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 18 of July, about the east sunne, three of our men went vp vpon the
highest part of the land, to see if there was any open water in the
sea; at which time they saw much open water, but it was so farre from
the land that they were almost out of comfort, because it lay so farre
from the land and the fast ice; being of opinion that we should not be
able to drawe the scutes and the goods so farre thither, because our
strengthes stil began to decrease, [1354] and the sore labour and paine
that we were forced to indure more and more increased. And comming to
our scutes, they brought vs that newes; but we, being compelled
thereunto by necessity, abandoned all wearines and faint heartednes,
and determined with our selues to bring the boates and the goods to the
water side, and to row vnto that ice where we must passe ouer to get to
the open water. And when we got to it, we vnladed our scutes, and drewe
them first [the one and then the other] ouer the ice to the open water,
and after that the goods, it being at the least 1000 paces; which was
so sore a labour for vs, that as we were in hand therewith we were in a
manner ready to leaue off in the middle thereof, and feared that wee
should not goe through withall; but for that we had gone through so
many dangers, we hoped yt we should not be faint therin, wishing yt it
might be ye last trouble yt we should as then indure, and so wt great
difficulty got into the open water about the south-west sunne. Then we
set saile till the sunne was west and by south, and presently fell
amongst the ice againe, where we were forced to drawe vp the scutes
againe vpon the ice; and being vpon it, we could see the Crosse Island,
which we gest to be about a mile [4 miles] from vs, the wind then being
east and east north-east.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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