FOOTNOTES:
1. Son of William Cecil, Lord Burleigh, minister of Elizabeth, and himself minister to the same queen and to James I. A clever but unscrupulous man, he was never popular, and his share in the fate of Essex and Raleigh has obscured his fame. He was created Earl of Salisbury. His secret correspondence is to be found in Goldsmid's Collectanea Adamantaea. Born 1565. Died 1612.
2. Hakluyt here merely condenses the researches of Grotius, who had published, in 1542, his famous but rare Tract "On the Origin of the Native American Races," a translation of which the present Editor issued in his "Bibliotheca Curiosa," Edinburgh, 1884. Hakluyt was evidently ignorant of Gunnbjorn's glimpse of a Western land in 876, of Eric the Red's discovery of Greenland about 985, of Bjarni's and Leif's discoveries, or indeed of any of the traditions of the Voyages of the Northmen, or he would certainly have included them in his Collection. Those who are interested in these matters should consult Wheaton's History of the Northmen, London, 1831; Antiquitates Americanæ, edited by the Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians, Hafniæ, 1837; The Discovery of America by the Northmen, by N. L. Beamish, London, 1841; Historia Vinlandiæ Antiquæ, by Thermodus Torfoeus, Hafniæ, 1705; and the edition of the Flateyan MSS., lately published at Copenhagen.
3. I have, to the best of my ability, in Vols. I. to XI. of this edition, arranged the contents of Hakluyt's first two volumes in the order he would have desired, had he not "lacked sufficient store."
4. The History of Wales, written by Caradoc of Llancarvan, Glamorganshire,
in the British Language, translated into English by Humphrey Llwyd, and
edited by Dr. David Powel in 1584, is the book here quoted. It is very
rare.
5. If Madoc ever existed, it seems more probable that the land he
discovered was Madeira or the Azores. Such at least is the view taken by
Robertson, and also by Jeremiah Belknap (American Biography, 8vo,
Boston, 1774). Southey founded one of his poems on this tradition.
6. In Welsh, Meridith ap Rhees.
7. Marginal note.—These verses I receiued of my learned friend M. William
Camden.
8. The most interesting life of Columbus is that by Lamartine, a
translation of which appeared in the "Bibliotheca Curiosa."
9. Nothing is known of Cabot's early years. In the Archives of Venice is the record of his naturalization, dated 28 March 1476, which shows he had lived there fifteen years. (Archives of Venice: Senato Terra, 1473-1477. Vol vii p. 109.)
10. This patent was granted in reply to the following application by John Cabot:
"To the Kyng our Souvereigne lord,
"Please it your highnes of your moste noble and haboundant grace to graunt vnto Iohn Cabotto, citezen of Venes, Lewes, Sebestyan and Sancto his sonneys your gracious lettres patentes vnder youir grete seale in due forme to be made accordying to the tenour hereafter ensuying. And they shall during their lyves pray to God for the prosperous continuance of your moste noble and royale astate long to enduer." (Public Records, Bill number 51.) Consult also Rymer's Foedera; London, 1727, folios 595-6.
11. Armed with this authority, John Cabot sailed from Bristol in the spring of 1497, with two ships, one being called the Matthew. (The History and Antiquities of the city of Bristol, by William Barrett, 1789).
12. In the National Library, Paris, is a large map of the world on the margin of which is written:
"Sebastian Caboto capitan, y piloto mayor de la S. c c. m. del Imperador don Carlos quinto deste nombre, y rey nuestro sennor hizo esta figura extensa en plano, anno del nasciem de nro saluador Jesu Christo de m.d. xliii. annos, tirada por grados de latitud y longitud con sus uientos como carta de marear, imitando en parte al Ptolomeo, y en parte alos modernos descobridores, asi Espannoles como Portugueses, y parte por su padre, y por el descubierto."
I give a facsmile of part of this map. As will be seen the words "Prima tierra vista" are opposite a cape about the 48th parallel, which would be Cape Breton. In a letter written to the Duke of Milan by Raimondo di Soncino, his minister in London, and dated the 18th Dec. 1497, a very interesting account is given of Cabot's voyage. Archives of Milan. Annuario scientifico, Milan, 1866 p 700.
13. Query, July.
14. J. B. Ramusio compiled in Italian a celebrated collection of maritime voyages. The most complete edition is formed by joining vol. I. of 1574 to vol. II. of 1555 and vol. III. of 1554. He died 1557, aged 72.
15. Ramosius has evidently mixed up the two voyages of John Cabot with
those of his son. John's second and last voyage was in 1498, with five
ships; though little is known of the result, that little has been
collected by Mr. Weise in his "Discoveries of America."
16. A celebrated Icelandic astronomer, a disciple of Tycho-Brahe. The
opinion here quoted appears in his Specimen Historicorum Islandiæ et
magnâ ex parte chorographicum; Amsterdam, 1643. When aged 91, he is
said to have married a young girl. Born 1545; died 1640.
