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Neither vpon the discoueries of Iaques Noel, who hauing passed beyond the thrée Saults, where Iaques Carrier left to discouer, finding the riuer of S. Laurence passable on the other side or branch; and afterwards, vnderstood of the inhabitants, that the same riuer did lead into a mighty lake, which at
the entrance was fresh, but beyond, was bitter or salt; the end whereof was vnknowen.
Omitting therefore these hopes, I will ground my opini∣on vpon reason and nature, which will not faile.
For this we know alreadie, that great riuers haue béene discouered a thousand English miles into that continent of America; namely, that of S. Laurence or Canada. But not re∣garding miles more or lesse, most assuredly, that and other knowen riuers there doe descend from the highest parts or mountaines, or middle of that continent, into our North sea. And like as those mountains doe cast from them,* 1.1 streames in∣to our North seas; euen so the like they doe into the South sea, which is on the backe of that continent.
For all mountaines haue their descents toward the seas a∣bout them, which are the lowest places and proper mansions of water: and waters (which are contained in the moun∣taines, as it were in cisternes) descending naturally, doe al∣waies resort vnto the seas inuironing those lands: for exam¦ple; From the Alps confining Germanie, France, and Italie, the mighty riuer Danubie doth take his course East, and dis∣chargeth into the Pontique sea: the Rhine, North, and falleth into the Germane sea: the Rhosne, West, and goeth into the Mediterran sea: the Po, South, is emptied into the Adri∣atick or gulfe of Venice. other instances may be produced to like effect in Africk; yea, at home amongst the mountaines in England.
Seeing then in nature this can not be denied, and by expe∣rience elsewhere is found to be so, I will shew how a trade may be disposed more commodiously into the South sea tho∣row these temperate and habitable regions, than by the fro∣zen Zones in the supposed passages of Northwest or North∣east: where, if the very moment be omitted of the time to passe, then are we like to be frozen in the seas, or forced to Winter in extreame cold and darkenesse like vnto hell: or in the midst of Summer, we shal be in perill to haue our ships ouerwhelmed or crusht in pieces by hideous and fearefull mountaines of yce floting vpon those seas.
Therefore foure Staple-places must be erected, when the most short and passable way is found: that is to say, two
vpon the North side, at the head and fall of the riuer; and two others on the South side, at the head and fall also of that other riuer.
Prouided, that ships may passe vp those riuers vnto the Staples, so farre as the same be nauigable into the land; and afterwards, that boats with flat bottomes may also passe so high and néere the heads of the riuers vnto the Staples, as possibly they can, euen with lesse than two foot water, which can not then be far from the heads; as in the riuer of Chagre.
That necke or space of land betwéene the two heads of the said riuers, if it be 100 leagues (which is not like) the com∣modities from the North and from the South sea brought thither, may wel be carried ouer the same vpon horses, mules or beasts of that countrey apt to labour (as the elke or buffel) or by the aid of many Saluages accustomed to burdens; who shall stead vs greatly in these affaires.
It is moreouer to be considered, that all these countreys do yéeld (so farre as is knowen) Cedars, Pines, Firre trées and Oaks, to build, mast, and yeard ships; wherefore we may not doubt, but that ships may be builded on the South sea.
Then as ships on the South side may goe and returne to and from Cathay, China, and other most rich regions of the East world in fiue moneths or thereabouts; euen so the goods being carried ouer vnto the North side, ships may come thi∣ther from England to fetch the same goods, and returne by a voyage of foure or fiue moneths vsually.
So as in euery foure moneths may be returned into Eng∣land the greatest riches of Cathay, China, Iapan, and the rest which will be Spices, Drugges, Muske, Pearle, Stones, Gold, Siluer, Silks, Clothes of gold, & all maner of precious things, which shall recompense the time and labour of their transportation and carriage, if it were as farre and dange∣rous as the Moores trade is from Fess and Marocco (ouer the burning and moueable sands, in which they perish many times, and suffer commonly great distresses) vnto the riuer called Niger in Africa, and from thence, vp the said riuer ma∣nie hundred miles; afterwards ouer-land againe, vnto the riuer Nilus; and so vnto Cairo in Egypt, from whence they returne the way they came.
Or if it were a voyage so farre as our merchants haue made into Persia, euen to Ormus, by the way of the North, through Russia into the Caspian sea, and so foorth, with pai∣ment of many tolles. But this passage ouer and thorow the continent of America, as the same shall be alwaies vnder temperate and habitable climats, and a pleasant passage af∣ter it hath béene a little frequented: euen so it must fall out much shorter than it séemeth, by false description of that con∣tinent, which doth not extend so farre into the West, as by later nauigations is found and described in more ex∣quisit charts. Besides that, the sea extends it selfe into the land very farre in many places on the South side; whereby our accesse vnto the South ocean, shall be by so much the shorter.
A large course of a riuer tho∣row a mightie continent, pro∣duceth a port∣able riuer.