along; and being very weary, and thoroughly tired, first with rowing and now with hunting, we fell to eat such victuals as we had brought along, agreeing to take our rest for that night, and the next day to make an end of our hunting, and so fairly to return to our ship again. But the next day, as it pleased God, the weather falling out something thick, and much ice in the offing between the shore and the ship, by reason of a southerly wind driving along the coast, our ship was forced to stand off into the sea, to be clear of the ice, that we had quite lost sight of her. Neither could we assure our selves whether she were enclosed in the drift of ice or not; and the weather still growing thicker and thicker, we thought it our best course to hunt along the shore, and so to go for Green Harbour, there to stay aboard the ship with the rest of our men, until our ship should come into the port.

Coasting thus along towards Green Harbour, we killed eight deer more, and so at last, having well loaded our shallop with venison, we still kept on our course to Green Harbour; where, arriving upon the seventeenth day, we found to our great wonderment that the ship was departed thence, together with our twenty men aforesaid. That oh increased our admiration for that we knew they had tuals sufficient aboard to by proportion, home

which made us

again wonder what should be the reason of their so sudden departure.

For

Perceiving ourselves thus frustrated of our expectation, and having now but bare three days, according to appointment, to the uttermost expiration of the limited time of our departure out of the country, we thought it our best course to make all possible speed to get to Bell Sound, unto our captain, fearing that a little delay might bring a great deal of danger. the lightening, therefore, of our shallop, that she might make the better way through the waters, we heaved our venison overboard, and cast it all into the sea. Having thus forsaken Green Harbour, with a longing desire to recover Bell Sound, from thence distant some sixteen leagues to the southward, that night we were got half-way about the point of the Nesse, or point of land called Low Nesse; but the darkness or misty fog increasing fast upon us, it was impossible for us to get further; even there, between two rocks, we coved from the seventeenth day at night, until the eighteenth day at noon. At which time, the weather being somewhat clearer, though very thick still, we left the Nesse behind us, still desirous to recover Bell Sound; but having never a compass to direct our course by, nor any of our company that was pilot sufficient to know the land when he saw it, we were fain to grabble in the

dark, as it were, like a blind man for his way, and so overshot Bell Point at least ten leagues to the southward, to wards Horn Sound.

'Some of us in the meantime, knowing that it was impossible to be so long a rowing and sailing of eight leagues, for we did both row and sail, made inquiry "How the harbour lay in?" whereunto there was a ready answer made, "That it lay east in." Taking the matter therefore into our better consideration, some of us judged that it could not possibly be further to the southward, our reason being our observation of the land's rounding away and trending towards the eastward, and resolved thereupon to row no further on that course for the finding of Bell Sound. And though we were again persuaded by William Fakely, our gunner (a proper seaman, though no skilful mariner, who had been in the country five or six times before, which none of our seamen had been), that it was further to the southward, yet we, trusting better to our own reason than to his persuasions, again returned towards the northward, which was our best and directest course, indeed, for the finding of Bell Sound. Steering of which course, we were now come within two miles of Bell Point; and the weather being fair and clear, we presently descried the tops of the lofty mountains. William Fakely thereupon looking about him,

presently cries out unto us, "That we were all this while upon a wrong course." Upon hearing of which words, some of our company (yea, the most) were persuaded to wend about the boat's head the second time unto the southward, which one action was the main and only cause of our too late repentance; though for mine own part, as it is well known, I never gave consent unto their counsel.

'And thus upon the fatal 20th day of August, which was the utmost of our limited time for staying in the country, we again returned quite the contrary way, namely, to the southward. Thus, utterly uncertain when and where to find the Sound, a thousand sad imaginations overtook our perplexed minds, all of us assuredly knowing that a million of miseries would of necessity ensue, if we found not the ships whereby to save our passage. In this distracted time of our thoughts, we were now again the second time run as far to the southward as at first; and finding, by all reason thereupon, how that there was no likelihood at all of finding any such place further to the southward, we wended the shallop the second time unto the northward. William Fakely hereupon, being unwilling to condescend unto our argument, still persuaded us that that could not possibly be our course; but we, not trusting any longer unto his unskilful persuasions (though all in him was out of good-will, and

tian nor heathen people had ever before inhabited those desolate and untemperate climates. This also, to increase our fears, had we certainly heard: how that the merchants, having in former times much desired, and that with proffer of great rewards for the hazarding of their lives, and of sufficient furniture and provision of all things, that might be called necessary for such an undertaking, to any that would venture to winter in those parts, could never yet find any so hardy as to expose their lives to so hazardous an undertaking. Yea, notwithstanding these proffers had been made, both unto mariners of good experience and of noble resolutions, and also unto divers other bold spirits, yet had the action of wintering in those parts never by any been hitherto undertaken. This also had we heard how that the company of Muscovy Merchants, having once procured the reprieve of some malefactors, that had here at home been convicted by law for some heinous crimes committed; and that both with promise of pardon for their faults, and with addition of rewards also, if so be they would undertake to remain in Greenland but one whole year, and that every way provided for, too, both of clothes, victuals, and all things else that might any way be needful for their preservation. These poor wretches, hearing of this large proffer, and fearing present execution at home, resolved to make trial of the adventure. The time

of year being come, and the ships ready to depart, these condemned creatures are embarked; who after a certain space there arriving, and taking a view of the desolateness of the place, they conceived such a horror and inward fear in their hearts, as they resolved rather to return for England, to make satisfaction with their lives for their former faults committed, than there to remain, though with the assured hope of gaining their pardon. Insomuch as the time of the year being come, that the ships were to depart from these barren shores, they made known their full intent to the captain, who, being a pitiful and merciful man, would not by force constrain them to stay in that place, which was so contrary to their minds; but having made his voyage by the time expired, he again embarked, and brought them over with him to England, where, through the intercession and means of the Worshipful Company of Muscovy Merchants, they escaped that death which they had before been demned unto.

con

'The remembrances of these two former stories, as also of a third more terrible than the former, for that was likely to be our own case, more miserably now affrighted us and that was, the lamentable and unmanly ends of nine good and able men left in the same place heretofore by the self-same master that now left us behind,