The second voyage of Master Martin Frobisher, made
to the West and Northwest Regions, in the yeere
1577. with a description of the Countrey, and people:
Written by Master Dionise Settle.
ON Whitsunday, being the sixe and twentieth of May,
in the yeere of our Lord God 1577. Captaine Frobisher
departed from Blacke Wall, with one of the Queenes
Majesties ships, called The Aide, of nine score tunnes,
or thereabouts: and two other little Barkes likewise,
the one called The Gabriel, whereof Master Fenton, a
Gentleman of my Lord of Warwikes, was Captaine: and
the other, The Michael, whereof Master Yorke, a Gentleman of my Lord Admirals was Captaine, accompanied
with seven score Gentlemen, souldiers, and sailers, well
furnished with victuals, and other provision necessarie
for one halfe yeere, on this his second voyage, for the
further discovering of the passage to Cathay, and other
Countreys, thereunto adjacent, by West and Northwest
navigations: which passage or way, is supposed to bee
on the North and Northwest part of America
: and the
said America
to be an Island invironed with the sea,
where through our Merchants may have course and
recourse with their merchandize, from these our Northernmost parts of Europe
, to those Orientall coasts of Asia
,
in much shorter time, and with greater benefite then any
others, to their no little commoditie and profite that do
or shall frequent the same. Our said Captaine and
General of this present voyage and company having the
yeere before, with two little pinnesses, to his great
danger, and no small commendations, given a worthy
attempt towards the performance thereof, is also prest,
when occasion shall be ministred (to the benefite of his
Prince, and native Countrey) to adventure himselfe
further therein. As for this second voyage, it seemeth
sufficient, that he hath better explored and searched the
commodities of those people and Countreys, which in his
first voyage the yeere before he had found out.
Upon which considerations, the day and yeere before
expressed, we departed from Blacke Wall to Harwich
,
where making an accomplishment of things necessary,
the last of May we hoised up sailes, and with a merrie
wind the 7. of June we arrived at the Islands called
Orcades
, or vulgarly Orkney
, being in number 30. subject
and adjacent to Scotland
, where we made provision of
fresh water; in the doing whereof our Generall licensed
the Gentlemen and souldiers for their recreation, to goe
on shore. At our landing, the people fled from their
poore cottages, with shrikes and alarms, to warne their
neighbours of enemies, but by gentle perswasions we
reclamed them to their houses. It seemeth they are
often frighted with Pirats, or some other enemies, that
moove them to such sudden feare. Their houses are very
simply builded with Pibble stone, without any chimneis,
the fire being made in the middest thereof. The good
man, wife, children, and other of their family eate and
sleepe on the one side of the house, and the cattell on
the other, very beastly and rudely, in respect of civilitie.
They are destitute of wood, their fire is turffes, and
Cowshards. They have come, bigge, and oates, with
which they pay their Kings rent, to the maintenance of
his house. They take great quantitie of fish, which they
dry in the wind and Sunne. They dresse their meat very
filthily, and eate it without salt. Their apparell is after
the rudest sort of Scotland
. Their money is all base.
Their Church and religion is reformed according to the
Scots. The fisher men of England
can better declare
the dispositions of those people then I: wherefore I remit
other their usages to their reports, as yeerely repaires
thither, in their course to and from Island for fish.
We departed herehence the 8. of June, and followed
our course betweene West and Northwest, untill the 4.
of July: 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 away the time: a thing of no small moment, to
such as wander in unknowen seas, and long navigations,
especially, when both the winds and raging surges do
passe their common and wonted course. This benefite
endureth in those parts not 6. weekes, while the sunne
is neere the Tropike of Cancer: but where the pole is
raised to 70. or 80. degrees, it continueth much longer.
All along these seas, after we were sixe dayes sailing
from Orkney
, we met floting in the sea, great Firre trees,
which as we judged, were with the furie of great floods
rooted up, and so driven into the sea. Island hath almost
no other wood nor fuell, but such as they take up upon
their coastes. It seemeth, that these trees are driven
from some part of the New found land, with the current
that setteth from the West to the East.
