A.D. 



c. 890. 



The river of 

 Duina of 

 likelihood. 



A Desert 

 countrey. 



Fynnes. 



Biarmia. 



Tet fynnes. 



The Fynnes 

 and Biarmes 

 speake one 

 language. 

 II Or, morsses, 

 their teeth 

 commended. 

 Use of ye 

 Morsses skinne 

 for cables. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



the sea opened into the land he could not tell how tarre : 

 so that he sailed thence along the coast continually full 

 South, so farre as he could travaile in 5. dayes ; and at 

 the fifth dayes end he discovered a mightie river which 

 opened very farre into the land. At the entrie of which 

 river he stayed his course, and in conclusion turned backe 

 againe, for he durst not enter thereinto for feare of the 

 inhabitants of the land : perceiving that on the other side 

 of the river the countrey was thorowly inhabited : which 

 was the first peopled land that he had found since his 

 departure from his owne dwelling : whereas continually 

 thorowout all his voyage, he had evermore on his steere- 

 boord, a wildernesse and desert countrey, except that in 

 some places, he saw a few fishers, fowlers, and hunters, 

 which were all Fynnes : and all the way upon his leere- 

 boord was the maine ocean. The Biarmes had inhabited 

 and tilled their countrey indifferent well, notwithstanding 

 he was afrayed to go upon shore. But the countrey of 

 the Terfynnes lay all waste, and not inhabited, except it 

 were, as we have sayd, whereas dwelled certeine hunters, 

 fowlers, and fishers. The Biarmes tolde him a number of 

 stories both of their owne countrey, and of the countreyes 

 adjoyning. Howbeit, he knew not, nor could affirme any 

 thing for certeine trueth : forsomuch as he was not upon 

 land, nor saw any himselfe. This onely he judged, that 

 the Fynnes and Biarmes speake but one language. The 

 principall purpose of his traveile this way, was to encrease 

 the knowledge and discoverie of these coasts and 

 countreyes, for the more commoditie of fishing of II horse- 

 whales, which have in their teeth bones of great price and 

 excellencie : whereof he brought some at his returne unto 

 the king. Their skinnes are also very good to make 

 cables for shippes, and so used. This kinde of whale is 

 much lesse in quantitie then other kindes, having not in 

 length above seven elles. And as for the common kind 

 of whales, the place of most and best hunting of them is 

 in his owne countrey : whereof some be 48. elles of 

 length, and some 50. of which sort he affirmed that he 



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