he description
following, I must omit the particulars of such things.

That which we do call the Newfoundland, and the Frenchmen _Baccalaos_,
is an island, or rather, after the opinion of some, it consisteth
of sundry islands and broken lands, situate in the north regions of
America, upon the gulf and entrance of a great river called St. Lawrence
in Canada; into the which, navigation may be made both on the south and
north side of this island. The land lieth south and north, containing in
length between 300 and 400 miles, accounting from Cape Race, which is
in 46 degrees 25 minutes, unto the Grand Bay in 52 degrees, of
septentrional latitude. The land round about hath very many goodly bays
and harbours, safe roads for ships, the like not to be found in any part
of the known world.

The common opinion that is had of intemperature and extreme cold that
should be in this country, as of some part it may be verified, namely
the north, where I grant it is more cold than in countries of Europe,
which are under the same elevation: even so it cannot stand with reason
and nature of the clime, that the south parts should be so intemperate
as the bruit hath gone. For as the same do lie under the climes of
Bretagne, Anjou, Poictou in France, between 46 and 49 degrees, so can
they not so much differ from the temperature of those countries: unless
upon the out-coast lying open unto the ocean and sharp winds, it must
indeed be subject to more cold than further within the land, where the
mountains are interposed as walls and bulwarks, to defend and to resist
the asperity and rigour of the sea and weather. Some hold opinion that
the Newfoundland might be the more subject to cold, by how much it lieth
high and near unto the middle region. I grant that not in Newfoundland
alone, but in Germany, Italy and Afric, even under the equinoctial line,
the mountains are extreme cold, and seldom uncovered of snow, in their
culm and highest tops, which cometh to pass by the same reason that
they are extended towards the middle region: yet in the countries lying
beneath them, it is found quite contrary. Even so, all hills having
their descents, the valleys also and low grounds must be likewise hot
or temperate, as the clime doth give in Newfoundland: though I am of
opinion that the sun's reflection is much cooled, and cannot be so
forcible in Newfoundland, nor generally throughout America, as in Europe
or Afric: by how much the sun in his diurnal cou