CHAP. XVI. The Voyage of Master IOHN KNIGHT, (which had beene at Groenland once before 1605. Captaine of a Pinnasse of the King of Denmarke) for the Discouery of the North-west Passage, begun the eighteenth of Aprill 1606.
I Set sayle from Grauesend in a Barke of fortie tunnes, called the Hope-well, well [ 20] victualled and manned at the cost of the Worshipfull Companies of Moscouie, and the East Indie Merchants, for the Discouerie of the North-west Passage the eighteenth of Aprill 1606. and arriued the sixe and twentieth of the same mo∣neth in the Ile of Orkney, in a Sound called Pentlefrith. Heere wee were stayed with contrary winds at West and North-west, and with much storme and foule weather aboue a fortnight. In which meane space, I entertained two men of this Countrey, which are both lustie fellowes at Sea and Land, and are well acquainted with all the Harbours of these North parts of Scotland. These men brought vs into a very good Harbour, called Saint Margarites Hope, where we had the Sea open to vs for all winds that are good for vs to proceed [ 30] on our Voyage. In this Countrey we found little worthy of Relation. For it is poore, and hath no wood growing vpon it. Their Corne is Barley and Oates. Their fire is Turffe, their houses are low and vnseemely without, and as homely within.
Vpon Munday the twelfth of May, I set sayle from Saint Margarites Sound or Hope in Ork∣ney, at nine of the clocke in the morning, our course being West and by South: and at eight of the clocke at night, the Hill called Hoyce, did beare West Southerly eleuen or twelue leagues, and the Stacke South and by East Easterly three leagues and an halfe, the winde beeing at East South-east.
This day was for the most part calme, and sometimes wee had a fresh gale of winde: our course was West and by South, halfe a point Southerly. This day I passed by two small Ilands. [ 40] The one of them is called, the Clete, and the other the Run. They are distant foure leagues the one from the other. The course betweene them is South-west and North-east. The Southermost is called the Clete, and is the lesser of the twaine: it is distant from the North-east part of Lewis, called the Bling-head, seuen leagues: and the course betwixt them is North-west and South-east. Also this Bling-head is distant from the Farr•• Headpunc; of the Hieland of Scotland West and by North halfe a point Westerly, and is distant seuenteene leagues. Also the course betweene Bling-head and the North-west part of Lewis, is West and by South halfe a point Westerly, and faire low Land without Wood. There is good riding all along the shoare, the winde beeing off the Land, and in some places are very good Harbours for all winds. From eight to twelue at night, we ran sixe leagues West South-west.
This morning we had a fresh gale of wind at East North-east: our course was South-west and [ 50] by West two houres fiue leagues. From two to ten South-west, and by South 20. leagues. From ten to twelue West South-west sixe leagues. The latitude at noone was 58. degrees 27. minutes.
From Wednesday at noone till Thursday at noone, was for the most part raine and fogge, the wind at North-east and by East: our course was West halfe a point Southerly: our latitude at noone being Thursday, 58. degrees 23. minutes. From Thursday at noone till Friday at noone, being the sixteenth, our way was West Southerly about twentie leagues: the latitude at noone was 58. degrees 19. minutes. This night the wind was sometimes variable betweene the South and by West and South-east, with faire weather, the Magneticall Declination 18. degrees: the height of the Pole was 58. degrees 10. minutes. Also in the morning the Sunne beeing tenne degrees aboue the Horizon, was distant from the East to the North-wards of the East twen∣tie [ 60] two degrees.
From Friday at noone vntill midnight was little wind Southerly, and sometimes calme, and from midnight till twelue at noone the next day a stiffe gale of wind at East North-east. This foure and twentie houres I judged our way to be made good West, something Southerly thirtie