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The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries

R >> Richard Hakluyt >> The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries




Your honours most humble alwayes to be commanded:

Richard Hakluyt Preacher.




PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

A preface to the Reader as touching the principall Voyages
and discourses in this first part.

Hauing for the benefit and honour of my Countrey zealously bestowed so many
yeres, so much trauaile and cost, to bring Antiquities smothered and buried
in darke silence, to light, and to preserue certaine memorable exploits of
late yeres by our English nation atchieued, from the greedy and deuouring
lawes of obliuion: to gather likewise, and as it were to incorporate into
one body the torne and scattered limmes of our ancient and late Nauigations
by Sea, our voyages by land, and traffiques of merchandise by both: and
hauing (so much as in me lieth) restored ech particular member, being
before displaced, to their true ioynts and ligaments; I meane, by the helpe
of Geographie and Chronologie (which I may call the Sunne and the Moone,
the right eye and the left of all history) referred ech particular relation
to the due time and place: I do this second time (friendly Reader, if not
to satisfie, yet at least for the present to allay and hold in suspense
thine expectation) presume to offer vnto thy view this first part of my
threefold discourse. For the bringing of which into this homely and
rough-hewen shape, which here thou seest; what restlesse nights, what
painefull dayes, what heat, what cold I haue indured; how many long &
chargeable iourneys I haue trauailed; how many famous libraries I haue
searched into; what varietie of ancient and moderne writers I haue perused;
what a number of old records, patents, priuleges, letters, &c. I haue
redeemed from obscuritie and perishing; into how manifold acquaintance I
haue entered; what expenses I haue not spared; and yet what faire
opportunities of priuate game, preferment, and ease I haue neglected;
albeit thyselfe canst hardly imagine, yet I by daily experience do finde &
feele, and some of my entier friends can sufficiently testifie. Howbeit (as
I told thee at the first) the honour and benefit of this common weale
wherein I liue and breathe, hath made all difficulties seeme easie, all
paines and industrie pleasant and all expenses of light value and moment
vnto me.

For (to conteine myselfe onely within the bounds of this present discourse
and in the midst thereof to begin) wil it not in all posteritie be as great
a renowme vnto our English nation to haue bene the first discouerers of a
Sea beyond the North cape (neuer certainly knowen before) and of a
conuenient passage into the huge Empire of Russia by the bay of S. Nicholas
and the riuer of Duina; as for the Portugales to haue found a Sea beyond
the Cape of Buona Esperanza, and so consequently a passage by Sea into the
East Indies; or for the Italians and Spaniards to haue discouered vnknowen
landes so many hundred leagues Westward and Southwestward of the streits of
Gibraltar, & of the pillers of Hercules? Be it granted that the renowmed
Portugale Vasques de Gama trauersed the maine Ocean Southward of Africke:
Did not Richard Chanceler and his mates performe the like Northward of
Europe? Suppose that Columbus that noble and high-spinted Genuois escried
vnknowen landes to the Westward of Europe and Africke: Did not the valiant
English knight sir Hugh Willoughby; did not the famous Pilots Stephen
Burrough, Arthur Pet, and Charles Iackman accoast Noua Zembia, Colgoieue,
and Vaigatz to the North of Europe and Asia? Howbeit you will say perhaps,
not with the like golden successe, not with such deductions of Colonies,
nor attaining of conquests. True it is that our successe hath not bene
correspondent vnto theirs: yet in this our attempt the vncertaintie of
finding was farre greater, and the difficultie and danger of searching was
no whit lesse. For hath not Herodotus (a man for his time, most skilfull
and iudicial in Cosmographie, who writ aboue 2000. yeeres ago) in his 4.
booke called Melpomene, signified vnto the Portugales in plaine termes;
that Africa, except the small Isthmus between the Arabian gulfe and the
Mediterran sea, was on all sides enuironed with the Ocean? And for the
further confirmation thereof, doth he not make mention of one Neco an
Ægyptian King, who (for trials sake) sent a fleet of Phoenicians downe the
Red sea, who setting forth in Autumne and sailing Southward till they had
the Sunne at noonetide vpon their sterbourd (that is to say hauing crossed
the Æquinoctial and the Southerne tropique) after a long Nauigation
directed their course to the North and in the space of 3. years enuironed
all Africk, passing home through the Gaditan strait and arriuing in Ægypt.
And doth not [Footnote: Lib. 2. nat. hist. cap. 67.] Plinie tell them that
noble Hanno in the flourishing time and estate of Carthage sailed from
Gades in Spaine to the coast of Arabia foelix, and put down his whole
iournall in writing? Doth he not make mention that in the time of Augustus
Cæsar the wracke of certaine Spanish ships was found floating in the
Arabian gulfe? And, not to be ouer tedious in alleaging of testimonies,
doth not Strabo in the 2. booke of his Geography, together with Cornelius
Nepos and Plinie in the place beforenamed, agree all in one, that one
Eudoxus fleeing from King Lathyrus, and sailing downe the Arabian bay,
sailed along, doubled the Southern point of Africk, and at length arriued
at Gades? And what should I speake of the Spaniards? Was not diuine
[Footnote: In Timæo] Plato (who liued so many ages ago and plainely
described their West Indies vnder the name of Atlantis) was not he (I say)
instead of a Cosmographer vnto them? Were not those Carthaginians mentioned
by Aristotle lib. [Footnote: [Greek: peri thaumasion akousmaton]] de
admirabil. auscult. their forerunners? And had they not Columbus to stirre
them vp and pricke them forward vnto their Westerne discoueries; yea to be
their chiefe loads man and Pilot? Sithens therefore these two worthy
Nations had those bright lampes of learning (I meane the most ancient and
best Philosophers, Historiographers and Geographers) to shewe them light;
and the load starre of experience (to wit those great exploits and voyages
layed vp in store and recorded) whereby to shape their course: what great
attempt might they not presume to vndertake? But alas our English nation,
at the first setting foorth for their Northeasterne discouery, were either
altogether destitute of such cleare lights and inducements or if they had
any inkling at all it was as misty as they found the Northren seas, and so
obscure and ambiguous, that it was meet rather to deterre them then to giue
them encouragement.

