the sea. Wherefore vsing alwayes the counsaile and seruice of M. Antonio, hee sent hym with some small barkes to the Westwardes, for that towardes those partes some of his fishermen had discouered certaine Ilandes verye rich and populous, whiche discouerie, M. Antonio in a letter to his brother M. Carlo,recounteth from point to point in this manner, sauing that wee haue chaunged some olde woordes, leauing the matter entire as it was
Sixe and twentie yeeres agoe3 letter beginneth from the second brother M. Antonio out of Frislande, to his other brother in Venice named Master Carlo. there departed foure Fisher boates, the whiche a mightie tempest arising, were tossed for the space of manye dayes verye desperately vpon the Sea, when at length the tempeste ceassyng and the weather waxing fayre they discouered an Ilande calledEstotiland. Estotilande, lying to the Westwardes aboue 1000. Miles from Frislande, vpon the whiche one of the boates was caste awaye, and sixe men that were in it were taken of the inhabitauntes6. Fisher men taken. and brought vnto a verye fayre and populous Citie, where the kyng of the place sent for manye interpreters, but there was none coulde bee founde that vnderstoode the language of the fishermen, excepte one that spake Latin,Fishermen of Frislande spake latin. who was also cast by chaunce vpon the same Ilande, who in the behalfe of the kyng asked them what Countreymen they were, and so vnderstanding theyr case, rehearsed it vnto the King, who willed that they shoulde tarrie in the Countrey, wherefore they obeyinge his commaundement for that they coulde not otherwise doe, dwelte fiue yeeresSixe were 5. yeeres in Estotilande. in the Ilande, and learned the language, and one of them was in diuers partes of the Ilande, and reporteth that it is a verye riche Countrey, abounding with all the commodities of the worlde,One of the fishers of Frisland reporteth of Estotilande. Estotilande rich: abounding with al the commoditie of the worlde. and that it is little lesse than Islande, but farre more fruitefull, hauing in the middle thereof a verye hyghe mountayne, from the whiche there riseth foure Riuers, that passe throughe the whole Countrey.
The inhabitantes are very wittie people, and haue all the artes and faculties as wee haue: and it is credible, that in time past they haue had trafficke with our men, for hesaide
