THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE a.d. 



1576. 



is the history of travell, that is, reports made by 

 travellers skilful in Geometrie and Astronomie, of all 

 such things in their journey as to Geographie doe 

 belong. It onely then remaineth, that we now answere 

 to those arguments that seemed to make against this 

 former conclusion. 



The first objection is of no force, that generall table Sol. 1. 

 of the world set forth by Ortelius or Mercator, for it 

 greatly skilleth not, being unskilfully drawen for that 

 point : as manifestly it may appeare unto any one that 

 conferreth the same with Gemma Frisius his universall 

 Mappe, with his round quartered carde, with his globe, 

 with Sebastian Cabota his table, and Ortelius his 

 generall mappe alone, worthily preferred in this case 

 before all Mercator & Ortelius other doings : for that 

 Cabota was not onely a skilful Sea man, but a long 

 traveller, and such a one as entred personally that 

 straight, sent by king Henry the seventh to make this 

 aforesayd Discoverie, as in his owne discourse of 

 navigation you may reade in his carde drawen with his 

 owne hand, that the mouth of the Northwesterne 

 straight lyeth neere the 318. Meridian, betweene 61. 

 and 64. degrees in the elevation, continuing the same 

 bredth about 10. degrees West, where it openeth 

 Southerly more and more, untill it come under the 

 tropicke of Cancer, and so runneth into Mar del Zur, 

 at the least 18. degrees more in bredth there, then it 

 was where it first began : otherwise I could as well 

 imagine this passage to be more unlikely then the 

 voyage to Moscovia, and more impossible then it for 

 the farre situation and continuance thereof in the frostie 

 clime : as now I can affirme it to be very possible and 

 most likely in comparison thereof, for that it neither 

 coasteth so farre North as the Moscovian passage 

 doeth, neither is this straight so long as that, before it 

 bow downe Southerly towardes the Sunne againe. 



The second argument concludeth nothing. Ptolome Sol. 2. 

 knew not what was above sixteene degrees South 



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