A true report of the last voyage into the West and Northwest regions, etc. 1577. worthily achieved by captain Frobisher of the said voyage the first finder and General.  
With a description of the people there inhabiting, and other circumstances notable.  
Written by Dionyse Settle, one of the company in the said voyage, and servant to the Right Honourable the Earl of Cumberland.  Nil mortalibus arduum est. 
¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Middleton. Anno. 1577.   

¶ A rhythm decasyllabical, upon this last lucky voyage of worthy captain Frobisher. 1577.  

THrough sundry foaming fretes, and storming straits,  
That venturous knight of Ithac' soil did sail:  
Against the force of Sirens baulmed beightes,  
His noble skill and courage did prevail.  
His hap was hard, his hope yet nothing frail.  
Not ragged Rocks, not sinking Syrtes or sands  
His stoutness staid, from viewing foreign lands.   

That Poet's pen and pains was well employed,  
His brains bedewed with drops of Parnasse spring:  
Whereby renown deserved he enjoyed.  
Yea, now (though dead) the Muses sweetly sing,  
Melodiously by note, and tuned string,  
They sound in th'ears of people far and near,  
Th'exceeding praise of that approved Peer.   

A right Heroical heart of Britanne blood,  
Ulysses' match in skill and martial might:  
For Prince's fame, and countries special good,  
Through brackish seas (where Neptune reigns by right)  
Hath safely sailed, in perils great despite:  
The Golden fleece (like jason) hath he got,  
And rich returned, sans loss or luckless lot.   

O that I had old Homer's worthy wit,  
O that I had, this present hour, his head:  
With pen in hand, then musing would I sit,  
And our Vlysses valiant venture spread  
In vaunting verse, that when his corpse is dead,  
(Which long may live) his true renown may rest,  
As one whom God abundantly hath blest.   
Abraham Fleming.   

¶ To the Right honourable and my singular good Lord, George Earl of Cumberland, Baron Clifford, Lord of Skipton and Vesscie: his humble servant Dionyse Settle, wisheth the fullness of all perfect felicity.  
IT both is, and hath been, (Right Honourable) the bounty of a noble mind, not to expect remuneration or satisfaction for liberality frankly bestowed. It both is, and also hath been accounted a great vice, to seem unthankful, or at the least not something careful, of whom, when, and how, we should receive liberality. I am not oblivious, neither careless, when, and how, your Honour (above my expectation) nobly satisfied the request of me your humble servant. I am most assured, that the virtue of your noble heart expecteth nothing of me, but that your goodness might abound to my profit: upon which occasion, and because I would not be accounted ingrateful, I have both boldly passed the limits of my duty, and also unlearnedly taken upon me to set forth some thing worthy notice, in this last voyage of our captain and General, Master Martin Frobisher, your Honour's worthy Country man: under whom (as your Honour's unworthy servant) I was one in the said voyage. By his great diligence, the voyage is worthily finished: whereby I am persuaded, that he will refel the rehearsal of those opprobrious words, namely, that, All evil cometh from or hath original in the North: not only he, but many worthy subjects more.  
I have published this scantling, under the noble title of your Honour, to whom I offer the same in dedication: which, though it be not decorated with good learning, apt for the setting forth of so notable a matter: yet, the same is beautified with good will and truth. Wherein your Honour, (if it shall so please you) for recreation sake, may understand, what people, countries, and other commodities we have found out, since our departure from England, which have not been known before. Thus, presuming upon hope and assurance of your Honours pardon for my bold attempt herein, I rest humbly at your Lordship's commandment: wishing your time so spent in this world, that you may enjoy the felicity in the world to come. Amen.  
Your Lordship's most humble servant to command, Dionyse Settle.   

To the Christian Reader.  
Such countries and people, (good Christian Reader) which almost from the deluge, or at the least, so long as any human creature hath had habitation on the earth, have of late years, by the industry of diligent searchers been explored: it hath likewise pleased God, that they should be found out by those people, which for the temperature of their habitation, are most apt to achieve the same. As for example, the Spaniards, the West Indies. Spain is situated much more near the Tropike of Cancer, than other Christian countries be: whereby, the Spaniards are better able to tolerate Phoebus' burning beams, than others which are more Septentrional than they. Wherefore, I suppose them the most apt men for the enjoying of the habitation of the West Indies: and especially so much, as is vexed with continual heat, or that is agreeable to their temperature, God hath been pleased that they, as the most apt people, should both explore & enjoy the same. Semblably, the Portugal's, whose temperature is correspondent to the Spaniards, God is also contented, that they have explored Africa, even through the burning Zone, both the West and South coast, with all the coast of Asia, unto the Oriental cape thereof, and the Islands adjacent to them both wherefore, both for their habitation, and temperature, I account them the most apt people to achieve the same, and to reap the benefit, where about they have taken no small pains and labour. In like manner, the French men, where the Spaniards thought the place not apt for their temperature, discovered Nova Francia, and other places in America: wherefore, I judge them worthy the commodity thereof, as people most apt to enjoy and possess the same. Lastly, it hath pleased God, at this present, by the great diligence & care of our worthy Countryman, Master Martin Frobisher, in the 18. and 19 year of our Queen's majesties reign, to discover, for the utility of his Prince and Country, other regions more Septentrional, than those before rehearsed: which, from the beginning, as unknown till now, have been concealed and hidden. Which discovery, I judge most apt for us English men, and more agreeing to our temperature, than others above rehearsed. I leave the famous discovery of Moscovy, and other countries on those parts, (which of late years have been explored by the industry of other our worthy countrymen) to the diligent Reader: whereby he may consider, that this our country, hath fostered up men of no less value and excellency, than those, which are entitled, The second, third, and fourth Neptune. And doubtless, he, by whose endeavour this last discovery of the world is explored, may be celebrated as well with the title of Aeolus, as also of Neptune. By whose singular knowledge and cunning, God hath preserved us in this voyage, from both their cruel dangers.  
