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
The 23 of June we hoysted anchor againe, and sayled north-west-ward
into the sea, but could get no further by reason of the ice; and so wee
came to the same place againe where wee had laine, and cast anchor at
18 fadome: and at euening [618] being at anchor, the sunne being
north-east and somewhat more east-warde, wee tooke the height thereof,
and found it to be eleuated above the horizon 13 degrees and 10
minutes, his declination being 23 degrees and 28 minutes; which
substracted from the height aforesaid, [619] resteth 10 degrees and 18
minutes, which being substracted from 90 degrees, then the height of
the Pole, there was 79 degrees and 42 minutes.
After that, we hoysted anchor againe, and sayled along by the west side
of the land, [620] and then our men went on land, to see how much the
needle of the compasse varyed. Mean time, there came a greate white
beare swimming towardes the shippe, and would haue climbed up into it
if we had not made a noyse, and with that we shot at her with a peece,
but she left the shippe and swam to the land, where our men were: which
wee perceiuing, sayled with our shippe towardes the land, and gaue a
great shoute; wherewith our men thought that wee had fallen on a rocke
with our shippe, which made them much abashed; and therewith the beare
also being afraide, swam off againe from the land and left our men,
which made vs gladde: for our men had no weapons about them.
Touching the varying of the compasse, for the which cause our men went
on land to try the certaintie thereof, it was found to differ 16
degrees.
The 24 of June we had a south-west winde, and could not get aboue the
island, [621] and therefore wee sayled backe againe, and found a hauen
that lay foure [16] miles from the other hauen, on the west side of the
great hauen, and there cast anchor at twelue fadome deepe. There wee
rowed a great way in, and went on land; and there wee founde two
sea-horses teeth that waighed sixe pound: wee also found many small
teeth, and so rowed on board againe.
The 25 of June we hoysted anchor againe, and sayled along by the land,
and went south and south south-west, with a north north-east winde,
vnder 79 degrees. There we found a great creeke or riuer, [622]
whereinto we sailed ten [40] miles at the least, holding our course
south-ward; but we perceiued that there wee could not get through:
there wee cast out our leade, and for the most part found ten fadome
deepe, but wee were constrained to lauere [623] out againe, for the
winde was northerly, and almost full north; [624] and wee perceaued
that it reached to the firm land, which we supposed to be low-land, for
that wee could not see it any thing farre, and therefore wee sailed so
neere vnto it till that wee might see it, and then we were forced to
lauere [back], and vpon the 27 of June we got out againe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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