Europe which God hath so diuided in the exploring of the same that it seemeth apt and agreeable to the discouerer more then to any other to inioy all such commodities as they yealde and affoorde Consider also that Christians haue discouered these countries and people which so long haue lyen vnknowne and they not vs which plainely may argue that it is Gods good will and pleasure that they should be instructed in his diuine seruice and religion whiche from the beginning haue beene nouzeled and nourished in Atheisme grosse ignorance and barbarous behauiour Wherefore this is my iudgement in conclusion that who so euer can winne them from their infidelitie to the perfect knowledge of his diuine institutions and seruice hee or they are worthie to receiue the greatest rewarde at Gods hands and the greater benefites from those countries which he hath discouered Fare well ¶ A true report of Capteine Frobisher his last voyage into the West and Northwest regions this present yere 1577. With a description of the people there inhabiting ON Whitsunday last past being the 26. of May in this present yeare of our Lorde God 1577. Capteine Frobisher departed from Blacke Wall â–ª with one of the Quéenes Maiesties shippes called The Aide of nine score tunne or there aboutes and two other little Barkes likewise the one called The Gabriel whereof Maister Fenton a GentlemaÌ„ of my Lord of Warwicks was Capteine and the other The Michael whereof Maister Yorke a Gentleman of my Lorde Admerals was Captein accompanied with seuen score gentlemen souldiers and saylers well furnished with victuals and other prouisioÌ„ necessarie for one halfe yere on this his seconde voyage for the further discouering of the passage to Cataâ—a and other countries therevnto adiacent by West and Northwest Nauigations whiche passage or way is supposed to be on the North and Northwest partes of America and the sayd America to be an Islande inuironed with the sea wherethrough our Merchaunts might haue course and recourse with their merchandize from these our Northernmost parts of Europe to those oriental coasts of Asia in much shorter time and with greater benefit then any others to their no little commoditie and profite that doe traffique the same Oure sayde Capteine and Generall of this present voyage and companie hauing the yere before with two little Pinnisies to his great daunger and no small commendations giuen a worthy attempt towardes the performaunce thereof is also prest when occasion shall be ministred to the benefite of his Prince and natiue countrie to aduenture him selfe further therein As for this second voyage it séemeth sufficient that he hath better explored and searched the commodities of those people and countries with sufficient commoditie vnto the aduenturers which in his first voyage the yeare before he had found out Upon which considerations the day and yeare before expressed we departed from Blacke Wall to Harwiche where making an accomplishment of thinges necessarie the last of Maye we hoysed vp sailes and with a mery winde the 7. therof we arriued at the Islands called Orchades or vulgarly Orkney being in number 30. subiect and adiacent to Scotland where we made prouision of freshe water in the doing whereof our Generall licenced the Gentlemen and Souldiers for their recreation to go on shoare At our landing the people fled from their poore cotages with shrikes and alarums to warne their neighbors of enimies but by gentle persuasions we reclaimed them to their houses It séemeth they are often frighted with Pirates or some other enimies that moueth them to such souden feare Their houses are very simplie builded with pibble stone without any chimneys the fire being made in the middest thereof The good man wife children and other of their familie eate and sléepe on the one side of the house and their cattell on the other very beastly and rudely in respect of ciuilitie They are destitute of wood their fire is turffes and Cowe shardes They haue corne bigge and oates with whiche they paye their Kinges rente to the maintenance of his house They take great quantitie of fishe which they drie in the winde and Sunne They dresse their meate very filthily and eate it without salt Their apparell is after the rudest sort of Scotland Their money is all base Their churche and religion is reformed according to the Scots The fisher men of England can better declare the dispositions of those people than I wherfore I remit other their vsages to their reportes as yearely repairers thither in their course to and from Island for fish Wée departed herehence the 8. of Iune and followed our course betwéene West and Northwest vntill the 4. of Iulie all which time we had no night but that easily and without any impediment we had when we were so disposed the fruition of our bookes and other pleasures to passe awaye the time a thinge of no small moment to such as wander in vnknowen seas and longe Nauigations especially when both the winds and raging surges do passe their common and wonted course This benefite endureth in those partes not sixe wéekes whilest the Sunne is néere the Tropike of Cancer