Voyages in Search of the North-West Passage [45]
came to the straits, where they met with the Thomas Allen, the Thomas of Ipswich, and the Busse of Bridgewater, who all together adventured to bear into the ice again, to see if they could obtain their wished port. But they were so encumbered, that with much difficulty they were able to get out again, yet at the last they escaping the Thomas Allen and the Gabriel, bear in with the western shore, where they found harbour, and they moored their ships until the 4th of August, at which time they came to us, in the Countess of Warwick's Sound. The Thomas of Ipswich caught a great leak, which caused her to cast again to sea board, and so was mended.
We sailed along still by the coast until we came to the Queen's Forehand, at the point whereof we met with part of the gulf aforesaid, which place or gulf (as some of our masters do credibly report) doth flow nine hours and ebbs but three. At that point we discovered certain lands southward, which neither time nor opportunity would serve to search. Then being come to the mouth of the straits, we met with the Anne Francis, who had lain bulting up and down ever since her departure alone, never finding any of her company. We met then also the Francis of Foy, with whom again we intended to venture and get in, but the ice was yet so thick, that we were compelled again to retire and get us on sea board.
There fell also the same day, being the 26th July, such a horrible snow, that it lay a foot thick upon the hatches, which froze as fast as it fell.
We had also at other times divers cruel storms, both snow and hail, which manifestly declared the distemperature of the country: yet for all that we were so many times repulsed and put back from our purpose, knowing that lingering delay was not profitable for us, but hurtful to our voyage, we mutually consented to our valiant general once again to give the onset.
The 28th day, therefore, of the same July we assayed, and with little trouble (God be praised) we passed the dangers by daylight. Then night falling on the face of the earth, we hulled in the clear, till the cheerful light of the day had chased away the noisome darkness of the night, at which the we set forward toward our wished port; by the 30th day we obtained our expected desire, where we found the Judith and the Michael, which brought no small joy unto the general, and great consolation to the heavy hearts of those wearied wights.
The 30th day of July we brought our ships into the Countess of Warwick's Sound, and moored them, namely these ships, the Admiral, the Rear-Admiral, the Francis of Foy, the Bear, Armenel, the Salomon, and the Busse of Bridgewater, which being done, our general commanded us all to come ashore upon the Countess Island, where he set his miners to work upon the mine, giving charge with expedition to despatch with their lading.
Our general himself, accompanied with his gentleman, divers times made roads into sundry parts of the country, as well to find new mines as also to find out and see the people of the country. He found out one mine, upon an island by Bear's Sound, and named it the Countess of Sussex Island. One other was found in Winter's Fornace, with divers others, to which the ships were sent sunderly to be laden. In the same roads he met with divers of the people of the country at sundry times, as once at a place called David's Sound, who shot at our men, and very desperately gave them the onset, being not above three or four in number, there being of our countrymen above a dozen; but seeing themselves not able to prevail, they took themselves to flight, whom our men pursued, but being not used to such craggy cliffs, they soon lost the sight of them, and so in vain returned.
We also saw them at Bear's Sound, both by sea and land, in great companies; but they would at all times keep the water between them and us. And if any of our ships chanced to be in the sound (as they came divers times), because the harbour was not very good, the ship laded, and departed again; then so long as any ships were in sight, the people would
We sailed along still by the coast until we came to the Queen's Forehand, at the point whereof we met with part of the gulf aforesaid, which place or gulf (as some of our masters do credibly report) doth flow nine hours and ebbs but three. At that point we discovered certain lands southward, which neither time nor opportunity would serve to search. Then being come to the mouth of the straits, we met with the Anne Francis, who had lain bulting up and down ever since her departure alone, never finding any of her company. We met then also the Francis of Foy, with whom again we intended to venture and get in, but the ice was yet so thick, that we were compelled again to retire and get us on sea board.
There fell also the same day, being the 26th July, such a horrible snow, that it lay a foot thick upon the hatches, which froze as fast as it fell.
We had also at other times divers cruel storms, both snow and hail, which manifestly declared the distemperature of the country: yet for all that we were so many times repulsed and put back from our purpose, knowing that lingering delay was not profitable for us, but hurtful to our voyage, we mutually consented to our valiant general once again to give the onset.
The 28th day, therefore, of the same July we assayed, and with little trouble (God be praised) we passed the dangers by daylight. Then night falling on the face of the earth, we hulled in the clear, till the cheerful light of the day had chased away the noisome darkness of the night, at which the we set forward toward our wished port; by the 30th day we obtained our expected desire, where we found the Judith and the Michael, which brought no small joy unto the general, and great consolation to the heavy hearts of those wearied wights.
The 30th day of July we brought our ships into the Countess of Warwick's Sound, and moored them, namely these ships, the Admiral, the Rear-Admiral, the Francis of Foy, the Bear, Armenel, the Salomon, and the Busse of Bridgewater, which being done, our general commanded us all to come ashore upon the Countess Island, where he set his miners to work upon the mine, giving charge with expedition to despatch with their lading.
Our general himself, accompanied with his gentleman, divers times made roads into sundry parts of the country, as well to find new mines as also to find out and see the people of the country. He found out one mine, upon an island by Bear's Sound, and named it the Countess of Sussex Island. One other was found in Winter's Fornace, with divers others, to which the ships were sent sunderly to be laden. In the same roads he met with divers of the people of the country at sundry times, as once at a place called David's Sound, who shot at our men, and very desperately gave them the onset, being not above three or four in number, there being of our countrymen above a dozen; but seeing themselves not able to prevail, they took themselves to flight, whom our men pursued, but being not used to such craggy cliffs, they soon lost the sight of them, and so in vain returned.
We also saw them at Bear's Sound, both by sea and land, in great companies; but they would at all times keep the water between them and us. And if any of our ships chanced to be in the sound (as they came divers times), because the harbour was not very good, the ship laded, and departed again; then so long as any ships were in sight, the people would