cold by accidentall causes and not of nature, (as I will declare unto your highnesse elsewhere,) describing at this present the situation of the foresaid country, which lieth east and west. I say that the mouth of the haven lieth open to the south halfe a league broad, and being entred within it betweene the east and the north it stretcheth twelve leagues, where it wareth broader and broader, and maketh a gulfe about 20 leagues in compasse, wherein are five small islands very fruitful and pleasant, full of hie and broad trees among the which islandes any great nauie may ride safe without any feare of tempest or other danger. Afterwards turning towards the south in the entring into the hauen, on both sides there are most pleasant hils, with many riuers of most cleare water falling into the sea. In the middest of this entrance there is a rocke of free stone, growing by nature, apt to build any castle or fortresse there for the keeping of the haven. The fift of May being furnished with all things necessarie, we departed from the said coaste, keeping along in the sight thereof, and wee sailed 150 leagues, finding it alwayes after one maner, but the land somewhat higher with certaine mountaines, all which beare a shew of minerall matter, wee sought not to land there in any place, because the weather serued our turne for sailing; but wee suppose that it was like the former, the coaste ranne eastward for the space of fiftie leagues. And trending afterwards to the north, wee found another land high full of thicke woods, the trees whereof were firres, cipresses, and such like as are wont to grow in cold countreys. The people differ much from the other, and looke howe much the former seemed to be courteous and gentle, so much were these full of ́rudenesse and ill maners, and so barbarous that by no signes that euer we could make, we could have any kind of traffic with them. They clothe themselues with beares skinnes and luzernes, and seales and other beastes skinnes. Their foode, as farre as we could

perceiue, repairing often unto their dwellings, we suppose to be by hunting and fishing, and of certaine fruits, which are a kind of roots which the earth yeeldeth of her own accord. They haue no graine, neither saw we any kind of signe of tillage, neither is the land for the barrennesse thereof, apt to beare fruit or seed. If at any time we desired by exchange to haue any of their commodities, they used to come to the sea shore upon certaine craggy rocks, and we standing in our boats, they let downe with a rope what it pleased them to give us, crying continually that we should not approch to the land, demanding immediately the exchange, taking nothing but kniues, fishhooks, and tooles to cut withall, neyther did they make any account of our courtesie. And when we had nothing left to exchange with them, when we departed from them, the people shewed all signes of discourtesie and disdaine, as were possible for any creature to inuent. We were in despight of them 2 or 3 leagues within the land, being in number twentyfive armed men of us: And when we went on shore they shot at us with their bowes, making great outcries, and afterwards fled into the woods. We found not in this land any thing notable or of importance, sauing very great wood and certaine hils, they may haue some mineral matter in them, because wee saw many of them haue beadstones of copper hanging at their eares. We departed from thence, keeping our course north east along the coaste, which we found more pleasant champion and without woods, with high mountains within the land; continuing directly along the coast for the space of fiftie leagues, we discouered 32 islands, lying al neere the land, being small and pleasant to the view, high, and having many turnings and windings between them, making many fair harboroughs and chanels as they doe in the gulf of Venice in Sclauonia, and Dalmatia, we had no knowledge or acquaintance with the people; we suppose they are of the same maners and nature as the others

are. Sayling north east, for the space of 150 leagues, we approched the land that was in times past discouered by the Britons, which is in fiftie degrees. Hauing now spent all our prouision and victuals, and hauing discouered about 700 leagues and more of new countreys, and being furnished with water and wood, we concluded to returne into France. Touching the religion of this people which we have found, for want of their language we could not understand, neither by signes nor gestures, that they had any religion or laws at all, or that they did acknowledge any first cause or mouer, neither that they worship the heauen or starres, the sunne or moone, or other planets, and much lesse whether they be idolaters, neither could we learne whether that they used any kind of sacrifices or other adorations, neither in their villages haue they any temples or houses of prayer; we suppose that they haue no religion at all, and that they liue at their owne libertie. And, that all this proceedeth of ignorance, for that they are very easie to be persuaded; and all that they see us Christians doe in our diuine service, they did the same with the like imitation as they saw us to doe it.

Diuers Voyages and Notherne Discoueries of that worthy irrecouerable Discouerer Master HENRY HVDSON. His Discouerie toward the North Pole, set forth at the charge of certaine Worshipfull Merchants of London, in May, 1607. Written partly by IoHN PLAYSE one of the Company, and partly by H. HVDSON.

(Purchas his Pilgrimes, vol. 3. pp. 567-610. Lond. fol. ed. 1625.)

ANNO 1607. Aprill the nineteenth, at Saint Ethelburge in Bishops Gate street, did communicate with the rest of the Parishioners these persons Seamen, purposing to goe to sea foure dayes after, for to discouer a Passage by the North Pole to Japan and China. First, Henry Hudson, Master. Secondly, William Colines, his Mate. Thirdly, Iames Young. Fourthly, Tohn Colman. Fifthly, Iohn Cooke. Sixthly, Iames Beubery. Seuenthly, Iames Skrutton. Eightly, Iohn Pleyce. Ninthly, Thomas Baxter. Tenthly, Richard Day. Eleuenthly, Iames Knight. Twelfthly, Iohn Hudson, a Boy.

The first of May, 1607, we weyed Anchor at Grauesend, and on Tuesday the sixe and twentieth day in the morning, we made the Iles of Shotland, and at noone we were in 60 degrees 12 minutes, and sixe leagues to the Eastward of them: the Compasse had no variation. We had sixtie-foure fathomes at our sounding, blacke, ozie, sandie, with some yellow shels. Our ship made more way than we did suppose. On Saturday, the thirtieth of May, by our obseruation we were in 61 degrees 11 minutes. This day I found the Needle to incline 79 degrees vnder the Horizon. For foure dayes space we made very little way by contrary winds.

On Thursday the fourth of Iune, we were by our obseruation still in 61 degrees and 14 minutes, eight and twentie or thirtie leagues from the Norther part of

Shotland: the Land bearing by our Accompt East and by North off vs, I found variation in fiue degrees Westerly.

The seuenth of Iune, wee were in 63 degrees 25 minutes. The eighth, all the fore-noone we had a fresh gale Southerly; we steered away North and by West, and by obseruation we were in 65 degrees 27 minutes.

The eleuenth, wee saw sixe or seuen Whales neère our shippe: wee were in 67 degrees 30 minutes. About fiue of the clocke, the winde came vp at Northeast and by East; wee steered away North North-west with a fresh gale all the night at East. The twelfth, the winde was at East North-east, a stiffe gale, wee steered away as afore, and accounted wee had runne by this day noone thirtie leagues. In the after-noone wee steered away North and by West fifteene leagues, all the night prooued a great fogge with much winde.

The thirteenth, betweene one and two in the morning, we saw some Land on head of vs, and some Ice and it being a thicke fogge, we steered away Northerly, and hauing much winde wee stood away South and by East, sixe or eight leagues. Our sayle and shroudes did freeze. At eight in the morning it cleered vp, the winde being at North-east and by East, with much winde wee were hardly able to maintayne a sayle. This was a very high Land, most part couered with Snow. The neather part was vncouered. At the top it looked reddish, and vnderneath a blackish Clay, with much Ice lying about it. The part which we saw when wee cast about, trended East and West And the Norther part which we saw, trended North-east and by North, and North-east : and the length which wee saw was nine leagues; wee saw much Fowle. Also wee saw a Whale close by the shoare. We called the Head-land which we saw, Youngs Cape; and neere it standeth a very high Mount like a round Castle, which wee called, The Mount of Gods Mercie. All the after-noone, and