but where the Pole is raised to 70. or 80. degrées it continueth the longer All along these seas after we were 6. dayes sayling from Orkney we met floting in the sea great Firre trées which as wee iudged were with the furie of great floudes rooted vp and so driuen into the sea Island hath almost no other wood nor fewel but such as they take vp vpon their coastes It séemeth that these trées are driuen from some parte of the New found land with the Current that setteth from the West to the East The 4. of Iulie we came within the making of Freeseland From this shoare 10. or 12. leagues we met great Islands of yce of halfe a mile some more some lesse in compasse shewing aboue the sea 30. or 40. fathomes and as we supposed fast on ground where with oure leade wée could scarse sound the bottome for deapth Here in place of odoriferous and fragrant smelles of swéete gummes and pleasant notes of musicall birdes which other Countries in more temperate Zone do yéeld we tasted the most boisterous Boreall blasts mixt with snow and haile in the moneth of Iune and Iulie nothing inferiour to oure vntemperate Winter a soudeine alteration and especially in a place or Paralele where the Pole is not eleuate aboue 61. degrées at which height other countries more to the North yea vnto 70. degrées shewe theÌ„selues more temperat than this doth All along this coast yce lyeth as a continuall bullworke and so defendeth the countrie that those whiche would land there incurre great daunger Our Generall thrée dayes together attempted with the shippboate to haue gone on shoare whiche for that without great daunger he could not accomplishe he deferred it vntil a more conuenient time All along the coast lye very highe mounteines couered with snowe
A true reporte of the laste voyage into the West and Northwest regions c. 1577. worthily atchieued by Capteine Frobisher of the sayde voyage the first finder and Generall With a description of the people there inhabiting and other circumstances notable Written by Dionyse Settle one of the companie in the sayde voyage and seruant to the Right Honourable the Earle of Cumberland Nil mortalibus arduum est ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Middleton Anno. 1577. ¶ A RYTHME DECASYLLABIcall vpon this last luckie voyage of worthie Capteine Frobisher 1577. THrough sundrie foming fretes and storming streightes That ventrous knight of Ithac ' soyle did saile Against the force of Syrens baulmed beightes His noble skill and courage did preuaile His hap was hard his hope yet nothing fraile Not ragged Rockes not sinking Syrtes or sands His stoutnesse staide from viewing forreigne lands That Poets penne and paines was well employd His braines bedeawd with dropps of Parnasse spring Whereby renowne deserued he enioyd Yea nowe though dead the Muses sweetly sing Melodiously by note and tuned string They sound in th'eares of people farre and neere Th'exceeding praise of that approued Peere A right Heroicall heart of Britanne blood Vlysses match in skill and Martiall might For Princes fame and countries speciall good Through brackish seas where Neptune reignes by right Hath safely saild in perils great despight The Golden fleece like Iason hath he got And rich returnd saunce losse or lucklesse lot O that I had old Homers worthy witt O that I had this present houre his head With penne in hand then musing would I sitt And our Vlysses valiant venture spread In vaunting verse that when his corps is dead Which long may liue his true renowne may rest As one whome God aboundantly hath blest Abraham Fleming ¶ To the Right honourable and my singular good Lord George Earle of Cumberland Baron Clifford Lord of Skipton and Vesscie his humble seruaunt Dionyse Settle wisheth the fulnesse of all perfect felicitie IT both is and hath beene Right Honourable the bountie of a noble mynde not to expect remuneration or satisfaction for liberalitie frankly bestowed It both is and also hath beene accounted a great vice to seeme vnthankfull or at the least not somthing carefull of whom when and how we should receiue liberalitie I am not obliuious neither carelesse when and how your Honour aboue my expectation nobly satisfied the request of me your humble seruant I am most assured that the vertue of your noble heart expecteth nothing of me but that your goodnesse might abound to my profite vppon which occasion and bicause I would not be accounted ingratefull I haue both boldly passed the limittes of my duetie and also vnlearnedly taken vpon me to set foorth some thing worthie notice in this last voyage of our Capteine and Generall Maister Martine Frobisher your Honours worthie Countrie man vnder whome as your Honours vnworthie seruant I was one in the said voyage By his great diligence the voyage is worthily finished whereby I am persuaded that he will refell the rehearsall of those opprobrious wordes namely that All euill cōmeth from or hath originall in the North not onely he but many worthie subiectes more I haue published this scantling vnder the noble title of your Honor to whom I offer the same in dedication which though it be not decorated with good