17. An error for John Cabot
18. His Chronicle of England and France, by a London tradesman, was first printed in 1516.
19. This celebrated Antiquary was born in 1525. Originally a tailor, his tastes procured him the encouragement of Archbishop Parker and the Earl of Leicester. His principal works are Flores Historiarum (1600) and his Survey of London, first published in 1598. Died a beggar in 1605.
20. If Cabot's discoveries extended from 38° to 58°, he cannot have gone south of Cape Hatteras, in North Carolina.
21. Gilbert was half brother to Sir Walter Raleigh. This "discourse" was published in 1576, and two years later be himself sailed on a voyage of discovery to Newfoundland, but on the return journey his ship foundered with all on board.
22. Luke Marinæus, chaplain to Charles V. author of Obra de las cosas memorabiles de Espana, Alcala, 1543; folio, the work here referred to.
23. Ficinus, (born 1433, died 1499); a protégé of the Medici, translated Plato and Plotinus. These translations will be found in his collected works, published at Bâle in 1591, 2 vols. folio. Herein he tries to prove Plato a Christian, as he also does in his Thelogia Platonica; Florence, 148; folio. The original editions of his works are extremely rare.
24. Crantor's opinion is only known to us by Cicero's refetence, his works being all lost. He flourished about 315 B.C.
25. Born in 412, at Constantinople. Studied at Alexandria and Athens, and
succeeded Syrianus in the Neo Platonic School. Died 485, Several of his
works are extant.
26. Philo of Alexandria was well versed in the philosophy of Plato, and
tried to show its harmony with the books of Moses. A fine edition of
his works was published in 1742, in 2 vols. folio, edited by Mangey.
27. Amerigo Vespucci, born at Florence, 1451, was sent by his father to
Spain. Fired by the example of Columbus, he became a navigator, and
made three voyages to the New World, which ultimately was named after
him, though the honour should belong to Columbus. Died at Seville 1512.
28. It has also been supposed by many ancient writers that Atlantis was
situated between the 20th and 30th degrees of north latitude, and the
40th and 60th degrees of west longitude, in that part of the Atlantic
known as the Sargasso sea.
29. Born 1493; died 1541. He was the first to publish the Almagestes of
Ptolemy in Greek at Bâle, 1538, folio. He was the friend of Luther and
Melancthon.
30. The first Edition of his chronological tables is that of Berne, 1540. Little is known of him except that he was born at Rotweil in Germany and was a councillor of the city of Berne, in the library of which town is a unique copy of his History of Berne, 3 vols. folio, in German.
31. Guicciardini, the author of the celebrated History of the events between 1494 and 1532.
32. FRISIUS was born at Dorkum in Frisia, his real name being John Gemma. His map of the world was published in 1540. Died at Louvain in 1555. GASTALDUS was a Genoese and wrote many tracts on Geography. He was the father of Jerome Gastaldus, the author of a celebrated work on the Plague. TRAMASINUS was a celebrated Venetian printer of the 16th Century. ANDREAS VAVASOR is probably an error for Francis Vavasor, the Jesuit.
MUNSTER, APPIANUS, PUTEANUS, PETER MARTYR, and ORTELIUS are well known,
but HUNTERUS, DEMONGENITUS, and TRAMONTANUS are unknown to me.
33. Octher's voyage will be found in Vol. I., p. 51, of this Edition of
Hakluyt.
34. See Vol. I. of this Edition of Halkluyt.
35. See Vol. II. p. 60 (note) of this Edition
36. Giovanni Verrzzani is evidently meant. A Florentine by birth, he entered the service of Francis I., and in 1524 discovered New France. An account of his travels and tragic death is to be found in Ramusius. In the Strozzi library, at Florence, a manuscript of Verazzani's is preserved.
37. Born at St Malo. Discovered part of Canada in 1534. His Brief récit de la Navigation faite ès îles de Canada, Hochelage, Saguenay et autres, was published at Paris in 1546, 8vo.
38. BAROS, who had been appointed treasurer of the Indies, wrote a History of Asia and of India in 4 decades which were published between the years 1552 and 1602. It has been translated from Portuguese into Spanish, and considering that it contains many facts not to be found elsewhere, it is surprising that there should have been neither a French nor English Edition. Baros was born in 1496 and died in 1570.
39. This is probably an error for Peter Nonnius, professor of Mathematics
at the University of Coimbra who published two books De Arte
Navigandi in 1573.
40. Little is known of this writer. He appears to have been the son of
Jerome Fracastor, a Veronese who obtained a certain celebrity as a poet
at the beginning of the 16th Century.
41. In a former passage it is stated that Cabot did not get beyond the 58th degree of latitude.
42. It is now well known that the diminished saltness of the sea off the Siberian coast is due to the immense masses of fresh water poured into it by the Ob, the Lena, and other Siberian rivers.
43. Either Salvaterra or the Frier must have possessed a vivid imagination. The former at any rate thoroughly took in Sir Humphrey Gilbert.
