Voyages in Search of the North-West Passage Part 10

Maatuke, fish. Icune, come hither.

Sambah, below. Awennye, yonder.

Maconmeg, will you have this? Nugo, no.

Cocah, go to him. Tucktodo, a fog.

Paaotyck, an oar. Lechiksah, a skin.

Asanock, a dart. Maccoah, a dart.

Sawygmeg, a knife. Sugnac.o.o.n, a coat.

Uderah, a nose. Gounah, come down.

Aoh, iron. Sasobneg, a bracelet.

Blete, an eye. Ugnake, a tongue.

Unvicke, give it. Ataneg, a meal.

Tuckloak, a stag or elan. Macuah, a beard.

Panygmah, a needle. Pignagogah, a thread.

Aob, the sea. Quoysah, give it to me.

The 7th of July, being very desirous to search the habitation of this country, I went myself with our new pinnace into the body of the land, thinking it to be a firm continent, and pa.s.sing up a very large river a great flaw of wind took me, whereby we were constrained to seek succour for that night, which being had, I landed with the most part of my company, and went to the top of a high mountain, hoping from thence to see into the country; but the mountains were so many and so mighty as that my purpose prevailed not, whereupon I again returned to my pinnace, and willing divers of my company to gather mussels for my supper, whereof in this place there was great store, myself having espied a very strange sight, especially to me, that never before saw the like, which was a mighty whirlwind, taking up the water in very great quant.i.ty, furiously mounting it into the air, which whirlwind was not for a puff or blast, but continual for the s.p.a.ce of three hours, with very little intermission, which since it was in the course that I should pa.s.s, we were constrained that night to take up our lodging under the rocks.

The next morning, the storm being broken up, we went forward in our attempt, and sailed into a mighty great river, directly into the body of the land, and in brief found it to be no firm land, but huge, waste, and desert isles with mighty sounds and inlets pa.s.sing between sea and sea.

Whereupon we returned towards our ships, and landing to stop a flood, we found the burial of these miscreants; we found of their fish in bags, plaices, and caplin dried, of which we took only one bag and departed.

The 9th of this month we came to our ships, where we found the people desirous in their fashion of friendship and barter: our mariners complained heavily against the people, and said that my lenity and friendly using of them gave them stomach to mischief, for "they have stolen an anchor from us. They have cut our cable very dangerously, they have cut our boats from our stern, and now, since your departure, with slings they spare us not with stones of half a pound weight. And will you still endure these injuries? It is a shame to bear them." I desired them to be content, and said I doubted not but all should be well. The 10th of this month I went to the sh.o.r.e, the people following me in their canoes; I tolled them on sh.o.r.e, and used them with much courtesy, and then departed aboard, they following me and my company. I gave some of them bracelets, and caused seven or eight of them to come aboard, which they did willingly; and some of them went into the top of our ship, and thus courteously using them I let them depart. The sun was no sooner down but they began to practise their devilish nature, and with slings threw stones very fiercely into the _Moonlight_ and struck one of her men, the boatswain, that he overthrew withal: whereat being moved, I changed my courtesy and grew to hatred; myself in my own boat well manned with shot, and the barques boat likewise pursued them, and gave them divers shot, but to small purpose, by reason of their swift rowing; so small content we returned.

