What I would haue you there to remember.
To note specially what excellent dying they vse in these regions, and
therefore to note their garments and ornaments of houses: and to see their
Die houses and the Materials & Simples that they vse about the same, and to
bring musters and shewes of the colours and of the materials, for that it
may serue this clothing realme to great purpose.
To take with you for your owne vse.
All maner of engines to take fish and foule.
To take with you those things that be in perfection of goodnesse.
For as the goodnesse now at the first may make your commodities
in credite in time to come: so false and Sophisticate
commodities shall draw you and all your commodities into
contempt and ill opinion.
* * * * *
A letter of Gerardus Mercator, written to M. Richard Hakluyt of Oxford,
touching the intended discouery of the Northeast passage, An. 1580.
Literae tuae (vir humanissime) 19. Iunij demum mihi redditae fuerunt:
vehementer dolui visis illis tantam, non modo temporis, sed multo magis
tempestiuae instructionis iacturam factam esse. Optassem Arthurum Pet de
quibusdam non leuibus ante suum discessum praemonitum fuisse. Expeditissima
sane per Orientem in Cathaium est nauigatio: et saepe miratus sum, eam
foeliciter inchoatam, desertam fuisse, velis in occidentem translatis,
postquam plus quam dimidium itineris vestri iam notum haberent. [Sidenote:
Ingens sinus post Insulam Vaigats et Nouam Zemblam.] Nam post Insulam
Vaigats et Noua Zembla continuo ingens sequitur Sinus, quem ab ortu Tabin
immane promontorium complectitur.
