t dyd lette,
sette, give, and dispose of many things as absolute Governor there by
virtue of Her Majesty's letter patent."

The passage in which Captain Hayes describes the Newfoundland of his
day must be of such interest to its present inhabitants that it is
worth while to set it out in full:

"That which we doe call the Newfoundland, and the Frenchmen Bacalaos,
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 gulph and entrance of the great river called S.
Laurence in Canada. Into the which navigation may be made both on the
south and north side of this island. The land lyeth south and north,
containing in length betweene three and 400 miles, accounting from
Cape Race (which is in 46 degrees 25 minuts) unto the Grand Bay in 52
degrees of septentrionall latitude. The iland round about hath very
many goodly bayes and harbors, safe roads for ships, the like not to
be found in any part of the knowen world.

"The common opinion that is had of intemperature and extreme cold that
should be in this countrey, as of some part it may be verified, namely
the north, where I grant it is more colde 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 doe lie under the
climats of Briton, Aniou, 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 coasts lying open unto the ocean and
sharpe winds, it must in neede be subject to more colde, then further
within the lande, where the mountaines are interposed, as walles and
bulwarkes, to defende and to resiste the asperitie and rigor of the
sea and weather. Some hold opinion, that the Newfoundland might be the
more subject to cold, by how much it lyeth high and neere unto the
middle region. I grant that not in Newfoundland alone, but in Germany,
Italy, and Afrike, even under the Equinoctiall line, the mountaines
are extreme cold, and seeldome uncovred of snow, in their culme and
highest tops, which commeth to passe by the same reason that they are
extended towards the middle region: yet in the countries lying beneth
them, it is found quite contrary. Even so all hils having their
discents, the valleis also and low grounds must be likewise hot or