The 11th of this month there came five of them to make a new truce; the master of the _Admiral_ came to me to show me of their coming, and desired to have them taken and kept as prisoners until we had his anchor again; but when he saw that the chief ring-leader and master of mischief was one of the five, then was vehement to execute his purpose, so it was determined to take him; he came crying "Yliaout," and striking his breast offered a pair of gloves to sell; the master offered him a knife for them: so two of them came to us; the one was not touched, but the other was soon captive among us; then we pointed to him and his fellows for our anchor, which being had we made signs that he should he set at liberty within one hour that he came aboard; the wind came fair, whereupon we weighed and set sail, and so brought the fellow with us. One of his fellows still following our ship close aboard, talked with him, and made a kind of lamentation, we still using him well, with "Yliaout," which was the common course of courtesy. At length this fellow aboard us spoke four or five words unto the other and clapped his two hands upon his face, whereupon the other doing the like, departed, as we supposed, with heavy cheer. We judged the covering of his face with his hands, and bowing of his body down, signified his death. At length he became a pleasant companion among us. I gave him a new suit of frieze after the English fashion, because I saw he could not endure the cold, of which he was very joyful; he trimmed up his darts, and all his fishing tools, and would make oak.u.m, and set his hand to a rope's end upon occasion. He lived with the dry caplin that I took when I was searching in the pinnace, and did eat dry new land fish.

All this while, G.o.d be thanked, our people were in very good health, only one young man excepted, who died at sea the 14th of this month, and the 15th, according to the order of the sea, with praise given to G.o.d by service, was cast overboard.

The 17th of this month, being in the lat.i.tude of 63 degrees 8 minutes, we fell upon a most mighty and strange quant.i.ty of ice, in one entire ma.s.s, so big as that we knew not the limits thereof, and being withal so very high, in form of a land, with bays and capes, and like high cliff land as that we supposed it to be land, and therefore sent our pinnace off to discover it; but at her return we were certainly informed that it was only ice, which bred great admiration to us all, considering the huge quant.i.ty thereof incredible to be reported in truth as it was, and therefore I omit to speak any further thereof. This only, I think that the like before was never seen, and in this place we had very stickle and strong currents.

We coasted this mighty ma.s.s of ice until the 30th of July, finding it a mighty bar to our purpose: the air in this time was so contagious, and the sea so pestered with ice, as that all hope was banished of proceeding; for the 24th of July all our shrouds, ropes, and sails were so frozen, and encompa.s.sed with ice, only by a gross fog, as seemed to be more than strange, since the last year I found this sea free and navigable, without impediments.

Our men through this extremity began to grow sick and feeble, and withal hopeless of good success; whereupon, very orderly, with good discretion they entreated me to regard the state of this business, and withal advised me that in conscience I ought to regard the safety of mine own life with the preservation of theirs, and that I should not, through my overboldness, leave their widows and fatherless children to give me bitter curses. This matter in conscience did greatly move me to regard their estates, yet considering the excellency of the business, if it might be obtained, the great hope of certainty by the last year's discovery, and that there was yet a third way not put in practice, I thought it would grow to my disgrace if this action by my negligence should grow into discredit: whereupon seeking help from G.o.d, the fountain of all mercies, it pleased His Divine Majesty to move my heart to prosecute that which I hope shall be to His glory, and to the contentation of every Christian mind. Whereupon, falling into consideration that the _Mermaid_, albeit a very strong and sufficient ship, yet by reason of her burden not so convenient and nimble as a smaller barque, especially in such desperate hazards; further, having in account how great charge to the adventurers, being at 100 livres the month, and that in doubtful service, all the premises considered, with divers other things, I determined to furnish the _Moonlight_ with revictualing and sufficient men, and to proceed in this action as G.o.d should direct me; whereupon I altered our course from the ice, and bore east-south-east to the cover of the next sh.o.r.e, where this thing might be performed; so with favourable wind it pleased G.o.d that the 1st of August we discovered the land in lat.i.tude 66 degrees 33 minutes, and in longitude from the meridian of London 70 degrees, void of trouble, without snow or ice.

The 2nd of August we harboured ourselves in a very excellent good road, where with all speed we graved the _Moonlight_, and revictualled her; we searched this country with our pinnace while the barque was tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, which William Eston did: he found all this land to be only islands, with a sea on the east, a sea on the west, and a sea on the north. In this place we found it very hot, and we were very much troubled with a fly which is called mosquito, for they did sting grievously. The people of this place at our first coming in caught a seal, and, with bladders fast tied to him sent him in to us with the flood, so as he came right with our ships, which we took as a friendly present from them.

