The Three Voyages of William Barents to the Arctic Regions (1594, 1595, and 1596) — John Shaqi
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
In vain he attempted to make more easting. About thirty miles distance
from the land his yacht was always stopped by impenetrable ice. This
forced him to go south in the land-water, and on the 13th he arrived at
Waygatz Island. In order to cross over to the Yalmal Peninsula, he had
to push his way through very heavy ice; and while coasting north, along
the low Siberian coast, a heavy pack was always in sight on his
portbeam. On August 18th, very thick weather obliged him to drop his
anchor. It blew a gale from the north-west, which, bringing the pack
down on the land, threatened to force the yacht ashore. The position
was very dangerous indeed, and steam was ordered to be kept up ready at
a moment’s notice.
Not long after, a very large floe, some 1,000 yards in circumference,
drifted down on the little ship, and the pressure was such that the
cable with fifty fathoms parted. In a few minutes, the yacht drew only
eight feet of water under her keel. Mr. Gardiner, however, not only
succeeded in saving his ship, but next day got his lost anchor again;
on which he boldly pushed further north. Three days afterwards, in 67
deg. 10 min. east longitude and 72 deg. 20 min. north latitude, he
experienced very bad weather. A strong north-east gale, it being very
thick, brought so much ice down that the ship could not hold her
ground. This weather continuing, and it being rather late in the
season, orders were given to return.
Passing Pet Straits on the 23rd, the yacht was back in Hammerfest on
the 28th of August, after a most successful and interesting cruise, the
history of which adds another bright page to the glorious annals of
English enterprise.
The collection of the Barendsz relics, which were brought over to
England, consisted of more than a hundred different objects. Remains of
carpenters’ tools, broken parts of old weapons, and sailors’ materials,
form the greater part of the collection. Among the most curious
articles are a wooden stamp with seal, a leaden inkstand, two goose
feather writing pens, a small iron pair of compasses, a little cubic
die-stone, a heavy harpoon with ring, besides twenty well-preserved wax
candles, very likely the oldest in the world now existing. Besides
these, there are three Dutch books, two Dutch coins, an old Amsterdam
ell-measure, together with the ship’s flag of Amsterdam, having been
the first European colour which passed a winter in the Arctic Regions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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