f sweet gums and
pleasant notes of musical birds, which other countries in more temperate
zones do yield, we tasted the most boisterous Boreal blasts, mixed with
snow and hail, in the months of June and July, nothing inferior to our
untemperate winter: a sudden alteration, and especially in a place of
parallel, where the pole is not elevated above 61 degrees, at which
height other countries more to the north, yea unto 70 degrees, show
themselves more temperate than this doth. All along this coast ice lieth
as a continual bulwark, and so defendeth the country, that those which
would land there incur great danger. Our general, three days together,
attempted with the ship boat to have gone on shore, which, for that
without great danger he could not accomplish, he deferred it until a more
convenient time. All along the coast lie very high mountains, covered
with snow, except in such places where, through the steepness of the
mountains, of force it must needs fall. Four days coasting along this
land we found no sign of habitation. Little birds which we judged to
have lost the shore, by reason of thick fogs which that country is much
subject unto, came flying to our ships, which causeth us to suppose that
the country is both more tolerable and also habitable within than the
outward shore maketh show or signification.

From hence we departed the 8th of July, and the 16th of the same we came
with the making of land, which land our general the year before had named
the Queen's Forehand, being an island, as we judge, lying near the
supposed continent with America, and on the other side, opposite to the
same, one other island, called Halles Isle, after the name of the master
of the ship, near adjacent to the firm land, supposed continent with
Asia. Between the which two islands there is a large entrance or strait,
called Frobisher's Strait, after the name of our general, the first
finder thereof. This said strait is supposed to have passage into the
sea of Sur, which I leave unknown as yet.

It seemeth that either here, or not far hence, the sea should have more
large entrance than in other parts within the frozen or untemperate zone,
and that some contrary tide, either from the east or west, with main
force casteth out that great quantity of ice which cometh floating from
this coast, even unto Friesland, causing that country to seem more
untemperate than others much more northerly than the same.

I cannot judge that any