touching the Topographical description of the place. It is now found in the
last voyage, that Queene Elizabeths Cape being situate in latitude at 61.
degrees and a halfe, which before was supposed to be part of the firme land
of America, and also al the rest of the South side of Frobishers straites,
are all seuerall Islands and broken land, and like wise so will all the
North side of the said straites fall out to be as I thinke. And some of our
company being entred aboue 60. leagues within the mistaken straites in the
third voyage mentioned, thought certainely that they had discryed the firme
land of America towards the South, which I thinke will fall out so to be.
These broken lands and Islands being very many in number, do seeme to make
there an Archipelagus, which as they all differ in greatnesse, forme, and
fashion one from another; so are they in goodnesse, colour, and soyle much
vnlike. They all are very high lands, mountaines, and in most parts couered
with snow euen all the Sommer long. The Norther lands haue lesse store of
snow, more grasse, and are more plaine Countreys: the cause whereof may be,
for that the Souther Ilands receiue all the snow, that the cold winds and
piercing ayre bring out of the North. And contrarily, the North parts
receiue more warme blasts of milder ayre from the South, whereupon may grow
the cause why the people couet to inhabit more vpon the North parts then
the South, as farre as we yet by our experience perceiue they doe.
[Sidenote: The people of Meta Incognita like vnto Samoeds.] These people I
iudge to be a kind of Tartar, or rather a kind of Samoed, of the same sort
and condition of life that the Samoeds bee to the Northeastwards beyond
Moscouy, who are called Samoeds, which is as much to say in the Moscouy
tongue as eaters of themselues, and so the Russians their borderers doe
name them. And by late conference with a friend of mine (with whom I did
sometime trauell in the parts of Moscouy) who had great experience of those
Samoeds and people of the Northeast, I find that in all their maner of
liuing, those people of the Northeast, and those of the Northwest are like.
[Sidenote: Their natiue colour.] They are of the colour of a ripe Oliue,
which how it may come to passe, being borne in so cold a climate I referre
to the iudgement of others, for they are naturally borne children of the
same colour and complexion that all the Americans are, which dwell vnder
the Equinoctiall line.
They are men very actiue and nimble. They are a strong people and very
warlike, for in our sight vpon the toppes of the hilles they would often
muster themselues, and after the maner of a skirmish trace their ground
very nimbly, and mannage their bowes and dartes with great dexterity.
[Sidenote: Their apparel.] They go clad in coates made of the skinnes of
beasts, as of Seales, Deere, Beares, Foxes, and Hares. They haue also some
garments of feathers, being made of the cases of Foules, finely sowed and
compact togither. Of all which sorts wee brought home some with vs into
England, which we found in their tents. In Sommer they vse to weare the
hairie side of their coates outward, and sometime goe naked for too much
heate. And in Winter (as by signes they haue declared) they weare foure or
fiue folde vpon their bodies with the haire (for warmth) turned inward.
Hereby it appeareth, that the ayre there is not indifferent, but either it
is feruent hote, or els extreme cold, and farre more excessiue in both
qualities, then the reason of the climate should yeeld. For there it is
colder, being vnder 62 degrees in latitude, then it is at Wardhouse in the
voyage to Saint Nicholas in Moscouie, being at about aboue 72. degrees in
latitude. [Sidenote: The accidental cause of cold ayre at Meta Incognita.]
The reason hereof may be, that this Meta Incognita is much frequented and
vexed with Easterne and Northeastern winds, which from the sea and yce
bringeth often an intollerable cold ayre, which was also the cause that
this yeere our straits were so long shut vp with so great store of yce. But
there is great hope and likelihood, that further within the Straights it
will bee more constant and temperate weather.
These people are in nature very subtill and sharpe witted, ready to
conceiue our meaning by signes, and to make answere well to be vnderstood
againe. And if they haue not seene the thing whereof you aske them, they
will wincke, or couer their eyes with their hands, as who would say, it
hath bene hid from their sight. If they vnderstand you not whereof you
should aske them, they wil stop their eares. They will teach vs the names
of each thing in their language which wee desire to learne, and are apt to
learne any thing of vs. [Sidenote: The sauages delight in Musicke.] They
delight in Musicke aboue measure, and will keepe time and stroke to any
tune which you shall sing, both with their voyce, head, hand and feete, and
will sing the same tune aptly after you. They will row with our Ores in our
boates, and keepe a true stroke with our Mariners, and seeme to take great
delight therein. [Sidenote: Hard kind of Living.] They liue in Caues of the
earth, and hunt for their dinners or praye, euen as the beare or other wild
beastes do. They eat raw flesh and fish, and refuse no meat howsoeuer it be
stinking. They are desperate in their fight, sullen of nature, and rauenous
in their maner of feeding.
