106 DISCOVERIES OF 1585- 



their main purpose by objects foreign to the 

 original design, resolved on a new expedition, 

 whose sole motive should be that of discovery. 

 The superintendance of the outfit was entrusted 

 to Mr. WilHam Sanderson, Merchant of London ; 

 and Mr. John Davis, of Sandridge, in Devonshire, 

 by the recommendation, no doubt, of his neigh- 

 bour, Mr. Adrian Gilbert, received the appointment 

 of Captain and chief pilot of this new enterprize. 

 Two small barks, one of 50 tons, called the Sun- 

 shine^ and the other of S5 tons, named the Moofi- 

 shine, were put under his orders. In the first were 

 twenty-three persons, of whom four were musi- 

 cians ; and m the latter nineteen. They left Dart- 

 mouth on the 7th June, 1585, and on the 19th 

 July were among the ice on the western side of 

 Greenland, where they heard "a mighty great 

 roaring of the sea," which, on a closer examination 

 in the boats, they found to proceed from the " rowl- 

 ing together of islands of ice." The next day, as 

 they proceeded to the northward, the fog cleared 

 away, and they perceived a rocky and mountainous 

 land, in form of a sugar loaf, appearing as if above 

 the clouds. The top was covered with snow, and 

 the shore beset with ice a full league into the sea ; 

 and the whole surrounding aspect presented so 

 " true a paterne of desolation," that Davis gave to 

 it the name of " the Land of Desolation.'' Find- 

 ing it impossible to reach the shore near this spot 

 on account of the ice, Davis determined to return 



