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 twenty eight of June wee gate beyonde the point that lay on the
west-side, where there was so great a number of birds that they flew
against our sailes, and we sailed 10 [40] miles south-ward, and after
that west, to shun the ice.
The twenty nine of June wee sayled south-east, and somewhat more
easterly, along by the land, till wee were vnder 76 degrees and 50
minutes, for wee were forced to put off from the land, because of the
ice.
The thirteeth of June we sayled south and somewhat east, and then we
tooke the height of the sun, and found that it was eleuated aboue the
horizon 38 degrees and 20 minutes, his declination was 23 degrees and
20 minutes, which being taken from the former height, it was found that
wee were vnder 75 degrees. [625]
The first of July wee saw the Beare-Island [626] againe, and then John
Cornelison and his officers came aboard of our ship, to speak with vs
about altering of our course; but wee being of a contrary opinion, it
was agreed that wee should follow on our course and hee his: which was,
that hee (according to his desire) should saile vnto 80 degrees againe;
for hee was of opinion that there hee should finde a passage through,
on the east-side of the land that lay vnder 80 degrees. [627] And vpon
that agreement wee left each other, they sayling north-ward, and wee
south-ward because of the ice, the winde being east south-east.
The second of July wee sailed east-ward, and were vnder 74 degrees,
hauing the wind north north-west, and then wee wound ouer another bough
[628] with an east north-east winde, and sayled north-ward. In the
euening, the sunne beeing about north-west and by north [9 P.M.], wee
wound about againe (because of the ice) with an east winde, and sailed
south south-east; and about east south-east sun [629] [¼ p. 7 A.M.] we
wound about againe (because of the ice), and the sunne being south
south-west [½ p. 12 P.M.] we wound about againe, and sailed north-east.
The third of July wee were vnder 74 degrees, hauing a south-east and by
east wind, and sailed north-east and by north: after that we wound
about againe with a south wind and sayled east south-east till the
sunne was north-west [¼ p. 8 P.M.], then the wind began to be somewhat
larger. [630]
The fourth of July wee sailed east and by north, and found no ice,
which wee wondered at, because wee sailed so high; [631] but when the
sunne was almost south, we were forced to winde about againe by reason
of the ice, and sailed westward with a north-wind; after that, the
sunne being north [11 P.M.], wee sailed east south-east with a
north-east wind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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