When the summer came and open water appeared it was found that the ship was too much damaged by the ice to be seaworthy, so it was resolved to retreat in the boat and the _schuit_[39]. Barentsz wrote a paper giving an account of their proceedings, which was placed in the chimney. They then dragged down the remaining provisions and merchants’ goods to the boats, and loaded them. Willem Barentsz, who was unable to walk, was brought down to the boats on a sledge. Claas Adrianszoon was conveyed in the same manner; and the forlorn people divided themselves between the two boats, each of which took one of the sick men. They all signed a letter stating their reason for abandoning the ship, except four who either could not write or were too ill to sign. “So committing themselves to the will and mercy of God, with a west-north-west wind, and on indifferent open water, they set sail and put to sea,” on the 13th of June, 1597. They reached the Orange Islands, and landed at Point Desire to melt snow and fill their beakers, and to get birds’ eggs for the sick. Here Captain Heemskerk fell into the water and nearly lost his life; but he was rescued, and dried his clothes at the fire of driftwood they had made to melt the snow. From the Orange Islands they sailed about 20 miles to Ice Point. The boats being close together the captain hailed Willem Barentsz to know how he did. Barentsz replied “I am well, mate, and I hope to be able to run before we come to Wardhaus.” Gerrit de Veer, the mate, was in the same boat with Barentsz. “Gerrit,” he said, “if we are near the Ice Point [the northernmost point of Novaya Zemlya] just lift me up again. I must see that point once more.” On the 17th June the boats were beset by the ice, “it came so fast upon us that it made our hair stand upright on our heads, it was so fearful to behold.” The boats were hauled up on the ice and repaired. The two sick men were laid on the floe. Barentsz seemed better, and had some discussion with Gerrit de Veer about the chart. Then he said “Gerrit, give me to drink.” He had no sooner swallowed the water than he was taken with a sudden spasm and died. Claas Adrianszoon died soon afterwards. On the 22nd they got the boats into open water and again made sail. With much labour, and frequent difficulties with the ice, the two boats made their way southwards along the coast of Novaya Zemlya until, on the 28th July, they fell in with two Russian _lodias_. By this time they were all suffering, more or less, from scurvy. The Russians sailed away towards Waigatz Island. The Dutchmen though very sick, and scarcely able to pull their oars, also managed to reach the island where, to their great joy, they found plenty of scurvy grass, which cured them. They had heard of its healing virtues in Holland, and they now ate the leaves in handfuls. [Illustration: Part of Hondius’s Map of 1611, showing Barentsz’s Discoveries.]