learning apte for the setting foorth of so notable a matter yet the same is beautified with good will and trueth Wherein your Honour if it shall so please you for recreation sake may vnderstand what people countries and other commodities we haue found out since our departure from England which haue not ben knowne before Thus presuming vpon hope and assuraunce of your Honours pardon for my bolde attempt herein I rest humbly at your Lordships commaundement wishing your time so spent in this world that you may inioy the felicitie in the worlde to come Amen Your Lordships most humble seruaunt to commaund Dionyse Settle To the Christian Reader SVch countries and people good Christian Reader which almost from the deluge or at the least so long as anye humane creature hath had habitation on the earth haue of late yeres by y e industrie of diligent searchers ben explored it hath likewise pleased God y t they should be found out by those people which for the temperature of their habitatiō are most apt to atchiue the same As for example the Spaniards the West Indies Spaine is situated much more neere y e Tropike of Cancer then other Christian countries be wherby the Spaniards are better able to tolerate Phoebus burning beames then others whiche are more Septentrional thē they Wherfore I suppose them the most apte men for the inioying of the habitation of the West Indies and especially so much as is vexed with continual heate or that is agreeable to their temperature God hath ben pleased that they as the most apt people should both explore inioy y e same Semblably y e Portugals whose temperature is correspondent to y e Spaniards God is also contented that they haue explored Africa euen through the burning Zone both the West and South coast with al y e coast of Asia vnto the Oriental cape therof and the Islands adiacent to them bothe wherefore both for their habitation and temperature I account them y e most apt people to atchiue y e same and to reape the benefite where about they haue taken no small paines and labor In like maner the French men where y e Spaniards thought y e place not apt for their temperature discouered Noua Francia and other places in America wherfore I iudge them worthie the commoditie thereof as people most apt to inioy and possesse the same Lastly it hath plesed God at this present by the great diligence care of our worthie Countrieman Master Martine Frobisher in the 18. and 19. yeare of oure Queenes Maiesties reigne to discouer for the vtilitie of his Prince and Countrie other regions more Septentrional then those before rehearsed which from the beginning as vnknowne till nowe haue bene concealed and hidden Which discouerie I iudge most apt for vs English men and more agreeing to our temperature then others aboue rehearsed I leaue the famous discouerie of Moscouie and other countries on those partes whiche of late yeares haue bene explored by the industrie of other our worthie countrimen to the diligent Reader whereby he may consider that this our countrie hath fostered vp men of no lesse value and excellencie then those which are intituled The second thirde and fourth Neptune And doubtlesse hee by whose endeuour this last discouerie of the world is explored may bee celebrated as well with the title of Aeolus as also of Neptune By whose singular knowledge and cunning God hath preserued vs in this voyage from bothe their cruell daungers Thus Christiā Reader thou maist perceiue that the worlde of late yeares hath beene discouered by sundrie regions of this our
excepte in such places where through the stéepenesse of the mounteines of force it must néedes fall Foure dayes coastinge along this Land we found no signe of habitation Little birdes whiche we iudged to haue lost y e shoare by reason of thicke fogges which that countrie is much subiect vnto came fléeing to oure shippes whiche causeth vs to suppose that the countrie is both more tollerable and also habitable within then the outward shoare maketh shewe or signification From hence we departed the eight of Iulie and the 16. of the same we came within the making of land whiche land our Generall the yeare before had named The Queenes foreland béeing an Island as we iudge lying néere the supposed continent with America on the other side opposite to y e same one other Island called Halles Isle after the name of the Maister of our shippe néere adiacent to the firme land supposed continent with Asia Betwéene the which two Islandes there is a large entrance or streight called Frobishers streight after the name of oure Generall the first finder thereof This said streight is supposed to haue passage into the Sea of Sur which I leaue vnknowne as yet It séemeth that either here or not farre hence the Sea should haue more large entraunce than in other partes within the frosen or vntemperate Zone and that some contrarie tide either from the East or West with maine force casteth out that great quantitie of yce which commeth floating from this coast euen vnto Freesland causing that countrie to séeme more vntemperate than others muche more Northerly than they are I cannot iudge that any