Part 39

[1441] Als hyt van buyten om seylde—while he was rounding it on the outside.

[1442] Struck, lowered.

[1443] The point where they thus reached the Russian coast would seem to be in about 55 E. long., on the eastern side of the mouth of the Petchora.

[1444] Een Russche jolle—a Russian yawl.

[1445] Boven op haer jolle—on the deck of their yawl.

[1446] Candinaes—Kanin Nos; the cape at the eastern side of the entrance to the White Sea. See page 38, note 3.

[1447] Pitzora—the river Petchora. See page 55, note 3.

[1448] Daert seer droogh was—where it was very shallow.

[1449] We have here a convincing proof that they were no longer under the able guidance of William Barentsz. For this reason it has, since the time of his death, been deemed unnecessary to attempt to fix the hour of the day by the recorded bearing of the sun, as had been done previously.

[1450] Ende bevondt datter groente was, met sommighe cleyne boomkens—and found verdure there with a few small trees.

[1451] Wilt te schieten—game (for us) to shoot.

[1452] Wat schummelt broodt—a little mouldy bread.

[1453] Also dat—so that.

[1454] Den inham—the bay or inlet; namely, the estuary of the river Petchora.

[1455] This was the promontory on the western side of the Petchora estuary.

[1456] Hadde deerlijck sien moghen helpen—if looking deplorable could have helped us.

[1457] Verdriet—sorrow.

[1458] Ende—and.

[1459] ’t laghe landt henen—along the low land.

[1460] Een baeck staen daer een stroom by uyt liep—a beacon standing, by which there ran a current.

[1461] Daer deur wy vermoeden datter de cours was daer de Russen heenen quamen, tusschen Candinas ende ’tvaste landt van Ruslandt—whence we concluded that it was the course taken by the Russians between Kanin-Nos and the main-land of Russia.

[1462] Zee-robbe—seal.

[1463] De schuyten—the boats.

[1464] Een goedt wiltbraedt—lit. a good venison.

[1465] Dat wy ons noch liever lyden souden, want Godt de Heere die—that we should rather make shift without it; for the Lord God, who....

[1466] Maer opt onversienste helpen—but help us when least foreseen.

[1467] Mottich—dirty.

[1468] Forced.

[1469] Bock—yawl.

[1470] Schuijt—boat.

[1471] Dicht aent strandt—close to the shore.

[1472] Lodja or boat.

[1473] Seylen—sail.

[1474] Om de schuyten inde diepte te cryghen—to get the boats into deep water.

[1475] A Spanish dollar, of eight reals.

[1476] Boiled.

[1477] Vier—four.

[1478] Soo wel de minste als de meest—the lowest as well as the highest.

[1479] There must be some mistake here. When the sun set on the 12th of August, in latitude 68° N., his azimuth was 46° 37′,7 W., which would give a variation of 35° 22′,7, or more than 3 points W. Perhaps N.N.W. should be read, instead of N. by W.; which would make the variation to have been about 2 points W. It is, however, to be feared that but little dependance can be placed on the observations made during the return voyage, after the death of Willem Barentsz.

[1480] Jolle—yawl.

[1481] Lepelbladeren—spoon-wort. See page 226, note 3.

[1482] Opghebluckt—plucked.

[1483] Een moy coeltgen—a nice breeze.

[1484] Meant; intended. Misprinted “went”.

[1485] This point, which they mistook for “Candinaes”, or Kanin Nos, was apparently Cape Barmin, on the east side of Tcheskaya Bay, over which they now proceeded to cross, under the impression that it was the White Sea.

[1486] Wat wy malcanderen mochten mede deelen—that we could divide between us.

[1487] Nae Ruslandt toe. This is a mistake in the original. The coast of Norway or Lapland is meant.

[1488] Wy ons seijl streecken, ende namen een riff oft twee in—we lowered our sail and took in a reef or two.

[1489] Onse maets die wat styver onder seijl waren—our comrades, who stood somewhat better under sail.

[1490] Aendt Noordtsche cust over de Witte Zee—on the coast of Norway, on the other side of the White Sea.

[1491] Koelte—breeze.

[1492] Vry wat—a good deal. As the sun’s azimuth at his rising was 49° 56′,5 W., the variation would be 17° 33′,5 or about 1½ points W. This, as compared with the observation of the 12th August, as recorded, shows a considerable difference. But, as is remarked in the note on that observation, the error is more likely to be on that than on the present occasion.