The 5th of August I went with the two masters and others to the top of a hill, and by the way William Eston espied three canoes lying under a rock, and went unto them: there were in them skins, darts, with divers superst.i.tious toys, whereof we diminished no thing, but left upon every boat a silk point, a bullet of lead, and a pin. The next day, being the 6th of August, the people came unto us without fear, and did barter with us for skins, as the other people did: they differ not from the other, neither in their canoes nor apparel, yet is their p.r.o.nunciation more plain than the others, and nothing hollow in the throat. Our miscreant aboard of us kept himself close, and made show that he would fain have another companion. Thus being provided, I departed from this land the 12th of August at six of the clock in the morning, where I left the _Mermaid_ at anchor; the 14th sailing west about 50 leagues we discovered land, being in lat.i.tude 66 degrees 19 minutes: this land is 70 leagues from the other from whence we came. This 14th day, from nine o'clock at night till three o'clock in the morning, we anch.o.r.ed by an island of ice 12 leagues off the sh.o.r.e, being moored to the ice.

The 15th day, at three o'clock in the morning, we departed from this land to the south, and the 18th of August we discovered land north-west from us in the morning, being a very fair promontory, in lat.i.tude 65 degrees, having no land on the south. Here we had great hope of a through pa.s.sage.

This day, at three o'clock in the afternoon, we again discovered land south-west and by south from us, where at night we were becalmed. The 19th of this month at noon, by observation, we were in 64 degrees 20 minutes. From the 18th day at noon until the 19th at noon, by precise ordinary care, we had sailed fifteen leagues south and by west, yet by art and more exact observation we found our course to be south-west, so that we plainly perceived a great current striking to the west.

This land is nothing in sight but isles, which increaseth our hope. This 19th of August, at six o'clock in the afternoon, it began to snow, and so continued all night, with foul weather and much wind, so that we were constrained to lie at hull all night, five leagues off the sh.o.r.e: in the morning, being the 20th of August, the fog and storm breaking up, we bore in with the land, and at nine o'clock in the morning we anch.o.r.ed in a very fair and safe road and locket for all weathers. At ten o'clock I went on sh.o.r.e to the top of a very high hill, where I perceived that this land was islands; at four o'clock in the afternoon we weighed anchor, having a fair north-north-east wind, with very fair weather; at six o'clock we were clear without the land, and so shaped our course to the south, to discover the coast whereby the pa.s.sage may be through G.o.d's mercy found.

We coasted this land till the 28th day of August, finding it still to continue towards the south, from the lat.i.tude of 67 to 57 degrees; we found marvellous great store of birds, gulls and mews, incredible to be reported, whereupon being calm weather we lay one gla.s.s upon the lee to prove for fish, in which s.p.a.ce we caught one hundred of cod, although we were but badly provided for fishing, not being our purpose. This 28th, having great distrust of the weather, we arrived in a very fair harbour in the lat.i.tude of 56 degrees, and sailed ten leagues in the same, being two leagues broad, with very fair woods on both sides; in this place we continued until the 1st of September, in which time we had two very great storms. I landed, and went six miles by guess into the country, and found that the woods were fir, pine-apple, alder, yew, withy, and birch; here we saw a black bear; this place yieldeth great store of birds, as pheasant, partridge, Barbary hens, or the like, wild geese, ducks, blackbirds, jays, thrushes, with other kinds of small birds. Of the partridge and pheasant we killed great store with bow and arrows in this place; at the harbour-mouth we found great store of cod.

The 1st of September at ten o'clock we set sail, and coasted the sh.o.r.e with very fair weather. The third day being calm, at noon we struck sail, and let fall a cadge anchor to prove whether we could take any fish, being in lat.i.tude 54 degrees 30 minutes, in which place we found great abundance of cod, so that the hook was no sooner overboard but presently a fish was taken. It was the largest and best refet fish that ever I saw, and divers fishermen that were with me said that they never saw a more suaule, or better skull of fish in their lives, yet had they seen great abundance.

