a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



c. 1380-90. 



ceding: from a great fire that was in the bottome of the 

 hill, and that there was a spring from which issued a 

 certaine water like pitch which ran into the sea, and that 

 thereabouts dwelt great multitudes of people halfe wilde, 

 hiding themselves in caves of the ground, of small 

 stature, and very fearefull ; for as soone as they saw them 

 they fled into their holes, and that there was a great river 

 and a very good and safe harborough. Zichmni being 

 thus informed, and seeing that it had a holesome and 

 pure aire, and a very fruitfull soyle and faire rivers, with 

 sundry commodities, fell into such liking of the place, 

 that he determined to inhabite it, and built there a citie. 

 But his people being weary and faint with long and 

 tedious travell began to murmure, saying that they would 

 returne into their countrey, for that the winter was at 

 hand, and if they entred into the harborough, they 

 should not be able to come out againe before the next 

 Summer. Wherefore he retaining onely the barks with 

 Oares and such as were willing to stay with him, sent all 

 M. Antonio the rest with the shippes backe againe, and willed that I, 

 Zeno, made (though unwilling) should be their captaine. I therefore 

 C fth^K-b* departing, because I could not otherwise chuse, sayled for 

 ivhkh went the space of twenty dayes to the Eastwards without sight 

 back to Fris- of any land ; then turning my course towards the South- 

 land. eastj [ n j t dayes I discovered land, and found my selfe 



upon the Isle of Neome, and knowing the countrey, I 

 perceived I was past Island : wherefore taking in some 

 fresh victuals of the inhabitants being subject to Zichmni, 

 I sayled with a faire winde in three dayes to Frisland, 

 where the people, who thought they had lost their prince, 

 because of his long absence, in this our voyage received 

 us very joyfully. 



What followed after this letter I know not but by 

 conjecture, which I gather out of a piece of another 

 letter, which I will set downe here underneath : That 

 Zichmni built a towne in the port of the Island that he 

 discovered, and that he searched the countrey very 

 diligently and discovered it all, and also the rivers on 



462 



