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V .■^Si.' 5#« , f .■ •^"^ mi .1 mm»mmmmi9'f'!^^^^^f9mm J:; CONCISE ACCOUNT y O Y A G E S, FOR THE D I S C O V E R Y NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. Undrrtakenfor FINDING A NEW WAY T O T H E EAST-INDIES. With Reflections on the Practicability of gaining fuch a Passage. To which is prefixed, ' - A Summary Account of the Risi and Progress of NAVIGATION among the various Nations of the World. By a SEA OFFICER, L O N O N. Piinted for the Psofkietor j and Sold by J. Bfvv^j^ i. No, a8, Patjebnostkr -Rowi Mx>ccj.xxxii. i-^' " I I 'lii im V w 111 * ": (10'. ' ri i ufl ..^«f^. .■.^^C^*' 1=: S<^b ) ; ^ '■'' 7 I !. ■ *. * ■ 5.; : f *1 ■■* l-iv -5^ ' * t .,i-, jrVA;s.'^»>. I :. -i ■^p^"*"wwimppp PREFACE. V ^T^HE Author of the following flieets "^ was a perfon ufed to mariume afFairs, who had been commander of feveral veflels, had touched at the coafls which he mentions (when he fpeaks in his own words) and was from experi- ence a competent judge of the fubjed which is here difcufled, jnfomuch that . b his 28145 -sni.'^awe^www-tffT-' "■; rS*^*w4 ■i^n . \ i\ ■■ 'i:.' I. X ' P R E F A C E. his authority, joined to that of others, may reafonably be fuppofed to have fome weight in the fcalc in determining this import;int queflion. J: Swayed by thele confiderations, we have here prefented the Public with this Summary of the Voyages that have been made for the Difcovery of a New Way to India, together with his Ob- fervations on the probability and pradli- cability of a North-lFeJl Pajjlige, There is perhaps the greater reafon for laying thefe things before the Readpr, at a time when the Public are yet in fufpence with regard to expedled Difcoveries, which may probably give :M : - a^reater / mm «W« I' ^'■■'wiwfpj PREFACE. XI a greater in fight into thefe matters, to which however every information of this kind is to be confidcred> as con- ducivcr , The Author of this Tr^atife is now no morcy but the Editor flatters him- felf, that he has difcharged' his duty by fcrupuloully attending to the fenfe of the original, which he has faithfully tranfcribed, adding only fome pafTagci illuftrative of the fubjefb, and confirni- ing thofc circumftances which are war- ranted in the naval hiflory of this kingdom. ^ . It would be ufclcfs here to enlarge farther upon thcfe particulars. If thofe b 2 who 4- "att » i i « i «>ll« ♦-♦•-— *.^ ■'■*^' " .. -*'.„^^--^*'"\n. ■ ^|^fc|ir"'^ mi ! i ^ ^m., iW i/ ^ 4 IW'llil'l I I -ll'JIIPI J Xll PREFACE, who read for infliudion as' well as amufemcnt, find any in the perufal of this Treatife, or if it fl-iould ftimulate to any fartlier Difcoveries, which may tend to the improvement of Navigation, it will fully anfwer the pnrpofc intended by the Author, and give the higheft fatisfaflion to . . . i, ..jo-.j a 'i^i .1 ,«-f ll The, Public's mofl ,V* j4 ,„ .i . i..,.^'^, f- .-A -:;... '. J, humble fervant, :1. 54^ • « ;* - •; ' *A t •■■ I- -' ' *■,.-; ft » i ' »■< -A. \S> 1. Oi'^Z - ' THE EDITOR. ..^4 m^'^i ij-^ajii^aikafc- ..^'^aiigL^-iftfofeXL. a ^*- .«*rf» «»• INTRODUCTION. I "tf'lft : R •*?') ■'^*P1^? OF all the arts which have contri- buted to enlighten mankind, to encourage commerce, and finally to raife Europe to her prcfent ftatc of fplendor and refinement, Navigation is juftly confidered as one of the principal, and therefore moft dcfcrving of our ferious attention* b 3 " \ There . ■i> li a ». ( 1 >i'H» ii— m i , « ) i.- ty I 'Mij ili l innj iiii i i i»i «— ii—m n «» . » »««. ,i..ii W ii H i in i i | i# t y was tmm w^^i^ mm XIV INTRODUCTION. There is great reafon for believing that the Phoenicians * were the firft and moft fuccefsful of the ancient Na- vigators. The Tyrians were a Phoeni- cian colony, whofe fame we find men- tioned both in facred and profane hiftory. ' . ■ -- ■ - ^ It was from the Eaftern nations, and in particular from the Phoenicians, that Greece firft learned thofe arts, for which ihe afterwards became fo renowned in the world.' . 'I*he great Carthage, whofe power became the envy of furrounding na- " -''":■ '■■'"' / tions, * The Phoenicians traded to Britain, and fetched tin from Cornwall. Some fay the name of Britain is derived from a word, which iig- nifies T^e Land of Tint itt the Phcenician lan- guage. '.,i.«^^-iH*^- ■ ■•" INTRODUCTION. Hv tions, was founded by a colony from Tyre. The Ikill of the Carthaginian^ in naval affairs was fo great, and their power fo extcnfive, that they were for a long while enabled to difpute with Rome the Empire of the World. Nor was it till the Romans, by their un- wearied afllduity, had, in the end, baffled them, as it were on their own element, that this important conteft was decided. . , The Romans, however, even when they had gained this point, did not make fuch improvements in Trade as might have been -expe(5led j and they were ftill lefs calculated for Difcovery* The third of Conqueft ingroffed all their attention, and while they aimed to - -/J J mm P'v,; ^J- %vi INTRODUCTION. to lord it over the known world, they were fo far from entertaining any ideas of a new one^ that they did not even penetrate into the interior parts of many of thofe extenfive countries which were under their dominion, and compofed a part of their vaft and unwieldy em- pire. — What tracks of India and Africa were unknown to them! Hercules's Pillars were deemed to form the Weftern boundary of the globe, and the Britifh IHes were looked upon al- moft as a new world, emerging from the boundlefs ocean.— - ' It was not wonderful that this nuge bulk (hould fink under its own weight. Conftantine, by dividing the Roman power, was the firft that weakened it. When Conflantinoplc became the feat :i of INTRODUCTION. kvA of the Eaftcrn, as Rome was of the Weftcrn Empire, the mortal blow was given to the permanence of that Fourth Monarchy, whofc flrength had bowed down at her feet all the nations of the peopled earth. The provinces revolted, and one by one (hook off the yoke.— Perfia reared her head under a new race of Kings : — the Goths became the plague of the Romans, and at lafl facked that city, which once had boafted herfelf the miftrefs of the earth !— Bar- barians, whofe very names were un- known, Hunns from their wild retreats, and Saracens rufhing from Arabian deferts, all joined to fulfil the great de- fign of Providence, and work the utter fubverfion of the Roman State. The Eaftern Empire, indeed, laded longer than that of the Weft j but Conftanti- nople NWWIIIWjg^WWWIIIIIIlWfc'WI IW IIW ' xviii INTRODUCTION. nople being taken by the Saracens, the imperial fway gave way to that of the Caliphs, who thus cflablilhed a new dominion, which they afterwards ex- tended over fo great a part of the world. I- ,. \ The Arabians, as it is well knowrn by thofe who have read their hidory, • were at fird: in a great meafure enemies to the arts, being buried in the depth of fuperftition, and profeffing to believe, that all ufeful knowledge was locked up in their infallible Koran : neverthe- lefs the genius of the people, naturally lively, at laft pointed out to them the improvement of thofe arts, the con- troll of which conqucft had put into their hands. Notwithftanding the gloomy temper of their Caliphs, they - ->' ' ■ ' ' began I^'"T^B"'«"^^^^^»P)PWP»HI I N T R O D U C T ION. xix began to turn theif thougKts towards the fciences, and to encourage the art of Navigation, in which it is plain they had made fome progrefs, fince the di- vifion of the Arabian empire, and the total extind^ion of the fovereignty of the Caliphs had not been fufficicnt to efface it. f While the Arabians were thus em- ployed, ail Europe was involved in a night of the grofleft ignorance. Super- ftition and bloodfhed, foreign wars, and civil commotions, marked the pro- grefs f When the Portuguefe firft entered the In- dian Ocean, by way of the Cape of Good Hope, they found Moors on the Coaft of Mozambique, who traded to "i. . Red-Sea in large (hips. The mariners there had fea charts, aod made ufe of a compafs of a fquare figure, to direct them in their voyages. ?^ m^ S'- XX INTRODUCTION. grefs of every fucceeding aera ; fo that trade was little attended to by the Eu- ropean States, and the Spirit of Dif- covery flept undiflurbed upon the vaft ocean, till awakened by the daring genius of Vafquez de Gam a, and the ever memorable Chriftopher Columbus. At this time, the feudal fyftem in- troduced by a race of conquerors, fpread itfelf over the Weflern nations. The Nobles, as well as the Monarch, in every country lived in a kind of favage ftate. Each, locked up in his caftle, alternately opprefTed, and fuf- fered oppreffions from fome more powerful neighbour, whilft learning was confined to the clergy, over whom hung fuch a cloud of fuperftition as obfcured its rays. • . ■ In ■■"^.i INTRODUCTION. xxi as In In the mean while, the middling and lower ranks among the people were fo far from enjoying the comforts, that they had fcarcely the conveniences of life. The arts were totally neglefled, and the frequent emigrations of the North- ern people fhewed that they could not fupport themfelves on the produce of their own country. The firft dawning of the arts and fciences that began to relumine the Weftern world, beamed from Italy, and the diftant rays at length reached Britain, through the medium of the neighbouring countries. Thence came the firft rude efforts of paintings fculpture, mufic, poetry; aftronomyand the mathematics were brought among the reft, though fo evidently borrowed ' € from f mnw mm ;.i? -• &f'( xxii INTRODUCTION. from the Arabians, that the very terms ufed in thofe fciences betrayed their ongm. Venice and Genoa, two republics once of little confequence, had, in the mean time, become refpedable, merely by their attention to the trade and com- merce which they had fecured to them- felves, by holding the keys of the Me- diterranean, fetching the fpices, and other valuable commodities, as far as from the Red-Sea,, from whence they were diffufed all over Europe. Thefe might be called the firft attempts of unconfined trade, and they fucceeded fa , well that Venice, by means of thefe^, advantages, found her power fuf- ciently eftablifhed, to be able to con- : tend for a feries of years againft ' :: - ' , ■ " ' -: . ■^" "-■'-" all INTRODUCTION. xxiil all the elTorts of the Ottoman em- pire. , ; In proportion as Vrnice flourifhed, the conveniences, and fome of the luxuries of life, were difleminated among the other European nations. The confequence was, that each of thefe, feeing the benefit derived from having the controul of fuch a com- merce, grew jealous of thofe who pof- fefled it, wifhing to come in for a (hare of their advantages. i • As to the Powers of Afia, they were by no means in a fituation to^/con- tinue the improvements which' had been begun in the Eaft. The conquefts of Jenghizcan, the wars of Saliidin, and thofe of the fucceflbrs of Ta- merlane, had kept the great poten- *-s" C 2 tates ;,5ffl!E3SS?S*iJbi«.v > w£.