferente but eâ—ther it is feruent hote or else extréeme colde and far more excessiue in both qualities than the reason of the clymate shoulde yeeldeâ— For there it is colder being vnder Degrees in latitude thaÌ„ it is at Wâ—râ—inâ— in the voyage to Saint Nicolas in Moscouie being at aboue 70. degrees in latiâ—ude The reason hereof perhappes maye be that thys Meta Incognita is much frequeÌ„ted and vexed with eastern and Northeasterne windes whiche from the sea and Ise bringeth often an intollerable colde ayre whiche was also the cause that this yere our straites were so long shutte vp But there is great hope and likelyhoode that further within the straightes it will be more constant and temperate weather These people are in nature verye subtil and sharpe witted readie to conceiâ—e our meaning by signes and to make answere well to be vnderstoode againe As if they haue not séene the thing wherof you aske them they wyll winck or couer their eyes with their hands as who would say it hath bene hyd from their sighte If they vnderstande you not wherof you aske them they wil stoppe their eares They will teache vs the names of eache thing in their language which we desire to learne and are apt to learne any
the which voyage is knoweÌ„ to be more daÌ„gerous painful thaÌ„ any y Spanyards or Portugals haue euer dealt in for they being borne in a somewhat hote couÌ„trey hapned to deale with easie voyages although they were loÌ„g out not much differing froÌ„ their own teÌ„perature And I thiâ—ke a man mighte be bolde to saye that in all their long voyages to the East and West Indies they were neuer so muche distressed and oppressed with so infinite numbers and sundrie kindes of dangers as oure valiante Generall Captayne Frobisher and his companye were in euery one of these his thrée voyages as readyng it you shall vnderstand more at large And yet they couragiously persist and continue on their purposed enterprise and will not surceasse vntill they haue God willing found oute that long wished passage to Cataya to the euerlasting renowne glorie and fame of the English nation Also the valor of the English men did first of all discouer and finde out all that part of America whiche nowe is called Bâ—ccâ—laos for Sebastian Cabot an Englishe man borne in Bristow was by commandement of Kyng Henry the seauenth in Anno .1508 furnished with Shipping munition and men and sayled along all that tract pretending to discouer the passage to Cataya and went alande in many places and brought home sundry of the people and manye other things of that Countrey in token of possession béeing I say the firste Christians that euer there sette foote on land Also the sayde Englishman Cabot did first discouer at the procurement of the King of Spayne all that other porte of America adioyning nexte beyond Brasill lying aboute the famous Riuer called Rio de la plata Also the English men haue made sundrye voyages to Guinea and Bynny although the Spanyardes and Portugalles bycause of their néere dwelling therevnto get thyther the firste starte of them and there preuented them in building Townes and Castels whereby appeareth that the English nation by their long and dangerous Nauigations haue diligently and paynefullie searched out by sea the temperature of all the Zones whether they were burning frosen hot colde or indifferent euen from the Pole Articke to the Equinoctiall and crossing it also passed beyonde the Tropicke of Capricorne and returned agayne And therefore as we are inferioure to no other nation in making greate and long voyages by Sea so knowe I no Nation comparable vnto vs in taking in hande long trauels and voyages by lande For what Nation is it that hath euer had such a long trade by land as is the Englishmens into Persia which besides two Monethes sayling by Sea along the Weast and Northerne coastes of Norwey and Lapland by Wardhouse vnto the Bay of Saint Nicholas it remayneth more in voyage by land and fresh riuers aboute thrée thousande Englishe myles for from the Merchantes house at Saint Nicholas by the Riuer Duina and Sughana to the Citie Volugda is compted seauen hundred English miles from thence to the Citie Yearuslane standing vpon the great Riuer Molga trauelling by only land is reckned about .140 miles where the Merchants making new Shipping for the freshe Riuer Volga goe Eastwarde about .700 myles then the sayde Riuer Volga turning agayne South by many windings at the last by the greate Citie Astracan deliuereth it selfe into the South side of the Sea Caspium that tract being aboue nine hundred miles then after in two or thrée dayes with a good winde crossing the Caspium Sea they ariue at a port named Bilbill where after by lande iourneying with Camels in one and twenty dayes being almost .600 myles they come to the famous Citie of Tauris or Teuris being the greatest Citie of Persia for trade of Merchandise This long and paynefull voyage by land was taken in hand by a worthy Gentleman Mayster Anthony Ienkenson who made therof a Plat with the firste particular description that I haue séene of the whole Countrey of Moscouia whiche is yet extant and therefore the Englishmen are to be preferred before all other Nations in making long voyages by lande The Spanyards and Portugalles vndoubtedly are worthye immortal â—ame and glorie for their greate enterprises and good â—uccesses they haue therein yet haue they neuer seene nor hard such straunge and extraordinarie accidents of the Sphere as hath happâ—ned vnto the Englishmen For neyther Spâ—niaâ—de nor Portugal euer sawe in all their long voyages Sunne and the Moone to make whole and perfect reuolutions aboue the Horizon as our men yearely do sée in their voyage to Moscouia where when they abide any time at Wardehouse they sée the Sunne goe continually aboue ground the space of aboue two moneths togither where if they take no great héede they shal not know what day of the moneth it is after the order of our Calender for that they haue no nighâ—s But yet bycause once euerye 24. houres the Sunne draweth neare to the Horizon in the North parts it is there commonly shadowed with vapours and thicke fogges whiche vsually rise from the Earth and seeme a little to shadâ—we the bodye of the Sunne and that lowest approching of the Snn to the Earthward they counte night and so make good ynough reckning of the days of the moneth according to our vsuall fashion But one inconuenience there is that dismayeth and deterreth moste men though they be of valiant courage from taking in hande large voyages eyther by sea or by lande and that is the newe and vncustomed elements and the extreme ayres of hot cold wherby as some think if they trauel far Northward they shall be frosen to death in the harde congealed frosen sea and again if they trauel far toward the South they feare they should be parched and broyled to death with the extreme heate of the middle burnyng or else if perhaps they escape aliue yet at least they shold be burned as black as a cole