There is another Account on the Oath of Thomas Cowles of Bedmester, taken the 9th of April 1579, at a Time when Oaths were considered by all People as solemn and sacred Obligations to declare the Truth. He says that six Years before, he heard a Portugueze read a Book which he set out six Years before in print in the Portugal Tongue, declaring that he, Martin Chacke, had found, now twelve Years past, a Way from the Portugal Indies through the Gulph of Newfoundland, which he thought to be in Latitude 59° of the North Pole, by Means that he being in the said Indies with four Ships of great Burthen, and he himself being in a small Ship of eighty Ton, far driven from the Company of the other four Ships with a West Wind; after that he had passed along by a great Number of Islands, which were in the Gulph of the said Newfoundland, and after that he overshot the Gulph, he set no more Sight on any other Land, until he fell in with the North-west Part of Ireland; and from thence he took his Course homeward, and by that Means came to Lisbon four or five Weeks before the other Ships. But the Books were afterwards called in by the King's Order.
This Passage was made about ten Years after that of Urdanietta; and it is probable Chacke was encouraged to proceed through such Passage, from the Report or an Account which he had heard of such Passage having been before made. It is evident he met with some Difficulties in such Passage which delayed him, as the Ships were at Lisbon so soon after him, and as he expresses that he was far driven from the other four Ships he left them in a low Latitude, and being got to the Northward, without any Expectation of rejoining them, proceeded intentionally to make his Voyage by the Passage; which he would not have done to the Hazard of losing his Vessel and Cargo, for he was not on Discovery, but returning to Lisbon in Company with other loaden Vessels, from whom he was separated, unless he had been assured that what he undertook was practicable, and a Passage had been made by some Vessel before that Time. This Account was received as a Truth by the principal People of the Kingdom, who certainly made a due Enquiry as to the Character of the Person who made the Affidavit with respect to his Capacity, there would be a proper Precaution also, at the Time of administering such Affidavit, that it was exact and only what he knew positively as to this Matter, tho' there might be other Circumstances which he was not so positive in. And as this Account was at that Time believed, it must have been on better Reasons than can be at present urged by any one to call the Veracity of this Account in Question.
Juan de Fuca (the Account is from Purchase and North-west Fox) was an ancient Pilot, who had been in the West India of Spain for near forty Years, and had sailed as Mariner and Pilot to many Places thereof in Service of the Spaniards.
He was Pilot of three small Ships which the Viceroy of Mexico sent from thence, armed with a hundred Soldiers, under a Spaniard Captain, to discover the Streights of Anian along the Coast of the South Sea, and to fortify in that Streight, to resist the Passage of the English Nation, but by Reason of a Mutiny which happened amongst the Soldiers, for some ill Practices of the Captain, the Voyage was overset, and they returned to New Spain.
The Viceroy sent de Fuca out again in 1592, with a small Caravel and Pinnace, armed with Mariners only, for the Discovery of the said Streights. Finding the Land to trend North and North-east, with a broad Inlet between 47 and 48, he entered it, and sailing therein more than twenty Days, found the Land trending still, sometimes North-west, sometimes North-east, and also South-eastward, far broader Sea than at the said Entrance; and passed by diverse Islands in that Entrance.
He went upon Land in several Places, and saw some People on Land, clad in Beasts Skins; and that the Land was very fruitful, and rich of Gold and Silver, and Pearls, and other Things like Nova Hispania.
Being entered thus far in the said Streight, and come into the North Sea already, and finding the Sea wide enough every where, and to be about thirty or forty Leagues wide in the Streight where he entered; he thought he had well discharged his Office, and done the Thing he was sent to do; and that he not being armed to resist the Force of the savage People, that might happen to assault him, therefore set sail and returned to Nova Hispania, where he arrived at Aquapulco, Anno 1592, hoping to be well rewarded by the Viceroy for his Voyage so performed.
The Viceroy received him kindly, and gave him Promises; but after an Expectation of two Years the Viceroy wished him to go to Spain, where the King would reward him; and he accordingly went.
He was well received at Court; but after long Suit could get no Reward to his Content, so stole away and came to Italy, to live amongst his Kindred in his own Country, being very old, a Greek by Birth, born in the Island of Sepholonica, and his proper Name Apostollos Valerianos.
De Fuca went first to Leghorn, then to Florence, where he met one John Dowlass, an Englishman, a famous Mariner, ready coming for Venice, to be a Pilot for a Venetian Ship to England; they went in Company to Venice. Dowlass being acquainted with Mr. Lock, at least a considerable Merchant if not a Consul there; gave him an Account of this de Fuca, and introduced him to Mr. Lock, who gave Mr. Lock the preceding Account; and made a Proposal, if Queen Elizabeth would make up the Loss which he had sustained aboard the Aquapulco Ship taken by Captain Cavendish, which was to the Value of sixty Thousand Ducats, he would go to England, and serve her Majesty to discover the North-west Passage into the South Sea, and engage his Life for the Performance, with a Ship of forty Tons and a Pinnace. They had two several Meetings on this Occasion; and Lock, at de Fuca's Request, wrote to the old Lord Treasurer Cecil, Sir Walter Rawleigh, and Mr. Richard Hackluit, the Cosmographer, desiring a Hundred Pounds for to pay his Passage to England. His Friends wrote Lock Word, the Action was very well liked, if the Money could be procured. As no great Expectations were to be had from this Answer, de Fuca left Venice in a Fortnight after, pursued his Design of going to Greece, and there died.