maner. And first it may be called in controuersie, whether any current
continually be forced by the motion of Primum mobile, round about the
world, or no: For learned men doe diuersly handle that question. [Sidenote:
Luc. lib. 1. Pharsal.] The naturall course of all waters is downeward,
wherefore of congruence they fall that way where they finde the earth most
lowe and deepe: in respect whereof, it was erst sayd, the seas doe strike
from the Northern landes Southerly. Violently the seas are tossed and
troubled diuers wayes with the windes, encreased and diminished by the
course of the Moone, hoised vp and downe through the sundry operations of
the Sunne and the starres: finally, some be of opinion, that the seas be
carried in part violently about the world, after the dayly motion of the
highest moueable heauen, in like maner as the elements of ayre and fire,
with the rest of the heauenly spheres, are from the East vnto the West.
[Sidenote: What the Easterne current is.] And this they doe call their
Easterne current, or leuant stream. Some such current may not be denied to
be of great force in the hot Zone, for the neerenesse thereof vnto the
centre of the Sunne, and blustering Easterne windes violently driuing the
seas Westwards: howbeit, in the temperate climes, the Sunne being further
off, and the windes more diuers, blowing as much from the North, the West
and South, as from the East, this rule doeth not effectually withholde vs
from trauailing Eastward, neither be we kept euer backe by the aforesaid
Leuant windes and streame. But in the Magellans streight wee are violently
driuen backe West: Ergo, through the Northwesterne straight or Annian
frette shall we not be able to returne Eastward? It followeth not. The
first, for that the northwesterne straight hath more sea roome at the least
by one hundreth English myles, than Magellans frette hath, the onely want
whereof causeth all narrow passages generally to be most violent. So would
I say in the Anian gulfe, if it were so narrow as Don Diego and Zalterius
haue painted it out, any returne that way to bee full of difficulties, in
respect of such streightnesse thereof, not for the neerenesse of the Sunne,
or Easterne windes violently forcing that way any leuant streame: But in
that place there is more sea roome by many degrees, if the Cardes of
Cabota, and Gemma Frisius, and that which Tramezine imprinted be true.
And hitherto reason see I none at all, but that I may as well giue credite
vnto their doings, as to any of the rest. [Sidenote: Lib. 1. Geog. Cap. 2.]
It must be Peregrinationis historia, that is, true reportes of skilfull
trauailers, as Ptolome writeth, that in such controuersies of Geographie
must put vs out of doubt. Ortelius in his vniuersall tables, in his
particular Mappes of the West Indies, of all Asia, of the Northern
kingdomes, of the East Indies, Mercator in some of his globes, and generall
Mappes of the world, Moletius in his vniuersall table of the Globe diuided,
in his sea Carde, and particuler tables of the East Indies, Zalterius, and
Don Diego, with Ferdinando Bertely, and others, doe so much differ from
Gemma Frisius and Cabota, among themselues, and in diuers places from
themselues, concerning the diuers situation and sundry limits of America,
that one may not so rashly, as timely surmise, these men either to be
ignorant in those points touching the aforesaid region, or that the Mappes
they haue giuen out vnto the world, were collected onely by them, and neuer
of their owne drawing.
* * * * *
The first Voyage of M. Martine Frobisher, to the Northwest, for the search
of the straight or passage to China, written by Christopher Hall, Master
in the Gabriel, and made in the yeere of our Lord 1576.
The 7. of Iune being Thursday, the two Barks, viz. the Gabriel, and the
Michael [Marginal note: M. Matthew Kinderslye was Captaine of the Michael.]
and our Pinnesse set saile at Ratcliffe, and bare down to Detford, and
there we ancred: the cause was that our Pinnesse burst her boulsprit, and
foremast aboard of a ship that rode at Detford, else wee meant to haue past
that day by the Court then at Grenewich.
The 8. day being Friday, about 12 of the clocke we wayed at Detford, and
set saile all three of vs, and bare downe by the Court, where we shotte off
our ordinance and made the best shew we could: Her Maiestie beholding the
same, commended it, and bade vs farewell, with shaking her hand at vs out
of the window. Afterward shee sent a Gentleman aboord of vs, who declared
that her Maiestie had good liking of our doings, and thanked vs for it, and
also willed our Captaine to come the next day to the Court to take his
leaue of her.
The same day towards night M. Secretarie Woolly came aboorde of vs, and
declared to the company, that her Maiestie had appointed him to giue them
charge to be obedient, and diligent to their Captaine, and gouernours in
all things, and wished vs happie successe.
