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TO THE NORTHERN PARTS OF RUSSIA AND SIBERIA} 69
hath a refpeét, the nearer you come unto it, the more the needle of the compafs doth
vary from the north, fometimes to the weft, and fometimes to the eaft, according asa man
is to the eaftward or to the weftward of that meridian that pafleth by both the poles of
the magnet and the world.
This isa ftrange ajiteration and very apt>to deceive the failor, unlefs he know the
unconitancy and, variation »of the compais, and: take the elevation of the pole fome-
times with his inftruments.. If Mafter Arthur be not well provided in this behalf, or
of fuch dexterity, that perceiving the errors he be not able to correét the fame, I fear
left in wandering up and down he lofe his time, and be overtaken with the ice in the
midit of the enterprize. For that gulfj-as they fay, is frozen every year very hard.
Which if it be fo, the beft counfel | could give for their beft fafety were to feek fome
harbour in that bay, and thofe rivers whereof I have fpoken, and by fome ambaflador
to make friendfhip and acquaintance with the great Can, in the name of the Queen’s
Majefty, which I believe will be grateful to the mightieft Emperor in the world, yea
moit excellent for the length of the traffic, and great diftance of the places. I think
from the mouths of the mighty rivers Bautifus and Oechardus to Cambalu, the chiefeft
feat of the Prince the Can, there are not paft three hundred German miles, and to pafs
by Ezina a city of the kingdom of Tangut, which feemeth to be but one hundred
German miles from the mouths of the faid rivers, and is fubject to the great Can.
I would gladly know how high the fea doth flow commonly in the port of Mofecovia
where your men do harbour, and in other eafterly places unto Tabin ; and alfo whe-
ther the fea in this ftrait do flow always one way to the E. or to the W., or whether it
do ebb and flow according to the manner of the tides in the middle of the channel,
that is to fay, whethér it flow*there fix hours into the W. and as many back-again to
the E. for hereupon ‘depend’ other ‘fpeculations of importance. I would’ wifh>M.
Frobifher to obferve the fame weltwards.’ Concerning the gulf of Merofro and Ca-
nada, and New France which are in my maps, they were taken out of a certain fea card
drawn by a certain prieft out of the defcription of a Frenchman, a pilot very fkilful in
thofe parts, and prefented to the worthy Prince George of Auftria, Bithop of Liege:
for the trending of the coaft, and the elevation of the pole, [doubt not but they are
very near the truth : for the chart had, befide a fcale of degrees of latitude paifing
through the mid{ft of it, another particularly annexed to the coaft of New France,
wherewith the error of the latitudes committed by reafon of the variation of the com-
pafs might be correted. The hiftory of the voyage of Jacobus Onoyen Bufchodu-
cenfis * throughout all Afia, Africa, and the north, was lent me in time pat by a friend
of mine at Antwerp. After I had ufed it, I reftored it again : after many years required
it again of my friend, but he had forgotten of whom he had borrowed it. The writings
of Gulielmus Tripolitanus, and Joannes de Plano Carpini I never faw: only I found
certain pieces of them in other written hand books. I am glad the epitome of
Abilfada is tranflated, I would we might have it fhortly. ~
_ Thus much Sir, I thought good ‘to anfwer your letters: if there be any thing elfe
that you would require of me, [ will moft willingly communicate it with you, craving
this likewife of your courtefy, that whatfoever obfervations of both. thefe voyages fhail
come to your hands, you ‘would’ impart them to me, they fhall all remain with me
according to your difcretion and pleafure, and whatfoever I gather of them, I will
faithfully fignity unto you by letters, if happily they may yield arly help or light unto this
moft excellent enterprize of nayigation, and moft profitable, to our Chriflian common-
Be * Of Bois le Duc.
wealth.
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