Winter, and now by the great heat of Summer were thawed, and then by ebs,
flouds, winds, and currents, were driuen to and fro, and troubled the
fleet; so that this is an argument to proue the heat in Summer there to be
great, that was able to thaw so monstrous mountaines of ice. As for
continuall snow on tops of mountaines, it is there no otherwise then is in
the hotest part of the middle Zone, where also lieth great snow all the
Summer long vpon tops of mountaines, because there is no sufficient space
for the Sunnes reflexion, whereby the snow should be molten. Touching the
colde stormy winds and the barrennesse of the country, it is there as it is
in Cornwall and Deuonsbire in England, which parts though we know to be
fruitfull and fertile, yet on the North side thereof all alongst the coast
within seuen or eight miles off the sea there can neither hedge nor tree
grow, although they be diligently by arte husbanded and seene vnto: and the
cause thereof are the Northerne driuing winds, which comming from the sea
are so bitter and sharpe that they kill all the yoong and tender plants,
and suffer scarse any thing to grow; and so it is in the Islands of Meta
incognita, which are subiect most to East and Northeastern winds, which the
last yere choaked vp the passage so with ice that the fleet could hardly
lecouer their port. [Sidenote: Meta Incognita inhabited.] Yet
notwithstanding all the obiections that may be, the countrey is habitable;
for there are men, women, children, and sundry kind of beasts in great
plenty, as beares, deere, hares, foxes and dogs: all kinde of flying
fowles, as ducks, seamewes, wilmots, partridges, larks, crowes, hawks, and
such like, as in the third booke you shall vnderstand more at large. Then
it appeareth that not onely the middle Zone but also the Zones about the
poles are habitable.

[Sidenote: Captaine Frobishers first voyage.] Which thing being well
considered, and familiarly knowen to our Generall captaine Frobisher,
aswell for that he is thorowly furnished of the knowledge of the sphere and