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.
And now, as these modern experiences cannot be impugned, so, least
it might be objected that these things (gathered out of ancient
writers, which wrote so many years past) might serve little to prove
this passage by the north of America, because both America and India
were to them then utterly unknown; to remove this doubt, let this
suffice, that Aristotle (who was 300 years before Christ) named the
Indian Sea. Also Berosus (who lived 330 before Christ) hath these
words, GANGES IN INDIA.
Also in the first chapter of Esther be these words: "In the days of
Ahasuerus, which ruled from India to Ethiopia," which Ahasuerus
lived 580 years before Christ. Also Quintus Curtius, where he
speaketh of the Conquest of Alexander, mentioneth India. Also
Arianus Philostratus, and Sidrach, in his discourses of the wars of
the King of Bactria, and of Garaab, who had the most part of India
under his government. All which assumeth us that both India and
Indians were known in those days.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 26 of 95
Words from 13110 to 13616
of 50368
