Part 38

Regarding the several observations of stars as well as of the sun (except those of March 20th, April 2nd and 18th, and May 24th, which are uncertain), as being all equally good, subject only to correction for refraction and amended declination, the result will be 75° 57′,5. Or, assuming that the sun’s lower edge was observed in every case, but not allowed for (and the observations of the stars leave little room for doubting that such must have been the case), and taking the sun’s semi-diameter at 16′, and including also the observations of the two stars, we have 75° 49′,5. In either case the latitude will be rather to the south than to the north of the 76th parallel. But, as all the latter observations of the sun were made under an erroneous impression, and evidently with a desire that they should correspond with what was believed to be the truth, the safest plan will be to content ourselves with the observations of the two stars and the first observation of the sun on February 19th, the result of which will be:—

γ Orionis 75° 43′,0 α Tauri 75° 47′,9 ☉ 75° 44′,1 —————————— 135 —————————— Which gives exactly 75° 45′ as the latitude of the spot.

[1126] Aenstaen—urgent request.

[1127] Fock—foresail.

[1128] De seylen—the sails.

[1129] Eenigh loopende wandt ende trosgens ende anders meer—some running rigging, ropes, and various other things.

[1130] Nae de schuyt ghegaen om die ontrent het huijs te vertimmeren—went to the boat, in order to repair it near the house.

[1131] Burghers—burgesses, citizens; that is to say, they must consider Novaya Zemlya as their place of permanent residence.

[1132] De bock—the yawl.

[1133] Vreeselijcken—frightful.

[1134] More boldly.

[1135] Nether, lower.

[1136] Stucken van robben met huijt ende hayr—pieces of seals, with the skin and hair.

[1137] Torn.

[1138] Niet seer kout maer doncker—not very cold, but dark.

[1139] Bock—yawl.

[1140] Om de bock daer mede op te boyen—wherewith to raise the gunwale of our yawl.

[1141] Van ons eerst de smaeck begeerden te hebben—they desired first to have a taste of us.

[1142] Also dat hem dit bequam als de hont de worst—so that it agreed with her as the sausage did with the dog. This homely Dutch proverb has already been explained in page 106, note 5.

[1143] Mischien—perhaps.

[1144] Den—the.

[1145] Genoech van die sause—enough of that sauce.

[1146] Geep. A well known fish (Belone vulgaris, Cuvier), which is called in English by a variety of trivial names:—gar-fish, gane-fish, sea-pike, mackerel-guide, mackerel-guard, green-bone, horn-fish, horn-back, horn-beak, horn-bill, gore-bill, long-nose, sea-needle. Considerable quantities are brought to the London markets in the spring from the Kent and Sussex coasts. In Holland they are now only used as bait for other fish. See Yarrell, History of British Fishes, vol. i, p. 393.

[1147] Nae’t open water toe—towards the open water.

[1148] Ende arbeyden met alle macht aen den bock—and worked with all our might on the yawl.

[1149] Niet seer koud—not very cold.

[1150] Maecktense met een spiegel, om also bequamer te zijn inde zee te ghebruijcken—made it with a square stern, in order that it might be a better sea-boat.

[1151] Ende maecktense also vaerdich opt bequaemste dat men mocht—and so got it ready in the fittest manner in their power.

[1152] Swaert (now written zwaarden), lee-boards or whiskers. These are the boards still seen on the sides of Dutch flat-bottomed vessels, which serve to keep them steady, and to prevent them from drifting to leeward, when sailing with a side wind, or lying to.

[1153] Van hoeden. See page 166, note 1.

[1154] Ende maeckten daer presentinghen over om van een zee waters beschermt te zijn—and placed tarpaulings over them, to protect them (the goods) from the sea-water.

[1155] Bock—yawl.

[1156] Sleden—sledges.

[1157] Dat men noch effenwel onse handen daer aen mochten slaen—so that we could likewise grasp them with our hands.

[1158] Om de buydenningen [buijkdenningen] in den bock ende schuyte te maecken—to make the bottom-boards (ceiling) of the yawl and boat.

[1159] Cleyne vaetgiens—small casks.

[1160] Schuyten—boats.

[1161] So mede als wy altemet int ys beset mochten werden—in order that whenever we should be enclosed by the ice.

