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 1 of Julie it was indifferent faire weather, with a west-north-west
wind; and in the morning, the sunne being east, there came a beare from
the driuing yce and swam over the water to the fast yce whereon we lay;
but when she heard vs she came no nearer, but ran away. And when the
sunne was south-east, the ice came so fast in towards vs, that all the
ice whereon we lay with our scutes and our goods brake and ran one
peece vpon another, whereby we were in no small feare, [1304] for at
that time most of our goods fell into the water. But we with great
diligence drew our scutes [1305] further vpon the ice towards the land,
where we thought to be better defended from the driuing of the ice, and
as we went to fetch our goods we fell into the greatest trouble that
euer we had before, for yt we endured so great danger in the sauing
thereof, that as we laid hold vpon one peece thereof the rest sunke
downe with the ice, and many times the ice brake vnder our owne feet;
whereby we were wholy discomforted and in a maner cleane out of all
hope, expecting no issue thereof, in such sort that our trouble at that
time surmounted all our former cares and impeachments. And when we
thought to draw vp our boates [1306] vpon the ice, the ice brake vnder
vs, and we were caried away with the scute and al [1307] by the driuing
ice; and when we thought to saue the goods the ice brake vnder our
feet, and with that the scute brak in many places, especially yt which
we had mended; [1308] as ye mast, ye mast planke, [1309] and almost all
the scute, [1310] wherein one of our men that was sick and a chest of
mony lay, which we with great danger of our liues got out from it; for
as we were doing it, the ice that was vnder our feet draue from vs and
slid vpon other ice, [1311] whereby we were in danger to burst both our
armes and our legs. At which time, thinking yt we had been cleane quit
of our scute, [1312] we beheld each other in pittiful maner, knowing
not what we should doe, our liues depending thereon; but God made so
good prouision for vs, yt ye peeces of ice draue from each other,
wherewith we ran in great haste vnto the scute [1313] and drew it to vs
again in such case as it was, and layd it vpon the fast ice by the
boate, [1314] where it was in more security, which put us unto an
exceeding and great and dangerous labor from the time that the sunne
was south-east vntill it was west south-west, and in al that time we
rested not, which made vs extreame weary and wholy out of comfort, for
that it troubled vs sore, and it was much more fearfull vnto vs then at
that time when William Barents dyed; for there we were almost drowned,
and that day we lost (which was sounke in the sea) two barrels of
bread, a chest wt linnen cloth, a driefat [1315] with the sailors
[best] clothes, our astron[omi]cale ring, a pack of scarlet cloth, a
runlet of oyle, and some cheeses, and a runlet of wine, which bongd
with the ice, [1316] so that there was not anything thereof saued.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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