fact will be confirmed by other evidence hereafter, that the bay
intended to be described was the great bay of Massachusetts and
Maine terminating in the bay of Fundy. It is represented as making
an offset in the coast of twelve leagues towards the north, and then
swelling into an enclosed bay beyond, of twenty leagues in
circumference, indicating those bays, in their form. The distances,
it is true, do not conform to those belonging to that part of the
coast; but it is to be borne in mind that they may have been taken,
according to the only view which can reconcile the contradictions of
the letter, from an imperfect delineation of the coast by another
hand. The identity of the two is, however, proven, without recourse
to this explanation, by the description of the coast beyond, which
is given as follows:

"Having supplied ourselves with every thing necessary, we departed,
on the sixth [Footnote: According to the Archivio Storico Italiano,
and not the FIFTH, as given in N. Y. Hist. Coll.] of May, from this
port [where they had remained fifteen days] and SAILED ONE HUNDRED
AND FIFTY LEAGUES, KEEPING SO NEAR TO THE COAST AS NEVER TO LOSE IT
FROM OUR SIGHT; the nature of the country appeared much the same as
before, but the MOUNTAINS were a little higher and all in appearance
RICH IN MINERALS. WE DID NOT STOP TO LAND, as the weather was very
favorable for pursuing our voyage, and the country presented no
variety. THE SHORE STRETCHED TO THE EAST, and fifty leagues beyond
more to the north, where we found a more elevated country full of
very thick woods of fir trees, cypresses and the like, indicative of
a cold climate. The people were entirely different from the others
we had seen, whom we had found kind and gentle, but these were so
rude and barbarous that we were unable by any signs we could make to
hold communication with them."