Part 1 — Introductory material

VOL. XII.

Dedication to Sir Robert Cecil

I. The most ancient voyage and discouery of the West Indies performed by Madoc, Anno 1170. taken out of the history of Wales, &c.

II. The verses of Meredith the sonne of Rhesus making mention of Madoc

III. The offer of the discouery of the West Indies by Christoper Columbus to K. Henry the 7. February the 13. Anno 1488; with the Kings acceptance of the said offer

IV. Another testimony concerning the foresaid offer made by Bartholomew Columbus to K. Henry the seuenth, on the behalfe of his brother Christopher Columbus

V. The letters patents of K. Henry the 7. granted vnto Iohn Cabot and his 3. sonnes, Anno 1495

VI. The signed bill of K. Henry the 7. on the behalfe of Iohn Cabot

VII. The voyage of Sebastian Cabota to the North part of America, for the discouery of a Northwest passage, as farre as 58. degrees of latitude, confirmed by 6. testimonies

VIII. A briefe extract concerning the discouery of Newfoundland

IX. The large pension granted by K. Edward the 6. to Sebastian Cabota, Anno 1549

X. A discourse written by sir Humfrey Gilbert knight, to prooue a passage by the Northwest to Cataya, and the East Indies

XI. The first voyage of M. Martin Frobisher to the Northwest for the search of a passage to China, anno 1576

XII. The second voyage of M. Martin Frobisher to the West and Northwest regions, in the yeere 1577

XIII. The third and last voyage of M. Martin Frobisher for the discouery of a Northwest passage, in the yere 1578

XIV. Notes by Richard Hakluyt

XV. Experiences and reasons of the Sphere to prooue all parts of the worlde habitable, and thereby to confute the position of the fiue Zones

XVI. A letter of M. Martin Frobisher to certaine Englishmen, which were trecherously taken by the Saluages of Meta incognita in his first voyageo

XVII. Articles and orders prescribed by M. Martin Frobisher to the Captaines and company of euery ship, which accompanied him in his last Northwestern voyage

XVIII. A generall and briefe description of the country and condition of the people, which are founde in Meta incognita

XIX. The letters patents of her Maiesty graunted to M. Adrian Gilbert and others for the search and discouery of a Northwest passage to China

XX. The first voyage of M. Iohn Dauis for the discouery of a Northwest passage, 1585

XXI. The second voyage of M. Iohn Dauis for the discouery of the Northwest pass. 1586

XXII. A letter of M. I. Dauis to M. Wil. Sanderson of London, concerning, his second voyage

XXIII. The voyage and course which the Sunshine and the Northstarre held, after M. I. Davis had sent them from him to discouer a passage betweene Greenland and Ise-land, 1587

XXIV. The third voyage of M. Iohn Dauis, 1587

XXV. A letter of M. Iohn Dams to M. Wil. Sanderson of London, concerning his 3. voyage

XXVI. A trauerse booke of M. Iohn Dauis

XXVII. A report of M. Iohn Dauis concerning his three voyages made for the discouery of the Northwest passage, taken out of a treatise of his intituled The worlds hydrographical description

XXVIII. The voyage of M. Nicolas Zeno and M. Anthony his brother, to the yles of Frisland, etc., begun in the yeere 1380

XXIX. The voyage of two ships, for the discouery of the North parts

XXX. The voyage of M. Hore, in the yere 1536

XXI. An act against the exaction of money, etc. made Anno 2. Edwardi sexti.

XXXII. A letter written to M. Richard Hakluyt of the Midle Temple, by M. Antony Parkhurst, 1578

XXXIII. The letters patents granted by her Maiestie to sir Humfrey Gilbert knight, for inhabiting some part of America 1578

XXXIV. A Poeme written in Latine, concerning the voyage of sir Humfrey Gilbert

XXXV. The voyage of Sir Humfrey Gilbert to Newfoundland, An. 1583

XXXVI. Orders agreed vpon by the Captaines and Masters, to bee obserued by the fleete of sir Humfrey Gilbert

XXXVII. A briefe relation of Newfound-land, and the commodities thereof

XXXVIII. A letter of the learned Hungarian Stephanus Parmenius Budeius to master Richard Hakluyt the collectour of these voyages

XXXIX. A relation Of Richard Clarke of Weymouth master of the ship called the Delight. Part I.

XL. Appendices

Table of Contents

FOOTNOTES:

1. Son of William Cecil, Lord Burleigh, minister of Elizabeth, and himself minister to the same queen and to James I. A clever but unscrupulous man, he was never popular, and his share in the fate of Essex and Raleigh has obscured his fame. He was created Earl of Salisbury. His secret correspondence is to be found in Goldsmid's Collectanea Adamantaea. Born 1565. Died 1612.

