THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE ad 



1576. 

 upon the fret of Magellan, being distant from thence, 

 neere the fourth part of the longitude of the earth : and 

 not having free passage and entrance thorow the fret 

 towards the West, by reason of the narrownesse of the 

 sayd Straite of Magellan, it runneth to salve this wrong 

 (Nature not yeelding to accidentall restraints) all along 

 the Easterne coastes of America, Northwards so far as 

 Cape Fredo, being the farthest knowne place of the 

 same continent towards the North : which is about 4800 

 leagues, reckoning therewithall the trending of the land. 



8 So that this current being continually maintained 

 with such force, as Jaques Cartier affirmeth it to be, 

 who met with the same being at Baccalaos, as he sayled 

 along the coastes of America, then either it must of 

 necessitie have way to passe from Cape Fredo, thorow 

 this fret, Westward towards Cataia, being knowen to 

 come so farre, onely to salve his former wrongs, by the 

 authority before named : or els it must needes strike 

 over, upon the coast of Island, Norway, Finmarke, and 

 Lappia, (which are East from the sayd place about 360 

 leagues) with greater force then it did from Cape de Posita causa, 

 buona Speranca, upon the fret of Magellan, or from P onttur e I ec ' 

 the fret of Magellan to Cape Fredo, upon which coastes 

 Jaques Cartier met with the same, considering the short- 

 nesse of the Cut from the sayd Cape Fredo, to Island, 

 Lappia, &c. And so the cause Efficient remaining, it 

 would have continually followed along our coasts, 

 through the narrow seas, which it doth not, but is dis- 

 gested about the North of Labrador, by some through 

 passage there thorow this fret. 



The like course of the water in some respect happeneth 

 in the Mediterrane sea (as affirmeth Conterenus) wheras Conterenm. 

 the current which commeth from Tanais, & Pontus 

 Euxinus, running along all the coasts of Greece, Italy, 

 France, and Spaine, and not finding sufficient way out 

 through Gibraltar, by meanes of the straitnesse of the 

 fret it runneth backe againe along the coastes of Barbary, 

 by Alexandria, Natolia, &c. 



167 



