=Source.=--_The North-West Fox_, Captain Luke Fox's account of his
voyage. Reprinted by the Hakluyt Society, 1894.
[30 Aug.] I was well entertained and feasted by Captain James with
variety of such cheer as his sea provisions could afford, with
some partridges; we dined betwixt decks, for the great cabin was
not big enough to receive ourselves and followers; during which
time the ship ... threw in so much water as we could not have
wanted sauce if we had had roast mutton.
Whereat I began to ponder whether it were better for his company
to be impounded amongst ice, where they might be kept from
putrefaction by the piercing air; or in open sea, to be kept sweet
by being thus daily pickled. However, they were to be pitied, the
ship taking her liquor as kindly as ourselves, for her nose was
no sooner out of the pitcher but her neb, like the duck's, was in
it again. The gentleman could discourse of Art (as observations,
calculations and the like), and shewed me many instruments, so that
I did perceive him to be a practitioner in the mathematics; but,
when I found that he was no seaman, I did blame those very much who
had counselled him to make choice of that ship for a voyage of such
importance....
And (being demanded) I did not think much for his keeping out his
flag; for my ambition was [not so] ethereal, and my thoughts not so
airy, so to set my sight towards the sky, but when I either called
to God or made celestial observation. To this was replied that he
was going to the Emperor of Japan with letters from his Majesty;
and that, if it were a ship of his Majesty's of 40 pieces of
ordnance, he could not strike his flag. "Keep it up then," quoth I,
"but you are out of the way to Japan, for this is not it." He would
have persuaded me to take harbour to winter in, telling me that Sir
Thomas Button took harbour the 14 of this instant. Quoth I, "He is
no precedent for me. I must parallel my poverty with poor Hudson's,
who took no harbour before the first of November; and that then I
durst not take harbour until the midst of the same; besides, I was
not come to do so much as another man, but more than any, as I had
already done...."
We parted not until the next morning's dawning, and this 17 hours
was the worst spent of any time of my discovery. My men told me his
men gave them some tobacco, a thing good for nothing.