Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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Haec (mi Domine) tuis repondenda putaui: si quid est aliud quod a me
desideres, libentissime tibi communicabo: hoc vicissim amanter a tua
humanitate petens, vt quae ex vtriusque nauigationis cursu obseruata
nancisci poteris, mihi communices, penes me pro tuo arbitrio manebunt
omnia, et quaecunque inde collegero, fideliter ad te perscribam, si forte ad
pulcherrimum, vtilissimumque orbi Christiano hoc nauigationis institutum
aliquid opis et consilij adferre possint. Bene vale, vir doctissime.
Duisburgi in Cliuia. 28. Iulij 1580.
[Sidenote: Dulce mare inter Nouam Zemblam et Tabin suspicatur.] Redeunte
Arthuro, quaeso discas ab illo quae optaui, et num aticubi in suo itinere,
dulce mare, aut parum salsum inuenerit: suspicor enim mare inter Noua
Zembla, et Tabin dulce esse.
T.H. paratissimus quantus quantus sum,
Gerardus Mercator.
The same in English.
Sir I receiued your letters the 19. of Iune: it grieued me much that vpon
the sight of them the time being spent, I could not giue any conuenient
instructions: I wish Arthur Pet had bene informed before his departure of
some special points. The voyage to Cathaio by the East, is doutlesse very
easie and short, and I haue oftentimes marueiled, 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 discouered. For beyond the Island
of Vaigats and Noua Zeembla, there foloweth presently a great Baie, which
on the left side is inclosed with the mightie promontorie Tabin. [Sidenote:
A great gulfe is beyond Vaigats, whereinto mighty riuers descend.] Into the
mids hereof there fall great riuers, which passing through the whole
countrey of Serica, and being as I thinke nauigable with great vessels into
the 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 nauigation was not intermitted, but vpon great occasion, I
thought that the Emperor of Russia and Moscouie had hindered the proceeding
thereof. [Sidenote: The best course to be taken in discoueries.] If so be
that with his grace and fauour a furthur nauigation may be made, I would
counsell them certainly not first to seeke out the promontorie Tabin, but
to search this baie and riuers aforesayd, and in them to picke and chuse
out some conuenient 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 discouered. 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 haue learned by the certaine obseruations of the Loadstone:
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