Islands of ice which fleet in the seas, far to the
south of that presupposed passage.
12. And it cannot be that this North-East Passage should be any
nearer the south than before recited, for then it should cut off
Ciremissi and Turbi, Tartarii, with Vzesucani, Chisani, and others
from the continent of Asia, which are known to be adjoining to
Scythia, Tartary, etc., with the other part of the same continent.
And if there were any through passage by the north-east, yet were it
to small end and purpose for our traffic, because no ship of great
burden can navigate in so shallow a sea, and ships of small burden
are very unfit and unprofitable, especially towards the blustering
north, to perform such a voyage.
CHAPTER VII. - TO PROVE THAT THE INDIANS AFORENAMED CAME ONLY BY THE
NORTH-WEST, WHICH INDUCETH A CERTAINTY OF OUR PASSAGE BY EXPERIENCE.
It is as likely that they came by the north-west as it is unlikely
that they should come either by the south-east, south-west, north-
east, or from any other part of Africa or America, and therefore
this North-West Passage, having been already so many ways proved by
disproving of the others, etc., I shall the less need in this place
to use many words otherwise than to conclude in this sort, that they
came only by the north-west from England, having these many reasons
to lead me thereunto.
1. First, the one-half of the winds of the compass might bring them
by the north-west, veering always between two sheets, with which
kind of sailing the Indians are only acquainted, not having any use
of a bow line or quarter wind, without the which no ship can
possibly come, either by the south-east, south-west, or north-east,
having so many sundry capes to double, whereunto are required such
change and shifts of winds.
2. And it seemeth likely that they should come by the north-west,
because the coast whereon they were driven lay east from this our
passage, and all winds do naturally drive a ship to an opposite
point from whence it bloweth, not being otherwise guided by art,
which the Indians do utterly want, and therefore it seemeth that
they came directly through this, our strait, which they might do
with one wind.
3. For if they had come by the Cape of Good Hope, then must they,
as aforesaid, have fallen upon the south parts of America.
4. And if by the Strait of Magellan, then upon the coasts of
Africa, Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland, or England.
5. And if by the north-east, then upon the coasts of Ciremissi,
Tartarii, Lapland, Iceland, Labrador, etc., and upon these coasts,
as aforesaid, they have never been found.
So that by all likelihood they could never have come without
shipwreck upon the coasts of Germany, if they had first struck upon
the coasts of so many countries, wanting both art and shipping to
make orderly discovery, and altogether ignorant both of the art of
navigation and also of the rocks, flats, sands, or havens of those
parts of the world, which in most of these places are plentiful.
6. And further, it seemeth very likely that the inhabitants of the
most part of those countries, by which they must have come any other
way besides by the north-west, being for the most part
anthropophagi, or men-eaters, would have devoured them, slain them,
or, at the leastwise, kept them as wonders for the gaze.
So that it plainly appeareth that those Indians - which, as you have
heard, in sundry ages were driven by tempest upon the shore of
Germany - came only through our North-West Passage.
7. Moreover, the passage is certainly proved by a navigation that a
Portuguese made, who passed through this strait, giving name to a
promontory far within the same, calling it after his own name,
Promontorium Corterialis, near adjoining unto Polisacus Fluvius.
8. Also one Scolmus, a Dane, entered and passed a great part
thereof.
9. Also there was one Salva Terra, a gentleman of Victoria in
Spain, that came by chance out of the West Indies into Ireland, Anno
1568, who affirmed the North-West Passage from us to Cathay,
constantly to be believed in America navigable; and further said, in
the presence of Sir Henry Sidney, then Lord Deputy of Ireland, in my
hearing, that a friar of Mexico, called Andre Urdaneta, more than
eight years before his then coming into Ireland, told him there that
he came from Mare del Sur into Germany through this North-West
Passage, and showed Salva Terra - at that time being then with him in
Mexico - a sea-card made by his own experience and travel in that
voyage, wherein was plainly set down and described this North-West
Passage, agreeing in all points with Ortelius' map.
And further this friar told the King of Portugal (as he returned by
that country homeward) that there was of certainty such a passage
north-west from England, and that he meant to publish the same;
which done, the king most earnestly desired him not in any wise to
disclose or make the passage known to any nation. For that (said
the king) IF ENGLAND HAD KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE THEREOF, IT WOULD
GREATLY HINDER BOTH THE KING OF SPAIN AND ME. This friar (as Salva
Terra reported) was the greatest discoverer by sea that hath been in
our age. Also Salva Terra, being persuaded of this passage by the
friar Urdaneta, and by the common opinion of the Spaniards
inhabiting America, offered most willingly to accompany me in this
discovery, which of like he would not have done if he had stood in
doubt thereof.
