North Pole

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

THE NORHTH-POLE: AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE COVNTRIES SITVATE ROUND ABOUT IT. (Book the North Pole) HAving made (courteous Reader) a Generall Description of the whole Globe, and the foure parts thereof methodically, and according to the order of nature; I purpose, in Imitation of Ptolomie the Prince of Cosmographers, to begin the Geographie of particular Countries from the Pole it selfe and the Countries lying round about it, that so descending from the higher to the lower parts, and proceeding from the left hand to the right hand, I may by degrees joyne the North with the South, and the West with the East, which I pray God may be profitable to the Common-wealth. The Pole is the extremitie, or end of the Axis, which is a Line drawne through the Center of the Globe, the Latines call it vertex. There are two Poles, the Northerne, and the Southerne. The Northerne is that which is alwaies beheld towards the North, and therefore also it is called the Northerne and h 1.1 Articke Pole. The Southerne, is that which appeareth to those onely which dwell toward the South, and therefore it is called the Meridionall, Southerne, and i 1.2 Antarticke Pole. And thus much in this place shall suffice concerning the Poles. I come to the Countries situate round about the Articke Pole: which are Groenlandia or Greeneland, Frizlandia, or Freesland, Nova Zembla with some others, of which wee will entreat briefely as farre as they are knowne. k 1.3 Groenlandia, or Greeneland is so called from the greennesse thereof, & is an Island for the most part yet unknown, it is situate betweene the Northerne Circle & the Pole, the farthest paralels therof towards the South are the Degrees of 65, and towards the North the Degrees of 78. In this Island, if wee beleeve Nicolas Zenetus (who in the yeare 1480. endured much hard weather in the bordering Sea) there is continuall winter for nine Moneths, all which time it doth never raine there, neither doth the snow, which falleth at the beginning thereof, melt untill the end, yet is not this harmefull to the grasse, for here is a great increase both of grasse and fodder. Therefore here is great store of milke-beasts in regard of the great plentie thereof, so that they make store of Butter and Cheese, which they sell to those they traffique withall. There are onely two inhabited places knowne unto us in Groenland, Alba and the Monasterie of Saint Thomas, of which wee will speake by and by. The Slow Sea, which is also called the frozen Icie Sea, doth touch upon Greeneland. There is in Greeneland a Monasterie of the Preaching Order: and not farre from it a fire-vomiting Mountaine like Aetna, at the foot whereof there is a fountaine of running waters, by whose great heat they do not onely make hot all the roomes of the Monasterie like a hothouse, but also they bake their bread and dresse their meat, without the helpe of fire. The whole fabricke of the Monasterie doth consist of brittle sandie stones, which the Mountaine doth cast forth in the midst of the flames. This fountaine doth warme the neighbour gardens so that they continually flourish with divers kindes of flowers and herbes. And the Sea neare unto it, by the vertue of these waters, is never frozen, but lyes continually open both for the fish and the use of man: which makes so great a concurse of fish to resort hither from colder places, that not onely these Monkes,* 1.4 but also the Inhabitants round about do live plentifully. Frislandia or Freezland was an Island altogether unknowne to the Auncients: being greater than n 1.5 Ireland. The Climate is very intemperate. The Inhabitants have no fruits, but live for the most part upon fish. The chiefe Towne thereof hath the same name with the Island, and it belongeth to the King of p 1.6Norway. The Inhabitants for the most part live by fishing. For in the Haven thereof so great a plentie of all kind of fish is taken that many ships are loaded with them, and so carried to the Islands lying neare it, as Zieglerus writeth. The same man writeth that the Sea next to the Island on the West being full of rockes and sands, is called the Icarean Sea, and the Island in it is called by the Inhabitants Icaria.* 1.7 This Island in our time beginneth to be known again, & that by the Discoverie of the English. Nova Zembla is an Island situated under the 76 Degree. Here the aire is very sharpe, and the cold most vehement and intolerable. It is a wild, woodie, and rugged Country, where neither leaves nor grasse grow, nor any living creatures, but those which live by flesh as Foxes, and Beares, whereof there is great store not onely in this Island, but in most of the Northerne Countries. There are Sea-monsters here whose bodies does exceede the bignesse of an Oxe, and are commonly called Walruschen: they are headed like a Lyon, their skin hairy, they having foure feete, and two teeth sticking forth of the upper part of their mouth beeing smooth, hard, and white, and are worth as much as Elephants teeth. The Bayes here are called Weggates Bay, Forbishers Bay, and Davises Bay; Weigates Bay is streitched out towards the East even to the place called Crucis Angulus, toward the Aerctapelietes to the place called Dissidit Angulus, a a little enclining to the East. On the Southerne side of the Continent of Weggats Bay, William Barendson found some wild men called Samiutae. The shape of their cloathes which they use, is like that which our Painters do bestow on woodmen, or Satyres, but yet they are not wild men, but endued with a good understanding. They are cloathed frō head to foot with the skins of beasts called Rangiferi: for the most part are of q 1.8 low stature, broad faced, small eyed, short and splay-footed, and very nimble both to runne and leape. They have coaches unto which they put one or two of these Rangiferi, which will draw it with one or two men in it with more speede then any of our Horses can do. Forbishers Bay was so called from Martine Forbisher