52 THE GEOGRAPHICAL EVOLUTION OF LABRADOR. 



seen, and it was hoped some of them might be killed, 

 but on a party landing, the whole herd, after being 

 twice coursed about the island, ' took the sea and 

 swamme towards ilands distant from that three leagues/ 

 They swam faster than the boat could be pulled, and so 

 escaped. It was represented that one of them ' was as 

 bigge as a good prety cowe, and very fat, their feet as 

 big as oxe feet.' 



"The 13th, in seeking a harbour, the vessel struck on 

 a rock and received a leak ; which, however, was mended 

 the following day, in latitude 54°, ' in a storm not very 

 outragious at noone.' On the 15th, in latitude 52° 40', 

 being disappointed in their expectations of finding the 

 Elizabeth and Sunshine, or of finding any token of 

 those vessels having been in the vicinity, and there 

 being but little wood, with only half a hogshead of fresh 

 water on board, it was determined to shape the course 

 homeward for England. This was accordingly done, 

 and they arrived on the 15th of September in Dart- 

 mouth, • giving thanks to God ' for their safe arrival." 

 (Page 49.) 



But it is to Davis, after \vhom Davis Strait was 

 named, that we owe the most exact knowledge of the 

 Labrador coast, until modern times. The following 

 extracts contain all that we can find regarding his ex- 

 ploration of the Labrador coast. 



Davis, in the Moonshine, left Greenland in latitude 

 66° 33' Aug. ist, 1586. "She crossed the strait in 

 nearly a due westerly direction. The 14th of August 

 she was near Cape Walsingham, in latitude 66° 19' on 

 the American side. It was too late for anything more 

 than a summarv search along the coast. The rest of 



