The report of Master FRANCIS CHERRY a Moscouie Merchant, and Master THOMAS LYNDES touching a warme Sea to the South-east of the Riuer Ob, and a Note of [ 10] FRANCIS GAVLLE.
MAster Francis Cherry, one of the chiefe Merchants of the Moscouy Companie, which was the Emperour Iuan Basiliwich his Interpreter, and hath trauailed in person into Per••••a farre to the East in Russia, saith, That he hath eaten of the Sturgeon that came out of the Riuer of Ob. And that in those parts it is a common receiued speech of the Russes that are great trauai∣lers,* 1.1 that beyond Ob to the South-east there is a warme Sea. Which they expresse in these words in the Russe tongue; Za Obyreca moria Teupla, that is to say, Beyond the Riuer Ob is a warme Sea.* 1.2 Furthermore, Master Thomas Lynde an honest and discreet English Merchant, which hath likewise liued many yeeres in those parts of Moscouy, saith, That this Sea beyond Ob, is by the [ 20] report of the Russes, that are trauailers, so warme, that all kinde of Sea fowles liue there as well in the Winter as in the Summer, which report argueth, that this Sea pierseth farre into the South parts of Asia.
* 1.3FRancis Gaulle that passed the Ocean betweene Iapan and Noua Hispania, in the Latitude of 37. degrees and a halfe, writeth thus. Prouing a great Sea to come from the North-east parts of Tartarie; running thus East and East and by North about three hundred leagues from Iapan, we found a very hollow water, with the streame running out of the North and North-west, with a full and very broad Sea, without any trouble or hinderance in the way that we past. And what winde soeuer blue, the Sea continued all in one sort with the same hollow water and streame, vn∣till [ 30] we had passed seuen hundred leagues. About two hundred leagues from the Coast of New Spaine we began to lose the said hollow Sea, whereby I perswade my selfe that there you shall finde a Channell or strait passage betweene the firme Land of New Spaine and the Countrie of Asia and Tartaria. We found all this way Whales, Tunnies, Bonitos, which are fishes that ke••pe in Channels, Straits, and running Waters, there to disperse their seede, which further con∣firmeth me in that opinion.
* 1.4But seeing thus we are shipped from Russia, and haue againe taken Sea, that which ••ee permitted not to St••phen Burrough, Pet and Iackman, nor others, English and Dutch, which haue attempted that North east passage; and that which Master Baffin said to me, that if he might haue imployment, he would aduenture to discouer from the Coast of China and Iapan on the North of Asia hitherward; all [ 40] this shall be suddenly peruious to our swifter and vnstayable thoughts, to set vs in a new discouery by Da∣nish and English assistance for a North-west passage so often, not so fortunately attempted, as by Rea∣son it seemeth probable and almost certaine, especially th•••• way where Sir Th. Button and Nelson left. But we will discouer these Discoueries more methodically and historically to you, that you may see the English ancient right, as I may say, to those parts of the new World.