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
Againe, some complayning of their false Stemme borne away, some in stopping
their leakes, some in recounting their dangers past, spent no small time
and labour. So that I dare well auouch, there were neuer men more
dangerously distressed, nor more mercifully by Gods prouidence deliuered.
And hereof both the torne ships, and the forwearied bodies of the men
arriued doe beare most euident marke and witnesse. And now the whole Fleete
plyed off to Seaward, resoluing there to abide vntill the Sunne might
consume, or the force of winde disperse these yce from the place of their
passage; and being a good birth off the shore, they tooke in their sailes,
and lay adrift.
[Sidenote: Another assault.] The seuenth of Iuly as men nothing yet
dismayed, we cast about towards the inward, and had sight of land, which
rose in forme like the Northerland of the straights, which some of the
Fleete, and those not the worst Marriners, iudged to be the North Foreland:
howbeit other some were of contrary opinion. [Sidenote: Fogge, snow, and
mistes hinder the Mariners markes.] But the matter was not well to be
discerned by reason of the thicke fogge which a long time hung vpon the
coast, and the new falling snow which yeerely altereth the shape of the
land, and taketh away oftentimes the Mariners markes. And by reason of the
darke mists which continued by the space of twentie dayes togither, this
doubt grewe the greater and the longer perilous. [Sidenote: A swift current
from the Northeast.] For whereas indeede we thought ourselues to be vpon
the Northeast side of Frobishers straights, we were now caried to the
Southwestwards of the Queenes Foreland, and being deceiued by a swift
current comming from the Northeast, were brought to the Southwestwards of
our said course many miles more then we did thinke possible could come to
passe. The cause whereof we haue since found, and it shall be at large
hereafter declared.
[Sidenote: A current.] Here we made a point of land which some mistooke for
a place in the straightes called Mount Warwicke: but how we should be so
farre shot vp so suddainely within the said straights the expertest
Mariners began to maruell, thinking it a thing impossible that they could
be so farre ouertaken in their accounts, or that any current could deceiue
them here which they had not by former experience prooued and found out.
Howbeit many confessed that they found a swifter course of flood then
before time they had obserued. And truely it was wonderfull to heare and
see the rushing and noise that the tides do make in this place with so
violent a force that our ships lying a hull were turned sometimes round
about euen in a moment, after the maner of a whirlepoole, and the noyse of
the streame no lesse to be heard afarre off, then the waterfall of London
Bridge.
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