of Ireland, about Galway, and had first sight of it on the 25th day of September. THE FIRST VOYAGE OF MASTER JOHN DAVIS, _Undertaken in June_, 1585, _for the discovery of the North-West Passage_, _written by John James Marchant_, _servant to the Worshipful Master William Sanderson_. Certain honourable personages and worthy gentlemen of the Court and country, with divers worshipful merchants of London and of the West Countrie, moved with desire to advance God's glory, and to seek the good of their native country, consulting together of the likelihood of the discovery of the North-West Passage, which heretofore had been attempted, but unhappily given over by accidents unlooked for, which turned the enterprisers from their principal purpose, resolved, after good deliberation, to put down their adventures, to provide for necessary shipping, and a fit man to be chief conductor of this so hard an enterprise. The setting forth of this action was committed by the adventurers especially to the care of Master William Sanderson, merchant of London, who was so forward therein, that besides his travel, which was not small, he became the greatest adventurer with his purse, and commended unto the rest of the company one Master John Davis, a man very well grounded in the principles of the art of navigation, for captain and chief pilot of this exploit. Thus, therefore, all things being put in a readiness, we departed from Dartmouth the 7th of June towards the discovery of the aforesaid North-West Passage with two barques, the one being of fifty tons, named the _Sunshine_, of London, and the other being thirty-five tons, named the _Moonshine_, of Dartmouth. In the _Sunshine_ we had twenty-three persons, whose names are these following: Master John Davis, captain; William Eston, master; Richard Pope, master's mate; John Jane, merchant; Henry Davie, gunner; William Crosse, boatswain; John Bagge, Walter Arthur, Luke Adams, Robert Coxworthie, John Ellis, John Kelly, Edward Helman, William Dicke, Andrew Maddocke, Thomas Hill, Robert Wats, carpenter, William Russell, Christopher Gorney, boy; James Cole, Francis Ridley, John Russel, Robert Cornish, musicians. The _Moonshine_ had nineteen persons, William Bruton, captain; John Ellis, master; the rest mariners. The 7th of June the captain and the master drew out a proportion for the continuance of our victuals. The 8th day, the wind being at south-west and west-south-west, we put in for Falmouth, where we remained until the 13th. The 13th the wind blew at north, and being fair weather we departed. The 14th, with contrary wind, we were forced to put into Scilly. The 15th we departed thence, having the wind north and by east, moderate and fair weather.