some authours have made mention), but durst not approche the same by reason of the greate store of ise that lay alongst the coast, and the greate mistes that troubled them not a little.

Not farre from thence hee lost companye of his small pinnesse, whiche, by meanes of the greate storme, he supposed to bee swallowed uppe of the sea, wherein he lost onely foure

men.

Also the other barke named the Michaell mistrusting the matter, conveyed themselves privilie away from him, and retourned home wyth greate reporte that he was cast awaye.

The worthye captayne, notwithstanding these discomfortes, although his mast was sprung, and his toppe mast blowen overboorde wyth extreame foule weather, continued hys course towardes the north-weast, knowing that the sea at length must needes have an endyng, and that some lande shoulde have a beginning that way; and determined, therefore, at the least, to bryng true proofe what lande and sea the same myght bee, so farre to the northweastwardes, beyonde anye man that hathe heeretofore discovered. And the twentieth of July hee hadde sighte of a highe lande, whyche hee called Queene Elizabeth's Forlande, after hyr Majesties name, and sayling more northerlie alongst the coast he descried another forlande with a greate gutte, bay, or passage, deviding as it were, two maynelands or continents asunder. There he met with store of exceeding great ise al this coast along, and coveting still to continue his course to the northwardes, was alwayes by contrarie winde deteyned overthwarte these straytes, and could not get beyonde. Within few days after he perceyved the ise to be well consumed and gone, eyther there engulfed in by some swifte currants or in draftes caried more to the southwardes of the same straytes, or else conveyed some other way; wherefore he determined to make profe of this place to see how far that gutte had continuance, and whether he mighte carrie himselfe through the same into some open sea on the backe syde, whereof he conceyved no small hope, and so entred the same the one-and-twentieth of July, and passed above fyftie leagues therein, as hee reported, having upon eyther hande a greate mayne or continent; and that land uppon hys right hande as hee sayled westward, he judged to be the continente of Asia, and there to bee devided from the firme of America, whiche lyeth uppon the lefte hande over against the same.

This place he named after his name Frobisher's Streytes,

lyke as Magellanus at the south-weast ende of the worlde having discovered the passage to the South Sea (where America is devided from the continente of that lande whiche lyeth under the south pole), and called the same straites Magellanes streightes. After he hadde passed 60 leagues into this foresayde strayte hee wente ashore, and founde signe where fire had bin made.

He saw mightie deere yt seemed to be mankind, which ranne at him, and hardly he escaped with his life in a narrow way, where he was faine to use defence and policie to save his life.

In this place he saw and perceyved sundry tokens of the peoples resorting thither, and being ashore upon the toppe of a hill, he perceived a number of small things fleeting in the sea afarre off, whyche hee supposed to be porposes or seales, or some kinde of strange fishe; but coming nearer he discovered them to be men in small boates made of leather. And before he could descende downe from the hyll certain of those people had almost cut off his boate from him, having stollen secretly behinde the rocks for that purpose, where he speedily hasted to his boate and bente himselfe to his holberte, and narrowly escaped the daunger and saved his bote. Afterwards he had sundry conferences with them, and they came aborde his ship, and brought him salmon and raw fleshe and fishe, and greedily devoured the same before our mens faces. And to shewe their agilitie, they tryed many maisteries upon the ropes of the ship after our mariners fashion, and appeared to be very strong of theyr armes and nimble of their bodies. They exchaunged coates of seale and beares skinnes, and suche like, with oure men, and received belles, looking-glasses, and other toyes in recompence thereof againe. After great curtesie and many meetings, our mariners, contrarie to theyr captaines dyrection, began more easily to trust them, and five of oure men going ashoare, were by them intercepted with theyr boate, and were never since hearde of to this daye againe. So that the captaine being destitute of boate, barke, and al company, had scarcely sufficient number to conduct back his bark againe. He coulde nowe neither convey himselfe ashore to rescue his men (if he had bin able), for want of a boate; and again, the subtile traytours were so warie as they would after that never come within our mens danger. The captaine, notwithstanding, desirous to bring some token from thence of his being there, was greatly discontented that he had not before apprehended some of them. And therefore to deceive the deceivers he wrought a prettie

pollicie, for knowing well how they greatly delighted in our toyes, and specially in belles, he rang a pretie lowbel, making wise that he would give him the same that would come and fetch it. And bycause they would not come within his daunger for feare, he flung one bell unto them, which of purpose he threw short that it might fal into the sea and be lost. And to make them more greedie of the matter he rang a lowder bell, so that in the ende one of them came neare the ship side to receive the bell, which, when he thought to take at the captaine's hand he was thereby taken himself; for the captain being redily provided, let the bel fal and cought the man fast, and plucked him with maine force boate and al into his bark out of the sea. Wherupon, when he founde himself in captivitie, for very choller and disdain, he bit his tong in twayne within his mouth: notwithstanding, he died not therof, but lived untill he came in Englande, and then he died of colde which he had taken at sea.

Nowe with this newe pray (whiche was a sufficient witnesse of the captaines farre and tedious travell towards the unknowne partes of the worlde, as did well appeare by this strange Infidel, whose like was never seen, red, nor harde of before, and whose language was neyther knowne nor understoode of anye) the saide Captaine Frobisher retourned homeward, and arrived in England in August [?] folowing, an. 1576, where he was highly commended of all men for his great and notable attempt, but specially famous for the great hope he brought of the passage to Cataya, which he doubted nothing at all to find and passe through in those parts, as he reporteth.