The 4. of July we came within the making of Frisland. From this shoare 10. or 12. leagues, we met great
Islands of yce, of halfe a mile, some more, some lesse in
compasse, shewing above the sea, 30. or 40. fathoms, and
as we supposed fast on ground, where with our lead we
could scarse sound the bottome for depth.
Here, in place of odoriferous and fragrant smels of
sweete gums, & pleasant notes of musicall birdes, which
other Countreys in more temperate Zones do yeeld, wee
tasted the most boisterous Boreal blasts mixt with snow
and haile, in the moneths of June and July, nothing
inferior to our untemperate winter: a sudden alteration,
and especially in a place or Parallele, where the Pole
is not elevate above 61. degrees: at which height other
Countreys more to the North, yea unto 70. degrees, shew
themselves more temperate then this doth.
All along this coast yce lieth, as a continuall bulwarke,
& so defendeth the Countrey, that those that would land
there, incur great danger. Our Generall 3. dayes together
attempted with the ship boate to have gone on shoare,
which for that without great danger he could not accomplish, he deferred it untill a more convenient time. All
along the coast lie very high mountaines covered with
snow, except in such places, where through the steepenes
of the mountaines of force it must needs fall. Foure
dayes coasting along this land, we found no signe of
habitation. Little birds, whiche we judged to have lost
the shore, by reason of thicke fogges which that Countrey
is much subject unto, came flying into our ships, which
causeth us to suppose, that the Countrey is both more
tollerable, and also habitable within, then the outward
shore maketh shew or signification.
From hence we departed the eight of July: and the
16. of the same, we came with the making of land,
which land our Generall the yeere before had named The
Queenes foreland, being an Island as we judge, lying
neere the supposed continent with America
: and on the
other side, opposite to the same, one other Island called
Halles Isle, after the name of the Master of the ship,
neere adjacent to the firme land, supposed continent with
Asia
. Betweene the which two Islands there is a large
entrance or streight, called Frobishers streight, after the
name of our Generall, the first finder thereof. This said
streight is supposed to have passage into the sea of
Sur, which I leave unknowen as yet.
It seemeth that either here, or not farre hence, the sea
should have more large entrance, then in other parts
within the frozen or untemperate Zone: and that some
contrary tide, either from the East or West, with maine
force casteth out that great quantity of yce, which
commeth floting from this coast, even unto Friseland,
causing that Countrey to seeme more untemperate then
others, much more Northerly then the same.
I cannot judge that any temperature under the Pole,
the time of the Sunnes Northerne declination being halfe
a yere together, and one whole day, (considering that
the Sunnes elevation surmounteth not 23. degrees and
30. minuts) can have power to dissolve such monstrous
and huge yce, comparable to great mountaines, except
by some other force, as by swift currents and tides, with
the helpe of the said day of halfe a yeere.
Before we came within the making of these lands we
tasted cold stormes, in so much that it seemed we had
changed summer with winter, if the length of the dayes
had not remooved us from that opinion.
At our first comming, the streights seemed to be shut
up with a long mure of yce, which gave no litle cause
of discomfort unto us all: but our Generall, (to whose
diligence imminent dangers, and difficult attempts seemed
nothing, in respect of his willing mind, for the commoditie of his Prince and Countrey,) with two little
Pinnesses prepared of purpose, passed twise thorow them
to the East shore, and the Islands thereunto adjacent:
and the ship, with the two Barks lay off and on something
further into the sea, from the danger of the yce.
Whilest he was searching the Countrey neere the
shoare, some of the people of the Countrey shewed
themselves leaping and dauncing, with strange shrikes
and cries, which gave no little admiration to our men.
Our Generall desirous to allure them unto him by faire
meanes, caused knives, and other things to be profered
unto them, which they would not take at our hands: but
being laid on the ground, and the party going away,
they came and tooke up, leaving some thing of theirs
to countervaile the same. At the length two of them
leaving their weapons, came downe to our Generall and
Master, who did the like to them, commanding the company to stay, and went unto them: who after certaine
dumbe signes, and mute congratulations, began to lay
handes upon them, but they deliverly escaped, and ranne
to their bowes and arrowes, and came fiercely upon them,
(not respecting the rest of our companie which were
ready for their defence) but with their arrowes hurt
divers of them: we tooke the one, and the other
escaped.