[1493] Koelte—breeze.

[1494] Een moye coelte—a nice breeze.

[1495] They had here reached the western side of Tcheskaya Bay.

[1496] Boats.

[1497] Kilduijn. See page 7, note 1.

[1498] Zy smeten haer handen van een—they spread their hands out.

[1499] Gantsch in een inham beset—quite inclosed in a bay or creek. They would seem to have here been at the north-western corner of Tcheskaya Bay.

[1500] Vraeghen wy haer nae Sembla de Cool—we asked them after Sembla de Cool. By this jargon, which is here a compound of Russian and Spanish, the Dutch seamen desired to obtain information respecting “the country of Kola”, in Lapland.

[1501] Dattet Sembla de Candinas was—that it was Sembla de Candinas; i.e., Kanineskaya Zemlya.

[1502] Om deur dat gat te comen daer zy voor lagen—to get through the passage, before which they lay.

[1503] Weder aen haer schip—back to their ship.

[1504] Onderrechten—to instruct; to give information.

[1505] Caerte—chart.

[1506] Waren beducht—were alarmed.

[1507] Bock—yawl.

[1508] Nu wy 22 mylen al over de zee waren geseylt—now that we had sailed 22 miles right across the sea.

[1509] Onse mackers—our companions.

[1510] Gat—passage.

[1511] Het cleyne lodtgien—the little lodja or boat.

[1512] Onviel hem n. w.—turned to the N.W. This must have been Cape Mikalkin, the S.E. cape of Kanineskaya Zemlya.

[1513] Stroom—tide.

[1514] Boiled.

[1515] Datter kersmis was—that it was Christmas. It is kermis, which means a festival or fair-day. See page 39, note 2.

[1516] Onse ander maets—our other companions.

[1517] Bescheyt—information.

[1518] Soo beduyden zijt ons noch bet—they explained it better to us.

[1519] Dattet mede sodanighen open schuijt was—that it was a similar open boat.

[1520] Hadden—had; obtained.

[1521] Hooghbootsman—the chief-boatswain, or first mate.

[1522] Volck—people.

[1523] See page 226, note 3.

[1524] Ende als wy meenden voort te varen, so moesten wy daer blyven liggen, want den stroom verloopen was—and when we intended to proceed on our voyage, we were forced to remain lying there, because the tide had run out.

[1525] Werp-ancker—kedge.

[1526] Schemeringe van eenige cruycen—the faint images of some crosses.

[1527] Desen hoeck is een kenlijcken hoeck met 5 cruycen daer op, ende datmen perfect can sien hoese aen beyden syden omvalt, aen de eene zyde int z. o. ende d’ander zyde int z. w.—this point is a conspicuous one, having on it five crosses, and the direction of it on either side is perfectly discernible; it being on the one side towards the S.E., and on the other side towards the S.W.

[1528] Die wy niet dienden te versuymen—which it would not do for us to neglect.

[1529] Ende maeckten een afsteecker ontrent de son n. w.—we took our departure when the sun was about N.W.

[1530] An hour and a half.

[1531] Dat dit een ander clippich lant was—that it was another rocky shore.

[1532] Met weynich geberchte—with few mountains.

[1533] Made sure.

[1534] Waerders—cautions; directions.

[1535] Dat daer een goede reede was—that there was a good roadstead there.

[1536] Lodja or boat.

[1537] So maeckten wy ons daer vast—we anchored there.

[1538] Zy leyden ons in haer stoven—they led us into their rooms. In Dutch, as in German, a room heated by a stove or oven is called by the name of the latter, stove or stube.

[1539] Coocten ons een sode visch, ende nooden ons seer hertelijck—cooked us a dish of fish, and made us right welcome.

[1540] Visch tot visch—lit. fish with fish; i.e., nothing but fish.

[1541] Overschot—remains.

[1542] Wy ... ons heel ontsetteden—we were quite astonished.

[1543] Cocht—bought.

[1544] Coockten—cooked.

[1545] Lepel bladeren—spoon-wort or scurvy-grass. See page 226, note 3.

[1546] Te becomen—to procure; to obtain.

[1547] Onversiens—unprepared.

[1548] Om daer eten voor te coopen—to buy victuals therewith.

