Page:Notes upon Russia (volume 2, 1851).djvu/218

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OF THE NORTHEAST FROSTY SEA

lande towarde the North, named Terra de Laborador, doe ioyne as one firme lande with Norway: Or whether there bee any streight or open place of sea, as is most lyke there should be, forasmuch as it is to bee thought that the sayde Indians, dryuen by fortune about the coastes of Norway, came by that streight or sea, to the coastes of Germanie, and by the sayde streight to sayle north-west, to discouer the landes and countreys of Cathay, and from thence to sayle to the Ilandes of Molucca, and these surely should bee enterpryses able to make men immortall. The which thing, that ryght woorthie sfentlcman maister Antony di Mendoza consyder- yng, by the singular vertue and magnanimitie that is in him, attempted to put this thyng in practyse. For being viceroy of the countrey of Mexico (so named of the great citie Mexico, otherwyse called Temistitan, now called new Spayne, beyng in the xx degree aboue the Equinoctiall, and parte of the sayde firme lande) he sent certayne of his Captaines by lande, and also a nauie of shyppes by sea, to search this secrete.


The way to Cathay and the Ilandes of Molucca by the north-west

A notable enterpryse.

The noble enterpryse of Antonie di Mendoza, viceroy of Mexico.

The discoueryng of the north-west partes.

Shyppes sayling from Cathay by the North Hyperborean sea, to the coastes of the north-west parte of the lande of Baccaleos.

Cathay.


And I remember that when I was in Flaunders, in Themperours court, I saw his letter wrytten in the yeere 1541, and dated from Mexico: wherein was declared howe towarde the Northwest he had founde the kyngdome of Sette Citta (that is) seuen Cities, wheras is that, called Civola, by the reuerende father Marco da Niza: and howe beyonde the sayde kyngdome yet further towarde the Northwest, Captayne Francesco Vasques of Coronado, hauing ouerpassed great desartes, came to the sea syde, where he founde certayne shyppes which sayled by that sea with merchandies, and had in theyr banner vpon the prooes of theyr shyppes, certayne foules made of golde and siluer, which they of Mexico call Alcatrazzi, and that theyr mariners shewed by signes that they were .xxx. dayes sayling, in commyng to that hauen: whereby he vnderstoode that these shyppes could be of none other countrey then of Cathay, forasmuch as it is situate

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