[1162] Met bylen, houweelen ende allerley ghereetschap—with hatchets, pick-axes, and all sorts of implements.

[1163] Ys ende ysberghen—ice and icebergs.

[1164] Met houwen, smyten, schoppen, graven ende wechwerpen—with chopping, throwing, pushing, digging, and clearing away.

[1165] Barbier. See page 125, note 3.

[1166] Smote, struck.

[1167] Ende besloten doen onderlinghen metten gemeenen maets—and they then resolved jointly with the ship’s company.

[1168] Brengen—to bring, to take.

[1169] Ende heeft Willem Barentsz. te voren een cleijn cedelken gheschreven, ende in een muskets mate ghedaen—and William Barentsz had previously written a small scroll, and placed it in a bandoleer.

[1170] “He”.—Ph.

[1171] Abandon.

[1172] Van welcke brief elcken schuyte een hadde—of which letters each boat had one.

[1173] Bock—yawl.

[1174] Boat.

[1175] Daer wy alle naersticheyt toe deden, om die so veel te berghen alst moghelijck was—of which we took every care to preserve as much as was possible.

[1176] Harnas tonnen—coffers, trunks.

[1177] Soetemelcx kaes—in modern Dutch, zoetemelksche kaas—lit. sweet-milk cheese. This is the ordinary Dutch cheese, well known in England, and which on a former occasion (page 124, note 11) was described as koyenkaas. It is the produce principally of North Holland.

[1178] Claes Andriesz.—Nicholas, the son of Andrew, or Andrewson.

[1179] Daer als nu weynich oft geen hope toe en is—whereof there is now little or no hope.

[1180] End.

[1181] Beginning.

[1182] Dat we vast overleggen—that we considered well.

[1183] “Or.”—Ph.

[1184] Daerome hebbe ic met Willem Barentsz. de hoogh-bootsman ende ander officie luyden met alle ander gasten—therefore I, with William Barentsz. (and), the chief-boatswain and other officers, with the rest of the crew. At first sight it might appear that William Barentsz. is described as “hoogh-bootsman”. This is evidently the idea of the translator, though he takes on himself to paraphrase the term by “our pilot”. But the statement on the 20th June (page 198), that the chief-boatswain came on board the boat in which William Barentsz. was, just before the latter’s death, clearly proves that two different persons are here intended: so that, in order to avoid ambiguity, a conjunction, or at least a comma, should be inserted between the two. From the list of the ship’s company given in page 193, it may be safely inferred that the “chief-boatswain”, or first mate, as we should now call him, was Pieter Pieterszoon Vos. It is he, most probably, who on the 28th August, 1596 (page 100) is called “the other pilot”.

[1185] It was requisite for us.

[1186] Daer wy inden arbeyt geen hulpe af en hebben—from whom in our work we have no help.

[1187] Als we al schoon van dees ur af ons best deden—even if from this moment we did our best.

[1188] Ende int generael van ons allen onderteijcknet, gedaen ende besloten—and in general by us all subscribed, done, and concluded.

[1189] Hebben wijt eyndelijck verlaten—we have at length abandoned it.

[1190] Meester Hans Vos. This is the barber-surgeon, of whom mention has been made in page 125, note 3. The title of “meester”, representing the Latin magister, shows that he was a member of a learned profession, who had not improbably taken his degree of “Magister Artium Liberalium”, at an university. In Hungary, at the present day,—as we learn from the evidence of C. A. Noedl, on the recent trial of C. Derra de Meroda against Dawson and others, in the notorious affair of the Baroness von Beck,—“if a man wishes to become a surgeon, he must attend six Latin schools [meaning, apparently, that he must keep six terms at the High School or University], and learn to cut hair”.—Morning Post, July 29th, 1852.

In the journal of Captain James, printed in Mr. Rundall’s Narrative of Voyages towards the North-West (page 199), is the following entry, under the date of November 30th, 1631:—“Betimes, in the morning, I caused the chirurgion to cut off my hair short, and to shave away all the hair of my face.... The like did all the rest.” This was at a period when, as appears from the muster-roll of Captain Waymouth’s expedition, given in page 238 of the same volume, the rating of the surgeon, who thus acted as barber to the ship’s company, was next after “the preacher”, and before the master and the purser.

