places a fruitefull â—oyâ—e and is not yet thorowly discouered but onlâ—e seene and touched on the North edge therof by the trauaile of the Portingales and Spaniards in their voyages to their East and Weast Indies It is included almost by a Paralell passing at .40 degrées in South latitude yet in some places it reacheth into the Sea with greate Promontories euen vnto the Tropicke Capricornus Onely these partes of it are beste knowen as euer against Capo d'buona Speranza â—where the Portingales 〈◊〉 Popingayes commonly of a wonderfull greatnesse and againe it is knowen at the South side of the straight of Magellanus and is called Terra del Fuegâ— It is thoughte this Southlande about the pole Antarâ—â—ke is farre bigger than the North land aboute the pole Articke but wheâ—her it be so or not we haue no certaine kâ—owâ—â—dge for we haue no particular description hereof as wâ— hâ—ue of the lande vnder and aboute the North pâ—le Thus I haue briefly â—utted bounded out all the parts oâ— the Earth according vnto thys latter diuision into siâ—e pâ—rts Which that iâ— might be more apparant sensible to euery mans vnderstaÌ„dingâ— I haue here vnto adioyned an vniuersall Map wherein my minde was to make knowne â—o the eye what Countries haue béene discouered of late yeares and what before of olde time The olde knowne partes haue their bounâ—es traced and drawen with whole lines the newâ— disâ—ouâ—râ—d Câ—uâ—triâ—s 〈…〉 â—ounâ—s drawâ—n wâ—th poâ—nts or brokeâ— lâ—nâ—â— wâ—â—rbâ— the 〈◊〉 shâ—ll at the firste sight see both the shape and faâ—hâ—on of the whole vnâ—uersall face of the Earth compared alâ—â—ogâ—ther and also all the seuerall partes theâ—â—of wâ—ether â—hey were of old timâ— discouered or of lâ—te yeares thâ— wâ—â—ch Mâ—ppe though it be roughly framâ—d wâ—thoute degrees of Longitude or Lâ—titude yet is it sufficâ—ent for the purpose it wâ—s ordeyned for heerein as in all the rest of this diâ—coâ—rse of the thrée voyages of our woâ—thâ— Generall Captâ—â—ne Fâ—obisher my intente is more to sette out simply the true and playne procéeding and handling of thâ— wholâ— mâ—tter than to vse circumstance of many words oâ— fâ—ne â—loquent phrases wherein if I shoulde once goe about to â—nâ—angle my selfe it would doe nothing else but bewray my owne ignorance and lacke of Schole skâ—ll Theâ—efore of me there is nothing else to be loked for but such playne talke and writing as Souldyers and Marriners doe vse in theyr dayly méetings and voyages and this of necessâ—tâ—e must anye man vse that will deale with suche a mâ—tter as thys is although he wâ—re curious to the contrâ—rie By this discourse and Mappe is to be séene the vâ—liante courâ—ges of men in this later age within thâ—sâ— 8â— yeares that haue so muche enlarged the boundâ—â— oâ— the Woâ—ldeâ— that now we haue twice and thrice so muâ—â—e sâ—oâ—e for â—ure earthlie pâ—â—â—grination as we haue hadâ—e in 〈…〉 so thâ—t nowe men neede no more contentâ—ouâ—â—â— to 〈◊〉 for roâ—me to buiâ—d an house on or for a little 〈…〉 of one acre or two when greate Countrâ—â—s 〈…〉 Worldes offer and reache out themselues 〈…〉 will first voutsaâ—e to possesse inhabite and 〈…〉 there are Countreys yet remayning 〈…〉 and possessors whiche are fertile to bâ—â—â—g forth 〈…〉 of corne and grayne infinite sortes of lande 〈…〉 Horse Elephantes Kinâ— Shéepe great varietie 〈…〉 Fowles of the ayre as Phâ—sants Partridge Quayle Poâ—â—ngeys Ostridges c. infinitâ— kinde of fruts as Almonds â—ates Quinces Pomgranats Oringes c. holesome mediemâ—ble and delectable Greate varietie of floures câ—ntinuâ—llie springing Winter and Sommer beautifull for couloure odorifâ—rous and comfortable Abundance of faire hilles and valleys furnished with all maner woddes and pleasante riuers Millions of newe fashions and strange beastes aâ—d fishes both in Sea and fresh waters Mountaines bringing forth aâ—l maner of Mettals as gold siluer yronâ— c. All sorts of pretious stones and spices in al which land waâ—teth nothing that may be desired eyther for pleasurâ— pâ—ofite or â—ecessarie vsâ—s which sundry Countreys to possesse and obteâ—ne as it is an easie thiâ—g so would I not haue our Englishe Nation to be slacke therein leâ—st perhâ—ppes agayne they ouershoote themselues in refusing ocâ—casion offered as it was in the time of King Henry the seauenth when all the West Indies were firste prâ—fered to the Englisâ—men to be giuen into their handes whiche they little regarding was aftâ—â—wâ—rd offerâ—d to the Spanyâ—rdes who presently aâ—cepted thâ— occasion and now enioy the infinite treasure and commoâ—itie thereof I would not wishe Englishmeâ— to bâ— newe vnlike themselues â—or in all the later discouerieâ— the Englishe nâ—tion hath bin as forwâ—rd as anâ— other â—s firstâ—â— by their Nauigations Northâ—â—stward the bouÌ„ds of Europe wer made perfâ—ct on the North syde for Ptolomie Stâ—abo and al other Geogrâ—phers â—eâ—te it desâ—ribed but onelâ— to the Ilandes Orcadâ—s iâ— Iâ—elande and Hyperboreos Montes in Sarmaâ—iâ— aâ—d finding the lâ—nd on â—he North sidâ— oâ— â—â—rmâ—ny Poland Moscouia and Asia 〈◊〉 eâ—tend Northwâ—â—d â—hey leâ—t â—onâ—uâ—â—dly â— knâ—w â—ot whether it reâ—câ—ed to the Polâ— as one 〈…〉 or 〈…〉 voyage hath since bin perfected by the two bréethren the Borowes other valiant yong meÌ„ of our time Eastward beyonde the great Riuer Obij as farre as the Empire of the great Cam or Cane of Tartariâ— as â—ppéereth in my general Map by the pricked bouÌ„ds therof Thâ—t voyage was then takeÌ„ in hand of the valiant Knight with preteÌ„ce to haue gone Eastward to the rich CouÌ„trey of Catâ—ya was grouÌ„ded briefely vpon these reasons First bicause ther was a Unicornes horne found vpon the coast of Tartaâ—ia by the Riuer Obij which said he was like by no other ways to come thither but froÌ„ India or Câ—taya where the saide Unicornes are only fouÌ„d that by some sea bringing it thither Also a fishermaÌ„ of Tartariâ— reported that he sailed verye farre South eastward found no end of sea or likelyhoode therof Lastly a Tartarian inhabiting néere the Scithian Seâ— reported such a streame and currant to runne there coÌ„tinuallyâ— towards the West that if you cast any thing therein it would presently be caried out of your sight towards the West whereby necessarilâ— foloweth ther should be some passage to some largâ—r sea wherin this coÌ„â—inuaâ—l streame might emptie it self And by the experience of this voâ—age it wâ—s found that the frosen â—ones were not frosâ—n buâ— hâ—b table and nauigable a thing that almost all the old Philosophers did deny went about with sundry reasons â—o impugne â—or â—n this voyage to Moscouiâ— our men passed beâ—ond .72 degrées in Noâ—th Latitude wheras the frosen Zone beginneth at .66 dâ—grées a halfe This enterprise althogh it tâ—ke not effâ—ct to find the passage to Cataya Eastwâ—rd bâ—câ—use the worthy knight the chiefe Author therof dyed in the way thither yet hath it bin very beneficiall to England in finding out the trade to S. Nicholas both for the maintenâ—nce of the Nâ—uâ—e the yerely profit is reaped therby
