INTRODUCTION. 

 " land ; and feeing God did blefs us with a wind, we re- 

 " turned, bearing up the helm." He afterwards adds : 

 " And this I can aflure at this prefent, that between 

 *' feventy-eight degrees and an half, and eighty-two de- 

 *' grees, by this way there is no paflage." — In confequence 

 of this opinion, he was the next year employed on the 

 North Eaft difcovery. 



In March 1 609, old ftyle, " A voyage was fet forth by the 

 " right worfhipful Sir Thomas Smith, and the reft of the 

 " Mufcovy Company, to Cherry Ifland, and for a further 

 " difcovery to be made towards the North Pole, for the like- 

 " lihood of a trade or apaffage that way, in the Qiip called 

 " the Amity, of burthen feventy tuns, in which Jonas 

 ** Poole was mafter, having fourteen men and one boy." — 

 He weighed from Blackwall, March the firft, old ftyle; and 

 after great feverity of weather, and much difficulty from 

 the ice, he made the South part of Spitibcrgen on the 

 16th of May. He failed along and founded the coaft, 

 giving names to feveral places, and making many very 

 accurate obfervations. On the 26th, being near Fair 

 Foreland, he fent his mate on fliore ; — and fpeaking of 

 the account he gave at his return, fays, " Moreover, 1 was 

 " certified that all the ponds and lakes were unfrozen, they 

 " being frelh water; which putteth me in hope of a mild 

 *' fummer here, after fo fliarp a beginning as I have had; 

 *' and my opinion is fuch, and I allure myfelf it is fo, that 

 *' a paflage may be as foon attained this way by the Pole, 



"as 