The 4th of September, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, we anch.o.r.ed in a very good road among great store of isles, the country low land, pleasant, and very full of fair woods. To the north of this place eight leagues we had a perfect hope of the pa.s.sage, finding a mighty great sea pa.s.sing between two lands west. The south land to our judgment being nothing but isles, we greatly desired to go into this sea, but the wind was directly against us. We anch.o.r.ed in four fathom fine sand.

In this place is fowl and fish mighty store.

The 6th of September, having a fair north-north-west wind, having trimmed our barque, we purposed to depart, and sent five of our sailors, young men, ash.o.r.e to an island to fetch certain fish which we purposed to weather, and therefore left it all night covered upon the isle; the brutish people of this country lay secretly lurking in the wood, and upon the sudden a.s.saulted our men, which when we perceived, we presently let slip our cables upon the halse, and under our foresail bore into the sh.o.r.e, and with all expedition discharged a double musket upon them twice, at the noise whereof they fled; notwithstanding, to our very great grief, two of our men were slain with their arrows, and two grievously wounded, of whom, at this present, we stand in very great doubt; only one escaped by swimming, with an arrow shot through his arm. These wicked miscreants never offered parley or speech, but presently executed their cursed fury. This present evening it pleased G.o.d farther to increase our sorrows with a mighty tempestuous storm, the wind being north-north-east, which lasted unto the 10th of this month very extreme. We unrigged our ship, and purposed to cut-down our masts; the cable of our shut anchor broke, so that we only expected to be driven on sh.o.r.e amongst these cannibals for their prey. Yet in this deep distress the mighty mercy of G.o.d, when hope was past, gave us succour, and sent us a fair lee, so as we recovered our anchor again, and new-moored our ship; where we saw that G.o.d manifestly delivered us, for the strains of one of our cables were broken; we only rode by an old junk. Thus being freshly moored, a new storm arose, the wind being west-north-west, very forcible, which lasted unto the 10th day at night.

The 11th day, with a fair west-north-west wind, we departed with trust in G.o.d's mercy, shaping our course for England, and arrived in the West Country in the beginning of October.

_Master Davis being arrived_, _wrote his letter to Master William Sanderson of London_, _concerning his voyage_, _as followeth_.

Sir,--The _Sunshine_ came into Dartmouth the 4th of this month: she hath been at Iceland, and from thence to Greenland, and so to Estotiland, from thence to Desolation, and to our merchants, where she made trade with the people, staying in the country twenty days.

They have brought home 500 seal-skins, and 140 half skins and pieces of skins. I stand in great doubt of the pinnace; G.o.d be merciful unto the poor men and preserve them if it be His blessed will.

I have now full experience of much of the north-west part of the world, and have brought the pa.s.sage to that certainty, as that I am sure it must be in one of four places, or else not at all. And further, I can a.s.sure you upon the peril of my life, that this voyage may be performed without further charge, nay, with certain profit to the adventurers, if I may have but your favour in the action. Surely it shall cost me all my hope of welfare and my portion of Sandridge, but I will, by G.o.d's mercy, see an end of these businesses. I hope I shall find favour with you to see your card. I pray G.o.d it be so true as the card shall be which I will bring to you, and I hope in G.o.d that your skill in navigation shall be gainful unto you, although at the first it hath not proved so. And thus with my most humble commendations I commit you to G.o.d, desiring no longer to live than I shall be yours most faithfully to command. From this 14th of October, 1586.

Yours with my heart, body and life to command,

JOHN DAVIS.

_The relation of the course which the_ "_Sunshine_," _a barque of fifty tons_, _and the_ "_North Star_," _a small pinnace_, _being two vessels of the fleet of Master John Davis_, _held after he had sent them from him to discover the pa.s.sage between Greenland and Iceland_. _Written by Henry Morgan_, _servant to Master William Sanderson of London_.