*iF»*B»i»>'«3!Pi^iTr'j:»<6ffi".#" wr n '4! tJ xxiv INTRODUCTION. tates there in a ferment. Am- bition, common to the world in general, and to the Oriental Princes in particular, had effedtually prevented " them from paying a due attention to trade, and the people of that quarter had not a genius fitted for Difcovery. The market for the Eaftern commo- dities was at this lime held at the city of Malacca, and the trade, as we have already obferved, was monopolifed by the republics of Genoa and Venice, when the ufe of the magnetic needle being known, firft deprived Venice of her confequence, and at length opened the Eadern trade to all the nations of Europe.— , . We are told that the Icadftone, or magnet, was fii^ found in Mag- nefia. I I INTRODUCTION. xxv nefia, a city of Lydia : it is well- known to have two poles anfwering to thofe of the world, communicative alfo to the nautical needle, which properly touched points to the North, unlefs a mafs of iron, or fomething of a magnetic nature, interpofcs to prevent its diredtion. The author of this Dif- covery is fuppofed to be an inha- bitant of Malfy, in the kingdom of Naples : a fucccflion of years, however, elapfed before it was applied to nautical purpofes. , ., - I . / . » •. » -» I, , It was to this Difcovery, that Venice o\yed the lofs of her trade and confe- quence, and the Portuguefe the finding n New Way to India; and to this aera may properly be fixed the rife of modern Navigation. , ' Thus u w,' I im xxvi INTRODUCTION. ' TIius far we have thought it neceflary to give a fummary of the moft remark- able events that have occurred, many of which led by degrees to the great Difcoveries that illuminated our he- mifphere, raifed us from a ftate little better than that of barbarifm, removed the apparently infuperable bars, which . Nature feemed to have placed between the various nations of the earth, and have, perhaps more than any other cir- cumftance, contributed to deliver us from the yoke of feudal tyranny. ^ The fcience of Mathematics, as ap- plied to Navigation, has certainly been -of the greateft ufe in European coun- tries, and we may add, it ought to be preferred to clalTical learning among ix commercial people. — Few are capable of "^•R 6S» V "V"^ INTRODUCTION, xxvii of tailing the plcafure rcfulting from the former, while the latter is bene- ficial in fo great a degree to the Many*'* , It would be indeed needlefs to remark how inadequate the greateft degree of clafTical knowledge muft be to the governing or conducing the affairs of this maritime kingdom, which has in all ages flouriflied, only in proportion to the attention paid to its marine. The neglefl of this has ever been produdl- ive of the greateft evils — Danes, Nor- mans, and every foreign enemy have conftantly made their advantage of this negledl, and have fucceeded accord- ingly. — , :■ t- , 'r-.'''-'/': ^i "i:;'; •; • ^*>r , In cffedl, the confequences of the improvements of Navigation have been, ■ ' Vv: i''*-'.:,.vv.>- - "1 ■.;"■" ■ the h /■ xxviii INTRODUCTION. the progrefs of arts and arms, the re- finement of manners, contributing to the comforts and conveniences of life, and the eftablifliment of thofe fyftems of law and policy, which are the boaft of the free fcates of modern Europe. — fc. f VOYAGES '.m m-m . ' „ ' . l^^ c ■ hm i.iiii fci v« >.i" »'ii mr^ VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY O F A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE, PART I. Difcoveries of the Portuguefe and Spaniards in India and America, THE probability, or improbability, of a north-weft pafT^ge, has been a matter in difpute for above a century paft. To fhew the probability of fach a pafTage is the defign of the following fheets, which com- prife a fuccin(St account of the moft early difcoveries, as well as remarks on fuch of a more modern date as bear any relation to the fubjedt in queftion. — B It ' ! • I \ k 2 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY It has been obferved, that the early navi- gators had acquired a knowledge of countiies that were afterwards loft to pofterity ; it is likewife certain that the northern nations, from their piratical mode of life, which na- turally led to extraordinary adventures, were polTefled of a fhare of this knowledge, and particularly acquainted with thofe lands which are contiguous to the long defired pallage. But before we proceed to defcribe thefe, we (hall take a .view of the rife and progrefs of navigation among the foutherii nations of Europe, from the firft difcovery of the ufe of the magnetic needle, as al- ready mentioned, which may be equally ferviceable to the curious reader as afTiftant to his memory, and applicable to our prcfent purpofe. ^\ It was to the entcrprifing genius of Prince Henry, that the Fortuguefe owed that fjiirit of difcovery which, for fuctceding ages, has infpired the Tons of Europe, This Prince^ the third fon of King John of Portugal, re- turning from the fiege of Ceuta, conceived a deflgn of improving the navigation of his country, OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 5 countrj^, probably not without a view to finding out a palTage round Africa to tKe Eaft-Indies, though this important event did not take place till the reign of King Kma- nuel. Prince ILiiry had heard much from certain Moors, coi^ccrning the fouthern coaft of Africa, of which the Europeans had no knowledge, none of thcmiiaving oaffed beyond Cape Nao. In order to gain fome certain intelligence of thefe parts, in the year 1417, he fent cut two veflels upon a voyage of dif- covery. Thefe running fixty leagues beyond the Cape above mentioned, fell in wich that called Bajador, from whence they were driven back by a violent tempeft and a fwelling fea, But the Prince, who was not eafiiy to be difcouraged from his undertaking, the following year fent out Gonfalez Zarco, and Triftan Va?. Texcira, who were acci- dentally driven to the ifland called Puerto Santo; and the next year they went out again and landed at iMadeira, which had been already difcovered by an Engliflitnan. This gentleman flying from his country with a beloved female, their fnip being forced into Madeira by a ftorm, when the war of B 2 the '1 > 4 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY the elements ceafed, made fail and purpofely kft the young couple behind them. The young lady died foon after, and Machamr, her lover, having made a canoe out of the trunk of a tree, pafied over in it to Africa, ■where the Moors prc'cining him to their King, he generoufly fent him to the King of Caftilc. The Spaniards found a chapel, a tomb, and a moinimciu erc»5tcd to the me- mory of this faiihful woman *'. Fifteen years after this, Giliancz pafTcd CapeBajador, and failed tv/clve ka:>ues farther the fuc- ceeding year. 1 In 1441, Antonio Gonfalez coafted as far as Cape Blanco. And it was at this time that Pope Martin V. granted tlvat bull which confirmed to the Portuguefe all their difco- veries to the eaftward in the Indies. Nunho Triftan pafTed ftill farther, and difcovered one of the iflands of Arguim called Adijyt, and another which he denominated De Los Gaizcs. • ■ * The paintings of this ftory are preferved in the Go- vernor's pahce, where the Author faw them ir the year, 1772. Thfi f warn OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 5 ■" The Azores were dlfcovcrcd in the reign of Alphonfo V. by Gonfalo de Velio, as were the iflands of Cape Verd, in 1450, by Antonio Nola, a Genoefe in the Icrvice of the King of Portugal. .- -■ .. >- . •.., i After this John de Santaren, and Pedro de Efcobar went to the place called EI Mina, on account of the gold trade, and proceeded from thence to Cape S. Catharine. Many other ifl-inds were now difcovercd, and about this period the King of Portugal, pofTefling himfelf of many places on the African coaft, took upon him the title of Lo?'ci of Guinea^ and afl'umed a fort of fovercignty over the Kino;s of Conn;o and Benin, . : .:. ••'...;■ £■!''•>;!. V, King John of Portugal having heard fome accounts of a certain Prince called Ogane, who was faid to leign about 250 leagues diftantfrrm the country of Benin, whofe Kings be inverted with their fovereignty, conceived that this Ogane muft be the Chriftian Prince Preftcr John> of whom fo many ftrange talcs had been circulated in Europe, Im. order to know the truth of this, and to get. ... B 3 fome '^Wf^'W^IV^tt^ '*''^'' '^^tS^'"' ivv.ii'*.. 