Whilest our Generall was busied in searching the
Countrey, and those Islands adjacent on the Eastshoare,
the ship and barkes having 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, chanc
ing in the night, amongst and in the thickest of the
yce, which was so monstrous, that even the least of a
thousand had bene of force sufficient, to have shivered
our ship and barks into small portions, if God (who
in all necessities, hath care upon the infirmitie of man)
had not provided for this our extremitie a sufficient
remedie through the light of the night, whereby we
might well discerne to flee from such imminent dangers,
which we avoyded with 14. Bourdes in one watch the
space of 4 houres. If we had not incurred this danger
amongst these monstrous Islands of yce, we should have
lost our Generall and Master, and the most of our best
sailers, which were on the shoare destitute of victuals:
but by the valure of our Master Gunner, Master Jackman,
and Andrew Dier, the Masters Mates, men expert both
in navigation, and other good qualities, wee were all
content to incurre the dangers aforerehearsed, before we
would with our owne safetie, runne into the seas, to the
destruction of our sayd Generall, and his company.
The day following, being the 19. of Julie, our captaine
returned to the ship, with report of supposed riches,
which shewed it selfe in the bowels of those barren
mountaines, wherewith wee were all satisfied.
Within foure daies after we had bene at the entrance
of the streights, the Northwest and West winds dispersed the yce into the sea, & made us a large entrance
into the streights, so that without any impediment, on
the 19. of Julie we entred them, and the 20. thereof,
our Generall and Master with great diligence, sought
out and sounded the West shoare, and found out a faire
Harborough for the ship and barkes to ride in, and
named it after our Masters mate, Jackmans sound, and
brought the ship, barkes, and all their company to safe
anker, except one man, which died by Gods visitation.
At our first arrivall, after the ship rode at anker, our
generall, with such company as could well be spared from
the ships, in marching order entred the lande, having
speciall care by exhortations, that at our entrance thereinto, wee should all with one voyce, kneeling upon our
knees, chiefly thanke God for our safe arrivall: secondly
beseech him, that it would please his divine Majestie,
long to continue our Queene, for whom he, and all the
rest of our company in this order tooke possession of
the Countrey: and thirdly, that by our Christian studie
and endevour, those barbarous people trained up in
Paganisme, and infidelitie, might be reduced to the knowledge of true religion, and to the hope of salvation in
Christ our Redeemer. With other words very apt to
signifie his willing mind, and affection toward his Prince
and Countrey: whereby all suspicion of an undutifull
subject, may credibly be judged to be utterly exempted
from his mind. All the rest of the Gentlemen and other
deserve worthily herein, their due praise and commendation.
These things in this order accomplished, our Generall
commanded all the company to be obedient in things
needfull for our owne safegard, to Master Fenton, Master
Yorke, and Master Beast his Lieutenant, while he was
occupied in other necessarie affaires, concerning our
comming thither.
After this order we marched through the Countrey,
with Ensigne displaied, so farre as was thought needfull,
and now and then heaped up stones on high mountaines,
and other places in token of possession, as likewise to
signifie unto such as hereafter may chance to arrive there,
that possession is taken in the behalfe of some other
Prince, by those who first found out the Countrey.
Whoso maketh navigations to those Countreys, hath
not onely extreme winds, and furious seas to encounter
withall, but also many monstrous and great Islands of
yce: a thing both rare, wonderfull, and greatly to be
regarded.
We were forced sundry times, while the ship did ride
here at anker, to have continuall watch, with boats &
men ready with halsers to knit fast unto such yce, as
with the ebbe & flood were tossed to and fro in the
harborough, & with force of oares to hale them away,
for endangering the ship.