as the Indians or Black Moores there are thys to belieue they are partlye perswaded by the sight of those Indians and partlye by the persuasions of certaine Philosophers who went about with reasons to proue that betwéen the 2. Tropicks was no dwelling or being for the extreme heate the Sunne beating on them continuallye neyther neare eyâ—her Pole for the extreme frostes colde and snow whiche continuallye hath there frâ—m the beginning of the world as some thinke increased the Sunne being so farre distante from them Which opinion of some bycause it importeth very much I thought good here to do mâ— indeuour to refell both bycause I know the contrarie by my owne experience and also for that I finde the course of the Sunne in Zodâ—acke which God hath ordaâ—ned to giue light life to all things can induce no such kinde of â—xâ—remitie and so lastly to confirme all partes of the worlde to be habitable Experiences and reasons of the Sphere to proue al partes of the world habitable and â—hereby to conâ—ute the position of the fiue Zones FIrst it may be gathered by experience of our Englishmen
that grew in these vnknown partes Some of his companye broughte floures some gréene grasse and one brought a péece of a blacke stone much lyke to a seacole in coloure whiche by the waight séemed to be some kinde of mettal or Mynerall This was a thing of no accompt in the iudgement of the Captain at the first sight And yet for nouelty it was kept in respect of the place from whence it came After his arriual in LONDON being demanded of sundrie his friendes what thing he had brought them â—ome of that country he had nothing lest to present them withal but a péece of this blacke stone And it fortuned a gentlewoman one of the aduenturers wiues to haue a péece thereof which by chance she threw and burned in the fire so loÌ„g that at the length being taken forth and quenched in a little vinegre it glistered with a bright Marquesset of golde Whervpon the matter being called in some question it was brought â—o certain Goldfinders in London to make assay therof who indéed found it to hold gold and that very ritchly for the quantity Afterwards the same Goldfinders promised great matters thereof if there were anye store to be found and offred themselues to aduenture for the serching of those partes from whence the same was brought Some that had great hope of the matter fought secretly to haue a lease at hir Maiesties hands of those places wherby to enioy the Masse of so great a publike profit vnto their owne priuate gaines In conclusionâ— the hope of more of the same golde Ore to be founde kindled a greater opinion in the heartes of manâ— to aduaunce the voyage againe Wherevpon preparation was made for a newâ— voyagâ— against the yeare following and the Captaine more speciallye derected by commission for the searching more of this golde Ore than for the searching any further discouerie of the passage And being wel accompanied with diuerse resolute and forward gentlemen hir maiestie then lying at the right honorable the Lord of Warwicks house in Essex came to take theyr leaues kissing hir highnesse hands with gracious countenance comfortable words departed towardes their charge ¶ A true Reporte of such things as hapned in the second voyage of Captayne Frobysher pretended for the Discouerie of a new passage to Cataya China and the East India by the Northwest Anno. Do. 1577. BEeyng furnished with one tall Shippe of hir Maiesties named the Ayde of two hundreth tunne and two other small Barkes the one named the Gabriell the other the Michaâ—l about thirtie tunne a péece béeing fitlie appointed with men munition victuals and all things necessary for the voyage the sayde Captayne Frobysher with the rest of his companie came aboorde his Shippes riding at Blackwall inteÌ„ding with Gods help to take the first winde and tyde seruing him the fyue and twentith day of May in the yeare of oure Lorde God a thousande fiue hundred seuentie and seauen The names of such Gentlemen as attempted this discouerie and the number of Souldyoures and Mariners in each Shippe as followeth ABoord the Ayde being Admirall were the number of one C. men of all sorts whereof .xxx. or moe were Gentlemen and Souldyers the rest sufficiente and tall Saylers Aboorde the Gabriell being Uiceadmirall were in all .18 persons whereof sixe were Souldyers the rest Mariners Aboorde the Michaell were sixtéene persons whereof fiue were Souldyers the rest Mariners Aboorde the Ayde was Generall of the whole coÌ„pany for hir Maiesty Martin Frobysher His Lieutenant George Best His Aunciente Richar. Philpot. Corporall of the shot Frauncis Forder The rest of the GentlemeÌ„ Henry Carew Edmund Stafford Iohn Lee. Haruie Mathew Kynersley Abraham Lyns Robert Kynersley Frauncis Brackenburye William Armshow The Mayster Christofer Hall. The Mate Charles IackmaÌ„ The Pylotte Andrew Dyer The M. Gunner Richarde Coxe Aboorde the Gabriell was Captayne Edward Fenton One Gentleman WilliaÌ„ Tamfield The Mayster William Smyth Aboorde the Michaell was Captayne Gilbert Yorke One Gentleman Tho. ChaÌ„berlaine The Mayster Iames Beare ON Whitsonday being the .26 of May Anno. 1577. earely in the morning we wayed Ancker at Blackwal and fell that tyde downe to Grauesende where were mayned vntill Monday at night On Monday morning the .27 of May aboorde the Ayde we receyued all the CommunioÌ„ by the Minister of Grauesende and prepared vs as good Christians towardes God and resolute men for all fortunes and towards nighte we departed to Tilberie Hope Tewsday the .28 of May aboute nine of the clocke at nighte we arriued at Harwitch in Essex and there stayed for the taking in of certayne victualles vntill Friday being the thirtith of May during whyche tyme came letters from the Lordes of the Counsell streightelye commaundyng oure Generall not to excéede hys complemente and number appoynted hym whyche was one hundred and twentye persons wherevppon he discharged many proper men whiche wyth vnwilling myndes departed Hée also dismissed all hys condemned men whyche he thoughte for some purposes verie néedefull for the voyage and towardes nyghte vppon Friday the one and thirtith of May wée sette Sayle and putte to Seas agayne And sayling Northwarde alongst the East coastes of Englande and Scotlande the seauenth day of Iune wée arriued in Sainte Magnus sounde in Orckney Ilandes called in Latine Orcades and came to Ancker on the South syde of the Bay. Héere oure company goyng on lande the Inhabitantes of these Ilandes beganne to flée as from the Enimie wherevppon the Lieutenante wylled euerye man to staye togyther and wente hymselfe vnto theyr Houses to declare what wée were and the cause of oure comming thyther whyche béeyng vnderstoode after their poore manner they friendly entreated vs and brought vs for oure money such things as they had And héere oure Goldfyners found a mine of Siluer Orkney is the principall of the Isles of Orcades and standeth in the Latitude of â—â— degrées and a halfe The Countrey is much subiect to colde aunswerable for suche a climate and yet yéeldeth some frutes and sufficient mayntenance for the people contented so poorely to liue There is plentie ynough of Poultrey store of Egges Fishe and Fowle For theyr bread they haue â—aten Cakes and theyr drinke is Ewes milke and in some partes Ale. Their houses are but poore without and sluttish ynough within and the people in nature therevnto agréeable For their fire they burne heath and turffe the Countrey in most parts being voyde of woodde They haue greate wante of Leather and desire our olde shoes apparell and old ropes before money for their victuals and yet are they not ignorant of the value of our coine The chiefe towne is called Kyrway In this Iland hath bin sometime and Abbey or a religious house called Saint Magnus being on the West side of the I le whereof this sound beareth name through whyche we passed Their Gouernoure or chiefe Lorde is called the Lord Robert Steward who at oure being there as wée vnderstoode was
