_I.--Of the Book and Why it was Made_
Richard Hakluyt, born about 1552 in Herefordshire,
England, was educated at Westminster and Christ Church,
Oxford, and became in 1590 rector of Wetheringsett, in
Suffolk, where he compiled and arranged "The Principall
Navigations, Voyages, Traffikes, and Discoveries of the
English Nation to the Remote Quarters of the Earth at any
Time within the Compass of these 1600 Years." He grew to
manhood in the midst of the most stirring period of travel
and discovery that England has known. Under Elizabeth,
English sailors and English travellers were penetrating
beyond the dim borders of the known world, and almost
every returning ship brought back fresh news of strange
lands. "Richard Hakluyt, Preacher," tells how his interest
was attracted towards this subject of travel and
exploration which he made his own. He published other
records of travel, but it is through the "Principall
Navigations" that his name has been perpetuated. Hakluyt
died on November 23, 1616.
I do remember that being a youth, and one of her Majestie's scholars at
Westminster, that fruitfull nurserie, it was my happe to visit the
chamber of Master Richard Hakluyt, my cousin, a gentleman of the Middle
Temple, at a time when I found lying open upon his borde certeine bookes
of cosmographie, with an universall mappe; he seeing me somewhat curious
in the view thereof, began to instruct my ignorance, by showing me the
division of the earth into three parts, after the old account, and then,
according to the latter and better distribution, into more. He pointed
out with his wand to all the known seas, gulfs, bayes, streights, capes,
rivers, empires, kingdoms, dukedoms, and territories of each part, with
declaration also of their speciall commodities, and particular wants,
which by the benefit of traffike, and intercourse of merchants, are
plentifully supplied.
From the mappe he brought me to the Bible, and turning to the 107th
Psalme, directed me to the 23rd and 24th verses, where I read that "they
which go downe to the sea in ships, and occupy by the great waters, they
see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deepe," etc.
Which words of the prophet together with my cousin's discourse (things
of high and rare delight to my young nature), tooke in me so deepe an
impression that I constantly resolved, if ever I were preferred to the
university, where better time, and more convenient place might be
ministered for these studies, I would, by God's assistance, prosecute
that knowledge and kinde of literature, the doores whereof were so
happily opened before me.
According to which my resolution when, not long after, I was removed to
Christ Church in Oxford, my exercises of duty first performed, I fell to
my intended course, and by degrees read over whatsoever printed or
written discoveries and voyages I found extant, either in the Greeke,
Latine, Italian, Spanish, Portugall, French, or English languages. In
continuance of time I grew familiarly acquainted with the chiefest
captaines at sea, the gretest merchants, and the best mariners of our
nation, by which means having gotten somewhat more than common
knowledge.
I passed at length the narrow seas into France. There I both heard in
speech and read in books other nations miraculously extolled for their
discoveries and notable enterprises by sea, but the English, of all
others, for their sluggish security and continuall neglect of the like
attempts, either ignominiously reported or exceedingly condemned. Thus,
both hearing and reading the obluquie of our nation, and finding few or
none of our owne men able to replie heerin, and further, not seeing any
man to have care to recommend to the world the industrious labors and
painefull travels of our countrymen, myselfe returned from France,
determined to undertake the burden of that worke, wherein all others
pretended either ignorance or lacke of leasure, whereas the huge toile,
and the small profit to insue, were the chiefe causes of the refusall.
I calle the worke a burden, in consideration that these voyages lay so
dispersed and hidden in severall hucksters' hands that I now wonder at
myselfe to see how I was able to endure the delays, curiosity, and
backwardnesse of many from whom I was to receive my originals. And thus,
friendly reader, thou seest the briefe summe and scope of my labours for
the commonwealth's sake, and thy sake, bestowed upon this work, which
may, I pray, bring thee no little profit.
