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.
