eing provided, I departed from this land the
12th of August at six of the clock in the morning, where I left the
_Mermaid_ at anchor; the 14th sailing west about 50 leagues we discovered
land, being in latitude 66 degrees 19 minutes: this land is 70 leagues
from the other from whence we came. This 14th day, from nine o'clock at
night till three o'clock in the morning, we anchored by an island of ice
12 leagues off the shore, being moored to the ice.

The 15th day, at three o'clock in the morning, we departed from this land
to the south, and the 18th of August we discovered land north-west from
us in the morning, being a very fair promontory, in latitude 65 degrees,
having no land on the south. Here we had great hope of a through
passage.

This day, at three o'clock in the afternoon, we again discovered land
south-west and by south from us, where at night we were becalmed. The
19th of this month at noon, by observation, we were in 64 degrees 20
minutes. From the 18th day at noon until the 19th at noon, by precise
ordinary care, we had sailed fifteen leagues south and by west, yet by
art and more exact observation we found our course to be south-west, so
that we plainly perceived a great current striking to the west.

This land is nothing in sight but isles, which increaseth our hope. This
19th of August, at six o'clock in the afternoon, it began to snow, and so
continued all night, with foul weather and much wind, so that we were
constrained to lie at hull all night, five leagues off the shore: in the
morning, being the 20th of August, the fog and storm breaking up, we bore
in with the land, and at nine o'clock in the morning we anchored in a
very fair and safe road and locket for all weathers. At ten o'clock I
went on shore to the top of a very high hill, where I perceived that this
land was islands; at four o'clock in the afternoon we weighed anchor,
having a fair north-north-east wind, with very fair weather; at six
o'clock we were clear without the land, and so shaped our course to the
south, to discover the coast whereby the passage may be through God's
mercy found.

We coasted this land till the 28th day of August, finding it still to
continue towards the south, from the latitude of 67 to 57 degrees; we
found marvellous great store of birds, gulls and mews, incredible to be
reported, whereupon being calm weather we lay one glass upon the lee to
prove for fish, in which space we caught one hundred of cod, a