Part 11 (2/2)

The 30th day we took the height, and found ourselves in 72 degrees and 12 minutes of lat.i.tude, both at noon and at night, the sun being five degrees above the horizon. At midnight the compa.s.s set to the variation of 28 degrees to the westward. Now having coasted the land which we called London Coast from the 21st of this present till the 30th, the sea open all to the westwards and northwards, the land on starboard side east from us, the wind s.h.i.+fted to the north, whereupon we left that sh.o.r.e, naming the same Hope Sanderson, and shaped our course west, and ran forty leagues and better without the sight of any land.

_July_.--The 2nd we fell in with a mighty bank of ice west from us, lying north and south, which bank we would gladly have doubled out to the northwards, but the wind would not suffer us, so that we were fain to coast it to the southwards, hoping to double it out that we might have run so far west till we had found land, or else to have been thoroughly resolved of our pretended purpose.

The 3rd we fell in with the ice again, and putting off from it we sought to the northwards, but the wind crossed us.

The 4th was foggy, so was the 5th; also with much wind at north.

The 6th being very clear, we put our barque with oars through a gap in the ice, seeing the sea free on the west side, as we thought, which falling out otherwise, caused us to return after we had stayed there between the ice.

The 7th and the 8th, about midnight, by G.o.d's help we recovered the open sea, the weather being fair and calm; and so was the 9th.

The 10th we coasted the ice.

The 11th was foggy, but calm.

The 12th we coasted again the ice, having the wind at west-north-west.

The 13th, bearing off from the ice, we determined to go with the sh.o.r.e, and come to an anchor, and to stay five or six days for the dissolving of the ice, hoping that the sea from continually beating it, and the sun with the extreme force of heat, which it had always s.h.i.+ning upon it, would make a quick despatch, that we might have a further search upon the western sh.o.r.e. Now when we were come to the eastern coast, the water something deep, and some of our company fearful withal, we durst not come to an anchor, but bore off into sea again. The poor people, seeing us go away again, came rowing after us into the sea, the waves being somewhat lofty. We trucked with them for a few skins and darts, and gave them beads, nails, needles, and cards, they pointing to the sh.o.r.e as though they would show us great friends.h.i.+p; but we, little regarding their courtesy, gave them the gentle farewell, and so departed.

The 14th we had the wind at south. The 15th there was some fault either in the barque or the set of some current, for we were driven six points out of our course. The 16th we fell in with the bank of ice, west from us. The 17th and 18th were foggy. The 19th, at one o'clock afternoon, we had sight of the land which we called Mount Raleigh, and at twelve of the clock at night we were athwart the straits which we discovered the first year. The 20th we traversed in the mouth of the strait, the wind being at west with fair and clear weather. The 21st and 22nd we coasted the northern coast of the straits. The 23rd, having sailed 60 leagues north-west into the straits at two o'clock afternoon, we anch.o.r.ed among many isles in the bottom of the gulf, naming the same the Earl of c.u.mberland's Isles, where, riding at anchor, a whale pa.s.sed by our s.h.i.+p and went west in among the isles. Here the compa.s.s set at 30 degrees westward variation. The 24th we departed, shaping our course south-east to recover the sea. The 25th we were becalmed in the bottom of the gulf, the air being extremely hot. Master Bruton and some of the mariners went on sh.o.r.e to course dogs, where they found many graves, and trains spilt on the ground, the dogs being so fat that they were scant able to run.