6 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY fome account of the Eaft-Indies, h*e fent Pedro cie Covillam and Alonfo de Payva over land for intelligence. Proceeding as far as Tor, on the Arabian coafl, they feparated there, the former going to India, the latter to /Ethiopia. Thefe travellers had agreed to meet at Grand Cairo by an appointed time. Covillam went to Cananor, from thence to Sofala, and afterwards to Aden at the mouth of the Red Sea. When at laft he reached Cairo, he found that his com- panion was dead. The furvivor fent an ac- count of his proceedings to the Portuguefc court, but going into ^Ethiopia, he never returned to his native country. While the King waited to hear the fuccefs of this ex- pedition, Bartholomew Diaz, who had put to fea with three fhips, after touching at various places, at laft difcovered the famous. Cape which forms the utmoft boundary of Africa. To this at firft the name of Tor- mentofo was given, on account of the ftorms. which appeared continually to vex thofe coafts. This appellation was afterwards changed to that of Cabo de Buona Efpe- ranza, or the Cape of Good Hope, by which. it "mmmmi^^t^ mmm m mmm rERY he fent ayva over as far as feparated the latter ad agreed appointed or, from Aden at len at laft his com- bnt an ac- 'ortuguefe he never A/'hile the f this ex- had put uching at he famous, lundary of 3 of Tor- :he ftorms, fex thofe ifterwards na Efpe- by which. it OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 7 it is known to the mariners of our modern days, ^ /< ;; ^r .,!': ■;;!:' ,'. -^ ' ■ Tii^-Vv :■ !'' The idea of finding out a new paflagc ta the Eaft-Indies was fo much confirmed by thefe circumftances, that Vafques de Gama was fent out by King Emanuel, having it in charge to double the Cape that had been difcovered^ by Diaz, and, if poflible, to eftablifh a trade between the Portuguefe and the natives of thofe parts. ,, , ., We have already faid that the republics of Venice and Genoa had hitherto been the only powers that attended to, and confi- derably profited by the arts of trade and na- vigation in the wcftern world. The market for the moft valuable commodities of the Indies was eftabliflied at the city of Malacca, from whence they were fetched by way of the Red Sea, the key of which thefe re- publics poiTefled, to the exclufion of all the other powers of Chriftendom,. It was in order to defeat this monopoly that Gama was fent out, a perfon ahead/ known for his abilities and intrepidity. Thi& V ^mmrm v »■*» *• n ^^mmf" mr ■K «^P I tilf'i 8^ VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY This Adventurer failed with three fmall vef- fels from Belem, on the 8th of July, 1497, and though his little fleet was feparated on a dark night, they all met again at Cape Verd, and Bartholomew Diaz being bound for El Mina kept them company in a fmall caravel till the third of Auguft, when he re- turned, but Gama proceeded, and came to an anchor at Saint Helena on the 4th of November ; — not meeting with a friendly reception from the natives of that place, the Commander proceeded, and on the i8th made the Cape of Good Hope, which they doubled on the 20lh, and for the firft time failed upon the Indian Ocean. From hence he proceeded onwards, and after flopping at Mozambique, and various other places, at laft came to the city of Calicut, the Prince of which was called the Samorin, with whom he endeavoured to eftablifli a treaty of trade and commerce. To this the Prince was at firf^ well inclined ; the in- trigues, however, of the Moors at his court had fuch efFciS:,, that it was not without trouble OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 9 trouble the defign was at length brought to bear. ■ ' " "■ ^'y* J'-"^' ' While the Portuguefe had been thus inde- fati'gably attending to the extenfion of their dominions along the African coaft, and the difcovery of a new paflage to the Eaft- Indies, the Spaniards, by the hefp of a fo- reign adventurer, had found a new world— Chriftopher Columbus, a Genoefe by birth, was the man to whom his Catholic Majefty owed this difcovery. Various reports of ma- riners, as well as figns of land, had encouraged this voyager, who was no ftranger to the figure of the earth, to believe that there was a poflibility of meeting with the continent by failing weftward, and he conceived there was a mode of reaching what was then called the Portugal India by this courfe ; fo that his defign as well as that of Vafque* de Gama was to find a new way to the Eajl^ Indies, ^ The Genoefe rejected his propofal j he then applied to the King of Portugal, but the court of Lifbon being fufficiently taken up .~-....,^>«-..'***s«j^» »>-■>*»>* n^iW *>* » V* .f* ' ^ 10 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERr ■ up with the idea of dlfcoveries of their own proved not more willing to encourage his attempt *. ,, Columbus thus repulfed went to Spain, with a defign of laying his propofals before King Ferdinand and Queen Ifabella ; in the mean time, he fent his brother Bartholomew to England, to intimate this plan to King Henry VII. but hismeflenger unluckily falling into the hands of pirates, and his audience .being delayed, the dcfign was defeated in this country, , ■ » f » The application made to their Catholic Majefties, after fome time fpent in confi- dering it, met at firft with a refufal ; but as feveral perfons of note had become his ad- vocates, Columbus was at laft fent for, and juft when he was about to leave the country, his terms were agreed to, and articles figned between the King and Queen and hiinfelf in • Neverthelefs it appears that his PortugHefe Majefty or- dered a veffel to be fitted out upon the fame plan ; but for want of perfcverance the perfons employed letuined with- out having cffctled any thing. - the ••^SIW% -• H-j;^- #»* > < •"1* ■■•■ ♦•. >«-■ '■«-*•* ^ 1 -U-*— (mwww«»*W>''*i 12 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY . next day, they reached one of the Lucayos' iflands, called by the natives Guanahaniy to which the appellation of San Salvador was givren by the Spanifh Adiniral, , ' ,.f . i.S (■ u He afterwards difcovered feveral other iflands, among which were Cuba and Hifpa- niola, on the latter of which he fixed the firft fettlement of Spaniards in that part of the world, which he called the Weft-Indies; from the idea he entertained of ♦hefe iflands being fituate at the weftern extremity of the Indies. — Having accompliflied this de- firable end he returned homewards, and after having touched at Lifbon, in his way arrived at the port of Palos en the 15th of March, in the year 1493. ' Columbus made three other voyages, in the laft of which he difcovered the continent of America * where he had at firft expe6ted * This great navigator was fenthomein irons fiom Hif- paniol», by order of their Catholic Rlajeflies, on a falfe accufation 5 nor had he even, as we find, the honour of giving a name to the continent he difcovered, which after- Mrards received its appellation from another adventurer, called Amerlcus VefjpuliuSi Culumbus called it Pdria. to OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. i$ to fall in with the Eaft-Indics, and endea- voured to make his way into the Soutli Seas by the Struts of Panama j but in this at- tempt to find out a new pafTage be was dif- nppointed by the ifthmus of land which ef- fectually prevents fuch a communication. This difcovcry, which was thus as it were wrefted from the hands of the Englifli, gav the Spaniards great weight, in the (cale of Europe, as Hernando Cortez and Francis Pizarro in confcquence of it, conquering tha empires of Mexico and Peru, added them to the Spanifh dominions. The fpirit of tiifcovery was now awakened in all the fouthern and middle countries of Europe, and the Portuguefe, who by this time began to fear that they fhould not be able to ingrofs the trade of the Eaft-Indles, refolved to fend out Pedro Cabral to com- plete the work which that great adventure; Gama had begun. , ^ Setting fail on the 8th of March, Cabral made the Brafils on the 23d of April, where C coming ■% H VOYAGES FOR THE Discovery coming to an anchor in a fafe port in the 17th degree of fouth latitude— he found the country fertile, pleafant, and agreeable, but from many marks, which the Europeans difcovered, they concluded the country, wher? they firft touched, to be inhabited by ca- nib^Is. ^u The ftay of Cabr'.! in tliis country was but fliort. — He fent a fliip home with the Hi^ws of his difcovery, and proceeded on his voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, where the people of the country made overtures to trade with him. — Leaving them, he failed to the dominons of the K/mg of Aniloa, having loft four of his fhips in a ftorm after he had quitted the BrafUian coaft. The King of Aniloa at firft xcceived Ca- bral in the moft friendly manner 5 but the Moors, as jealous of the trade as their bre- thren had been at Calicut, raifed a confpi* racy againft the Portuguefe, which the Com- mander being advertifed of, quitted the place and departed for Melirda. Here being kindly Ciitertalned, he ftaid for fome time and landed two OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 1 5 two criminals, who were left to go to Prcfter John*s country. From hence he failed to Calicut, ftill pro- ceeding to the place of his deftination, a* fome times trading, 9t others fighting, which was the manner in which ih.' Portugucfe continued to keep their footing in India, from the arrival of Gama to the time of their famous General Albuquerque. The Portuguefe, however, were at laft the con- querors, and intirely eftablilhed their em- pire in India to the envy as well as aftoniih- ment of mod of the maiitime jowers of Europe. Juan de Nova failing from Lifbon in the year 1501 difcovered the. Iflands of Afcenfion, and touched at S. Helena in his way home. And this year alfo three Portuguefe vefTels explored the Brafilian coaft as far as the 3 2d degree of fouth latitude, whence the cold- iiefs and inclemency of ihi weather haftened their retuni to Portugal. It t\ X- .ftMi mnp mumim •IP ■'^''' t i6 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY , It was about ten years afterwards that fome adventurers o( the fame nation difco- vercd the Moluccas, or Spice Iflands, and importing into Europe vaft quantities of thole precious commodities, Spain began to view, with a jealous eye the faccciTjs of her neigh-* bour, and to ir.y pl.ir.s fur coming in for a Ihare of the (picc-trade. _^ ,, ,»,^^-,.j^^... It was in the year 13 13 that Vafquez Nugnez Balboa faw the Great South Sea from the iflhmus of Darien ; and in 15 17 Cortez began to atchieve the conqueft of Mexico. — In the mean time, an officer of repute, who had ferved under Albuquerque in India, and done fi^nal fervice at the fieo-cs of Goa and oF Ormus, foliciting King Erna- i:uel for a confiaerable ftipend, met with a refufal, which determined him to go into the f..rvice of the Emperor Ciiarlcs V. This was ihe Great Ferdinand Maghellan, who, emulous of the fame of Columbus, fought an opportunity of accompliihing the plan laid down by Columbus of failing vveftward, and thereby finding out a ?iew way to the Indies, }h V OF A NORTH- WEST PASSAGE. 