Thus (Christian Reader) thou mayst perceive, that the world, of late years, hath been discovered by sundry regions of this our Europe: which God hath so divided in the exploring of the same, that it seemeth apt and agreeable to the discoverer, more than to any other, to enjoy all such commodities as they yield and afford. Consider also, that Christians have discovered these countries and people, which so long have lain unknown, and they not us: which plainly may argue, that it is Gods good will and pleasure, that they should be instructed in his divine service and religion, which from the beginning, have been nouzeled and nourished in Atheism, gross ignorance, and barbarous behaviour. Wherefore, this is my judgement, (in conclusion) that who so ever can win them from their infidelity, to the perfect knowledge of his divine institutions and service, he or they are worthy to receive the greatest reward at God's hands, and the greater benefits from those countries, which he hath discovered. Far well.   

¶ A true report of captain Frobisher his last voyage into the West and Northwest regions, this present year 1577. With a description of the people there inhabiting.  
ON Whitsunday last passed, being the 26. of May, in this present year of our Lord God 1577. captain Frobisher departed from Black Wall, with one of the queens majesties ships, called The Aid, of nine score tun, or there abouts: and two other little Barks likewise, the one called The Gabriel, whereof Master Fenton a Gentleman of my Lord of Warwick's was captain: and the other, The Michael, whereof Master York a Gentleman of my Lord Admerals was Captein, accompanied with seven score gentlemen, soldiers and sailors, well furnished with victuals, and other provision necessary for one half year, on this his second voyage, for the further discovering of the passage to Achaia, and other countries thereunto adjacent, by West and Northwest Navigations: which passage, or way, is supposed to be on the North and Northwest parts of America: and the said America to be an Island environed with the sea, wherethrough our merchants might have course and recourse with their merchandise, from these our Northernmost parts of Europe, to those oriental coasts of Asia, in much shorter time, and with greater benefit than any others, to their no little commodity and profit that do traffic the same. Our said captain and General of this present voyage and company, having the year before, with two little Pinnisies, to his great danger and no small commendations, given a worthy attempt towards the performance thereof, is also priest (when occasion shall be ministered, to the benefit of his Prince and native country) to adventure himself further therein. As for this second voyage, it seemeth sufficient, that he hath better explored and searched the commodities of those people and countries, with sufficient commodity unto the adventurers, which in his first voyage the year before he had found out.  
Upon which considerations, the day and year before expressed, we departed from Black Wall to Harwiche, where making an accomplishment of things necessary, the last of may we hoist up sails, and with a merry wind the 7. thereof we arrived at the Islands called Orchades, or vulgarly Orkney, 
The Islands Orchades, or Orkney.  being in number 30. subject and adjacent to Scotland, where we made provision of fresh water: in the doing whereof, our General licensed the Gentlemen and Soldiers, for their recreation, to go on shore. At our landing, 
The Orchadians upon small occasion flee their home.  the people fled from their poor cottages, with shrieks and alarms, to warn their neighbours of enemies: but by gentle persuasions we reclaimed them to their houses. It seemeth they are often frighted with Pirates, or some other enemies, that moveth them to such sudden fear. Their houses are very simply builded with pebble stone, 
Simple houses in Orkney.  without any attorneys, the fire being made in the midst thereof. The good man, wife, children, and other of their family, eat and sleep on the one side of the house, and their cattle on the other, very beastly and rudely, in respect of civility. They are destitute of wood, 
No wood in Orkney.  their fire is turfs and Cow shards. They have corn, big, and oats, with which they pay their Kings rent, to the maintenance of his house. They take great quantity of fish, which they dry in the wind and Sun. They dress their meat very filthily, and eat it without salt. Their apparel is after the rudest sort of Scotland. Their money is all base. Their church and religion is reform according to the Scots. The fisher men of England, 
Fisher men of England have daily traffic to Orkney.  can better declare the dispositions of those people than I: wherefore, I remit other their usages to their reports, as yearly repairers thither, in their course to and from Island for fish.  
