1588.] PRETENDED VOYAGE OF MALDONADO. 81 



of 64 degrees. There, the strait takes another turn to the north, 

 continuing one hundred and twenty leagues, as far as the latitude 

 of 70 degrees, when it again turns to the north-west, and runs in 

 that direction ninety leagues, to the 75th degree of latitude, near 

 which the whole of the Strait of Labrador will have been passed ; 

 that is to say, the strait begins at 60 degrees, and ends at 75 de- 

 grees, being two hundred and ninety leagues in length, and having 

 three turns, the first and last of which run north-west and south- 

 east, and the middle one north and south, being sometimes narrower 

 than twenty leagues, and sometimes wider than forty, and contain- 

 ing many bays and sheltering places, which might be of service in 

 cases of necessity. ##*#*#** 



" Having cleared the Strait of Labrador, we began to descend 

 from that latitude, steering west-south-west., and south-west, three 

 hundred and fifty leagues, to the 71st degree of latitude, when we 

 perceived a high coast, without being able to discover whether it 

 was part of the continent, or an island ; but we remarked that, if it 

 were the continent, it must be opposite the coast of New Spain 

 From this land we directed our course west-south-west four hundred 

 and forty leagues, until we came to the 60th degree, in which par- 

 allel we discovered the Strait of Anian. * * * * 



" The strait which we discovered in 60 degrees, at the distance of 

 one thousand seven hundred and ten leagues from Spain, appears, 

 according to ancient tradition, to be that named by geographers, in 

 their maps, the Strait of Anian; and, if it be so, it must be a strait 

 having Asia on the one side, and America on the other, which seems 

 to be the case, according to the following narration : — 



" As soon as we had cleared the strait, we coasted along the shores 

 of America for more than one hundred leagues south-westward, to 

 the 55th degree of latitude, on which coast there were no inhab- 

 itants, nor any opening, indicating the vicinity of another strait, 

 through which the South Sea, flowing into the North, might insulate 

 that part ; and we concluded that all that coast belonged to 

 America, and that, continuing along it, we might soon reach Qui- 

 vira and Cape Mendocino. We then left this coast, and, sailing 

 towards the west four days, with the wind a-beam, so that we made 

 thirty leagues a day, we discovered a very high land, and continued 

 along the coast, from which we kept at a safe distance, always in the 

 open sea, sailing, at one time, to the north-east, at others towards 

 north-north-east, and again to the north, whence it seemed to us 

 that the coast ran north-east and south-west. We were unable 

 11 



