The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation, vol. 12 | Page 3

of one Francis Gualle a Spaniard made
from Acapulco an hauen on the South sea on the coast of New Spaine,
first to the Philippinas, and then to the citie of Macao in China, and
homeward from Macao by the yles of Iapan, and thence to the back of

the West Indies in the Northerly latitude of 37. degrees 1/2. In which
course betweene the said ylands and the maine he found a wide and
spacious open Ocean of 900. leagues broad, which a little more to the
Northward hath bene set out as a Streight, and called in most mappes
The Streight of Anian. In which relation to the viceroy hee constantly
affirmeth three seuerall times, that there is a passage that way vnto the
North parts of Asia. Moreouer, because I perceiue by a letter directed
by her Maiestie to the Emperour of China (and sent in the last Fleet
intended for those parts by The South Sea vnder the charge of
Beniamin Wood, chiefly set out at the charges of sir Robert Duddeley,
a gentleman of excellent parts) that she vseth her princely mediation for
obtaining of freedome of traffique for her marchants in his dominions,
for the better instruction of our people in the state of those countries, I
haue brought to light certaine new aduertisements of the late alteration
of the mightie monarchie of the confronting yle of Iapan, and of the
new conquest of the kingdome of Coray, not long since tributarie to the
king of China, by Quabacondono the monarch of all the yles and
princedomes of Iapan; as also of the Tartars called Iezi, adioyning on
the East and Northeast parts of Coray, where I thinke the best vtterance
of our natural and chiefe commoditie of cloth is like to be, if it please
God hereafter to reueile vnto vs the passage thither by the Northwest.
The most exact and true information of the North parts of China I finde
in a history of Tamerlan, which I haue in French, set out within these
sixe yeeres by the abbat of Mortimer, dedicated to the French king that
now reigneth, who confesseth that it was long since written in the
Arabian tongue by one Alhacen a wise and valiant Captaine, employed
by the said mighty prince in all his conquests of the foresaid kingdome.
Which history I would not haue failed to haue translated into English, if
I had not found it learnedly done vnto my hand.
And for an appendix vnto the ende of my worke, I haue thought it not
impertinent, to exhibite to the graue and discreet iudgements of those
which haue the chiefe places in the Admiraltie and marine causes of
England, Certaine briefe extracts of the orders of the Contractation
house of Siuil in Spaine, touching their gouernment in sea-matters:
together with The streight and seuere examination of Pilots and Masters
before they be admitted to take charge of ships, aswell by the Pilot
mayor, and brotherhood of ancient Masters, as by the Kings reader of

The lecture of the art of Nauigation, with the time that they be enioyned
to bee his auditors, and some part of the questions that they are to
answere vnto. Which if they finde good and beneficial for our seamen,
I hope they wil gladly imbrace and imitate, or finding out some fitter
course of their owne, will seeke to bring such as are of that calling vnto
better gouernment and more perfection in that most laudable and
needfull vocation. To leaue this point, I was once minded to haue added
to the end of these my labours a short treatise, which I haue lying by
me in writing, touching The curing of hot diseases incident to traueilers
in long and Southerne voyages, which treatise was written in English,
no doubt of a very honest mind, by one M. George Wateson, and
dedicated vnto her sacred Maiestie. But being carefull to do nothing
herein rashly, I shewed it to my worshipfull friend M. doctour Gilbert,
a gentleman no lesse excellent in the chiefest secrets of the
Mathematicks (as that rare iewel lately set foorth by him in Latine
doeth euidently declare) then in his owne profession of physicke: who
assured me, after hee had perused the said treatise, that it was very
defectiue and vnperfect, and that if hee might haue leasure, which that
argument would require, he would either write something thereof more
aduisedly himselfe, or would conferre with the whole Colledge of the
Physicions, and set downe some order by common consent for the
preseruation of her Maiesties subjects. Now as the foresaid treatise
touched the cure of diseases growing in hot regions, so being requested
thereunto by some in authoritie they may adde their iudgments for the
cure of diseases incident