INTRODUCTION. 



" as any unknown way whatfoever, by reafonthe fun doth 

 give a great heat in this climate, and the ice (I mean 

 that freezeth here) is nothing fo huge as I have feen in 

 feventy-thiee degrees." 





Thefe hopes, however, he was foon obliged to relinquifh 

 for that year, having twice attempted in vain to get beyond 

 79° 50 • On the 2ifl: of June, he flood to the Southward, 

 to get a loading of fifli, and arrived in London the latt of 

 Auguft. He was employed the following year (1611) in a 

 fmall bark called the Elizabeth, of 50 tuns. The inflruc- 

 tions for this voyage, which may be found at length in Pur- 

 chas, are excellently drawn up: They direct him, after 

 having attended the fifhery for fome time, to attempt difco- 

 veries to the North Pole as long as the feafon will permit; 

 with a difcretionary claufe, to aft in unforefeen cafes as fhall 

 appear to him moit for the advancement of the difcovery, 

 and intereft of his employers. This however proved an unfor- 

 tunate voyage: for having llaid in Crofs Road till the 1 6th of 

 June, on account of the bad weather, and great quantity 

 of ice, he failed from thence on that day, and fleered 

 WbN fourteen leagues, where he found a bank of ice: 

 he returned to Crofs Road^ from whence when he failed, 

 he found the ice to lie clofe to the land about the lati- 

 tude of 80°, and that it was impoffible to pafs that way; 

 and the ftrong tides making it dangerous to deal with the 

 ice, he determined to ftand along it to the Southward, to 

 try if he could find the fea more open that way, and fo 

 2 get 