We departed here-hence, the 8. of june, 
In june and julie, no night in those West and Northwest regions.  and followed our course between West and Northwest, until the 4. of julie: all which time, we had no night, but that easily, and without any impediment, we had when we were so disposed, the fruition of our books, and other pleasures to pass away the time: a thing of no small moment, to such as wander in unknown seas and long Navigations, especially, when both the winds, and raging surges, do pass their common and wont course. This benefit endureth in those parts not six weeks, whilst the Sun is near the Tropic of Cancer: but where the Pole is raised to 70. or 80. degrees, it continueth the longer.  
All along these seas, after we were 6. days sailing from Orkney, we met floating in the sea, great Fir trees, which as we judged, were with the fury of great floods rooted up, and so driven into the sea. Island hath almost no other wood nor fuel, but such as they take up upon their coasts. It seemeth, that these trees are driven from some part of the New found land, with the Current that setteth from the West to the East.  
The 4. of julie, we came within the making of Friesland. 
Freesland.  From this shore 10. or 12. leagues, we met great Islands of ice, 
Islands of ice.  of half a mile, some more, some less in compass, showing above the sea 30. or 40. fathoms, and as we supposed, fast on ground, where, with our lead we could scarce sound the bottom for depth.  
Here, in place of odoriferous and fragrant smells of sweet gums, and pleasant notes of musical birds, which other Countries in more temperate Zone do yield, we tasted the most boisterous boreal blasts, mixed with snow and hail, 
Ice, snow, and hail in june and julie.  in the month of june and julie, nothing inferior to our untemperate Winter: a sudden alteration, and especially in a place or Paralele, where the Pole is not elevate above 61. degrees: at which height other country's more to the North, yea, unto 70. degrees, show themselves more temperate than this doth.  
All along this coast ice lieth, 
Ice defendeth Freesland.  as a continual bulwark, and so defendeth the country, that those which would land there incur great danger. Our General three days together, attempted with the shippboate to have gone on shore, which, for that without great danger he could not accomplish, he deferred it until a more convenient time. All along the coast lie very high mountains covered with snow, 
The shore of Freesland high mountains.  except in such places, where, through the stéepenesse of the mountains, of force it must needs fall.  
Four days coasting along this Land, we found no sign of habitation. Little birds, 
Freesland subject to fogs.  which we judged to have lost the shore, by reason of thick fogs, which that country is much subject unto, came fleeing to our ships, 
Little birds a sign and token of habitation.  which causeth us to suppose, that the country is both more tolerable, and also habitable within, than the outward shore maketh show or signification.  
From hence we departed the eight of julie: and the 16. of the same, we came within the making of land, which land our General, the year before, had named The Queen's foreland, 
The Queen's Foreland.  being an Island, as we judge, lying near the supposed continent with America: & on the other side, opposite to the same, one other Island called halls Isle, after the name of the Master of our ship, 
halls Isle.  near adjacent to the firm land, supposed continent with Asia. Between the which two Islands, there is a large entrance or straight, 
Frobishers straight.  called Frobishers straight, after the name of our General, the first finder thereof. This said straight, is supposed to have passage into the Sea of Sur, which I leave unknown as yet.  
It seemeth, that either here, or not far hence, the Sea should have more large entrance, than in other parts, within the frozen or untemperate Zone: and that some contrary tide, either from the East or West, with main force casteth out that great quantity of ice, which cometh floating from this coast, even unto Freesland, causing that country to seem more untemperate than others, much more Northerly than they are.  
I cannot judge, that any temperature under the Pole, being the time of the suns Northern declination, half a year together and one whole day, (considering, that the suns elevation surmounteth not 23. degrees and 30. minutes,) can have power to dissolve such monstrous and huge ice, 
Islands of ice comparable to mountains.  comparable to great mountains, except by some other force, as by swift Currents and tides, with the help of the said day of half a year.  
Before we came within the making of these Lands, we tasted cold storms, insomuch that it seemed, we had changed Summer with winter, if the length of the days had not removed us from that opinion.  
At our first coming, the straits seemed to be shut up with a long mure of ice, which gave no little cause of discomfort unto us all: but our General, (to whose diligence, imminent dangers, 
captain Frobisher his special care and  and difficult attempts seemed nothing, in respect of his willing mind, for the commodity of his Prince and country,) with two little Pinnises prepared of purpose, passed twice thorough them to the East shore, and the Islands thereunto adjacent: and the ship, with the two barks, lay off and on something further into the sea, from the danger of the ice.  
Whilst he was searching the country near the shore, 
The order of the people appearing on shore.  some of the people of the country showed themselves, leaping and dancing, with strange shrieks and cries, which gave no little admiration to our men. Our General desirous to allure them unto him by fair means, caused knives, & other things, to be proffered unto them, which they would not take at our hands: but being laid on the ground, & the party going away, they came and took up, leaving something of theirs to countervail the same. At the length, two of them leaving their weapons, came down to our General and Master, who did the like to them, commanding the company to stay, and went unto them: who, after certain dumb signs and mute congratulations, began to lay hands upon them, but they deliverly escaped, and ran to their bows and arrows, 
Fierce and bold people.  and came fiercely upon them, (not respecting the rest of our company, which were ready for their defence) but with their arrows hurt diverse of them: we took the one, and the other escaped. 