The 26th we had a pretty storm, the wind being at south-east. The 27th and 28th were fair. The 29th we were clear out of the straits, having coasted the south sh.o.r.e, and this day at noon we were in 64 degrees of lat.i.tude. The 30th in the afternoon we coasted a bank of ice which lay on the sh.o.r.e, and pa.s.sed by a great bank or inlet which lay between 63 and 62 degrees of lat.i.tude, which we called Lumley's Inlet. We had oftentimes, as we sailed along the coast, great roots, the water as it were whirling and overfalling, as if it were the fall of some great water through a bridge. The 31st as we sailed by a headland, which we named Warwick's Forehand, we fell into one of those overfalls with a fresh gale of wind, and bearing all our sails, we looking upon an island of ice between us and the sh.o.r.e, had thought that our barque did make no way, which caused us to take marks on the sh.o.r.e. At length we perceived ourselves to go very fast, and the island of ice which we saw before was carried very forcibly with the set of the current faster than our s.h.i.+p went. This day and night we pa.s.sed by a very great gulf, the water whirling and roaring as it were the meeting of tides.

_August_.--The 1st, having coasted a bank of ice which was driven out at the mouth of this gulf, we fell in with the southernmost cape of the gulf, which we named Chidlie's Cape, which lay in 6 degrees and 10 minutes of lat.i.tude. The 2nd and 3rd were calm and foggy, so were the 4th, 5th, and 6th. The 7th was fair and calm, so was the 8th, with a little gale in the morning. The 9th was fair, and we had a little gale at night. The 10th we had a frisking gale at west-north-west; the 11th fair. The 12th we saw five deer on the top of an island, called by us Darcie's Island. And we hoisted out our boat, and went ash.o.r.e to them, thinking to have killed some of them. But when we came on sh.o.r.e and had coursed them twice about the island they took the sea, and swain towards islands distant from that three leagues. When we perceived that they had taken the sea, we gave them over, because our boat was so small that it could not carry us and row after them, they swam so fast; but one of them was as big as a good pretty cow, and very fat; their feet as big as ox-feet. Here upon this island I killed with my piece a grey hare.

The 13th in the morning we saw three or four white bears, but durst not go on sh.o.r.e unto them for lack of a good boat. This day we struck a rock seeking for a harbour, and received a leak, and this day we were in 54 degrees of lat.i.tude. The 14th we stopped our leak in a storm not very outrageous at noon.

The 15th, being almost in 51 degrees of lat.i.tude, and not finding our s.h.i.+ps, nor (according to their promise) being any mark, token, or beacon, which we willed to set up, and they protested to do so upon every headland, sea, island, or cape, within 20 leagues every way off from their fis.h.i.+ng place, which our captain appointed to be between 54 and 55 degrees--this 15th, I say, we shaped our course homeward for England, having in our s.h.i.+p but little wood, and half a hogshead of fresh water.

Our men were very willing to depart, and no man more forward than Peerson, for he feared to be put out of his office of stewards.h.i.+p; he was so insatiate that the allowance of two men was scant sufficient to fill his greedy appet.i.te; but because every man was so willing to depart, and considering our want, I doubted the matter very much, fearing that the seething of our men's victuals in salt water would breed diseases, and being but few (yet too many for the room, if any should be sick), and likely that all the rest might be infected therewith, we consented to return for our own country, and so we had the 16th there with the wind at south-west.

The 17th we met a s.h.i.+p at sea, and as far as we could judge it was a Biscayan; we thought she went a-fis.h.i.+ng for whales, for in 52 degrees or thereabout we saw very many.

The 18th was fair with a good gale at west.

The 19th fair also, but with much wind at west and by south.

And thus, after much variable weather and change of winds, we arrived the 15th of September in Dartmouth, Anno 1587, giving thanks to G.o.d for our safe arrival.

_A letter of the said Master John Davis_, _written to Master Sanderson of London_, _concerning his fore-written voyage_.

GOOD MASTER SANDERSON,--With G.o.d's great mercy I have made my safe return in health with all my company, and have sailed 60 leagues farther than my determination at my departure. I have been in 73 degrees, finding the sea all open, and 40 leagues between laud and land; the pa.s.sage is most certain, the execution most easy, as at my coming you shall fully know. Yesterday, the 15th of September, I landed all weary, therefore I pray you pardon my shortness.

Sandridge, this 16th of September, Anno 1587.

Yours equal as mine own, which by trial you shall best know, JOHN DAVIS.

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