a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



Signes of gold some Spiders (which as many affirme, are signes of great 

 eure. store of gold) and also certaine stinging Gnattes, which 



bite so fiercely, that the place where they bite shortly 



after swelleth and itcheth very sore. 



Signes of gold They make signes of certaine people that weare bright 



from other p l a tes of gold in their foreheads, and other places of 

 people. S . , i. 6 r 



r their bodies. 



Description of The Countreys on both sides the streights lye very 

 the Countreis. ^jgh with rough stony mountaines, and great quantitie 

 of snow thereon. There is very little plaine ground and 

 no grasse, except a little which is much like unto mosse 

 that groweth on soft ground, such as we get Turffes in. 

 There is no wood at all. To be briefe there is nothing 

 fit or profitable for the use of man, which that Countrey 

 with roote yeeldeth or bringeth forth : Howbeit there 

 is great quantity of Deere, whose skins are like unto 

 Asses, there heads or homes doe farre exceede, as well 

 in length as also in breadth, any in these our parts or 

 Countreys : their feete likewise are as great as our 

 oxens, which we measured to be seven or eight ynches in 

 breadth. There are also hares, wolves, fishing beares, 

 and sea foule of sundry sorts. 



As the Countrey is barren and unfertile, so are they 



rude and of no capacitie to culture the same to any 



perfection : but are contented by their hunting, fishing, 



and fouling, with raw flesh and warme blood to satisfie 



their greedy panches, which is their only glory. 



A signe oj There is great likelihood of Earthquakes or thunder : 



Earthquakes f Qr ^^ t h ere are huge and monstrous mountaines, whose 



or thunder. , ° , , , . 



greatest substance are stones, and those stones so shaken 



with some extraordinarie meanes that one is separated 

 from another, which is discordant from all other Quarries. 

 [III. 39.] There are no rivers or running springs, but such as 



N °rivers,but through the heate of the Sunne, with such water as 

 Sunne doth discendeth from the mountaines and hilles, whereon 

 cause to come great drifts of snow do lie, are ingendred. 

 of snow. It argueth also that there should be none : for that 



the earth, which with the extremitie of the Winter is so 



228 



