34

Preparations for Escape.

Barents shared the last meat-bacon-among them, two ounces daily to each man for three weeks. Next they began to repair the boat and yawl, which latter, says the narrator of this expedition, "when we had gotten it out of the snow, and thought to draw it to the house, we could not doe it, because we were too weake, wherewith we became wholly out of heart, doubting that we should not be able to goe forwarde with our labour; but the maister encouraging vs, bad vs striue to do more than we were able, saying that both our liues and our wellfare consisted therein, and that if we could not get the scute (yawl) from thence and make it ready, then he said we must dwell there as burgers of Noua Zembla, and make our graues in that place." Their work was much hindered by visits from their enemies the bears, and the liver of one which they killed, stewed, and ate made them "exceeding sicke," so much so that of three of the number it is stated that "all their skins came off from the foote to the head, but yet they recouered againe." Whereupon the captain took what was remaining and cast it out of the door, for, as the chronicler naïvely remarks, "we had had enough of that sauce." It was determined to abandon the ship, which was completely bilged, and hopelessly beset by the ice. On June 12th the men made a wide shoot, or way, to the water through the packed and hummocky ice, and the day after

An Adventurous Boat Voyage.

35

launched their two boats, which had been strengthened, and the gunwales of which had been raised somewhat. Barents carefully deposited a letter recording their previous adventures in the house, and the boats set sail. There were fifteen men in all, and their provisions were reduced to a scanty supply of Dutch cheese, hard bread, i.e., sea-biscuit, and wine, the latter probably a vin very ordinaire. They also took with them a portion of the finer goods which had been shipped by the merchants for trading purposes. Barentsz and a man named Adrianson had been long very sick, and had to be dragged on a sledge from the house to the

water.

The narrative which follows records one of the most adventurous boat journeys ever made in the Arctic seas, by men weakened through semi-starvation, and badly provided in every sense. The larger of the boats was simply a fishing-yawl of small size, and the journey before them was 1,524 miles,* through an unknown sea choked with ice and very tempestuous. They left the western side of Nova Zembla on June 14th, 1597, at first making their course from headland to headland, and island to

a

* The distance was 381 Dutch miles, of which there are 15 to the degree. The edition published by the Hakluyt Society, under the careful supervision of Dr. Beke, settles this point conclusively, in contradistinction to the opinion of some that Flemish miles were meant.

36

Death of Barents.

island. At the most northern point, the boats being near each other, Barents, was asked how he did, to which he answered, "Quite well, mate; I still hope to be able to run before we get to Wardhuus;" then asking Gerrit (de Veer), "Are we about the Ice Point? If we be, then I pray you lift me vp, for I must view it once againe." These were nearly the last words of this brave man, who was evidently much beloved by his companions, and deserves to rank with the foremost of our heroes.

"The following day," says the narrator, "the ice came so frightfully upon vs, that it made our haires stare vpright vpon our heades, it was so fearefull to behold." Their nearly crushed boats had to be dragged on to the ice, De Veer being the first to creep from one to another piece of the broken, grinding mass, till he secured a rope to a large hummock. "And when we had gotten thither, in all haste, we took our sicke men out and layd them vpon the ice, laying clothes and other things vnder them." The boats were much damaged, and all the nails had to be driven fast again. While still encompassed in the drift "Adrianson began to be extreme sicke," and they saw that his hours were numbered; "whereupon William Barents spake and said, 'Methinks with me, too, it will not last long.'" Nevertheless the faithful pilot kept directing them, and examined De Veer's chart a few

minutes before he died. "At last he laid away the card (ie., map or chart), and spake vnto me, 'Gerrit, give me something to drinke,' and he had no sooner drunke" than the death-struggles came on him and he expired. Adrianson died soon afterwards. The little expedition was now left without any pilot in whom confidence could be reposed, and a few sad words of the narrative show how much the loss of Barents, in particular, was felt.

Day after day they struggled bravely on, often taking the boats and goods bodily over large extents of ice, and then re-launching them. Now they were nearly swamped by the waves; now the sides of their boats were crushed in by the grinding ice; now the ferocious polar bears attacked them, and we cannot wonder if, now and again, their hearts sank within them. They lost their goods and a part of their provisions; several of the number were nearly drowned, and that terrible scourge the scurvy was among them; but they persevered, and at last, on September 2nd, reached Cola, a small seaport of Russian Lapland, where their troubles ceased, and they met with old shipmates and friends, who had long given them up for lost. Eight weeks later they were by their own Dutch firesides, after having

been entertained at the Hague by the Prince of Orange, to whom they narrated their adventures.

38

Carlsen's Discovery.

The present writer has dwelt more particularly on this, the third voyage of Barents, inasmuch as it has been often overlooked, or all but ignored; and a still further interest attaches to it from the recent discovery by Captain Carlsen, whilst circum

navigating Nova Zembla, of the very house built by this navigator, with many relics of the expedition. "No man had entered the lonely dwelling, where the famous discoverer of Spitzbergen had sojourned during the long winter of 1596, for nearly three centuries. There stood the cooking-pans over