in An. 1553 for Captain Windam made a voyage with Merchandise to Guinea entred so far within the Torrida Zona that he was within .3 or 4. degrées of the Equinoctial abiding there certain moneâ—hs reâ—urned with gain Also the Englishmen made another voyage verye prospâ—rous gainfull Anâ— 1554 to the coasts of Binin lying East froÌ„ Guinea being within 3. degrées of the Equinoctial And yet it is reported of a truth that al the tract froÌ„ Cape de las Paâ—mas trending by C. de tres puntas alongst by Benin vntil the I le of Saint Thomas which is perpendicular vnder the Equinoctial al that whole Bay is more subiect to many bloming and smothering heates with infectious and contagious ayres than any other place in al Torrida Zona and the cause therof is some accidents in the land For it is most certain that mountaines Seas wâ—ods and lakes c. may cause through their sundrie kind of situation sundry straunge extraordinarie effectes whych the reason of the clyme otherwise woulde not giue I mention these voyages of oure Englishemenne not so muche to proue that Torrida Zona may be and is inhabited as to shew their readynesse in attempting long and dangerous Nauigations We also among vs in England haue blacke Moores Ethiopians out of all partes of Torrida Zonâ— whiche after a small continuance can wel endure the colde of our Countrey and why should not we as well abide the heate of their Countrey But what shoulde I name anye more experiences séeyng that all the coastes of Guynea and Bynnin are inhabited of Portugals Spanyardes French and some Englishmen and there haue built Castels aâ—d Townes Onely this I will say to the Merchants of London that trade yéerely to Marochus it is very certayne that the greatest part of the burning Zone is farre more temperate and coole than the Countrey of Marochus as shall appéere by these reasons and experiences folowing For let vs first consider the breadth and bignesse of this burning Zone which as euery man knoweth is .47 Degrées eache Tropicke whiche are the bounders thereof being .23 degrées and a halfe distant froÌ„ the Equinoctiall Imagin againe two other Paralels on eache side the Equinoctiall one eyther of them distant from the Equinoctiall about twentie Degrées whiche Paralels maye be described eyther of them twice a yeare by the Sunne being in the firste Degrées of Gemini the eleuenth of May and in Leo the thirtenth of Iuly hauing North Latitude And agayne the Sunne béeyng in the first Degrées of Sagittarius the twelfth of Nouember and in Aquarius the ninth of Ianuary hauyng South Latitude I am to proue by experience and reason that all that distance included betwéene these two Paralels last named conteyning fortye Degrées in Latitude goyng rounde aboute the earthe according to Longitude is not onely habitable but the same most frutefull and delectable and that if anye extremitie of heate bée the same not to bée within the space of twentye Degrées of the Equinoctiall on eyther syde but onely vnder and about the two Tropickes and so proportionally the nearer you do approche to either Tropicke the more you are subiect to extremitie of heate if any suche be and so Marochus being scituate but .6 or .7 degrées from the Tropicke of Cancer shall be more subiect to heate than any place vnder or neare the Equinoctiall lineâ— And first by the experience of sundrie men yea thousaÌ„ds Trauailers and Merchauntes to the East and Weast Indies in manye places both directly vnder and harde by the Equinoctiall they with one consent affirme that it aboundeth in the middest of Torrida Zona with all maner of grain hearbes grasse fruite wood and cattell that we haue here and thousandes other sortes farre more holesome delectable and pretious than anye wée haue in these Northerne climates as very well shall appeare to him that wil reade the Histories and Nauigations of suche as haue trauelled Arabia India intra and extra Gangem the Ilandes Moluccae Americaâ— c. which all lye about the middle of the burning Zone where it is truely reported that the great hearbes as are Radishe Lettuce Colewortes Borage and suche like doe waxe ripe greater more sauerie and delectable in taste than ours within sixetéene dayes after the séede is sowen Wheat being sowed the first of Februarie was fouÌ„d ripe the firste of May and generally where it is lesse fruitefull the Wheate will be ripe the fourth Moneth after the séede is sowne and in some placesâ— will bring forth an eare as bigge as the wreste of a mans arme containing .1000 graines Beanes Pease c. are there ripe twice a yeare Also grasse being cutte downe will growe vppe in sixe dayes aboue one foote highe If our cattell be transported thither within a small time their yong ones become of bigger stature and more fatte than euer they would haue bin in these Countries There are founde in euerie wood in great numbers suche timber trées as twelue men holding handes togither are not able to fadome And to be short all they that haue bene there with one consent affirme that there are the goodlyest greene Meddowes and playnes the faireste mountaines couered with all sortes of trées fruites the fairest vallies the goodliest pleasaunt fresh riuers stoared with infinite kinde of fishes the thickest woods gréene and bearing fruite al the whole yeare that are in al the worlde And as for gold siluer and al other kinde of Metals al kind of spices and delectable fruites both for delicacie health are there in such aboundance as hitherto they haue bene thought to haue bene bred no where else but there And in conclusion it is now thought that no where else but vnder the Equinoctiall or not farre from thence is the earthlye Paradise and the only place of perfection in this world And that the things may séeme the lesse straunge bycause iâ— hath bin accompted of the old Philosophers that there could nothing prosper for the extreme heate of the Sunne continually going ouer their heades in the Zodiacke I thoughte good here to alleage suche naturall causes as to mée séeme verie substanciall and sure reasons First you are to vnderstande that the Sunne doeth worke his more or lesse heate in these lower parts by two meanes the one isâ— by the kind of Angle that the Sun beames doeth make with the earth as in all Torrida Zona it maketh perpendicularly righte Angles in some place or other at noone and towardes the two Poles verie oblique and vneuen Angles And the other meane is the longer or shorter continuaunce of the Sunne aboue the Horizon So that wheresoeuer these two causes do most concurre there is moste excesse of heate and when the one is wanting the rigor of the heat is lesse For though the Sunne beames do beate perpendicularly vpon any region subiect vnto it if it hath no continuaunce or abode aboue the Horizon to worke his operation in there can no hote effect
vse after one yéere or two the ayre woulde séeme to hym more temperate It was compted a greate matter in the olde time that there was a brasse pot broken in sunder with frosen water in Ponthus which after was broughte and shewed in Delphis in token of a miraculous cold region and Winter and therefore consecrated to the Temple of Apollo This effecte being wroughte in the Paralell of .48 degrées in latitude it was presentlye compted a place verye hardly and vneasily to be inhabited for the greate cold And howe then can suche men define vppon other Regions very farre without that Paralell where they were inhabited or not séeing that in so neare a place they so grossely mistooke the matter and others their followers being conteÌ„ted with the inuentions of the olde Authors haue persisted willingly in the same opinion with more confidence thaÌ„ consideration of the cause so lightly was that opinion receiued as touching the vnhabitable Clime neare vnder the Poles Therfore I am at this present to proue that al the land lying betwéene the laste climate euen vnto the point directly vnder either Poles is or maye be inhabited especially of suche creatures as are ingendred and bredde therein For indéed it is to be confessed that some particular liuing creature cannot liue in euery particular place or region especially wyth the same ioy and felicitie as it did where