Yet In This
Deep Distress The Mighty Mercy Of God, When Hope Was Past, Gave Us
Succour, And Sent Us
A fair lee, so as we recovered our anchor
again, and new-moored our ship; where we saw that God
Manifestly
delivered us, for the strains of one of our cables were broken; we
only rode by an old junk. Thus being freshly moored, a new storm
arose, the wind being west-north-west, very forcible, which lasted
unto the 10th day at night.
The 11th day, with a fair west-north-west wind, we departed with
trust in God's mercy, shaping our course for England, and arrived in
the West Country in the beginning of October.
Master Davis being arrived, wrote his letter to Master William
Sanderson of London, concerning his voyage, as followeth.
Sir, - The Sunshine came into Dartmouth the 4th of this month: she
hath been at Iceland, and from thence to Greenland, and so to
Estotiland, from thence to Desolation, and to our merchants, where
she made trade with the people, staying in the country twenty days.
They have brought home 500 seal-skins, and 140 half skins and pieces
of skins. I stand in great doubt of the pinnace; God be merciful
unto the poor men and preserve them if it be His blessed will.
I have now full experience of much of the north-west part of the
world, and have brought the passage to that certainty, as that I am
sure it must be in one of four places, or else not at all. And
further, I can assure you upon the peril of my life, that this
voyage may be performed without further charge, nay, with certain
profit to the adventurers, if I may have but your favour in the
action. Surely it shall cost me all my hope of welfare and my
portion of Sandridge, but I will, by God's mercy, see an end of
these businesses. I hope I shall find favour with you to see your
card. I pray God it be so true as the card shall be which I will
bring to you, and I hope in God that your skill in navigation shall
be gainful unto you, although at the first it hath not proved so.
And thus with my most humble commendations I commit you to God,
desiring no longer to live than I shall be yours most faithfully to
command. From this 14th of October, 1586.
Yours with my heart, body and life to command,
JOHN DAVIS.
The relation of the course which the "Sunshine," a barque of fifty
tons, and the "North Star," a small pinnace, being two vessels of
the fleet of Master John Davis, held after he had sent them from him
to discover the passage between Greenland and Iceland. Written by
Henry Morgan, servant to Master William Sanderson of London.
The 7th day of May, 1586, we departed out of Dartmouth Haven four
sails, to wit, the Mermaid, the Sunshine, the Moonshine, and the
North Star. In the Sunshine were sixteen men, whose names were
these: Richard Pope, master; Mark Carter, master's mate; Henry
Morgan, purser; George Draward, John Mandie, Hugh Broken, Philip
Jane, Hugh Hempson, Richard Borden, John Filpe, Andrew Madocke,
William Wolcome, Robert Wagge, carpenter, John Bruskome, William
Ashe, Simon Ellis.
Our course was west-north-west the 7th and 8th days; and the ninth
day in the morning we were on head of the Tarrose of Scilly. Thus
coasting along the south part of Ireland, the 11th day we were on
the head of the Dorses, and our course was south-south-west until
six of the clock the 12th day. The 13th day our course was north-
west. We remained in the company of the Mermaid and the Moonshine
until we came to the latitude of 60 degrees, and there it seemed
best to our general, Master Davis, to divide his fleet, himself
sailing to the north-west, and to direct the Sunshine, wherein I
was, and the pinnace called the North Star, to seek a passage
northward between Greenland and Iceland to the latitude of 80
degrees, if land did not let us. So the 7th day of June we departed
from them, and the 9th of the same we came to a firm land of ice,
which we coasted along the 9th, the 10th, and the 11th days of June;
and the 11th day at six of the clock at night we saw land, which was
very high, which afterwards we knew to be Iceland, and the 12th day
we harboured there, and found many people; the land lieth east and
by north in 66 degrees.
Their commodities were green fish and Iceland lings and stock fish,
and a fish which is called catfish, of all which they had great
store. They had also kine, sheep, and horses, and hay for their
cattle and for their horses. We saw also of their dogs. Their
dwelling-houses were made on both sides with stones, and wood laid
across over them, which was covered over with turfs of earth, and
they are flat on the tops, and many of these stood hard by the
shore. Their boats were made with wood, and iron all along the keel
like our English boats; and they had nails for to nail them withal,
and fish-hooks, and other things for to catch fish as we have here
in England. They had also brazen kettles, and girdles and purses
made of leather, and knops on them of copper, and hatchets, and
other small tools as necessary as we have. They dry their fish in
the sun; and when they are dry they pack them up in the top of their
houses. If we would go thither to fishing more than we do, we
should make it a very good voyage, for we got a hundred green fishes
in one morning. We found here two Englishmen with a ship, which
came out of England about Easter Day of this present year, 1586; and
one of them came aboard of us and brought us two lambs.
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