bark myself for England."

[Illustration: ANTHONY JENKINSON'S MAP OF RUSSIA, MUSCOVY, AND
TARTARY, PUBLISHED IN 1562.]

While Jenkinson was endeavouring to reach the Far East by land, a
Portuguese named Pinto had succeeded in reaching it by sea. The
discovery of Japan is claimed by three people. Antonio de Mota had
been thrown by a storm on to the island of Nison, called by the Chinese
Jepwen--Japan--in the year 1542. Pinto claims to have discovered it
the same year. It seems that the Japanese were expecting the return
of a god, and as the white men hove in sight they exclaimed: "These
are certainly the Chinchi cogies spoken of in our records, who, flying
over the waters, shall come to be lords of the lands where God has
placed the greatest riches of the world. It will be fortunate for us
if they come as friends."

Now men of the time refused to believe in the travels of Mendex Pinto.
"He should be called Mendax Pinto," said one, "whose book is one
continued chain of monstrous fiction which deserves no credit," while
a hundred and fifty years later Congreve wrote--

"Ferdinando Mendez Pinto was but a type of thee,
Thou liar of the first magnitude."

CHAPTER XXXIII

MARTIN FROBISHER SEARCHES FOR A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE

So far the expeditions of Willoughby, Chancellor, and Jenkinson had
all failed to reach the Far East. The Spanish had a way thither by
Magellan's Strait, the Portuguese by the Cape of Good Hope. England
in the middle of the sixteenth century had no way. What about a
North-West Passage leading round Labrador from the Atlantic to the
Pacific? England was waking up to possibilities of future exploration.
She was also ready and anxious to annoy Spain for having monopolised
the riches and wealth of the New World. And so it was that Queen
Elizabeth turned with interest to the suggestions of one of her
subjects--Martin Frobisher--"a mariner of great experience and
ability," when he enthusiastically consulted her on the navigation
of the North-West Passage. For the last fifteen years he had been trying
to collect ships and men for the enterprise. "It is the only thing
in the world left undone whereby a notable mind might be made famous
and fortunate," he affirmed.

But it was not till the year 1576 that he got a chance of fitting out
two small ships--two very small ships--the _Gabriel_ of twenty tons,
the _Michael_ of twenty-five tons, to explore the icy regions of the
north. A wave of the