[1191] The names, as here given, are neither correctly written nor placed in the order in which they stand in the original text. They are there ranged in six short columns of two names each, except the last, which has only one name; but the translator has read them as if written in two lines across the page. Correctly placed and written, the names are as follows:—

Iacob Heemskerck. Willem Barentz. Pieter Pietersz. Vos. Gerrit de Veer. Meester Hans Vos. Lenaert Hendricksz. Laurens Willemsz. Iacob Iansz. Schiedam. Pieter Cornelisz. Iacob Iansz. Sterrenburch. Ian Reyniersz.

There were four others, who did not sign, most likely from their inability to write, or from ill-health.

[1192] Met ons bock ende schuijt.

[1193] De Eylandts hoeck.

[1194] Vier—four. The translator evidently read veel.

[1195] Cliffs.

[1196] Hooft-hoeck.

[1197] Vlissingher hooft—Flushing Head.

[1198] De Capo van Begeerte—Cape Desire.

[1199] De Eylanden van Oraengien.

[1200] Een geweldighen stroom—a strong current.

[1201] Minghelen. A measure of rather more than an English quart.

[1202] Mottich, leelich weder—nasty drizzly weather.

[1203] Wasich—damp.

[1204] Ys-hoeck.

[1205] De schipper; namely, Jacob Heemskerck.

[1206] Al wel, maet, ick hope noch te loopen eer wy te Waerhuys comen—quite well, mate. I still hope to be able to run before we get to Wardhuus. It is a matter of interest that the last words of such a man as William Barentsz. should be correctly given.

[1207] Gerrit, zijn wy ontrent den Yshoeck, soo beurt my noch eens op; ic moet dien hoeck noch eens sien—Gerrit, if we are near the Ice Point, just lift me up again. I must see that Point once more. The Ice Point is the northernmost point of Novaya Zemlya (see page 24, note 4): hence the interest felt in it by the sick man, who, in spite of his courageous talk, was doubtless aware that he should never see it again.

[1208] Liep ten westen—went round to the west.

[1209] An de schotsen—to the drift ice.

[1210] Soo vreeselijck—so frightfully.

[1211] Stand.

[1212] Redden—save.

[1213] Goet raet was duer—good counsel was dear. A proverbial expression, explained in page 165, note 2.

[1214] Ooghenblick—instant.

[1215] Werter geseyt—it was said (by some one).

[1216] Een trots ofte tou aent vaste ys conden vast cryghen—could make fast a tackle or rope to the firm ice.

[1217] Een ghedrenckt calf goet te waghen is. This is another Dutch proverb, which Gerrit de Veer modestly applies to himself, as signifying that his loss would not be much felt. The translator, not understanding the allusion or the force of the proverb, left it out; but on the other hand he, somewhat unnecessarily, introduced in the preceding passage the words “like to the tale of the mise”, which are not in the original.

[1218] Te brenghen—to carry.

[1219] Een hoogen heuvel—a high hummock.

[1220] Des doots kaecken—the jaws of death.

[1221] Allen de naeden hebben wy mede moeten versien ende dicht maecken, ende diversche presendinghe legghen—we had likewise to examine and close all the seams, and to lay on pieces of tarpauling in various places.

[1222] Te landtwaert in—towards the land.

[1223] “Up”.—Ph.

[1224] Claes Andriesz. See page 190, note 6.

[1225] De hoogh-bootsman—the chief boatswain.

[1226] Bock—yawl.

[1227] My dunckt tsal met my mede niet langhe dueren—methinks with me too it will not last long.

[1228] Las in mijn caertgien dat ic van onse reyse gemaect hadde—looked at my little chart, which I had made of our voyage.

[1229] Gerrit, geeft my eens te drincken—Gerrit, give me something to drink.

[1230] The words “next under God” are not in the text.

[1231] “100.”—Ph.

[1232] Sluijs—lock, sluice.

[1233] Capo de Troosts—Cape Comfort. See page 22, note 4.

[1234] The elevation of the sun, corrected for refraction, was 36° 58′,7 and its declination + 23° 29′,4; so that the elevation of the Pole was 76° 30′,7.

[1235] De tinnen plateelen met alle het coperwerck—the tin cans with all the copper vessels.

[1236] Voor ons drincken—for our drink.

