We bought five canoes of them; we bought their clothes from their backs, which were all made of seal skins and birds' skins; their buskins, their hose, their gloves, all being commonly sewed and well dressed, so that we were fully persuaded that they have divers artificers among them.We had a pair of buskins of them full of fine wool like beaver.Their apparel for heat was made of birds'
skins with their feathers on them.We saw among them leather dressed like glover's leather, and thick thongs like white leather of good length.We had of their darts and oars, and found in them that they would by no means displease us, but would give us whatsoever we asked of them, and would be satisfied with whatsoever we gave them.They took great care one of another, for when we had bought their boats then two other would come, and carry him away between them that had sold us his.They are a very tractable people, void of craft or double dealing, and easy to be brought to any civility or good order, but we judged them to be idolaters, and to worship the sun.
During the time of our abode among these islands we found reasonable quantity of wood, both fir, spruce, and juniper; which, whether it came floating any great distance to these places where we found it, or whether it grew in some great islands near the same place by us not yet discovered, we know not.But we judge that it groweth there farther into the land than we were, because the people had great store of darts and oars which they made none account of, but gave them to us for small trifles as points and pieces of paper.We saw about this coast marvellous great abundance of seals sculling together like sculls of small fish.We found no fresh water among these islands, but only snow-water, whereof we found great pools.
The cliffs were all of such ore as Master Frobisher brought from Meta Incognita.We had divers shewes of study or Moscovie glass, shining not altogether unlike to crystal.We found an herb growing upon the rocks whose fruit was sweet, full of red juice, and the ripe ones were like currants.We found also birch and willow growing like shrubs low to the ground.These people have great store of furs as we judged.They made shows unto us the 30th of this present, which was the second time of our being with them, after they perceived we would have skins and furs, that they would go into the country and come again the next day with such things as they had; but this night the wind coming fair the captain and the master would by no means detract the purpose our discovery.And so the last of this month, about four of the clock in the morning, in God's name we set sail, and were all that day becalmed upon the coast.
The 1st of August we had a fair wind, and so proceeded towards the north-west for our discovery.
The 6th of August we discovered land in 66 degrees 40 minutes of latitude altogether void from the pester of ice; we anchored in a very fair road, under a very brave mount, the cliffs whereof were as orient as gold.This mount was named Mount Raleigh; the road where our ships lay at anchor was called Totnes Road; the sound which did compass the mount was named Exeter Sound; the foreland towards the north was called Dier's Cape; the foreland towards the south was named Cape Walsingham.So soon as we were come to an anchor in Totnes Road under Mount Raleigh we espied four white bears at the foot of the mount.We, supposing them to be goats or wolves, manned our boats and went towards them, but when we came near the shore we found them to be white bears of a monstrous bigness; we, being desirous of fresh victual and the sport, began to assault them, and I being on land, one of them came down the hill right against me.
My piece was charged with hail-shot and a bullet; I discharged my piece and shot him in the neck; he roared a little, and took the water straight, making small account of his hurt.Then we followed him with our boat, and killed him with boars' spears, and two more that night.We found nothing in their maws, but we judged by their dung that they fed upon grass, because it appeared in all respects like the dung of a horse, wherein we might very plainly see the very straws.
The 7th we went on shore to another bear, which lay all night upon the top of an island under Mount Raleigh, and when we came up to him he lay fast asleep.I levelled at his head, and the stone of my piece gave no fire; with that he looked up and laid down his head again; then I shot, being charged with two bullets, and struck him in the head; he, being but amazed, fell backwards, whereupon we ran all upon him with boar spears and thrust him in the body, yet for all that he gripped away our boar spears and went towards the water, and as he was going down he came back again.Then our master shot his boar spear and struck him in the head, and made him to take the water, and swim into a cove fast by, where we killed him and brought him aboard.The breadth of his fore foot from one side to the other was fourteen inches over.They were very fat, so as we were constrained to cast the fat away.We saw a raven upon Mount Raleigh.We found withies, also, growing low like shrubs, and flowers like primroses in the said place.The coast is very mountainous, altogether without wood, grass, or earth, and is only huge mountains of stone, but the bravest stone that ever we saw.
The air was very moderate in this country.
The 8th we departed from Mount Raleigh, coasting along the shore which lieth south-south-west and east-north-east.
The 9th our men fell in dislike of their allowance because it was so small as they thought.Whereupon we made a new proportion, every mess, being five to a mess, should have four pound of bread a day, twelve wine quarts of beer, six new land fishes, and the flesh days a gin of pease more; so we restrained them from their butter and cheese.