we made the North Forlande perfite which otherwise is called Halles Iland and also the small Ilande bearing the name of the saide Hall whence the Ore was taken vppe whiche was broughte into Englande this last yeare 1576. the sayd Hall being present at the finding and takyng vp thereof who was then Maister in the Gabriell with Captayne Frobysher At oure arriuall héere all the Seas about this coast were so couered ouer with huge quantitie of great Ise that we thought these places mighte only deserue the name of Mare Glaciale and be called the Isie Sea. This North forlande is thought to be deuided from the continente of the Norther lande by a little sounde called Halles sound whiche maketh it an Iland and is thoughte little lesse than the I le of Wight and is the firste entrance of the streightes vpon the Norther side and standeth in the Latitude of .62 Degrées â—â— Minutes and is reckned from Freeseland leagues God hauing blessed vs wyth so happie a lande fall we bare into the streightes whyche runne in next hande Weast and somewhat to the Northwarde and came as néere the shore as we mighte for the Ise and vpon the eyghtéenth day of Iuly our Generall taking the Goldfiners with him attempted to go on shore with a small rowing Pinnesse vpoÌ„ the small Iland where the Ore was taken vp to proue whether there were anye store thereof to be found but he could not gette in all that Iland a péece so bigge as a Walnut where the firste was found so that it may séeme a great miracle of God that being only one rich stone in all the Iland the same should be found by one of our Countreymen whereby it shoulde appeare Gods diuine will and pleasure is to haue oure common wealth encreased with no lesse abundance of his hydden treasures and golde mynes than any other nation and would that the fayth of his Gospell and holy name should be published and enlarged throughe all those corners of the earth amongest those Idolatrous Infidels But oure men whiche sought the other Ilandes thereaboutes found them all to haue good store of the Ore wherevppon our Generall with these good tidings retourned aboorde aboute ten of the clocke at night and was ioyfully welcomed of the company with a volie of shotte He brought Egges Fowle and a yong Seale aboord which the companie hadde killed ashore and hauing founde vpon those Ilandes ginnes set to catch fowle and stickes newe cut with other things he well perceiued that not long before some of the countrey people had resorted thither Hauing therefore founde those tokens of the peoples accesse in those partes and being in his firste voyage well acquainted with their subtile and cruell dispotion he prouided well for his better safetie and on Friday the nintéenth of Iuly in the morning earely with his best companie of Gentlemen and souldioures to the number of fortie persons went on shoare aswell to discouer the Inlande and habitation of the people as also to fynd out some fitte harborowe for our shippes And passing towardes the shoare with no small difficultie by reason of the abundance of Ise whiche lay alongest the coaste so thicke togither that hardely any passage throughe them might be discerned we arriued at length vpon the maine of Halles greater Iland and founde there also aswel as in the other small Ilands good store of the Ore. And leauing his boats here with sufficient guarde passed vp into the countrey about two Englishe miles and recouered the toppe of a highe hill on the top whereof our men made a Columne or Crosse of stones heaped vppe of a good heigth togither in good sorte and solempnely sounded a Trumpet and said certaine prayers knéeling aboute the Ancient and honoured the place by the name of Mount Warwicke in remembrance of the Right Honorable the Lord Ambrose Dudley Erle of Warwick whose noble minde and good countenaunce in this as in all other good actions gaue great encouragement and good furtheraÌ„ce This done we retired our companies not séeing any thing here worth further discouerie the couÌ„trie séeming barren and full of ragged mountaines in most parts couered with Snow And thus marching towards our boats we espied certaine of the countrie people on the top of Mount Warwicke with a flag wafting vs backe againe making great noise with cries like the mowing of Bulles séeming greatly desirous of conference with vs whervppon the General being therewith better acquainted answered them again with the like cries whereat and with the noise of our trumpets they séemed greatly to reioyce skipping laughing and dauncing for ioy And herevppon we made signes vnto them holding vp two fingers coÌ„maunding two of our menne to goe aparte from our companies whereby they might doe the like So that forthwith two of oure menne and two of theirs mette togither a good space from companie neither partie hauing their weapons about them Our men gaue them pinnes and pointes and sued trifles as they had And they likewise bestowed on our men two bowe cases and suche things as they had They earnestlye desired oure menne to goe vppe into their Countrie and our men offered them like kindnesse aboorde oure shippes but neyther parte as it séemed admitted or trusted the others curtesie Their manner of trafficke is thus they doe vse to lay downe of their marchandise vppon the ground so much as they meane to parte withall and so looking that the other partie with whome they make trade shoulde doe the like they themselues doe departe and then if they doe like of their marte they come againe and take in exchange the others marchandise otherwise if they like not they take their owne and departe The daye being thus well nearâ— spent in haste we retired our companies into our boates againe minding forthwith to searche alongest the coast for some harborowe fitte for oure shippes for the present necessitie thereof was much considering that all this while they lay off and on betwéen the two lands being continually subiect aswell to great danger of fléeting yse which enuironed them as to the sodâ—in flawes which the coast seemeth much subiect vnto But when the people perceiued our departure with great tokeÌ„s of affection they earnestly called vs backe againe following vs almost to our boates wherevpon our Generall taking his Maister with him who was beste acquainted with their maner went apart vnto two of them meaning if they could lay sure holde vpon them forcibly to bring them aboord with intent to bestow certain toyes and apparell vpon the one and so to dismisse him with all arguments of curtesie and retaine the other for an Interpreter The Generall his Maister being met with their two coÌ„panions togither after they hadde exchanged certaine thinges the one with the other one of the Saluages for lacke of better marchandise cutte off the tayle of his coate whiche is a chiefe ornament among them and gaue
