The following enumeration of works on navigation previous to and during the Elizabethan age is intended, first, to show the position taken by the Seaman's Secrets of Davis, and, in the second place, to furnish a key to the history of the progress of nautical science. England, when her sons first began to undertake voyages of discovery, was obliged to look to other more advanced countries for the needful knowledge. The first works enumerated in this list are little more than paraphrases of Ptolemy. Muller (or Regiomontanus) began to take independent observations, and soon the Spaniards and Portuguese produced works for the use of mariners. The English were at first dependent on translations of Spanish books, but discoveries and improvements in the art of navigation followed rapidly on the first voyages of discovery, and all through the reign of Elizabeth books with new inventions or improved methods continued to supply an ever-increasing demand. When a good work on navigation was published, edition followed edition in rapid succession. The List is an attempt to enumerate the principal Spanish and other foreign publications, and all the English works on the art of navigation belonging to the age of Elizabeth.

The arrangement of the list is chronological as regards authors, but all editions are enumerated together. At the end there is an alphabetical list of authors for more ready reference.

If you were at Acheane and would saile for Priaman which is a Town upon ye west Sid of Sumatra, and hath in Latitude no degres fifty minutes South and Longitude from ye Cape of Good Hope seventy sevon degrees fourty minutes East, ye veryation foure degrees forty minutes from North to West, ye surest way is this.—To ye Eastward of Priaman, there are Ilands in ye South Latitude of one degre and thirty minutes which are called ye Ilands of Nimcam; your course is to goe with these Ilands and come not betweue ye maine, but keepe ye Sea, till you see those Ilands: keepe in one degree twenty minutes of South latitude, and you shall shurly fall with ye north end of ye Biggest. Now this great Hand being ye biggest of ye two, is twenty leagues long very neere, and there are many little Ilands neere it, and when you are with this Iland goe up by it; for its ye bolder of the two, but have your lead going now and then to prevent danger, yet I have found ye least to bee ten fathoms watt'r: when you are shutt within these Ilands your course is East and by North eighteen leagues, but sayle not by Night, but hull reather, and saile by day.

Good M. Sanderson, with Gods great mercy I have made my safe returne in health, with all my companie, and have sailed threescore leagues further then my determination at my departure. I have bene in 73 degrees, finding the Sea all open, and forty leagues betweene land and land.

The passage is most probable, the execution easie, as at my comming you shall fully know.

Yesterday, the 15 of September, I landed all wearie, therefore I pray you pardon my shortnesse.

Sandridge, this 16 of September, anno 1587.

The seventh day of May 1586, we departed out of Dartmouth haven, foure sailes, to wit, the Mermaid, the Sunshine, the Mooneshine, and the Northstarre. In the Sunshine were sixteene men, whose names were these: Kichard Pope, maister; Marke Carter, maisters mate; Henry Morgan, purser; George Draward, John Mandie, Hugh Broken, Philip Jane, Hugh Hempson, Richard Borden, John Filpe, Andrew Madocke, William Wolcome, Robert Wagge (carpenter), John Bruskome, William Ashe, Simon Ellis.

Our course was West northwest, the seventh and eight dayes: and the ninth day in the morning we were on head of the Tarrose of Syllie. Thus coasting along the South part of Ireland the 11 day, we were on head of the Dorses : and our course was South southwest untill six of the clocke the 12 day. The 13 day our course was Northwest. We remained in the company of the Mermaid and the Moonesliine, untill we came to the latitude of 60 degrees: and there it seemed best to our Generall, M. Davis, to divide his fleet, himselfe sailing to the Northwest and to direct the Sunshine, wherein I was, and the pinnesse called the Northstar, to seeke a passage Northward betweene Groenland and Island, to the latitude of 80 degrees, if land did not let us.

The right honorable the Erle of Cumberland having at his owne charges prepared his small Fleet of foure Sailes onely, viz.: The Victorie, one of the Queenes ships royall; the Meg and Margaret, small ships (one of which also he was forced soone after to send home againe, finding her not able to endure the Sea), and a small Caravell, and having assembled together about 400 men (or fewer), of gentlemen, souldiers, and saylers, embarked himself and them, and set saile from the Sound of Plimmouth in Devonshire, the 18 day of June, 1589, being accompanied with these captaines and gentlemen which hereafter folow.

Captaine Christopher Lister, a man of great resolution; captaine Edward Carelesse, aliâs Wright, who, in sir Francis Drakes West Indian voyage to S. Domingo and Carthagena, was captaine of the Hope. Captaine Boswell, M. Mervin, M. Henry Long, M. Partridge, M. Norton, M. William Mounson, captaine of the Meg, and his vice-admirall, now sir William Mounson, M. Pigeon, captaine of the Caravell.

About 3 dayes after our departure from Plimmouth we met with 3 French ships, whereof one was of Newhaven, another of S. Malos, and so finding them to be Leaguers and lawful Prises, we tooke them and sent two of them for England with all their loding, which was fish for the most part from New-found-land, saving that there was part thereof distributed amongst our small Fleet, as we could find stowage for the same: and in the third, all their men were sent home into France.

Right Honourable and my especial good Lord, as by the instinct of nature all men are desirous of understanding, so it is likewise ingraffed by the same benefite of nature, in the hearts of true nobilitie, not only- to excell the vulgare sort, but also to cherish, support, and countenance all such as shall in due course prosecute their vocation: and as such practises either speculative or mechanicall shall receive fauourable place in the honourable opinion of nobilitie, by so much the more shall the practiser bee esteemed: which is the cause that at this time imboldeneth me to present vnto your most honourable fauour this small treatise of Navigation, being a breefe collection of such practises as in my seuerall voyages I have from experience collected. Among which in three seuerall attempts for the discouerie of the Northwest passage, thereby to finde a short and Nauigable course vnto the rich and famous Countries of Cathayo, China, Pegu, the Isles of Molucan and Phillipina, that thereby to the great and inestimable benefite of our country, there might be a rich and plentifull trade procured betweene vs and the sayd nations in short time to be performed, and with great saftie in regarde of the course : which action and discouery (by meanes of that honourable Counseller Sir Fraunces Walsingham Knight, principall Secretary to her Maiestie) was with good resolution accepted by the Merchants of London, but in the decay of his honourable life, the attempt was likewise quaild: but howsoeuer mens mindes alter, yet vndoubtedly, there is a passage nauigable, and easie to be performed by that course (whensoeuer it shall please God to reueale the same) by inuincible reasons, and sufficient experience to be proued […]

The 19 of this present moneth, about midnight, we weighed our ankers, set saile, and departed from Dartmouth with two barkes and a Clincher, the one named the Elizabeth of Dartmouth, the other the Sunneshine of London, and the Clincher, called the Ellin of London : thus, in Gods name, we set forwards with the wind at Northeast, a good fresh gale. About 3 howers after our departure, the night being somewhat thicke with darknesse, we had lost the pinnace, the captaine imagining that the men had runne away with her, willed the master of the Sunneshine to stand to Seawards, and see if we could descrie them, we bearing in with the shore for Plimmouth. At length we descried her, bare with her, and demanded what the cause was : They answered, that the tiller of their helme was burst. So, shaping our course West southwest, we went forward, hoping that a hard beginning would make a good ending, yet some of us were doubtfull of it, falling in reckoning that she was a Clincher; neverthelesse, we put our trust in God.

The 21 we met with the Red Lion of London, which came from the coast of Spaine, which was afraid that we had bene men of warre, but we hailed them, and after a little conference we desired the master to carie our letters for London, directed to my unckle Sanderson, who promised us safe deliverie.