And it is especially to be remembred at the first arrival in those partes, there laye so great store of ise all the coaste along so thicke togither, that hardely his boate coulde passe unto the shoare. At lengthe, after diverse attempts, he commaunded his company if by anye possible meanes they could get ashore, to bring him whatsoever thing they could first find, whether it were living or dead, stocke or stone, in token of Christian possession, which thereby he toke in behalfe of the Queenes most excellent Majestie, thinking that therby he might justify the having and enjoying of ye same things that grew in these unknowne partes.

Some of his companye broughte floures, some greene grasse, and one brought a peece of a blacke stone, much lyke to a seacole in coloure, whiche by the waight seemed to be some kinde

of mettall or mynerall. This was a thing of no accompt in the judgement of the captain at the first sight. And yet for novelty it was kept, in respect of the place from whence it came.

After his arrival in London, being demanded of sundrie his friendes what thing he had brought them home of that country, he had nothing left to present them withall but a peece of this black stone. And it fortuned a gentlewoman, one of ye adventurers wives, to have a peece thereof, which by chance she threw and burned in the fire, so long, that at the length being taken forth and quenched in a little vinegre, it glistered with a bright Marquesset of golde. Whereupon the matter being called in some question, it was brought to certain goldfinders in London to make assay therof, who indeed found it to hold gold, and that very ritchly for the quantity. Afterwards, the same goldfinders promised great matters thereof if there were anye store to be found, and offred themselves to adventure for the serching of those partes from whence the same was brought. Some, that had great hope of the matter, sought secretly to have a lease at hir Majesties hands of those places, whereby to enjoy the masse of so great a publike profit unto their owne private gaines.

In conclusion, the hope of the same golde ore to be founde, kindled a greater opinion in the heartes of many to advaunce the voyage againe. Whereupon preparation was made for a newe voyage against the yeare following, and the captaine more specially directed by commission for the searching more of this golde ore than for the searching any further of the passage. And being wel accompanied with diverse resolute and forward gentlemen, hir Majestie then lying at the right honourable the Lord of Warwicks house in Essex, came to take theyr leaves, and kissing hir highnesse hands, with gracious countenance and comfortable words departed towardes their charge.

EXTRACT FROM BESTE'S DEDICATION TO SIR CHRISTOPHER

HATTON.

By this discourse, it may please your Honour to behold the greate industrie of oure present age, and the invincible mindes of our Englishe nation, who have never lefte anye worthy thing unattempted, nor anye parte almoste of the whole world unsearched, whome lately, neyther stormes of seas by long and tedious voyages, danger of darke fogs and hidden rockes in unknown coastes, congealed and frozen

seas, with mountains of fleeting ise, nor yet present dayly before their face, coulde anye white dismay, or cause to desiste from intended enterprises; but rather preferring an honourable death before a shameful retourne, have (notwithstanding the former dangers,) after many perillous repulses, recovered their desired port. So that, if now the passage to CATAYA thereby be made open unto us, (which only matter hytherto hath occupied the finest heades of the world, and promiseth us a more riches by a nearer way than eyther Spaine or Portugale possesseth) where of the hope (by the good industrie and great attemptes of these men is greatly augmented) or if the golde ore in these new discoveries founde out, doe in goodnesse as in greate plenty auns were expectation, and the successe do followe as good, as the proofe thereof hitherto made, is great, we may truely infer, that the Englishman in these our dayes, in his notable discoveries, to the Spaniard and Portingale is nothing inferior: and for his hard adventures, and valiant resolutions, greatly superior. For what hath the Spaniarde or Portingale done by the southeast and southweast, that the Englishman by the northeast and northweast hath not countervailed the same?

And albeit I confesse that the Englishe have not hytherto had so ful successe of profit and commoditie of pleasaunt place (considering that the former nations have happily chanced to travel by more temperate clymates, where they had not onlye good meates and drinkes, but all other things necessarie for the use of man) all whiche things, the English, travelling by more intemperate places, and as it were with mayne force, making waye through seas of ise, have wanted, which notwithstanding argueth a more resolution: for Difficiliora pulchriora, that is, the adventure the more hard the more honorable: yet concerning the perfecter knowledge of the world, and geographicall description, (wherein the present age and posteritie also, by a more universal understanding is much furthered, as appeareth by my universall mappe with pricked boundes here annexed) herein, the Englishman deserveth chiefe honour above any other. For neyther Spaniard nor Portugale, nor anye other besides the English, have bin found, by so great dangers of ise, so neare the Pole, to adventure any discoverie, whereby the obscure and unknowen partes of the world (which otherwise had laine hid) have bin made knowen unto us.

So that it may appeare, that by our English men's industries, and these late voyages, the world is grown to a more fulnesse and perfection; many unknowen lands and ilands, (not so much as thought upon before) made knowen unto us: Christ's name spred: the Gospell preached; infidels like to be converted to Christiantie, in places where before the name of God had not once bin hearde of: shipping and seafaring men, have bin employed: navigation and the navie (which is the chief strength of our realm) maintayned: and gentlemen in the sea service, for the better service of their country, wel experienced. Al whiche things are (no doubt) of so gret importance, as being wel wayed, may seeme to countervayle the adventures charges: although the passage to CATAYA were not found out, neither yet the golde ore prove good, wher of both the hope is good and gret. But notwithstanding all these, even in this (if no otherwise) hyr most excellent Majestie hath reaped no small profit, that she may now stand assured, to have many more tried, able and sufficient men against time of need, that