it vnto oure General for a present But he presently vpon a watchword giuen with his Maister sodainely laid holde vpon the twoo Saluages But the grounde vnderféete being slipperie with the Snow on the side of the hill thire handfast fayled and their pray escaping ranne away and lightlye recouered their bowe and arrowes which they had hid not farre from them behinde the rockes And being only two Saluagies in sight they so fiercely desperately and with suche furie assaulted and pursued our Generall and his Maister be-being altogither vnarmed and not mistrusting their subtiltie that they chased them to their boats and hurte the Generall in the Buttocke with an arrow who the rather spéedily sled backe bycause they suspected a greater number behind the rockes Our soldiors which wer commanded before to kéepe their boates perceiuing the danger hearing our men calling for shot came spéedily to rescue thinking there had bin a more number But when the Sauages heard the shot of one of our caliuers And yet hauing first bestowed their arrows they raÌ„ away our meÌ„ spéedily folowing theÌ„ But a seruaunte of my Lorde of Warwickes called Nicholas Conger a good footeman and vncombred with anye furniture besides a dagger at his backe ouertooke one of them and being a Cornishman and a good wrastler shewed hys companion suche a Cornishe tricke that he made his sides ake againste the grounde for a moneth after And so béeing sâ—ayed he was taken aliue and brought away but the other escaped Thus with their straunge and newe praye oure men repaired to their boates and passed from the maine to a small Ilande of a myle compasse where they resolued to â—arrie all night for euen now a sodaine storme was grown so great at sea that by no meanes they coulde recouer their ships And here euerie man refreshed himselfe with a small portion of victualles whiche was laide into the boates for their dinners hauing neither eate nor drunke all the daye before But bycause they knewe not howe long the storme might laste nor how far off the ships might be put to Sea nor whether they should euer recouer theÌ„ again or not they made greate spare of their victualles as it greatly behoued them For they knew ful wel that the best cheare the countrey coulde yéelde them was golden rockes and stones a harde foode to liue withall and the people more readie to eate them than to giue them wherewithall to eate And thus kéeping verie good watche and warde they lay there al night vpon harde cliffes of Snowe and Ise both wette cold and comfortlesse These things thus hapning with the company on lande the danger of the shippes at Sea was no lesse perilous For within one houre after the Generalls departing in the morning by negligence of the Cooke in ouer-heating and the workman in making the chimney the Aide was set on fire and had bin the confusion of the whole if by chaunce a boye espying it it hadde not bin spéedily with great labour and Gods helpe well extinguished This day also were diuerse stormes and flawes and by nine of the clocke at night the storme was growen so great and continewed suche vntil the morning that it putte our shippes at sea in no small perill for hauing mountaines of fléeting Ise on euery side we went romer for one loofed for another some scraped vs some happily escaped vs that the least of a M. wer as daÌ„gerous to strike as any rocke able to haue split asunder the strongest shippe of the world Wée had a scope of cleare without Ise as God would wherein we turned beyng otherwise compassed on euery side about but so much was the winde and so little was our sea roome that being able to beare only our forecoast we cast so oft about that we made fourtéene bordes in eighte glasses running being but foure houres but God being our best SteresmaÌ„ and by the industry of Charles Iackman and Andrew Dyer then maisters mates both very expert Mariners and Richard Coxe the maister Gunner with other very carefull saylers then within borde and also by the helpe of the cleare nightes which are without darkenesse we did happily auoyde those present daungers whereat since we haue more maruelled than in the present daunger feared for that euery man within borde both better and worse had ynough to doe with his handes to hale ropes and with his eyes to looke out for daunger But the nexte morning being the 20. of Iuly as God would the storme ceased and the General espying the shippes with his newe Captiue and whole companie came happilye aborde and reported what hadde passed a shoare whervpon altogither vpon our knées gaue God humble and hartie thankes for that it hadde pleased him from so spéedy peril to send vs such spéedie deliuerance and so from this Norther shoare we stroke ouer towardes the Southerland The one and twentith of Iuly we discouered a bay which ranne into the lande that séemed a likely harborow for our shippes wherefore our General rowed thither with hys boates to make proofe thereof and with his goldfiners â—o searche for Ore hauing neuer assayed anye thing on â—he south shoare as yet and the first small Ilande which wée landed vppon here all the sands and cliftes did so glister had so bright a marquesite that it séemed all to be golde but vpon tryal made it proued no better than blacke leade and verifyed the prouerbe All is not golde that shineth Upon the two twentith of Iuly we bare into the sayd sounde came to Anker a reasonable bredth off the shoare where thinkyng our selues in good securitie we were greatly endaungered with a peece of driâ—te Ise which the Ebbe brought forth of the soundes and came thwart vs ere wée were aware But the gentlemen souldiers within borde taking great paynes at this pinche at the Capstone ouercame the most daunger therof and yet â—or all that might be done it stroke on our sterne such a blowe that we seared least it had stryken away our rudder and being forced to cut our Cable in the hawse were fayne to set our foresaile to runne further vp within and if our sterage had not bin stronger than in the present time we feared we had run â—o the shippe vpon the rockes hauing a very narrowe Channel to turne in but as God woulde all came well to passe And this was named Iackmans sounde after the name of the Maisters mate who had first liking vnto the place Upon a small Ilande within this sound called Smithes Iland bycause he first set vp his forge there was founde a Myne of siluer but was not wonne out of the rockes without great labour Here our goldfyners made saye of suche Ore as they founde vppon the Northerlande and founde foure sortes thereof to holde golde in good quantitie Upon another small Ilande here was also founde a great deade fishe which as it should séeme had
