This Land Is 70 Leagues From The
Other From Whence We Came.
This 14th day, from nine o'clock at
night till three o'clock in the morning, we anchored by an island of
ice 12 leagues off the shore, being moored to the ice.
The 15th day, at three o'clock in the morning, we departed from this
land to the south, and the 18th of August we discovered land north-
west from us in the morning, being a very fair promontory, in
latitude 65 degrees, having no land on the south. Here we had great
hope of a through passage.
This day, at three o'clock in the afternoon, we again discovered
land south-west and by south from us, where at night we were
becalmed. The 19th of this month at noon, by observation, we were
in 64 degrees 20 minutes. From the 18th day at noon until the 19th
at noon, by precise ordinary care, we had sailed fifteen leagues
south and by west, yet by art and more exact observation we found
our course to be south-west, so that we plainly perceived a great
current striking to the west.
This land is nothing in sight but isles, which increaseth our hope.
This 19th of August, at six o'clock in the afternoon, it began to
snow, and so continued all night, with foul weather and much wind,
so that we were constrained to lie at hull all night, five leagues
off the shore: in the morning, being the 20th of August, the fog
and storm breaking up, we bore in with the land, and at nine o'clock
in the morning we anchored in a very fair and safe road and locket
for all weathers. At ten o'clock I went on shore to the top of a
very high hill, where I perceived that this land was islands; at
four o'clock in the afternoon we weighed anchor, having a fair
north-north-east wind, with very fair weather; at six o'clock we
were clear without the land, and so shaped our course to the south,
to discover the coast whereby the passage may be through God's mercy
found.
We coasted this land till the 28th day of August, finding it still
to continue towards the south, from the latitude of 67 to 57
degrees; we found marvellous great store of birds, gulls and mews,
incredible to be reported, whereupon being calm weather we lay one
glass upon the lee to prove for fish, in which space we caught one
hundred of cod, although we were but badly provided for fishing, not
being our purpose. This 28th, having great distrust of the weather,
we arrived in a very fair harbour in the latitude of 56 degrees, and
sailed ten leagues in the same, being two leagues broad, with very
fair woods on both sides; in this place we continued until the 1st
of September, in which time we had two very great storms. I landed,
and went six miles by guess into the country, and found that the
woods were fir, pine-apple, alder, yew, withy, and birch; here we
saw a black bear; this place yieldeth great store of birds, as
pheasant, partridge, Barbary hens, or the like, wild geese, ducks,
blackbirds, jays, thrushes, with other kinds of small birds. Of the
partridge and pheasant we killed great store with bow and arrows in
this place; at the harbour-mouth we found great store of cod.
The 1st of September at ten o'clock we set sail, and coasted the
shore with very fair weather. The third day being calm, at noon we
struck sail, and let fall a cadge anchor to prove whether we could
take any fish, being in latitude 54 degrees 30 minutes, in which
place we found great abundance of cod, so that the hook was no
sooner overboard but presently a fish was taken. It was the largest
and best refet fish that ever I saw, and divers fishermen that were
with me said that they never saw a more suaule, or better skull of
fish in their lives, yet had they seen great abundance.
The 4th of September, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, we anchored in
a very good road among great store of isles, the country low land,
pleasant, and very full of fair woods. To the north of this place
eight leagues we had a perfect hope of the passage, finding a mighty
great sea passing between two lands west. The south land to our
judgment being nothing but isles, we greatly desired to go into this
sea, but the wind was directly against us. We anchored in four
fathom fine sand.
In this place is fowl and fish mighty store.
The 6th of September, having a fair north-north-west wind, having
trimmed our barque, we purposed to depart, and sent five of our
sailors, young men, ashore to an island to fetch certain fish which
we purposed to weather, and therefore left it all night covered upon
the isle; the brutish people of this country lay secretly lurking in
the wood, and upon the sudden assaulted our men, which when we
perceived, we presently let slip our cables upon the halse, and
under our foresail bore into the shore, and with all expedition
discharged a double musket upon them twice, at the noise whereof
they fled; notwithstanding, to our very great grief, two of our men
were slain with their arrows, and two grievously wounded, of whom,
at this present, we stand in very great doubt; only one escaped by
swimming, with an arrow shot through his arm. These wicked
miscreants never offered parley or speech, but presently executed
their cursed fury. This present evening it pleased God farther to
increase our sorrows with a mighty tempestuous storm, the wind being
north-north-east, which lasted unto the 10th of this month very
extreme. We unrigged our ship, and purposed to cut-down our masts;
the cable of our shut anchor broke, so that we only expected to be
driven on shore amongst these cannibals for their prey.
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