One taken.   
Whilst our General was busied in searching the country and those Islands adjacent on the East shore, the ship and barks having great care, not to put far into the sea from him, for that he had small store of victuals, were forced to abide in a cruel tempest, chancing in the night, amongst and in the thickest of the ice, which was so monstrous, that even the least of a thousand had been of force sufficient, to have shivered our ship and barks into small portions, if God (who in all necessities, hath care upon the infirmity of man) had not provided for this our extremity a sufficient remedy, through the light of the night, whereby we might well discern to flee from such imminent dangers, which we avoided with 14. Bourdes in one watch the space of 4. hours. If we had not incurred this danger amongst these monstrous Islands of ice, we should have lost our General and Master, and the most of our best sailors, which were on the shore destitute of victuals: but by the valour of our Master Gunner, 
Richard Cox Master Gunner.  being expert both in Navigation and other good qualities, we were all content to incur the dangers afore rehearsed, before we would, with our own safety, run into the Seas, to the destruction of our said General and his company.  
The day following, being the 19 of julie, our captain returned to the ship, with good news of great riches, which showed itself in the bowels of those barren mountains, wherewith we were all satisfied. A sudden mutation. The one part of us being almost swallowed up the night before, with cruel Neptune's force, and the rest on shore, taking thought for their greedy paunches, how to find the way to New found land: 
New found land.  at one moment we were all rapt with joy, forgetting, both where we were, and what we had suffered. Behold the glory of man, to night contemning riches, and rather looking for death than otherwise: and to morrow devising how to satisfy his greedy appetite with Gold.  
Within four days after we had been at the entrance of the straits, the Northwest and West winds dispersed the ice into the Sea, and made us a large entrance into the straits, that without any impediment, on the 19 of julie, we entered them, and the 20. thereof our General and Master, with great diligence, sought out and sounded the West shore, and found out a fair Harborough for the ship and barks to ride in, and named it after our masters mate, jackmans' sound, 
jackmans' sound.  and brought the ship, barks, and all their company to safe anchor, except one man, which died by God's visitation.  
Who so maketh Navigations to these countries, hath not only extreme winds, and furious Seas, 
Ice needful to be regarded of seafaring men.  to encounter withal, but also many monstrous and great Islands of ice: a thing both rare, wonderful, and greatly to be regarded.  
We were forced, sundry times, while the ship did ride here at anchor, to have continual watch, 
Great watch with men and boats for ice endangering the ship at anchor.  with boats and men ready with Hawsers, to knit fast unto such ice, which with the ebb and flood were tossed to and fro in the harborough, and with force of oars to hale them away, for endangering the ship.  
Our General, certain days searched this supposed continent with America, and not finding the commodity to answer his expectation, after he had made trial thereof, he departed thence with two little barks, and men sufficient, to the East shore, being the supposed continent of Asia, & left the ship with most of the Gentlemen, Soldiers, and Sailors, until such time as he, either thought good to send, or come for them.  
The stones of this supposed continent with America, 
Stones glister with sparkles like Gold.  be altogether sparkled, and glister in the Sun like Gold: so likewise doth the sand in the bright water, 
A common Proverb.  yet they verify the old Proverb: All is not gold that glistereth.  
On this West shore we found a dead fish floating, which had in his nose a horn straight & torquet, of length two yards lacking two inches, being broken in the top, where we might perceive it hollow, into which some of our Sailors putting Spiders, they presently died. I saw not the trial hereof, but it was reported unto me of a truth: by the virtue whereof, 
The Sea Unicorn.  we supposed it to be the sea Unicorn.  
After our General had found out good harborough for the Ship and Barks to anchor in: and also such store of Gold oar as he thought himself satisfied withal, he sent back our Master with one of the Barks, to conduct the great Ship unto him, who coasting along the West shore, perceived a fair harborough, and willing to sound the same, at the entrance thereof they espied two tents of Seal skins.  
At the sight of our men, the people fled into the mountains: nevertheless, our said Master went to their tents, and left some of our trifles, as Knives, Bells, and Glasses, and departed, not taking any thing of theirs, except one Dog to our Ship.  
On the same day, after consultation had, we determined to see, if by fair means we could either allure them to familiarity, or otherwise take some of them, and so attain to some knowledge of those men, whom our General lost the year before.  
At our coming back again, to the place where their tents were before, 
A crafty people.  they had removed their tents further into the said Bay or Sound, where they might, if they were driven from the land, flee with their boats into the sea. We parting ourselves into two companies, and compassing a mountain, came suddenly upon them by land, who espying us, without any tarrying fled to their boats, leaving the most part of their oars behind them for haste, and rowed down the Bay, where our two Pinisses met them, & drove them to shore: but, if they had had all their oars, so swift are they in rowing, it had been lost time to have chased them.  
