07

We continued our course to the North-west,
and raysed Land to the North of our course,
toward which we made, and comming nigh it,
there hung on the Eastermost point,
many Ilands of floting Ice, and a Beare on one of them,
which from one to another came towards us,
till she was readie to come aboord.
But when she saw us looke at her,
she cast her head betweene her hinder legges,
and then dived under the Ice :
and so from one piece to another,
till she was out of our reach.
We stood along by the Land on the Southside ahead of us,
wee met with Ice that hung on a point of Land that lay to the South,
more then this that we came up by :
which when our Master saw, he stood in the shoare.
At the West end of this Iland (for so it is) we found an Harbour,
and came in (at a full Sea) over a Rocke,
which had two fathome and an halfe on it,
and was so much bare at a low water.
But by the great mercie of God,
we came to an Anchor cleere of it :
and close by it, our Master named them, the Iles of Gods Mercie.
This is an Harbour for need,
but there must be care had how they come in.
Heere our Master sent me, and other with me,
to discover to the North and North-west :
and in going from one place to another,
we sprung a Covey of Partridges which were young :
at the which Thomas Woodhouse shot, but killed only the old one.
This Iland is a most barren place,
having nothing on it but plathes of water and riven Rockes,
as if it were subject to Earthquakes.
To the North there is a great Bay, or Sea
(for I know not what it will prove)
where I saw a great Iland of Ice aground, betweene the two Lands,
which with the Spring-tide was set asloat,
and carried into this Bay or Sea to the North-westward,
but came not backe againe, nor within sight.
Here wee tooke in some Drift wood that we found ashoare.