Captayne hée dreamed that he was cast ouerboorde and that the Boateson hadde hym by the hande and coulde not saue hym and so immediately vppon the ende of hys tale hys Dreame came right euelly to passe and in déede the Boateson in like sort helde him by one hande hauyng hold on a rope with the other vntill hys force fayled and the Mayster drowned The heygth being taken we found oure selues to bée in the Latitude of Degrées and a halfe and reckned our selues from the Quéenes Cape homeward about two hundreth leagues The last of August aboute midnighte we had two or thrée great and suddayne flawes or stormes The firste of September the storme was growne very great and continued almoste the whole day and night and lying a hull to tarry for the barkes our ship was much beaten with the Seas euery Sea almoste ouertaking oure poope that we were constrained with a bunte of oure saile to try it out and ease the rolling of oure shippe And so the Gabriel not able to beare any saile to kéepe company with vs and oure shippe being higher in the poope and a tall shippe whereon the winde had more force to driue went so faste awaye that we loste sight of them and lefte them to God and their good fortune of Sea. The seconde daye of September in the morning it pleased God of hys goodnesse to sende vs a calme whereby we perceiued the Rudder of oure shippe torne in twaine and almost ready to fal away Wherfore taking the benefite of the time wée slung halfe a dosen couple of our best men ouerboord who taking great paines vnder water driuing plancks and binding wyth ropes did wel strengthen and mend the matter who returned the most parte more than halfe deade out of the water and as Gods pleasure was the Sea was calme vntill the worke was finished The fifth of September the height of the sterne being taken wée founde our selues to be in the latitude of degrées and a half In all this voyage we took the latitude of the place by the height of the sunne bycause the long day taketh away the light not only of the Polar but also of all other fixed Starres And here the North Starre is so muche eleuated aboue the Horizon that with the Staffe it is hardly to be wel obserued and the degrées in the Astrolobe are too small to obserue minutes Therefore we alwaies vsed the Staffe and the Sunne as fittest instrumentes for this vse Hauing spent foure or fiue dayes in trauerse of the seas with contrarye winde making oure Souther way good as neare as we could to raise oure degrées to bring our selues with the latitude of Sylley wée tooke the height the tenth of September and founde our selues in the latitude of degrées and ten minutes The eleauenth of September about sixe a clocke at night the winde came good sowthwest we were shot and set our course southest And vpon Thursday the twelfth of September taking the height we were in the latitude of and a halfe and reckened oure selues not paste one hundred and fiftie leagues shorte of Sylley the weather faire the winde large at westsouthwest we kepte our course southest The thirtéenth daye the height being taken we founde our selues to be in the latitude of â— degrées the wind westsouthwest then being in the height of Sylley we kept our course East to run in with the sléeue or channell so called being our narrow Seas and reckened vs shorte of Sylley twelue leagues Sonday the fiftéenth of September aboute foure of the clocke wée beganne to sounde with oure lead and hadde grounde at .61 fadome depth white small sandie grounde and reckned vs vpon the backe of Sylley and set our course Easte and by North Easte Northeast and Northeast among The sixtéenth of September about eight of the clocke in the morning sounding we had .65 fadome osey sande and thought our selues thwart of Saint Georges channell a little within the bankes And bearing a small saile all nighte wée made many soundings whiche were aboute fortie fadome and so shallowe that wée coulde not well tell where we were The seauentéenth of September we sounded and had fortie fadome and were not farre off the landes and branded sande with small wormes and Cockle shells and were shotte betwéen Sylley and the landes ende and being within the baye we were not able to double the pointe wyth a South and by East way but were fayne to make another boorde the wynde béeyng at Southweast and by Weast and yet coulde not double the poynte to come cléere of the landes ende to beare along the Channell and the weather cléered vp when we were hard aboorde the shore and wée made the landes ende perfite and so put vp alongst Sainte Georges Channell And the weather béeyng very foule at Sea we coueted some harborough bycause our Stéeradge was broken and so came to Ancker in Padstowe roade in Cornewall But riding there a very daungerous roade we were aduised by the Countrey to put to Sea agayne and of the two euils to choose the lesse for there was nothing but present perill where we roade where vppon we plyed along the Channell to gette to Londy from whence we were agayne driuen being but an open roade where our Ancker came home and with force of weather put to Seas agayne and aboute the thrée and twentith of September arriued at Milforde Hauen in Wales whyche béeyng a very good harborough made vs happy men that we hadde receyued suche long desired safetie And more happie we helde our selues not for the safetie of our selues so muche as the comforte that we had that oure Countrey shoulde thereby haue perfecte knowledge of oure discouerie to the greate benefyte of oure common wealth Aboute one moneth after oure arriuall héere by order from the Lordes of the Counsell the Shippe came vp to Bristowe where the Ore was committed to kéeping in the Castell there Héere we founde the Gabriell one of the Barkes arriued in good safetie who hauing neuer a man within boorde very sufficient to bring home the Shyppe after the Mayster was lost by good fortune when shée came vpon the coast mette with a Shyppe of Bristowe at Sea who conducted hir in safetie thither Héere we heard good tidings also of the arriuall of the other Barke called the Michaell in the North partes whyche was not a little ioyfull vnto vs that it pleased God so to bring vs to a safe méeting agayne and lost in all the voyage only one man besydes one that dyed at Sea whiche was sicke before he came aboorde and was so desirous to followe this enterprise that he rather chose to dye therein than not to be one to attempte so notable a voyage FINIS ¶ The thirde voyage of Captayne Frobisher pretended for the discouerie of Cataya by Meta Incognito Anno Do. 1578. THE GEnerall béeing returned from the second Uoyage immediatlye aâ—ter hys arriual in Englande repayred with all
