CHAP IIII.
Of Newfound-Land, Noua Francia, Arambec, and other Countries of America, extending to Virginia.
LEauing those vnknowne and frozen Lands and Seas, (although there is yet knowne no frozen a 1.1 Sea, otherwise then as you haue heard) let vs draw somewhat nearer the Sunne, gently marching, as the situation of Regions shal direct vs, left if we should suddenly leape from one extre∣mity to another, we should rather exchange then auoid danger. And heere we haue by Land Saguenay, and many Countries of Canada, which the French haue stiled by a new name of New France: and by Sea the Ilands many in number, and much frequented for their plenty of fish, commonly called New-found-Land, which name some ascribe to an Isle, others to diuers Iland, and broken Lands which the French call Bacaldos, vpon the gulfe and entrance of the great Riuer called Saint Laurence, in Canada. This Riuer some b 1.2 call the Strait of the three brethren; some c 1.3 Saint Laurence, and others d 1.4 Canada. It farre exceedeth any Riuer of the elder World. It beginneth, saith Iaques Cartier, beyond the Iland of As∣sumption, ouer-against the high mountaines of Honhuedo, and of the seuen Ilands. The distance from one side to another, is about fiue and thirty or forty leagues. In the middest it is aboue e 1.5 two hundred fathome deepe. There are great store of Whales and Sea-horses. From the entrance vp to Hochelaga is three hundred leagues. Many Ilands are before it, offering of their good nature to bee mediatours betweene this haughty streame and the angry Ocean: many others all alongst his passage he holdeth in his louing vnlouely lappe, washing and hugging them with his ruder embracings. The former are vsually frequented, and were first discouered by the English, the other by the French. Of Sebastian Cabot his proceeding this way is spoken alreadie. Robert Thorne f 1.6 in a Treatise of his, affirmeth that his father, and one Master Eliot were the Discouerers of the New-found-Lands: & exhorted K. Henry to vndertake the search of the Indies by the Pole, which he held to be Nauigable. Vpon this motion, 1527. the King sent two shippes (as Hall and g 1.7 Grafton mention in their Chronicles) one of which shippes was cast away about the North-parts of New-found-Land, the o∣ther shaping her course towards Cape Briton, and the coasts of Arambec (or as some call it Norumbega) returned home. More tragicall was the successe h 1.8 of Master Hores company, which set out nine years after in this Discouery, but by famine were brought to such extremities, that many of the company were murthered and eaten by their fellowes. And those which returned were so altered, that Sir William Buts a Norfolke Knight, and his Lady, knew not their sonne Master Thomas Buts, one of this starued number, but by a secret marke, namely a wart, which Nature had sealed on one of his knees. The commodities and qualities of New-found-Land, are related i 1.9 by Master Parkhurst, Master Haies, Sir George Peckham, Stephen Parmenius, Richard Clarke, Master Christopher Cartile, all whose Discourses and experiments hereof, Master