2. Hakluyt here merely condenses the researches of Grotius, who had published, in 1542, his famous but rare Tract "On the Origin of the Native American Races," a translation of which the present Editor issued in his "Bibliotheca Curiosa," Edinburgh, 1884. Hakluyt was evidently ignorant of Gunnbjorn's glimpse of a Western land in 876, of Eric the Red's discovery of Greenland about 985, of Bjarni's and Leif's discoveries, or indeed of any of the traditions of the Voyages of the Northmen, or he would certainly have included them in his Collection. Those who are interested in these matters should consult Wheaton's History of the Northmen, London, 1831; Antiquitates Americanæ, edited by the Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians, Hafniæ, 1837; The Discovery of America by the Northmen, by N. L. Beamish, London, 1841; Historia Vinlandiæ Antiquæ, by Thermodus Torfoeus, Hafniæ, 1705; and the edition of the Flateyan MSS., lately published at Copenhagen.

3. I have, to the best of my ability, in Vols. I. to XI. of this edition, arranged the contents of Hakluyt's first two volumes in the order he would have desired, had he not "lacked sufficient store."

4. The History of Wales, written by Caradoc of Llancarvan, Glamorganshire, in the British Language, translated into English by Humphrey Llwyd, and edited by Dr. David Powel in 1584, is the book here quoted. It is very rare.

5. If Madoc ever existed, it seems more probable that the land he discovered was Madeira or the Azores. Such at least is the view taken by Robertson, and also by Jeremiah Belknap (American Biography, 8vo, Boston, 1774). Southey founded one of his poems on this tradition.

6. In Welsh, Meridith ap Rhees.

7. Marginal note.—These verses I receiued of my learned friend M. William Camden.

8. The most interesting life of Columbus is that by Lamartine, a translation of which appeared in the "Bibliotheca Curiosa."

9. Nothing is known of Cabot's early years. In the Archives of Venice is the record of his naturalization, dated 28 March 1476, which shows he had lived there fifteen years. (Archives of Venice: Senato Terra, 1473-1477. Vol vii p. 109.)

10. This patent was granted in reply to the following application by John Cabot:

"To the Kyng our Souvereigne lord,

"Please it your highnes of your moste noble and haboundant grace to graunt vnto Iohn Cabotto, citezen of Venes, Lewes, Sebestyan and Sancto his sonneys your gracious lettres patentes vnder youir grete seale in due forme to be made accordying to the tenour hereafter ensuying. And they shall during their lyves pray to God for the prosperous continuance of your moste noble and royale astate long to enduer." (Public Records, Bill number 51.) Consult also Rymer's Foedera; London, 1727, folios 595-6.

11. Armed with this authority, John Cabot sailed from Bristol in the spring of 1497, with two ships, one being called the Matthew. (The History and Antiquities of the city of Bristol, by William Barrett, 1789).

12. In the National Library, Paris, is a large map of the world on the margin of which is written:

"Sebastian Caboto capitan, y piloto mayor de la S. c c. m. del Imperador don Carlos quinto deste nombre, y rey nuestro sennor hizo esta figura extensa en plano, anno del nasciem de nro saluador Jesu Christo de m.d. xliii. annos, tirada por grados de latitud y longitud con sus uientos como carta de marear, imitando en parte al Ptolomeo, y en parte alos modernos descobridores, asi Espannoles como Portugueses, y parte por su padre, y por el descubierto."

I give a facsmile of part of this map. As will be seen the words "Prima tierra vista" are opposite a cape about the 48th parallel, which would be Cape Breton. In a letter written to the Duke of Milan by Raimondo di Soncino, his minister in London, and dated the 18th Dec. 1497, a very interesting account is given of Cabot's voyage. Archives of Milan. Annuario scientifico, Milan, 1866 p 700.

13. Query, July.

14. J. B. Ramusio compiled in Italian a celebrated collection of maritime voyages. The most complete edition is formed by joining vol. I. of 1574 to vol. II. of 1555 and vol. III. of 1554. He died 1557, aged 72.

15. Ramosius has evidently mixed up the two voyages of John Cabot with those of his son. John's second and last voyage was in 1498, with five ships; though little is known of the result, that little has been collected by Mr. Weise in his "Discoveries of America."

16. A celebrated Icelandic astronomer, a disciple of Tycho-Brahe. The opinion here quoted appears in his Specimen Historicorum Islandiæ et magnâ ex parte chorographicum; Amsterdam, 1643. When aged 91, he is said to have married a young girl. Born 1545; died 1640.

17. An error for John Cabot

18. His Chronicle of England and France, by a London tradesman, was first printed in 1516.

19. This celebrated Antiquary was born in 1525. Originally a tailor, his tastes procured him the encouragement of Archbishop Parker and the Earl of Leicester. His principal works are Flores Historiarum (1600) and his Survey of London, first published in 1598. Died a beggar in 1605.

