A letter of Gerardus Mercator, written to M. Richard
Hakluyt of Oxford, touching the intended discoverie of
the Northeast passage, An. 1580.
SIR, I received your letters the 19. of June: it grieved me
much that upon the sight of them the time being spent,
I could not give any convenient instructions: I wish
Arthur Pet had bene informed before his departure of
some speciall points. The voyage to Cathaio by the East,
is doutlesse very easie and short, and I have oftentimes
marveiled, that being so happily begun, it hath bene left
of, and the course changed into the West, after that more
then halfe of your voiage was discovered. For beyond
the
Island of Vaigats and Nova Zembla, there foloweth
presently a great Baie, which on the left side is inclosed
with the mightie promontorie Tabin. Into the mids
hereof there fall great rivers, which passing through the
whole countrey of Serica, and being as I thinke navigable
with great vessels into ye heart of the continent, may be
an easie means whereby to traffique for all maner of
merchandize, and transport them out of Cathaio, Mangi,
Mien, and other kingdoms thereabouts into England.
But considering with my selfe that that navigation was
not intermitted, but upon great occasion, I thought that
the Emperor of Russia and Moscovie had hindered the
proceeding thereof. If so be that with his grace and
favour a further navigation may be made, I would counsell them certainly not first to seeke out the promontorie
Tabin, but to search this baie and rivers aforesayd, and
in them to picke and chuse out some convenient port and
harborough for the English merchants, from whence afterward with more opportunitie and lesse perill, the promontorie Tabin and all the coast of Cathaio may bee discovered.
And that there is such a huge promontorie called Tabin,
I am certainly perswaded not onely out of Plinie, but also
other writers, and some Maps (though somewhat rudely
drawen :) and that the pole of the Loadstone is not farre
beyond Tabin, I have learned by the certaine observations
of the Loadstone: about which pole and Tabin I thinke
there are very many rockes, and very hard and dangerous
sailing: and yet a more hard and difficile passage I thinke
it to bee this way which is now attempted by the West,
for it is neerer to the pole of the Loadstone, to the which
I thinke it not safe to approch. And because the Load
stone hath another pole then that of the world, to the
which from all parts it hath a respect, the neerer you come
unto it, the more the needle of the Compasse doeth varie
from the North, sometimes to the West, and sometimes
to the East, according as a man is to the Eastward or to
the Westward of that Meridian, that passeth by both the
poles of the Magnes and the World.
This is a strange alteration and very apt to deceive the
Sailer, unlesse hee know the unconstancie and variation
of the Compasse, and take the elevation of the pole somtimes with his instruments. If master Arthur be not well
provided in this behalfe, or of such dexteritie, that perceiving the errour he be not able to correct the same, I
feare least in wandering up and downe he lose his time, and
be overtaken with the ice in the midst of the enterprise.
For that gulfe, as they say, is frozen every yere very hard.
Which if it be so, the best counsel I could give for their
best safetie, were to seeke some harborough in that baie,
and those rivers whereof I have spoken, and by some
Ambassador to make friendship and acquaintance with the
great Can, in name of the Queenes majestie, which I
beleeve will be gratefull to the mightiest Emperour in the
world, yea most excellent for the length of the traffique,
and great distance of the places. I thinke from the
mouthes of the mighty rivers Bautisus and Oechardus to
Cambalu the chiefest seat of the prince the Can, there are
not past 300. Germane miles, and to passe by Ezina a
citie of the kingdom of Tangut, which seemeth to be but
100. Germane miles from the mouthes of the sayd rivers,
and is subject to the great Can.
I would gladly know how high the sea doeth flowe
commonly in the port of Moscovia where your men do
harborow, and in other Easterly places unto Tabin. And
also whether the sea in this streight do flow alwaies one
way to the East or to the West, or whether it do ebbe and
flow according to the maner of the tides in the middle of
the chanel, that is to say, whether it flow there sixe houres
into the West, and as may backe againe to the East, for
hereupon depend other speculations of importance. I
would wish M. Frobisher to observe the same Westwards.
Concerning the gulfe of Merosro and Canada
, and new
France which are in my mappes, they were taken out of a
certaine
sea card drawn by a certaine priest out of the
description of a Frenchman, a Pilot very skilfull in those
partes, and presented to the worthy prince George of
Austria, bishop of Liege: for the trending of the coast,
and the elevation of the pole, I doubt not but they are very
neere the trueth: For the Charte had, beside a scale of
degrees of latitude passing through the middest of it,
another particularly annexed to the coast of New France,
wherewith the errour of the latitudes committed by reason
of the variation of the compasse might be corrected.
The historie of the voyage of Jacobus Cnoyen Buschoducensis throughout al Asia, Affrica, and the North, was
lent me in time past by a friend of mine at
Antwerpe.
After I had used it, I restored it againe: after many
yeeres I required it againe of my friend, but hee had
forgotten of whom hee had borrowed it. The writings of
Gulielmus Tripolitanus, and Joannes de Plano Carpini
I never saw: onely I found certaine pieces of them in
other written hand bookes. I am glad the Epitomie
of Abilfada is translated, I would we might have it
shortly.
Thus much Sir I thought good to answere your letters:
if there bee any thing els that you would require of me, I
will most willingly communicate it with you, craving this
likewise of your curtesie, that whatsoever observations of
both these voyages shall come to your hands, you would
impart them to me, they shall all remaine with mee
according to your discretion and pleasure, and whatsoever
I gather of them, I will faithfully signifie unto you by
letters, if happily they may yeeld any helpe or light unto
this most excellent enterprise of navigation, and most
profitable to our christian common wealth. Fare you
well most learned friend. At Duisburg in
Cliveland, 28.
of Julie, the yeere, 1580.
At Arthur his returne I pray you learne of him the
things I have requested, and whether any where in his
voiage, he found the sea fresh, or not very salt: for I
suppose the Sea betweene Nova Zembla and Tabin to be
fresh.
Yours wholly to my power to be commanded,
Gerardus Mercator.