Their sullen and desperate nature doth herein manifestly appeare, that a
company of them being enuironed by our men on the top of a hie cliffe, so
that they could by no meanes escape our hands, finding themselues in this
case distressed, chose rather to cast themselues headlong down the rocks
into the sea, and so be bruised and drowned, rather than to yeeld
themselues to our mens mercies.
[Sidenote: Their weapons.] For their weapons to offend their enemies or
kill their prey withall, they haue darts, slings, bowes, and arrowes headed
with sharpe stones, bones, and some with yron. They are exceeding friendly
and kind hearted one to the other, and mourne greatly at the losse or harme
of their fellowes, and expresse their griefe of mind, when they part one
from another with a mourneful song, and Dirges.
[Sidenote: Their chastity.] They are very shamefast in betraying the
secrets of nature, and very chaste in the maner of their liuing: for when
the man, which wee brought from thence into England the last voyage, should
put off his coat or discouer his whole body for change, he would not suffer
the woman to bee present, but put her forth of his Cabin. And in all the
space of two or three moneths, while the man liued in company of the woman,
there was neuer any thing seene or perceiued betweene them, more then ought
haue passed betweene brother and sister: but the woman was in all things
very seruiceable for the man, attending him carefully when he was sicke,
and he likewise in all the meates which they did eate together, woulde
carue vnto her of the sweetest, fattest, and best morsels they had. They
wondred much at all our things, and were afraid of our horses and other
beasts out of measure. They began to grow more ciuill, familiar, pleasant,
and docible amongst vs in very short time.
[Sidenote: Their boates.] They haue boates made of leather, and couered
cleane ouer sauing one place in the middle to sit in, planked within with
timber, and they vse to row therein with one Ore, more swiftly a great
deale, then we in our boates can doe with twentie. They haue one sort of
greater boates wherein they can carrie aboue twentie persons, and haue a
Mast with a saile thereon, which saile is made of thinne skinnes or
bladders, sowed togither with the sinewes of fishes.
They are good Fishermen, and in their small Boates being disguised with
their coates of Seales skinnes, they deceiue the fish, who take them rather
for their fellow Seales, then for deceiuing men.
They are good marke-men. With their dart or arrow they will commonly kill a
Ducke, or any other foule in the head, and commonly in the eye.
When they shoote at a great fish with any of their darts, they vse to tye a
bladder thereunto, whereby they may the better find them againe, and the
fish not able to cary it so easily away (for that the bladder doth boy the
dart) will at length be wearie, and dye therewith.
[Sidenote: Traffique with some other nation vnknowen.] They vse to traffike
and exchange their commodities with some other people, of whom they haue
such things as their miserable Countrey, and ignorance of Art to make,
denieth them to haue, as barres of yron, heads of yron for their darts,
needles made foure square, certaine buttons of copper, which they vse to
weare vpon their forehads for ornament, as our Ladies in the Court of
England doe vse great pearle.
[Sidenote: Gold.] Also they haue made signes vnto vs, that they haue seene
gold, and such bright plates of mettals, which are vsed for ornaments
amongst some people with whom they haue conference.
We found also in their tents a Guiny Beane of redde colour, the which doth
vsually grow in the hote Countreys: whereby it appeareth they trade with
other nations which dwell farre off, or else themselues are great
trauellers.
[Sidenote: Their fewell.] They haue nothing in vse among them to maker fire
withall, sauing a kinde of Heath and Mosse which groweth there.
[Sidenote: How they make fire.] And they kindle their fire with continuall
rubbing and fretting one sticke against another, as we doe with flints.
They drawe with dogges in sleads vpon the yce, and remooue their tents
therewithall wherein they dwell in Sommer, when they goe a hunting for
their praye and prouision against Winter. [Sidenote: Their kettles and
pannes.] They doe sometime parboyle their meat a little and seeth the same
in kettles made of beast skins; they haue also pannes cut and made of
stones very artificially; they vse prety ginnes wherewith they take foule.