[1549] Ende gedroncken van den claren, als in den Rhijn voorby Colen loopt—and drank of the pure article, such as flows past Cologne in the Rhine. There is here a play on the word clar, which signifies “clear”, “pure”, but is applied to spirits as well as to water. In common life, een glaasje klare means “glass of neat Hollands gin”.

[1550] Ons ander maets—our other comrades.

[1551] Een goeden drincpennick—a handsome present: lit. a good drink-penny.

[1552] Den cock mede betaelt—also paid the cook.

[1553] Den bock—the yawl.

[1554] See page 203, note 4.

[1555] Also wy goeden voortgang hadden—as we were making good way.

[1556] Met goeden voortgangh seylende, quamen wy ontrent de z. w. son verby de selvige eylanden langs de wal henen, onder eenighe visschers die na ons toe royden—making good speed, we passed the said islands about south-west sun, and sailed along the coast among some fishermen, who rowed towards us.

[1557] Crabble propal. See page 224.

[1558] Tot Cool Brabanse crable. A mixture of Dutch and Russian, meaning “at Kola there are Brabant ships”. The correct Russian is v’Kolye Brabantskyie korabli. Before the independence of the northern provinces, the entire Netherlands were under the rule of the Dukes of Brabant; and as the Dutch vessels trading to the northern coasts of Europe had first come there under the Brabant flag, the Russians not unnaturally continued to attach the name of Brabant to them in common with other Netherlandish vessels.

[1559] Waerhuysen. See page 39, note 1.

[1560] Dat de Russen oft Grootvorst ep haer grensen ons eenich verlet soude doen—that the Russians or (their) Grand Prince might do us some injury on their frontiers.

[1561] Boats.

[1562] Wat te lantwaerts ingegaen—going a little way on shore.

[1563] “We.”—Ph.

[1564] Wy meenden dat se telckemael de schuyten in den gront gesmeten souden hebben—we thought that each wave would have swamped the boats.

[1565] Twee clippen—two cliffs or rocks.

[1566] Twee realen van achten. This, though incorrect, was an usual expression in Dutch. It means, properly, two Spanish dollars of eight reals.

[1567] Nam een roer mede—took a musket with him.

[1568] Ende trocken noch teghen den nae nacht op ter loop—and set off before break of day—lit. towards the after-night.

[1569] Om dat wat te verluchten—to air them a little.

[1570] Spyse—food.

[1571] Quas. The well-known Russian drink. Dr. Giles Fletcher, ambassador from Queen Elizabeth to the Emperor Fedor in 1588, describes it as “a thin drinke called Quasse, which is nothing else (as we say) but water turned out of his wits, with a little bran meashed with it.”—Purchas, vol. iii, p. 459.

[1572] Blauwe-besyen met Braem-besyen—bilberries and blackberries. The latter are probably the Moroschka—cloudberries, or fruit of the mountain-bramble (Rubus chamœmorus),—the gathering and preparation of which by the females of Kola are described by Lütke, in page 223 of his oft-cited work.

[1573] Scheurbuyck—scurvy. See page 152, note 2.

[1574] Wy daer een lager wal hadden—we there had a lee shore.

[1575] Phillip substitutes for this the words “this having done”.

[1576] D’ander vast aenquamen—the others were fast approaching.

[1577] De schuyten qualijck van den wal conden houden, dat se met in stucken ghesmeten werden—could scarcely keep the boats from going on shore, and thereby being dashed to pieces.

[1578] Seer beducht—much alarmed.

[1579] Datse in sulcken weer ende reghen aende legher wal verblyven moesten—that in such wind and rain they should have had to lie under a lee shore.

[1580] See page 249, note 4.

[1581] Met lijtsaemheyt verhopende—hoping with resignation.

[1582] Ende de saecke dien dach opghevende—and giving the matter up for that day.

[1583] Meant.

[1584] In beducht—in fear.

[1585] Dat wy al lange om den hals gecomen waren—that we had lost our lives long ago.

[1586] Over onse comste—of our arrival.

[1587] Jan Cornelisz. Rijp. See page 71.

[1588] See page 85.

[1589] Zijn beloofde penningen—his promised reward: lit. pence.

[1590] Clothes.

[1591] Ghenoech in behouden haven—sufficiently in a safe port.

