JOHN DAVIS ad. 



that trade : in fine by searching with our boat, we found 

 small hope to passe any farther that way, and therefore 

 recovered the sea and coasted the shore towards the 

 South, and in so doing (for it was too late to search 

 towards the North) we found another great inlet neere 

 40 leagues broad, where the water entred in with violent 

 swiftnesse, this we also thought might be a passage : for 

 no doubt the North partes of America are all Islands by The North 

 ought that I could perceive therein : but because I was P* rts °f 

 alone in a small barke of thirtie tunnes, and the yeere j s / an j s ' 

 spent, I entred not into the same, for it was now the 

 seventh of September, but coasting the shore towardes 

 the South wee saw an incredible number of birds : 

 having divers fishermen aboord our barke they all con- 

 cluded that there was a great skull of fish, we being 

 unprovided of fishing furniture with a long spike nayle 

 made a hooke, and fastened the same to one of our 

 sounding lines, before the baite was changed we tooke 

 more then fortie great Cods, the fish swimming so abun- 

 dantly thicke about our barke as is incredible to bee 

 reported, of which with a small portion of salt that we 

 had, we preserved some thirtie couple, or thereaboutes, 

 and so returned for England. And having reported to 

 M. Secretarie Walsingham the whole successe of this 

 attempt, he commanded me to present unto the most 

 honourable Lord high Treasurour of England, some 

 part of that fish : which when his Lordship saw, & heard 

 at large the relation of this second attempt, I received 

 favourable countenance from his honour, advising me to 

 prosecute the action, of which his Lordship conceived a 

 very good opinion. The next yere, although divers of 

 the adventurers fell from the Action, as all the Westerne 

 marchants, and most of those in London : yet some of 

 the adventurers both honorable & worshipfull continued 

 their willing favor and charge, so that by this meanes 

 the next yere two shippes were appointed for the fishing 

 and one pinnesse for the discoverie. 



Departing from Dartmouth, through Gods mercifull The 3. voyage. 



443 