The 12. day being ouer against Grauesend, by the castle or blockehouse, we
obserued the latitude, which was 51. degrees 33. min. And in that place the
variation of the Compasse is 11. degrees and a halfe.
[Sidenote: Faire Island.] The 24. day at 2. of the clocke after noone, I
had sight of Faire yle,[47] being from vs 6. leagues North and by East, and
when I brought it Northwest and by North, it did rise at the Southermost
ende with a litle hommocke, and swampe in the middes.
[Sidenote: Shotland.] The 25. day from 4. to 8. a clocke in the forenoone,
the winde at Northwest and by North a fresh gale, I cast about to the
Westward, the Southermost head of Shotland called Swinborne head
Northnorthwest from me, and the land of Faire yle, West Southwest from me.
I sailed directly to the North head of that said land, sounding as I ranne
in, hauing 60. 50. and 40. fathoms, and gray redde shels: and within halfe
a mile of that Island, there are 36. fathoms, for I sailed to that Island
to see whether there were any roadesteede for a Northwest winde, and I
found by my sounding hard rockes, and foule ground, and deepe water, within
two cables length of the shoare, 28. fathome, and so did not ancre but
plied to and fro with my foresaile, and mizen till it was a high water
vnder the Island. The tide setteth there Northwest and Southeast: the flood
setteth Southeast, and the ebbe Northwest.
The 26. day hauing the winde at South a faire gale, sayling from Faire yle
to Swinborne head, I did obserue the latitude, the Island of Fowlay being
West Northwest from me 6. leagues, and Swinborne head East southeast from
me, I found my eleuation [Marginal note: By eleuation he meaneth the
distance of the sunne from the zenith.] to be 37. degr and my declination
22. degr. 46 min. So that my latitude was 59. degr. 46. min. [Sidenote: S.
Tronions.] At that present being neere to Swinborne head, hauing a leake
which did trouble vs, as also to take in fresh water, I plyed roome with a
sound, which is called S. Tronions, and there did ancre in seuen fathoms
water, and faire sande. You haue comming in the sounds mouth in the entring
17. 15. 12. 10. 9. 8. and 7. fathoms, and the sound lyeth in North
northwest, and there we roade to a West sunne, and stopped our leake, and
hauing refreshed our selues with water, at a North northwest sunne, I set
saile from S. Tronions the winde at South Southest, and turned out till wee
were cleare of the sound, and so sailed West to go cleare of the Island of
Fowlay. [Sidenote: Fowlay Island.] And running off toward Fowlay,[48] I
sounded, hauing fiftie fathome, and streamie ground, and also I sounded
Fowlay being North from mee one league off that Islande, hauing fiftie
fathome at the South head, and streamie ground, like broken otmell, and one
shell being redde and white like mackerell.
[Sidenote: Latitude 59. deg. 59. min. Here they begin to saile West and by
North.] The 27. day at a South sunne I did obserue the latitude, the Island
of Fowlay being from me two leagues East Northeast: I found my selfe to be
in latitude 59. degrees, 59. min truly obserued, the winde at South
Southwest: I sailed West and by North.
From 12. to foure a clocke afternoone, the wind at South, a faire gale the
shippe sailed West and by North 6. leagues, and at the ende of this watch,
I sounded hauing 60. fathome, with little stones and shels, the Island from
vs 8. leagues East.
[Sidenote: July the first.] The first of Iuly, from 4. to 8. a clocke, wee
sailed West 4. glasses 4. leagues, and at that present we had so much winde
that we spooned afore the sea Southwest 2. leagues.
The 3. day we found our Compasse to bee varied one point to Westwards: this
day from 4. to 8. a clocke we sailed West and by North 6 leagues.
From 8. to 12. a clocke at noone West and by North 4. leagues. [Sidenote:
The Compasse varying Westwards one point.] At that present I found our
compasse to be varied 11 deg. and one 4. part to the Westwards, which is
one point.
[Sidenote: The Island of Friseland.] The 11. day at a Southeast sunne we
had sight of the land of Friseland bearing from vs West northwest 16.
leagues, and rising like pinacles of steeples, and all couered with snowe.
I found my selfe in 61. degr. of latitude. Wee sailed to the shoare and
could finde no ground at 150. fathoms, we hoised out our boate, and the
Captaine with 4. men rowed to the shoare to get on land, but the land lying
full of yce, they could not get on land, and so they came aboord againe: We
had much adoe to get cleare of the yce by reason of the fogge. Yet from
Thursday 8. a clocke in the morning to Friday at noone we sailed Southwest
20. leagues.
The 18. day at a Southwest sunne I found the sunne to be eleuated 33. deg.
