Church of the Monastery and the Fryers chambers, it commeth also into the
kitchin so boyling hot, that they vse no other fire to dresse their meate:
and putting their breade into brasse pots without any water, it doth bake
as it were in an hot ouen. They haue also smal gardens couered ouer in the
winter time, which being watered with this water, are defended from the
force of the snow and colde, which in those partes being situate farre
vnder the pole, is very extreme, and by this meanes they produce flowers
and fruites and herbes of sundry sorts, euen as in other temperate
countries in their seasons, in such sort that the rude and sauage people of
those partes seeing these supernaturall effects, doe take those Fryers for
Gods, and bring them many presents, as chickens, flesh, and diuers other
things, they haue them all in great reuerence as Lords. When the frost and
snowe is great, they heate their houses in maner before said, and wil by
letting in the water or opening the windowes, at an instant, temper the
heate and cold at their pleasure. In the buildings of the Monasterie they
vse no other matter but that which is ministred vnto them by the fire: for
they take the burning stones that are cast out as it were sparkles or
cinders at the fierie mouth of the hill, and when they are most enflamed,
cast water vpon them, whereby they are dissolued and become excellent white
lime and so tough that being contriued in building it lasteth for euer. And
the very sparkles after the fire is out of them doe serue in stead of
stones to make walles and vautes: for being once colde they will neuer
dissolue or breake, except they be cut with some iron toole, and the vautes
that are made of them are so light that they need no sustentacle, or prop
to holde them vp, and they will endure continually very faire and whole. By
reason of these great commodities, the Fryers haue made there so many
buildings and walles that it is a wonder to see. The couerts or roofes of
their houses for the most part are made in maner following: first they
rayse vp the wall vp to his full height, then they make it enclinining or
bowing in by little and litle in fourme of a vaut. [Sidenote: Winter of 9
moneths.] But they are not greatly troubled with raine in those partes,
because the climate (as I haue saide) is extreme colde: for the first snow
being fallen, it thaweth no more for the space of nine moneths, for so long
dureth their winter. They feede of the flesh of wilde foule and of fish:
for wheras the warme water falleth into the sea, there is a large and wide
hauen, which by reason of the heate of the water, doeth neuer freeze all
the winter, by meanes whereof there is such concourse and flocks of sea
foule and such abundance of fish, that they take thereof infinite
multitudes, whereby they maintaine a great number of people round about,
which they kepe in continuall worke, both in building and taking of foules
and fish, and in a thousand other necessarie affaires and busines about the
Monasterie.
Their houses are built about the hill on euery side, in forme round, and 25
foote broad, and in mounting vpwards they goe narower and narower, leauing
at the top a litle hole, whereat the aire commeth in to giue light to the
house, and the flore of the house is so hot, that being within they feele
no cold at all. Hither in the Summer time come many barkes from the Islands
there about, and from the cape aboue Norway, and from Trondon, and bring to
the Friers al maner of things that may be desired, taking in change thereof
fish, which they dry in the sunne or in the cold, and skins of diuers
kindes of beasts. [Sidenote: Trade in summer time from Trondon to S. Thomas
Friers in Groneland. Resort of Fryers from Norway and Sueden, to the
Monastery in Engroneland, called S. Tho.] For the which they haue wood to
burne and timber very artificially carued, and corne, and cloth to make
them apparell. For in change of the two aforesaid commodities all the
nations bordering round about them couet to trafficke with them, and so
they without any trauell or expences haue that which they desire. To this
Monasterie resort Fryers of Norway, of Suetia and of other countreys, but
the most part are of Islande. There are continually in that part many
barks, which are kept in there by reason of the sea being frozen, waiting
for the spring of the yere to dissolue the yce. The fishers boates are made
like into a weauers shuttle: taking the skins of fishes, they fashion them
with the bones of the same fishes, and sowing them together in many doubles
they make so sure and substanciall, that it is miraculous to see, howe in
tempests they will shut themselues close within and let the sea and winde
cary them they care not whether, without any feare either of breaking or
drowning. [Marginal note: M. Frobisher brought these kinde of boats from
these parts into England.] And if they chance to be driuen vpon any rocks,
they remaine sound without the least bruse in the world: and they haue as
it were a sleeue in the bottome, which is tyed fast in the middle, and when
there commeth any water into the boat, they put it into the one halfe of
the sleeue, then fastening the ende thereo with two pieces of wood and
loosing the band beneath, they conuey the water forth of the boats: and
this they doe as often as they haue occasion, without any perill or
impediment at all.