17 He failed from Seville with five {h'lpn, on the loth of Auguft, 15 19, and arrived at TenerifFe on the 2d of September, from Vi'hencc they proceeded to Rio Janeiro, on the coaft of Brafil, and, after (bme difputes^ which created great uneafinefs in the fleet, it was at laft refolved to prepare for proceeding on their voyage with all convenient expe- dition.. |.' '' " 1^ ""■ -^'"^.. '.U' Ti; s '>-'Ur Th' S/ ..ards fay that while they were detained on the Brafilian coaft, they obfervedi men of an extraordinary ftature, with voices refembling the roaring of bulls ; one of thefe, however, coming on board, behaved in a very peaceable manner till they put chains oa His legs, which occafioned him to roar in a frightful manner. He was cloathed in the fkin of a large beaft 5 but his body was alfo painted, and or "/Ach. of his cheeks was delineated the i r * t of a ftag, which, to- gether with two iC i circles drawn round his eyes, added to the hideoufnefs of his ap- pearance. The voyagers faw feveral of thefe giaiits as they neport, whofe weapons were C.3 bows aia.is'-f'^-^-wv %4^ » 'MM 'W,^ "i.^TOIff;',"' 18 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY boWs and arrows, and whofe religion appeared to confift of a heap of abfurdities and heathea (uperftitions. Having quitted this coaft, the fleet failed on till they came to a promontory, which the Commander named Cape Virgin, and- from whence at length nrocceding in purfuit. of one of his veilels that : * i^ft him, he fell' in with an entrance into .. Straits which bear his name, in the 52d degree of fouth la- titude. He called the point from which he had this profpe^l. Port Defire, and failing through this pafTage with all convenient ex- pedition, entered the great South Sea on th« 28th of December. Being embarked on this vaft ocean, Maghellan and bis people fufFered a variety of afflictions, wandering almoft four months, feeing no land except two iflands which were uninhabited. In this courfc they were afl'iulied by famine and- ficknefs fuccefTively, and experienced no fa- vourablecircumfhnce, except that they werg • proceeding on a fmooth fci\^ which at laft wafted them to the Ladroncs iflands, where : they t»«n. -»»« , v* ^ • ■< i^^Z^if-'^'' ' ,,i.K'i. ■■ t»lj-'*Ma-. OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 19 they found a people little acquainted with laws or government, and fo much addicted to thieving, that from this difpofition in the native*! the ifles took their denomination, — At the diftance of 30 leagues fr®m hence they came to an ifland called Zamal, where they found gold and white coral ; from thence they failed to Humuna ; and, after paffing between a clufter of iflands, came to one called Buthuon, by the King of which they were honourably entertained. His Majefty's palace was placed on high pofts, fo that it could only be entered by means of ladders j his people were huinane and courteous, and the Spaniards reported that abundance of gold was to be found in the country. . ♦, , »,_^ , Pafling by feveral iflands, moft of which appeared to be fruitful, they came to an .an- chor at one of them, called Zubut, on the 7 th of April, where the King demanded tribute, which was refufed, and the Indian Sovereign being brought to reafon, he was baptized, and his fubjeds put on at leaft the outward appearance of Chriftianity, . ''.''':,*«fiwr At ,;;;-:• •v*?'?**^' ■-ifgllt-J-^ iM-' > ■'"Mk 'mmr. 1 i i ; if\ |i i . m i ao VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY At the neighbouring ifland of Mathan, the Spaniards in their turn demanded tri- bute from two Princes who governed the place. This being refufed, brought on a rap- ture and hoflilities between the natives and the voyagers. The Commander, wfth fixty of his men, going out to reduce thefe iflanders, they met him to the number of 6ccc, and after a fharp difpute, this great man was flain, being iirft wounded with a poifoned arrow, and afterwards thruft thro' the head with a lance by fomc of the eiv- niged Indians. •''"*. 'r' '-^'^^--'-^ -.y' '-■ -/ Thus died Maghellan, whofe feme as a dif- coverer will live to ages. After his death his: people chofe another Commander, who,. with feveral of his compamons, being in- vited on (horc, all the company were put ta death, except himfelf, and the Spaniards re- futing to treat fcr his ranfom, failed away 7/!thout him, refolving to profecute their voyage to the Moluccae^ : * ^ v Arriving at Borneo, they found the peopk to be numerous, and their King a Moor. Hece j/ -fi"'«****m* ■, jm> < .'l i m » m ilt m i "Hpfp/ ; » n ,n y » i i mm.n. »»> .H'*fc««*/-Ki.j;;r--g«»k-'ii«,)...,««-. wmmm OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 2 1 Here they were attacked by an Indian fleet, which they defeated, and afterwards holdina; on their courfe, at length reached the Mo- luccas, on the 6th of November, where they ftaid for fome time to fettle a commerce with the natives, who received their vifitors kindly when they knew they come in oppofition to the Portuguefe. Here they left one of their veflels to take care of the fettlement, and returning under the command of Sebaftian arrived in the Haven of S. Lucas oh the 7th of September, 1522, after an abfence of three years, having made thofe rich iflands, according to their reckoning, within the line of partition drawn by the Pope in confequence of the tiift Indian difcoveries. 4 Thus the voyage to the Spice Iflands was the caufe of finding out a new way to the Eaji" Indies., and the difputes occafioned by this circumfl:ance between the Portus;uefe and Spaniards, ended in the conquefl of Portugal. 4 ':.,> TVi>"-h?V/' -it^: '>(> -..^' 'S\AK PART A 1 ^- I I 1* ;-. J- •• » FA • ■'.*-. . - ^■i S3 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY J -o i;i^ PART II. h-) M 1 1 I, H H DlfcQveriei of the Englijh, Account of Davts*f StreightSy Frhjlandy Greenland^ Iceland^ ^c* with particular Remarks, . . AS the Englifli had loft the favourable opporcuiiity of profiting by the offer of Columbus, King Henry VIZ* ftill wifhing to come in for a ihare of the profits, which ibme had reaped by expences which he had been unwilling to hazard, fitted out John Cabot for a voyage of difcovery, who ex- plored the American continent from latitude 56 degrees On the coafl of Labrador, to that of Florida in latitude 38 dcg. north. With this adventurer went his fon Sebaflian Cabot, af- terwards fo famous in England, and fo well known in hiflory for condudling the fubfe^ quent naval expeditions of this kind, and who became prefident of tile Mufcovf com- pany. In the month of March 1526, he alfo , -w»-**».*>r:,'- • ''tltr '■'*•""'*- OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 23 Ifo undertook a voyage to the Moluccas, being then in the fervice of the Emperor Charles V. to the Strelghts of Maghellan ; but having loft his own fliip, he proceeded with the reft of the fleet to Brafil ; when failing up the great river Plata, he difco- vered the coaft of Paraguay, from whence he returned to Spain, and afterwards to England *. ^ Many attempts were made about the year 1^575, to difcover a paflage by the north-eaft to India and China. None of thofc f^ic- ceeded, but in the courfe of them was laid the foundation of our valuable commerce to Ruftla, and the eftablifhment of the company trading to thofe parts. :l At the fame time that fome were endea- vouring to explore a north-eaftern paflage, others apprehended it might be attempted ,.• M^ • Thcfc circumftances are mentioned in order to fet right the miftakes of thofe who have confounded the hiftory of John Cabot with that of his fon Sebaftian, which has much perplexed the account of their fepa#ate adventures. by i ■i U mm ^ \W ' A 24 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY by the north- weft. Among thefe was that intelliccnt Teaman Martin Forbilher. Under the patronage of the Ea.l of Warwick, he fitted out two barks called the Gabriel and Michael, tosi^ether with a pinnace, for this purpofe. • : : ! ' " ^ . r . f. . . . This little fleet departed from Dcptford on the 8rh of June, 1576, and pafiing by Greenwich, the Q^iccn honoured them fo far as to t.;ke her leave of them by waving her hand from the palace window. On the i ith of July they faw P'ricfland bearing W. N.W. the land rifing in the form of pinnacles, and covered with fnow. .. . ... t-f m^ i Being then in latitude 6i deg. they founded, and could find no ground at 180 fathoms. — The Captain attempting to land was pre- vented by the flioals of ice. Not far from hence they loft their pinnace with four men, and foon after their confort the Michael de- ferted them and returned home. — They faw land again on the 28th, which they conceived to be Labrador, but the ice hindered them here likewife from approaching the Ihore. They OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 25 They entered a new Streight in latitude 63 8^ N. on the nth of Auguft, which they called after the Captain*s name Forhljljsr'i Streights. The weather was cam on the 1 6th, and the fea clear of ice for fomc time, but being in Pnar*s Bay^ within two hours the ice appeared a quarter of an inch thick upon the furface of the water. — In , tiio morning of the 19th, the Captain went in a boat, with eight men, in fearch of inha- bitants. Having gained the top of a hill, they defcried feveral boats, and foon after came to a conference with the natives, who were a people fomewhat refembling Tartars, with broad faces, long black hair, and of a tawny complexion ; their cheeks were marked with long blue (Ireaks, and they were ha- bited in feal-ikins. Five of their men were taken the next day by the natives j but meeting with a party of thefe favages, the Englifli made one of them prifoner, and conveyed him to England, where he died. _ I They left this country on the firft of Sep- tember, and again faw Fiiodand on the 6th, D and ,;►--•*' — - -^^mlp *■ 26 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY and returning homewards arrived at Harwich on the 6th of October,—. \A The fame of this voyage * being fprcad abroad, Captain Forbiflier was fitted out again, being accommodated with one of the Queen's vefTelc, of 200 tons burthen, and 100 men, as well as the Gabriel and the Michael, the former commanded by Mr. Newton, and the latter by Mr. York. On the 26th of May, 1577, they left Blackwall, and arrived at the Orkneys on the 7th of June. They afterwards traverfed the feas for about a month, which were fre- quently covered with drift-wood j and fome- times they perceived intire bodies of ice floating on the waves, vuhich they fufpofed wert d ivenfrom the