VOYAGE OF CAPTAIN KNIGHT. 55 



Knight, who sailed April i8, 1606, from Gravesend in 

 the Hopewell. 



" After a most tedious and uninteresting passage, the 

 vessel arrived off some broken land, in latitude 56° 25' 

 N.: much ice driving to the southward. The wind was 

 fresh and the commander made fast to a piece of ice ; 

 but falling calm, he endeavored to row in between the 

 masses. This was an unfortunate attempt. The weather 

 became thick and foggy, and a furious storm arose on 

 June 14 : they were driven about in the ice. Lost 

 sight of land till the 19th, when it is described as being 

 seen again, rising like eight islands in latitude 56° 

 48' N., variation 25° W. The vessel was then taken 

 into a cove, and made fast by hawsers laid out on shore. 

 On June 26th, Capt. Knight, his mate, and three hands 

 set out, well armed, to explore a large island. They 

 disappeared, having probably been killed by the natives. 



" On the night of the 2gth, ' they were attacked by 

 savages, who set on them furiously with bows and 

 arrows ; and at one time succeeded in obtaining posses- 

 sion of the shallop. However, the eight mariners, with 

 a fierce dog, showed a resolute front, and the assailants, 

 upward of fifty in number, were finally driven off. The 

 savages are represented to have been ' very little people, 

 tawnie colored, thin or no beards, and fiat-nosed.' They 

 are also described as being ' man-eaters ; ' but for this 

 imputation there appears to be no warrant, except in the 

 imagination of the parties on whom the attack was 

 madCi" 



On the 4th of July, the vessel was in great danger of 

 foundering, the craft leaking badly. 



" Shaping their course towards Newfoundland, with 



