THE NOETH-WEST PASSAGE. 141 



and that the King had commanded him to discover it, LlB - 

 wherein he shewed a great desire ; he propounded his 

 reasons to proove his opinion,, saying, that they have seene 

 some remainders of shippes in the North Sea, like vnto 

 those the which the Chinois vse, which had beene im 

 possible, if there were no passage from one sea vnto 

 another. Moreover, he reported, that in a cerfcaine great 

 Bay in Florida (the which runnes 300 leagues within the 

 land) they see whales in some season of the yeere, which 

 come from the other sea. Shewing moreover other likeli 

 hood, he concludes, that it was a thing agreeing with the 

 wisedome of the Creator, and the goodly order of nature, 

 that as there was communication and a passage betwixt the 

 two seas at the Pole Antartike, so there should in like sort, 

 be one at the Pole Artike, which is the principall Pole. 

 Some will say that Drake had knowledge of this Straight, 

 and that he gave occasion so to iudge, whenas he passed 

 along the coast of new Spaine by the South Sea. Yea, 

 they hold opinion, that other Englishmen, 1 which this yeere 

 1587, tooke a shippe comrning from the Philippines, with 

 great quantitie of gold and other riches, did passe this 

 straight, which prize they made neere to the California, 

 which course the ships returning from the Philippines and 

 China, to new Spaiue, do vsually observe. They confi 

 dently beleeve that, as the courage of man is great, and 

 his desire infinite, to finde new meanes to inrich himselfe, 

 so within few yeeres this secret will be discovered. And 

 truly, it is a thing worthie admiration, that as the Ants do 

 alwaies follow the trace of other, so men in the knowledge 

 and search of new things, never stay, vntill they have 

 the desired end for the content and glorie of men. And 

 the high and eternall wisedome of the Creator vseth this 



1 This was the voyage of Cavendish. The prize was taken by him 

 off Cape San Lucas, the south point of California, on November 14th, 



1587. 



