JOHN DAVIS a.d. 



1585. 



standing. In witnesse whereof we have made these 

 our Letters to bee made patents : Witnesse our selfe 1583. 

 at Westminster, the sixt day of Februarie, in the sixe 

 and twenty yeere of our reigne. 



The first voyage of M. John Davis, undertaken 

 in June 1585. for the discoverie of the North- 

 west passage, Written by M. John Janes 

 Marchant, sometimes servant to the worship- 

 full Master William Sanderson. 



Ertaine Honourable personages and wor- 

 thy Gentlemen of the Court & Countrey, 

 with divers worshipful Marchants of 

 London and of the West Countrey, 

 mooved with desire to advance Gods 

 glory and to seeke the good of their 

 native Countrey, consulting together of 

 the likelyhood of the Discoverie of the Northwest 

 passage, which heretofore had bene attempted, but un- 

 happily given over by accidents unlooked for, which 

 turned the enterprisers from their principall purpose, 

 resolved after good deliberation, to put downe their 

 adventures to provide for necessarie shipping, and a fit 

 man to be chiefe Conductour of this so hard an enter- 

 prise. The setting forth of this Action was committed 

 by the adventurers, especially to the care of M. William 

 Sanderson Marchant of London, who was so forward 

 therein, that besides his travaile which was not small, 

 hee became the greatest adventurer with his purse, and 

 commended unto the rest of the companie one M. John 

 Davis, a man very well grounded in the principles of 

 the Arte of Navigation, for Captaine and chiefe Pilot 

 of this exployt. 



Thus therefore all things being put in a readines, 

 wee departed from Dartmouth the seventh of June, 

 towards the discoverie of the aforesayd Northwest 

 passage, with two Barkes, the one being of 50. tunnes, 



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