and by the coasts of Condora, Colgoieue, Petzora, Ioughoria, Samoedia, Noua
Zembla, &c. and their passing and returne through the streits of Vaigats,
vnto what drifts of snow and mountaines of yce euen in Iune, Iuly, and
August, vnto what hideous ouerfals, vncertaine currents, darke mistes and
fogs, and diuers other fearefull inconueniences they were subiect and in
danger of, I wish you rather to learne out of the voyages of sir Hugh
Willoughbie, Stephen Burrough, Arthur Pet and the rest, then to expect in
this place an endlesse catalogue thereof. And here by the way I cannot but
highly commend the great industry and magnanimity of the Hollanders, who
within these few yeeres haue discouered to 78. yea (as themselues affirme)
to 81. degrees of Northerly latitude [Footnote: This is wrong. The
Austro-Hungarian Expedition of 1872-1874 only reached 81 in Franz Josef
Land. Barentz certainly neuer penetrated beyond 77 or 78 ] yet with this
prouiso; that our English nation led them the dance, brake the yce before
them, and gaue them good leaue to light their candle at our torch
[Footnote: This refers to the expeditions of Willoughby (1553), Frobisher
(1576-7), Pett, Jackman (1580), and Davis (1585)]. But nowe it is high time
for vs to weigh our ancre, to hoise vp our sailes, to get cleare of these
boistrous, frosty, and misty seas, and with all speede to direct our course
for the milde, lightsome, temperate, and warme Atlantick Ocean, ouer which
the Spaniards and Portugales haue made so many pleasant prosperous and
golden voyages. And albeit I cannot deny, that both of them in their East
and West Indian Nauigations haue indured many tempests, dangers, and
shipwracks: yet this dare I boldly affirme; first that a great number of
them haue satisfied their fame-thirsty and gold-thirsty mindes with that
reputation and wealth, which made all perils and misaduentures seeme
tolerable vnto them, and secondly, that their first attempts (which in this
comparison I doe onely stand vpon) were no whit more difficult and
dangerous, then ours to the Northeast. For admit that the way was much
longer, yet was it neuer barred with ice, mist, or darknes, but was at all