friends, neither
care of possessions and inheritances, finally, not the love of life (a
thing of all other most sweet), neither the terror of dreadful death
itself, might seem to be of sufficient force to withdraw their prowess,
or to restrain from that purpose, thereby to have profited their country;
but that with most willing hearts, venturous minds, stout stomachs, and
singular manhood, they were content there to have tarried for the time,
among a barbarous and uncivilised people, infidels and miscreants, to
have made their dwelling, not terrified with the manifold and imminent
dangers which they were like to run into; and seeing before their eyes so
many casualties, whereto their life was subject, the least whereof would
have made a milksop Thersites astonished and utterly discomfited; being,
I say, thus minded and purposed, they deserved special commendation, for,
doubtless, they had done as they intended, if luck had not withstood
their willingness, and if that fortune had not so frowned upon their
intents.

For the bark _Dionyse_, which was lost, had in her much of their house,
which was prepared and should have been builded for them, with many other
implements. Also the _Thomas of Ipswich_, which had most of their
provision in her, came not into the straits at all, neither did we see
her since the day we were separated in the great snow (of which I spake
before). For these causes, having not their house nor yet provision,
they were disappointed of their pretence to tarry, and therefore laded
their ships and so came away with us.

But before we took shipping, we builded a little house in the Countess of
Warwick's Island, and garnished it with many kinds of trifles, as pins,
points, laces, glasses, combs, babes on horseback and on foot, with
innumerable other such fancies and toys, thereby to allure and entice the
people to some familiarity against other years.

Thus having finished all things we departed the country (as I said
before); but because the _Busse_ had not lading enough in her, she put
into Bear's Sound to take a little more. In the meanwhile, the
_Admiral_, and the rest without the sea, stayed for her. And that night
fell such an outrageous tempest, beating on our ships with such vehement
rigour that anchor and cable availed nought, for we were driven on rocks
and islands of ice, insomuch that had not the great goodness of God been
miraculously showed to us, we had been cast away every man. Th