( 423 ) 
As to the Time of the year , wherein this Navigation ought 
to begin, ic maybe confidercd two ways: In ihe beginning of 
Jhe Spring, viz,, in the month of March , it is confefTed by moft 
men, that the Winds and Seas are favourable to thofe that fayl 
to Sftt^berg^ and the places near the Pole , and that they may run 
all that courfe from thefe parts in twelve or thirteen daies fpace % 
But when they havepaffed fo far, if any man would defignto 
fayltothe Straights of Jezzo , he muftfteerhis Courfe towards 
the South : But then thofe motions of the Winds and Seas, which 
were favourable to thofe who fayled Northward, will be con- 
trary to thofe who ftand Southward , and they may long enough 
expeft Northern gales, which feldom blow till towards the latter 
end of Summer, viz.mtht month of Augud. If therefore any 
man would contrive to difpatch his voyage in the fliorteft time, 
it were his fafeft rule to make choice of that time of year , 
wherein he might fooneft make to Sfltzbtrg to asd again , which 
I conceive would be in the beginning of Summer ^ yet ic 
would be fafer to fet out fuoner , if the Wind permit. And al- 
though this Courfe fliould happily fucceed , it follows nor, that 
I fliould advife them to obferve the fame in their return home- 
ward 3 for, things of that nature muft be left to the prudence and 
conduft of difcreet Pilots and Mariners ; who are yet to be 
advertifed,that, fince the greateft part of this Navigation is to be 
fought through unknown Seas, they fliun, as much as in them lieth, 
all near approach to theCoafts and Iflands which they fhall encoun- 
ter, for fear of the Ice*, and that they always make choice of the 
moft open Seas , which are leaft infefted with it, and in which 
the Colds are moft moderate. For, experience hath fufRciencly 
taught, that whole large Seas are never known to be frozen , but 
the borders of the Seas near land only ^ and thefe byreafonof 
the plenty of frefb waters that run into the Ocean, or the Snows 
melted in it. And the fame experience hath taught, that there is 
not that danger from the fluftuating Ice as is vulgarly apprehen- 
ded, efpccially in Seas not fubjeft to violent ftorms^, and within 
the ftKth or rather the eight month of the year. 
But 
