Autumn was approaching. The Thomas of Ipswich had already deserted. As half the timber intended for the fort was lost in the Dennis it was resolved that the idea of a colony must be abandoned. The ships were accordingly loaded and began the return voyage. Before their arrival, however, it had at last been discovered that the stones were worthless. The bubble burst, the shareholders had to pay, and Frobisher for a time was reduced to poverty. But the great Queen knew his worth, and did not lose sight of him.
Frobisher had many good and loyal comrades in his Arctic voyages. First and foremost was George Best, who wrote the narrative of the voyage; next Christopher Hall, a fine seaman but not equally loyal; Edward Fenton, who afterwards served against the Spanish Armada; Gilbert Yorke, who did good service afterwards in the West Indies, his Arctic service standing him in good stead; and Charles Jackman, pilot of the Aid, an excellent and loyal officer who lost his life, as already recorded, in the North-east Passage enterprise with Arthur Pet.
The provisions supplied for Frobisher’s voyages were sufficient if they were good of their kind. They consisted of biscuit (16 tons for five months for 115 men), meal 30 tons, beer, wine, salt beef and pork, peas, stock-fish, butter, cheese, oatmeal, rice (a small quantity), raisins, almonds, and liquorice, sea coal 30 tons, wood 14 tons, and charcoal. The whole was in 240 barrels of 4 bushels. The ration was 1 lb. per man per diem, and a gallon of beer[46].
The Emanuel, busse, of Bridgewater, of which Newton was captain, reported that on his voyage home in 57° 30′ he sailed for three days along a high and well-wooded coast. The master, James Leach, and T. Wiars, a passenger, corroborated the statement. The island, known as the “Land of Busse” was shown by Plancius and on the Molyneux globe. Hall expected to see it in 1605, and subsequently said that he did see it in 1606. Seller placed it with defined shape, and names of points, harbours, and mountains. Several captains in the 17th century reported that they had seen it. Fifty years after the last time it was alleged to have been sighted in 1671, it was reported to have been submerged, and it then became the “sunken land of Busse.” Lieut. Pickerskill, in the Lion in 1776, sought for it, and struck a bank in 57° N. with 330 fathoms. Sir John Ross found no bottom in 180 fathoms. There never was any such island. If the people on board the busse ever saw anything, it was a part of the south coast of Greenland. They can have taken no observations, and were trusting to badly-kept dead reckoning[47].
Sir Martin Frobisher was one of our great Arctic heroes. He was imbued with enthusiasm for discovery in the interests of his country. Of dauntless courage, great capacity for work, and the gift of endearing men to him by his noble qualities, he was also quick tempered, but as quickly appeased. His Arctic training and experience were helpful in his after career of great services to the country in the West Indies, in the Channel, and in the defeat of the Spanish Armada, when he was knighted. In 1594 Frobisher was called away from his home in Yorkshire to command the Channel Fleet, and, with a land force under Sir John Norris, to drive the Spaniards out of the fort of Crozon near Brest. During the siege Frobisher, while leading on his men, was mortally wounded; but Crozon was taken by storm. The Admiral was taken on board the Vanguard, his flag-ship. The Queen sent him a letter in her own handwriting. The wound need not have been mortal, but the surgeon who extracted the ball left the wadding behind, and the neglect was fatal. The great seaman and explorer died on November 22nd, 1594. Queen Elizabeth, whose extraordinary insight into character was one great element in the success of her reign, put complete trust in Frobisher, and from 1589 she employed no other admiral during his lifetime. Frobisher had unswerving faith in his religion, and devoted loyalty to his Queen. In the dangers of storm and ice, as under the fire of his country’s enemies, he ever combined presence of mind, forethought, and prudence, with heroic bravery and dash when the moment for action came. Among the Elizabethan worthies Sir Martin Frobisher justly takes his place in the first rank[48].
CHAPTER XI
JOHN DAVIS
A substantial yeoman in the days of the great Queen possessed a small freehold called Sandridge on the banks of the Dart, in the parish of Stoke Gabriel. This yeoman had two sons, John Davis the future Arctic navigator, and his brother Edward, the former born in 1550. The Dart, in this part of its course, widens out, and has all the appearance of a lake surrounded by wooded hills, the leafy boughs touching the water at high tide. The view is closed in by the richly wooded heights of Greenway Court, which was the home of Humphrey and Adrian Gilbert and their half brother Walter Raleigh. All these boys were fast friends. The Gilbert and Davis boys often met, and made excursions together. Young Davis also had other friends. A mile beyond the neighbouring village of Dittisham was the manor house of Bozomzele, where dwelt Sir John Fulford, his wife, Lady Dorothy, daughter of the Earl of Bath, and several children about the same age as young Davis. Here he was always welcome, and one of his Bozomzele playfellows, Faith Fulford, later became his wife.
John Davis was not in the same social position as his life-long friends Adrian Gilbert and Walter Raleigh or the Fulfords, but he certainly received a classical education, probably at Totnes grammar school. He went to sea at an early age and was away from home for about 14 years. He returned, at the age of 28, an experienced seaman, skilled in the scientific branch of his profession, and recognised as a captain of known valour and conduct, in whom merchants were willing to repose trust and confidence. He had succeeded to the property at Sandridge, and on September 29th, 1582, he married Faith Fulford.
Young Davis, master of his friend Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s Discourse on a North-west Passage to Cathay, was deeply interested in an enterprise which would so greatly benefit his country, and was filled with a desire to undertake the leading of such an expedition. His friend Adrian Gilbert—at this time a neighbour, having rented the manor house of Stoke Gabriel—was equally enthusiastic. The two friends rode up to London together, and Gilbert introduced Davis to Dr Dee, the famous alchemist and mathematician at Mortlake, and to the great statesman Sir Francis Walsingham. The four experts examined all available sources of information, and consulted together. The great difficulty was to ascertain the position of Sir Martin Frobisher’s discoveries, which could not be reconciled with the Zeno map. Still, the main object of finding a passage was most important, and a successful appeal was made to the merchants of London. Sir Walter Raleigh entered into the plans of the friend of his boyhood with characteristic ardour, and he induced the Queen to grant a charter for the discovery to John Davis, Adrian Gilbert, and himself. Raleigh recommended his associates to the good offices of Master William Sanderson, a wealthy merchant and one of the most enlightened adventurers of his time, who resolved to give liberal support to the expedition. He superintended the preparations, and his relative, John Janes, went out as supercargo. In the spring of 1585 Davis was busily engaged in fitting out at Dartmouth. He had two small vessels, the Sunshine of London of 50 tons, and the Moonshine, built at Dartmouth, of only 35 tons. Davis and Janes were in the Sunshine with the master, William Eston, a master’s mate, gunner, boatswain, carpenter, eleven seamen, four musicians to please the natives, and a boy. The Moonshine was commanded by William Bruton, with John Ellis as master.
On the 7th June, 1585, the two ships left Dartmouth harbour. With Eston the master, Davis made a careful survey of the provisions and a calculation of the time they would last. They consisted of salt meat and cod, biscuit and peas, butter and cheese, with beer. The clothing was entirely woollen. As contrary winds detained the ships for several days at the Scilly Islands, Davis employed his time in visiting every island of the group, plotting and describing every isle and rock, and making a regular survey for the use of navigators.