A.D. 



1553- 



July. 



In this land 

 dwellt Octhev 

 as it seemeth. 



SIR HUGH WILLOUGHBY 



whereby we could not fetch Shotland : then we sayled 

 North 1 6 leagues by estimation, after that North and by 

 West, & Northnorthwest, then Southeast, with divers 

 other courses, traversing and tracing the seas, by reason 

 of sundry and manifolde contrary windes, untill the 14 

 day of July : and then the sunne entring into Leo, we 

 discovered land Eastward of us, unto the which we sayled 

 that night as much as we might : and after wee went on 

 shore with our Pinnesse, & found little houses to the 

 number of 30, where we knew that it was inhabited, but 

 the people were fled away, as we judged, for feare of us. 



The land was all full of little Islands, and that innu- 

 merable, which were called (as we learned afterwards) 

 iEgeland and Halgeland, which lieth from Orfordnesse 

 North and by East, being in the latitude of 66 degrees. 

 The distance betweene Orfordnesse and iEgeland 250 

 leagues. Then we sailed from thence 12 leagues North- 

 west, and found many other Islandes, and there came to 

 anker the 19 day, and manned our Pinnesse, and went 

 on shore to the Islands, and found people mowing and 

 making of hay, which came to the shore and welcomed 

 us. In which place were an innumerable sort of Islands, 

 which were called the Isles of Rost, being under the Rost Islands 

 dominion of the king of Denmarke : which place was in 

 latitude 66 degrees, and 30 minutes. The winde being 

 contrary, we remayned there three dayes, & there was an 

 innumerable sort of foules of divers kindes, of which we 

 tooke very many. 



The 22 day the winde comming fayre, we departed 

 from Rost, sailing Northnortheast, keeping the sea untill 

 the 27 day, and then we drew neere unto the land, which 

 was still East of us : then went foorth our Pinnesse to 

 seeke harborow, & found many good harbours, of the 

 which we entred into one with our shippes, which was 

 called Stanfew, and the land being Islands, were called 

 Lewfoot, or Lofoot, which were plentifully inhabited, and 

 very gentle people, being also under the king of Den- 

 marke : but we could not learne how farre it was from 



219 



Stanfew 



harbor. 



Lofoot. 