When they were landed, 
A fierce assault of a few.  they fiercely assaulted our men with their bows and arrows, who wounded three of them with our arrows: and perceiving themselves thus hurt, 
Desperate people.  they desperately leapt off the Rocks into the Sea, and drowned themselves: which if they had not done, but had submitted themselves: or if by any means we could have taken them alive, (being their enemies as they judged) we would both have saved them, and also have sought remedy to cure their wounds received at our hands. But they, altogether void of humanity, 
Ignorant what mercy meaneth.  and ignorant what mercy meaneth, in extremities look for no other than death: and perceiving they should fall into our hands, thus miserably by drowning rather desired death, than otherwise to be saved by us: the rest, perceiving their fellows in this distress, fled into the high mountains. 
Two women taken and a child.  Two women, not being so apt to escape as the men were, the one for her age, and the other being encumbered with a young child, 
An old woman a supposed Devil or, Witch.  we took. The old wretch, whom divers of our Sailors supposed to be either a Devil, or a Witch, plucked off her buskins, to see, if she were cloven footed, and for her ugly hew and deformity, we let her go: the young woman and the child, we brought away. We named the place where they were slain, Bloody point: and the Bay or Harborough, 
Bloody Point. Yorks sound.  York's sound, after the name of one of the Captains of the two Barks.  
Having this knowledge, both of their fierceness and cruelty, and perceiving that fair means, 
Fair means not able to allure them to familiarity.  as yet, is not able to allure them to familiarity, we disposed ourselves, contrary to our inclination, something to be cruel, returned to their tents, and made a spoil of the same. Their riches are neither Gold, Silver, or precious drapery, but their said tents and boats, 
Boats of skins.  made of the skins of red Dear and Seal skins: also, Dogs like unto Wolves, but for the most part black, with other trifles, more to be wondered at for their strangeness, then for any other commodity needful for our use.  
Thus returning to our Ship, 
Our departure from the West shore.  the 3, of August, we departed from the West shore, supposed firm with America, after we had anchored there 13. days: and so, the 4. thereof, we came to our General on the East shore, and anchored in a fair Harborough named Anne Warrwickes' sound, unto which is annexed an Island both named after the Countess of Warrwicke, 
The countess of Warwick's sound & Isle.  Anne Warrwickes' sound and Isle.  
In this Isle, our General thought good, for this voyage, 
Our freight surmounteth the charges of the first and second voyage, with sufficient interest to the ventures.  to freight both the Ship and Barks, with such Stone or Gold mineral, as he judged to countervail the charges of his first, and this his second Navigation to these countries, with sufficient interest to the ventures, whereby they might both be satisfied for this time, and also in time to come, (if it please God and our Prince, 
Riches long concealed presently discovered by captain Frobisher. ) to expect a much more large benefit, out of the bowels of those Septentrional Parallels, which long time hath concealed itself, till at this present, through the wonderful diligence, & great danger of our General and others, God is contented with the revealing thereof. It riseth so abundantly, that from the beginning of August, to the 22. thereof, (every man following the diligence of our General) we raised above ground 200. tun, 
By captain Frobishers diligence other men encouraged to labour.  which we judged a reasonable freight for the Ship and two Barks, in the said Anne Warrwicks' Isle.  
In the time of our abode here, some of the country people, 
The country people show themselves unto us.  came to show themselves unto us, sundry times on the main shore, near adjacent to the said Isle. Our General, desirous to have some news of his men, 
The care which our General had to hear of his men that were lost.  whom he lost the year before, with some company with him repaired with the Ship boat, to common, or sign with them for familiarity, whereunto he is persuaded to bring them. They, at the first show, made tokens, 
Signs for pen, ink, and paper.  that three of his five men were alive, and desired pen, ink, and paper, and that within three or four days, they would return, and (as we judged) bring those of our men, which were living, with them.  
They also made signs or tokens of their King, whom they called Cacough, 
Cacough their King.  and how he was carried on men's shoulders, and a man far surmounting any of our company, in bigness and stature.  
With these tokens and signs of writing, pen, ink, and paper was delivered them, which they would not take at our hands: but being laid upon the shore, and the party gone away, they took up: which likewise they do, when they desire any thing for change of theirs, 
Their usage in traffic or exchange.  laying for that which is left, so much as they think will countervail the same, and not coming near together. It seemeth they have been used to this trade or traffic, with some other people adjoining, or not far distant from their Country.  

The people show themselves again on firm land.  After 4. days, some of them showed themselves upon the firm land, but not where they were before. Our General, very glad thereof, supposing to hear of our men, went from the Island, with the boat, and sufficient company with him. They seemed very glad, and alured him, 
Their craft to betray some of us.  about a certain point of the land: behind which they might perceive a company of the crafty villains to lie lurking, whom our General would not deal withal, for that he knew not what company they were, and so with few signs dismissed them, and returned to his company.  