The women carry their sucking children at their backes, and doe feede them
with raw flesh, which first they do a little chaw in their owne mouths. The
women haue their faces marked or painted ouer with small blewe spots: they
haue blacke and long haire on their heads, and trimme the same in a decent
order. The men haue but little haire on their faces, and very thinne
beards. For their common drinke, they eate yce to quench their thirst
withall. [Sidenote: The people eate grasse and shrubs.] Their earth
yeeldeth no graine or fruit of sustenance for man, or almost for beast to
liue vpon: and the people will eate grasse and shrubs of the ground, euen
as our kine doe. They haue no wood growing in their Countrey thereabouts,
and yet wee finde they haue some timber among them, which we thinke doth
growe farre off to the Southwards of this place, about Canada, or some
other part of New found land: for there belike, the trees standing on the
cliffes of the sea side, by the waight of yce and snow in Winter
ouercharging them with waight, when the Sommers thaw commeth aboue, and the
Sea vnderfretting beneath, which winneth dayly of the land, they are
vndermined and fall downe from those cliffes into the Sea, and with the
tydes and currents are driuen to and fro vpon the coastes further off, and
by conjecture are taken vp here by these Countrey people, to serue them to
planke and strengthen their boates withall, and to make dartes, bowes, and
arrowes, and such other things necessarie for their vse. And of this kind
of drift wood we find all the Seas ouer great store, which being cut or
sawed asunder, by reason of long driuing in the Sea is eaten of wormes, and
full of holes, of which sort theirs is found to be.
[Sidenote: A strange kind of gnat.] We haue not yet found any venomous
Serpent or other hurtfull thing in these parts, but there is a kind of
small flie or gnat that stingeth and offendeth sorely, leauing many red
spots in the face, and other places where she stingeth. They haue snow and
haile in the best time of their Sommer, and the ground frosen three fadome
deepe.
[Sidenote: Inchanters.] These people are great inchanters, and vse many
charmes of witchcraft: for when their heads doe ake, they tye a great stone
with a string vnto a sticke, and with certaine prayers and wordes done to
the sticke, they lift vp the stone from ground, which sometimes with all a
mans force they cannot stirre, and sometime againe they lift as easily as a
fether, and hope thereby with certaine ceremonious wordes to haue ease and
helpe. And they made vs by signes to vnderstand, lying groueling with their
faces vpon the ground, and making a noise downeward, that they worship the
deuill vnder them.
[Sidenote: The beasts and foules of the Countrey.] They have great store of
Deere, Beares, Hares, Foxes, and innumerable numbers of sundry sorts of
wild foule, as Seamewes, Gulles, Wilmotes, Ducks, &c. whereof our men
killed in one day fifteene hundred. They haue also store of haukes, as
Falkons, Tassels, &c. whereof two alighted vpon one of our ships at their
returne, and were brought into England, which some thinke wil proue very
good.
There are also great store of rauens, larkes, and partriges, whereof the
countrey people feed.
All these foules are farre thicker clothed with downe and fethers, and haue
thicker skinnes then any in England haue: for as that countrey is colder,
so nature hath provided a remedie thereunto.
Our men haue eaten of the Beares, Hares, Patriges, Larkes, and of their
wild foule, and find them reasonable good meat, but not so delectable as
ours.
Their wild foule must be all fleine, their skins are so thicke: and they
tast best fryed in pannes.
The Countrey seemeth to be much subiect to Earthquakes.
The ayre is very subtile, piercing and searching, so that if any corrupted
or infected body, especially with the disease called Morbus Gallicus come
there, it will presently breake forth and shew it selfe, and cannot there
by any kind of salue or medicine be cured.
Their longest Sommers day is of great length, without any darke night, so
that in Iuly al the night long, we might perfitly and easily write and
reade whatsoeuer had pleased vs, which lightsome nights were very
beneficiall vnto vs, being so distressed with abundance of yce as we were.
[Sidenote: The length of their day.] The Sunne setteth to them in the
Euening at a quarter of an houre after tenne of the clocke, and riseth
againe in the morning, at three quarters of an houre after one of the
clocke, so that in Sommer their Sunne shineth to them twenty houres and a
halfe, and in the night is absent three houres and a halfe. And although
the Sunne bee absent these 3. houres and a halfe, yet it is not darke that
time, for that the Sunne is neuer aboue three or foure degrees vnder the
edge of their Horizon; the cause is that the Tropicke of Cancer doth cut
their Horizon at very vneuen and oblique Angles.
