Oldal 216 [216]
MIKLÓS VASSÁNYI
our Lord 1583 by sir Humfrey Gilbert knight, 1586)," Captain John Mason
(A briefe discourse of the New-Found-Land with the situation, temperature,
and commodities thereof, 1620)" and Sir Richard Whitbourne (A discourse
and discovery of Newfoundland, 1620)° — it was becoming apparent that the
English would soon gain the upper hand in the Greenland navigation as well.
Davis, who had also been to Newfoundland before, went on a Northwest¬
Atlantic expedition two years after Sir Humphrey Gilbert, and hit the
Greenland coast before exploring Cumberland Sound at Baffin Island and
then turning back home. In 1578, on his third journey to these areas, he sailed
through Davis Strait, entered what is today known as Baffin Bay, coasted
along western Greenland to reach what was probably Disko Island and made
landfall at present-day Nuuk, meeting several Eskimos, decades before the
Danes arrived at the south coast of Greenland.” Gilbert’s Discourse is one
sustained chain of reasoning for the existence of a Northwest Passage, and
for the several advantages of sailing it, and though it includes common
misconceptions about the geographical position of Greenland, it nevertheless
reveals an overwhelming interest in pushing forward as far into the northwest
as is possible. Parkhurst’s Letter to Richard Hakluyt first exhibits sweeping
religious zeal for the redemption of the Newfoundland settlers but soon
turns to the charms of the country whose main economic interest lies with
fishing. As a busy explorer of the recesses of the island, Parkhurst gives a vivid
description of the large-scale international fishing industry that is carried
out by the Spaniards, French, British and Portuguese off coast, while whale
is hunted for the oil by the “Biscayans” or Basques. The bottom line is that
he clearly recommends the settling and fortification of the country for its
riches and even the reconnaissance of the St Lawrence river. Hayes’s graphic
account, entitled A report of the voyage and successe thereof of Humphrey
Gilbert’s miscarried Newfoundland expedition also makes it crystal clear that
the island was as good as inhabited by European seasonal fishermen by 1583,”
1” Edward Hayes, A report of the voyage and successe thereof, attempted in the yeere of our
Lord 1583 by sir Humfrey Gilbert knight, in Quinn (ed.), Voyages of Gilbert, Vol. 2, 385-423.
John Mason, A briefe discourse of the Nevv-found-land with the situation, temperature, and
commodities thereof, inciting our nation to goe forward in that hopefull plantation begunne,
Edinburgh: Printed by Andro Hart, 1620.
Captaine Richard Whitbourne of Exmouth, A Discovrse and Discovery of Nevv-fovnd-land:
with many reasons to prooue how worthy and beneficiall a Plantation may there be made,
after a far better manner than now it is, London, Felix Kyngston for William Barret, 1622.
20 Albert Hastings Markham (ed.), The Voyages and Works of John Davis the Navigator,
London, The Hakluyt Society, 1880; Oswalt, Eskimos and Explorers, 37-41; Gad, History of
Greenland, 199-201; Morison, European Discovery of America, 583-616.
“Before we come to Newfound land about 50 leagues on this side, we passe the banke, which
are high grounds rising within the sea and under water, yet deepe enough and without
danger, being commonly not lesse than 25 and 30 fadome water upon them... The Portugals,
and French chiefly, have a notable trade of fishing upon this banke, where are sometimes
an hundred or more sailes of ships: who commonly beginne the fishing in Apriell, and have
* 214 +