Upon Thursday, Being The 22nd Of This Month, About Three Of The
Clock In The Morning, We Hoisted Out Our
Boat, and the captain, with
six sailors, went towards the shore, thinking to find a landing-
place, for the night
Before we did perceive the coast to be void of
ice to our judgment; and the same night we were all persuaded that
we had seen a canoe rowing along the shore, but afterwards we fell
in some doubt of it, but we had no great reason so to do. The
captain, rowing towards the shore, willed the master to bear in with
the land after him; and before he came near the shore, by the space
of a league, or about two miles, he found so much ice that he could
not get to land by any means. Here our mariners put to their lines
to see if they could get any fish, because there were so many seals
upon the coast, and the birds did beat upon the water, but all was
in vain: the water about this coast was very black and thick, like
to a filthy standing pool; we sounded, and had ground in 120
fathoms. While the captain was rowing to the shore our men saw
woods upon the rocks, like to the rocks of Newfoundland, but I could
not discern them; yet it might be so very well, for we had wood
floating upon the coast every day, and the Moonshine took up a tree
at sea not far from the coast, being sixty foot of length and
fourteen handfuls about, having the root upon it. After, the
captain came aboard, the weather being very calm and fair, we bent
our course toward the south with intent to double the land.
The 23rd we coasted the land which did lie east-north-east and west-
south-west.
The 24th, the wind being very fair at east, we coasted the land,
which did lie east and west, not being able to come near the shore
by reason of the great quantity of ice. At this place, because the
weather was somewhat cold by reason of the ice, and the better to
encourage our men, their allowance was increased. The captain and
the master took order that every mess, being five persons, should
have half a pound of bread and a can of beer every morning to
breakfast. The weather was not very cold, but the air was moderate,
like to our April weather in England. When the wind came from the
land or the ice it was somewhat cold, but when it came off the sea
it was very hot.
The 25th of this month we departed from sight of this land at six of
the clock in the morning, directing our course to the north-
westward, hoping in God's mercy to find our desired passage, and so
continued above four days.
The 29th of July we discovered land in 64 degrees 15 minutes of
latitude, bearing north-east from us.
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