And at a Southsoutheast sunne 40. deg. So I obserued it till I found it at
the highest, and then it was eleuated 52. deg. [Sidenote: The variation of
the needle two points and a halfe to the West.] I iudged the variation of
the Compasse to be 2. points and a halfe to the Westward.
[Sidenote: A great drift of yce.] The 21. day we had sight of a great drift
of yce, seeming a firme land, and we cast Westward to be cleare of it.
[Sidenote: The latitude of 62. degrees 2. min.] The 26. we had sight of a
land of yce: the latitude was 62. degrees, and two minutes.
[Sidenote: Sight of land supposed to haue been Labrador.] The 28. day in
the morning was very foggie: but at the clearing vp of the fogge, we had
sight of lande, which I supposed to be Labrador, with great store of yce
about the land: I ranne in towards it, and sownded, but could get no ground
at 100. fathom, and the yce being so thicke, I could not get to the shoare,
and so lay off, and came cleare of the yce. Upon Munday we came within a
mile of the shoare, and sought a harborowe: all the sownd was full of yce,
and our boate rowing a shoare, could get no ground at 100. fathom, within a
Cables length of the shoare: then we sailed Eastnortheast along the shoare,
for so the lande lyeth, and the currant is there great, setting Northeast,
and Southwest: and if we could haue gotten anker ground, wee would haue
seene with what force it had runne, but I iudge a ship may driue a league
and a halfe, in one houre, with that tide.
This day at 4. of the clocke in the morning, being faire and cleere, we had
sight of a head land, as we iudged, bearing from vs north, and by East, and
we sailed Northeast, and by North to that land, and when we came thither,
wee could not get to the lande for yce: for the yce stretched along the
coast, so that we could not come to the land, by fiue leagues.
[Sidenote: August.] Wednesday the first of August it calmed, and in the
after noone I caused my boate to be hoysed out, being hard by a great
Island of yce, and I and foure men rowed to that yce, and sounded within
two Cables length of it, and had sixteene fathome, and little stones, and
after that sownded againe within a Minion shot, and had ground at an
hundreth fathome, and faire sand: we sownded the next day a quarter of a
myle from it, and had sixtie fathome rough ground, and at that present
being aboord, that great Island of yce fell one part from another, making a
noyse as if a great cliffe had fallen into the Sea. And at foure of the
clocke I sownded againe, and had 90. fathome, and small blacke stones, and
little white stones like pearles. The tide here did set to the shoare.
The tenth I tooke foure men, and my selfe, and rowed to
shoare to an Island one league from the maine, and there the
flood setteth Southwest alongest the shoare, and it floweth as
neere as I could iudge so too, I could not tarry to prooue it,
because the ship was a great way from me, and I feared a fogge:
but when I came a shoare, it was a low water. I went to the top
of the Island, and before I came backe, it was hied a foote water,
and so without tarrying I came aboord.
[Sidenote: They enter the Streit in the latitude of 63. deg. and 8. min.]
The 11. we found our latitude to be 63. degr. and eight minutes, and this
day we entred the streight.
The 12. wee set saile towardes an Island, called the Gabriels Island, which
was 10 leagues then from vs.
We espied a sound, and bare with it, and came to a Sandie Baye, where we
came to an anker, the land being East southeast off vs, and there we rode
al night in 8. fathome water. It floweth there at a Southeast Moone. We
called it Priors sownd, being from the Gabriels Island, tenne leagues.
The 14, we waied, and ranne into another sownde, where wee ankered in 8.
fathome water, faire sand, and black oaze, and there calked our ship, being
weake from the wales vpward, and tooke in fresh water.
The 15. day we waied, and sailed to Priors Bay, being a mile from thence.
The 16. day was calme, and we rode still, without yce, but presently within
two houres it was frozen round about the ship, a quarter of an ynch thicke,
and that day very faire, and calme.
The 17. day we waied, and came to Thomas Williams Island.
The 18. day we sailed North northwest, and ankered againe in
23. fathome, and tough oaze, vnder Burchers Island, which is from
the former Island, ten leagues.
[Sidenote: Sight of the Countrey people.] The 19. day in the morning, being
calme, and no winde, the Captaine and I tooke our boat, with eight men in
her, to rowe vs a shoare, to see if there were any people, or no, and going
to the toppe of the Island, we had sight of seuen boates, which came rowing
from the East side, toward that Island: whereupon we returned aboord
againe: at length we sent our boate with fiue men in her, to see whither
they rowed, and so with a white cloth brought one of their boates with
their men along the shoare, rowing after our boate, till such time as they
sawe our ship, and then they rowed a shoare: then I went on shore my selfe,
and gaue euery of them a threadden point, and brought one of them aboord of
me, where hee did eate and drinke, and then carried him on shoare againe.