The 7th day of May, 1586, we departed out of Dartmouth Haven four sails, to wit, the _Mermaid_, the _Sunshine_, the _Moonshine_, and the _North Star_. In the _Sunshine_ were sixteen men, whose names were these: Richard Pope, master; Mark Carter, master's mate; Henry Morgan, purser; George Draward, John Mandie, Hugh Broken, Philip Jane, Hugh Hempson, Richard Borden, John Filpe, Andrew Madocke, William Wolcome, Robert Wagge, carpenter, John Bruskome, William Ashe, Simon Ellis.

Our course was west-north-west the 7th and 8th days; and the ninth day in the morning we were on head of the Tarrose of Scilly. Thus coasting along the south part of Ireland, the 11th day we were on the head of the Dorses, and our course was south-south-west until six of the clock the 12th day. The 13th day our course was north-west. We remained in the company of the _Mermaid_ and the _Moonshine_ until we came to the lat.i.tude of 60 degrees, and there it seemed best to our general, Master Davis, to divide his fleet, himself sailing to the north-west, and to direct the _Sunshine_, wherein I was, and the pinnace called the _North Star_, to seek a pa.s.sage northward between Greenland and Iceland to the lat.i.tude of 80 degrees, if land did not let us. So the 7th day of June we departed from them, and the 9th of the same we came to a firm land of ice, which we coasted along the 9th, the 10th, and the 11th days of June; and the 11th day at six of the clock at night we saw land, which was very high, which afterwards we knew to be Iceland, and the 12th day we harboured there, and found many people; the land lieth east and by north in 66 degrees.

Their commodities were green fish and Iceland lings and stock fish, and a fish which is called catfish, of all which they had great store. They had also kine, sheep, and horses, and hay for their cattle and for their horses. We saw also of their dogs. Their dwelling-houses were made on both sides with stones, and wood laid across over them, which was covered over with turfs of earth, and they are flat on the tops, and many of these stood hard by the sh.o.r.e. Their boats were made with wood, and iron all along the keel like our English boats; and they had nails for to nail them withal, and fish-hooks, and other things for to catch fish as we have here in England. They had also brazen kettles, and girdles and purses made of leather, and knops on them of copper, and hatchets, and other small tools as necessary as we have. They dry their fish in the sun; and when they are dry they pack them up in the top of their houses.

If we would go thither to fishing more than we do, we should make it a very good voyage, for we got a hundred green fishes in one morning. We found here two Englishmen with a ship, which came out of England about Easter Day of this present year, 1586; and one of them came aboard of us and brought us two lambs. The Englishman's name was Master John Royden, of Ipswich, merchant; he was bound for London with his ship. And this is the sum of that which I observed in Iceland. We departed from Iceland the 16th day of June, in the morning, and our course was north-west; and saw on the coast two small barques going to a harbour; we went not to them, but saw them afar off. Thus we continued our course unto the end of this month.

The 3rd day of July we were in between two firm lands of ice, and pa.s.sed in between them all that day until it was night, and then the master turned back again, and so away we went towards Greenland. And the 7th day of July we did see Greenland, and it was very high, and it looked very blue; but we could not come to harbour in the land because we were hindered by a firm land, as it were, of ice, which was along the sh.o.r.e's side; but we were within three leagues of the land, coasting the same divers days together. The 17th day of July we saw the place which our captain, Master John Davis, the year before had named the Land of Desolation, where we could not go on sh.o.r.e for ice. The 18th day we were likewise troubled with ice, and went in amongst it at three of the clock in the morning. After we had cleared ourselves thereof we ranged all along the coast of Desolation until the end of the aforesaid month.

The 3rd day of August we came in sight of Gilbert's Sound in the lat.i.tude of 64 degrees 15 minutes, which was the place where we were appointed to meet our general and the rest of our fleet. Here we came to a harbour at six of the clock at night.