But besides the foresaid vncertaintie into what dangers and difficulties
they plunged themselues, Animus meminisse horret, I tremble to recount. For
first they were to expose themselues vnto the rigour of the sterne and
vncouth Northren seas, and to make triall of the swelling waues and
boistrous winds which there commonly do surge and blow: then were they to
saile by the ragged and perilous coast of Norway, to frequent the vnhaunted
shoares of Finmark, to double the dreadfull and misty North cape, to beare
with Willoughbres land, to run along within kenning of the Countreys of
Lapland and Corelia, and as it were to open and vnlocke the seuen-fold
mouth of Duina. Moreouer, in their Northeasterly Nauigations, vpon the seas
and by the coasts of Condora, Colgoieue, Petzora, Ioughoria, Samoedia, Noua
Zembla, &c. and their passing and returne through the streits of Vaigats,
vnto what drifts of snow and mountaines of yce euen in Iune, Iuly, and
August, vnto what hideous ouerfals, vncertaine currents, darke mistes and
fogs, and diuers other fearefull inconueniences they were subiect and in
danger of, I wish you rather to learne out of the voyages of sir Hugh
Willoughbie, Stephen Burrough, Arthur Pet and the rest, then to expect in
this place an endlesse catalogue thereof. And here by the way I cannot but
highly commend the great industry and magnanimity of the Hollanders, who
within these few yeeres haue discouered to 78. yea (as themselues affirme)
to 81. degrees of Northerly latitude [Footnote: This is wrong. The
Austro-Hungarian Expedition of 1872-1874 only reached 81° in Franz Josef
Land. Barentz certainly neuer penetrated beyond 77° or 78°] yet with this
prouiso; that our English nation led them the dance, brake the yce before
them, and gaue them good leaue to light their candle at our torch
[Footnote: This refers to the expeditions of Willoughby (1553), Frobisher
(1576-7), Pett, Jackman (1580), and Davis (1585)]. But nowe it is high time
for vs to weigh our ancre, to hoise vp our sailes, to get cleare of these
boistrous, frosty, and misty seas, and with all speede to direct our course
for the milde, lightsome, temperate, and warme Atlantick Ocean, ouer which
the Spaniards and Portugales haue made so many pleasant prosperous and
golden voyages. And albeit I cannot deny, that both of them in their East
and West Indian Nauigations haue indured many tempests, dangers, and
shipwracks: yet this dare I boldly affirme; first that a great number of
them haue satisfied their fame-thirsty and gold-thirsty mindes with that
reputation and wealth, which made all perils and misaduentures seeme
tolerable vnto them, and secondly, that their first attempts (which in this
comparison I doe onely stand vpon) were no whit more difficult and
dangerous, then ours to the Northeast. For admit that the way was much
longer, yet was it neuer barred with ice, mist, or darknes, but was at all
seasons of the yeere open and Nauigable; yea and that for the most part
with fortunate and fit gales of winde. Moreouer they had no forren prince
to intercept or molest them, but their owne Townes, Islands and maine lands
to succour them. The Spaniards had the Canary Isles: and so had the
Portugales the Isles of the Acores of Porto santo, of Madera, of Cape verd,
the castle of Mina, the fruitfull and profitable Isle of S. Thomas, being
all of them conueniently situated, and well fraught with commodities. And
had they not continuall and yerely trade in some one part or other of
Africa, for getting of slaues, for sugar, for Elephants teeth, graines,
siluer, gold and other precious wares, which serued as allurements to draw
them on by little and little, and as proppes to stay them from giuing ouer
their attempts? But nowe let vs leaue them and returne home vnto ourselues.

