1615. A MIXED CHARACTER. 225 



to Poole, was intended not only as an experiment 

 to " catch a whale or two," and to kill sea morses, 

 but also for northern discovery. It thus sets out : 

 " Inasmuch as it hath pleased Almightie God, 

 through the industry of yourselfe and others, to 

 discover unto our nation a land lying in eightie 

 degrees toward the North Pole : We are desirous, 

 not only to discover farther to the northward, 

 along the* said land, to find whether the same be an 

 island or a niayne, and which way the same doth 

 trend, either to the eastward or to the westward of 

 the pole; as also whether the same be inhabited 

 by any people, or whether there be an open sea 

 farther northward then hath been already dis- 

 covered : For accomplishing of all which our 

 desires we have made choice of you, and to that 

 end have entertained you into our service for cer- 

 taine yeares upon a stipend certayne ; not doubting 

 but you will so carrie yourselfe in the businesse 

 for which you were so entertayned, as God may be 

 glorified, our countrey benefited, yourselfe credited, 

 and we in our desires satisfied, &c." 



Jonas Poole appears to have been a faithful 

 servant, and a good and well experienced mariner; 

 but Purchas tells us that, after this voyage, as he 

 had heard, "he was miserably and basely mur- 

 thered betwixt Ratcliffe and London;"* notwith- 

 standing which he continues to give two more 



• Purchas, Pil. vol. iii. p. 707. 

 VOL. I. Q 



