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 16 of June we set saile againe, and got to the Island[s] of Orange
[1199] with a south wind, which is 8 [32] miles distant from the Point
of Desire; there we went one land with two small barrels and a kettle,
to melt snow and to put ye water into ye barrels, as also to seeke for
birds and egges to make meate for our sicke men; and being there we
made fire with such wood as wee found there, and melted the snowe, but
found no birds; but three of our men went ouer the ice to the other
island, and got three birds, and as we came backe againe, our maister
(which was one of the three) fell into the ice, where he was in great
danger of his life, for in that place there ran a great streame; [1200]
but by Gods helpe he got out againe and came to vs, and there dryed
himselfe by the fire that we had made, at which fire we drest the
birds, and carried them to the scute to our sicke men, and filled our
two runlets with water that held about eight gallons [1201] a peece;
which done, we put to the sea againe with a south-east wind and drowsie
miseling weather, [1202] whereby we were al dankish [1203] and wet, for
we had no shelter in our open scutes, and sailed west and west and by
south to [opposite] the Ice Point. [1204] And being there, both our
scutes lying hard by each other, the maister [1205] called to William
Barents to know how he did, and William Barents made answeare and said,
Well, God be thanked, and I hope before we get to Warehouse to be able
to goe. [1206] Then he spake to me and said, Gerrit, are we about the
Ice Point? If we be, then I pray you lift me vp, for I must veiw it
once againe; [1207] at which time we had sailed from the Island[s] of
Orange to the Ice Points about fiue [20] miles; and then the wind was
[1208] westerly, and we made our scuts fast to a great peece of ice
[1209] and there eate somewhat; but the weather was still fouler and
fouler, so that we were once againe inclosed with ice and forced to
stay there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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