Our Generall certaine dayes searched this supposed
continent with America
, and not finding the commodity
to answere his expectation, after he had made triall
thereof he departed thence with two little barks, and men
sufficient to the East shore being the supposed continent
of Asia
, and left the ship with most of the Gentlemen,
souldiers, and sailers, untill such time as he either thought
good to send or come for them.
The stones of this supposed continent with America
be altogether sparkled, and glister in the Sunne like
gold: so likewise doth the sand in the bright water,
yet they verifie the old Proverb: All is not gold that
glistereth.
On this West shore we found a dead fish floating,
which had in his nose a home streight and torquet, of
length two yards lacking two ynches, being broken in
the top, where we might perceive it hollow, into the
which some of our sailers putting spiders they presently
died. I saw not the triall hereof, but it was reported
unto me of a trueth: by the vertue whereof we supposed
it to be the sea Unicorne.
After our Generall had found out good harborough
for the ship and barks to anker in, and also such store
of supposed gold ore as he thought himselfe satisfied
withall, he returned to the Michael, whereof Master
Yorke aforesaid was Captaine, accompanied with our
master and his Mate: who coasting along the West shore
not farre from whence the ship rode, they perceived
a faire harborough, and willing to sound the same, at
the entrance thereof they espied two tents of Seale skins,
unto which the Captaine, our said Master, and other
company resorted. At the sight of our men the people
fled into the mountaines : neverthelesse they went to their
tents, where leaving certaine trifles of ours, as glasses,
bels, knives, and such like things they departed, not
taking any thing of theirs except one dogge. They did
in like maner leave behind them a letter, pen, yncke,
and paper, whereby our men whom the Captaine lost the
yere before, and in that peoples custody, might (if any
of them were alive) be advertised of our presence and
being there.
On the same day after consultation had, all the
Gentlemen, and others likewise that could be spared from
the ship, under the conduct and leading of Master
Philpot, (unto whom in our Generall his absence, and
his Lieutenant Master Beast, al the rest were obedient)
went a shore, determining to see, if by faire means we
could either allure them to familiarity, or otherwise take
some of them, and so attaine to some knowledge of
those men whom our Generall lost the yeere before.
At our comming backe againe to the place where their
tents were before, they had remooved their tents further
into the said Bay or Sound, where they might if they
were driven from the land, flee with their boates into
the sea. We parting our selves into two companies, and
compassing a mountaine came suddenly upon them by
land, who espying us, without any tarying fled to their
boates, leaving the most part of their oares behind them
for haste, and rowed downe the bay, where our two
Pinnesses met them and drove them to shore: but if
they had had all their oares, so swift are they in rowing,
it had bene lost time to have chased them.
When they were landed they fiercely assaulted our
men with their bowes and arrowes, who wounded three
of them with our arrowes: and perceiving themselves
thus hurt, they desperatly leapt off the Rocks into the
Sea, and drowned themselves: which if they had not
done, but had submitted themselves, or if by any meanes
we could have taken them alive (being their enemies
as they judged) we would both have saved them, & also
have sought remedy to cure their wounds received at
our hands. But they altogether voyd of humanity, and
ignorant what mercy meaneth, in extremities looke for
no other then death: and perceiving they should fall
into our hands, thus miserably by drowning rather
desired death then otherwise to be saved by us: the
rest perceiving their fellowes in this distresse, fled into
the high mountaines. Two women not being so apt to
escape as the men were, the one for her age, and the
other being incombred with a yong child, we tooke. The
old wretch, whom divers of our Saylers supposed to be
eyther a devill, or a witch, had her buskins plucked off,
to see if she were cloven footed, and for her ougly hew
and deformity we let her goe: the yong woman and the
child we brought away. We named the place where they
were slaine, Bloodie point: and the Bay or Harborough,
Yorks sound, after the name of one of the Captaines of
the two Barks.
Having this knowledge both of their fiercenesse and
cruelty, and perceiving that faire meanes as yet is not
able to allure them to familiarity, we disposed our selves,
contrary to our inclination, something to be cruel,
returned to their tents and made a spoyle of the same:
where we found an old shirt, a doublet, a girdle, and
also shooes of our men, whom we lost the yeere before:
on nothing else unto them belonging could we set our
eyes.
