not long since tributarie to the king of China, by Quabacondono the monarch
of all the yles and princedomes of Iapan; as also of the Tartars called
Iezi, adioyning on the East and Northeast parts of Coray, where I thinke
the best vtterance of our natural and chiefe commoditie of cloth is like to
be, if it please God hereafter to reueile vnto vs the passage thither by
the Northwest. The most exact and true information of the North parts of
China I finde in a history of Tamerlan, which I haue in French, set out
within these sixe yeeres by the abbat of Mortimer, dedicated to the French
king that now reigneth, who confesseth that it was long since written in
the Arabian tongue by one Alhacen a wise and valiant Captaine, employed by
the said mighty prince in all his conquests of the foresaid kingdome. Which
history I would not haue failed to haue translated into English, if I had
not found it learnedly done vnto my hand.

And for an appendix vnto the ende of my worke, I haue thought it not
impertinent, to exhibite to the graue and discreet iudgements of those
which haue the chiefe places in the Admiraltie and marine causes of
England, Certaine briefe extracts of the orders of the Contractation house
of Siuil in Spaine, touching their gouernment in sea-matters: together with
The streight and seuere examination of Pilots and Masters before they be
admitted to take charge of ships, aswell by the Pilot mayor, and
brotherhood of ancient Masters, as by the Kings reader of The lecture of
the art of Nauigation, with the time that they be enioyned to bee his
auditors, and some part of the questions that they are to answere vnto.
Which if they finde good and beneficial for our seamen, I hope they wil
gladly imbrace and imitate, or finding out some fitter course of their
owne, will seeke to bring such as are of that calling vnto better
gouernment and more perfection in that most laudable and needfull vocation.
To leaue this point, I was once minded to haue added to the end of these my
labours a short treatise, which I haue lying by me in writing, touching The