Capitulo 10.

What commodities would ensue, this passage being once discouered.

To proue by authoritie a passage to be on the Northside of America, to goe
to Cathaia, and the East India.


Chapter 1.

When I gaue my selfe to the studie of Geographie, after I had perused and
diligently scanned the descriptions of Europe, Asia, and Afrike, and
conferred them with the Mappes and Globes both Antique and Moderne: I came
in fine to the fourth part of the world, commonly called America, which by
all descriptions I found to bee an Iland enuironed round about with Sea,
hauing on the Southside of it the frete or straight of Magellan, on the
West side Mar del Sur, which Sea runneth towards the North, separating it
from the East parts of Asia, where the Dominions of the Cathaians are: On
the East part our West Ocean, and on the North side the sea that seuereth
it from Groneland, thorow which Northern Seas the Passage lyeth, which I
take now in hand to discouer.

Plato in Timæo, and in the Dialogue called Critias, discourseth of an
incomparable great Iland then called Atlantis, being greater then all
Afrike and Asia, which lay Westward from the Straights of Gibraltar,
nauigable round about: affirming also that the Princes of Atlantis did as
well enioy the gouernance of all Affrike, and the most part of Europe, as
of Atlantis it selfe.

Also to proue Platos opinion of this Iland, and the inhabiting of it in