coajl of Newfoundland, 1^ * Amongft other curiofitics brought home was a pttet tf black fionty which was prcfented to the wife of one of the ownerS} who making it red-hot, quenched it with vinegar, when fome particles of a golden hue appeared ; being feat to the refiners, they reported that it contained real gold j— a fufficlent inducefflcat ia thofe days for renewing, the iiiidtrtaking* They OP A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 27 They made Friefland on the 4th of July, being then on the fouth fide of it, in lati- tude 60 deg. 30 min. N. and here they met with vaft mountains of ice, riling 30 or 40 fathoms above the water, and fomc of which they computed to be half a mile in length, fo that (hoals of this nature hindered them from landing. On the i6th they f.uv the land which had been difcovered before, and to which they gave the name of ^aen EUzabeth^s Foreland, At their firft coming to Forbi(her*s Streights, ihe entrance appeared to be blocked up with ice, but the Com- mandr paffing round with two pinnaces to the < ard, entered them there, and con- trived to feize two of the natives in the neighbourhood. A north-weft wind having forced them out to fea on the 19th, the (hips afterwards entered the Streights, and an- chored in a harbour on the weftern fhore, to which they gave the name of "Jackmaris Sound, On an ifle within this Sound, which they called Smith's IJland^ they reported that they found a filver mine, but very difficult to be worked, and that the refiners trying fome ores perceived that they contained a quantity of gold.— They alfo found a dead D 2 fifh m 2^ VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY fiih [a fea-unicorn] on the coaft, that had a horn growing oat of his forehead, which horn was prcfented to the Queen, and pre- fcrved in Wlndfor caftle. TheComnu-i-ri. r, n-lth 70 men, marched up the country on the 23 ', a;iJ came to the tops of the icy mountains ; but finding no inha- bitants, he returned, and leaving the Qiieen's fhip, the Aid, at ai^.chor in Jacknian*s Sound, with the two baiks, he went to the northern fhorc, where having found a mine, he col- IctSled (as they fay) about twenty tons of ore; but fhe fuddcnly driving into the bay, the voyagers were glad to get out, and leave their golden treaiure behind; and failing up five leaf?-ucs further, they found a commo- dious place where they lay flieltered from the driving ice. Here they anchored under a land which they called Warwick's IJland, at 30 leagues diflance from Queen Elizabeth's P'oreland. As there was a quantity of the fuppofed golden ere upon this ifland, they fcnt ttic Michael to fetch the Aid from Jaclc- nian's Sound. When fhe was returned, having taken in about 200 tons of th« above- mentioned -> , «• ^w*«».^^» OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 29 mentioned ore, and made a woman prifoner, the Captain departed on the 23d of Auguft, foon after parting company with the Michael which arrived at Yarmouth. The Aid alfo left him on the laft day of Auguft. In the whole courfe of this voyage, out of 134 men they loft but two, one of whom, the Mafter of the Gabriel, was drowned ; ctfuf- ficient proof of the healthlnefs of northern climates ^ when compared to thofe wMch lie in the more fouthern ktitudes. Flattered by the accounts which Captain Forbiflier gave the Queen of their ncwdif- covered country, and the hopes of opening a new faffage to India and the Chinefe empire, her Majefty was induced to fend out another fleet, confifting of fifteen ihips and barks, under the direction of Captain Forbiftier as Admiral, who received feveral tokens of his royal i«iftrefs*s appsobation. Captain York was appointed Vice Admiral, and Captain Fenton Rear Admiral of the fleet, which took on board arCidcers of all D 3 kinds, nnipmpwi WWiiP ■PBMHi 30 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY kinds, and every thing requifite for the forming of a colony, which they intended to leave behind them. On the 31ft of May, 1578, they (ct fail from Harwich, and had fight of Friefland on the 20th of June. Sailing along fhore, they obferved a fpace clear of ice, when the Commander landed, and found tents made of4kins, in which there were iifti, fowl, and a bag of nails. Two white dogs, that were llkewife found there. Captain Forblfhcr fufFered to be taken away, leaving knives and fome trinkets in the room of them, and jiothing elfe was removed by the Englifh, They failed from hence on the 2d of July, and ("aw the Queen's Foreland, but the mouth of the Streights was fo choaked with ice that they could not enter. Some of the veflels were damaged, being jammed in be- tween the ftioals of ice ; and one of the barks, that carried moft of the utcnfils for the co- lony, was funk, but the crew were favetJ. —Afterwards the whole fleet was in danger of deftrudion, a gale of wind fetting in from the fouth-call, which drifted the ice in fo mmmmm m ©F A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 31 faft upon them that they were obliged to get their topmaib, old cables, and planks over their fides, to fave themfelves from the frequent fhocks which cut throug!i three inch boards, and, according to their account, lifted fome of the veflels above a foot out of the water. The wind (hifting the next day de«- livered them from this danger, but feparatcd the fleet, and drove them out of fight of land, and when they came in view of it again, its appearance was fo much altered by the fnow that it was not known to the chief pilot, who had feen it fo often. i1 ■ / While they were fearching for the old ftreights on the loth, they were again fe- parated by a fog, when fome of the vefTel* ftood out to fea, whilft others followed the Admiral up a Streicht for 100 leagues,^ thro' which they were in hopes of finding a paffage to the South Seas. And the Conir mander declared his opinion, that there was fuch a pajfage^ which he might have ventured through, had it not been for the regard he had to the prefervation of the fleet. They y ^ \ p Voyages for the discovery They anchored on the 31ft in Warwick's Sound, where the Aid flriking againfl an illand of ice, ran her anchor thro' her bows, and was near finking. They now found the . Gabriel and Michael, which veflels they feared they had loft. — Afterwards they were joined by the other miffing veffels ; but it was now too late in the year to execute the defign for which they were fitted out ; fo that having Tpent their provrfions, loft part of the frame of a houfe which they had taken with them to ere£l in the country, and being in general very much difpirited, they thought proper to defer their intentions of attempting a fettle* ment, and after having repaired their fhips, they direfted their courfe for England, One of the veffels was obliged to feek a new way to fea, and came out at the back of Bear Sound. — On their return, they difcovered a fertile, woody Ifland, in latitude 57 deg. 30 min. N. along which they coafted for twenty-eight hours. The fame veffel fell in with the fouth of Friefland on the 8th of September, and fteered from thence S. E. by £. and till th« X2th, when they^had fight Of mmt OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. |3 cf this land (the fouth part bearing S. E. by E.) and the northernmoft N. N. E. They accounted it to be twenty-five leagues in length, extending N. W, and S. E. the fouth fide lying in 57 deg. 30 min. of north latitude, at the diftance of fifty leagues from Friefland. On the fouth fide was the ap- pearance of two harbours. — Certainly if this ifland could be again difcovered, it might furnifh a good fituation for fifhing in the North Seas. — Notwithftanding all thefe difappointments, it feems Captain Forbifher always enter- tained an opinion that a new paflage was practicable ; but the ore which he brought home not turning out according to the ex- pectations formed of it, and Drake's failing for New Spain calling the attention of the public, thefe difcoveries of the former, then in their infancy, were negledlcd. This great man, however, afterward dif- tinguifhed himfelf in the famous fea-fight with the Span^'(h Armada in 1588, and re- ceived • < . ^. .- ■» ■ V. "in m^^mmmmtm i'::' • V r u. VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY ceived the honour of knighthood in return for his fervices*. The voyages of Sir Martin Forbiflicr at that time confirmed the real exiftence of Friefland ; nor could that of the iiland above- mentioned (which was called the Bufs- > Land) be rationally doubted. Yet what is to be thought of thefe countries ? — Whither are they gone ?— Are they *' in the flat fca funk ?" I ctfn hardly think fuch an event could have happened without fo violent a concuffion as muft have afFedted the north of Europe, and would naturally have been re- corded in hiftory. It can fcarcely be fuppofed that Sir Martin would or could have advanced a falfity of this kind, which the meaneft boy on board his fleet might have contradided. Befides, the whole feems to be confirmed by the par- ticulars which we (hall here recapitulate.—- This land was feen many times, and by one of the accounts we have, we find an attempt * Re died of a wound that he had received at the attack V£on Breft fix y?ars aftet wards, yvni • ^^*».*:^j>t«-«.4>,. So many teftimonies concurring can leave no doubt of the truth of Sir Martinis ac- count: tho* the longitude of the place is not noticed, nor any hint given of its diftance from any known land j yet its vicinity to Queen Elizabeth's Foreland determines us to place it on the eaftern ri4e of Greenland. FrieHand mud lie at fome diftance on this fide, as the Captain was four days after leaving it before he got fight of Green- land ; and in the courfe of his third voyage he was eight days from his departure thence before he made the Greenland coaf^, the part of which anfwering to Queen Elizabeth's Foreland, according to the bed charts, lies in longitude 40 deg. weft of London.— We are left to conjedure how far the fleet might fail in four days, which I fhould reckon not to be above 400 miles, confidering their courfe lay among ice iflands. This being fuppofed equal to fourteen degrees will place Friefland in longitude about 26 deg. Now none of oiu navigators have been near . fince -•» !I>WI»(»*«1~ -. mm OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 37 fmce the (hips that failed with Davies called the Sun(hine and the North Star, which being ordered by him to trace out a pajfage between Greenland and Iceland^ failed to Iceland, then to Greenland, and from thence to Defolation IJIand.