MARTIN FROBISHER a.d. 



1577- 



caught a great fish called a Hollibut, who served the 



whole companie for a dayes meate, and is dangerous 



meate for surfetting. And sounding about five leagues 



off from the shore, our leade brought up in the tallow 



a kinde of Corrall almost white, and small stones as White Con-all 



bright as Christall : and it is not to be doubted but that &h ""*- 



this land may be found very rich and beneficial if it were 



throughly discovered, although we sawe no creature there 



but little birdes. It is a marvellous thing to behold of Monstrous 



what great bignesse and depth some Hands of yce be ^stefresh'^ 



here, some seventie, some eightie fadome under water, zohere-hence 



besides that which is above, seeming Hands more then they are sup- 



halfe a mile in circuit. All these yce are in tast fresh, P osed t0 come - 



and seeme to be bredde in the sounds thereabouts, or in 



some lande neere the pole, and with the winde and tides 



are driven alongst the coastes. We found none of these 



Hands of yce salt in taste, whereby it appeareth that they 



were not congealed of the Ocean Sea water which is 



alwayes salt, but of some standing or little mooving lakes The opinion of 



or great fresh waters neere the shore, caused eyther by t ^ e J rosen s f as 

 p . r r • i • 1 1 is destroyed by 



melted snowe trom tops or mountaines, or by continuall ex p er - ience ^ 



accesse of fresh rivers from the land, and intermingling 



with the Sea water, bearing yet the dominion (by the 



force of extreame frost) may cause some part of salt 



water to freese so with it, and so seeme a little brackish, 



but otherwise the maine Sea freeseth not, and therefore 



there is no Mare Glaciale or frosen Sea, as the opinion 



hitherto hath bene. Our Generall prooved landing here 



twice, but by the suddaine fall of mistes (whereunto this 



coast is much subject) he was like to loose sight of his 



ships, and being greatly endangered with the driving yce 



alongst the coast, was forced aboord and faine to surcease 



his pretence till a better opportunitie might serve : and 



having spent foure dayes and nightes sayling alongst this 



land, finding the coast subject to such bitter colde and 



continuall mistes, he determined to spend no more time 



therein, but to beare out his course towardes the streightes 



called Frobishers streights after the Generals name, who 



vii 289 t 