it was firste bredde for the certaine agréement of nature that is betwéene the place and the thing bredde in that place as appeareth by the Elephant which being translated and brought out of the second or third climate though they may liue yet will they neuer ingender or bring forth yong Also wée sée the like in many kinds of plants and hearbs for example the OraÌ„ge trée although in Naples they bring forth fruit abundantly in Rome and Florence they wil beare only faire gréene leaues but not any fruite and translated into England they will hardly beare either flowers fruite or leaues but are the next winter pinched and withered with colde yet it followeth not for this that England Rome and Florence should not be habitable In the prouing of these colde regions habitable I shall be verye shorte bicause the same reasons serue for this purpose which were alleaged before in the prouing the middle Zone to be temperate especially séeing al heate cold procéede from the Sunne by the meanes eyther of the Angle his beames doeth make with the Horizon or else by the long or shorte continuance of the Suns presence aboue ground so that if the Sunnes beames do beate perpendicularlye at righte Angles then there is one cause of heate and if the Sunne doe also long continue aboue the Horizon then the heate thereby is muche encreased by accesse of this other cause and so groweth to a kind of extremitie And these .ij. causes as I said before doe moste concurre vnder the two Tropickes and therefore there is the greatest heate of the worlde And likewise where both these causes are most absent there is greatest want of heate and encrease of colde séeing that colde is nothing but the priuation and absence of heat and if one cause be wanting and the other present the effect will growe indifferent Therefore this is to bée vnderstanded that the nearer anye region is to the Equinoctiall the higher the Sunne doeth rise ouer their heads at noone so maketh either righte or neare righte angles but the Sun tarryeth with them so much the shorter time causeth shorter dayes with longer and colder nights to restore the domage of the daye paste by reasoÌ„ of the moisture consumed by vapour But in such regions ouer the which the Sun riseth lower as in regions extended towardes eyther pole it maketh there vnequall Angles but the Sunne continueth longer and maketh longer dayes causeth so much shorter and warmer nights as retayning warme vapoures of the daye paste For there are found by experience Sommer nights in Scotland and Gothland very hot when vnder the Equinoctiall they are found very colde This benefite of the Sunnes long continuaunce and encrease of the day doth augment so muche the more in colde regions as they are nearer the poles and ceaseth not encreasing vntil it come directly vnder the point of the Pole Articke where the Sunne continueth aboue grounde the space of sixe moneths or halfe a yeare togither so the daye is halfe a yere long that is the time of the Suns being in the North signes from the first degrée of Aries vntil the last of Virgo that is all the time from our .10 day of March vntill the .14 of September The Sun therfore during the time of these .6 moneths without any offence or hindraunce of the nighte gyueth his influence vpon those landes with heate that neuer ceaseth during that time which maketh to the great increase of Sommer by reason of the Sunnes continuaunce Therfore it followeth that though the Sunne be not there very high ouer their heads to cause right angle beams to giue great heate yet the Sun being there sometimes almâ—â—t 24. degrées high doth caste a conuenient and meane heate which there continueth without hinderaunce of the nighte the space of six moneths as is before saide during whiche time there foloweth to be a conuenient moderate and temperate heat or else rather it is to be suspected the heat there to be very great both for continuance also Quia virtus vnita crescit the vertue and strength of heat vnited in one encreaseth If then there be suche a moderate heat vnder the Poles and the same to continue so long time what shoulde moue the olde writers to say there cannot be place for habitation And that the certaintie of this temperate heat vnder both the Poles might more manifestlye appeare lette vs consider the position qualitie of the Sphere the length of the day and so to gather the heighte of the Sunne at all times and by consequent the quantitie of his Angle and so lastely the strength of his heate Those landes and regions lying vnder the pole and hauing the Pole for their Zenith muste néedes haue the Equinoctiall circle for their Horizon therefore the Sunne entring into the North signes and describing euery .24 houres a Paralell to the Equinoctiall by the diurnall motion of Primum Mobile the same Paralels must néedes be wholy aboue the Horizon and so looke howe many degrées there are froÌ„ the fyrst of Aries to the last of Virgo so many whole reuolutions there are aboue theyr Horizon that dwell vnder the Pole whiche amounteth to .182 and so manye of oure dayes the Sunne continueth with them During whiche tyme they haue there continuall daye and lighte withoute anye hinderaunce of moiste nightes Yet it is to be noted that the Sunne being in the fyrst degrée of Aries and laste degrée of Virgo maketh his reuolution in the very Horizon so that in these
greater by reason wherof the best richest furres are broughte out of the coldest regions Also the foules of these cold countries haue thicker skins thicker feathers more stored of down thaÌ„ in other hot places Our EnglishmeÌ„ that trauel to S. Nicholas and go a fishing to Ward house enter far within the circle Artike so are in the froseÌ„ Zone yet there as wel as in Iseland and all along those Northerne Seas â—hey finde the greatest store of the greatest fishes that are as Whales c. and also abundaunce of meane fishes as Herings Coddes Haddockes Brettes c. whiche argueth that the Sea as well as the Land maye bée and is well frequented and inhabited in the colde Countries But some perhaps wil maruel there should be such teÌ„perate places in the Regions aboute the Poles when at vnder degrées in latitude oure Capitaine Frobisher and his companye were troubled wyth so manye and so greate mountaines of fléeting Ise with so great stormes of colde with suche continuall snow on toppes of mountaines and with such barren soyle there being neither woodde or trées but lowe shrubbes and suche like To al which obiections may be answered thus First those infinite Ilandes of Ise were engeÌ„dred congealed in time of winter now by the gret heate of Sommer were thawed and then by ebbes flouds windes and currants were driuen to and fro and troubled the Fléete so that this is an argument to proue the heat in Sommer there to be great that was able to thaw so monstrous mountaines of Ise. As for continuall snow on tops of mouÌ„tains it is there no otherwise than is in the hottest parte of the middle Zone where also lyeth great snowe al the Sommer long vppon toppes of mountaines bycause there is not sufficient space for the Sunnes reflection wherby the snowe should be molten Touching the colde stormy windes and the barrennesse of the country it is there as it is in Cornwall Deuonshire in England which parts thoughe we know to be fruitful fertile yet on the North side therof al alongst the coast within seauen or eight myles off the Sea there can neither hedge nor trée grow althoughe they be diligently by Art husbanded séene vnto And the cause thereof are the Northerne driuing winds whiche coÌ„ming from the Sea are so bitter sharp that they kill al