Whereupon all the rest came aboord with their boates, being nineteene
persons, and they spake, but we vnderstoode them not. [Sidenote: The
description of the people.[49]] They bee like to Tartars, with long blacke
haire, broad faces, and flatte noses, and tawnie in colour, wearing Seale
skinnes, and so doe the women, not differing in the fashion, but the women
are marked in the face with blewe streekes downe the cheekes, and round
about the eyes. Their boates are made all of Seales skinnes, with a keele
of wood within the skin: the proportion of them is like a Spanish shallop,
saue only they be flat in the bottome, and sharpe at both ends.
The twentieth day wee wayed, and went to the Eastside of this island, and I
and the Captaine, with foure men more went on shoare, and there we sawe
their houses, and the people espying vs, came rowing towards our boate:
whereupon we plied toward our boate: and wee being in our boate and they
ashoare, they called to vs, and we rowed to them, and one of their company
came into our boate, and we carried him a boord, and gaue him a Bell, and a
knife: [Sidenote: 5 of our men taken by the people.] so the Captaine and I
willed fiue of our men to set him a shoare at a rocke, and not among the
company, which they come from, but their wilfulnesse was such, that they
would goe to them, and so were taken themselues, and our boate lost.
The next day in the morning, we stoode in neere the shoare, and shotte off
a fauconet, and sounded our trumpet, but we could hear nothing nothing of
our men: this sound wee called the fiue mens sound, and plyed out of it,
but ankered againe in thirtie fathome, and ooze: and riding there all
night, in the morning, the snow lay a foote thicke vpon our hatches.
The 22. day in the morning we wayed, and went againe to the place we lost
our men, and our boate. We had sight of foureteene boates, and some came
neere to vs, but wee could learne nothing of our men: among the rest, we
intised one boate to our ships side, with a Bell, and in giuing him the
Bell, we tooke him, and his boate, and so kept him, and so rowed downe to
Thomas Williams Island, and there ankered all night.
[Sidenote: They returne.] The 26. day we waied, to come homeward, and by
12. of the clocke at noone, we were thwart of Trumpets Island.
The next day we came thwart of Gabriels Island, and at 8. of the clocke at
night, we had the Cape Labrador as we supposed West from vs, ten leagues.
The 28. day we went our course Southeast.
We sailed Southeast, and by East, 22. leagues.
The first day of September in the morning we had sight of the land of
Friseland being eight leagues from vs but we could not come neerer it, for
the monstrous yce that lay about it. From this day, till the sixth of this
Moneth, we ranne along Island, and had the South part of it at eight of the
clocke, East from vs ten leagues.
The seuenth day of this moneth we had a very terrible storme, by force
whereof, one of our men was blowen into the sea out of our waste, but he
caught hold of the foresaile sheate, and there held till the Captaine
pluckt him againe into the ship.
The 25 day of this moneth we had sight of the Island of Orkney, which was
then East from vs.
[Sidenote: The Sheld.] The first day of October we had sight of the Sheld,
and so sailed about the coast, and ankered at Yarmouth, and the next day we
came into Harwich.
The language of the people of Meta incognita.
Argoteyt, a hand.
Cangnawe, a nose.
Arered, an eye.
Keiotot, a tooth.
Mutchatet, the head.
Chewat, an eare.
Comagaye, a legge.
Atoniagay, a foote.
Callagay, a paire of breeches.
Attegay, a coate.
Polleuetagay, a knife.
Accaskay, a shippe.
Coblone, a thumbe.
Teckkere, the foremost finger.
Ketteckle, the middle finger.
Mekellacane, the fourth finger.
Yacketrone, the little finger.
* * * * *
The second voyage of Master Martin Frobisher, made to the West and
Northwest Regions, in the yeere 1577. with a description of the Countrey,
and people: Written by Master Dionise Settle.
