Gravesend, by the Castle or
Blockhouse, we observed the latitude, which was 51 degrees 33 minutes,
and in that place the variation of the compass is 11 degrees and a half.
This day we departed from Gravesend at a west-south-west sun, the wind at
north and by east a fair gale, and sailed to the west part of Tilbury
Hope, and so turned down the Hope, and at a west sun the wind came to the
east-south-east, and we anchored in seven fathoms, being low water.

[Here there follows an abstract of the ship's log, showing the navigation
until the 28th of July, when they had sight of land supposed to be
Labrador.]

July 28th. From 4 to 8, 4 leagues: from 8. to 12, 3 leagues: from 12 to
4, north and by west, 6 leagues, but very foggy; from thence to 8 of the
clock in the morning little wind, but at the clearing up of the fog we
had sight of land, which I supposed to be Labrador, with great store of
ice about the land; I ran in towards it, and sounded, but could get no
land at 100 fathoms, and the ice being so thick I could not get to the
shore, and so lay off and came clear of the ice. Upon Monday we came
within a mile of the shore, and sought a harbour; all the sound was full
of ice, and our boat rowing ashore could get no ground at 100 fathom,
within a cable's length of the shore; then we sailed east-north-east
along the shore, for so the land lieth, and the current is there great,
setting north-east and south-west; and if we could have gotten anchor
ground we would have seen with what force it had run, but I judge a ship
may drive a league and a half in one hour with that tide.

This day, at four of the clock in the morning, being fair and clear, we
had sight of a headland as we judged bearing from us north and by east,
and we sailed north-east and by north to that land, and when we came
thither we could not get to the land for ice, for the ice stretched along
the coast, so that we could not come to the land by 5 leagues.

Wednesday, the first of August, it calmed, and in the afternoon I caused
my boat to be hoisted out, being hard by a great island of ice, and I and
four men rowed to that ice, and sounded within two cables' length of it,
and had 16 fathoms and little stones, and after that sounded again within
a minion's shot, and had ground at 100 fathoms, and fair sand. We
sounded the next day a quarter of a mile from it, and had 60 fathoms
rough ground, and at that present being aboard, that great island of ice
fell o