( 4" ) 
Samojeds , (^vifRcltntly teftifieth the neighbourhood of the Sea , 
forafmuch as the farther any man advanccth rewards the Eaft, 
the nrilder and better cultivated all things appear to him: For 
the Mu'fiovites have there obferved large and navigable Ri- 
vers , and fair Cities abounding with plenty of all manner of 
things. 
It remains now , that we fhould enquire, by what Courfe, and 
in what Scafonof the year this Voyage is chiefly to be under- 
taken ? It is hardly to be doubted, bat that the Straight 
which lies betwixc Spitzberg and Ncv^t^zembU may be paiTed; 
and thecourfe is to be direfted to feventy eighth , feventy ninth, 
and even to the eightieth degree of Northern latitude."* If any 
man fliall , holding the fame courfe, proceed, farther, he will 
find the pafTage fhorter ; for , if we draw a line to pafs from 
our Seas through the feventy eighth or feventy ninth degree of 
Latitude to the Straight of Jezzo ^ it will be very near a 
ftreight line: But if any would from the fame degree of La- 
titude ( having paffed Novi-zembU ) chufe to decline toward 
the coaft of fartary^ and coaft along by it, till he meet with 
fome Straight, he would find his Courfe fomewbat longer, 
but peradventurefafer and better; fince many Straights would 
feafonably prefent themfelvcs to him 5 and he might fafely neg- 
left the meafure -of Longitude, which in open Seas (and efpc- 
cially thofe that are near the Pole) is found difficult to be ob- 
ferved. Neither ought this to be any hindrance, but that the 
other way may be frequeuted 5 for , though in places near the 
Pole, the moments of Longitude have great variety in a little 
fpace, yet there arifeth not any great difficulty from thence ; 
fince the fault may eafily be prevented in lefler Circles : For 
grant, that any Mariner in the obfervation of his Longitude 
ihould miftake a whole quarter of the Compafs ( which may 
eafily fall out in one daies fay ling,) there could no great incon- 
venience follow; fince the mifhke, in regard of the fliorter 
fpaces of Longitude , may be reftified in a lefler interval ; Nor 
is there any man that knows not, that the Parallel circles, the 
nearer they are to the Pole, the more they are contrafted , till 
they all end in one point 5 fo that the Errour cannot be very great, 
wich falls out in Longitudes fo contraflcd^ 
As 