In this first volume (Friendly Reader) besides our Northeasterne
Discoueries by sea, and the memorable voyage of M. Christopher Hodson, and
M. William Burrough, Anno 1570. to the Narue, wherein with merchants ships
onely, they tooke fiue strong and warrelike ships of the Freebooters, which
lay within the sound of Denmark of purpose to intercept our English Fleete:
besides 1 all these (I say) thou maiest find here recorded, to the lasting
honor of our nation, all their long and dangerous voyages for the
aduauncing of traffique by riuer and by land to all parts of the huge and
wide Empire of Russia: as namely Richard Chanceler his first fortunate
arriuall at Newnox, his passing vp the riuer of Dwina to the citie of
Vologda for the space of 1100. versts, and from thence to Yaruslaue,
Rostoue, Peraslaue, and so to the famous citie of Mosco, being 1500. versts
trauell in all. Moreouer, here thou hast his voiage penned by himselfe
(which I hold to be very authentical, & for the which I do acknowledge my
selfe beholding vnto the excellent Librarie of the right honorable my lord
Lumley) wherein he describeth in part the state of Russia, the maners of
the people and their religion, the magnificence of the Court, the maiestie,
power, and riches of the Emperour, and the gracious entertainment of
himselfe. But if he being the first man, and not hauing so perfect
intelligence as they that came after him, doeth not fullie satisfie your
expectation in describing the foresayd countrey and people; I then referre
you to Clement Adams his relation next following, to M. Ienkinsons
discourse as touching that argument to the smooth verses of M. George
Turberuile, and to a learned and excellent discourse set downe pag. 536. of
this volume, [Footnote: Refers to _original_ edition.] and the pages
following. Vnto all which (if you please) you may adde Richard Iohnsons
strange report of the Samoeds pag. 316. But to returne to our voyages
performed within the bounds of Russia, I suppose (among the rest) that
difficult iourney of Southam and Sparke, from Colmogro and S. Nicholas
Baie, vp the great riuer of Onega, and so by other riuers and lakes to the
citie of Nouogrod velica vpon the West frontier of Russia, to be right
woorthy of obseruation; as likewise that of Thomas Alcock from Mosco to
Smolensko, and thence to Tirwill in Polonia, pag. 339. & that also of M.
Hierome Horsey from Mosco to Vobsko, and so through Liefland to Riga,
thence by the chiefe townes of Prussia and Pomerland to Rostok, and so to
Hamburg, Breme, Emden, &c. Neither hath our nation bene contented onely
throughly to search into all parts of the Inland, and view the Northren,
Southerne, and Westerne frontiers, but also by the rulers of Moscua, Occa
and Volga, to visite Cazan and Astracan, the farthest Easterne and
Southeasterne bounds of that huge Empire. And yet not containing themselues
within all that maine circumference they haue aduentured their persons,
shippes, and goods, homewards and outwards, foureteene times ouer the
vnknowen and dangerous Caspian sea; that valiant, wise, and personable
gentleman M. Anthonie Ienkinson being their first ring-leader: who in Anno
1558. sailing from Astracan towards the East shore of the Caspian sea, and
there arriuing at the port of Mangusla, trauelled thence by Vrgence and
Shelisur, and by the riuers of Oxus and Ardok, 40. dayes iourney ouer
desert and wast countreys, to Boghar a principall citie of Bactria, being
there & by the way friendly entertained, dismissed, and safely conducted by
certaine Tartarian kings and Murses. Then haue you a second Nauigation of
his performance to the South shore of the foresayd Caspian sea, together
with his landing at Derbent, his arriuall at Shabran, his proceeding vnto
Shamaky, the great curtesie vouchsafed on him by Obdolowcan king of Hircan,
his iourney after of 30. dayes Southward, by Yauate, Ardouil, and other
townes and cities to Casben, being as then the seate imperiall of Shaugh
Thamas the great Sophy of Persia, with diuers other notable accidents in
his going foorth, in his abode there, and in his returne home. Immediately
after you haue set downe in fiue seuerall voiages the successe of M.
Ienkinsons laudable and well-begun enterprise, vnder the foresayd Shaugh
Thamas, vnder Shally Murzey the new king of Hircan, and lastly our
traffique with Osman Basha the great Turkes lieutenant at Derbent.
Moreouer, as in M. Ienkinsons trauel to Boghar the Tartars, with their
territories, habitations, maner of liuing, apparell, food, armour, &c. are
most liuely represented vnto you: so likewise in the sixe Persian Iournals
you may here and there obserue the state of that countrey, of the great
Shaugh and of his subiects, together with their religion, lawes, customes,
& maner of gouernment, their coines, weights and measures, the distances of
places, the temperature of the climate and region, and the natural
commodities and discommodities of the same.

