Chap. I. 
iying round N O R T H POLE. 
all our Obfervations at once ; fo as that they may affift 
and give Light to eacii other, _and render the Subjedt 
upon the v/hole more intelligible. I ihall therefore pro- 
ceed to another very curious and entertaining Relation, 
piibliflied many Years ago, and fmce revifed ; and fome 
Remarks added by the ingenious Mr. Bobbs^ to whom 
his Country is fo much obliged for the Pains he has taken 
to revive the Concern taken for, and Endeavours to 
find out, a North-weft Paflage. This Narrative is very 
clear in itfelf, and there is therefore no Sort of Neceffi- 
ty that we ftiould trouble the Reader with any farther 
Introdudion ; only it maybe right to obferve, that it 
relates alfo to that Part of the Northern World of which 
we are now fpeaking. 
The Viceroys of New Spain and Peru^ having Ad- 
vice from the Court of Spain^ that the Attempt for the 
finding a North- weft Paflage, which had been tried be- 
fore by Hudfon cix\di James, was again attempted in 1609, 
by fome induftrious Navigators from Bofton in New 
England, Admiral de Fonte received Orders from Spain, 
and the Viceroys, to equip four Ships of Force , and be- 
ing ready to put to Sea the 3d of April, 1640, from 
Eima *, the Admiral in the Ship Spiritus, the Vice-x^dmi- 
ral, Bon Biego Penelofa, in the St. Lucia, Pedro de Ber- 
narda, in the Rojfaria, and Philip de Ron(iuillo, in the 
King Philip, the 7th of April, at five in the Evening, 
he got to St. Helen, in 2 Degrees South Latitude, where 
he took in a Quantity of Bitumen or Tar, by way of 
Medicine againft the Scurvy and. Dropfy.' The lothhe 
paffed the Equinox at Cape del Pajfao, the nth Cape St. 
Francifco, in i Degree 7 Minutes North I latitude, and 
anchored at the Mouth of the River St. Jago, and took 
in there feveral Refi-eftiments. The 1 6th he failed from 
thence to the Port and Town of Ralco, three hundred 
and twenty Leagues Weft-north- weft, Wefterly about 
II Degrees 14 Minutes North Latitude. It is a fafe 
Port, covered from the Sea by the Iflands Ampallo and 
Mangreza, both Well inhabited by Indians. Ralco is but 
four Miles over Land to the Head of the Lake Nica- 
ragua, that falls into the North Sea, in 1 2 Degrees 
North Latitude, near the Corn or Pearl IJlands-, here 
being plenty of fine Timber, he bought four Shalops, 
built exprefly for failing and rowing, about twelve Tons 
each, and thirty-two Feet in the Keel. 
The 26th he failed from thence to Saragua, within 
the Iflands and Sholes of Chamilly, in 1 7 Degrees 3 1 Mi- 
nutes North Latitude, four hundred and eighty Leagues 
North-weft by Weft from Ralco. From Saragua, and Com- 
poftello, near this Port, he took in a Mafter, and fix Ma- 
riners ufed to trade on the Eaft-fide of California for 
Pearl, which the Natives catch on a Bank in Latitude 
.29 Degrees, North from the Bcfxas St. Juan, in 24 De- 
grees North Latitude, twenty Leagues North-north-eaft 
from Cape St. Lucas, the South-eaft Point of California. 
The Mafter the Admiral had hired, with his Veffel and 
Mariners, informed him that two hundred Leagues 
North from Cape St. Lucas, a Flood from the North 
had - met the South Flood, and he was fure it m.uft be 
an Ifland. Bon Biego Peneloja. undertook with his Ship 
and four Shallops, to difcover whether California was 
an Ifland or not, along with the Mafter and his Ma- 
riners, they hired at Saragua s but Admiral de Fonte, 
with three Ships, failed from them, within the Ifles of 
Chamilly, the loth of May, 1640 ; and having got the 
Length of Cape Abel, on the Weft-fouth-weft of Califor- 
nia, in 26 Degrees North Latitude, one hundred and fixty 
LeaguesNortL weft by Weft from the Ifles of Chamilly, the 
.Wind fprung at South-fouth-eaft a fteady Gale ; that 
from the 26th May, to the 14th of June, he had fail- 
ed to the River of in 53 Degrees North Latitude, 
not having Occafion to lower a top Sail in faifmo- 
eight hundred and fixty-fix Leagues North-north-wef^ 
tour hundred and ten Leagues from Port Abel to Cape 
Blanco, and four hundred and fixty-fix to Rio los Reys, 
and failed two hundred and fixty Leagues in crooked 
Channels,' amongft the Iflands, named the Archipelago 
de St. Lazarus, where the Ship’s Boats always failed a 
Mile a~head, founding to fee what Water, Sand, and 
Rocks there were. 
