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68 VOYAGES OF SIR HUGH WILLOUGHBY AND OTHERS,
way at Duifburg, for he defireth to confer with you, and doubtlefs you fhall very much
further the man. He feemeth fufficiently furnifhed with money and friends, wherein
and in other offices of courtefy I offered him my furtherance if it had pleafed him to
have ufed me. ‘The Lord profper the man’s defires and forwardnefs, blefs his good
beginnings, further his proceedings, and grant unto him moft happy iflue. Fare you
well, good Sir, and my fingular friend. From Arufburg upon the river of Ofella, the
2oth of February, 1581.
Your’s wholly at coranandkaees
JOHN BALAK.
Tue Letter of Gerard Mercator, written to M. Richard Hakluyt of Oxford, touching
the intended Difcovery of the North Eaft Paffage. Ge: 1580.
’ (Haxziuyr Vol. I. p. 444.)
[Tranflated from the Latin. ]
SIR, I received your letters the 1gth of June: it grieved me much that upon the
fight of them the time being fpent, I could not give any ‘convenient inftructions: I
wifh Arthur Pet had been informed before his departure of fome fpecial points. ‘The
voyage to Cathaio by the eaft, is doubtlefs very eafy and fhort, and I have oftentimes
marvelled, that being fo happily begun, it hath been left off, and the courfe changed
into the weft, after that more than half of your voyage was difcovered. For beyond
the ifland of Vaigats and Nova Zembla, there followeth prefentiy a great bay, which
on the left fide is enclofed with the mighty promontory Yabin.t Into the mid{t hereof
there fall great rivers, which pafling through the whole country of Serica, and being
as I think navigable with great veflels into the heart of the continent, may be an ealy,
means whereby to traffic for all manner of merchandife, and tranfport them out of
Cathaio, Mangi,, Mien, and other kingdoms thereabout into England. But confider-
ing with myfelf that that navigation was not intermitted, but upon great occafion, I
thought that the Emperor of Ruflia and Mofcovy had hindered the proceeding thereof.
If fo be that with his grace and favour a further navigation may be made, 1 would
counfel them certainly not firft to feek out the promontory ‘Vabin, but to fearch this
bay and rivers aforefaid, and in them to pick and chufe out fome convenient port and
harbour for the Englith merchants, from whence afterward with more opportunity and
lefs peril, the promontory Tabin and all the coaft of Cathaio may be difcovered. And -
that there is fuch a huge promontory called ‘Tabin, Iam certainly perfuaded not only
out of Pliny, but alfo other writers, and fome maps (though fomewhat rudely drawn : )
and that the pole of the loadftone is not far beyond Tabin, Ihave learned by the cer-
tain obfervations of the load{tone ; about which pole and Tabin I think there are very
many rocks, and very hard and dangerous failing: and yet a more hard and difficile
paflage I think it to be this way which is now attempted by the welt, for it is nearer to
the pole of the loadftone, to.the which I think it not fafe to approach. And becaufe the.
loaditone hath another pole than that of the world, to the which from all parts it
* Inthe original this letter follows fome inftruGtions for navigators by M. Richard Hakluyt of Eiton,
in the county of Hereford €fquire, Anno 1580 Was this gentleman the father of our editor ?
+ This abfurd theory is founded upon amifapprehenfion of the ancient geography.
I hath
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