Their riches are not gold, silver or precious Drapery,
but their said tents and botes, made of the skins of red
Deare and Seale skins: also dogges like unto woolves,
but for the most part black, with other trifles, more to be
wondred at for their strangenesse, then for any other
commoditie needefull for our use.
Thus returning to our ship the 3. of August, we
departed from the West shore supposed firme with
America
, after we had ankered there 13. dayes: and so
the 4. thereof we came to our Generall on the East
shore, and ankered in a faire Harborough named Anne
Warwickes sound, unto which is annexed an Island both
named after the Countesse of Warwicke, Anne Warwickes sound and Isle.
In this Isle our Generall thought good for this voyage,
to fraight both the ship and barkes, with such stone or
supposed gold minerall, as he judged to countervaile the
charges of his first, and this his second navigation to
these Countreys.
In the meane time of our abode here some of the
countrey people came to shew themselves unto us, sundry
times on the maine shore, neere adjacent to the said
Isle. Our Generall desirous to have some newes of his
men, whom he lost the yeere before, with some company
with him repaired with the ship boat to common, or
signe with them for familiaritie, whereunto he is perswaded to bring them. They at the first shew made
tokens, that three of his five men were alive, and desired
penne, ynck, and paper, and that within three or foure
dayes they would returne, and (as we judged) bring those
of our men which were living, with them.
They also made signes or tokens of their King, whom
they called Cacough, & how he was carried on mens
shoulders, and a man farre surmounting any of our
company, in bignesse and stature.
With these tokens and signes of writing, penne, yncke,
and paper was delivered them, which they would not
take at our hands, but being laid upon the shore, and
the partie gone away, they tooke up: which likewise
they do when they desire any thing for change of theirs,
laying for that which is left so much as they thinke will
countervaile the same, and not comming neere together.
It seemeth they have bene used to this trade or traffique,
with some other people adjoyning, or not farre distant
from their Countrey.
After 4. dayes some of them shewed themselves upon
the firme land, but not where they were before. Our
General very glad thereof, supposing to heare of our
men, went from the Island, with the boat, and sufficient
company with him. They seemed very glad, and allured
him about a certaine point of the land: behind which
they might perceive a company of the crafty villaines to
lye lurking, whom our Generall would not deale withall,
for that he knew not what company they were, and
so with few signes dismissed them and returned to his
company.
An other time as our said Generall was coasting the
Countrey with two little Pinnesses, whereby at our
returne he might make the better relation thereof, three
of the crafty villains, with a white skin allured us to
them. Once againe our generall, for that he hoped to
heare of his men, went towards them: at our comming
neere the shore whereon they were, we might perceive a
number of them lie hidden behind great stones, & those
3. in sight labouring by al meanes possible that some
would come on land: and perceiving we made no hast
by words nor friendly signes, which they used by clapping
of their hands, and being without weapon, and but 3.
in sight, they sought further meanes to provoke us thereunto. One alone laid flesh on the shore, which we tooke
up with the Boat hooke, as necessary victuals for the
relieving of the man, woman, and child, whom we had
taken: for that as yet they could not digest our meat:
whereby they perceived themselves deceived of their
expectation, for all their crafty allurements. Yet once
againe to make (as it were) a full shew of their craftie
natures, and subtile sleights, to the intent thereby to
have intrapped and taken some of our men, one of them
counterfeited himselfe impotent and lame of his legs, who
seemed to descend to the water side, with great difficulty:
and to cover his craft the more, one of his fellowes came
downe with him, and in such places where he seemed
unable to passe, he tooke him on his shoulders, set him
by the water side, and departed from him, leaving him
(as it should seeme) all alone, who playing his counterfait
pageant very well, thought thereby to provoke some of
us to come on shore, not fearing, but that one of us might
make our party good with a lame man.
