THE SECOND VOYAGE OF JOHN DAVIS 229 

 the weather changed which it did to worse with the 

 wind unfavourable, so that the ships had to run for 

 shelter and then sail for home, crossing the Atlantic 

 from Greenland in a fortnight. On arrival Davis 

 reported to Walsingham that the North-West Passage 

 was a matter nothing doubtful, but at any time almost 

 to be passed, the sea navigable, void of ice, the air 

 tolerable, and the waters very deep ; and a voyage for 

 next year was decided on, for which the merchants 

 of Exeter, Totnes, London, Cullompton, Chard, and 

 Tiverton, and five private subscribers, "did adventure 

 their money" to the amount of 1175 "with Mr. 

 Adrian Gilbert and Mr. John Davis in a voyage for 

 the discovery of China, the seventh daie of April in 

 the xxviij yeare of the rayne of or. soverayne Ladie 

 Elizabeth." 



The fleet, consisting of the Mermaid of one hundred 

 and twenty tons, the Sunshine and Moonshine, and a 

 ten-ton pinnace named the North Star, left Dartmouth 

 on the 7th of May, 1586. On reaching Greenland the 

 Sunshine and North Star were sent up the east coast 

 of Greenland, while the Mermaid and Moonshine made 

 for Gilbert Sound. 



Here the Eskimos received them cordially " after 

 they had espied in the boate, some of our companie 

 that were the yeere before heere with us, they presently 

 rowed to the boate, and tooke holde on the oare, and 

 hung about the boate with such comfortable joy as 

 woulde require a long discourse to be uttered : they 

 came with the boates to our shippes, making signes 

 that they knewe all those that the yere before had 

 bene with them. After I perceived their joy, and smal 