The people show themselves the third time.  another time, as our said General was coasting the country, with two little Pinisses, whereby at our return he might make the better relation thereof, three of the crafty villains, with a white skin alured us to them. Once again, our General, for that he hoped to hear of his men, went towards them: at our coming near the shore, whereon they were, 
A number of them hidden behind stones to betray us.  we might perceive a number of them lie hidden behind great stones, & those three in sight labouring by all means possible, that some would come on land: & perceiving we made no haste by words nor friendly signs, which they used by clapping of their hands, 
Their first means to allure us to shore.  and being without weapon, and but three in sight, they sought further means to provoke us thereunto. One alone laid flesh on the shore, 
Their second means.  which we took up with the Boat hook, as necessary victuals for the relieving of the man, woman, & child, whom we had taken: for that as yet, they could not digest our meat: whereby they perceived themselves deceived of their expectation, for all their crafty allurements. Yet once again, to make (as it were) a full show of their crafty natures, and subtle sleights, 
Their third and craftiest allurement.  to the intent thereby to have entrapped and taken some of our men, one of them counterfeited himself impotent and lame of his legs, who seemed to descend to the water side, with great difficulty: and to cover his craft the more, one of his fellows came down with him, and in such places, where he seemed unable to pass, he took him on his shoulders, set him by the water side, and departed from him, leaving him (as it should seem) all alone, 
A crafty counterfeit villain.  who playing his counterfeit pageant very well, thought thereby to provoke some of us to come on shore, not fearing, but that any one of us might make our party good with a lame man.  
Our General, having compassion of his impotency, 
Compassion to cure a crafty lame man.  thought good (if it were possible) to cure him thereof: wherefore, he caused a soldier to shoot at him with his Caleever, which grazed before his face. The counterfeit villeine deliverly fled, without any impediment at all, and got him to his bow and arrows, and the rest from their lurking holes, with their weapons, bows, arrows, slings, and darts. Our General caused some calivers to be shot off at them, 
Some hurt with our shot.  whereby some being hurt, they might hereafter stand in more fear of us.  
This was all the answer, for this time, we could have of our men, or of our generals letter. 
By these crafty tricks the rest of their life is easy to be judged.  Their crafty dealing, at these three several times, being thus manifest unto us, may plainly show, their disposition in other things to be correspondent. We judged, that they used these stratagemmes, thereby to have caught some of us, for the delivering of the man, woman, & child whom we have taken.  
They are men of a large corporature, and good proportion: 
Their stature and making.  their colour is not much unlike the Sun burnt Country man, who laboureth daily in the Sun for his living.  
They wear their hair something long, and cut before, 
Their apparel as well women as men.  either with stone or knife, very disorderly. Their women wear their hair long, and knit up with two loupes, showing forth on either side of their faces, and the rest foltred up on a knot. Also, some of their women raze their faces proportionally, as chin, cheeks, and forehead, and the wrists of their hands, whereupon they lay a colour, which continueth dark azurine.  
They eat their meat all raw, both flesh, 
Their meat, drink, and other necessaries.  fish, and foul, or something parboiled with blood & a little water, which they drink. For lack of water, they will eat ice, that is hard frozen, as pleasantly as we will do Sugar Candie, or other Sugar.  
If they, for necessity's sake, stand in need of the premises, 
They eat the grass which groweth in that country.  such grass as the country yieldeth they pluck up, and eat, not daintily, or salletwise, to allure their stomachs to appetite: but for necessity's sake, without either salt, oils, or washing, like brutish beasts devour the same. 
Barbarous behaviour.  They neither use table, stool, or table cloth for comeliness: but when they are imbrued with blood, knuckle deep, and their knives in like sort, they use their tongues as apt instruments to lick them clean: in doing whereof, they are assured to lose none of their victuals.  
They frank or keep certain dogs, not much unlike Wolves, 
Dogs like unto wolves,  which they yoke together, as we do oxen and horses, to a sled or trail: and so carry their necessaries over the ice and snow, from place to place: as the captive, whom we have, made perfect signs. And when those Dogs are not apt for the same use: 
They eat dogs flesh.  or when with hunger they are constrained, for lack of other victuals, they eat them: so that they are as needful for them, in respect of their bigness, as our oxen are for us.  
They apparel themselves in the skins of such beasts as they kill, sewed together with the sinews of them. 
Sinews of beasts serving them in place of thread.  All the fowl which they kill, they skin, and make thereof one kind of garment or other, to defend them from the cold.  
They make their apparel with hoods and tails, which tails they give, 
Hoods and tails to their apparel.  when they think to gratify any friendship showed unto them: a great sign of friendship with them. The men have them not so side as the women.  
The men and women wear their hose close to their legs, 
Their hose, and how they are worn.  from the waist to the knee, without any open before, as well the one kind as the other. Upon their legs, they wear hose of leather, with the fur side inward, two or three pair on at once, and especially the women. In those hose, they put their knives, needles, and other things needful to bear about. 
Their gartering.  They put a bone within their hose, which reacheth from the foot to the knee, whereupon they draw their said hose, and so in place of garters, they are holden from falling down about their feet.  
They dress their skins very soft and supple with the hair on. In cold weather or Winter, they wear the fur side inward: and in Summer outward. Other apparel they have none, but the said skins.  