Our Generall having compassion of his impotency,
thought good (if it were possible) to cure him thereof:
wherefore he caused a souldier to shoote at him with his
Caleever, which grased before his face. The counterfeit
villeine deliverly fled, without any impediment at all, and
got him to his bow and arrowes, and the rest from their
lurking holes, with their weapons, bowes, arrowes, slings,
and darts. Our Generall caused some caleevers to be
shot off at them, wherby some being hurt, they might
hereafter stand in more feare of us.
This was all the answere for this time we could have
of our men, or of our Generals letter. Their crafty
dealing at these three severall times being thus manifest
unto us, may plainely shew their disposition in other
things to be correspondent. We judged that they used
these stratagemes, thereby to have caught some of us,
for the delivering of the man, woman and child whom
we had taken.
They are men of a large corporature, and good proportion: their colour is not much unlike the Sunne burnt
Countrey man, who laboureth daily in the Sunne for his living.
They weare their haire something long, and cut before
either with stone or knife, very disorderly. Their women
weare their haire long, and knit up with two loupes,
shewing forth on either side of their faces, and the rest
foltred upon a knot. Also some of their women race
their faces proportionally, as chinne, cheekes, and forehead, and the wrists of their hands, whereupon they lay
a colour which continueth darke azurine.
They eate their meat all raw, both flesh, fish, and
foule, or something per boyled with blood and a little
water which they drinke. For lacke of water they will
eate yce, that is hard frosen, as pleasantly as we will do
Sugar Candie, or other Sugar.
If they for necessities sake stand in need of the premisses, such grasse as the Countrey yeeldeth they plucke
up and eate, not deintily, or salletwise to allure their
stomacks to appetite: but for necessities sake without
either salt, oyles or washing, like brute beasts devouring
the same. They neither use table, stoole, or table cloth
for comlines: but when they are imbrued with blood
knuckle deepe, and their knives in like sort, they use
their tongues as apt instruments to lick them cleane:
in doing whereof they are assured to loose none of their
victuals.
They frank or keepe certaine dogs not much unlike
Wolves, which they yoke togither, as we do oxen &
horses, to a sled or traile: and so carry their necessaries
over the yce and snow from place to place: as the captive,
whom we have, made perfect signes. And when those
dogs are not apt for the same use: or when with hunger
they are constrained for lacke of other victuals, they eate
them: so that they are as needfull for them in respect of
their bignesse, as our oxen are for us.
They apparell themselves in the skins of such beasts
as they kill, sewed together with the sinewes of them.
All the foule which they kill, they skin, and make thereof
one kind of garment or other, to defend them from the
cold.
They make their apparel with hoods and tailes, which
tailes they give when they thinke to gratifie any friendship shewed unto them: a great signe of friendship
with them. The men have them not so side as the
women.
The men and women weare their hose close to their
legges, from the wast to the knee without any open
before, as well the one kind as the other. Upon their
legges they weare hose of leather, with the furre side
inward two or three paire on at once, and especially the
women. In those hose they put their knives, needles,
and other things needfull to beare about. They put a
bone within their hose, which reacheth from the foote to
the knee, whereupon they draw their said hose, and so
in place of garters they are holden from falling downe
about their feete.
They dresse their skinnes very soft and souple with
the haire on. In cold weather or Winter they weare
the furre side inward: and in Summer outward. Other
apparell they have none but the said skinnes.
Those beasts, fishes, and foules, which they kill, are
their meat, drinke, apparell, houses, bedding, hose,
shooes, threed, and sailes for their boates, with many
other necessaries whereof they stand in need, and almost
all their riches.
Their houses are tents made of Seale skins, pitched
up with 4. Firre quarters foure square meeting at the
top, and the skins sewed together with sinewes, and laid
thereupon: they are so pitched up, that the entrance
into them is alwayes South or against the Sunne.
They have other sorts of houses which we found not
to be inhabited, which are raised with stones and Whale
bones, and a skinne layd over them, to withstand the
raine, or other weather: the entrance of them being not
much unlike an Ovens mouth, whereto I thinke they
resort for a time to fish, hunt, and foule, and so leave
them untill the next time they come thither againe.