-— This was the laft time that it was feen.— 'M\ i, V \ If the (ituation of Friefland is determined, that of Bufs-Ifland will follow of courfe : and if this ifle is fuch as it is defcribed, it mu^ be preferable to Newfoundland for its fiftiery, nor is it to be concluded that the cold will be fo exceffive as might be at firft imagined, fince it is furrounded on all fides by the ocean. — Befides, our (hips bound to the north might winter there, and it might prove a nurfery for hardy feamen. As its diftance from England is not very great, that circumftance, I fliould think, might induce its being fought after. I have founded when near it, by computation, and make no doubt, but that, if I had had time, as I had evident tokens of land, I might have dif- covered it. ' ' *. t But 38 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY But prejudice h.is often a great fliarc in preventing ulcful difcovcrics. This place is Jaid dov n in Van Rulen's Chart, by which the Greenl.jnd voyagers are regulated, as the funkcn Bufs-La}>d\ and the Teamen, in con- I't.quencc, inflead of endeavouring to dif- cjvcr, ufe all the means In their power to avoid it *. r * f : Sir Francis Drake, who returned to Eng- land from his vc/a^e round the world in the year 1580, conceived the idea of a pafTage by the N. W. to A 7ierica. — But it is not at all wonderful liiat ne (liould not fucceed in iuch an attempt, as coming from the warmer latitu !es, which muft have rendered his men little able to fuftain the inclemencies of the noi them climates j nor could he be willing to run any great hazard of rifquing his fhip i * A mafter of a Grcenlandman (calltd the Britifli King) once told mt, that being bj his reckoning near that place, he was akrxued by ureikers, and founding, found at 59 fadonu def^th^ a rocky bottom. He alfo fuys, that many vcfles hrdfoen breaker- thereabout, and that a Dutch ftiip had her quartc'-s alnooft beaten in by ihem, a«d returned home being in great danger ot finking. and OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 39 and lofing the honour of being efteemeJ./vt' firjl commander that ever circumnavigated the globe* To the opinion of this great man may be added that of Cortes, the famous conqueror of Mexico. — He learned from the natives of that empire, that their country turned to the north and eaft, and on this information he, with three (hips, entered the Gulph of Cali^ fornia, and arrived at the top of it in 32 de- grees north. After this, he fent out Vallou, who, falling round this gulph, pafled the welt cape, and difcovered the weftern coaft of Calito'nia as high as the 33d degree of north latitude, i. »i- Though many private adventurers failed to India between the return of Sir Francis Drake, and the cltabliOiment of the Ea(t- India Company, yet it does not appear that any voyages of note were performed, except fuch as were undertaken for the difcovery of a north-eaft or north- v/eft paflagc. Amongft thefe the voyages of Captain Davies w-re the moft remarkable. — ^ E 2 ' On w^ immi I 40 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY On the 27th of June, in the year 15851 Captain Davies fet out from Dartmouth with two veflels, one called the Sunfliine, of 50 tons and 23 men, the other the Moonfhine, of 35 tons and 17 men, in orJer to trace out a paflagc between Forbi(her's Streights and the coaft of Labrador. They had fight of land on the 20th of July. They found it woody and covered with fnow. This land they called Defo^ iation, from its dreary appearance. '••,.,... ' . ' ' i. He was embayed with ice on the 21ft, from which getting clear with fome dif- ficulty, he made an attempt to land, but without efFe<5l. Departing to the northward on the 29th, they faw land, bearing N. £• being then in latitude 610 14' N. the fea free from the ice, and with great inlets and bays. The fhore appearing broken into iflands, he landed on one of them, where he found fome pieces of leather, and the veftiges of inhabitants. Thirty > »M i'*.- .•■».,._< > OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 41 •" Thirty canons came off lo the English the next (lay, and trafficked with them. The Captain at fi.ft imagined iliofe to be a fimpls and civil people, but he foon d'fcovered that they were fub'le and crafty. While the fc'nglifli lay at anchor, they faw great quantities of drift-wood fcattered along the ihore, which they took up, and conveyed to their veil'els. . The wind fetting In fair, the Commander refolved to continue his voyage on the •iftof Auguft", and accordingly proceeded, fleering N. N. W. On the 6th of the fame month they difcovcied land in 66^ 40' N. where they anchored in a bay under a mount, whofe cliffs glittered like gold. This mount was called A'louut Raleir'y^ to the bay they gave the name of Tjtnejs Rocid', and to the found, in which it was fituate, that of Exeier Sound. ■ The bay was formed by two capes, one of which to the northward the Captain called Dyers Cape, and that on the fouth, Cape Wal« fingham. ' ' ■ *'• (, , . ' ' ''^ n \^ i • ■ - , ' '' '\ Departing from hence, he ftcered S, S. W. and on the J 4th had fight of the fouthermoft E 3 cape i>'Jik'«»C^..^l* «>'«•' > x'-^'.-^MTHi !f. . \ % ri I ■ i:|.' 42 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY cape of the land, which he called the Cape of God's Mtrcy, As he pafTed it in a thick fog, he entered a ftreight before he knew it. This ftreight was in fome parts 20 leagues wide, and from hence he conceived an expedlation of finding a fair pafTage into the Great Ocean. Captain Da vies failed Jixty leagues up the Streightf in a N. N. W. diredion, till he came to fome iflands where the vefTels fe- parated, fome going on the north, and others on the fouth fide. Landing on the 15th he found fome dogs, verv tame, with leathern collars about their necks i alfo two fledges, the one made of wood, the other of whalebone. Here was a clufter of iflands with deep founds, and whales were conflantly coming, but always from the weftward. — They alfo obferved here rt counter check of a tide, which came from the 5. W, and rofe againjl the flood fix or feven fathoms* The li^' Tt 1 1 < i« t_ i>i m m*'"^ iw^H pmi II OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 43 The {hips having joined on the 30th, coafted along the fouthern fhore, which was full of founds and broken lands, till they pafled the fouth cape of this entrance, which he left on the 26th, fleering for Cape Defolation, which he left on the lOth of September, and de- parted from thence for England, where he arrived on the ''Oth of the fame month. As great hopes of the intended difcovery had been formed from the accounts given by- Captain Davies * on his return, he was again fitted out with the fame Jhips i a bark of 35 tons, called the North Star, and a pinnace of 10 tons being added to complete his little fquadron. They fet fail from Dartmouth, and, on the 14th of June, in latitude 60° N. and longitude 47^^ W, from London, difcovcred land, but found himfelf fo much incom- moded with ice, which, in fome places, lay at the dlHance of 50 leagues from the * Davies wai the firft navigator who failed round Cape FatcwcU} or ever difcovfred any Streight beyond Greenland. land -/; Aj '\\} 44 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY land, that he was obliged to put back again to latitude 57 degrees. « ~ They faw land again in latitude 64°, where they had anchored the year before. Here the Commander refolved to put together the frame- '\i'ork of his pinnace, and here the people of the country, fome of whom he recollected to have feen before, came to him in a friendly manner, and he difmifTed them with prefents — but afterwards returning, they ftole an anchor, and behaved in an hof- tile manner, therefore he departed, having made one of them prifoner. l^r On the 17th of July, in latitude 63° 8' N, they fell in with a body of folid ice, fo large that they could not trace its extent. It ap- peared to be full of bays and headlands, and this field of ice, which they coafted for fome time, proved an obflrud^ion to his under- taking numbers of his men murmuring fo much that he thought fit to fend a party ©f them home in the large vefll-l. Proccedin Z i'-M,. iiiSim^^'yf. , ;^-^.- »-"-^--;'>JSF?t3'r OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 45 Proceeding with the others, the Captain difcovered land in 66° 33' N. where he put into harbour, and graved the Moonlhine, which was now the only vefTel he had, the Sunfliine and North Star, which were fent to difcover a paffage between Iceland and" Greenland, never returning to him again. k Examining the land here he found it con- fided of a groupe of iflands; then running weft 50 leagues, he difcovered land again in 66^ 19' N. being 70 leagues from the coaft of Greenland. [This land muft lie between Mount Raleigh and the Cape of God's Mercy.] Leaving this land, and fleering fouthward, he found himfelf in latitude 64° 20' N. on the 17th, and the next day had fight of a promontory to the north-weft, which lay in 65° N. there being no land in fight to the fouthward. [It ftiould feem, that this land was the fame he made the year before, as a Streight that now filled him with hopes of a p adage appears from the fituation to be the fame up which he had failed that year.] Aftei n u Ul 'I .^j»<"^^.». I I la- 46 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY After fome fnow and foul vvcatlicr hs got into a iafe harbour on the 20th, which he quitted when the wind canii; about to the N. K. and coafted the land down to the fouthward, meeting with vafl fnoals of fifli, and a number of birds in his couife. Tho' he palled by Hudfon's Scrcights, which might feem to promife a paflage, yet, from a ftrange fort of negligence, we find he took no nodce of that opening. Inftead of this he feems to have fpent his time in fearching for har- bours which were of no confequence, and at length ended his difcoveries by toucumg on the coaft of Labrador, when he fit 1 d up a river two leagues broad for the fp.icK of about 30 mile?, and difcovered, befidcs the trees growing on the {hore, a number of geefe, duck?, and curlews, and whole flioals of cod- iilh. 