VOL. IX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TIIANSACTIONS. I7I 



call the fishcr-stoTie, is a large stone \ipon one of the hills, or elevated parts of 

 the field, which whenever it appears above water, the fishermen, being upon the 

 lake, take notice of it, and know thereby, that in a few days the water will 

 retire under ground. For after the filling of the lake in September, the water 

 never decreases so low again, as to let the fisher-stone appear, till it begins to 

 retire under ground. 



Observations made upon several Voyages, undertaken to find a way for Sailing 

 about the North to the East- Indies, and for returning the same way from thence 

 hither: together ivith Instructions given by the Dutch East- India Company for 

 the Discovery of the famous Land of Jesso near Japan. To which is added a 

 Relation of Sailing through the Northern America to the East-Indies. Eng- 

 lished by the Editor out of Dutch, which had been composed by Dirick Rembrantz 

 van Nierop, and printed at Amsterdam iQj A, in Ato. N° IO9, p. I97. 



The attempts at a north-east passage to India, have always failed of the 

 otject. And as to the remarks and observations contained in this paper, which 

 are chiefly about the land of Jesso, and the adjacent parts, they are rendered 

 totally useless at this time, by the more accurate relations of modern important 

 voyages. 



Some Observations concerning a possible Passage to the East-Indies by tlie 

 Northern America Westward. N° lOQ, p. 20/. 



Of this passage, much was at first discoursed, merely by hearsay; as maybe 

 seen in the hydrographical discourse of W. Bourne, printed anno J 594. Next 

 one Hessel Gerritse, anno l6l2, wrote of this passage thus : since the English, 

 upon the several voyages of W. Barentz, made some attempts for the north- 

 east; the directors of the Dutch East-India Company, for some years last past 

 sent thither one Hudson, who not being able to find a passage to the east, 

 sailed to the west, whence, without effecting any thing, he came into England, 

 Afterwards being sent out again by the English, anno 1610, and having sailed 

 300 Dutch miles and come to the west of Bakalaos, and wintered there at about 

 52 deg. north latitude, and desirous to search further, he was, together with 

 the rest of the governors of the ship, set on shore by the seamen, who refused 

 to go further, but came home, having been at sea 10 months, whereas they had 

 been victualled but for eight. 



All hopes of the north-west passage have since been completely disappointed, 

 from the researches of the modern voyages, 



z2 