[Sidenote: A full reuolution of the Moone aboue their Horizon.] But the
Moone at anytime of the yeere being in Cancer, hauing North latitude; doth
make a full revolution aboue their Horizon, so that sometime they see the
Moone about 24. houres togither. Some of our company of the more ignorant
sort, thought we might continually haue seene the Sunne and the Moone, had
it not bene for two or three high mountaines.
The people are now become so warie, and so circumspect, by reason of their
former losses, that by no meines we can apprehend any of them, although wee
attempted often in this last voyage. But to say trueth wee could not bestow
any great time in pursuing them, because of our great businesse in lading,
and other things.
* * * * *
The Letters patents of the Queenes Maiestie, granted to Master Adrian
Gylbert and others, for the search and discouery of the Northwest Passage
to China.
Elizabeth by the grace of God of England, France, and Ireland Queene,
defender of the faith, &c. To all, to whome these presents shall come,
greeting: Forasmuch as our trustie and welbeloued subiect Adrian Gylbert of
Sandridge in the Countie of Deuon, Gentleman, to his great costes and
charges, hath greatly and earnestly trauelled and sought, and yet doth
trauell and seeke, and by diuers meanes indeuoureth and laboureth, that the
Passage vnto China and the Iles of the Moluccas, by the Northwestward,
Northeastward, or Northward, vnto which part of the world, none of our
loyall Subiects haue hitherto had any traffique or trade, may be
discouered, knowen, and frequented by the Subiects of this our Realme:
Knowe yee therefore that for the considerations aforesayd and for diuers
other good considerations vs thereunto specially moouing. We of our grace
especiall, certaine knowledge, and meere motion, haue giuen and granted,
and by these presents for vs, our heires and successors, doe giue and grant
free libertie, power, and full authoritie to the sayd Adrian Gylbert, and
to any other person by him or his heires to be assigned, and to those his
associates and assistants, whose names are written in a Scedule hereunto
annexed, and to their heires, and to one assigne of each of them, and each
of their heires at all times, and at any time or times after the date of
these presents, vnder our Banners and Ensignes freely, without let,
interruption, or restraint, of vs, our heires or successors, any law,
statute proclamation, patent charter, or prouiso to the contrary
notwithstanding, to saile, make voyage, and by any maner of meanes to passe
and to depart out of this our Realme of England, or any our Realmes,
Dominions, or Territories into all or any Isles, Countreys, Regions,
Prouinces, Territories, Seas, Riuers, Portes, Bayes, Creekes, armes of the
Sea, and all Hauens, and all maner of other places whatsoeuer, that by the
sayde Northwestward, Northeastward, or Northward, is to be by him, his
associates or assignes discouered, and for and in the sayd sayling, voyage,
and passage, to haue and vse so many shippes, Barkes, Pinnesses, or any
vessels of any qualitie or burthen, with all the furniture, of men,
victuals, and all maner of necessary prouision, armour, weopons,
ordinance, targets, and appurtinances, whatsoeuer, as to such a voyage
shall or may be requisite, conuenient or commodious, any lawe, statute,
ordinance or prouiso to the contrary thereof notwithstanding. And also we
doe giue and grant to the sayde Adrian Gylbert, and his sayde associates,
and to such assignee of him, and his heires, and to the heires and one
assignee of euery of his sayde associates for euer, full power and absolute
authoritie to trade and make their residance in any of the sayde Isles,
Countreys, Regions, Prouinces, Territories, Seas, Riuers, Portes, Bayes,
and Hauens, and all maner of other places whatsoeuer with all commodities,
profites, and emoluments in the sayde places or any of them, growing and
arising, with all maner of priuiledges, prerogatives, iurisdictions and
royalties both by sea and land whatsoeuer, yeelding and paying therefore
vnto vs, our heires and successors, the tenth part of all such golde and
siluer oare, pearles, iewels, and precious stones, or the value thereof, as
the sayd Adrian Gylbert and his sayd associates, their heires and assignes,
servants, factors, or workemen, and euery or any of them shall finde, the
sayd tenth to bee deliuered duely to our Customer, or other officers by vs,
our heires or successors thereunto assigned, in the Fortes of London,
Dartmouth, or Plimmouth, at which three places onely the sayde Adrian
Gylbert and his sayde associates, their sayde heires and assignes, shall
