The 24th, being in 67 degrees and 40 minutes, we had great store of
whales, and a kind of
Sea-birds which the mariners call cortinous.
This day, about six of the clock at night, we espied two of the
country people at sea, thinking at the first they had been two great
seals, until we saw their oars, glistering with the sun. They came
rowing towards us as fast as they could, and when they came within
hearing they held up their oars and cried "Il y a oute," making many
signs, and at last they came to us, giving us birds for bracelets,
and of them I had a dart with a bone in it, or a piece of unicorn's
horn, as I did judge. This dart he made store of, but when he saw a
knife he let it go, being more desirous of the knife than of his
dart. These people continued rowing after our ship the space of
three hours.
The 25th, in the morning, at seven of the clock, we descried thirty
savages rowing after us, being by judgment ten leagues off from the
shore. They brought us salmon peels, birds, and caplin, and we gave
them pins, needles, bracelets, nails, knives, bells, looking-
glasses, and other small trifles; and for a knife, a nail, or a
bracelet, which they call ponigmah, they would sell their boat,
coats, or anything they had, although they were far from the shore.
We had but few skins of them, about twenty; but they made signs to
us that if we would go to the shore, we should have more store of
chicsanege. They stayed with us till eleven of the clock, at which
time we went to prayer, and they departed from us.
The 26th was cloudy, the wind being at south.
The 27th fair, with the same wind.
The 28th and 29th were foggy, with clouds.
The 30th day we took the height, and found ourselves in 72 degrees
and 12 minutes of latitude, both at noon and at night, the sun being
five degrees above the horizon. At midnight the compass set to the
variation of 28 degrees to the westward. Now having coasted the
land which we called London Coast from the 21st of this present till
the 30th, the sea open all to the westwards and northwards, the land
on starboard side east from us, the wind shifted to the north,
whereupon we left that shore, naming the same Hope Sanderson, and
shaped our course west, and ran forty leagues and better without the
sight of any land.
July. - The 2nd we fell in with a mighty bank of ice west from us,
lying north and south, which bank we would gladly have doubled out
to the northwards, but the wind would not suffer us, so that we were
fain to coast it to the southwards, hoping to double it out that we
might have run so far west till we had found land, or else to have
been thoroughly resolved of our pretended purpose.
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