Those beasts, flesh, fishes, and fowls, 
Their chief riches.  which they kill, they are both meat, drink, apparel, houses, bedding, hose, shoes, thread, sail for their boats, with many other necessaries, whereof they stand in need, and almost all their riches.  
Their houses are tents, made of Seal skins, 
Their houses of Seal skins and Fir.  pitched with four Fir quarters, four square, meeting at the top, and the skins sewed together with sinews, and laid thereupon: so pitched they are, that the entrance into them, is always South, or against the Sun.  
They have other sorts of houses, which we found, not to be inhabited, which are raised with stones and What bones, and a skin laid over them, to withstand the rain, or other weather: the entrance of them being not much unlike an Quens mouth, whereto, I think, they resort for a time, to fish, hunt, and fowl, and so leave them for the next time they come thither again.  
Their weapons are Bows, 
Their weapons of defence.  Arrows, Darts, and slings. Their Bows are of a yard long of wood, sinewed on the back with strong veins, not glued too, but fast girded and tied on. Their Bow strings are likewise sinews. Their arrows are three pieces, nocked with bone, and ended with bone, with those two ends, and the wood in the midst, they pass not in length half a yard or little more. They are feathered with two feathers, the pen end being cut away, and the feathers laid upon the arrow with the broad side to the wood: in somuch that they seem, when they are tied on, to have four feathers. 
Three sorts of heads to their arrows.  They have likewise three sorts of heads to those arrows: one sort of stone or iron, proportioned like to a heart: the second sort of bone, much like unto a stopped head, with a hook on the same: the third sort of bone likewise, made sharp at both sides, and sharp pointed. They are not made very fast, but lightly tied to, or else set in a neck, that upon small occasion, the arrow leaveth these heads behind them: and they are of small force, except they be very near, when they shoot.  

Two sorts of darts.  Their Darts are made of two sorts: the one with many forks of bone in the fore end, and likewise in the midst: their proportions are not much unlike our toasting irons, but longer: these they cast out of an instrument of wood, very readily. The other sort is greater than the first aforesaid, with a long bone made sharp on both sides, not much unlike a Rapier, which I take to be their most hurtful weapon.  
They have two sorts of boats, 
Two sorts of Boats made of Leather.  made of Leather, set out on the inner side with quarters of wood, artificially tied together with thongs of the same: the greater sort are not much unlike our Wherries, wherein sixteen or twenty men may fit: they have for a sail, dressed the guts of such beasts as they kill, very fine and thin, which they sew together: the other boat is but for one man to sit and row in, with one oar.  
Their order of fishing, hunting, and fowling, are with these said weapons: 
They use to fowl, fish, & hunt.  but in what sort, or how they use them, we have no perfect knowledge as yet.  
I can not suppose their abode or habitation to be here, 
It is to be supposed that their inhabiting is elsewhere.  for that neither their houses, or apparel, are of no such force to withstand the extremity of cold, that the country seemeth to be infected with all: neither do I see any sign likely to perform the same.  
Those houses, or rather dens, which stand there, have no sign of footway, or any thing else trodden, which is one of the chiefest tokens of habitation. And those tents, which they bring with them, 
Their tents are movable from place to place.  when they have sufficiently hunted and fished, they remove to other places: and when they have sufficiently stored them of such victuals, as the country yieldeth, or bringeth forth, they return to their Winter stations or habitations. This conjecture do I make, for the infertilitie, which I perceive to be in that country.  
They have some iron, whereof they make arrow heads, 
Their use of iron.  knives, and other little instruments, to work their boats, bows, arrows, and darts withal, which are very unapt to do any thing withal, but with great labour.  
It seemeth, that they have conversation with some other people, of whom, for exchange, they should receive the same. They are greatly delighted with any thing that is bright, 
Wherein they delight.  or giveth a sound.  
What knowledge they have of God, or what Idol they adore, we have no perfect intelligence. I think them rather Anthropophagi, 
Anthropophagi.  or devourers of man's flesh, than otherwise: for that there is no flesh or fish, which they find dead, 
A filthy feeding.  (smell it never so filthily) but they will eat it, as they find it, without any other dressing. A loathsome spectacle, either to the beholders, or hearers. 
A loathsome spectacle.   
There is no manner of creeping beast hurtful, except some Spiders (which, as many affirm, 
Signs of gold aure.  are signs of great store of Gold:) and also certain stinging gnats, which bite so fiercely, that the place where they bite, 
Stinging gnats.  shortly after swelleth, and itcheth very sore.  
They make signs of certain people, 
Signs of gold from other people.  that wear bright plates of Gold in their foreheads, and other places of their bodies.  
The Countries, 
Description of the countries.  on both sides the straits, lie very high with rough stony mountains, and great quantity of snow thereon. There is very little plain ground, and no grass, 
No grass, but like moss.  except a little, which is much like unto moss that groweth on soft ground, such as we get Turfs in. 
