ii4 A. D. 1553. 



antient commerce are more plainly to be traced than any where elfe. 

 In the reign of Frederick II, the Danifli gentry, allured by the profpedl 

 of gain, began to carry on merchandize and fadorage themfelves, and 

 alfo eftablifhed manufadures, which the Hanfe towns in vain urged the 

 king to abolifli. 



This year (according to Hakluyt, V. ii) Antony Jenkinfon being at 

 Aleppo, obtained privileges from the Turkifli fulran, Selim II, (then at 

 that place with an army going againft the Perlians) whereby he was to 

 pay no higher cuftom than the French or Venetians ; and he had liber- 

 ty (without being diflurbed by their confuls) to trade with his fliip or 

 fhips to the Turkifli ports. 



This year was diflinguifhed by a great geographical and mercantile 

 difcovery. Some merchants of London, together with feveral noble- 

 men, emulous of the fame, and defirous of fharing in the profits ac- 

 quired by the Portuguefe and Spanifli difcoverers of unknown lands, 

 eftablifhed a company, with a capital of L6000 in 240 fhares of L25, 

 for profecuting difcoveries. The celebrated Sebaftian Cabot, who was 

 a principal advifer of the undertaking, was chofen their governor. 

 Three veflels * were fitted out under the command of Sir Hugh Wil- 

 loughby, and they carried letters from King Edward addrefi^d to all 

 kings and princes, requelling their friendlhip. Sir Hugh Willoughby, 

 being tofled about for a long time by tempeftuous wea,ther, as far as 72 

 degrees of north latitude, was compelled, by the fudden approach of 

 winter, to run into an obfcure harbour in Ruffian Lapland, called Arci- 

 na Keca, where he and the crews of two of his fhips (70 in number) 

 were frozen to death ; and where fome Ruffian fifhermen, in the fum- 

 mer following, found him fitting in his cabin, with his diary and other 

 papers before him ; it being the cuftom of thofe Laplanders to frequent 

 the fea-coafts in fummer for the benefit of the fifliery ; but when win- 

 ter approaches, to withdraw into the calmer inland parts, which occa- 

 fions thofe ftormy fhores to be defolate in winter. Richard Chancellor, 

 however, in the third fhip, accidentally fell into the bay of St. Nicholas, 

 or the White Sea, on the Ruffian coaft, where no fhip had ever been 

 feen before, and landed at the abbey of St. Nicholas, near Archangel, 

 then only a caftle, determining to wait on the czar, John Bazilowitz, at 

 that time engaged in the Livonian war ; which war having greatly in- 

 terrupted the Eaftland trade, that prince was the more inclinable, by 

 Chanqellor's interpofition, to grant the Englifh confiderable privileges at 

 Archangel, &c. The Ruffians, before thofe times, having no fea-ports 

 nor fhipping on the Baltic fhores, their rich furs, hemp, &c, were car- 

 ried to other parts of Europe from the ports of Livonia, lately poITefi^ed 



• One of the vefTels was ftieathed with thin ( Anghrum navigaiio ad Mofcomtas) written by 

 plates of lead ; which is mentioned as a very in- Clement Adam, who received his materials from 

 genious invention in the account of the voyage Chancellor, M. 