the yong and tender plaÌ„ts and suffer scarce any thing to grow and so is t in the Ilands of Meta Incognita which are subiect most to East Northesterne winds which the last yere choked vp the passage so with Ise that the Fléet could hardly recouer their Port yet notwithstanding all the obiections that may be the Countrey is habitable for there are Men Women Children and sundrie kind of Beastes in great plentie as Beares Dere Hares Foxes Dogges all kind of flying Fowles as Duckes Seamewes Wilmots Partriches Larkes Crowes Hawkes and such like as in the thirde Booke you shall vnderstand more at large Then it appeareth that not only the middle Zone but aâ—so the Zones about the Poles are habitable Which thing being wel considered and familiarly knowen to our Generall Captaine Frobisher as well for that he is throughly furnished of the knowledge of the Sphere and all other skilles apperteyning to the art of Nauigation as also for the confirmation he hath of the same by many yeares experience both by sea and land and being persuaded of a new and néerer passage to Cataya than by Capo d'buonâ— Speranzâ— which the Portugalles yéerely vse He began first with himselfe to deuise and then with his friendes to conferre and layde a playne platte vnto them that that voyage was not onely possible by the Northweast but also as he coulde proue easie to bée performed And further he determined and resolued wyth himselfe to go make full proofe thereof to accomplishe or bring true certificat of the truth or else neuer to returne againe knowing this to be the onely thing of the Worlde that was left yet vndone whereby a notable mind mighte be made famous and fortunate But although his will were great to performe this notable voyage whereof hée had conceyued in his mind a great hope by sundry sure reasons and secret intelligence whiche héere for sundry causes I leaue vntouched yet he wanted altogither meanes and abilitie to set forward and performe the same Long tyme he conferred with his priuate friendes of these secretes and made also manye offers for the performing of the same in effect vnto sundry Merchants of our Countrey aboue .xv. yeares before he attempted the same as by good witnesse shall well appeare albeit some euill willers whiche chalenge to themselues the frutes of other mens laboureâ— haue greately iniured him in the reportes of the same saying that they haue bin the first Authors of that Action and that they haue learned him the way which themselues as yet haue neuer gone But perceyuing that hardly he was hearkened vnto of the Merchantes whiche neuer regarde Uertue withoute sure certayne and present gaynes hée repayred to the Courte from whence as from the fountaine of oure common wealth all good causes haue theyr chiefe encrease and mayntenance and there layde open to manye great estates and learned men the plot and summe of hys deuise And amongst manye honourable myndes whyche fauoured hys honest and commendable enterprise hée was specially bounde and beholdyng to the ryghte Honourable Ambrose Dudley Earle of Warwike whose fauourable mynde and good disposition hathe alwayes bin readye to countenance and aduance all honest actions wyth the Authours and executers of the same and so by meanes of my Lorde hys honourable countenance hée receyued some comforte of hys cause and by little and little with no small expence and payne brought hys cause to some perfection and hadde drawen togyther so many aduenturers and suche summes of money as myghte well defray a reasonable charge to furnishe hymselfe to Sea withall He prepared two small Barkes of twentie and fyue and twentie tunne a péece wherein hée intended to accomplish hys pretended voyage Wherefore béeyng furnished wyth the foresayde two Barkes and one small Pinnesse of tenne tunne burthen hauyng therein victuals and other necessaries for twelue Monethes prouision he departed vppon the sayde voyage from Blacke wall the fiftenth of Iune Anno Domini 1576. One of the Barkes wherein hée wente was named the Gabriell and the other the Michaell and sayling Northweast from Englande vppon the firste of Iulâ— at length hée hadde sighte of a highe and ragged lande whiche hée iudged Freeselande whereof some Authoures haue made mention but durst not approche the same by reason of the greate store of Ise that lay alongst the coast and the greate mistes that troubled them not a little Not farre from thence hée lost companye of his small Pinnesse whyche by meanes of the greate storme he supposed to bée swallowed vppe of the Sea wherein
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
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
for a more fresh example our people of Meta Incognita of whome and for whome thys discourse is taken in hande that were broughte this last yeare into Englande were all generallie of the same coloure that many Nations be lying in the middest of the middle Zone And this their couloure was not only in the face whiche was subiecte to Sunne and Ayre but also in their bodies which were still couered with garments as oures are yea the very sucking childe of twelue Moneths age hadde his skinne of the very same couloure that most haue vnder the Equinoctiall which thing can not procéede by reason of the clime for that they are at least tenne degrées more towards the North than we in Englande are no the Sunne neuer commeth néere their Zenith by .40 Degrées for in effect they are within thrée or four degrées of that which they call the frosen Zone and as I said fortie degrées from the burning Zone whereby it foloweth that there is some other cause than the Clymate or the Sunnes perpendicular reflection that shoulde cause the Ethiopians great blacknesse And the most probable cause to my iudgemente is that this blacknesse procéedeth of some naturall infection of the first inhabitāts of that Countrey and so all the whole progenie of them descended are still poluted with the same blot of infection Therefore it shall not be farre from our purpose to examine the first originall of these blacke men and how by lineall discente they haue hitherto continued thus blacke It manifestly and plainely appeareth by holy Scripture that after the generall Inundation and ouerflowing of the Earth there remayned no moe mē aliue but Noe his thrée sonnes Sem Cham and Iaphet who only were lefte to possesse inhabit the whole face of the earth therefore all the land that vntill this daye hath bin inhabited by sundry discents must néedes come of the ofspring eyther of Sem Cham or Iaphet as the onely sonnes of Noe who all thrée being white and their wiues also by course of nature should haue begotten and brought forth white children But the enuie of our great and continuall enimie the wicked Spirit is such that as he could not suffer our old Father Adam to liue in the felicitie Angelike state wherein he was first created but tempting him sought procured his ruine fal So againe finding at this floud none but a father and thrée sonnes liuing he so caused one of them to transgresse disobey his fathers commandement that after him all his posteritie shoulde be accursed The fact of disobedience was this When Noe at the commandement of God had made entred the Arke the fludgates of Heauen were opened so that the whole face of the earth euery trée Mountaine was couered with abundāce of water he straitely commanded his sonnes their wiues that they should with reuerence feare behold the iustice and mighty power of God that during the time of the floud while they remained in the Arke they should vse cōtinēcie absteine frō carnall copulation with their wiues many other