NORTH POLE. 
by the date of his will, it appeared that fir Hugh Wil¬ 
loughby and molt of the company of the two fliips were 
alive in January 1554. They had entered the river on 
the 18th of September preceding. No papers, however, 
were ever publifhed to give the lead account of their pro¬ 
ceedings and fufferings, which is fomewhat fingular; as 
even common feamen, Englifh, Dutch, and Ruffians, 
who, at various times, have wintered in much higher la¬ 
titudes, have kept regular journals of their proceedings. 
That of fir Hugh is exceedingly meagre, terminates juft 
after their arrival in the Arzina, and contains only the 
following paragraph refpefting their diftrefled fituation : 
“ Thus remaining in this haven the fpace ofa weeke, feeing 
the yeere farre fpent, and alfo very evill wether, as froft, 
fnowe, and haile, as though it had been the deepe of 
winter, we thought it bell to winter there. Wherefore 
we fent out three men fouth-fouth-weft, to fearch if they 
could find people, who went three dayes’ journey, but 
could finde none. After that we fent other three weft- 
ward four dayes’ journey, which alfo returned without 
finding any people. Then fent we three men fouth-eaft 
three dayes’journey, who in like forte returned without 
finding of people or any fimilitude of habitation.” 
A better fortune attended Richard Chancelor, in the 
Edward Bonaventure, who fucceeded in reaching Ward- 
huys in Norway, the appointed rendezvous of the little 
fquadron. Here he waited feven days looking in vain for 
his conforts, and was preparing to depart, when, meet¬ 
ing with “certaine Scottifhmen,” they earneftly attempted 
to difluade him from the further profecution of the 
voyage, magnifying the danger and ufing every effort to 
prevent his proceeding; but he was not to bedifcouraged 
with “ the fpeeches and words of the Scots,” and refo- 
lutely determined “ either to bring that to pafl'e which 
was-intended, or els to die the death.” Accordingly, on 
fetting out again, “ he held on his courfe towards that 
unknowen part of the world, and failed fo farre that liee 
came at laft to the place where he found no night at all, 
but a continuall light and brightneffe of the funne ffiining 
clearly upon the huge and mighty fea.” At length he 
entered into a very great bay ; and, feeing a fifliing-boat, 
enquired of the people “ what country it is, and what 
people, and of what maner of living they were 5” but 
thefe men, feeing the large fhip, were greatly alarmed, 
and fled. At laft, however, they were overtaken, and im¬ 
mediately fell on their knees, offering to kifs Chancelor’s 
feet. The report being fpread abroad of the arrival ofa 
ftrange people “ of fingular gentleneffe and courtefie,” 
the inhabitants brought them prefents of provifions, and 
entered readily and fearlefsly into trade with them. Our 
navigators now learned that the name of the country was 
Ruffia, or Mofcovy, and that of their king Juan Vafilo- 
vich, who “ ruled and governed farre and wide in thole 
places.” A negociation fpeedily commenced, the refult 
of which was a journey, undertaken and performed by 
Chancelor, of nearly fifteen hundred miles, to a city 
called Mofcow, where he was well received ; and to his 
difcreet and able reprefentations England is indebted 
for the firm foundation of that commerce with Ruffia, 
which has continued almoft without interruption ever 
fince. 
The firft interview with the czar of Mofcow is ex¬ 
tremely interefting and curious. Thefe adventurers were 
received with every mark of diftinftion, and invited to a 
fplendid entertainment, at which were prefent the czar 
and all his nobles. The difplay of gold and filver, the 
jewels, and the rich robes, perfectly aftonilhed the Eng- 
lifti travellers. The emperor kept them at greatdiftance; 
but Chancelor fainted him only in the manner of the 
Englifh court. On the fecond vifit the czar was more fa¬ 
miliar : “ The prince called them to his table to receive 
each a cup from his hand to drinke, and took into his 
hand Mailer George Killingworth’s beard, which reached 
over the table, and pleafantlie delivered it the metropo- 
litane, who, feeming to blefl’e it, laide in. Rufs, This is 
Vol, XVJI. No. 1168. 