Moreouer, the water of the Monastery, being of sulphurious or brimstonie
nature, is conueyed into the lodgings of the principall Friers by certaine
vesselles of brass, tinne, or stone, so hot that it heateth the place as it
were a stone, nor carying with it any stinke or other noysome smell.
Besides this they haue another conueyance to bring hot water with a wall
vnder the ground, to the end it should not freeze, vnto the middle of the
court, where it falleth into a great vessel of brasse that standeth in the
middle of a boyling fountaine, and this is to heat their water to drinke
and to water their gardens, and thus they haue from the hill the greatest
commodities that may be wished: and so these Fryers employ all their
trauaile and studie for the most in trimming their gardens and in making
faire and beautifull buildings, but especially handsome and commodious:
neyther are they destitute of ingenious and paineful artificers for the
purpose; for they giue very large payment, and to them that bring them
fruits and seedes they are very bountifull, and giue they care not what. So
that there is great resort of workemen and masters in diuers faculties, by
reason of the good gaines and large allowance that is there.
[Sidenote: In the Monastery of Saint Thomas most of them spake the Latine
tongue.] The most of them speake the Latine tongue, and specially the
superiours and principals of the Monastery. And this is as much as is
knowen of Engroneland, which is all by the relation of M. Nicolo, who
maketh also particular description of a riuer that he discouered, as is to
be seene in the carde that I drew. And in the end M. Nicolo, not being vsed
and acquainted with these cruell coldes, fel sicke, and a litle while after
returned into Frisland, where he dyed. [Sidenote: The end of the 2.
letter.] He left behind him in Venice, two sonnes, M. Giouanni and M. Toma,
who had two sonnes, M. Nicolo the father of the famous Cardinal Zeno, and
M. Pietro of whom descended the other Zenos, that are liuing at this day.
[Sidenote: M. Zeno dyed in Frisland.] Now M. Nicolo being dead, M. Antonio
succeeded him both in his goods, and in his dignities and honour and albeit
he attempted diuers wayes, and made great supplication, he could neuer
obtaine licence to returne into his countrey. For Zichmni, being a man of
great courage and valour, had determined to make himself Lord of the sea.
Wherefore vsing alwayes the counsaile and seruice of M. Antonio, he
determined to send him with certaine barks to the Westwards, for that
towards those parts, some of his fishermen had discouered certaine Islands
very rich and populous: which discovery M. Antonio, in a letter to his
brother M. Carlo, recounteth from point to point in this maner, sauing that
we haue changed some old words, leauing the matter entire as it was.
Sixe and twentie yeeres agoe there departed foure fisher boats, the which,
a mightie tempest arising, were tossed for the space of many dayes very
desperately ypon the Sea, when at length, the tempest ceasing, and the
wether waxing faire, they discouered an Island called Estotiland, lying to
the Westwards aboue 1000 Miles from Frisland, vpon the which one of the
boats was cast away, and sixe men that were in it were taken of the
inhabitants and brought into a faire and populous citie, where the king of
the place sent for many interpreters, but there was none could be found
that vnderstood the language of the fishermen, except one that spake
Latine, who was also cast by chance vpon the same Island, who in behalfe of
the king asked them what countreymen they were: [Sidenote: Sixe were fiue
yeeres in Estotiland.] and so vnderstanding their case, rehearsed it vnto
the king, who willed that they should tary in the countrey: wherefore they
obeying his commandement, for that they could not otherwise doe, dwelt fiue
yeres in the Island, and learned the language, and one of them was in
diuers partes of the Island, and reporteth that it is a very rich countrey,
abounding with all the commodities of the world, and that it is litle lesse
then Island, but farre more fruitfull, hauing in the middle thereof a very
high mountaine, from the which there spring foure riuers that passe through
the whole countrey.