Their weapons are bowes, arrowes, darts, and slings.
Their bowes are of wood of a yard long, sinewed at the
back with strong sinewes, not glued too, but fast girded
and tyed on. Their bow strings are likewise sinewes.
Their arrowes are three pieces nocked with bone, and
ended with bone, with those two ends, and the wood in
the midst, they passe not in length halfe a yard or little
more. They are fethered with two fethers the penne
end being cut away, and the fethers layd upon the arrow
with the broad side to the wood; insomuch that they
seeme when they are tyed on, to have foure fethers.
They have also three sorts of heads to those arrowes:
one sort of stone or yron, proportioned like to a heart:
the second sort of bone, much like unto a stopt head,
with a hooke on the same: the third sort of bone likewise
made sharpe at both sides, and sharpe pointed. They
are not made very fast but lightly tyed to, or else set in
a nocke, that upon small occasion the arrowes leave these
heads behind them: and they are of small force, except
they be very neere when they shoote.
Their Darts are made of two sorts: the one with many
forkes of bones in the fore end and likewise in the midst:
their proportions are not much unlike our toasting yrons
but longer: these they cast out of an instrument of wood,
very readily. The other sort is greater then the first
aforesayd, with a long bone made sharpe on both sides
not much unlike a Rapier, which I take to bee their most
hurtfull weapon.
They have two sorts of boats made of leather, set out
on the inner side with quarters of wood, artificially tyed
together with thongs of the same: the greater sort are
not much unlike our wherries, wherein sixeteene or
twenty men may sit: they have for a sayle drest the
guts of such beasts as they kill very fine and thinne,
which they sew together: the other boate is but for one
man to sit and row in with one oare.
Their order of fishing, hunting, and fouling are with
these said weapons: but in what sort, or how they use
them we have no perfect knowledge as yet.
I can suppose their abode or habitation not to be here,
for that neither their houses or apparell, are of such force
to withstand the extremity of cold, that the Countrey
seemeth to be infected with all: neither do I see any signe
likely to performe the same.
Those houses or rather dennes which stand there, have
no signe of footway, or any thing else troden, which is
one of the chiefest tokens of habitation. And those tents
which they bring with them, when they have sufficiently
hunted and fished, they remove to other places: and when
they have sufficiently stored them of such victuals, as the
Countrey yeeldeth or bringeth forth, they returne to their
winter stations or habitations. This conjecture do I
make, for the infertility which I conjecture to be in that
Countrey.
They have some yron whereof they make arrow heads,
knives, and other little instruments, to worke their boates,
bowes, arrowes, and darts withall, which are very unapt
to doe any thing withall but with great labour.
It seemeth that they have conversation with some other
people, of whom for exchange they should receive the
same. They are greatly delighted with any thing that
is bright, or giveth a sound.
What knowledge they have of God, or what Idoll
they adore, we have no perfect intelligence, I thinke them
rather Anthropophagi, or devourers of mans flesh then
otherwise: for that there is no flesh or fish which they
find dead (smell it never so filthily) but they will eate
it, as they finde it without any other dressing. A loathsome thing, either to the beholders or hearers.
There is no maner of creeping beast hurtfull, except
some Spiders (which as many affirme, are signes of great
store of gold) and also certaine stinging Gnattes, which
bite so fiercely, that the place where they bite shortly
after swelleth and itcheth very sore.
They make signes of certaine people that weare bright
plates of gold in their foreheads, and other places of their
bodies.
The Countreys on both sides the streights lye very
high with rough stony mountaines, and great quantitie
of snow thereon. There is very little plaine ground and
no grasse, except a little which is much like unto mosse
that groweth on soft ground, such as we get Turffes in.
There is no wood at all. To be briefe there is nothing
fit or profitable for the use of man, which that Countrey
with roote yeeldeth or bringeth forth: Howbeit there
is great quantity of Deere, whose skins are like unto
Asses, there heads or hornes doe farre exceede, as well
in length as also in breadth, any in these our parts or
Countreys: their feete likewise are as great as our oxens,
which we measured to be seven or eight ynches in
breadth. There are also hares, wolves, fishing beares,
and sea foule of sundry sorts.