[1592] Dat wy tot malcanderen seyde, hy moet kunsgens kunnen—so that we said to one another, he must know some (conjuring) tricks.

[1593] Daer heb ick zijn hant noch wel—there I certainly still have his handwriting.

[1594] Een jol—a yawl.

[1595] Rostwijcker-bier. A strong beer brewed at Roswick, a town of Sweden, in West Bothnia.

[1596] Brandewijn—spirits distilled from malt; common Hollands gin.

[1597] Een stuck ghelts—some money.

[1598] Mettet hoochste water—at high water; at the top of the tide.

[1599] “The entrance to Kola, which by some is most incorrectly called a river, is one of those bays to which the English apply the designation of Inlet or Frith.”—Lütke, p. 225.

[1600] De soutketen—the salt-works. The buildings in which the manufacture of salt is carried on are called in Dutch keten.

[1601] Daer wy eens overclommen ende droncken daer eens—into which we clambered up, and there had something to drink.

[1602] Den elfden dag—on the eleventh day. This would seem to have been the eleventh day after their arrival, or after the 3rd of September, rather than the 11th of the month. Reckoned exclusively of that day, it would have been the 14th of September; and it is reasonable to suppose that they would not have parted with their boats till they had found a Russian lodja to receive them.

[1603] Den Bayaert—the boyard; a Russian title, signifying a nobleman, great man, or chief.

[1604] Int coopmans huys. This is a literal translation of the Russian gostinuy dvor’, which is a collection of shops, corresponding to the bazar of the Persians. It is usually, but not invariably, situated in or near the market-place.

[1605] Lieten die daer staen—left them there.

[1606] Veel—much.

[1607] Dat metter tijt gheschieden moeste—which required some time.

[1608] De Maes—the river Maas or Meuse.

[1609] Maeslantsluys. A town on the river Maas, opposite the Briel.

[1610] Reysde also deur Delft, den Haech ende Haerlem—thence travelled through Delft, the Hague, and Haerlem.

[1611] Bonte mutsen van witte vossen—white fox-skin caps.

[1612] Een van de bewinthebbers der stadt van Amstelredam gheweest was, tot uytrustinge van de twee schepen—who had been one of the managers, on behalf of the town of Amsterdam, for fitting out the two ships.

[1613] Int Princen Hof. This was formerly the Court of Admiralty at Amsterdam. But when the Town-House was given as a palace to Louis Napoleon, then King of Holland, the Prinzen Hof was converted into the Town-House, which it still is.

[1614] Aldaer op die tijdt mijn E. Heeren den Cancelier ende Ambassadeur van den Allerdoorluchtichsten Coninck van Dennemarcken, Noorweghen, Gotten ende Wenden over tafel sadt—where the noble lords, the chancellor and the ambassador from the most illustrious King of Denmark, Norway, Goths and Vandals, were then at table. In the original there is not a word about Prince Maurice and the Hague.

[1615] Mijn Heer de Schout ende twee Heeren van der stadt—master sheriff and two gentlemen of the town (i.e., town-councillors).

[1616] Den voornoemde Heere Ambassadeur—the said lord ambassador.

[1617] Onse reysen ende wedervaren—our voyages and adventures.

[1618] Phillip here inserts the word “dangerous”.

[1619] The names will be here repeated, for the purpose of giving them correctly, and also showing those who died during the voyage:—

Iacob Heemskerck, Supercargo and Skipper. † Willem Barentsz., Pilot (died June 20th, 1597). Pieter Pietersz. Vos. Gerrit de Veer. M. Hans Vos, Barber-surgeon. † Name unknown, Carpenter (died September 23rd, 1596). Iacob Iansz. Sterrenburgh. Lenaert Heyndricksz. Laurens Willemsz. Ian Hillebrantsz. Iacob Iansz. Hooghwout. Pieter Cornelisz. Ian van Buysen Reyniersz. Iacob Evertsz. † Name unknown (died January 27th, 1597). † Claes Andriesz. (died June 20th, 1597). † Ian Fransz. (died July 5th, 1597).

[1620] Referred to in page cvi of the Introduction.

[1621] This heading must have been written by Henry Hudson, and not by Hakluyt, as would at first sight appear.

[1622] De Veer (p. 55) writes this name Mermare. In Russian, more certainly means “sea”; but this is all that we have been able to make out of the expression.