161 
God’s gift; as indeed at that time it was not only thicke, 
broad, and yellow-coloured, but in length five foote and 
two inches of affize.” Shortly after this he was difpatched 
with a proper efcort to Archangel, with a letter from the 
czar addrefled to Edward VI. and, failing from thence, 
the following fpring arrived fafely in England. 
The return of Chancelor to England with a letter from 
the czar Vafilovich addrefled to Edward VI. and the prof- 
pefts of vaft profits which a trade with this extenfive em¬ 
pire held forth, were deemed to have amply compenfated 
the melancholy fate of fir Hugh Willoughby, the fup- 
pofed lofs of the two fliips, and the failure of the expe¬ 
dition in its main objeft ; and Philip and Mary, who were 
now on the throne, were readily prevailed on to grant a 
new charter, “ to the Community of Merchants Adven¬ 
turers,” and to appoint Sebaftian Cabot governor thereof 
for the term of his natural life. A commiffion was alfo 
ifl’ued, conftituting Richard Chancelor, George Killing- 
worth, and Richard Grey, commiffioners from Philip and 
Mary, to carry a letter to, and to treat with, the czar of 
Mofcovy concerning the commercial privileges and im¬ 
munities which he might be pleafed to grant to this newly- 
chartered company. The Edward Bonaventure and the 
Philip and Mary were the fliips appointed to carry out the 
commiffioners, who, on their arrival at Archangel, were 
efcorted to Mofcow, where they were well received, and, 
we are told, made a profitable voyage. 
Though commerce was the immediate, it was not the 
only, objeft of this fecond expedition. By an article of 
their inftruftions, the adventurers were particularly di¬ 
rected “ to ufe all wayes and meanes poffible to learne 
liowe men may pafl'e from Ruffia, either by land or by 
fea, to Cathaia.” And, fo anxious was the company to 
follow up the attempt at a north-eaft paflage to the Indian 
feas, that, without waiting the refult of Chancelor’s fe¬ 
cond voyage, it was determined to fit out a fmall veil'd 
the next year, 1556, to make difcoveries by fea to the 
eaftward; and Steven Burrowe, or Burough, was ap¬ 
pointed to command the Serchthrift pinnace fitted out for 
this purpofe. On the 27th of April, being then at Gravef- 
end and ready for fea, the governor, accompanied with 
feveral gentlemen and ladies, paid a vifit to the fhip, 
“ and the good olde gentleman Mafter Cabot gave to the 
poore moll liberall almes; and then, at the figne of the 
Chriftopher, hee and his friends banketted, and made 
great cheere ; and, for very joy that he had' to fee the 
towardnefs of our intended difcovery, he entered into the 
dance himfelfe, amongft the reft of the young and lufty 
company.” They left Gravefend on the 29th ; on the 
23d of May puffed the North Cape, fo named on the firft 
voyage; and on the 9th of June entered the river Cola, 
and determined its latitude to be 65°48' N. 
One of the numerous Ruffian veffels called lodias, under 
the orders of one Gabriel, being bound for Petchora, 
led the way for the Serchthrift with great attention and 
civility until they came to that river, which they reached 
on the 15th July. In proceeding to the eaftward they 
fell in with much ice, in which they were enclofed before 
they were aware of it, and “ which, was a feareful fight to 
fee.” In latitude 70. 15. they again encountered heaps 
of ice. But on the 25th they came to an ifland which 
they named James's Ifland. Here they met with a Ruffian 
who had feen them at Cola, and who told them that the 
land ahead of them was called Nova Zemhla, or the New 
Land. On the jtft they reached' the ifland of Weigats. 
Here they had intercourfe with feveral Ruffians, and 
learned from them that the people who inhabited the 
great iflands were called Samoeds, who have no houfes, 
but tents made of deer’s Ikins. On landing they ob- 
ferved a heap of Samoed idols, at lea.lt three hundred in 
number, in the fliape of men, women, and children, 
“ very grofsly wrought, and the eyes and mouth of fundrie 
of them were bloodie.” Some of them are defcribed as 
being “ an olde fticke with two or three notches.” They 
remained near this place till the 23d of Auguft, without 
T t being:. 
