The Three Voyages of William Barents to the Arctic Regions (1594, 1595, and 1596)Veer, Gerrit de
History
The Three Voyages of William Barents to the Arctic Regions (1594, 1595, and 1596)
Veer, Gerrit de
Barentsz, Willem, approximately 1550-1597; Northeast Passage
When wee put out our focke-sayle, [501] the sunne was east and by south
[½ p. 5 A.M.]; and then we sayled to the Crosse-poynt, and there wee
cast anckor to stay for the vize-admirals pinnace; which with much
labour and paines in time got out of the ice, by often casting out of
their anckor, [502] and in the euening shee got to vs. In the morning,
about 2 houres before sunne rising, we set sayle, and by sunne rising
we got within a mile [4 miles] east-ward of the Twist-poynt, [503] and
sayled north-ward 6 miles, till the sunne was south [¾ p. 10 A.M.].
Then wee were forced to wind about, because of the great quantitie of
ice, and the mist that then fell; at which time the winde blew so
vncertaine that we could hold no course, but were forced continually to
winde and turne about, [504] by reason of the ice and the
vnconstantnesse of the wind, together with the mist, so that our course
was vncertaine, and we supposed that we had sailed south-ward vp
towardes the Samuters countrey, and then held our course south-west,
till the watchers [505] were north-west from vs; then we came to the
point of the States Island, [506] lying east-ward about a musket shot
from the land, having 13 fadome deepe.
The 4 of September, we hoysed anchor because of the ice, and sailed
betwene the firme land and the States Island, where wee lay close by
the States Island at 4 and 5 fadome deepe, and made our shippe fast
with a cable cast on the shoare; and there we were safe from the course
of the ice, [507] and diuers time went on land to get [508] hares,
whereof there were many in that island.
The 6 of September, some of our men went on shore vpon the firme land
to seeke for stones, which are a kinde of diamont, [509] whereof there
are many also in the States Island: and while they were seeking ye
stones, 2 of our mē lying together in one place, a great leane white
beare came sodainly stealing out, and caught one of them fast by the
necke, who not knowing what it was that tooke him by the necke, cried
out and said, Who is that that pulles me so by the necke? Wherewith the
other, that lay not farre from him, [510] lifted vp his head to see who
it was, and perceiuing it to be a monsterous beare, cryed and sayd, Oh
mate, it is a beare! and therewith presently rose vp and ran away.
The beare at the first faling vpon the man, bit his head in sunder,
[511] and suckt out his blood, wherewith the rest of the men that were
on land, being about 20 in number, ran presently thither, either to
saue the man, or else to driue the beare from the dead body; and hauing
charged their peeces and bent their pikes, [512] set vpon her, that
still was deuouring the man, but perceiuing them to come towards her,
fiercely and cruelly ran at them, and gat another of them out from the
companie, which she tare in peeces, wherewith all the rest ran away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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