MARTIN FROBISHER ad. 



1578. 

 those countrey people, who brought him foule, fish, 

 beares skinnes, and such like, as their countrey yeeldeth 

 for the same. Here also they saw of those greater boats 

 of the countrey, with twentie persons in a peece. 



Now after the Generall had bestowed these many [III. 82.] 

 dayes here, not without many dangers, he returned backe 

 againe. And by the way sayling alongst this coast (being 

 the backeside of the supposed continent of America) and 

 the Queenes Foreland, he perceived a great sound to 

 goe thorow into Frobishers straights. Whereupon he 

 sent the Gabriel the one and twentieth of July, to proove 

 whether they might goe thorow and meete againe with Returneoutof 

 him in the straights, which they did : and as wee imagined *; mistaken 

 before, so the Queenes foreland prooved an Hand, as 

 I thinke most of these supposed continents will. And 

 so he departed towardes the straights, thinking it were 

 high time now to recover his Port, and to provide the 

 Fleete of their lading, whereof he was not a little carefull, 

 as shall by the processe and his resolute attempts appeare. 

 And in his returne with the rest of the fleete he was so 

 intangled by reason of the darke fogge amongst a number 

 of Hands and broken ground that lye off this coast, that 

 many of the shippes came over the top of rockes, which 

 presently after they might perceive to lie dry, having not 

 halfe a foote water more then some of their ships did 

 draw. And by reason they could not with a smal gale 

 of wind stemme the force of the flood, whereby to goe 

 cleere off the rockes, they were faine to let an anker fall 

 with two bent of Cable togither, at an hundred and odde 

 fadome depth, where otherwise they had bene by the 

 force of the tydes caried upon the rockes againe, and 

 perished : so that if God in these fortunes (as a mercifull Great dan- 

 guide, beyond the expectation of man) had not carried us & ers - 

 thorow, we had surely perished amidst these dangers. 

 For being many times driven hard aboord the shore 

 without any sight of land, untill we were ready to make 

 shipwracke thereon, being forced commonly with our 

 boats to sound before our ships, least we might light 



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