112 DISCOVERIES OF 1586. 



leaving the Mermaid they sailed west fifty leagues, 

 and discovered land in lat. 66° 19 . Turning to the 

 south thev fell in with land north-west from them, 

 being a fair promontory in lat. 65°, having no land 

 on the south ; " here," says Davis, " wee had great 

 hope of a thorough passage." From hence they 

 continued to the southward among many islands, 

 and afterwards along the coasi; from the lat. 6? to 57 

 degrees. On the 28th August, they fell in with 

 a fair harbour in lat. 56° and sailed ten leagues 

 into the same, with fine woods on both sides. On 

 the 4th September being in lat. 54°, Davis says, 

 *' he had a perfect hope of the passage, finding 

 a mightie great sea passing between two lands 

 west." On this part of the coast of Labrador two 

 of their men were slain by the savages. The 

 weather now became most stormy and tempestuous, 

 and on the 1 1th September they weighed anchor 

 and arrived in England in the beginning of Oc- 

 tober. It should be remarked that, in all this track, 

 Davis was entirely alone in his little bark, the Moon- 

 shine ; he having, on his arrival off Cape Farewell, 

 ordered the Sunshine and the North Star to seek 

 a passage northward between Greenland and Ice- 

 land as far as lat. 80°, if not interrupted by land. 

 On the 12th June the two latter vessels put into 

 Iceland and remained there till the l6th, and 

 steering north-west came, on the 3d July, between 

 two firm islands of ice. This made them turn about, 

 and, coasting Greenland within three leagues off 



