an oven with
stones I found many small trifles, as a small canoe made of wood, a piece
of wood made like an image, a bird made of bone, beads having small holes
in one end of them to hang about their necks, and other small things.
The coast was very barbarous, without wood or grass. The rocks were very
fair, like marble, full of veins of divers colours. We found a seal
which was killed not long before, being flayed and hid under stones.

Our captain and master searched still for probabilities of the passage,
and first found that this place was all islands with great sounds passing
between them.

Secondly, the water remained of one colour with the main ocean without
altering.

Thirdly, we saw to the west of those isles three or four whales in a
scull, which they judged to come from a westerly sea, because to the
eastward we saw not any whale.

Also, as we were rowing into a very great sound lying south-west from
whence these whales came, upon the sudden there came a violent
countercheck of a tide from the south-west against the flood which we
came with, not knowing from whence it was maintained.

Fifthly, in sailing 20 leagues within the mouth of this entrance we had
sounding in 90 fathoms, fair, grey, oozy sand, and the farther we run
into the westwards the deeper was the water, so that hard aboard the
shore among these isles we could not have ground in 330 fathoms.

Lastly, it did ebb and flow six or seven fathom up and down, the flood
coming from divers parts, so as we could not perceive the chief
maintenance thereof.

The 18th and 19th our captain and master determined what was best to do,
both for the safe guard of their credits and satisfy of the adventurers,
and resolved if the weather brake up to make further search.

The 20th, the wind came directly against us, so they altered their
purpose, and reasoned both for proceeding and returning.

The 21st, the wind being north-west, we departed from these islands, and
as we coasted the south shore we saw many fair sounds, whereby we were
persuaded that it was no firm land but islands.

The 23rd of this month the wind came south-east, very stormy and foul
weather. So we were constrained to seek harbour upon the south coast of
this entrance, where we fell into a very fair sound, and anchored in 25
fathoms of green, oozy sand, where we went on shore, where we had
manifest signs of people, where they had made their fire, and laid stones
like a wall. In thi