an English man, who in the yeare 1577. seeking a passage to Cathaia by the North, arrived at this Bay, in which hee found both Islands and many men, concerning which wee will adde some things. The men thereof being strangers to all civilitie, do eate and feed upon the raw flesh of beasts and fishes. They are cloathed with the skins of wild beasts taken in hunting, and they eate raw hearbes like beasts. Their Tents are covered with Whales skinnes; the cold being continually very sharpe in these parts. They use Dogges which are like unto our Wolves, and having yoked them together, they do make them draw things over the ice. Their weapons are Bowes and Arrowes, and slings. There is no wood there, but much Deere. The men do not plough the ground, as beeing content with that it bringeth forth of its own accord: they live by hunting: their drinke is the warme blood of wild beasts, or else ice water: there are no Rivers nor Springs, because the violence of the cold doth so shut up the Earth, that springs of water cannot breake forth. The men are very laborious, strong, hunters, and cunning fowlers: they use a certaine kinde of boate made of leather, wherein one man can but sit, who maketh use but of one Oare, his right hand holding his bow wherewith hee shoots at the birds. The like hath beene seene in England. Davises Bay also was so called from Iohn Davis an Englishman, who in the yeare 1585. and the two following yeares did search along the Coasts of America, or rather the Southerne Coasts of Greenland from the 53. Degree to the 75. to finde out a passage that way unto China. Concerning the foure Euripideas in the table those things which you see are taken out of the Register booke of Iames Cnoxen Buscoducensis, who doth report that a certaine English Minorite Frier of Oxford, being a Mathematician, did describe the Countries lying neare unto the Pole, and measured them with his Astrolabe in this following shape, as Mercator hath gathered them out of Iames Cnoxeus Booke. Hee saith that these foure Seas are carried with such violence to the Innermost Gulfe, that ships being once entred can never be driven backe againe with any winde, and that there is never so great a winde, as that it can drive about a wind-mill. But these things are as true as Lucians fables, seeing they who have viewed these places in which those seas are said to be, do finde no such Euripi, or swift flowing Seas at all, namely the Hollanders who have discovered the Sea even to the 81. Degree of Latitude. But concerning the habitation of the Northerne people, let us heare Iulius Scaliger in his 37. Exercitation, where he thus speaking concerning a voiage from the Northerne Sea towards China. There are (saith hee) divers arguments brought by divers men on both sides, and it is diversly judged of, whether it be possible to saile by that Sea. But these are ours. They would have us to saile from the mouth of the River Duvina, all along that Countrie which encompasses all Scythia even to the East corner: in which winding course wee are to change the Northerne wind for the Westerne. But those which speake thus, it is certaine they do not know the nature of this Sea, nor of the Windes and Coast: For the West and East windes are so rare in this Sea that they are almost scarce knowne. But so many North windes are there here that it seemes Nature hath committed the government of these parts unto them alone. There are many foards blinde and muddle. In winter, which continueth ten moneths, the superficies or upper part of the Sea, is as hard as any pavement. In Summer there are continuall mists, which in the afternoone as fast as one is expelled another rises. Besides, the Ice is very dangerous, the great pieces whereof floting up and downe, are like moving Islands running one amongst another. It is certaine that by the late Navigations of the Hollanders in the yeare 1594. and in the two following yeares, it was hoped, that wee might saile out of the Northerne Sea to the Eastern parts of the World. But very difficultly, in regard of the Ice, and long winter nights. William Barentson did denie that it was possible to saile by the Bay of Nassovia to China, not onely for the Ice, but also because hee found by divers observations, that it was not a Sea but a Bay, and especially because hee found there was no Tide nor Ebbe: and yet hee was in great hope that a way might be found out by the most Northerne part of Nova Zembla. But seeing there are every day new voyages made to discover the passage that way to China, experience will teach them at last whether it can be done or not. It is manifest that our ships have sailed even to the 81. Degree of Northerne Latitude, and yet found the Sea open: but yet afterward at the 76. Degree they have beene hindred with great pieces of ice, and the night comming on, so that they could proceed no further. The Sunne left them the 4. of November in the yeare 1596, and was seene again the 24. of Ianuary in the following yeare, all which time these valiant Argonantes, for so I may call them, hid themselves in a little shed which they built up in Nova Zembla, untill the 14. of Iune. For though the voyage of the r 1.9 Argonantes is made so famous by posteritie, yet if it be compared with this it will seeme but a toy; for who hath beene, for the space of 13. Moneths separated from the societie of men, before the Hollanders, who wanting all necessaries, and enduring extremitie of cold, did even under the 76. Degree of Latitude, build themselves houses to receive them, and defend them from the violence of the weather, in which they lay buried and covered over with deepe snow almost ten whole moneths? I conceale that which they suffered in returning, being compell'd to leave their ships and betake themselves to their boate. I omit to speake of the cruell, fierce, and great Beares, and Sea-Monsters, with which they oftentimes were enforced to fight. All which troubles, labours, and difficulties they most valiantly by the protection and favour of the Divine power did overcome.

