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
because the climate (as I haue saide) is extreme colde: for the first snow
being fallen, it thaweth no more for the space of nine moneths, for so long
dureth their winter. They feede of the flesh of wilde foule and of fish:
for wheras the warme water falleth into the sea, there is a large and wide
hauen, which by reason of the heate of the water, doeth neuer freeze all
the winter, by meanes whereof there is such concourse and flocks of sea
foule and such abundance of fish, that they take thereof infinite
multitudes, whereby they maintaine a great number of people round about,
which they kepe in continuall worke, both in building and taking of foules
and fish, and in a thousand other necessarie affaires and busines about the
Monasterie.
Their houses are built about the hill on euery side, in forme round, and 25
foote broad, and in mounting vpwards they goe narower and narower, leauing
at the top a litle hole, whereat the aire commeth in to giue light to the
house, and the flore of the house is so hot, that being within they feele
no cold at all. Hither in the Summer time come many barkes from the Islands
there about, and from the cape aboue Norway, and from Trondon, and bring to
the Friers al maner of things that may be desired, taking in change thereof
fish, which they dry in the sunne or in the cold, and skins of diuers
kindes of beasts. [Sidenote: Trade in summer time from Trondon to S. Thomas
Friers in Groneland. Resort of Fryers from Norway and Sueden, to the
Monastery in Engroneland, called S. Tho.] For the which they haue wood to
burne and timber very artificially carued, and corne, and cloth to make
them apparell. For in change of the two aforesaid commodities all the
nations bordering round about them couet to trafficke with them, and so
they without any trauell or expences haue that which they desire. To this
Monasterie resort Fryers of Norway, of Suetia and of other countreys, but
the most part are of Islande. There are continually in that part many
barks, which are kept in there by reason of the sea being frozen, waiting
for the spring of the yere to dissolue the yce. The fishers boates are made
like into a weauers shuttle: taking the skins of fishes, they fashion them
with the bones of the same fishes, and sowing them together in many doubles
they make so sure and substanciall, that it is miraculous to see, howe in
tempests they will shut themselues close within and let the sea and winde
cary them they care not whether, without any feare either of breaking or
drowning. [Marginal note: M. Frobisher brought these kinde of boats from
these parts into England.] And if they chance to be driuen vpon any rocks,
they remaine sound without the least bruse in the world: and they haue as
it were a sleeue in the bottome, which is tyed fast in the middle, and when
there commeth any water into the boat, they put it into the one halfe of
the sleeue, then fastening the ende thereo with two pieces of wood and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account