On Whitsunday, being the sixe and twentieth of May, in the yeere of our
Lord God 1577. Captaine Frobisher departed from Blacke Wall, with one of
the Queenes Maiesties ships, called The Aide, of nine score tunnes, or
thereabouts: and two other Little Barkes likewise, the one called The
Gabriel, whereof Master Fenton, a Gentleman of my Lord of Warwikes, was
Captaine: accompanied with seuen score Gentlemen, souldiers, and sailers,
well furnished with victuals, and other prouision necessarie for one halfe
yeere, on this his second voyage, for the further discouering of the
passage to Cathay, and other Countreys, thereunto adiacent, by West and
Northwest nauigations: which passage or way, is supposed to bee on the
North and Northwest part of America: and the said America to be an Island
inuironed with the sea, where through our Merchants may haue course and
recourse with their merchandize, from these our Northernmost parts of
Europe, to those Orientall coasts of Asia, in much shorter time, and with
greater benefite then any others, to their no little commoditie and profite
that do or shall frequent the same. Our said Captaine and General of this
present voyage and company hauing the yeere before, with two little
pinnesses, to his great danger, and no small commendations, giuen a worthy
attempt towards the performance thereof, is also prest, when occasion shall
be ministred (to the benefite of his Prince, and natiue Countrey) to
aduenture himelfe further therein. As for the second voyage, it seemeth
sufficient that he hath better explored and searched the commodities of
those people and Countreys, which in his first voyage the yeere before he
had found out.
[Sidenote: The Islands Orcades, or Orkney.] Vpon which considerations, the
day and yeere before expressed, we departed from Blacke Wall to Harwich,
where making an accomplishment of things necessary, the last of May we
hoised vp sailes, and with a merrie winde the 7. of Iune we arriued at the
Islands called Orcades, or vulgarly Orkney, being in number 30. subiect and
adiacent to Scotland where we made prouision of fresh water; in the doing
wherof our Generall licensed the Gentlemen and souldiers for their
recreation to go on shore. [Sidenote: The Orcadians upon smal occasion flee
their home.] At our landing, the people fled from their poore cottages,
with shrikes and alarms, to warne their neighbours of enemies, but by
gentle perswasions we reclamed them to their houses. It seemeth they are
often frighted with Pirats, or some other enemies, that mooue them to such
sudden feare. Their houses are very simply builded with Pibble stone,
without any chimneis, the fire being made in the middest thereof. The good
man, wife, children, and other of their family eate and sleepe on the one
side of the house, and the cattell on the other, very beastly and rudely,
in respect of ciuilitie. [Sidenote: No wood in Orkney.] They are destitute
of wood, their fire is turffes, and Cowshards. They haue corne, bigge, and
oates, with which they pay their Kings rent, to the maintenance of his
house. They take great quantitie of fish, which they dry in the wind and
Sunne. They dresse their meat very filthily, and eate it without salt.
Their apparell is after the rudest sort of Scotland. Their money is all
base. Their Church and religion is reformed according to the Scots.
[Sidenote: Fisher men of England haue daily traffique to Orkney.] The
fisher men of England can better declare the dispositions of those people
then I: wherefore I remit other their vsages to their reports, as yeerely
repaires thither, in their course to and from Island for fish.
[Sidenote: In Iune and Iuly no night in those West and Northwest regions.]
We departed herehence the 8. of Iune, and followed our course betweene West
and Northwest, vntill the 4. of Iuly: all which time we had no night, but
that easily, and without any impediment we had when we were so disposed,
the fruition of our bookes, and other pleasures to passe away the time: a
thing of no small moment, to such as wander in vnknowen seas, and long
nauigations, especially, when both the winds and raging surges do passe
their common and wonted course. This benefite endureth in those parts not
6. weekes, while the sunne is neere the Tropike of Cancer: but where the
pole is raised to 70. or 80. degrees, it continueth much longer.
[Sidenote: Great abundance of Firre trees floting in the sea.] All along
these seas, after we were sixe dayes sailing from Orkney, we met floting in
the sea, great Firre trees, which as we iudged, were with the furie of
great floods rooted vp, and so driuen into the sea. Island hath almost no
other wood nor fuell, but such as they take vp vpon their coastes.
[Sidenote: Inquire further of this current.] It seemeth, that these trees
are driuen from some part of the New found land, with the current that
setteth from the West to the East.[50]
The 4. of Iuly we came within the making of Frisland.[51] From this shoare
10. or 12. leagues, we met great Islands of yce, of halfe a mile, some
more, some lesse in compasse, shewing aboue the sea, 30. or 40. fathoms,
and as we supposed fast on ground, where with our lead we could scarse
sound the bottome for depth.
[Sidenote: Yce, snow, and haile in Iune and Iuly.] Here, in place of
odoriferous and fragrant smels of sweete gums, and pleasant notes of
musicall birdes, which other Countreys in more temperate Zones do yeeld,
wee tasted the most boisterous Boreal blasts mixt with snow and haile, in
the moneths of Iune and Iuly, nothing inferior to our vntemperate winter: a
sudden alteration, and especially in a place or Paralelle, where the Pole
is not eleuate aboue 61. degrees: at which height other Countreys more to
the North, yea vnto 70. degrees, shew themselues more temperate then this
doth.