1685. Geographia universalis: the present state of the whole world by Pierre Duval.

THese Parts have been call'd by the name of Artick, because they are near the Artick Pole: they are called Northern, because of the North, in which they are scituated; * Boreales, from a Greek Word which signifies the North-Wind: they consist of Islands and Peninsula's, where there are Bears, Foxes, and Rain-Deer, in abundance, the Inhabitants living commonly on Hunting or Fishing.

The Seas of these Regions make a part of the the great Ocean, which is here known under the name of Northern and Frozen.

The Ice there lasts a long time, because to these Parts the Sun during several Months discovers not himself, and when he appears, he doth not heat or thaw it.

The Bays and Streights of Hudson, Davis, and Forbisher, are in the Inferiour Hemisphere;

that of Weygats, otherwise of Nassaw, in the Superiour Hemisphere, on the North of our Continent: Cabot, Willoughby, Forbisher, Davis, Hudson, and other English men, have sought a Passage to the East-Indies through the three former Streights; Barenson, Heemskirk, and other Hollanders, have done the same, thro' that of Weygats; but all to no purpose, by reason of the Ice, which is almost continually there, and stops Ships in their Navigation; and this it is, that has hindred 'em from going beyond the 80. Degree of North Latitude.

Three Courses have been commonly steer'd in these Northern Seas, to Archangelo into Moscovy, for Furs; to Spigelberg, and Greenland, for Whales; and into Norway, for Herrings and Timber.

The Artick Lands are Estotiland, Greenland, Island, Spigelberg, Nova Zembla, to which may be added, the Land of Jesso, tho' it be in the Northern temperate Zone.

Estotiland is towards the North of the great Continent of America.

Greenland is of a vast extent to the North of Estotiland. Christian the Fourth, King of Denmark, call'd it His Philosophers Stone, because the Ships he sent thither could hardly find it out. His Successours keep a Governour there, at Bearford. The Greenlanders Cloaths are made of the Skins of Wild Beasts, and their Wastcoats of Birds Skins, garnish'd with their Feathers: the Flour of the Bread they eat, is made of Fishes Bones: they drink Sea Water, without receiving any inconvenience by so doing.