20. If Cabot's discoveries extended from 38° to 58°, he cannot have gone south of Cape Hatteras, in North Carolina.

21. Gilbert was half brother to Sir Walter Raleigh. This "discourse" was published in 1576, and two years later be himself sailed on a voyage of discovery to Newfoundland, but on the return journey his ship foundered with all on board.

22. Luke Marinæus, chaplain to Charles V. author of Obra de las cosas memorabiles de Espana, Alcala, 1543; folio, the work here referred to.

23. Ficinus, (born 1433, died 1499); a protégé of the Medici, translated Plato and Plotinus. These translations will be found in his collected works, published at Bâle in 1591, 2 vols. folio. Herein he tries to prove Plato a Christian, as he also does in his Thelogia Platonica; Florence, 148; folio. The original editions of his works are extremely rare.

24. Crantor's opinion is only known to us by Cicero's refetence, his works being all lost. He flourished about 315 B.C.

25. Born in 412, at Constantinople. Studied at Alexandria and Athens, and succeeded Syrianus in the Neo Platonic School. Died 485, Several of his works are extant.

26. Philo of Alexandria was well versed in the philosophy of Plato, and tried to show its harmony with the books of Moses. A fine edition of his works was published in 1742, in 2 vols. folio, edited by Mangey.

27. Amerigo Vespucci, born at Florence, 1451, was sent by his father to Spain. Fired by the example of Columbus, he became a navigator, and made three voyages to the New World, which ultimately was named after him, though the honour should belong to Columbus. Died at Seville 1512.

28. It has also been supposed by many ancient writers that Atlantis was situated between the 20th and 30th degrees of north latitude, and the 40th and 60th degrees of west longitude, in that part of the Atlantic known as the Sargasso sea.

29. Born 1493; died 1541. He was the first to publish the Almagestes of Ptolemy in Greek at Bâle, 1538, folio. He was the friend of Luther and Melancthon.

30. The first Edition of his chronological tables is that of Berne, 1540. Little is known of him except that he was born at Rotweil in Germany and was a councillor of the city of Berne, in the library of which town is a unique copy of his History of Berne, 3 vols. folio, in German.

31. Guicciardini, the author of the celebrated History of the events between 1494 and 1532.

32. FRISIUS was born at Dorkum in Frisia, his real name being John Gemma. His map of the world was published in 1540. Died at Louvain in 1555. GASTALDUS was a Genoese and wrote many tracts on Geography. He was the father of Jerome Gastaldus, the author of a celebrated work on the Plague. TRAMASINUS was a celebrated Venetian printer of the 16th Century. ANDREAS VAVASOR is probably an error for Francis Vavasor, the Jesuit.

MUNSTER, APPIANUS, PUTEANUS, PETER MARTYR, and ORTELIUS are well known, but HUNTERUS, DEMONGENITUS, and TRAMONTANUS are unknown to me.

33. Octher's voyage will be found in Vol. I., p. 51, of this Edition of Hakluyt.

34. See Vol. I. of this Edition of Halkluyt.

35. See Vol. II. p. 60 (note) of this Edition

36. Giovanni Verrzzani is evidently meant. A Florentine by birth, he entered the service of Francis I., and in 1524 discovered New France. An account of his travels and tragic death is to be found in Ramusius. In the Strozzi library, at Florence, a manuscript of Verazzani's is preserved.

37. Born at St Malo. Discovered part of Canada in 1534. His Brief récit de la Navigation faite ès îles de Canada, Hochelage, Saguenay et autres, was published at Paris in 1546, 8vo.

38. BAROS, who had been appointed treasurer of the Indies, wrote a History of Asia and of India in 4 decades which were published between the years 1552 and 1602. It has been translated from Portuguese into Spanish, and considering that it contains many facts not to be found elsewhere, it is surprising that there should have been neither a French nor English Edition. Baros was born in 1496 and died in 1570.

39. This is probably an error for Peter Nonnius, professor of Mathematics at the University of Coimbra who published two books De Arte Navigandi in 1573.

40. Little is known of this writer. He appears to have been the son of Jerome Fracastor, a Veronese who obtained a certain celebrity as a poet at the beginning of the 16th Century.

41. In a former passage it is stated that Cabot did not get beyond the 58th degree of latitude.

42. It is now well known that the diminished saltness of the sea off the Siberian coast is due to the immense masses of fresh water poured into it by the Ob, the Lena, and other Siberian rivers.

43. Either Salvaterra or the Frier must have possessed a vivid imagination. The former at any rate thoroughly took in Sir Humphrey Gilbert.