_II.--The Victories of King Arthur in Foreign Lands_
Arthur, which was sometimes the most renowned king of the Britaines, was
a mightie and valiant man, and a famous warriour. This kingdome was too
little for him, and his minde was not contented with it. He therefore
valiantly subdued all Scantia, which is now called Norway, and islands
beyond Norway, to wit, Island and Greenland, Sweueland, Ireland,
Gotland, Denmarke, and all the other lands and islands of the East Sea,
even into Russia, and many others islands beyond Norway, even under the
North Pole, which are appendances of Scantia, now called Norway. These
people were wild and savage, and held not in them the love of God nor of
their neighbours, because all evill cometh from the North; yet there
were among them certeine Christians living in secret. But King Arthur
was an exceeding good Christian, and caused them to be baptised and
thorowout all Norway to worship one God, and to receive and keepe
inviolably for ever faith in Christ onely.
At that time, all the noble men of Norway tooke wives of the noble
nation of the Britaines, whereupon the Norses say that they are
descended of the race and blood of this kingdome. The aforesaid King
Arthur obteined also, in those days of the Pope and court of Rome, that
Norway should be for ever annexed to the crown of Britaine for the
inlargement of this kingdome, and he called it the chamber of Britaine.
For this cause the Norses say that they ought to dwell with us in this
kingdome--to wit, that they belong to the crowne of Britaine; for they
had rather dwell here than in their owne native countrey, which is drie
and full of mountaines, and barren, and no graine growing there, but in
certain places. But this countrey of Britaine is fruitfull, wherein
corne and all other good things do grow and increase, for which cause
many cruell battles have been often-times fought betwixt the Englishmen
and the people of Norway, and infinite numbers of people have been
slaine, and the Norses have possessed many lands and islands of this
Empire, which unto this day they doe possess, neither could they ever
afterwards be fully expelled.
_III.--How Martin Frobisher Sought a Passage to Cathaya by the
North-West_
It appeareth that not onely the middle zone but also the zones about the
Poles are habitable. Which thing, being well considered, and familiarly
knowen to our generall, Captaine Frobisher, as well for that he is
thorowly furnished of the knowledge of the sphere and all other skilles
appertaining to the arte of navigation, as also for the confirmation he
hath of the same by many yeares experience, both by sea and land, and
being persuaded of a new and nerer passage to Cathaya than by Capo di
Buona Sperança; he began first with himself to devise, and then with his
friends to conferre, and declared unto them that that voyage was not
onely possible by the North-west, but he could prove easie to be
performed.
And, further, he determined and resolved with himselfe to go make full
proofe thereof, and to accomplish or bring true certificate of the
truth, or else never to return againe, knowing this to be the onely
thing of the world that was left yet undone, whereby a notable minde
might be made famous and fortunate. But, although his will were great to
performe this notable voyage, yet he wanted altogether meanes and
ability to set forward, and performe the same. He layed open to many
great estates and learned men the plot and summe of his device. And so,
by litle and litle, with no small expense and paine, he brought his
cause to some perfection, and had drawen together so many adventurers
and such summes of money as might well defray a reasonable charge to
furnish himselfe to sea withall.
He prepared two small barks of twenty and five and twenty tunne apiece,
wherein he intended to accomplish his pretended voyage. Wherefore, being
furnished with the aforesayd two barks, and one small pinnesse of ten
tun burthen, having therein victuals and other necessaries for twelve
months provision, he departed upon the sayd voyage from Blacke-wall the
fifteenth of June, _Anno Domini_, 1576. One of the barks wherein he went
was named the Gabriel, and the other the Michael, and, sailing northwest
from England upon the eleventh of July he had sight of an high and
ragged land which he judged to be Frisland, but durst not approch the
same, by reason of the great store of ice that lay alongst the coast,
and the great mists that troubled them not a litle. Not farre from
thence he lost company of his small pinnesse, which by meanes of a great
storme he supposed to be swallowed up of the sea, wherein he lost onely
foure men. Also the other barke, named the Michael, mistrusting the
matter, conveyed themselves privily away from him, and returned home,
with great report that he was cast away.
