lthough we
were but badly provided for fishing, not being our purpose. This 28th,
having great distrust of the weather, we arrived in a very fair harbour
in the latitude of 56 degrees, and sailed ten leagues in the same, being
two leagues broad, with very fair woods on both sides; in this place we
continued until the 1st of September, in which time we had two very great
storms. I landed, and went six miles by guess into the country, and
found that the woods were fir, pine-apple, alder, yew, withy, and birch;
here we saw a black bear; this place yieldeth great store of birds, as
pheasant, partridge, Barbary hens, or the like, wild geese, ducks,
blackbirds, jays, thrushes, with other kinds of small birds. Of the
partridge and pheasant we killed great store with bow and arrows in this
place; at the harbour-mouth we found great store of cod.

The 1st of September at ten o'clock we set sail, and coasted the shore
with very fair weather. The third day being calm, at noon we struck
sail, and let fall a cadge anchor to prove whether we could take any
fish, being in latitude 54 degrees 30 minutes, in which place we found
great abundance of cod, so that the hook was no sooner overboard but
presently a fish was taken. It was the largest and best refet fish that
ever I saw, and divers fishermen that were with me said that they never
saw a more suaule, or better skull of fish in their lives, yet had they
seen great abundance.

The 4th of September, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, we anchored in a
very good road among great store of isles, the country low land,
pleasant, and very full of fair woods. To the north of this place eight
leagues we had a perfect hope of the passage, finding a mighty great sea
passing between two lands west. The south land to our judgment being
nothing but isles, we greatly desired to go into this sea, but the wind
was directly against us. We anchored in four fathom fine sand.

In this place is fowl and fish mighty store.

The 6th of September, having a fair north-north-west wind, having trimmed
our barque, we purposed to depart, and sent five of our sailors, young
men, ashore to an island to fetch certain fish which we purposed to
weather, and therefore left it all night covered upon the isle; the
brutish people of this country lay secretly lurking in the wood, and upon
the sudden assaulted our men, which when we perceived, we presently let
slip our cables upon the halse, and under our foresail b