'ii< The account fays, that departing from hence, he failed fouthward, where he fell in with a low, woody country, and, to the northward of this place, a vaft fea, inclofed between two lands, which muji be Sandwich Bay^ as the place where he then anchored was ■>^.,.. „^ . . ^ : .^•-^-^--^-^-^-y**^ '^..^#^ aiiiJ^lri'iiuiir.*-- ■■■pi OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 47^ was Sandy Bay, about 25 Jea^^ues to the vveftward of Round Hill Ijland. From this harbour he departed for England, where he arrived in the October folio win 2:,. The report which was made of the vaft number of cod-fifli that had been feen in the courfe of this voyage, induced fome mer- chants to fit out two veflels for the purpofe of iifhing, and one for that of difcovery, under the diredlion of Captain Davies. With thefe veflels, the Elizabeth, the Sanfhine, and the Helen, he departed from Dartmouth on the 19th of May, 1587, and faw land on the 14th of June, where he found an harbour, landed on the (hore, got a quantity of fait off the rocks, and con- verfed with the natives, one of whom he took prifoner; in return for which the cap- tive's countrymen came down in numbers, and fo damaged his pinnace as to render her unfit for his purpofe: — Yet he does not afcertain where this Country lay: however that may be, he left it, and committed the pinnace to the care of the fifhing veflels, while he 48 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY he proceeded on his difcoveries. They pre- mifed to wait for him, but having com- pleted their cargoes, deferted him and made the beft of their way home. w In the mean time Captain Davies failed northward, and made the coaft of Green- land, where he held a conference with thirty of the natives, but did not chufe to venture on ftiore. U ■I He found himfelf in 72° 12' N. on the 30th, had 28° of weft variation, and the fea all open. From hence he fleered weft ward for 40 leagues without coming in fight of land, but 011 the fecond met with a great bank of ice> which he endeavoured to clear by going to the northward, deijgning after- wards to have kept a weftward courfe till he could fee fome land, or get through ; but this he found Impoflible, as he put into the ice on the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th, but without effect. He refolved to go for the fliore again on the 30th, and to ftay in harbour a few days, in hopes OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 49 hopes that the ice might be diflblved ; but his expedtations not being anfwered, he bore away again, having declined an invitation of the natives to come on fhore. . f • / ''I On the 15th, in lat. 67® 45' N. he found a great current, which fet him fix points to the weft ward of his true courfe. [It is more than probable, that this current proceeded through between Cumberland Ifles to the fouth, and James Ifle to theNorth.] — On the 17th, at twelve at night, he had fight of Mount Raleigh, and foon after fell in with the opening that he had formerly difcovered. He failed up 60 leagues, in a N. W. courfe, and while he lay at anchor, as the account fays, a whale paflcd by him, and went through, [That he could not have done^ unlefs there werg an opening. I'-'TWxsvJZS on the 23d, when he failed again, and ftood out to the S. E. but he was becalmed. From hence he coafted along foutherly, and found many ftrong ripplings of a current, and a great opening, which he called Lumlefs Inlet. Warwick's Foreland was difcovered on the 31ft [This is the eaft point of Refolution Ifle] j and on .F the ) ^k n 5© VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY the I ft of Auguft fell in with a cape, making the fouthern point, which he called Cape Chedley's, in 6i° lo' N. fmce called Button's JJIes : [This entrance leads to Hudfon^s Bay. j Having left thefe parts, and not finding his conforts waiting for him, according to pro- miTe, in the latitude appointed, he returned to England. .,•-_., -, ,,,,,: ^., :.,;ji., ,y, , In the courfe of this his third voyage, Capt. Davies failed farther northward than any ad- venturer before him had ever done, and it is probable, that if he had once more attempted to penetrate the ice, he might have completed the undertaking which he fet out upon at- chieving. Having fpoken thus much of a N. W. pa^- ftge, it may not be improper to mention the countries, in the vicinity of which fuch a pafTage may be reafonably expeded. The £rft of thefe is Iceland. This country, ac- cording to the accounts collected from va- rious authors, was firft difcovered by one Noddocus, in 874, who was driven by a moft violent tempeft to the eaftern fide of it, where ape 'y-J his OF A NORTlI-WESf PASSAGE. 51 where he ftaid with his company for fome weeks, and gave the name of Snowln?id to the country, on account of the abundance of fnow that fell there. One Gardar, hearing of thcfc particular.';, went in fearch of the ncw-difcovered lanJ, and having found if, called it GarcJar's Ifle, Some otiiers followii^.g his track, had the fame fucccfs ; amongft whom was one Flock, or Flocko, a Norwegian Pirate, who firfl: ga\nB it the appellation of Iceland^ which it has ever iince retained. We are informed, that after this period, Ingolf, an Earl of Norway, fled to Iceland, to avoid the tyranny of Harold Harfager, who had fubdued the reft of the Norwegian Eails. This Earl and his brother-in-law, ar-, rivirg wit'i a numerous train of followers, are faid to have cultivated the land, arvi forBi* ed a fort of republic there. According to thefe accounts, it was from Iceland that Greenland was ^rft peopled, in the following manner : F2 A ■"•I'T-.^^ r.*-! i ^ mWiM*V 52 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY A Chief, named Thorwald, being obliged to fly from the Court of Count Hagan, for fear of being punifhed for a murder that he had committed, went to Iceland, where he formed a new colony, and cultivating a 1 arge traclc of land, left it to his fon Eric Rand, or Redhead. This Eric having kill- ed one Egoir, and invol/ed himfclf in dif- putcs with feme of his more powerful neigh-, hours, was exiled from Iceland, beyond the weflermoft point of which he heard that ano- ther land had been difcovered. Embarklnsr therefore, he fteered weflward, and wintered the firft year on an agreeable ifland, near a found, which he denominated Eric's Sound* Two years afterwards he invited people to come over, and fettle a colony in the coun- try he had difcovered, to which he gave the n?Lme of Greenland, on the cafi fide of which they arrived, after a dangerous navigation, and built there the cities called Gaidar and Alba. • X/ief, the fon of Eric Rand, made a voy- age in the year*999 * to the Court of the King • Sec Cranlz's Hiflory of Greenland, Vol. i, > - ^... f. \ >»», ..If **M '.' '■V.M . •i:>> i;-? :i«'.* Gudrid was fome time after efpoufed by an Icelander whofe name was Thornfin, who claimed the inheritance of Vine Larr^^ where br ' .ff«*r. .^ :v^' :5"> VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY he went to fettle with fixty-five men and iive women. '•% He then came back to Greenland three years after, and induced many to refort to his new fettlement ; and he himfclf built a houfe, as we are told, in Iceland. — Hclgo and Finbog, two Icelanders, afterwards fitted out two veilels from Iceland. But taking with them Fridis, a daughter of Erie Rand, this woman raifed a difturbance among them ; and in the courfe of thefe difputes, Finbog and Helgo were both flain. What became of the r^il of the colonics, cannot certainly be learned from thehillory. f '% m From what has been faid, however, Pine Landy as it was called by chefe early naviga- tors, appears to have been no other than the coafl of Labrador : for Bicorn, going from Norway to Greenland, was moft probably driven to the S. ^V. into the Bay, between Cape Fortune and Button's Ifles, which has been lately found not to lie N. W. accord- ing to the old charts, but to run nearly wed from Cape Fortune, for a eonfiderable diftance, to a OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 57 (llftance, and then taking a northern direc- tion, forms the bay above-mentioned. Now this correfponds well enough to the account of the voyages juft related. It ap- pears that Eric Rand at firft made the iflands that lie oiFthe coaft, which are flat and bare. They then difcovered a country that was covered with white fand and with wood ; the coaft, about twenty-five leagues weft from Cape Fortune, anfwers to this defcription, being woody and covered with white fand. It is to beobferved, that two days afterwards. Lief faw land again, the northern coaft being covered by an ifland, with fhrubs bearing fweet berries, &c. The place here alluded to feems to be no other than Sandwich Bay; and in one of the rivers in that neighbour- hood there is now a fifhery carrying on for falmoii. The ifland lies acrofs the H.iy, and the berries mentioned are the Bcnr-hrrief, which are black, and of a fweet flavour, and are found therein great abundance. This I conclude to be the place where the voyagers wintered, and the time when they faw k. *-•*'*• 5? VOYAGES FOR THE DISC0\'ERY faw the fun rifing on the fhorteft day (about eight o'clock) anfwers, within a quarter of an hour, to the time propei for that parallel of latitude; fo that the obfervation is exa£t enough for the time in which it was made. Thorwald, after examining the coafl for three feafons, damaged his fliip ciF a cape. This cape I take to be Cape Fortune, off which the iflands lie, and between which and the main there is a dangerous ledge of rocks, which prevents a vefTcl from entering Porcupine - harbour without going round thofe iflandj. i J 1 We learn that having repaired their flilp, they went round the cape and examined the Eaftern fide [doivn toivards the point af New- foundland.^ Finbog and Helgo were the laft of thefe mentioned ; and, it is faid, the re- maining few, after the infurre6tion, were never more heard of. — It is probable they went to Newfoundland, in the interior parts of which the Indians are different from the other North-Americans, as well as the Efquimaux. They live in ths woods, go al- mofl > OF A NORTH. WEST PASSAGE. 