preceptes he gaue vnto thē admonitions touching the iustice of God in reuenging sinne his mercie in deliuering thē who nothing deserued it Which good instructions exhortatiōs notwithstāding his wicked sonne C ham disobeyed and being persuaded that the first child borne after the floud by right law of nature should inherit possesse all the dominion of the earth he contrarie to his fathers commandement while they were yet in the Arke vsed cōpany with his wife craftily went about thereby to disinherit the ofspring of his other two bréethren for the which wicked and detestable fact as an example for contempte of Almightie God and disobedience of parents God would a sonne shuld be borne whose name was Chus who not only it selfe but all his posteritie after him should be so blacke lothsome that it might remaine a spectacle of disobedience to all the World. And of this blacke cursed Chus came al these blacke Moores which are in Africa for after the water was vanished frō off the face of the earth and that the land was drie Sem chose that part of the land to inhabit in which now is called Asia and Iaphet had that which nowe is called Europa wherin we dwel and Africa remained for Cham his blacke sonne Chus was called Chamesis after the fathers name being perhaps a cursed dry sandy vnfruteful groūd fit for such a generatiō to inhabit in Thus you sée that the cause of the Ethiopians blacknesse is the curse infection of bloud not the distemperature of the clymate which also may be proued by this example that these black men are found in all partes of Africa as well withoute the Tropicks as within euen vnto Capo d'buona Speranza Southward where by reason of the Sphere should be the same temperature as is in Spayne Laddigna and Sicilia where all be of very good complexions Wherefore I conclude that the blacknesse procéedeth not of the hotenesse of the Clime but as I sayd of the infection of bloud and therfore this their argumente gathered of the Africans blacknesse is not able to destroy the temperature of the middle Zone We may therefore very well be assertayned that vnder the Equinoctiall is the most pleasant and delectable place of the worlde to dwell in where although the Sunne for two houres in a yeare be directe ouer their heads and therefore the heate at that time somewhat of force yet bycause it commeth so seldome and continueth so small a time when it commeth it is not to be wayed but rather the moderate heate of other times is all the yeare to be remembred And if the heate at any time should in the shorte daye ware somewhat vrgent the coldnesse of the long night there would easilie refreshe it according as Honterus sayth speaking of the temperature vnder the Equinoctiall Quodque die solis violento incanduit aestu Humida nox reficit paribusque refrigerat horis If the heate of the Sunne in the day time doe burne or parch any thing the moysture of the nighte dothe coole and refresh the same againe the Sunne being as long absente in the night as it was present in the day Also our Author of the Sphere Iohannes d' Sacro bosco in the Chapter of the Zodiacke deriueth the Etimologie of Zodiacus of the Gréeke word Zoe whiche in Latin signifyeth Vita life for out of Aristotle he alledgeth that Secundum accessum recessum solis in Zodiaco fiunt generationes corruptiones in rebus inferioribus according to the Sunnes going to and fro in the Zodiake the inferiour bodies take their causes of generation and corruption Then it foloweth that where there is most going too and fro there is most generation and corruption whiche must néedes be betwéene the two Tropikes for there the Sunne goeth too and
readynesse vppon all suddayne occasions and so giuing the watch their charge the company departed to rest I thoughte the Captaynes Letter well worth the remembring not for the circumstance of curious enditing but for the substance and good meaning therein contayned and therefore haue repeated héere the same as by himselfe it was hastilie written ¶ The forme of Martin Frobishers letter to the Englishe Captiues IN the name of God in whom we al beleue who I trust hath preserued your bodyes and soules amongst these Infidels I coÌ„mend me vnto you I will be glad to seeke by all meanes you can deuise for your deliuerance eyther with force or with any commodities within my Shippes whiche I will not spare for your sakes or any thing else I can doe for you I haue aboord of theyrs a Man a Woman and a Childe whiche I am contented to delyuer for you but the man which I carried away from hence the last yeare is dead in ENGLAND Moreouer you may declare vnto them that if they deliuer you not I wyll not leaue a manne aliue in their Countrey And thus if one of you can come to speake with me they shall haue eyther the Man Woman or Childe in pawne for you And thus vnto God whome I trust you do serue in hast I leaue you and to him we will dayly pray for you This Tuesdaye morning the seauenth of August Anno. 1577. Yours to the vttermost of my power MARTIN FROBISHER Postscript I haue sente you by these bearers Penne Incke and Paper to write backe vnto me agayne if personally you can not come to certifye me of your estate NOw had the Generall altered his determination for going any further into the straights at this time for any further discouerie of the passage hauing taken a man and a woman of that Countrey whiche he thought sufficiente for the vse of language and hauing also mette wyth these people héere which intercepted his meÌ„ the last yeare as the apparell and Englishe furniture which was found in their tentes very well declared he knewe it was but labour lost to séeke them further off when he had found them there at hand And considering also the shorte time he had in hande he thought it best to bend his whole endeuour for the getting of Myne and to leaue the passage further to be discouered héereafter For his commission directed hym in this voyage only for the searching of the Gold Ore and to deferre the further discouerie of the passage vntill another tyme. On Thurseday the ninth of August we beganne to make a small Fort for our defence in the CouÌ„tesses Iland and entrenched a corner of a cliffe which on thre parts like a wall of good heygth was compassed and well fenced with the Sea we finished the rest with caskes of earth to good purpose and this was called Bestes Bulwarke after the Lieutenants name who first deuised the same This was done for that we suspected more least the desperate men might oppresse vs with multitude than any feare we had of their force weapons or policie of battell but as wisedome would vs in such place so far from home not to bée of our selues altogither carelesse so the signes whiche oure captiue made vnto vs of the comming downe of his Gouernoure or Prince which he calleth Catchoe gaue vs occasion to foresée what might ensue thereof for he shewed by signes that this Catchoe was a maÌ„ of higher stature farre than any of our nation is and he is accustomed to be carried vpon mens shoulders About midnighte the Lieutenant caused a false Alarme to be giuen in the Iland to proue as well the readynesse of the companie there a shore as also what help might be hoped for vpon the suddayne from the Shyppes if néede â—â—â—â—quired and euery part was found in good reâ—â—ynesâ—e vâ—â—on such a suddayne Saterday the eleuenth of August the people shewed themselues agayne and called vnto vs from the side of a hil ouer against vs The Generall with good hope to heare of hys men and to haue answere of his Letter wente ouer vnto them where they presented themselues not aboue three in sight but were hidden in déede in