, an eminent navigator, and justly thepride of his country in that
, an eminent navigator, and justly thepride of his country in that character, was born at Marton in Cleveland, a village about four miles from Great Ayton, in the county of York, and was baptised there, as appears from the parish register, Nov. 3, 1728. His father, whose name was likewise James, was a day-labourer to Mr. Mewburn, a very respectable farmer, and lived in a small cottage, the walls chiefly of mud, as was generally the case at that time in the northern parts of the kingdom. In 1730, when our navigator was about two years old, his father removed with his family to Great Ayton, and was employed as a hind to the late Thomas Scottowe, esq. having the charge of a considerable farm in that neighbourhood known by the name of Airyholm.
, an eminent navigator, of the sixteenth century, was born at Sandridge,
, an eminent navigator, of the sixteenth
century, was born at Sandridge, in the parish of StokeGabriel, near Dartmouth in Devonshire. His birth near
that eminent sea-port, having given him a fair opportunity,
to which probably was added a strong natural disposition,
he put himself early to sea; where, by the help of a good
master, and his subsequent industry, knowledge, and experience, he became the most expert pilot, and one of the
ablest navigators of his time. The first public employment he had was in 1585, when he undertook to discover
a new passage, by the north-west parts of America, to the
East-Indies. For that purpose, he sailed from Dartmouth,
on the seventh of June, with two barks, one of fifty and
the other of thirty-five tons, which were fitted out at the
charge of some noblemen and gentlemen; and met, July 19,
many islands of ice floating, in 60 degrees northern latitude. They were soon encompassed with them; and going
upon some, perceived, that the roaring noise they heard,
at which they were greatly astonished, was caused only by
the rolling of the ice together. The next day, they discovered the southern coast of Greenland, five hundred
leagues distant from the Durseys, or Missenhead, in Ireland; and observed it to be extremely rocky and mountainous, and covered with snow, without any signs of wood,
grass, or earth to be seen. The shore, likewise, was so
full of ice, that no ship could come near it by two leagues:
and so shocking was the appearance of it, and the cracking
of the ice so hideous, that they imagined it to be a quite
desolate country, without a living creature, or even any
vegetable substance; for which reason captain Davis named
it, “The Land of Desolation.
” Perceiving that they were
run into a very deep bay, wherein they were almost surrounded with ice, they kept coasting along the edge of it,
south-south-west, till the 25th of July; when, after having gone fifty or sixty leagues, they found that the shore
lay directly north. This made them alter their course to
the north-west, in hopes of finding their desired passage:
but on the 29th they discovered land to the north-east, in
64 degr. 15 min. latitude. Making towards it, they perceived that they were passed the ice, and were among
many green, temperate, and pleasant islands, bordering
upon the shore; though the hills of the continent were still
covered with great quantities of snow. Among these
islands were many fine bays, and good roads for shipping:
they landed in some, and the people of the country came
down and conversed with them by signs, making Mr. Davis
understand, that there was a great sea towards the north
west. He staid in this place till the first of August,
and then proceeded in his discovery. The sixth of that
month, they found land in 66 degr. 40 min. latitude, quite
free from ice; and anchored in a safe road, under a great
mountain, the cliffs whereof glistered like gold. This
mountain he named, Mount Raleigh: the road where their
ships lay at anchor, Totness Road: the bay which encompassed the mountain, Exeter Sound: the foreland towards
the north, Dier’s Cape: and the foreland towards the
south, Cape Walsingham. He departed from hence the
eighth of August, coasting along the shore, which lay
south-south-west, and east-north-east; and on the eleventh
came to the most southerly cape of that land, which he
named, “The Cape of God’s Mercy,
” as being the place
of their first entrance for the discovery. Going forward,
they came into a very fine straight, or passage, in some
places twenty leagues broad, in others thirty, quite free
from ice, the weather in it very tolerable, and the water of
the same colour and nature as the main ocean. This passage still retains the name of its first discoverer, being
called to this day Fretum Davis, or Davis’s Straights.
Having sailed, north-west, sixty leagues in this passage,
they discovered several islands in the midst of it; on some
of which they landed. The coast was very barren, without wood or grass; and the rocks were like fine marble,
full of veins of divers colours. Some days after they continued searching for the north-west passage, but found
only a great number of islands. And, on the 2oth, the
wind coming contrary, they altered their course and design, and returning for England, arrived at Dartmouth the
29th of September. The next year Mr. Davis undertook
a second voyage, for the farther discovery of the north-west
passage, being supported and encouraged again by secretary Walsingham, and other adventurers. With' a view
therefore of searching the bottom of the Straights he had
been in the year before, he sailed from Dartmouth, May
the 7th, 1586, with four ships, and the 15th of June discovered land in 60 degrees latitude, and 47 degrees longitude west from London. The ice along the coast reached
in some places ten, in some twenty, and in others fifty
leagues into the sea; so that, to avoid it, they were forced
to bear into 57 degrees latitude. After many tempestuous
storms, they made the land again, June the 29th, in 64
degrees of latitude, and 58 of longitude; and ran among
the temperate islands they had been at the year before.
But the water was so deep, they could not easily come to
an anchor; yet they found means to go ashore, on some
of the islands, where they were much caressed and welcomed by the natives, who knew them again. Having
finished a pinnace, which was to serve them for a front in
their discoveries, they landed, not only in that, but also
in their boats, in several places: and, upon the strictest
search, found the land not to be a continent, as they imagined, but a collection of huge, waste, and desert isles,
with great sounds and inlets passing between sea and sea.