Furthermore in this first Volume, all the Ambassages and Negociations from
her Maiestie to the Russian Emperor, or from him vnto her Maiestie, seemed
by good right to chalenge their due places of Record. As namely, first that
of M. Randolph, 1568. then the emploiment of M. Ienkinson 1571. thirdly,
Sir Ierome Bowes his honorable commission and ambassage 1582. and last of
all the Ambassage of M. Doct. Fletcher 1588. Neither do we forget the
Emperours first Ambassador Osep Napea, his arriuall in Scotland, his most
honourable entertainment and abode in England, and his dismission into
Russeland. In the second place we doe make mention of Stephen Tuerdico, and
Pheodata Pogorella; thirdly, of Andrea Sauin; and lastly, of Pheodor
Andrewich Phisemski. And to be briefe, I haue not omitted the Commissions,
Letters, Priuileges, Instructions, Obseruations, or any other Particulars
which might serue both in this age, and with all posteritie, either for
presidents in such like princely and weightie actions to bee imitated, or
as woorthy monuments in no wise to bee buried in silence. Finally that
nothing should be wanting which might adde any grace or shew of perfection
vnto this discourse of Russia; I haue prefixed before the beginning
thereof, the petigree and genealogie of the Russian Emperors and Dukes,
gathered out of their owne Chronicles by a Polonian, containing in briefe
many notable antiquities and much knowledge of those partes as likewise
about the conclusion, I haue signified in the branch of a letter the last
Emperour Pheodor Iuanowich his death, and the inauguration of Boris
Pheodorowich vnto the Empire.

But that no man should imagine that our forren trades of merchandise haue
bene comprised within some few yeeres or at least wise haue not bene of any
long continuance, let vs now withdraw our selues from our affaires in
Russia, and ascending somewhat higher, let vs take a sleight suruey of our
traffiques and negotiations in former ages. First therefore the reader may
haue recourse vnto the 137 page [Footnote: This refers to the original
edition] of this Volume & there with great delight and admiration, consider
out of the iudicial Historiographer Cornelius Tacitus, that the Citie of
London fifteene hundred yeeres agoe in the time of Nero the Emperour was
most famous for multitude of merchants and concourse of people. In the
pages folowing he may learne out of Venerable Beda, that almost 900. yeeres
past, in the time of the Saxons, the said citie of London was multorum
emporium populorum, a Mart towne for many nations. There he may behold, out
of William of Malmesburie, a league concluded betweene the most renowned
and victorious Germane Emperour Carolus Magnus, and the Saxon king Offa,
together with the sayd Charles his patronage and protection granted vnto
all English merchants which in those dayes frequented his dominions. There
may hee plainly see in an auncient testimonie translated out of the Saxon
tongue, how our merchants were often woont for traffiques sake, so many
hundred yeeres since, to crosse the wide Seas and how their industry in so
doing was recompensed. Yea, there mayest thou obserue (friendly Reader)
what priuileges the Danish king Canutus obtained at Rome of Pope Iohn of
Conradus the Emperour, and of king Rudolphus for our English merchants
Aduenturers of those times. Then if you shall thinke good to descend vnto
the times and ages succeeding the conquest, there may you partly see what
our state of merchandise was in the time of king Stephen and of his
predecessor, and how the Citie of Bristol (which may seeme somewhat
strange) was then greatly resorted vnto with ships from Norway and from
Ireland. There may you see the friendly league betweene king Henry the
second, and the famous Germane Emperour Friderick Barbarossa, and the
gracious authorizing of both their merchats to traffique in either of their
dominions. And what need I to put you in mind of king Iohn his fauourable
safe conduct, whereby all forren merchants were to haue the same priuileges
here in England, which our English merchants enioied abroad in their
seuerall countreys. Or what should I signifie vnto you the entercourse of
league and of other curtesies betweene king Henry the third, and Haquinus
king of Norway; and likewise of the free trade of merchandise between their
subiects: or tell you what fauours the citizens of Colen, of Lubek, and of
all the Hansetownes obtained of king Edward the first; or to what high
endes and purposes the generall, large, and stately Charter concerning all
outlandish merchants whatsoeuer was by the same prince most graciously
published? You are of your owne industry sufficiently able to conceiue of
the letters & negotiatios which passed between K. Edward the 2. & Haquinus
the Noruagian king; of our English merchants and their goods detained vpon
arrest at Bergen in Norway; and also of the first ordination of a Staple,
or of one onely setled Mart towne for the vttering of English woolls &
woollen fells instituted by the sayd K. Edward last before named. All which
(Reader) being throughly considered, I referre you then to the Ambassages,
Letters, Traffiques, and prohibition of Traffiques, concluding and
repealing of leagues, damages, reprisals, arrests, complaints,
supplications, compositions and restitutions which happened in the time of
king Richard the 2. and king Henry the 4. between the said kings and their
subiects on the one partie; and Conradus de Zolner, Conradus de Iungingen,
and Vlricus de Iungingen, three of the great masters of Prussia, and their
subiects, with the common societie of the Hans-townes on the other partie.
In all which discourse you may note very many memorable things; as namely
first the wise, discreet, and cautelous dealing of the Ambassadors and
Commissioners of both parts, then the wealth of the foresaid nations, and
their manifold and most vsuall kinds of wares vttered in those dayes, as
likewise the qualitie, burthen, and strength of their shipping, the number
of their Mariners, the maner of their combates at sea, the number and names
of the English townes which traded that way, with the particular places as
well vpon the coast of Norway, as euery where within the sound of Denmark
which they frequented; together with the inueterate malice and craftie
crueltie of the Hanse. And because the name, office, and dignitie of the
masters generall or great Masters of Prussia would otherwise haue been
vtterly darke and vnknowen to the greater part of Readers, I haue set downe
immediatly before the first Prussian ambasasage, pagina 158 [Footnote: This
means, of course, page 158 of _original_ edition.] a briefe and orderly
Catalogue of them all, containing the first originall and institution of
themselues and of their whole knightly order and brotherhood, with the
increase of reuenues and wealth which befell them afterward in Italy and
Germany and the great conquests which they atchieued vpon the infidels of
Prussia, Samogitia, Curland, Liefland, Lituania, &c. also their decay and
finall ouerthrow, partly by the reuolt of diuers Townes and Castles vnder
their iurisdiction, and partly by the meanes of their next mightie
neighbour the King of Poland.

After all these, out of 2. branches of 2. ancient statutes, is partly
shewed our trade and the successe thereof with diuers forren Nations in the
time of K. Henry the sixth.

Then followeth the true processe of English policie, I meane that excellent
and pithy treatise de politia conseruatiua maris: which I cannot to any
thing more fitly compare, then to the Emperour of Russia his palace called
the golden Castle, and described by Richard Chanceller page 264. [Footnote:
_Ibidem_.] of this volume: whereof albeit the outward apparance was
but homely and no whit correspondent to the name, yet was it within so
beautified and adorned with the Emperour his maiesticall presence, with the
honourable and great assembly of his rich-attired Peers and Senatours, with
an inualuable and huge masse of gold and siluer plate, & with other
princely magnificence; that well might the eyes of the beholders be
dazeled, and their cogitations astonished thereat. For indeed the exteriour
habit of this our English politician, to wit, the harsh and vnaffected
stile of his substantiall verses and the olde dialect of his wordes is
such; as the first may seeme to haue bene whistled of Pans oaten pipe, and
the second to haue proceeded from the mother of Euander; but take you off
his vtmost weed, and beholde the comelinesse, beautie, and riches which lie
hid within his inward sense and sentence, and you shall finde (I wisse) so
much true and sound policy, so much delightfull and pertinent history, so
many liuely descriptions of the shipping and wares in his time of all the
nations almost in Christendome, and such a subtile discouery of outlandish
merchants fraud, and of the sophistication of their wares, that needes you
must acknowledge, that more matter and substance could in no wise be
comprised in so little a roome. [Footnote: The poem here alluded to was
written between 1416 and 1438, as appears from the lines:

"For Sigismond, the great Emperour
Wich yet reigneth, when he was in this land
With King Henryy the fifth" etc.

Sigismund died in 1438, and visited England in 1416.] And notwithstanding
(as I said) his stile be vnpolished, and his phrases somewhat out of vse,
yet, so neere as the written copies would giue me leaue, I haue most
religiously without alteration obserued the same, thinking it farre more
conuenient that himselfe should speake, then that I should bee his
spokesman, and that the Readers should enioy his true verses, then mine or
any other mans fained prose.

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