The worthy captaine, notwithstanding these discomforts, although his
mast was sprung, and his toppe mast blowen overboord with extreame foul
weather, continued his course towards the north-west, knowing that the
sea at length must needs have an ending, and that some land should have
a beginning that way; and determined, therefore, at the least to bring
true proofe what land and sea the same might be so farre to the
north-westwards, beyond any man that had heretofore discovered. And the
twentieth of July he had sight of an high land which he called Queen
Elizabeth's Forland, after her majestie's name, and sailing more
northerly alongst that coast, he descried another forland with a great
gut, baye, or passage, divided as it were two maine lands or continents
asunder.
He determined to make proofe of this place, to see how farre that gut
had continuance, and whether he might carry himself thorow the same into
some open sea on the backe side, whereof he conceived no small hope, and
so entered the same the one and twentieth of July, and passed above
fifty leagues therein as he reported, having upon either hand a great
maine, or continent. And that land upon his right hand as he sailed
westward he judged to be the continent of Asia, and there to be divided
from the firme of America, which lieth upon the left hand over against
the same. This place he named after his name, Frobisher's Streights.
After our captaine, Martin Frobisher, had passed sixty leagues into this
foresayed streight, he went ashore, and found signes where fire had bene
made.
He saw mighty deere that seemed to be mankinde, which ranne at him, and
hardly he escaped with his life in a narrow way where he was faine to
use defence and policy to save his life. In this place he saw and
perceived sundry tokens of the peoples resorting thither. And, being
ashore upon the top of a hill, he perceived a number of small things
fleeting in the sea afarre off, which he supposed to be porposes or
seales, or some kinde of strange fish; but, coming neerer, he
discovered them to be men in small boats made of leather. And, before
he could descend downe from the hill, certeine of those people had
almost cut off his boat from him, having stolen secretly behinde the
rocks for that purpose, when he speedily hasted to his boat, and bent
himselfe to his halberd, and narrowly escaped the danger, and saved his
boat.
Afterwards, he had sundry conferences with them, and they came aboord
his ship, and brought him salmon and raw flesh and fish, and greedily
devoured the same before our men's faces.
After great courtesie, and many meetings, our mariners, contrary to
their captaine's direction, began more easily to trust them, and five of
our men, going ashore, were by them intercepted with their boat, and
were never since heard of to this day againe, so that the captaine,
being destitute of boat, barke, and all company, had scarsely sufficient
number to conduct back his barke againe. He could not now convey
himselfe ashore to rescue his men--if he had been able--for want of a
boat; and againe the subtile traitours were so wary, as they would after
that never come within our men's danger.
The captaine notwithstanding, desirous to bring some token from thence
of his being there, was greatly discontented that he had not before
apprehended some of them; and, therefore, to deceive the deceivers he
wrought a prety policy, for, knowing wel how they greatly delited in our
toyes, and specially in belles, he rang a pretty lowbel, making signes
that he would give him the same that would come and fetch it. And to
make them more greedy of the matter he rang a louder bel, so that in the
end one of them came nere the ship side to receive the bel; which when
he thought to take at the captaine's hand he was thereby taken himselfe;
for the captaine, being readily provided, let the bel fall and caught
the man fast, and plucked him with main force, boat and all, into his
barke out of the sea. Whereupon, when he found himself in captivity,
for very choler and disdaine he bit his tongue in twain within his
mouth; notwithstanding, he died not thereof, but lived until he came in
England, and then he died of cold.
Nor with this new pray (which was a sufficient witnesse of the
captaine's farre and tedious travell towards the unknowen parts of the
world, as did well appeare by this strange infidell, whose like was
never seene, read, nor heard of before, and whose language was neither
knowen nor understood of any), the sayd Captaine Frobisher returned
homeward, and arrived in England in Harwich, the second of October
following, and thence came to London, 1576, where he was highly
commended by all men for his notable attempt, but specially for the
great hope he brought of the passage to Cathaya.
_IV.--The Valiant Fight of the Content against some Spanish Ships_
Three ships of Sir George Carey made a notable fight against certaine
Spanish galleys in the West Indies, and this is the relation of it.