the men were al saued with boates Within this shippe that was drowned there was percell of our house whiche was to be erected for them that shoulde staye all the Winter in Meta Incognita Thys was a more fearefull spectacle for the Fléete to beholde for that the outragious storme which presentlye followed threatned them the like fortune and daunger For the Fléete being thus compassed as aforesayde on euery side with Ise hauing left muche behynde them thorow which they had passed finding more before them thorow whiche it was not possible to passe there arose a sodaine and terrible tempest at the Southeast which blowing from the mayne Sea directlye vpon the place of the straytes broughte togither al the Ise a seaborde of vs vpon our backes and thereby debarde as of turning backe to recouer sea roome againe so that being thus compassed with daunger on euery side sundrye men with sundrie deuises sought the best waye to saue themselues Some of the Shippes where they could find a place more cleare of Ise and get a litâ—le berth of sea roome did take in their Sayles and there lay adrift Other some fastened and mored Ancker vpon a great Iland of Ise and roade vnder the â—ee thereof supposing to be better garded thereby from the outrageous windes and the daunger of the lesser fleeting Ise. And againe some were so fast shut vp and compassed in amongst an infinite number of great Countreys and Ilands of Ise that they were fayne to submit themselues their Ships to the mercie of the vnmercifull Ise and strengthned the sides of their Ships with iunckes of cables beds Mastes planckes and such like whiche being hanged ouerboord on the sides of their Shippes mighte the better defende them from the outragious sway and strokes of the said Ise. But as in greatest distresse men of best value are best to be discerned so it is greatly worthy commendation and noting with what inuincible minde euery Captayne encouraged his company and with what incredible labour the paynefull Mariners and poore Miners vnaquainted with suche extremities to the euerlasting renowne of our nation dyd ouercome the brunt of these so greate and extreame daungers for some euen without boorde vpon the Ise and some within boorde vppon the sides of their Shippes hauing poles pikes péeces of timber and Ores in their handes stoode almost day and night withoute any rest bearing off the force and breaking the sway of the Ise with suche incredible payne and perill that it was wonderfull to behold which otherwise no doubt had stricken quite through and through the sides of their Shippes notwithstandyng our former prouision for planckes of timber of more than thrée ynches thicke and other things of greater force and bignesse by the surging of the Sea and billowe with the Ise were sheuered and cutte in sunder at the sides of oure Shippes that it will séeme more than credible to be reported of And yet that whiche is more it is faythfully and playnely to be proued and that by many substantiall witnesses that our Shippes euen those of greatest burdens with the méeting of contrary waues of the Sea were heaued vp betwéene Ilandes of Ise a foote welnéere out of the Sea aboue their watermarke hauing their knees and timbers within boorde both bowed and broken therewith And amidst these extremes whilest some laboured for defence of the Shippes and sought to saue their bodyes othersome of more mylder spirit soughte to saue the Soule by deuoute Prayer and mediation to the Almightie thinking indéede by no other meanes possible than by a diuine Miracle to haue their deliuerance so that there was none that were eyther ydle or not well occupyed and hée that helde himselfe in best securitie had God knoweth but only bare hope remayning for his best safetie Thus all the gallant Fléete and miserable men without hope of euer getting forth agayne distressed with these extremities remayned héere all the whole night and parte of the neâ—t day excepting foure Shippes that is the Anne Frances the Moone the Frances of Foy and the Gabriell which being somewhat a Seaboorde of the Fléete and béeing fast Ships by a winde hauing a more scope of cléere tryed it out all the time of the storme vnder Sayle béeyng hardly able to beare a coast of each And albeit by reason of the fléeting Ise whych were dispersed héere almost the whole Sea ouer they were broughte manye times to the extreamest poynte of perill Mountaynes of Ise tenne thousande tymes scaping them scarce one ynch whiche to haue stricken had bin theyr presente destruction considering the swifte course and way of the Shippes and the vnwildynesse of them to stay and turne as a maÌ„ would wish Yet they estéemed it their better safetie with such perill to séeke Searome thaÌ„ without hope of euer getting libertie to lie striuing against the streaâ—e beating amongst the Isie Mountaines whose hugenesse and monstrous greatnesse was suche that no man woulde câ—eâ—ite but such as to their paynes sawe and felte it And these foure Shippes by the nexte day at noone gote out to Sea and were fyrste cléere of the Ise who nowe enioâ—ing theyr owne libertie beganne a new to sorrowe and feare for their fellowes safeties And deuoutely knéeling aboute theyr mayne Mast gaue vnto God humble thankes not only for themselues but besoughte him lykewise highly for theyr friends deliuerance And euen nowe whilest amiddest these extremities thys gallante Fléete and valiant men were altogither ouerlaboured and forewatched with the long and fearefull continuance of the foresayde dangers it pleased God with his eyes of mercie to looke downe from Heauen to sende them help in good time giuing them the nexte daye a more fauourable wind at the West Northweast whiche did not only disperse and dryue forthe the Ise before them but also gaue them libertie of more scope and Sea roome and were by night of the daye following perceyued of the other foure Shippes where to their greatest comforte they enioyed agayne the fellowship of one another Some in mending the sides of theyr Shyppes some in setting vp their toppe Mastes and mending theyr Sayles and tacklings Agayne some complayning of theyr false Stemme borne away some in stopping their Leakes some in recounting their daungers past spent no small time and labour that I dare well auouche there were neuer men more daungerously distressed nor more mercifully by Gods Prouidence deliuered And héereof both the torne Shippes and the forwéeryed bodyes of the men arriued doe beare most euidente marke and witnesse And now the whole Fléete plyed off to Seaward resoluing there to abide vntill the Sunne might consume or the force of wind disperse these Ise from the place of theyr passage and being a good berth off the shore they toke in their Sayles and lay adrift The seauenth of Iuly as men nothing yet dismayed we cast about towards the inward and had sight of lande which rose in forme like the Northerland of the straytes which