lade, charge, arriue, and discharge all maner of wares, goods, and
merchandizes whatsoeuer to the sayde voyage, and newe trade belonging or
appertaining. And moreouer, wee haue giuen, granted, and authorized, and by
these presents for vs, our heires and successors, of our grace especiall,
certaine knowledge, and meere motion, doe giue, graunt, and authorize the
said Adrian Gilbert, and his said associats for euer, their heires and
their said assignes and euery of them, that if the aforesayd Isles,
Countreys, Regions, Prouinces, Territories, Seas, Riuers, Ports, Bayes, or
Hauens, or any other of the premises by the sayd Adrian Gylbert or his
associates, their heires and their said assignes or any of them, to be
found by them, discouered and traffiqued vnto by any trade as aforesayd,
shall be by any other our subiects visited, frequented, haunted, traded
vnto or inhabited by the wayes aforesayd, without the special licence in
writing of the said Adrian Gylbert and his associats, and their heires and
assignes for euer, or by the most part of them, so that the sayd Adrian
Gilbert, his heires or assignes be one of them, that then aswell their
ship, or ships in any such voyage or voyages be vsed, as all and singuler
their goods, wares, and marchandizes, or any other things whatsoeuer, from
or to any of the places aforesayd transported, that so shall presume to
visit, frequent, haunt, trade vnto, or inhabite, shall be forfaited and
confiscated, ipso facto, the one halfe of the same goods and marchandizes,
or other things whatsoeuer, or the value thereof to be to the vse of vs,
our heires or successours, and the other moytie thereof to be to the vse of
the sayd Adrian Gylbert and his said associats their heires and assignes
for euer: [Sidenote: The colleagues of the fellowship for the discouery the
Northwest passage.] and vnto the sayd Adrian Gylbert and his sayd
associats, their heires and assignes wee impose, giue, assigne, create and
confirme this, name peculiar to be named by, to sue and to be sued by, that
is to wit, by the name of the Colleagues of the fellowship for the
discouerie of the Northwest passage, and them for vs, our heires and
successours by that name doe incorporate, and doe erect and create as one
body corporate to haue continuance for euer. Moreouer vnto the sayd Adrian
Gylbert, and his said associats, and vnto their heires and their sayd
assignes for euer, by name of the Colleagues of the fellowship for the
discouerie of the Northwest passage, we haue giuen, granted, and confirmed,
and doe by these presents giue, grant, and confirme full power and
authoritie from time to time, and at all times hereafter, to make order,
decree and enact, constitute and ordeine, and appoynt all such ordinances,
orders, decrees, lawes, and actes, as the sayd new corporation or body
politique, Colleagues of the fellowship for the discouerie of the Northwest
passage, shall thinke meete, necessary, and conuenient, so that they or any
of them be not contrary to the lawes of this realme, and of this our
present graunt.
And we by our Royall prerogatiue, and fulnesse of our authority, of our
grace especiall, certaine knowledge and meere motion, do establish,
confirme and ratifie all such ordinances, orders, decrees, lawes and acts
to be in so full and great power and authority, as we, our heires or
successours may or can in any such case graunt, confirme, or ratifie. And
further for the better incouragement of our louing subiects in this
discouerie, we by our Royall prerogatiue, and fulnesse of authority for vs,
our heires and successours, doe giue, graunt, establish, confirme, ordeine,
ratifie and allow by these presents, to the sayd Adrian Gylbert and to his
associates, and to the heires and assignes of them and euery of them for
euer, and to all other person or persons of our louing subiects whatsoeuer
that shall hereafter trauaile, sayle, discouer, or make voyage as aforesayd
to any of the Iles, Mainelands, Countreys or Teritories whatsoeuer, by
vertue of this our graunt to be discouered; [Sidenote: Free Denization
granted.] that the heires and assignes of them and euery of them being
borne within any of the Iles, Mainelands and Countreys, or Territories
whatsoeuer before mentioned, shall haue and enioy all the privileges of
free Denizens, as persons natiue borne within this our Realme of England,
or within our allegiance for euer, in such like ample maner and forme, as
if they were or had bene borne and personally resiant within our sayd
Realme, any law, statute, proclamation, custome or vsage to the contrary
hereof in any wise notwithstanding.