GEORGE BEST'S DISCOURSE a.d. 



1578. 

 winds and the barrennesse of the country, it is there as 

 it is in Cornwall and Devonshire in England, which parts 

 though we know to be fruitfull and fertile, yet on the 

 North side thereof all alongst the coast within seven or 

 eight miles off the sea there can neither hedge nor tree 

 grow, although they be diligently by arte husbanded and 

 seene unto : and the cause thereof are the Northerne 

 driving winds, which comming from the sea are so bitter 

 and sharpe that they kill all the yoong & tender plants, 

 and suffer scarse any thing to grow ; and so is it in the 

 Islands of Meta incognita, which are subject most to Meta incog- 

 East & Northeastern winds, which the last yere choaked nita inhabited. 

 up the passage so with ice that the fleet could hardly 

 recover their port. Yet notwithstanding all the objec- 

 tions that may be, the countrey is habitable ; for there 

 are men, women, children, & sundry kind of beasts in 

 great plenty, as beares, deere, hares, foxes and dogs : all 

 kinde of flying fowles, as ducks, seamewes, wilmots, par- 

 tridges, larks, crowes, hawks, and such like, as in the 

 third booke you shall understand more at large. Then 

 it appeareth that not onely the middle Zone but also the 

 Zones about the poles are habitable. 



Which thing being well considered, and familiarly Captaine 

 knowen to our Generall captaine Frobisher, aswell for F ™bishers 

 that he is thorowly furnished of the knowledge of the fiU vo ^ age ' 

 sphere and all other skilles appertaining to the arte of 

 navigation, as also for the confirmation he hath of the 

 same by many yeres experience both by sea and land, and 

 being persuaded of a new and nerer passage to Cataya 

 then by Capo de buona Speranca, which the Portugals 

 yerely use : he began first with himselfe to devise, and 

 then with his friends to conferre, and layed a plaine plat 

 unto them that that voyage was not onely possible by 

 the Northwest, but also he could prove easie to be per- 

 formed. And further, he determined and resolved with 

 himselfe to go make full proofe thereof, and to accom- 

 plish or bring true certificate of the truth, or els never [III. 58.] 

 to returne againe, knowing this to be the only thing of 



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