DISCOVERY OF DAVIS STRAIT 227 



siderable quantities of wood fir, spruce, and juniper- 

 which whether it came floating any great distance or 

 grew in some island near he did not discover ; but he 

 thought it grew further inland because the people had 

 so many darts and paddles which they held of little 

 value and gave away for insignificant trifles. He also 

 found " great abundance of scales " in shoals as if they 

 were small fish ; but saw no fresh water, only snow 

 water in large pools, and he notes that the " clifFes were 

 all of such oare as M. Frobisher brought from Meta 

 Incognita." 



Leaving the sound on the 1 st of August he crossed 

 the strait now named after him and reached land in 

 66 40'. In water " altogether voyd from ye pester of 

 ice " he anchored, " in a very fair rode, under a very 

 brave mount, the cliffs whereof were as orient as gold." 

 This mount he named Mount Raleigh, the roadstead 

 he called Totnes Rode, the sound round the mount he 

 named Exeter Sound, the foreland to the north he 

 called Dyer's Cape, the southern foreland being named 

 Cape Walsingham all of which names remain. Here 

 white bears were killed " of monstrous bignesse," a 

 raven was descried upon Mount Raleigh, withies were 

 found growing low like shrubs, and there were flowers 

 like primroses, though there was no grass. 



For three days Davis went coasting downwards, and 

 rounding the southern point of the peninsula, which he 

 named the Cape of God's Mercy, he entered what he 

 afterwards called Cumberland Strait, now Cumberland 

 Gulf, supposing it to be his way to the westward. It 

 was clear of ice ; sixty leagues up islands were found, 

 among which a stay was made during five days of very 



