1583. SIR HUMPHREY GILBERT. 101 



possession of the northern parts of America and 

 Newfoundland. The fleet consisted of five ships 

 of different burdens, from two hundred to ten tons, 

 in which were embarked about two hundred and 

 sixty men, inchiding shipwrights, masons, smiths 

 and carpenters, besides '' minerall men and refi- 

 ners ;" and, " for the solace of our people," says 

 Mr. Haies, " and allurement of the savages, we 

 were provided of musicke in good varietie; not 

 omitting the least toyes, as morris dancers, hobby 

 horsses, and mavhke conceits, to delio-ht the savage 

 people, whom we intended to wiune by all faire 

 meanes possible."^ This little fleet left Cawsand 

 Bay on the 1 1 th of June. In lat. 60*" N. they found 

 themselves opposed by mountains of ice driving 

 about on the sea, having passed which, they fell 

 in with the land on the 3()th of July. It is noticed 

 that, at this early period, '' the Portugals and 

 French chiefly have a notable trade of fishing on 

 the Newfoundland banke, where there are some- 

 times more than a hundred sail of ships." 



On entering the harbour of St. John's, the gene- 

 ral and his people were entertained with great pro- 

 fusion by the English merchants, who carried them 

 to a place called the garden—hnt the writer of 

 the voyage observes, that notiiing appeared but 

 " nature itselfe without art ;" plenty of roses and 

 raspberries were found growing wild in every 



* Hayeses Narrative of the Voyage. — Haklu}^t, vol. iii. p. 154. 



H 3 