The 4th day, in the morning, the master went on sh.o.r.e with ten of his men, and they brought us four of the people rowing in their boats, aboard of the ship. And in the afternoon I went on sh.o.r.e with six of our men, and there came to us seven of them when we were on land. We found on sh.o.r.e three dead people, and two of them had their staves lying by them, and their old skins wrapped about them, and the other had nothing lying by, wherefore we thought it was a woman. We also saw their houses, near the seaside, which were made with pieces of wood on both sides, and crossed over with poles and then covered over with earth. We found foxes running upon the hills. As for the place, it is broken land all the way that we went, and full of broken islands. The 21st of August the master sent the boat on sh.o.r.e for wood, with six of his men, and there were one-and-thirty of the people of the country, which went on sh.o.r.e to them, and they went about to kill them as we thought, for they shot their darts towards them, and we that were aboard the ship did see them go on sh.o.r.e to our men, whereupon the master sent the pinnace after them; and when they saw the pinnace coming towards them they turned back, and the master of the pinnace did shoot off a culliver to them the same time, but hurt none of them, for his meaning was only to put them in fear. Divers times they did wave us on sh.o.r.e to play with them at the football, and some of our company went on sh.o.r.e to play with them, and our men did cast them down as soon as they did come to strike the ball. And thus much of that which we did see and do in that harbour where we arrived first.

The 23rd day we departed from the merchants where we had been first, and our course from thence was south and by west, and the wind was north-east, and we ran that day and night about five or six leagues until we came to another harbour.

The 24th, about eleven of the clock in the forenoon, we entered into the aforesaid new harbour, and as we came in we did see dogs running upon the islands. When we were come in, there came to us four of the people which were with us before in the other harbour; and where we rowed we had sandy ground. We saw no wood growing, but found small pieces of wood upon the islands, and some small pieces of sweet wood among the same. We found great harts' horns, but could see none of the stags where we went, but we found their footings. As for the bones which we received of the savages, I cannot tell of what beasts they be. The stones that we found in the country were black, and some white; as I think, they be of no value; nevertheless I have brought examples of them to you.

The 30th of August we departed from this harbour towards England, and the wind took us contrary, so that we were fain to go to another harbour the same day at eleven of the clock. And there came to us thirty-nine of the people and brought us thirteen seal-skins, and after we received these skins of them the master sent the carpenter to change one of our boats which we had bought of them before; and they would have taken the boat from him perforce, and when they saw they could not take it from us they shot with their darts at us, and struck one of our men with one of their darts, and John Filpe shot one of them in the breast with an arrow. And they came to us again, and four of our men went into the ship boat, and they shot with their darts at our men; but our men took one of their people in his boat, into the ship boat, and he hurt one of them with his knife, but we killed three of them in their boats, two of them were hurt with arrows in the breast, and he that was aboard our boat was shot with an arrow, and hurt with a sword, and beaten with staves, whom our men cast overboard; but the people caught him and carried him on sh.o.r.e upon their boats, and the other two also, and so departed from us. And three of them went on sh.o.r.e hard by us where they had their dogs, and those three came away from their dogs, and presently one of their dogs came swimming towards us hard aboard the ship, whereupon our master caused the gunner to shoot off one of the great pieces--towards the people, and so the dog turned back to land, and within an hour after there came of the people hard aboard the ship, but they would not come to us as they did before.

The 31st of August we departed from Gilbert's Sound for England, and when we came out of the harbour there came after us seventeen of the people looking which way we went.

The 2nd of September we lost sight of the land at twelve of the clock at noon.

The 3rd day at night we lost sight of the _North Star_, our pinnace, in a very great storm, and lay a-hull tarrying for them the 4th day, but could hear no more of them. Thus we shaped our course the 5th day south-south-east, and sailing unto the 27th of the said month, we came in sight of Cape Clear in Ireland.

The 30th day we entered into our own Channel.

The 2nd of October we had sight of the Isle of Wight.

The 3rd we coasted all along the sh.o.r.e, and the 4th and 5th.