greater numbers behynde the Roâ—kes and makyng signes of delay with vs to entrappe some of vs to redeeme theyr owne did onely séeke aduantage to trayne oure Boate aboute a poynte of lande from sight of oure companieâ— wherevpon our menne iustly suspecting them kepte aloofe wâ—thout their daunger and yet sette one of our companie a shore whyche tooke vp a greate blather whiche one of them offered vs and leauing a looking glasse in the place came into the Boate agayne In the meane whyle our men whyche stoode in the Countesses Ilande to behold who mighte better discerne them than those in the Boate by reason they were vppon higher ground made a greate outcrye vnto our men in the boate for that they sawe diuers of the Sauages créeping behynde the Rockes towardes our men wherevppon the Generall presently returned without tidings of his men Concerning this Blather which we receyued our Captiue made signes that it was giuen him to kéepe water and drincke in but we suspected rather it was gyuen hym to swimme and shift away withall for he and the woman sought diuers times to escape hauing loosed our Boates from a Sterne our Shyppes and wée neuer a Boate lefte to pursue them withall and had preuayled verie farre had they not bin verie timelie espyed and preuented therein After our Generalles comming away from them they mustered themselues in our sight vppon the toppe of a hill to the number of twentie in a rancke all holdyng handes ouer theyr heads and dauncing with greate noyse and songs togither wée supposed they made thys daunce and shew for vs to vnderstand that we might take vew of theyr whole companyes and force meaning belike that wée should doe the same And thus they continued vppon the hyll toppes vntyll nighte when hearing a peece of oure greate Ordinance whyche thundered in the hollownesse of the hygh hylles made vnto them so fearefull a noyse that they hadde no greate wyll to tarrie long after And this was done more to make them knowe oure force than to do them any hurte at all On Sunday the twelfth of August Captayne Fenton trayned the companye and made the Souldyoures maineteyne skyrmishe among themselues as wâ—ll for theyr exercise as for the Countrey people to beholde in what readynesse oure menne were alwayes to bee founde for it was to bée thoughte that they lay hydde in the hylles thereaboute and obserued all the manner of oure proceedings On Wensday the fouretéenth of August oure Generall wyth two small Boates well appoynted for that hee suspected the Countrey people to lye lurking thereaboute wente vp a certayne Bay wythin the Countesses sound to searche for Ore and mette agayne wyth the Countrey people who so soone as they saw our men made greate
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
some of the Fléete and those not the worst Marriners iudged to be the North forlande howbeit othersome were of contrary opinion But the matter was not well to be discerned by reason of the thicke fogge whiche a long time hung vppon the coast and the newe falling Snowe which yearely altereth the shape of the land and taketh away oftentimes the Marriners markes And by reason of the darke mistes whiche continued by the space of twenty dayes togither this doubt grew the greater and the longer perillous For wheras indéede we thought our selues to be vpon the Northeast side of Frobishers straytes we were now carried to the Southweastwards of the Queenes forlande and being deceyued by a swift Currant comming from the Northeast were broughte to the Southweastwardes of oure sayd course many miles more than we dyd thinke possible could come to passe The cause whereof we haue since found and shall be at large héereafter declared Héere we made a poynt of land which some mistooke for a place in the straytes called Mount Warwicke but howe we shoulde be so farre shotte vp so suddaynely within the sayde straytes the expertest Mariners began to maruell thinking it a thing impossible that they coulde be so farre ouertaken in their accomptes or that any Currant coulde so deceyue them héere whiche they had not by former experience proued and found out Howbeit many confessed that they founde a swifter course of floud than before time they had obserued And truly it was wonderfull to heare and sée the rushling and noyse that the tydes do make in thys place with so violente a force that oure Shippes lying a-hull were turned sometimes rounde aboute euen in a momente after the manner of a whirlepoole and the noyse of the streame no lesse to be hearde a farre off than the waterfall of London Bridge But whilest the Fléete lay thus doubtfull amoÌ„gst great store of Ise in a place they knewe not withoute sighte of sunne whereby to take the height and so to know the true eleuation of the pole and withoute any cleare of lighte to make perfite the coast the Generall with the Captaynes and Maysters of his Shippes beganne doubtfully to question of the matter and sent his Pinnesse aboorde to heare each mans opinion and specially of Iames Beare Mayster of the Anne Frances who was knowen to be a sufficiente and skilful Mariner and hauing bin there the yeare before had well obserued the place and drawne out Cardes of the coast But the rather this matter grew the more doubtful for that Christopher Hâ—ll chiefe Pylot of the voyage deliuered a playne and publike opinion in the hearing of the whole Fléete that he had neuer séene the foresayde coast before and that he could not make it for any place of Frobishers straytes as some of the Fléete supposed and yet the lands do lye and trend so like that the best Mariners therin may be deceyued The tenth of Iuly the weather still continuing thicke and darke some of the Shippes in the fogge lost sighte of the Admirall and the rest of the Fléete and wandering too and fro with doubtfull opinion whether it were best to séeke backe againe to seaward through great store of Ise or to follow on a doubtfull course in a Sea bay or straytes they knew not or alongst a coast whereof by reason of the darke mistes they coulde not discerne the daungers if by chance any Rocke or brokeÌ„ ground should lye of the place as commonly in these partes it doth The Uizeadmirall Captayne Yorke considering the foresayd opinion of the Pylot Hall who was with him in the Thomas Allen hauing lost sight of the Fléete turned backe to Sea agayne hauing two other Shippes in company with him Also the Captaine of the Anne Fraunces hauing likewise lost companye of the Fléete and being all alone helde it for best to turne it out to Sea agayne vntyll they mighte haue cléere weather to take the Sunnes Altitude and with incredible payne and perill got out of the doubtfull place into the open Sea agayne being so narrowly distressed by the way by meanes of continuall fogge and Ise that they were many times ready to leape vpon an Ilande of Ise to auoyde the present daunger and so hopyng to prolong life a while meante rather to dye a pining death Some hoped to saue themselues on chestes and some determined to tye the Hatches of the Shippes fast togyther and to bynde themselues wyth theyr furniture fast therevnto and so to bée towed with the Shippeboate ashore whyche otherwise coulde not receyue halfe of the companye by whyche meanes if happilie they hadde arriued they shoulde eyther haue perished for lacke of foode to eate or else shoulde themselues haue bene eaten of those rauenous bloudye and Man eating people The rest of the Fléete following the course of the Generall whyche ledde them the way passed vp aboue .60 Leagues within the sayd doubtfull and supposed straytes hauyng alwayes a fayre continente vppon their