The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
[Sidenote: Our first comming on the Southerland of the sayd straights.] The
one and twentieth of Iuly, we discovered a bay which ranne into the land,
that seemed a likely harborow for our ships, wherefore our Generall rowed
thither with his boats, to make proofe thereof, and with his goldfiners to
search for Ore, hauing neuer assayed any thing on the South shore as yet,
and the first small Island which we landed vpon. [Sidenote: A Mine of
Blacke-lead.] Here all the sands and clifts did so glister and had so
bright a marquesite, that it seemed all to be gold, but vpon tryall made it
prooued no better then black-lead, and verified the prouerb. All is not
gold that glistereth.
Vpon the two and twentieth of Iuly we bare into the sayde sound, and came
to ancker a reasonable bredth off the shore, where thinking our selues in
good securitie, we were greatly endangered with a peece of drift yce, which
the Ebbe brought forth of the sounds and came thwart vs ere we were aware.
But the gentlemen and souldiers within bord taking great paines at this
pinch at the Capstone, overcame the most danger thereof, and yet for all
that might be done, it stroke on our sterne such a blow, that we feared
least it had striken away our rudder, and being forced to cut our Cable in
the hawse, we were faine to set our fore saile to runne further vp within,
and if our stirrage had not bene stronger then in the present time we
feared, we had runne the ship vpon the rockes, hauing a very narrow
Channell to turne in, but as God would, all came well to passe. [Iackmans
sound.] And this was named Iackmans sound, after the name of the Masters
mate, who had first liking vnto the place.
[Sidenote: Smiths Iland.] Vpon a small Iland, within this sound called
Smithes Iland (because he first set vp his forge there) was found a Mine of
siluer, but was not wonne out of the rockes without great labour. Here our
goldfiners made say of such Ore as they found vpon the Northerland, and
found foure sortes thereof to holde golde in good quantitie. Vpon another
small Iland here was also found a great dead fish, which as it should
seeme, had bene embayed with yce, and was in proportion round like to a
Porpose, being about twelue foote long, and in bignesse answerable, hauing
a horne of two yards long growing out of the snoute or nostrels. [Sidenote:
The finding of an Vnicornes horne.] This horne is wreathed and straite,
like in fashion to a Taper made of waxe, and may truely be thought to be
the sea Vnicorne.[68] This home is to be seene and reserued as a Iewell by
the Queenes Maiesties commandement, in her Wardrope of Robes.
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