g the shore's
side; but we were within three leagues of the land, coasting the same
divers days together. The 17th day of July we saw the place which our
captain, Master John Davis, the year before had named the Land of
Desolation, where we could not go on shore for ice. The 18th day we were
likewise troubled with ice, and went in amongst it at three of the clock
in the morning. After we had cleared ourselves thereof we ranged all
along the coast of Desolation until the end of the aforesaid month.

The 3rd day of August we came in sight of Gilbert's Sound in the latitude
of 64 degrees 15 minutes, which was the place where we were appointed to
meet our general and the rest of our fleet. Here we came to a harbour at
six of the clock at night.

The 4th day, in the morning, the master went on shore with ten of his
men, and they brought us four of the people rowing in their boats, aboard
of the ship. And in the afternoon I went on shore with six of our men,
and there came to us seven of them when we were on land. We found on
shore three dead people, and two of them had their staves lying by them,
and their old skins wrapped about them, and the other had nothing lying
by, wherefore we thought it was a woman. We also saw their houses, near
the seaside, which were made with pieces of wood on both sides, and
crossed over with poles and then covered over with earth. We found foxes
running upon the hills. As for the place, it is broken land all the way
that we went, and full of broken islands. The 21st of August the master
sent the boat on shore for wood, with six of his men, and there were
one-and-thirty of the people of the country, which went on shore to them,
and they went about to kill them as we thought, for they shot their darts
towards them, and we that were aboard the ship did see them go on shore
to our men, whereupon the master sent the pinnace after them; and when
they saw the pinnace coming towards them they turned back, and the master
of the pinnace did shoot off a culliver to them the same time, but hurt
none of them, for his meaning was only to put them in fear. Divers times
they did wave us on shore to play with them at the football, and some of
our company went on shore to play with them, and our men did cast them
down as soon as they did come to strike the ball. And thus much of that
which we did see and do in that harbour where we arrived first.

The 23rd day we departed from the merchants where we