The inhabitants are very wittie people, and haue all artes and faculties,
as we haue: and it is credible that in time past they haue had trafficke
with our men, for he said, that he saw Latin bookes in the kings Librarie,
which they at this present do not understand: they haue a peculiar
language, and letters or caracters to themselues. They haue mines of all
maner of mettals, but especial they abound with gold. They haue their trade
in Engroneland, from whence they bring furres, brimstone and pitch and he
saith, that to the Southwards, there is a great populous countrey very rich
of gold. [Sidenote: Many cities and castles.] They sow corne, and make
beere and ale, which is a kinde of drinke that North people do vse as we do
wine. They haue mighty great woods, they make their buildings with wals,
and there are many cities and castles. They build small barks and haue
sayling, but they haue not the load stone, nor know not the vse of the
compasse. [Sidenote: A countrey called Drogio.] Wherefore these fishers
were had in great estimation, insomuch that the king sent them with twelue
barks to the Southwards to a countrey which they call Drogio: but in their
voyage they had such contrary weather, that they thought to haue perished
in the sea: but escaping that cruell death, they fell into another more
cruell: for they were taken in the countrey and the most part of them eaten
by the Sauage people, which fed vpon mans flesh, as the sweetest meat in
their iudgements that is.
[Sidenote: The 6 fishermen of Frisland onely saved, by shewing the maner to
take fish.] But that fisher with his fellowes shewing them the maner of
taking fish with nets, saued their liues: and would goe euery day a fishing
to the sea and in fresh riuers, and take great abundance of fish and giue
it to the chiefe men of the countrey, whereby he gate himselfe so great
fauour, that he was very well beloued and honoured of euery one.
The fame of this man being spread abroad in the countrey, there was a Lord
there by, that was very desirous to haue him with him, and to see how he
vsed his miraculous arte of catching fish, in so much that he made warre
with the other Lord with whom he was before, and in the end preuailing, for
that he was more mightie and a better warriour, the fisherman was sent vnto
him with the rest of his company. [Sidenote: In the space of 13 yeeres he
serued 25 lords of Drogio.] And for the space of thirteene yeres that he
dwelt in those parts, he saith, that he was sent in this order to more than
25 Lords, for they had continuall war amongst themselues, this Lord with
that Lord, and he with another, onely to haue him to dwell with them: so
that wandring vp and downe the countrey without any certaine abode in one
place, he knew almost all those parts. He saith, that it is a very great
countrey and as it were a new world: the people are very rude and voide of
all goodnesse, they go all naked so that they are miserably vexed with
colde, neither haue they the wit to couer their bodyes with beasts skins
which they take in hunting, they haue no kinde of mettal, they liue by
hunting, they carry certaine lances of wood made sharpe at the point, they
haue bowes, the strings whereof are made of beasts skins: they are very
fierce people, they make cruell warres one with another, and eate one
another, they haue gouernours and certaine lawes very diuers among
themselues. But the farther to the Southwestwards, the more ciuilitie there
is, the ayre being somewhat temperate, so that there they haue cities and
temples to idols, wherein they sacrifice men and afterwards eate them, they
haue there some knowledge and vse of gold and siluer.
Now this fisherman hauing dwelt so many yeeres in those countreys purposed,
if it were possible, to returne home into his countrey, but his companions
despairing euer to see it againe, let him goe in Gods name, and they kept
themselues where they were. Wherefore he bidding them farwell, fled through
the woods towards Drogio, and was very well receiued of the Lord that dwelt
next to that place; who knew him and was a great enemie of the other Lord:
and so running from one Lord to another, being those by whom he had passed
before, after long time and many trauels he came at length to Drogio, where
he dwelt three yeres. When as by good fortune he heard by the inhabitants,
that there were certaine boates arriued vpon the coast: wherefore entring
into good hope to accomplish his intent, he went to the sea side, and
asking them of what countrey they were; they answered of Estotiland,
whereat he was exceeding glad, and requested that they would take him in to
them, which they did very willingly, and for that he had the language of
the countrey, and there was none that could speake it, they vsed him for
their interpreter.
[Sidenote: He returned from Estotiland to Frisland.] And afterward he
frequented that trade with them in such sort, that he became very rich, and
so furnishing out a barke of his owne, he returned into Frislande, where he
made reporte vnto this Lord of that wealthy countrey.
And he is throughly credited because of the mariners, who approue many
strange things, that he reporteth to be true. [Sidenote: Zichmni minded to
send M. Antonio Zeno with a fleete towards those parts of Estotiland.]
Wherefore this Lord is resolued to send me forth with a fleet towards those
parts, and there are so many that desire to go in the voyage, for the
noueltie and strangenesse of the thing, that I thinke we shall be very
strongly appointed, without any publike expence at all. And this is the
tenour of the letter before mentioned, which I haue here set downe to giue
intelligence of another voyage that M. Antonio made, being set out with
many barkes, and men, notwithstanding he was not captaine, as he had
thought at the first he should: for Zichmni went in his owne person: and
concerning that matter I haue a letter in forme following.