A Country that yieldeth nothing with root, fit for the use of man..  There is no wood at all. To be brief, there is nothing fit, or profitable for the use of man, which that Country with root yieldeth, or bringeth forth: Howbeit, there is great quantity of Deer, whose skins are like unto Asses, 
deer with skins like Asses.  their heads or horns do far exceed, as well in length as also in breadth, any in these our parts or Country: their feet likewise, are as great as our oxens, which we measured to be seven or eight inches in breadth. There are also Hares, 
Hares, Wolves, & fishing Bears.  Wolves, fishing Bears, and Sea foul of sundry sorts.  
As the Country is barren and unfertile, so are they rude and of no capacity to culture the same, to any perfection: but are contented by their hunting, fishing, and fowling, with raw flesh and warm blood, to satisfy their greedy paunches, which is their only glory.  
There is great likelihood of Earthquakes, 
A sign of Earthquakes or thunder.  or thunder: for that huge and monstrous mountains, whose greatest substance are stones, and those stones so shaken with some extraordinary means, that one is separated from another, which is discordant from all other Quarries.  
There are no rivers, 
No rivers, but such as the Sun doth cause to come of snow.  or running springs, but such, as through the heat of the Sun, with such water as descendeth from the mountains and hills, whereon great drifts of snow do lie, are engendered.  
It argueth also, that there should be none: for that the earth, 
A probability, that there should be neither spring or rivers in the ground.  which with the extremity of the Winter, is so frozen within, that that water, which should have recourse within the same, to maintain Springs, hath not his motion, whereof great waters have their original, 
Springs the original of great waters.  as by experience is seen otherwhere. Such valleys, as are capable to receive the water, that in the Summer time, by the operation of the Sun, descendeth from great abundance of snow, which continually lieth on the mountains, and hath no passage, sinketh into the earth, and so vanisheth away, without any runnell above the earth, by which occasion, or continual standing of the said water, the earth is opened, and the great frost yieldeth to the force thereof, which in other places, four or five fathoms within the ground, 
The stones frozen within the earth 4. or 5. fathoms.  for lack of the said moisture, (the earth, even in the very Summer time,) is frozen, and so combineth the stones together, that scarcely instruments, with great force, can unknit them.  
Also, where the water in those valleys can have no such passage away, by the continuance of time, in such order as is before rehearsed, the yearly descent from the mountains, filleth them full, that at the lowest bank of the same, they fall into the next valley, and so continue, as fishing Ponds or Stagnes in the Summer time full of water, and in the Winter hard frozen: as by scars that remain thereof in Summer, 
The heat in Summer not comparable to the cold in Winter.  may easily be perceived: so that, the heat of Summer, is nothing comparable, or of force, to dissolve the extremity of cold, that cometh in Winter.  
Nevertheless, I am assured, 
Springs under the force of the frost within the earth.  that below the force of the frost, within the earth, the waters have recourse, and empty themselves out of sight into the sea, which through the extremity of the frost, are constrained to do the same, 
The earth by occasion of frost kept the warmer.  by which occasion, the earth within is kept the warmer, and springs have their recourse, which is the only nutriment of Gold and Minerals within the same. 
Springs nourish gold.   
There is much to be said of the commodities of these Countries, which are couched within the bowels of the earth, which I let pass till more perfect trial be made thereof.  
Thus conjecturing, till time, 
An end of conjecturing till further truth and trial.  with the earnest industry of our General and others (who by all diligence remain priest to explore. the truth of that which is unexplored, as he hath to his everlasting praise found out that which is like to yield an innumerable benefit to his Prince & country:) offer further trial, I conclude.  
The 23. of August, 
Ships satisfied with burden, but men's minds not contented.  after we had satisfied our minds with freight sufficient, for our vessels, though not our covetous desires, with such knowledge of the country people and other commodities as are before rehearsed, the 24. thereof we departed therehence: 
Our departure from these Countries.  the 17. of September we fell with the lands end of England, and so to Milford haven, from whence our General road to the Court, for order, to what port or haven to conduct the ship.  
We lost our two Barks in the way homeward, 
How, and when, we lost our 2. Barks, which God nevertheless restored.  the one, the 29. of August, the other, the 31. of the same month, by occasion of great tempest and fog. Howbeit, God restored the one to Bristol, and the other making his course by Scotland to Yermouth. In this voyage we lost two men, one in the way by God's visitation, and the other homeward cast over board with a surge of the sea.  
I Can declare unto your Honour, the Latitude and Longitude of such places and regions, 
The conclusion.  as we have been at, but not altogether so perfect as our masters and others, with many circumstances of tempests and other accidents incident to sea faring men, which seem not altogether strange, I let pass to their reports as men most apt to set forth and declare the same. I have also left the names of the countries on both the shores untouched, for lack of understanding the People's language: as also for sundry respects, not needful as yet to be declared.  
Country's new explored, where commodity is to be looked for, do better accord with a new name given by the explorers, than an uncertain name by a doubtful Author.  
Our General named sundry Islands, mountains, Capes, and Harboroughs after the names of divers Noble men, and other gentlemen his friends, as well on the one shore, as also on the other: not forgetting amongst the rest your Lordship: which hereafter (when occasion serveth) are to be declared in his own Maps or Charts.  
FINIS.