As the Countrey is barren and unfertile, so are they
rude and of no capacitie to culture the same to any
perfection: but are contented by their hunting, fishing,
and fouling, with raw flesh and warme blood to satisfie
their greedy panches, which is their only glory.
There is great likelihood of Earthquakes or thunder:
for that there are huge and monstrous mountaines, whose
greatest substance are stones, and those stones so shaken
with some extraordinarie meanes that one is separated
from another, which is discordant from all other
Quarries.
There are no rivers or running springs, but such as
through the heate of the Sunne, with such water as
descendeth from the mountaines and hilles, whereon great
drifts of snow do lie, are ingendred.
It argueth also that there should be none: for that
the earth, which with the extremitie of the Winter is so
frosen within, that that water which should have recourse
within the same to maintaine springs, hath not his
motion, whereof great waters have their originall, as by
experience is seene otherwhere. Such valleis as are
capable to receive the water, that in the Summer time
by the operation of the Sunne descendeth from great
abundance of snowe, which continually lyeth on the
mountaines and hath no passage, sinketh into the earth
and so vanisheth away, without any runnell above the
earth, by which occasion or continuall standing of the
said water, the earth is opened, and the great frost
yeeldeth to the force thereof, which in other places foure
or five fathoms within the ground for lacke of the said
moisture, the earth (even in the very Summer time) is
frosen, and so combineth the stones together, that
scarcely instruments with great force can unknit them.
Also where the water in those valleis can have no such
passage away, by the continuance of time in such order
as is before rehearsed, the yeerely descent from the
mountaines filleth them full, that at the lowest banke of
the same, they fall into the valley, and so continue as
fishing Ponds or Stagnes in Summer time full of water,
and in the Winter hard frosen: as by skarres that
remaine thereof in Summer may easily be perceived: so
that the heat of Summer is nothing comparable or of
force to dissolve the extremitie of cold that commeth in
Winter.
Neverthelesse I am assured that below the force of the
frost within the earth, the waters have recourse, and
emptie themselves out of sight into the sea, which
through the extremitie of the frost are constrained to
doe the same: by which occasion the earth within is kept
the warmer, and springs have their recourse, which is the
onely nutriment of golde and Minerals within the same.
There is much to be sayd of the commodities of these
Countreys, which are couched within the bowels of the
earth, which I let passe till more perfect triall be made
thereof.
The 24. of August, after we had satisfied our minds
with fraight sufficient for our vessels, though not our
covetous desires with such knowledge of the Countrey,
people, and other commodities as are before rehearsed,
we departed therehence. The 17. of September we fell
with the lands end of England
, and so sailed to Milford
Haven, from whence our Generall rode to the Court for
order, to what Port or Haven to conduct the ship.
We lost our two Barkes in the way homeward, the
one the 29. of August, the other the 31. of the same
moneth, by occasion of great tempest and fogge. Howbeit God restored the one to Bristowe, and the other
made his course by Scotland
to Yermouth. In this
voyage we lost two men, one in the way by Gods visitation, and the other homeward cast over borde with a
surge of the sea.
I COULD declare unto the Readers, the latitude and longitude of such places and regions as we have bene at, but
not altogether so perfectly as our masters and others,
with many circumstances of tempests and other accidents
incident to Sea faring men, which seeme not altogether
strange, but I let them passe to their reports as men most
apt to set forth and declare the same. I have also left the
names of the Countreys on both the shores untouched,
for lacke of understanding the peoples language: as also
for sundry respects, not needfull as yet to be declared.
Countreys new discovered where commoditie is to be
looked for, doe better accord with a new name given by
the discoverers, then an uncertaine name by a doubtfull
Authour.
Our general named sundry Islands, Mountaines, Capes,
and Harboroughs after the names of divers Noble men
and other gentlemen his friends, aswel on the one shore
as also on the other.