44. It seems very strange to us after the Northwest passage has been discovered by M'Clure in 1852 and the North East passage by Nordenskiold in 1879 to read the arguments by which each of the upholders of the two routes sought to prove that his opponent's contention was impossible. Of the two disputants we must confess that Jenkinson's views now appear the likeliest to be realised, for M'Clure only made his way from Behring Straits to Melville island by abandoning his ship and travelling across the ice, while Nordenskiold carried the Vega past the North of Europe and Siberia, returning by Behring's straits and the Pacific.
45. Cape Chudley.
46. Born near Doncaster. He made several attempts to find the Northwest passage. (See post.) In 1585 he accompanied Drake to the West Indies; assisted in defeating the Spanish Armada, and was mortally wounded in 1594 at the attack on Fort Croyzan, near Brest. Some relics of his Arctic expedition were discovered by Captain F. C. Hall in 1860-62, and described in his delightful book, "Life with the Esquimaux."
47. Midway between Orkney and Shetland.
48. Foula, the most westerly of the Shetlands, round in form, is 12 miles in circuit.
49. Esquimaux.
50. Far from coming from Newfoundland, this drift-wood is carried into the Arctic Ocean by the Yenisei and other large rivers of Siberia.
51. Contrary to the opinion of Mr. Weise, who insists that Friseland is Iceland, I am inclined to believe that the East coast of Greenland is meant.
52. Lieutenant Nansen's expedition across Greenland negatives this supposition, but the West coast is more habitable than the East.
53. Frobisher Bay: it is not a strait. Hall's Island is Hall's Peninsula.
54. twisted
55. Long. From Saxon sid. (See BEN JONSON, New Inn, v. 1.)
56. Raisins.
57. In a very short time. Sometimes written giffats
58. It is almost in the exact latitude of Gaboon Bay.
59. Our author is wrong. Morocco lies between the annual Isothermal lines of 68º Fahr. (or 20 Cent.), whilst the mean temperature at the Equator was considered by Humboldt to be 81.4° Fahr. and by Atkinson (Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society) 84.5°.
60. Our author means the fifth proposition of the first book of Euclid, the celebrated Pons Asinorum.
61. John Holywood, so named after the place of his birth near York, after studying at Oxford, settled in Paris where he became famous. He died in 1256, leaving two works of rare power considering the century they were written in, viz, de Spheri Mundi, and de Computo Ecclesiastico. They are to be found in one volume 8vo, Paris, 1560.
62. John Gonzalvo d'Oviedo, born 1478. Was Governor of the New World, and wrote a Summario de la Historia general y natural de las Indias Occidentales. Best edition, Salamanca 1535, and Toledo, 1536, folio. This is the work here quoted.
63. This is not the case.
64. Blank in original.
65. Kirkwall.
66. Blank in original.
67. Blank in original.
68. Probably a Narwal.
69. Good.
70. Blank in the original.
71. Blank in original.
72. Blank in original.
73. Blank in original.
74. Blank in original.
75. Blank in original.
76. Muddy.
77. Blank in original.
78. Blank in original.
79. Blank in original.
80. Blank in original.
81. South Equatorial Current.
82. Gulf Stream.
83. The elimination of salt from sea-water by cold was evidently unknown to the writer.
84. The writer was evidently not a convert to the System of Copernicus, but agreed with Ptolemy that the Heavens were solid and moved round the earth, which was the centre of the Universe.
85. Pirrie, a sudden storm at sea. According to Jamieson, Pirr, in
Scotch, means a gentle breeze.
"A pirrie came, and set my ship on sands."
Mirror for Magistrates, p. 194.
86. Yer = ere.
87. Sir Christopher Hatton.
88. Flat.
89. Thus the only result of Davis's Voyage was the discovery of the broad piece of water since known as Davis's Straits, extending between Greenland on the East and Cumberland Island on the West. It connects the Atlantic with Baffin's Bay. In the next voyage, Davis seems to have crossed the mouth of Hudson's Straits, without entering them.
90. The full text of Davis's account is given in Vol. vi., p. 250 of this Edition.
91. It seems probable that either Zeno was wrecked on one of the Shetlands, and that by Sorani is meant Orkney, or that Iceland is the true Frisland.
92. Aveiro, province of Beira, 31 miles N.W. of Coimbra.
93. Viana do Castello, province of Minho, 40 miles N. of Oporto.
94. See Vol ix., p. 143 of this Edition.
95. (?) Chateau-Richer on the St. Lawrence, 15 miles below Quebec.
96. Near Cape Charles.
97. The St. Lawrence.
98. This refers to Gilbert's first voyage in 1578.
99. Causand.
100. The Newfoundland Banks are rather a submarine Plateau than banks in the ordinary sense. The bottom is rocky, and generally reached at 25 to 95 fathoms: length and breadth about 300 miles: the only shallow region in the Atlantic.
101. The cold on the coast is partly due to the quantities of ice descending from Baffin's Bay.
102. Maëlstrom.
103. Silver, and even gold, has been found in Newfoundland.
104. Bends.