[1237] Streckinghe van’t huijs af—direction (of our course) from the house, etc.

[1238] Cola. A small sea-port of Russian Lapland, in the government of Archangel, 540 miles N. of St. Petersburg. Population 1000.

[1239] Chart.

[1240] Het laghe landt.

[1241] Stroom-bay.

[1242] Yshavens hoeck.

[1243] Eylandts hoeck.

[1244] Vlissenger hooft—Flushing Head.

[1245] Hooft hoeck.

[1246] De Hoeck van Begheerten—Cape Desire.

[1247] De Eylanden van Oraengien.

[1248] De Yshoeck.

[1249] Capo de Troosts—Cape Comfort.

[1250] Capo de Nassauwen—Cape Nassau.

[1251] “West and.”—Ph.

[1252] Het Cruijs Eylandt.

[1253] Willems Eylandt.

[1254] De Swarten Hoeck—Cape Negro. See page 13.

[1255] Het Admiraliteyts Eylandt—Admiralty Island.

[1256] Capo Plancio—Cape Plancius. See page 219, note 4.

[1257] Lomsbay. See page 12.

[1258] De Staten Hoeck—States Point.

[1259] Capo de Prior oft Langhenes. See page 11.

[1260] Capo de Cant. See page 219.

[1261] De Hoeck met de swarte clippen—the Point with the black cliffs.

[1262] Het Swarte Eylandt.

[1263] Costintsarck. See page 30, note 4.

[1264] Constinsarck. A fatality seems to attend the spelling of this name.

[1265] Cruishoeck. See page 31.

[1266] S. Laurens Bay. See page 32.

[1267] “S.S.E.”—Ph.

[1268] S. Lauwersbay.

[1269] Meelhaven. See p. 33.

[1270] De twee Eylanden. On the first voyage they were named St. Clara. See page 34.

[1271] Matfloo ende Delgoy. See page 36, and also note 6 in page 50.

[1272] The true course is almost south-east.

[1273] Inham—inlet.

[1274] Colgoy—the Island of Kolguev. See page 35, note 2.

[1275] Candenas—Kanin Nos. See page 38, note 3.

[1276] De 7 Eylanden. “The Seven Islands (Sem Ostrovi) lie about 16 leagues S.E. by S., by compass, from Tieribieri Point, and by varying the appearance serve to distinguish this part of the coast.”—Purdy, Sailing Directions for the Northern Ocean, p. 82.

[1277] See page 7, note 4.

[1278] Namely, on August 30th, 1598.

[1279] Coel. See page 200, note 5.

[1280] “West.”—Ph.

[1281] Phillip has inserted here “381 miles Flemish, which is 1143 miles Inglish”. The miles of the text are German or Dutch miles of 15 to the degree, as is stated in page 7, note 1.

[1282] Beyond.

[1283] See page 92.

[1284] Boiled.

[1285] Matsammore. Evidently a corruption of the Spanish mazamorra, which word, according to the Diccionario of the Royal Spanish Academy, means “biscuit powder, or biscuit broken and rendered unserviceable; also the pottage or food (made with bread or biscuit) which was given to the galley-slaves”. The adoption of Spanish words by the Dutch is accounted for in page 12, note 1.

[1286] Foresail.

[1287] Leyden op ons seylen toe—tried to do it with our sailes.

[1288] Foremast.

[1289] Arger als een gat—worse than a leak.

[1290] Grootseyl—main-sail.

[1291] In den grondt gheslaghen gheweest—been capsized.

[1292] Al over boort in te loopen—to run quite over the gunwale.

[1293] Ons ander macker—our other companion.

[1294] Onser macker—our companion.

[1295] Hadden zy—they had.

[1296] Boiled.

[1297] “17th.”—Ph.

[1298] Jae zy waren ontelbaar—nay, they were numberless.

[1299] Dattet op claerde—till it cleared up.

[1300] Van de seylen een tente opgheslaghen—made a tent of our sails.

[1301] Haghel—small shot.

[1302] Verladen—re-load.

[1303] Bevonden—found out; experienced.

[1304] Swaricheyt—difficulty.

[1305] Den bock—the yawl.

[1306] Ibid.

[1307] Met schuijt ende al—boat and all.

[1308] Dat wy daer aenghemaeckt hadden—where we had added to it.