in the mouth of Frobishers straytes whiche coulde by no meanes haue bin so brought thither neyther by winde nor tide being lost so many leagues off if by force of the sayde Currant the same had not bin violently brought For if the same hadde bin brought thither by the tyde of fludde looke how farre in the said fludde had caried it the ebbe woulde haue recaryed it as farre backe agayne and by the winde it could not so come to passe bycause it was then sometime calme and most times contrary And some Marriners doe affyrme that they haue diligently obserued that there runneth in this place nine houres floud to thrée ebbe which may thus come to passâ— by 〈◊〉 oâ— the saide currant for whereas the Sea in most places oâ— the world doth more or lesse ordinarily ebbe and flow once euery tweâ—ue houres with sixe houres ebbe and siâ—e houres floud so also would it doe there were it not for the violenâ—e of this hastning currant which forceth the â—loud to mâ—ke appearance to beginne before his ordinary time one houre and a halfe and also to continue longer than his natural course by an other houre and a halfe â—ntil the foâ—ce of the ebbe be so greate that it will no longer bâ— resisted according to the saying Naturam expellas furca liâ—â—t â—â—men vsq recurrit Although nature and nâ—turall courses be forced and resisted neuer so muche yet at lâ—ste it will haue their own sway â—gaâ—ne Moreouer it is not possible that so great course of flouds and currant so highe swelling tides with continuaunce of so déepe waters can be digested here without vnburdening themselues into some open Sea beyonde thâ—s place which argueth the more likelihood of the passâ—ge to be hereaboutes Also we suppose these great indrafts do growe and are made by the reueâ—beration and reflection of that same Currant whiche at oure comming by Irelande mette and crossed us of whiche in the firste parte of this discourse I spake whyche comming from the bay of Mexico passing by and washing the Southweast parts of Ireland rebouÌ„deth ouer to the Northest parts of the world as Norway Islande c. where not finding any passage to an open Sea but rather is there encreased by a new accesse and another Currant meéeting with it from the Scythian Sea passing the bay of Saint Nicholas Westwarde doeth once againe rebound backe by the coasts of Groenland and from thence vppon Frobishers straites being to the Southwestwardes of the same 5 And if that principle of Philosophie be true that Inferiora corpora reguntur à superioribus that is if inferior bodies be gouerned ruled and caried after the maner and course of the superiors theÌ„ the water being an inferior Element muste néedes be gouerned after the superior Heauen and so to followe the course of Primum mobile from East to Weast 6 But euerye man that hathe written or considered anye thing of this passage hath more doubted the retourne by the same way by reason of a greate downefall of water whyche they imagine to be thereaboutes which we also by experience partly find than any mistruste they haue of the same passage at all For we find as it were a great downfall in this place but yet not suche but that we may return althoughe with muche adoe For we were easilyer caried in in one houre than we coulde gette forth againe in thrée Also by an other experience at an other time we founde thys currant to deceiue vs in this sort That whereas we supposed to bée 15. leagues off and lying a hull we were brought within .2 leagues of the shoare contrarie to al expectation Oure menne that sayled furthest in the same mistaken straites hauing the maine lande vppon their starboorde side affyrme that they mette with the outlet or passage of water whiche commeth thorowe Frobyshers straites and followeth as all one into this passage Some of oure companye also affyrme that they hadde sight of a contineÌ„t vpon their larbordside being .60 leagues within the supposed straites howbeit excepte certaine Ilandes in the entraunce hereof we could make no part perfect thereof All the foresaid tract of land séemeth to be more fruitful and better stored of Grasse Déere Wilde foule as Partridges Larkes Seamews Guls Wilmots FalcoÌ„s and tassell Gentils Rauens Beares Hares Foxes and other things than any other parte we haue yet discouered is more populous And here Luke Ward a Gentleman of the company traded merchandise did exchange kniues bells looking glasses c. with those countrey people who brought him foule fishe beares skinnes and suche like as their couÌ„trey yéeldeth for the same Here also they saw of those greater boates of the Country with twentie persons in a péece Nowe after the Generall hadde bestowed these manye dayes here not without many daungers he returned backe againe And by the way sayling alongest this coaste being the backeside of the supposed continent of America and the Queenes forelande he perceiued a great sounde to goe thorowe into Frobyshers straites Wherevppon he sente the Gabriell the one and twentith of Iuly to proue whether they mighte go thorowe and méete againe with him in the straites whiche they did and as we imagined befoâ—e so the Queenes forelande proued an Ilande as I thinke most of these supposed continentes will. And so he departed towardes the straites thinking it were highe time nowe to recouer hys Porte and to prouide the fléete of their lading wherof he was not a little carefull as shall by the processe and his resolute attempts appeare And in his returne with the rest of the fléete he was so entangled by reason of the darke fogge amongest a number of Ilandes and broken ground that lyeth of this coast that many of the ships came ouer the top of rocks which presently after they might percâ—iue to ly a drie hauyng not halfe a foote water more than some of their ships did draw And by reason they coulde not with a small gale of wind stem the force of the floud wherby to go cleare of the rocks they were faine to let an ancker fall with twoo bent of Cable togither at a C. and odde fadome deapth where otherwise they hadde bin by the force of the tides caried vpon the rocks again perished so that if God in these fortunes as a merciful guyde beyond the expectatioÌ„ of man had not caried vs thorow we had surely more than .x. M. times perished amiddest these dangers For being many times driuen harde aboorde the shoare withoute any sighte of lande vntill we were readye to make shipwracke thereon héeyng forced commonlye with oure boates to sounde before oure shippes leaste we might light thereon before we coulde discerne the same It pleased God to giue vs a cleare of Sunne and light for a shorte time to sée and auoide thereby the daunger hauing bin continuallye darke before and presently after Manye times also by meanes of fogge and currants
