INTRODUCTION, 

 crowned v^ith fuccefs, likely to accrue to the fubjeds of 

 this country, from their advantageous fituation ; which, 

 he obferves, feems to make the exploring this, the 

 only hitherto undifcovered part, the King's peculiar 

 duty. 



To remove any objection to the undertaking which 

 might be drawn from the fuppofed danger, he infifts up- 

 on " the great advantages of conftant day- light in feas, 

 " that, men fay, without great danger, difficulty, and peril, 

 " yea, rather, it is impoffible to pafs; for they being paft 

 " this little way which they named fo dangerous (which 

 *' may be two or three leagues before they come to the 

 " Pole, and as much more after they pafs the Pole), it is 

 *' clear from thenceforth the feas and lands are as tem- 

 ** perate as in thefe parts." 



In the paper addrefled to Dr. Ley he enters more 

 minutely into the advantages and pradicability of 

 the undertaking. Amonglt many other arguments to 

 prove the value of the difcovery, he urges, that by fail- 

 ing northward and palftng the Pole, the navigation from 

 England to the Spice Iflands would be fhorter, by more 

 than two thoufand leagues, than either from Spain by the 

 Straits of Magellan, or Portugal by the Cape of Good 

 Hope; and to (hew the likelihood of fuccefs in the enter- 

 prize he fays, it is as probable that the cofmographers 

 ihould be iniilaken in the opinion they entertain of the 



polar 