[1309] Mast-banck—standing-thwart.

[1310] Al de schuijt—the whole boat.

[1311] Ondert ander ys heen—away under the other ice.

[1312] We had entirely lost our boat.

[1313] Boat.

[1314] Yawl.

[1315] Harnas ton—coffer; trunk.

[1316] Dat deurt ys den bodem ingheschoven werdt—which was stove in by the ice.

[1317] Boat.

[1318] De buijckdenningh—the bottom boards.

[1319] “Staues.”—Ph. A misprint.

[1320] Behouwen—hewn; i.e., laboured with an axe.

[1321] Coockten—cooked; lit. boiled.

[1322] De helmstock—the tiller of the rudder.

[1323] Harnas ton—coffer; trunk.

[1324] Verstonden—understood; became aware.

[1325] Afloopen—run out; drain out.

[1326] Alst gheschiet is—as it (afterwards) happened; as we afterwards did.

[1327] Van de schuijt af—from out of the boat.

[1328] Jan Fransz.—John, the son of Francis.

[1329] Claes Andriesz. See page 190, note 6.

[1330] See page 198.

[1331] Schoten—shot.

[1332] Die wy op een schots ys nae dryvende, dan opraepten, ende op’t vaste ys brachten—which we then picked up by floating after them on a piece of drift ice, and brought upon the firm ice.

[1333] Mottich—dirty.

[1334] Fowls; birds.

[1335] Maeltijt—meal; repast.

[1336] Afgheweecken—given way.

[1337] Voort—on; forward.

[1338] Velden—fields.

[1339] Uytcomst—issue.

[1340] Floating.

[1341] That is, in girth.

[1342] Mottich—dirty; drizzly.

[1343] Het Cruijs Eylandt. See page 16.

[1344] Bergh-eenden—lit. mountain-ducks. This is the common shieldrake or burrow-duck (Tadorna vulpanser): Gould, Birds of Europe, vol. v, pl. 357. The trivial name “Bar-gander” (bergander) is manifestly a corruption of the Dutch name, and not of “Burrow-gander”, as has been supposed.

[1345] Also dattet altemet kermis was tusschen onsen smert—so that there was sometimes a holiday in the midst of our sorrows.

[1346] Drie minghelen—three minghelen, equal to nearly one gallon.

[1347] Aent landt—on shore.

[1348] Steentgiens—pebbles, or probably pieces of rock-crystal. See page 37.

[1349] Berch-eyndt—burrow-duck. See note 4, in the preceding page.

[1350] Mottich—drizzly.

[1351] In zijn huijt—in the body.

[1352] Scarcely.

[1353] Smote; struck.

[1354] Hoe langher hoe meer ons begaven—failed us more and more.

[1355] Ende dat ons voort aen tselvige niet meer gemoeten soude—and that thenceforth the same would not happen to us again.

[1356] “200.”—Ph.

[1357] Grooter—greater.

[1358] Recht voort laecken met een goeden voortgangh—right before the wind, at a good rate.

[1359] Een doorgaende coelte—a steady breeze.

[1360] In elck eetmael—in every four-and-twenty hours. See page 88, note 5.

[1361] Phillip here adds, “to bring our voyage to an end”.

[1362] Hebbende noch die heerlijcke voortgang—making still the same good speed.

[1363] Den Swarten Hoeck—Cape Negro. See page 13.

[1364] Het Admiraliteyts Eylandt—Admiralty Island. See page 13.

[1365] Dear.

[1366] Zee-monsters. De Veer knew better than to call the walrus a fish.

[1367] Boats.

[1368] Capo Plancio—Cape Plancius. This headland is not anywhere named in the account of the first voyage, though it appears in the chart of Lomsbay.

[1369] Admiralty Island.

[1370] Heerlijck—splendid.

[1371] Aldus nock een goeden voortgangh hebbende—making still rapid progress.

[1372] Capo de Cant.

[1373] Clip—cliff.

[1374] Die moy deurgaende wint—that fine steady breeze.

[1375] The habits of these birds are not much altered by the presence of men, or else they would not be called foolish Guillemots. See page 12, note 3.

[1376] Cliffs.

[1377] Hatch.

[1378] Van daer af staecken—put off from thence.

[1379] Weather it.