temperature vnder the Pole béeing the time of the Sunnes Northerne declination halfe a yeare together and one whole day considering that the Sunnes eleuation surmounteth not 23. degrées and 30. minutes can haue power to dissolue such monstruous and huge yce comparable to great mounteines excepte by some other force as by swift Currents and tydes with the helpe of the said day of halfe a yeare Before we came within the making of these Landes we tasted cold stormes insomuch that it séemed we had chaunged Summer with winter if the length of the dayes had not remoued vs from that opinion At our first comming the streightes séemed to be shutt vp with a long mure of yce whiche gaue no little cause of discomfort vnto vs all but our Generall to whose diligence imminent daungers and difficult attemptes séemed nothing in respect of his willing mind for the commoditie of his Prince and countrie with two little Pinnises prepared of purpose passed twise thoroughe them to the East shoare and the Islands therevnto adiacent and the shippe with the two barks lay off and on something further into the sea from the daunger of the yce Whilest he was searching the countrie néere the shoare some of the people of the countrie shewed themselues leaping and dauncing with straunge shrikes and cryes whiche gaue no little admiration to our men Our Generall desirous to allure them vnto him by faire meanes caused kniues other thinges to be proferred vnto them whiche they would not take at our handes but béeing layd on the ground the partie going away they came and tooke vp leauing something of theirs to counteruaile y e same At the length two of them leauing their weapons came downe to our Generall and Maister who did the like to them commaunding the companie to stay and went vnto them who after certeine dumbe signes and mute congratulations began to lay handes vpon them but they deliuerly escaped and ranne to their bowes and arrowes and came fiercely vppon them not respecting the rest of our companie which were readie for their defence but with their arrowes hurt diuerse of them we tooke the one and the other escaped Whilest our Generall was busied in searching the countrie and those Islands adiacent on the East shoare the ship and barckes hauing great care not to put farre into the sea from him for that he had small store of victuals were forced to abide in a cruell tempest chancing in the night amongst and in the thickest of the yce which was so monstruous that euen the least of a thousand had béene of force sufficient to haue shiuered oure shippe and barkes into small portions if God who in all necessities hath care vpon the infirmitie of man had not prouided for this our extremitie a sufficient remedie through the light of the night whereby we might well discerne to flée from such imminent daungers whiche wée auoyded with 14. Bourdes in one watch the space of 4. houres If we had not incurred this danger amongst these monstrous Islandes of yce wée should haue lost our Generall and Maister and the most of our best sailers which were on the shoare destitute of victualls but by the valure of our Maister Gunner being expert both in Nauigation and other good qualities we were all content to incurre the dangers afore rehearsed before we would with oure owne safetie runne into the Seas to the destruction of oure said Generall and his companie The day following being the 19. of Iulie oure Capteine returned to the shippe with good newes of great riches which shewed it selfe in the bowelles of those barren mounteines wherewith we were all satisfied A souden mutation The one parte of vs being almost swallowed vp the night before w t cruell Neptunes force and the rest on shoare taking thought for their gréedie paunches how to find the way to New found land at one moment we were all rapt with ioye forgetting both where we were and what we had suffred Behold the glorie of man to night contemning riches and rather looking for death than otherwise and to morrowe deuising howe to satisfie his gréedie appetite with Golde Within foure days after we had ben at the entraunce of the Streightes the Northwest and West windes dispersed the yce into the Sea and made vs a large entrance into the Streights that without any impediment on the 19. of Iulie we entred them and the 20. therof oure Generall and Maister with great diligence sought out and sounded the West shoare and found out a fayre Harborough for the ship and barkes to ride in and named it after our Maisters mate Iackmans sound and brought the ship barkes and all their companie to safe anchor except one man whiche dyed by Gods visitation Who so maketh Nauigations to these contries hath not only extreme winds and furious Seas to encounter withall but also many monstrous and great Islandes of yce a thing both rare wonderfull and greatly to be regarded We were forced sundrie times while the ship did ride here at anchor to haue continuall watch with boates and men readie with Halsers to knit fast vnto such yce which with the ebbe and floud were tossed to and fro in the Harboroughe and with force of oares to hale them away for indaungering the