They pursued their voyage the 11th of July, and on the
17th, in 63 degrees 8 minutes latitude, met with a prodigious mass of ice, which they coasted till the 30th. This
was a great obstacle and discouragement to them, not
having the like there the year before; and, besides, the
men beginning to grow sickly, the crew of one of the
ships, on which he chiefly depended, forsook him, and resolved to proceed no farther. However, not to disappoint
Mr. W. Sanderson, who was the chief adventurer in this
voyage, and for fear of losing the favour of secretary Walsingham, who had this discovery much at heart, Mr. Davis
undertook to proceed alone in his small bark of thirty tons.
Having therefore fitted, and well-victualled it, in a harbour lying in 66 degrees 33 minutes latitude, and 70 degrees longitude, which he found to be a very hot place,
and full of muscatoes, he set sail the 12th of August, and
coming into a straight followed the course of it for eighty
leagues, till he came among many islands, where the water
ebbed and flowed six fathom deep. He had hopes of finding a passage there, but upon searching farther in his
boat, he perceived there was none. He then returned
again into the open sea, and kept coasting southward as
far as 54 degrees and a half of latitude: in which time he
found another great inlet near forty leagues broad, between
two lands, west, where the water ran in with great violence.
This, he imagined, was the passage so long sought for;
but the wind being then contrary, and two furious storms
happening soon after, he neither thought it safe nor wise
to proceed farther, especially in one small bark, and when
the season was so far advanced. He, therefore, sailed for
England the 11th of September; and arrived there in the
beginning of October. By the observations which he
made, he concluded, that the north parts of America are
all islands. He made a third voyage to these parts again
the year following, 1587. All the western merchants, and
most of those of London, refused to be engaged farther in
the undertaking; but it was encouraged by the lord treasurer Burleigh and secretary Walsinghain. Mr. Davis
having, in his last voyage, discovered prodigious quantities of excellent cud-tish, in 56 degrees of latitude, two
ships were sent along with him for fishing, and one only
for the discovery of the North west passage. They sailed
from Dartmouth the 19tii of May, and discovered land the
14th of June, at sixteen leagues distance, but very mountainous, and covered with snow. On the 21st of June the
two barks left him, and went upon the fishing, after having
promised him, not to depart till his return to them about
the end of August, yet having finished their voyage in
about sixteen days after, they set sail for England without
any regard to their promise. Captain Davis, in the mean
time, pursued his intended discovery, in the sea between
America and Greenland, from 64 to 73 degrees of latitude.
Having entered the Straights which bear his name, he
went on northward, from the 21st to the 30th of June;
naming one part Merchants Coast; another, the London
Coast; another, Hope Sanderson in 73 degrees latitude,
being the farthest he went that day. The wind coming
northerly, he altered his course, and ran forty leagues
west, without seeing any laud. On the 2d of July, he fell
in with a great bank of ice, which he coasted southward
till the 1 9th of July, when he came within sight of Mount
Raleigh on the American coast, in about 67 degrees of
latitude. Having sailed sixty leagues north-west into the
gulf that lies beyond it, he anchored, July 23, at the bottom of that gulf, among many islands, which he named
“The Earl of Cumberland’s Isles
” He quitted that place
again the same day, and sailed back south-east, in order
to recover the sea; which he did the 29th in 62 degrees of
latitude. The 30th he passed by a great bank, or inlet, to
which he gave the name of Lumley’s Inlet; and the next
day by a head land, which he called “The Earl of Warwick’s Foreland.
” On the first of August he fell in with
the southermost cape, named by him Chudley’s Cape:
and, the 12th, passed by an island which he named Darcy’s
Island. When he came in 52 degrees of latitude, not
finding the two ships that had promised to stay for him, he
was in great distress, having but little wood, and only half
a hogshead of water left; yet, taking courage, he made
the best of his way home, and arrived at Dartmouth September the 15th, very sanguine, that the north-west passage was most probable, and the execution easy; but secretary Walsinghaw dying not long after, all farther search
was laid aside. Mr. Davis, notwithstanding, did not remain idle. For, August 26, 1591, he was captain of the
Desire, rear admiral to Mr. Thomas Cavendish, in his second unfortunate expedition to the South -Sea; and is
highly blamed by Mr. Cavendish, for having deserted him,
and thereby being the cause of his overthrow. After many
disasters, Mr. Davis arrived again at Bear-haven in Ireland, June 11, 1593. He performed afterwards no less
than five voyages to the East-Indies, in the station of a
pilot. One was in a Dutch ship, in which he set out,
March 15, 1597-8, from Flushing, and returned to Middleburgh, July 23, 1600. Of the rest we have no account,
except of that which he performed with sir Edward Michelbourne, in which were spent nineteen months, from December 5, 1604, to July 9, 1606. During this voyage
Mr. Davis was killed, on the 27th of December, 1605, in
a desperate fight with some Japonese near the coast of
Malacca. He married Faith, daughter of sir John Fulford,
of Fulford in Devonshire, knight, by Dorothy his wife,
daughter of John lord Bouchier, earl of Bath, by whom
probably he had issue: for some of his posterity are said to
have been living about the middle of the last century, at
or near Deptford.
, better known by the name of Magellan, an eminent navigator, was by birth a Portuguese. He served with
, better known by the name of Magellan, an eminent navigator, was by birth a Portuguese. He served with much reputation during five years under Albuquerque, in the East Indies, particularly at the conquest of Malacca in 1510, but as his services were not well repaid, he accepted from Charles V. king of Spain, the command of a fleet, with which, in 1519, he discovered the straits called after himself at the extremity of South America. Soon after this he took possession of the Ladrone and Philippine islands in the name of Charles V.; and had he acted with prudence, might have had the honour of being accounted the first circumnavigator of the globe. His severities, however, towards the natives of Matan, compelled them to resist; and in the contest Magalhaens received a wound from an arrow in the leg, and being ill supported by his men, he was killed by a lance, in 1521.