[1380] Laveering.

[1381] Moy openinge—A fine opening.

[1382] Daer in seylden—sailed in that direction.

[1383] Openinge—opening.

[1384] Coockten—boiled.

[1385] Mottich—dirty.

[1386] Te landtwaerts in—towards the land.

[1387] Steentgiens—pebbles.

[1388] This calculation is altogether erroneous. The sun’s declination on July 24th, 1598, was + 19° 47′,1; so that, with the observed height (corrected for refraction), the elevation of the Pole was only 72° 28′,3.

[1389] Several.

[1390] T’zeewaert in—to seawards.

[1391] Round.

[1392] Against.

[1393] Struck, lowered.

[1394] Een gheweldigen stroom—a powerful current.

[1395] Constinsarck.

[1396] That is to say, the Sea of Kara. If it be an ascertained fact, that there is not here any passage eastward through Novaya Zemlya, this current must come from around the back of the Meyduscharski Island. But its existence, and the inference which was not unreasonably drawn from it, sufficiently explain why this passage has been called a schar, and not a salma. See page 30, note 4.

[1397] De Cruijs-hoeck. See page 31.

[1398] Cliffs.

[1399] S. Laurens Bay, ofte Schans hoeck. See page 32.

[1400] See page 33, note 6.

[1401] On duytsche—un-Dutch.

[1402] So veel alsser onser mochten van de sieckte—as many of us as were able on account of our illness.

[1403] De scheurbuijck—the scurvy.

[1404] See page 56.

[1405] Over ons ontset oft becommert waren—confused or concerned about us.

[1406] Ontstelt—miserable.

[1407] In de Weygats—in the Weygats. See page 27, note 4.

[1408] Crabble: intended for the Russian korabl, a ship.

[1409] Crabble pro pal. The correct question and answer in Russian would be: Propal korabl?—is the ship lost? Korabl propal—the ship is lost.

[1410] Made signs.

[1411] In soo soberen staet—in so poor a condition.

[1412] Boat.

[1413] No dobbre. The correct Russian is nyet dobre—not good. These Russian seamen appear to have made use of a sort of lingua franca, half Russian, half English, which is still common among the persons of their class, having been acquired from their converse with English traders to the White Sea.

[1414] Van den schuerbuijck—with the scurvy. See page 152, note 3.

[1415] Lodgien: intended for the Russian word, lodyi—boats.

[1416] “Smored.”—Ph. A misprint.

[1417] Muschuijt (for bischuyt)—biscuits.

[1418] Een minghelen—about the third part of a gallon.

[1419] Boiled some of our biscuit.

[1420] Namely, at Bear Island, on the 1st of July, 1596. See page 85.

[1421] Verscheurende—ravenous.

[1422] Alsoo dat—so that.

[1423] Cinghel—shingle; beach.

[1424] Aldus aent eylandt ligghende—lying thus by the island.

[1425] The Strait of Nassau. See page 27, note 4.

[1426] Lepel-bladeren—spoon-wort or scurvy grass (Cochlearia officinalis), once in great repute as an antiscorbutic.

[1427] Jae meest al van de scheurbuijck alsoo gheplaecht waren, dat wy naulijch voorts mochten, ende deur dese lepelbladeren vry wat bequaem, want het hielp ons so merckelijcken ende haestich, dat wy ons selfs verwonderden—yea, most of us were so afflicted with the scurvy that we could scarcely move, and by means of this spoon-wort we were much recovered; for it helped us so remarkably and so speedily, that we ourselves were astonished.

[1428] Ran very high.

[1429] See note 3 in the preceding page.

[1430] The almost instantaneous effect of a change of diet, and particularly of the use of fresh vegetables, in the cure of scurvy, has been noticed on numerous occasions.

[1431] Patientie was ons voorlandt—lit. patience was our fore-land, that is to say, what we had constantly before us.

[1432] Want wy haddent al overgheset ende adieu gheseyt—for we had quite crossed over and bidden it adieu.

[1433] Struck, lowered.

[1434] Ende royden also deurt ys heen—and thus rowed forward through the ice.

[1435] De ruyme zee—the open sea.

[1436] Bock—Yawl.

[1437] To weather.

[1438] Boat.

[1439] Yawl.

[1440] Weathered.