The 26th we departed from sight of the north land of this entrance,
directing our course homewards, until the 10th of the next month.
The 10th September we fell with the Land of Desolation, thinking to
go on shore, but we could get never a good harbour. That night we
put to sea again thinking to search it the next day; but this night
arose a very great storm, and separated our ships so that we lost
the sight of the Moonshine.
The 13th about noon (having tried all the night before with a goose
wing) we set sail, and within two hours after we had sight of the
Moonshine again. This day we departed from this land.
The 27th of this month we fell with sight of England. This night we
had a marvellous storm, and lost the Moonshine.
The 30th September we came into Dartmouth, where we found the
Moonshine, being come in not two hours before.
THE SECOND VOYAGE ATTEMPTED BY MASTER JOHN DAVIS,
With others, for the discovery of the North-West Passage, in Anno
1586.
The 7th day of May I departed from the port of Dartmouth for the
discovery of the North-West Passage with a ship of a 120 tons, named
the Mermaid; a barque of 60 tons, named the Sunshine; a barque of 35
tons named the Moonlight; and a pinnace of 10 tons named the North
Star.
And the 15th June I discovered land, in the latitude of 60 degrees,
and in longitude from the meridian of London westward 47 degrees,
mightily pestered with ice and snow, so that there was no hope of
landing; the ice lay in some places 10 leagues, in some 20, and in
some 50 leagues off the shore, so that we were constrained to bear
into 57 degrees to double the same, and to recover a free sea, which
through God's favourable mercy we at length obtained.
The nine-and-twentieth day of June, after many tempestuous storms,
we again discovered land in longitude from the meridian of London 58
degrees 30 minutes, and in latitude 64 being east from us, into
which course, since it pleased God by contrary winds to force us, I
thought it very necessary to bear in with it, and there to set up
our pinnace, provided in the Mermaid to be our scout for this
discovery, and so much the rather, because the year before I had
been in the same place and found it very convenient for such a
purpose, well stored with float wood, and possessed by a people of
tractable conversation; so that the nine-and-twentieth of this month
we arrived within the isles which lay before this land, lying north-
north-west and south-south-east we know not how far. This land is
very high and mountainous, having before it on the west side a
mighty company of isles full of fair sounds and harbours. This land
was very little troubled with snow, and the sea altogether void of
ice.
The ships being within the sounds we sent our boats to search for
shallow water, where we might anchor, which in this place is very
hard to find; and as the boat went sounding and searching, the
people of the country having espied them, came in their canoes
towards them with many shouts and cries; but after they had espied
in the boat some of our company that were the year before here with
us, they presently rowed to the boat and took hold in the oar, and
hung about the boat with such comfortable joy as would require a
long discourse to be uttered; they came with the boats to our ships,
making signs that they knew all those that the year before had been
with them. After I perceived their joy and small fear of us, myself
with the merchants and others of the company went ashore, bearing
with me twenty knives. I had no sooner landed, but they leapt out
of their canoes and came running to me and the rest, and embraced us
with many signs of hearty welcome. At this present there were
eighteen of them, and to each of them I gave a knife; they offered
skins to me for reward, but I made signs that it was not sold, but
given them of courtesy, and so dismissed them for that time, with
signs that they should return again after certain hours.
The next day, with all possible speed, the pinnace was landed upon
an isle there to be finished to serve our purpose for the discovery,
which isle was so convenient for that purpose, as that we were very
well able to defend ourselves against many enemies. During the time
that the pinnace was there setting up, the people came continually
unto us, sometimes a hundred canoes at a time, sometimes forty,
fifty, more and less as occasion served. They brought with them
seal skins, stags' skins, white hares, seal fish, salmon peel, small
cod, dry caplin, with other fish and birds such as the country did
yield.
Myself, still desirous to have a farther search of this place, sent
one of the ship boats to one part of the land, and myself went to
another part to search for the habitation of this people, with
straight commandment that there should be no injury offered to any
of the people, neither any one shot.
The boats that went from me found the tents of the people made with
seal skins set up upon timber, wherein they found great store of
dried caplin, being a little fish no bigger than a pilchard.