togither for that some of the ships were behinde hande with their fraighte the time of the yeare passyng spéedily away The thirtith of August the Anne FraÌ„ces was brought a ground had .viij. great leakes mended whiche she had receiued by meanes of the rockes and Ise. This daye the Masons finished a house whiche Captaine Fenton caused to be made of lyme and stone vpon the Countesse of Warwickes Ilande to the ende we mighte proue againste the nexte yere whether the snowe coulde ouerwhelme it the frosts breake vppe or the people dismeÌ„ber the same And the better to allure those brutish vnciuill people to courtesie againste other times of oure comming we left therein dyuers of oure countrie toyes as belles and kniues wherein they specially delight one for the necessarie vse and the other for the great pleasure thereof Also pictures of men women in lead men a horsebacke looking lasses whistles and pipes Also in the house was made an ouen and breade lâ—stâ— baked therein for them to sée and taste We buryed the timber of our pretended forte with manye barrels of meale pease griste and sundrie other good things which was of the prouision of those whych should inhabite if occasion serued And instéede therof we fraight oure ships full of Ore whiche we holde of farre greater price Also here we sowed pease corne and other graine to proue the fruitfulnesse of the soyle against the next yeare Maister Wolfall on Winters Fornace preached a godly Sermon whiche being ended he celebrated also a Communion vpon the lande at the pertaking whereof was the Capitaine of the Anne Fraunces and manye other Gentlemen Soldiors Marriners Miners wyth hym The celebration of diuine mistery was the first signe seale confirmatioÌ„ of Christes name death passion euer knowen in all these quarters The said M. Wolfall made sermons celebrated the CoÌ„munion at sundrie other times in seuerall and sundrie Ships bicause the whole company could neuer méet togither at any one place The fléet now being in some good readinesse for their lading the General calling togither the GeÌ„tlemen Captains to consult told them that he was very desirous that some further discouery should be attempted that he woulde not only by Gods help bring home his Shippes laden with golde Ore but also meant to bring some certificat of a further discouerie of the Countrie which thing to bring to passe hauing sometime therein consulted they founde verye harde and almost inuincible And considering that alreadie they hadde spente some time in searching out the trending and fashion of the mistaken straites and hadde entred verye farre therein therefore it coulde not be saide but that by thys voyage they haue notice of a further discouery and that the hope of the passage thereby is muche furthered and encreased as appeared before in the discourse thereof Yet notwithstandyng if anye meanes mighte be further deuised the Capitaynes were contented and willing as the Generall shoulde appointe and commaunde to take anye enterprise in hande Whiche after long debating was found a thing verye impossible that rather consultation was to bée had of returning homewarde especiallye for these causes followyng First the darke foggy mistes the continuall fallyng Snowe and stormy weather which they commonly were vexed with and nowe daylye euer more and more increased haue no small argument of the Winters drawing neare And also the froste euerye nighte was so harde congealed within the sounde that if by euill happe they shoulde be long kepte in wyth contrarye windes it was greatlye to be feared that they should be shutte vppe there faste the whole yeare whyche being vtterly vnprouided woulde be their vtter destruction Againe drincke was so scant throughout al the Fléete by meanes of the greate leakage that not onely the prouision whiche was layde in for the habitation was wanting and wasted but also eache Shippes seuerall prouision spent and lost which many of oure companye to their greate griefe founde in their returne since for al the way homewards they dranke nothing but water And the great cause of this lekage and wasting was for that the great timber seacole which lay so waighty vpoÌ„ the barrels brake brused rotted the hoopes in â—uÌ„der Yet notwithstaÌ„ding these reasons alledged the Generall himselfe willing the rest of the GeÌ„tlemeÌ„ Captains euery man to looke to his seuerall charge and laâ—ing that against a day appoynted they shoulde be all in a readinesse to sette homeward himselfe went in his Pinnesse and discouered further Northward in the straytes and found that by Beares sound and Halles Iland the land was not firme as it was first supposed but all broken Ilandes in manner of an Archipelagus and so with other secret intelligence to himselfe he returned to the Fléete Where presentlye vpon his arriuall at the Countesses sound he began to take order for their returning homeward and first caused certayne Articles to be proclaymed for the better kéeping orders and courses in their returne which Articles were deliuered to euery Captayne and are these that follow ¶ Articles sette downe by Martin Frobisher Esquier Captayne Generall of the whole Fleete appoynted for the Northweast discoueries of Cataya published and made knowen to the Fleete for the better obseruing certayne orders and course in their returne homevvarde 1 FIrste and principallie he doth straytely charge and commaunde by vertue of hir Maiesties commission which he hath and in hir Maiesties name that euery Captayne and Captaynes Mayster and Maysters of the sayde Fléete do vigilently and carefully kéepe company with the Admirall and by no maner of meanes breake companye willingly now in our returne homewards vppon peyne of forfeture his or their whole frayte that shall be found culpable therein and further to receyue suche punishment as to hir Maiestie shal séeme good therein and also to answere all suche damages or losses as may happen or growe by dispersing and breaking from the Fléete And therefore for the better kéeping of companye the Generall straytely chargeth and commaundeth all the Maysters of these Shippes and euery of them that they repayre to speake with the Admirall once euery day if he or they may conuenientlye doe it vppon payne of forfeting of one tunne fraighte to hir Maiestie for euery daye neglecting the same 2 Item that euery Mayster in the sayde Fléete obserue and kéepe orderly and vigilantly all such Articles as were outwardes bounde drawen and published by the Generall in hyr Maiesties name whereof there was delyuered to euery Shippe a copie 3 Item that all Captaynes and Maysters of euerye Ship and Shippes doe proclayme and make it knowen to their company that no person or persons within the sayde Fléete of what condition soeuer doe take or kéepe to theyr vse or vses any Ore or stones of what quantitie so euer it be but forthwith vpon publication hereof to delyuer them and yéelde them to the custodie of the Captayne to deliuer vnto the Generall his officers