The 2 2d of June Admiral Fonte difpatched one of 
VoL. IL Numb. 96, 
his Captains to Pedro de Bernarda, to fail up a faif 
River, a gentle Stream, and deep Watery he went firft 
North-north-eaft-, and North-north- weft, into alargeLake 
•full of Iflands, and one very large Peninfula, full of In- 
habitants, a friendly honeft People in this Lake. Fie 
named it Velafco, where Captain Bernarda left' his Ship, 
nor all up the River was it lefs than four, five, fix, 
feven, and eight Fathom Water; both the Rivers and 
Lakes abounding with Salmon, Trouts, and Whale- 
Pearch, very large ones, fome two Foot long ; and 
with three large Indian Boats, called Piraguas, made of 
two large Trees, fifty and fixty Foot long, Captain 
Bernarda firft failed from his Ships in the Lake Velafco, 
one hundred and forty Leagues Weft, and then lour 
hundred thirty-fix Eaft-north-eaft, to 77 Degrees North 
Latitude. Admiral de Fonte, after he had difpatched 
Captain Bernarda on the Difeovery of the North and 
Eaft Part ot the Tartarian Sea, failed up a very navi-^ 
gable River, which he named Rio los Reys, that ran neareft 
North-eaft, but on feveral Points of the Compafs, fixty 
Leagues at low Water, in a fair navigable Channel, not 
lefs than four or five Fathom Water ; it flowed in both Ri- 
vers near the fame Water, in the River los Reys, twenty- 
four Foot, full and change of the Moon, a South-fouth- 
eaft Moon made high Water ; it flowed in the River 
de Haro twenty-two Feet and a-half, full and change* 
They had two Jefuits with them, who had. been on 
their Milfion to 66 Degrees North Latitude, and had 
made curious Obfervations. The Admiral de Fonte re- 
ceived a Letter from Captain Bernards, dated the 27th 
of June, 1640, that he had left his Ship in the Lake 
Velafco, betwixt the Ifland Bernarda, and the Lake Co- 
nibaffet, a very fafe Port ; he went down a River from 
the Lake, three Falls, eighty I.eagues, and fell into 
the Tartarian Sea, in 61 Degrees with the Pater Jefuits, 
and thirty-fix Natives, in three of his Boats, and twenty 
of his Spanifh Seamen ; that the Land trended away 
North-eaft ; that they ftiould want no Provifions, the 
Country abounding withVenifon of three Sorts, and the 
Sea and Rivers with excellent Fifti (Bread, Salt, Oil, and 
Brandy, they carried with them); that he ftiould do what 
was polfibie. The Admiral, when he received that Let- 
ter, was arrived at an Indian Town cedltJ Conaffet,' on 
the South-fide of the Lake Belle (where two Pater 
Jefuits, on their Milfion, had been two Years) a pleafant 
Place. The Ad mural, with his two Ships, entered the 
Lake the 2 2d of June, an Hour before h.igh Water, and 
there was no Fall or Cataradl, and lour or five BYthom 
Water, and fix and feven generally ; in the Lake Belle 
there is a little Fall of Water till half Flood, and an 
Hour and a Quarter before high Water the Flood be- 
gins to fet gently into the Lake Belle. The River is 
Irelh at twenty Leagues Diftance from the Mouth or 
Entrance of the River los Reys., The River and Lake 
abound with Salmon, Salmon-Trouts, Pike, Perch, and 
Mullets, and two other Sorts of Filh, peculiar to that 
River, admirable good; and Lake Belle alfo abounds 
with all thofe Sorts of Fifh, large and delicate ; and Ad- 
miral de Fonte fays, the Mullets, catched in los Reys 
and Lake Belle, are much delicater than are to be found 
in any other Part of the World. 
The firft cAJuly, 1640, the Admiral failed (from the 
Ships in the Lake Belle, in a good Port, covered by a 
fine Ifland, before the Town Conaffet) from thence to a 
River he named Parmentiers, after his Comerade Mr, 
Parmentiers, who had exailly marked every thing in and 
about that River, and palTed eight Fdlls, in all thirty-two 
Feet, perpendicular from its Source ; out of Lake Belle 
it falls into the large Lake he called Lake de Fonte, zt 
which Place he arrived the 6th of July. This Lake is 
one hundred and fixty Leagues long, and fixty broad ; 
the Length is Eaft-north-eaft, and Weft-fouth-weft, 
twenty, thirty, and in fome Places fixty. Fathom deep, 
I'he Lake abounds with excellent Cod and Ling, very 
large and well fed ; there are feveral very large Iflands, 
and ten fmall ones ; they are covered with fhrubby 
Woods, the Mofs grows fix or feven Feet long, with 
which the Moofe, a very large Sort of Deer, are fat in 
the Winter, and other lefer Deer, as fallow, IFc. There 
are abundance of wild Cherries, Strawberries, Hiirtle- 
H Berries, 