59 moft naked, and daub themfelves with red- oker and greafe ; but when they are waflied, they are of a ruddy whitifti colour. This cuftom of daubing themfelves might origi- nate from a defiga of filling up the pores of the fkin, in order to defend themfelves againft the cold ; and perhaps they chofe a red paint, in order to commemorate Eric Rand, their anceftor. To thofc who are well read in the hiftoryof nations, thefe conclufions will not feem to be fo far fetched as fome may perhaps at firfl imagine ; fince it is well known that there have been various cuftoms amongfl: un- civilized nations, for which no better au- thority can be given. It might be fuggefted that it was ftrange no Norwegians fliould be found among them, or thiJt if the voyagers loft their fhip, thay could not contrive to build another. To thefe objections we may reply, That the adventurers might have loft the toob necefiary for {hip-building. Befidcs, for a fet of people not endued with any great portion of intelledual knowledge, it would be moft natural, on their firft laiuling, to think of nothing but immediately fupplyijig their natural wants. Their lot being caft In •-4i# I '.«.WVm«*»v*««.^ %J»t^ ^"om msx m^ mm mmamm mm Kfj 60 VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY in a country fuperior to that from whence they came, they might well be fuppofed to turn their thoughts towards the cultivation of the foil. Their next care would be, to conftru6l huts, as well as the materials they found would admit of; and would befides pe- netrate into the woods for flielter. Here were to be found vail numbers of deer, bea- vers, and other animals, fuch as might ferve to provide them both with food and raiment 5 and it is eafy to fuppofe, that by a natural tranfition, they would thus foon be clad iji Ikins, inftead of fuch manufactures as they formerly wore. Thus thefe infant people would intimebecomehabituatedto,and reftfa- tisfied with, their new country, rather than encounter new difficulties in endeavouring to return to their ov/n. And for this two reafons might be given : firft, that they con- fidered themfelves as adventurers come out in fearch of new habitations; and, fecondly, becaufe they had reafon to fear that an en- quiry might be made into the caufe of the mutiny, if they lived to get home in fafety, —A period of 500 years elapfed, between the OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 6' the time when thefe people were left, and the fuppofed new difcovery of the country called Newfoundland. Let any man reHc6t on this laft circumftance ; let him fuppofe a party of Englifli mariners and fome v/omen to be left on a defolate land, and their pofte- rity to be difcovered 500 years afterwards ; and then let him fay what they would be like ! To return to the thread of this narration : In the year 1122, Lok, the grandfon of Leif, fummoned his people together, and reprefented the neceffity of their having a church government among them, and in confequence obtained their confent to invite over a Bifliop. This was at the time that the Greenlanders were fubje^l to the Norwegians. Einar the fon of Lok was therefore fent to Sigard, King of Nor- way, to deiire a Bifhop might be appointed, and accordingly a perfon of the name of Arnold was appointed to that high office, vvhofe cpifcopal ivfiJence was fixed at Gardar. G In I •. ' \i m^m mt jr 6z VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY In the year 1256, the Greenlanders re- volted frcm Magnus King of Norway, who borrowed a fleet of Clipping King of Den- mark, in order to fubdue them, which was not effected till the year 1261, when they fubmitted to be governed by a deputy. After this period wc have a lift of BinT'>ps till the year 1350, when a new race oi men appeared from the N. W. who v ere called Jnnuets or SkraUifms. Thefe people were iirft feen about Difco Bay, and on account of their fm:;ll ftature, and infignificant ap- pearance, were held in derifion by the Nor- wegians. But a peftilential fever having raged in the country before their appearance, carried off numbers, and the reft were de- ilroyed by thefe Skrallings, fo that there are now no traces of them, except the ruins of their towns. The difputes between Denmark and Norway afterwards prevented thofe nations ffm makin? further difcoveries.— However, notwithftanding the ideas that had been fo long entertained of fuch a paff- age, confirmed by many circumftances, the frequent difappointments, and the fear of 1 OF A NORTll.WEST PASSAGE. 6".? of the inclemency of a Northern climate, thut none chofe to. attempt it, till the opinion was revived by the reports of t!ie Portngucfe havir>g found out fuch a way to the Indies. The charter of the Englilli Eaft-Lidia Company being fettled in th':i year 1600, the merchants of England, at the inftigation of the great Earl of Cumberland, raifed 72,000 1. and fitted out five fhips under the command of Capt. Lancafter, who, after a profperous voyage, fuccecded in fettling a trade in India, but on his return, met with a great florm off the Cape of Good- Hope, "which tore awav his rudder, and io mucli dan»:^ged his fiiin, the Dragon, that he \vas advifed to Icav? Her, and go on board ano- ther, but tliib ne refused to do, and wrote lerter which he fent home, Mid in th. poflf:M-ipt of which W.1S the folio win fervation : 2 ob- that paff- inces, 3 fear of " The pafTige to the Enf^- Indies lies in " latitude 62° by the N. W. on the Amc- " ricita iide." Gz Mr. i jf ^4 VOYAGES FOR THE DLSCOVERY Mr. Ellis obferves with great juflice, that from hence one may infer that this gentle- man, who for his great conclude, courage, and integrit)', was afterwards knighted, looked upon this to be a certainty as well a;B a thing of great confequence, or he would not have given it a place in fuch a letter, at fuch a time, and under fuch circumftanccs. Mr. Henry Briggs, in h's difcourfe of the exiftence of a North -Weft Pafflige, fays, *' As a farther proof of there being a pafTage " from thefe parts, into the Weft [or South] ** Sea, there is mention made of a Portu- '' guefe taken in a carrack, in Q^ieen Eli- *' zabeth's time of famous memory, confirm- " ing the opinion." Amono: other teftimonials of this nature, we have the following declaration of on« 'I'homas Cowles : * " IThom.asCowles, ofBedminfter, in the *' county of Somerfet, mariner, do acknow- " ledge, that fix years paft, being at Lilboji, ill A ' s"Pi!P m \ OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 65 <' in Portugal, I did hear one Martin Chacke, a Poituguefe, read a book of his own making, which he had fet out fix years *' before that time in print in the Portuguefe " language, declaring that he, the faid Mar- *' tin Ciiacke, had found a way to the Portugal '* Ifidii, through a gulph of the Ne^found- " land, which he thought to be in the 69th *' degree of latitude of the North Pole." Sir Martin Forbiflier alfo received intel- ligence from a Poituguefe in Guinea, that there was fuch a padige, this man affirming that he had abiolutcly been through part of it. And Admiral Don Garcia Jcfferea Loafia, in the time of Charles V. is reported to havci gone to the Moluccas, by way of the coafl of Baccaliio [Newfoundland] and Labrador, and Gafco de Corronado wrote to the Erii- peror, that at Sibolu, he was 150 Icnf^^ucs from the South Sea, and a little more liotn the North. » • ^ Thefc, with many other tcfllmcnics al- ready recited, compared with tlie various accounts of voyagers, and confirmed by G 3 experience. ( M-' -BT" m^r^mmmm 66 VOVAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY experience, may be fufficient to point out fomething more than the probability, namely, the praSiicakility of a North-Weft paflage to the Eaft-Indies. "' ' ' If there can be any objeclion ot weight, it muft be the inclemency of the weather, and the pafiage being blocked up by ice. As to the firft circLimftance, the expedition muft be fet forward earlv, and no time loft in feeking for any harbours, or examining fuch points of land as are not likely to lead to the difcovery dcfired. It is alfo to be obferved, that mild weather is fometlmes found even in thefe climates. And as to the fecond objeclion, it does not appear yet clear, even from the lateft dif- coveries, that the ocean is every where alike covered with ice, in the high Northern latitudes. (..■■ i I If we may credit the accounts fald to be extracted from the journals of Capt. Cooke in his laft voyage, and continued by the next in command, it appears that this able navi- gator ■"^T^. OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 67 gator entertained a ftrong idea that fuch a palTage exifted, and was pradlcablc. • •■ Returnin'^ from his Southern difcoverics, we are toki, that after coailing along the extremities of Tartary, he at laft fell in with the Strait which divides Afia from America, and that he really found great reafon to fuppofe there was a clear fea towards the Pole, by which means a Nortli- Weftern, or North - Eaftern pafTage might be efTe^tcd. We all know and lament the fate of this experienced feaman who going back to winter in the Southern climates, loft his life at one of the new difcovered iflands.— Captain Clarke, however, by returning to Kaiiifchatka, has given fufficient teft, nony, that he entertained afirraiar opinion witii tiie firft in command. Should he mlfs of his objeiSl:, he muft be under the nccefllty of returning through the vaft Indian ocean, an inconvenience which there ^*iu ^>. ^^„ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1^128 12.5 |50 "^ i^ ■- !■■ mil 2 2 WUu I.I 1 '"^ 1 '-"^ 1.25 V) ^? 7^ J' '/ w Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ •>^ \ 4^ o 23 WEST KAAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. ^ : C>0 (716) 872-4503 7.A vV m» mmmm^p^ 6S VOYAGES FOR THE DISCOVERY there is no doubt but he would, if polEble, moft carefully avoid. Yf ji On the whole, it appears then there are fome accounts which have formerly been delivered as fadts, there are other prefump- tions to fupport the poflibility and pradlica- bility of the paflage in queftion -, there is i > proof of the contrary, and therefore, not- withftanding the difEcuIties which have been fuggefted, the matter is not yet to be de- rpaired of. -• - In efFe^ .•«:%*^,.