9^ DISCOVERIES OF 1578- 



of West England, " for a certaine similitude," the 

 name of Charing Cross. They found the strait 

 choked up with ice, and the bark Dennis, of 

 one hundred tons, received such a blow with a 

 rock of ice, that she sunk instantly in sight of 

 the whole fleet, but the people were all saved. 

 Unfortunately however she had on board part of 

 the house which was intended to be erected for 

 the winter settlers. A violent storm now came on, 

 and the whole fleet was dispersed, some being 

 driven with the ice into the strait, and there shut 

 up, and others swept away among the drift ice into 

 the sea. Their distresses and dangers and suffer^ 

 ings are described in most lamentable terms. And 

 when, at length, they got together again, they 

 were so bewildered by the fog, snow and mist, and 

 so driven about by the tides and currents, the 

 noise of which was equal '' to the waterfall of 

 London bridge," that a doubt arose among the 

 masters and pilots of the fleet where they were^ 

 In this dilemma two of the ships parted company ; 

 the rest followed Frobisher to the north-west coast 

 of Greenland, along which he passed to the 

 northward, thinking, or as the w^riter of the 

 voyage says, pretending and ^^ persuading the 

 fleete always that they were in their right course, 

 and knowen straights." At length, afler many 

 perils from storms, fogs, and floating ice, the 

 general and pait of the fleet assembled in the 

 Countess of iramicHs Sound in Frobisher's strait, 