starreboorde syde and a continuance still of an open Sea before them The Generall albeit with the fyrste perchance he found out the error and that this was not the old straytes yet he persuaded the Fléete alwayes that they were in theyr righte course and knowne straytes Howbeit I suppose he rather dissembled hys opinion therein than otherwyse meaning by that policie being hymself ledde with an honorable desire of further discouerie to enduce the fléete to follow him to sée a further proofe of that place And as some of the company reported he hath since confessed that if it had not bin for the charge and care he had of the Fléete and fraughted Shippes he both would and could haue gone through to the South Sea called Mare del Sur and dissolued the long doubt of the passage which we séeke to find to the ritch Countrey of Cataya 1 Of which mistaken straytes considering the circumstance we haue greate cause to confirme oure opinion to like and hope well of the passage in this place For the foresaide bay or Sea the further we sayled therein the wyder we found it with great likelyhoode of endlesse continuance And where in other places we were muche troubled wyth Ise as in the entrance of the same so after we had sayled 50. or .60 leagues therein we had no lette of Ise or other thing at all as in other places we found 2 Also this place séemeth to haue a maruellous greate indraft and draweth vnto it most of the drift yse and other things which do fléete in the Sea eyther to the North or Eastwardes of the same as by good experience we haue founde 3 For héere also we mette with boordes latthes and diuers other things driuing in the Sea which was of the wracke of the shippe called the Barke Dennys which perished amongst the Ise as beforesaid being lost at the first attempt of the entrance ouerthwart the Quéens foreland
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
thing of vs They delight in Musicke aboue measure and will kepe time and stroke to any tune which you shal sing both with their voyce heade hande and féete and wyll sing the same tune aptlye after you They will rowe with our Ores in our boates and kepe a true stroke with oure Mariners and séeme to take great delight therein They liue in Caues of the Earth and hunte for their dinners or praye euen as the Beare or other wilde beastes do They eate rawe fleshe and fishe and refuse no meate howsoeuer it be stincking They are desperate in their fighte sullen of nature and rauenous in their manner of féeding Their sullen and desperate nature doth herein manifestly appeare that a companie of them being enuironed of our men on the toppe of a hie cliffe so that they coulde by no meanes escape our handes finding themselues in this câ—se distressed chose rather to cast themselues hâ—â—dlong downe the rockes into the Sea and so to be bruseâ— and drowned rather than to yeelde themselues to our mens mercies For their weapons to offende their enâ—â—ies or kill their pray withâ—l they haue Dartes slings bowes and arrows headed with sharp stones bones and some with yron They are exceeding friendly and kinde harted one to the other mourne greatly at the losse or harme of their fellowes and expresse their griefe of minde when they paâ—t one from an other with a mournefull song and Dirges They are very shamefast in bewraying the secretes of nature and verye chaste in the maner of their liuing for wheÌ„ the maÌ„ which we brought froÌ„ thence into England the last voyage should put of his coat or discouer his whole body for chaÌ„ge he would not suffer the woman to be present but put hir forth of hys Cabyn And in all the space of two or thrée monethes while the man liued in companie of the woman there was neuer any thing séene or perceiued betwéene them more than might haue passed betwéene brother and sister but the woman was in all things very seruiceable for the man attending him carefully when he was sicke and he likewise in al the meates whiche they did eate togither would carue vnto hir of the swéetest fattest and best morsels they had They wondred muche at all our things and were afraide of our horses and other beastes out of measure They beganne to growe more ciuill familiar pleasaunt and doâ—ibâ—e amongst vs in a verye shorte time They haue boates made of leather and couered cleane ouer sauing one place in the middle to sit in plaÌ„cked within with timber and they vse to rowe therein with one Ore more swiftly a great deale than we in our boates can doe with twentie They haue one sort of greater boates wherin they can carrie aboue twentie persons and haue a Mast with a Sayle thereon whiche Sayle is made of thinne Skinnes or bladders sowed togither with the sinewes of fishes They are good fishermen and in their small Boates béeing disguised with their coates of Ceales skinnes they deceyue the Fishe who take them rather for their fellowe Ceales than for deceyuing men They are good marke men With their dart or arrowe they will commonly kill Ducke or any other foule in the head and commonly in the eye When they shoote at a greate fishe with anye of theyr Dartes they vse to tye a bladder therevnto whereby they may the better finde them agayne and the fishe not able to carrie it so easily away for that the bladder dothe boy the darte will at length be wéerie and dye therewith They vse to traffike and exchange their commodities with some other people of whome they haue such things as their miserable Countrey and ignorance of arte to make denyeth them to haue as barres of iron heads of iron for their dartes néedles made fouresquare certayne buttons of copper whiche they vse to weare vppon theyr forheads for ornament as our Ladyes in the Court of England do vse great pearle Also they haue made signes vnto vs that they haue sene gold and such bright plates of mettals whiche are vsed for ornaments amongst some people with whome they haue conference We fouÌ„d also in their tents a Guinney Beane of redde couloure the which dothe vsually grow in the hote Countreys whereby it appéereth they trade with other Nations whiche dwell farre off or else themselues are greate trauellers They haue nothing in vse among them to make fyre withall sauing a kind of Heath and Mosse which groweth there And they kindle their fyre with continuall rubbing and fretting one sticke againste an other as we do with flints They drawe with dogges in sleads vpon the Ise and remoue their tents therwithal wherein they dwel in soÌ„mer when they goe a hunting for their praye and prouision againste Winter They do sometime parboyle their meate a little and séeth the same in kettles made of beasts skins they haue also pannes cutte and made of stone very artificially they vse preaty ginnes wherewith they take foule The women carry their sucking children at their backes and doe féede them with rawe fleshe whiche firste they doe a â—ittle chawe in their mouths The women haue their faces marked or painted ouer with small blewe spottes they haue blacke and long haire on their heades and trimme the same in a decent order The men haue but little haire on their faces and very thinne beardes For their common drincke they eate Ise to quench their thirst withal Their earth yéeldeth no graine or fruite of sustenaunce for man or almost for beast to liue vppon and the people will eate grasse and shrubs of the grounde euen as oure Kine doâ— They haue no woodde growing in theyr countrey thereaboutes and yet wée finde they haue some timber among them whiche we thinke doth grow farre off to the Southwardes of this place about Canada or some other part of newe founde land for there belike the trées standing on the cliffes of the Sea side by the waight of Ise and snowe in Winter ouercharging them with waighte when the Sommers thawe commeth aboue and also the Sea vnderfretting them beneath whiche winneth daylye of the land they are vndermined and fall down from those cliffes into the Sea and with the tydes and currants are driuen to and fro vpon the coastes further off and by coniecture are taken vppe here by these countrie people to serue them to plancke and strengthen their boates withall and to make dartes bowes and arrowes and suche other things necessarie for their vse And of this kind of drift woodde wée finde all the Seas ouer great store whiche being â—utte or sawed asunder by reason of long driuing in the Sea is eaten of wormes and full of hoales of whych sorte their 's is founde to be We haue not yet founde anye venomous Serpent or other hurtefull thing in these partes but there is a kinde of small flye or gnat that stingeth and offendeth sorelye leauing many red spots in they face other
