Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

nor shall offer to combine against the authority thereof, upon the paine of severe punishment, as well to him that shall first heare and conceale the same as to the first beginner.

"5. That no man do offer to filch or steale any of the goods of the ship or company, or doe offer to breake into hould, there to take his pleasure of such provisions as are layd in generall for the whole company of the ship; nor that any officer appointed for the charge and oversight thereof doe other wayes than shall be appointed him, but shall every man be carefull for the necessary preservation of the victuall and fuell conteyned in the hould; and that also every officer be so carefull of his store, as he must not be found (upon examination) to deserve punishment.

"6. That no man doe grumble at his allowance of victuall, or steale any from others, nor shall give cross language, eyther to superior or equal, in reviling words or daring speeches, which do tend to the inflaming of blood or inraging of choller; remembering this also, that a stroke or a blow is the breach of his majesties peace, and may not want his punishment therefore, as for other reasons.

"7. That at the boatswaine's call, all the whole company shall appeare above decke, or else that his mate fetch up presently all such sloathfull persons, eyther with rope or cudgell, as in such cases deserves the same. The quarter-masters shall look into the steeridge, while the captains, masters, and mates are at dinner or at supper.

"8. That all men duely observe the watch, as well at anchor as under sayle, and at the discharge thereof, the boatswaine, or his mate, shall call up the other, all praising God together with psalme and prayer. And so committing ourselves, both soules and bodies, ship and goods, to God's mercifull preservation, wee beseech him to steere, direct, and guide us, from the

beginning to the end of the voyage, which hee make prosperous unto us. Amen."

Fox sailed from Deptford on the 3rd May, 1631, and passed Cape Farewell on the 13th June, though he was not able to see the land on account of the drizzling mist and fog, in which he was at the time enveloped. On the 20th land was made, on the north side of Lumley's Inlet, which rather unaccountably appears to have put him in mind of Gibbons and his hole, and likewise gives occasion for his indulgence in a piece of gossip, for which he is so notorious, and in which his journal so much abounds, as to the origin of the name of the inlet, which he says is "named after the Right Honourable the Lord Lumley, an especial furtherer to Davis in his voyages, as to many other lordly designes, as that never to be forgotten act of his, in building up the peere of that poor fishertowne and corporation of Hartlepoole, in the bishopricke of Durham, at his owne proper cost and charge, to the value of at least 2000 pounds. At my first coming thither, I demanded at whose charge the said peere-towne was builded, an old man answered, marrye, at my good Lord Lumley's, whose soule was in heaven before his bones were cold."

Next day he entered Hudson's Strait, and crowded on all the sail he could carry with safety, in order to avoid the fate of Gibbons, whose unfortunate mishap is ever before him. Being asked why it was that he made such haste, he answered, "that as every mountaine consisted of severall pieces, so did my voyage upon fathomes, which must be measured here with speed, though afterward I might take leisure, which added one to another might in time compasse all the mountaines of the world; and that it fared with me as the mackarell-men at London, who must hasten to the market before the fish stinke." After numerous delays and dangers from the ice, Fox at length made

Salisbury Island on the 10th July, when he became involved in floating ice, which gave him a great deal of trouble; no sooner had he by "haleing, saleing, toweing, and pulling," got clear of one mass and pushed for an opening, than the treacherous inlet would again inclose him, and the same work had to be done again. The 19th found him still in the vicinity of Digges', Salisbury, Nottingham, Mansell, and Southampton Islands. On the 20th Cary's Swans' Nest was made, and on the 26th, in lat. 63° 20′, it was "as hot a day as any in England, and the pettie dancers and hurbanes," by which is meant the aurora borealis, "flashing during the night." On the 27th, in lat. 64° 10′, an island was descried, which proved to be a place of sepulture for the natives. The bodies, the longest of which did not exceed four feet, were laid with their heads to the west, and were wrapped in skins, while numerous arms and implements in carved bone were lying beside them. To this island Fox gave the name of Sir Thomas Roe's Welcome, an appellation which has since been extended to the straits, at the entrance of which it lies; to another, farther to the westward, he gives the name of Brooke Cobham; and likewise to a small group near the last, Brigges his Mathematickes." Here Fox stayed his northern progress, assigning as a reason his instructions, which direct him " to set the course from Caries Swannes' Nest, N. W. by N., so as I might fall with the west side in 63 d., and from thence southward, to search the passage diligently, all the bay about, untill I came to Hudson's Bay," steering south along the American shore.

[ocr errors]

On the 2nd August he was off the "Hopes Check'd" of Sir Thomas Button, and on the 8th made Port Nelson, where he found part of a broken cross, which had been set up by Button, bearing an inscription, stating what his reasons had been for wintering here, &c. It was re-erected with a further inscription.

66

Fox determined to continue his voyage to the southward, in preference to taking up his winter quarters, as he had not observed as yet a single indication of the desired passage. On the 29th they fell in with the Maria, a vessel which had been despatched by the Bristol merchants, under the command of Captain Thomas James, on the very same day as Fox, and with a similar object in view. These two rivals met, and feasted each other on board their respective ships; but Fox does not appear to have been greatly prepossessed in the other's favour; he speaks of him as a gentleman who could discourse of arte, as observations, calculations, and the like, and he shewed me many instruments, so that I did perceive him to bee a practitioner in the mathematicks; but I found that hee was no sea-man." The qualities of his vessel also drew forth some sharp remarks; while at dinner, which was served between decks, there not being sufficient room in the great cabin, she took in so much water, that Fox remarks, that "sause would not have been wanted if there had been roast mutton," and he revolved in his mind, "whether it were better for James his company to be impounded amongst ice, where they might be kept from putrefaction by piercing ayre, or in open sea, to be kept sweet by being thus daily pickled." The two navigators took leave of each other, after having been in company about seventeen hours, and Fox still standing to the south; on the 3rd September, in lat. 55° 14', made a shore, to which he gave the name of Wolstenholme's Ultimum Vale, "for that I do believe Sir John Wolstenholme will not lay out any more money in search of this bay." From this point a northerly course was taken, and on the 7th Cary's Swans' Nest was again seen; Fox continued to coast Southampton Island,

2 Sir John Wolstenholme's loss on this voyage Fox estimates at 400l., and his total losses on account of his north-western enterprises at about 11007.

the weather "nothing but snowe, frost, and sleet at best, our selves, ropes, and sayles, froaze, the sun seldome to be seene, or once in five dayes, the nights thirteen houres long, the moone wayning." From Seahorse Point he stood across to the main, and passing Mill Island, tracked the coast to the northward, naming successively two capes after King Charles and Queen Maria, and another Lord Weston's Portland, until, on the 22nd September, he reached a point, in lat. 66° 47', where he beheld the land trend to the S. E., which he named "FoxE HIS FARTHEST." He now began to retrace his steps, seeing that there was no prospect of a passage in this direction, and it was thought too late in the season to attempt to reach Port Nelson to stay out the winter:-the fear, moreover, that the provisions would not hold out, even if they adopted this measure, induced Fox to direct his course homeward. On the 31st September, "blessed be Almighty God, I came into the Downes, with all my men recovered and sound, not having lost one man nor boy, nor any manner of tackling, having beene forth near six moneths. All glory be to God!"

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »