And as such practices, either speculative or mechanical, shall receive favourable place in the Honourable opinion of Nobility, by so much the more shall the practice be estemed: which is the cause at this time for me to present unto your most Honorable favour this final Treatise of Navigation, being a brief collection of such practices as in my several voyages I have from experience collected.
Among which in three several attempts for the discovery of the Northwest passage, thereby to find a short and Navigable course into the rich and famous Countries of Cathy China, Peru, the isles Moluccan and Phillipines, that thereby to the great and inestimable benefit of our Country there might be a rich and plentiful trade procured between us and the said Nations, in short time to be performed, and with great safety in regard to the course:
Which action and discovery (by means of that honorable Counseller, Sir Frances Walsingham, Knight, Principal Secretary to her Majesty) was with a good resolution accepted by the Merchants of London, but in the The Epistle Dedicatory decay of his honourable life, the attempt was likewise equalled:
But however mens minds alter, yet undoubtedly there is passage Navigable, and easie to be performed by that course (whensoever it shall please God to reveal the same) by invincible reasons and sufficient experience to be proved: and although before I entered into that discovery, I was sufficiently persuaded of the certainty thereof, by historical relation substantially confirmed, whereof to the Adventures I made sufficient proof, but especially to my worshipful good friend Mr. William Sanderson, the only Merchant that to his great charges, with most constant travail, did labour for the finishing thereof:
Yet I thank God that of late it hath been my very good chance, to receive better assurance than ever before of the certainty of that passage, and such was my vehement desire for the performance thereof that whereby I was only induced to go with M. Cavendish in his second attempt for the South Seas, upon his constant promise unto me, that when we came to California, I should there have his Pinnace with my own Bark (which for that purpose went with me to my breat charges) to search that Northwest discovery upon those back parts of America.
But God hath otherwise disposed our purposes in his divine judgements, for Mr. Cavendish being half way through the Straits of Magilane, and impatient of the tempestuous furiousness of that place, having all his Ships and company with him, returned for Brasil, by the authority of his command, when with a leading wind we might have passed the same, and returning more than 80 leagues toward Brasil.
Modern Chart
My self being in his Ship named the Desire without Boat, Oares, Sails, Cables, Cordage, Victuals, or health of my Company sufficient for that attempt, was separated in a freit of weather, and forced to seek the next shore for my relief, & recovering a Harborow by us named Port Desire, being in the latitude of 48 degr. did there repair my most miserable wants, and there staying four months in the most lamentable distress did again conclude with my Company, to give another attempt to pass the Straits, as my best means to gain relief.
Satellite image of Magellan Straits
And three times I was in the South Seas but still by furious weather forced back again: yet notwithstanding all this my labour to perform the voyage to his profit, and to save my self (for I did adventure, and my good friends for my sake, 1100 pounds in the action) Mr. Cavendish was content to account me to be the Author of his overthrow, and to write with his dying hand that I ran from him, when that his own Ship was returned many months before me.
I am bold to make this Relation to your Lordship, only to satisfy your Honour of my conversation, for were I faulty of so foul a crime, I were worthy of ten thousand torments, in presuming to present this Treatise to your Honourable Lordship, and now refering my case to your Lordships consideration, I will again return to my purpose.
In those Northwest voyages, where navigation must be executed in most exquisite sort, in those attempts I was enforced to search all possible means required in sayling, by which occasion I have gathered together this brief Treatise, which with my self I do dedicate to your honourable protection, being desirous of it lay in my power to do far greater matters in your Lordships service, hoping of your honorable pardon, because it is only done to shew my dutiful affection, and not for any singularity that the work containeth, for I think there be many hundreds in England that can in a far greater measure and more excellent method express the noble art of Navigation,
And I am fully persuaded that our Country is not inferior to any for men of rare knowledge, singular explication, and exquisite execution of the Arts Mathematick, for what strangers may be compared with Mr. Thomas Digges Esquire, our Country man the great Master of Archmastry, and for Theorical Speculations and most cunning calculation Mr John Dee and Mr. Thomas Harriot are hardly to be matched:
 |
And for the mechanical practices drawn from the Arts of Mathematic, our Country doth yield men of principal excellency, as Mr Emery Molyneux for the exquisite making of Globes bodies, and Mr. Nicholas Hellya for the singularity of portracture, have the praise of Europe, Mr Mathew Baker for his skill and surpassing grounded knowledge for the building of Ships advantageable to all purposes, hath not in any Nation his equal. |
|
Right - Mathew Baker
at work
|
 |
And now that I may return to the Painful Seaman, it is not unknown unto all Nations of the Earth, that the English goeth before all others in the practices of Sayling, as appeareth by the excellent discovery of Sir Francis Drake in his passages through the Straits of Magilane, which being then so rashly known, he could not have passed, unless he had been a man of great practice and rare resolution: so much I may boldly say, because I have seen and tasted the frowsardness of the place, with the great unlikelihood of any passage to be that way.
I might here repeat the most valiant and excellent attempts of Sir Hugh Willoughbie, Sir John Hawkins, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, and your Lordships servant, Mr. George Raymond, with diverse others that have given most resolute attempts in the practices of Navigation, as well for the discovery as other execution, whereby good proof is made, that not only in the skill of Navigation, but also in the mechanical execution of the practices of sayling, we are not to be matched by any Nation of the earth.
And such Navigation is the mean whereby Countries are discovered and community drawn between Nation and Nation, the Word of God published to the blessed recovery of the foreign off coasts, from whence it hath pleased his divine Majesty as yet to detain the brightness of his glory: and that by Navigation Common weilles through mutual trade are not only sufficiently sustained, but mightily enriched; with how great esteem ought the painful Seaman to be embraced, by the whole hard adventures such excellent benefits are achieved, for by his exceeding great hazards the form of the earth, the quantities of Countries, the diversity of Nations, and the natures of Zones, Climates, Countries and people are apparently made known unto us Besides, the great benefits mutually interchanged between Nations, of such fruits, commodities, and artificial practices, where with God hath blessed each particular country, coast, and Nation, according to the nature and situation of the place.
For what hath made the Spaniard to be so great a Monarch, the commander of both Indies, to abound in wealth & all natures benefits but only the painful industry of his subjects in Navigation. Their former trade was only figs, oranges, and oyl, but now through Navigation is brought to be gold, silver, pearls, silks, and spice, by long and painful trade recovered. Which great benefits only by her Majesties loving clemency and merciful favour he doth possess: for if her Highnesse and her most honorable Lords would not regard the small distance between her Dominions and those famous rich Kingdoms, the easinesse of the passage being once discovered (the North west I mean) with the full sufficiency of her Highnesse subjects to effect the same, there could then be no doubt, but her stately seat of London should be the store house of Europe, and nurse to all Nations, in yielding all Indian commodities in a far better condition, as a more easie rate than now brought unto us exchanging commodities of our own store, with a plentiful return at the first hand, which now by many exchanges are brought to us.
Then should the Spaniards again return to his old trade, and our Sacred Sovereign be seated the Commander of the earth: which trade and most fortunate discovery, we above all nations ought most principally to regard, because of the singularity and invincible force of our Shipping, which is not only the commanding Fortresse of our Country, but also the dread of our Adversary, and the glory of our Nation: wherein we do in no sort flatter our selves, for it was made apparant to all Nations of the earth, by the late most famous conquest that her Majesty had against the huge supposed invincible Fleet of the Spaniard, being by her Navie under the command of your Lordship, who there in person and in place of her Majesty, to your eternal glorious fame did disgrace their glory and confound their force, and manifest their weakeness by their dastardly flight, through Gods providence and your Lordships stately resolution.
Then as this Navigation is a matter of so
great moment, I suppose that every man is bound in duty to give his best furtherance
thereunto: among whom as the most unmeet of all, yet wishing all good to the
painful traveler, I have published this short Treatise, naming it the Seamans
Secrets, because by certain questions demanded and answered, I have not omitted
any thing that appertaineth to the secret of Navigation, whereby if there
may grow any increase of knowledge or ease in practice, it is the thing which
I chiefly desire.
To manifest the necessary conclusions of Navigation in brief and short terms,
is my only intent, and therefore I omit to declare the causes of terms and
definition of artificial words, as matters superfluous to my purpose, neither
have I laid down the cunning conclusions apt for Scholars to practice upon
the shore, but only those things that are needfully required in a sufficient
Seaman: beseeching your honorable Lordship to pardon my boldnesse, and with
your favorable countenance to regard my dutiful affection, I must humbly commit
your good Lordship to the mercies of God, who long preserve your health, with
continual increase of honour.
From Samdrudge (Sandridge)
by Dartmouth
the 20, of August, 1594.
Your Lordships in all dutiful service to Command,
JOHN DAVIS.