The 13th of June, 1591, being Sunday, at five of the clock in the
morning we descried six saile of the King of Spain, his ships. We met
with them off the Cape de Corrientes, which standeth on the Island of
Cuba. The sight of the foresayd ships made us joyfull, hoping that they
should make our voyage. But as soon as they descryed us they made false
fires one to another, and gathered their fleet together. We, therefore,
at six of the clock in the morning, having made our prayers to Almighty
God, prepared ourselves for the fight. We in the Content bare up with
their vice-admiral, and (ranging along by his broadside aweather of him)
gave him a volley of muskets and our great ordinance; then, coming up
with another small ship ahead of the former, we hailed her in such sort
that she payd roome.
Thus being in fight with the little ship, we saw a great smoke come from
our admiral, and the Hopewel and Swallow, forsaking him with all the
sailes they could make; whereupon, bearing up with our admiral (before
we could come to him) we had both the small ships to windward of us,
purposing (if we had not bene too hotte for them) to have layd us
aboord.
Thus we were forced to stand to the northwards, the Hopewel and the
Swallow not coming in all this while to ayde us, as they might easily
have done. Two of their great ships and one of their small followed us.
They having a loom gale (we being altogether becalmed) with both their
great ships came up faire by us, shot at us, and on the sudden furled
their sprit sailes and mainsailes, thinking that we could not escape
them. Then falling to prayer, we shipped our oars that we might rowe to
shore, and anker in shallow water, where their great ships could not
come nie us, for other refuge we had none.
Then one of their small ships being manned from one of their great, and
having a boat to rowe themselves in, shipped her oars likewise, and
rowed after us, thinking with their small shot to have put us from our
oars until the great ships might come up with us; but by the time she
was within musket shot, the Lord of His mercie did send us a faire gale
of wind at the north-west, off the shore, what time we stood to the
east.
Afterward (commending our selves to Almightie God in prayer, and giving
him thankes for the winde which he had sent us for our deliverance) we
looked forth, and descryed two saile more to the offen; these we thought
to have bene the Hopewel and the Swallow that had stoode in to ayde us;
but it proved farre otherwise, for they were two of the king's gallies.
Then one of them came up, and (hayling of us whence our shippe was) a
Portugall which we had with us, made them answere, that we were of the
fleete of Terra Firma, and of Sivil; with that they bid us amaine
English dogs, and came upon our quarter star-boord, and giving us five
cast pieces out of her prowe they sought to lay us aboord; but we so
galled them with our muskets that we put them from our quarter. Then
they winding their gallie, came up into our sterne, and with the way
that the gallie had, did so violently thrust into the boorde of our
captaine's cabbin, that her nose came into its minding to give us all
their prowe and so to sinke us. But we, being resolute, so plyed them
with our small shot that they could have no time to discharge their
great ordnance; and when they began to approch we heeved into them a
ball of fire, and by that meanes put them off; whereupon they once again
fell asterne of us, and gave us a prowe.
Then, having the second time put them off, we went to prayer, and sang
the first part of the 25th Psalme, praysing God for our safe
deliverance. This being done, we might see two gallies and a frigat, all
three of them bending themselves together to encounter us; whereupon we
(eftsoones commending our estate into the hands of God) armed ourselves,
and resolved (for the honour of God, her majestie, and our countrey) to
fight it out till the last man.
Then, shaking a pike of fire in defiance of the enemie, and weaving them
amaine, we bad them come aboord; and an Englishman in the gallie made
answer that they would come aboord presently. Our fight continued with
the ships and with the gallies from seven of the clocke in the morning
till eleven at night.
Howbeit God (which never faileth them that put their trust in Him) sent
us a gale of winde about two of the clocke in the morning, at
east-north-east, which was for the preventing of their crueltie and the
saving of our lives. The next day being the fourteenth of June in the
morning, we sawe all our adversaries to lee-ward of us; and they,
espying us, chased us till ten of the clocke; and then, seeing they
could not prevaile, gave us over.
Thus we give God most humble thankes for our safe deliverance from the
cruell enemie, which hath beene more mightie by the Providence of God
than any tongue can expresse; to whom bee all praise, honour, and glory,
both now and ever, Amen.