.24 houres halfe the body of the Sunne is aboue the Horizon and the other halfe is vnder his only Center describing both the Horizon and the Equinoctiall circle And therefore séeing the greatest declination of the Sun is almost .24 degrées it followeth his greatest height in those Countries to be almost .24 degrées And so high is the Sun at noone to vs in Londō about the .29 of October being in the .15 degrée of Scorpio and likewise the .21 of Ianuary being in the .15 of Aquarius Therefore looke what force the Sun at noone hath in London the .29 of October the same force of heate it hathe to them that dwel vnder the Pole the space almoste of two moneths during the time of the Sommer Solstitium and that without intermingling of any colde night ◠so that if the heate of the Sunne at noone coulde be well measured in London which is verye harde to doe bycause of the long nights whiche engender greate moysture and colde then woulde manifestlye appeare by expresse numbers the maner of the heate vnder the Poles which certainly must néedes be to the inhabitaunts verye commodious and profitable if it inclyne not to ouer much heate and if moysture do not want For as in October in England we find temperate aire and haue in our Gardens hearbes and floures notwithstāding our colde nights how much more shoulde they haue the same good ayre being continual without night This heate of ours continueth but one houre while the Sunne is in the Meridiā but theirs continueth a long time in one height This our heate is weake and by the coolenesse of the night vanisheth that heate is strong and by continual accesse is still increased and strengthned And thus by a similitude of the equal height of the Sunne in both places appeareth the commodious and moderate heate of the regions vnder the Poles And surely I can not thinke that the diuine prouidence hath made any thing vncōmunicable but to haue giuē such order to all things that one way or other the same shoulde be imploied and that euery thing and place should be tollerable to the next But especiallye all things in this lower world be giuen to man to haue dominion and vse thereof Therefore wée néede no longer to doubt of the temperate and commodious habitation vnder the Poles during the tyme of Sommer But al the controuersie consisteth in the Winter for then the Sun leaueth those regions and is no more séene for the space of other sixe moenths in the which time al the Sunnes course is vnder their Horizon for the space of half a yeare and then those regions saye some muste néedes be deformed with horrible darkenesse and continuall nyghte whiche maye be the cause that beastes can not séeke theyr foode and that also the cold should then be intollerable By which double euils al liuing creatures should be constrayned to die and were not able to indure the extremitie and iniury of Winter and famine ensuing therof but that all things shoulde perish before the Sommer folowing when they should bring forth their broode yong that for these causes the said Clime about the Pole shold be desolate not habitable To al which obiectiōs may be answered in this maner First that thoughe the Sun be absent from them those sixe moneths yet it followeth not there should be such extreame darkenesse for as the Sunne is departed vnder their Horizon so is it not farre from them And not so soone as the Sunne falleth so sodainly commeth the darke night but the euening doth substitute and prolong the daye a good while after by twilight After whiche time the residue of the night receiueth light of the Moone and Starres vntill the breake of the day which giueth also a certaine light before the Sunnes rising so that by these meanes the nightes are seldome darke which is veryfied in al parts of the world but least in the middle Zone vnder the Equinoctiall where the twylights are short the nights darker than in any other place bycause the Sun goeth vnder their Horizon so déepe euen to their Antipodes Wée sée in Englande in the Sōmer nights whē the Sun goeth not far vnder the Horizon that by the light of the Moone stars wée may trauel al night if occasion were do some other laboure also And there is no man that doubteth whether our cattel can sée to féede in the nights séeing wée are so well certified thereof by our experience by reason of the sphere our nights should be darker than any time vnder the Poles The Astronomers consent that the Sun descending frō our vpper Hemisphere at the .18 Parallel vnder the Horizon maketh an end of twylight so that at length the darke night ensueth and that afterward in the morning the Sun approching againe within as many Paralels doth driue away the night by accesse of the twylight Againe by the position of the sphere vnder the Pole the Horizon the Equinoctial are al one These reuolutions therfore that are Paralell to the Equinoctiall are also Paralel to the Horizon so that the Sun descēding vnder the Horizon there describing certain Paralels not farre distant doeth not bring darke nights to those Regions vntil it come to the Paralels distant .18 degrées frō the Equinoctial that is about the .21 degrée of Scorpio which wil be about the .4 day of our Nouēber after the Winter Solstitium the Sun retourning backe againe to the .9 degrée of Aquarius whiche wil be aboute the .19 of Ianuary during which time only that is frō the .4 of Nouēber vntill the .xix. day of Ianuary which is about six wéeks space those regions do want the cōmoditie of twylights Therefore during the time of these said six moneths of darknesse vnder the Poles the night is destitute of the benefite of the Sun the said twilights only for the space of six weeks or thereabout And yet neither this time of six wéeks is without remedy frō Heauē For the Moone with hir encreased light hathe accesse at that time illuminateth the moneths lacking light euery one of themselues seuerally halfe the course of the moneth by whose benefite it cōmeth to passe that the night named extreame dark possesseth those regions no longer than one moneth neither that continually or al at one time but this also diuided into two sorts of shorter nights of that which either of thē endureth for the space of .15 days are illuminate of the Moone accordingly And this reason is gathered out of the sphere whereby we may testifie that the Sōmers are warme fruitful the Winters nights vnder the pole are tollerable to liuing creatures And if it be so that the winter and time of darknes there be very cold yet hath not nature left thē vnprouided therefore For there the beasts are couered with haire so much the thicker in how much the vehemencie of cold is