ERTAIN OTHER REASONS OR ARGUMENTS TO PROVE A PASSAGE BY THE NORTH-WEST.

_Learnedly written by Master Richard Willes_, _Gentleman_.

Four famous ways there be spoken of to those fruitful and wealthy
islands, which we do usually call Moluccas, continually haunted for gain,
and daily travelled for riches therein growing. These islands, although
they stand east from the meridian, distant almost half the length of the
world, in extreme heat under the equinoctial line, possessed of infidels
and barbarians, yet by our neighbours great abundance of wealth there is
painfully sought in respect of the voyage dearly bought, and from thence
dangerously brought home to us. Our neighbours I call the Portuguese, in
comparison of the Molucchians for nearness unto us, for like situation
westward as we have for their usual trade with us; for that the far
south-easterings do know this part of Europe by no other name than
Portugal, not greatly acquainted as yet with the other nations thereof.
Their voyage is very well understood of all men, and the south-eastern
way round about Africa, by the Cape of Good Hope, more spoken of, better
known and travelled, than that it may seem needful to discourse thereof
any farther.

The second way lieth south-west, between the West Indies, or South
America, and the south continent, through that narrow strait where
Magellan, first of all men that ever we do read of, passed these latter
years, caving thereunto therefore his name. This way, no doubt, the
Spaniards would commodiously take, for that it lieth near unto their
dominions there, could the eastern current and Levant winds as easily
suffer men to return as speedily therewith they may be carried thither;
for the which difficulty, or rather impossibility of striving against the
force both of wind and stream, this passage is little or nothing used,
although it be very well known.

The third way, by the north-east, beyond all Europe and Asia, that worthy
and renowned knight Sir Hugh Willoughbie sought to his peril, enforced
there to end his life for cold, congealed and frozen to death. And,
truly, this way consisteth rather in the imagination of geographers than
allowable either in reason, or approved by experience, as well it may
appear by the dangerous trending of the Scythian Cape set by Ortellius
under the 80th degree north, by the unlikely sailing in that northern
sea, always clad with ice and snow, or at the least continually pestered
the