44. It seems very strange to us after the Northwest passage has been discovered by M'Clure in 1852 and the North East passage by Nordenskiold in 1879 to read the arguments by which each of the upholders of the two routes sought to prove that his opponent's contention was impossible. Of the two disputants we must confess that Jenkinson's views now appear the likeliest to be realised, for M'Clure only made his way from Behring Straits to Melville island by abandoning his ship and travelling across the ice, while Nordenskiold carried the Vega past the North of Europe and Siberia, returning by Behring's straits and the Pacific.

45. Cape Chudley.

46. Born near Doncaster. He made several attempts to find the Northwest passage. (See post.) In 1585 he accompanied Drake to the West Indies; assisted in defeating the Spanish Armada, and was mortally wounded in 1594 at the attack on Fort Croyzan, near Brest. Some relics of his Arctic expedition were discovered by Captain F. C. Hall in 1860-62, and described in his delightful book, "Life with the Esquimaux."

47. Midway between Orkney and Shetland.

48. Foula, the most westerly of the Shetlands, round in form, is 12 miles in circuit.

49. Esquimaux.

50. Far from coming from Newfoundland, this drift-wood is carried into the Arctic Ocean by the Yenisei and other large rivers of Siberia.

51. Contrary to the opinion of Mr. Weise, who insists that Friseland is Iceland, I am inclined to believe that the East coast of Greenland is meant.

52. Lieutenant Nansen's expedition across Greenland negatives this supposition, but the West coast is more habitable than the East.

53. Frobisher Bay: it is not a strait. Hall's Island is Hall's Peninsula.

54. twisted

55. Long. From Saxon sid. (See BEN JONSON, New Inn, v. 1.)

56. Raisins.

57. In a very short time. Sometimes written giffats

58. It is almost in the exact latitude of Gaboon Bay.

59. Our author is wrong. Morocco lies between the annual Isothermal lines of 68º Fahr. (or 20 Cent.), whilst the mean temperature at the Equator was considered by Humboldt to be 81.4° Fahr. and by Atkinson (Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society) 84.5°.

60. Our author means the fifth proposition of the first book of Euclid, the celebrated Pons Asinorum.

61. John Holywood, so named after the place of his birth near York, after studying at Oxford, settled in Paris where he became famous. He died in 1256, leaving two works of rare power considering the century they were written in, viz, de Spheri Mundi, and de Computo Ecclesiastico. They are to be found in one volume 8vo, Paris, 1560.

62. John Gonzalvo d'Oviedo, born 1478. Was Governor of the New World, and wrote a Summario de la Historia general y natural de las Indias Occidentales. Best edition, Salamanca 1535, and Toledo, 1536, folio. This is the work here quoted.

63. This is not the case.

64. Blank in original.

65. Kirkwall.

66. Blank in original.

67. Blank in original.

68. Probably a Narwal.

69. Good.

70. Blank in the original.

71. Blank in original.

72. Blank in original.

73. Blank in original.

74. Blank in original.

75. Blank in original.

76. Muddy.

77. Blank in original.

78. Blank in original.

79. Blank in original.

80. Blank in original.

81. South Equatorial Current.

82. Gulf Stream.

83. The elimination of salt from sea-water by cold was evidently unknown to the writer.

84. The writer was evidently not a convert to the System of Copernicus, but agreed with Ptolemy that the Heavens were solid and moved round the earth, which was the centre of the Universe.

85. Pirrie, a sudden storm at sea. According to Jamieson, Pirr, in Scotch, means a gentle breeze.

"A pirrie came, and set my ship on sands." Mirror for Magistrates, p. 194.

86. Yer = ere.

87. Sir Christopher Hatton.

88. Flat.

89. Thus the only result of Davis's Voyage was the discovery of the broad piece of water since known as Davis's Straits, extending between Greenland on the East and Cumberland Island on the West. It connects the Atlantic with Baffin's Bay. In the next voyage, Davis seems to have crossed the mouth of Hudson's Straits, without entering them.

90. The full text of Davis's account is given in Vol. vi., p. 250 of this Edition.

91. It seems probable that either Zeno was wrecked on one of the Shetlands, and that by Sorani is meant Orkney, or that Iceland is the true Frisland.

92. Aveiro, province of Beira, 31 miles N.W. of Coimbra.

93. Viana do Castello, province of Minho, 40 miles N. of Oporto.

94. See Vol ix., p. 143 of this Edition.

95. (?) Chateau-Richer on the St. Lawrence, 15 miles below Quebec.

96. Near Cape Charles.

97. The St. Lawrence.

98. This refers to Gilbert's first voyage in 1578.

99. Causand.

100. The Newfoundland Banks are rather a submarine Plateau than banks in the ordinary sense. The bottom is rocky, and generally reached at 25 to 95 fathoms: length and breadth about 300 miles: the only shallow region in the Atlantic.

101. The cold on the coast is partly due to the quantities of ice descending from Baffin's Bay.

102. Maëlstrom.

103. Silver, and even gold, has been found in Newfoundland.

104. Bends.