The illustrations I have taken from
a variety of sources, which are always indicated.
EDMUND GOLDSMID.
EDINBURGH, August 23rd, 1884.
THE PRINCIPAL
NAVIGATIONS, VOYAGES, TRAFFIQUES, AND DISCOVERIES
OF
THE ENGLISH NATION,
MADE BY SEA OR OUER-LAND TO
THE REMOTE AND FARTHEST DISTANT QUARTERS OF THE EARTH,
AT ANY TIME WITHIN THE COMPASSE OF THESE 1600 YERES:
DIUIDED INTO THREE SEUERALL VOLUMES, ACCORDING TO THE POSITIONS OF THE
REGIONS WHEREUNTO THEY WERE DIRECTED.
THE FIRST VOLUME CONTAINETH
The Worthy Discoueries, &c. of the English toward the North and Northeast
by Sea,
AS OF
LAPLAND, SCRIKFINIA, CORELIA, THE BAIE OF S. NICOLAS, THE ISLES OF
COLGOEVE, VAIGATZ, AND NOUA ZEMBLE, TOWARD THE GREAT RIUER OB, THE MIGHTY
EMPIRE OF RUSSIA, THE CASPIAN SEA, GEORGIA, ARMENIA, MEDIA, PERSIA, BOGHAR
IN BACTRIA, AND DIUERS KINGDOMES OF TARTARIA:
TOGETHER WITH MANY
NOTABLE MONUMENTS AND TESTIMONIES OF THE ANCIENT FORREN TRADES, AND OF THE
WARRELIKE AND OTHER SHIPPING OF THIS REALME OF ENGLAND IN FORMER AGES,
WHEREUNTO IS ANNEXED
A Briefe Commentary of the True State of Island and of the Northern Seas
and Lands Situate that Way:
AS ALSO
The Memorable Defeat of the Spanish Huge Armada, Anno 1588.
THE SECOND VOLUME COMPREHENDETH
The Principall Nauigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoueries of the
English Nation made by Sea or Ouer-land,
TO
THE SOUTH AND SOUTH-EAST PARTS OF THE WORLD, AS WELL WITHIN AS WITHOUT THE
STREIGHT OF GIBRALTAR AT ANY TIME WITHIN THE COMPASSE OF THESE 1600 YERES:
DIVIDED INTO TWO SEUERAL PARTS, &c.
By Richard Hakluyt PREACHER,
AND SOMETIME STUDENT OF CHRIST-CHVRCH IN OXFORD
IMPRINTED AT LONDON BY GEORGE BISHOP, RALPH
NEWBERIE, AND ROBERT BARKER.
ANNO 1599.
DEDICATION TO THE FIRST EDITION
TO THE
RIGHT HONORABLE
SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM KNIGHT, [Footnote: Born at Chislehurst, Kent, in
1536 He was educated at King's College Cambridge, where he specialty
devoted himself to the study of languages in which he became proficient.
Appointed Ambassador to Paris in 1570, he distinguished himself by the
extensive system of "secret police," or spies which he established. He was
present at the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, which did not excite in his
cold diplomatic mind the horror it created in England. On his return in
1573 he became Secretary of State. Ten years later he was Ambassador to
James VI of Scotland and in 1586 he sat as one of the commissioners on the
trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. In the matter of the Rabbington Conspiracy,
he is said to have "outdone the Jesuits in their own Low, and overreached
them in their equivocation." He died in 1590, in comparative disgrace with
his mistress.]
PRINCIPALL SECRETARIE TO HER MAIESTIE, CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHIE OF
LANCASTER, AND ONE OF HER MAIESTIES MOST HONOURABLE PRIUIE COUNCELL.
Right Honorable, I do remember that being a youth, and one of her Maiesties
scholars at Westminster [Footnote: We know little of Richard Hakluyt beyond
what we can gather from his writings. He was born at Eyton, in
Herefordshire in 1553; was educated, as we here learn, at Westminster
School and afterward, at Christ Church, Oxford, where geography was his
favourite study; In 1584 he went to Paris as Chaplain to the English
Embassy and, during his absence, was made Prebendary of Bristol. On his
return he published several works, Leo's "Geographical History of Africa,"
translated from the Spanish, and Peter Martyr's "History of the West
Indies" In 1605 he became Prebendary of Westminster, and Rector of
Wetherogset in Suffolk. He died in 1616. In compiling the present work,
Hakluyt had the assistance of Sir Walter Raleigh.] that fruitfull nurserie,
it was my happe to visit the chamber of M. Richard Hakluyt, my cosin, a
Gentleman of the Middle Temple, well knowen vnto you, at a time when I
found lying open vpon his boord certeine bookes of Cosmographie, with an
vniuersall Mappe: he seeing me somewhat curious in the view therof, began
to instruct my ignorance, by shewing me the diuision of the earth into
three parts after the olde account, and then according to the latter, &
better distribution, into more: he pointed with his wand to all the knowen
Seas, Gulfs, Bayes, Straights, Capes, Riuers, Empires, Kingdomes,
Dukedomes, and Territories of ech part, with declaration also of their
speciall commodities, & particular wants, which by the benefit of traffike,
& entercourse of merchants, are plentifully supplied. From the Mappe he
brought me to the Bible, and turning to the 107. Psalme, directed mee to
the 23 & 24 verses, where I read, that they which go downe to the sea in
ships, and occupy by the great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and
his woonders in the deepe, &c. Which words of the Prophet together with my
cousins discourse (things of high and rare delight to my yong nature) tooke
in me so deepe an impression, that I constantly resolued, if euer I were
preferred to the Vniuersity, where better time, and more conuenient place
might be ministred for these studies, I would by Gods assistance prosecute
that knowledge and kinde of literature, the doores whereof (after a sort)
were so happily opened before me.
According to which my resolution, when, not long after, I was remoued to
Christ-church in Oxford, my exercises of duety first performed, I fell to
my intended course, and by degrees read ouer whatsoeuer printed or written
discoueries and voyages I found extant either in the Greeke, Latine,
Italian, Spanish, Portugall, French, or English languages, and, in my
publike lectures was the first, that produced and shewed both the olde
imperfectly composed, and the new lately reformed Mappes, Globes, Spheares,
[Footnote: "Ortelius, in his 'Theatrum Orbis Terrarum,' the first edition
of which was in 1570, gives a list of about 150 geographical
treatises." - Hallam's "Literature of Europe," c. xvii.
