The several vessels composing the fleet having assembled at the Texel,
they all sailed out of Mars Diep on the morning of Sunday, the 2d of
July, 1595. It was not till the 10th of August that they passed the
North Cape, and on the 17th they fell in with ice, being then about
fifty miles distant from the coast of Novaya Zemlya. On the following
day they reached the island of “Matfloe”, [139] and on the 19th came to
the mouth of the strait to the south of Vaigats Island (Yugorsky Shar),
where they found the ice to lie in such quantities, “that the entire
channel was closed up as far as the eye could see, so that it had the
appearance of a continent, which was most frightful to behold”. [140]
Under these circumstances they scarcely knew how to act, but at length
resolved to go into the roadstead called Train-oil Bay (Traenbay
[141]), where, as it was under the shelter of Idol Cape (Afgoden
Hoeck), and thus out of the current which set from the strait, there
was a little open water. [142] The preceding winter appears to have
been more than ordinarily severe, and the ice-masses set in motion by
the summer’s sun were consequently far greater in quantity than usual.
This, coupled with the late period of the year at which, from some
unexplained cause, they had commenced their voyage, soon convinced them
that they had but little prospect of being able to get forward. On the
20th August, while thus lying in Train-oil Bay, a council was held on
board the admiral’s ship, when it was decided that a yacht should be
sent to examine the condition of the strait and the probability of
their getting through, and also that a party of thirty or forty armed
men should proceed across the Island of Vaigats for the same purpose.
The yacht could go no further than Cross Point, where the entire sea
was found to be covered with ice without the least break or opening;
but the crew thence proceeded by land as far as Cape Dispute, though
without better success. The party of men—whom De Veer describes [143]
as fifty-four in number, himself included—returned with a somewhat more
favourable report; for they thought they had discovered a practicable
passage, because they saw so little ice there. [144] In this their
experience agreed with that of Pet and Jackman, who found a passage
close along the shore, between the ice and the land, at times when the
deep sea was entirely filled with ice-masses. [145]
On the 24th of August a yacht was again sent out to inspect the strait,
and got as far as Cross Point, bringing back the consolatory
intelligence that the ice was beginning to move, and that all was
clear, with open water, as far as Cape Dispute. On the following day
therefore the fleet weighed anchor, and sailed as far as beyond the
latter cape, without meeting with any ice; but soon afterwards they
fell in with such quantities that they were forced to return. That
night they anchored between Cape Dispute and Cross Point, and on the
following day betook themselves to their former station under Idol
Cape, “there to stay for a more convenient time.” [146] Here they were
so entirely surrounded by the ice, that they could walk dry-foot from
one ship to the other. [147]
The admiral and other officers had now evidently given up all hopes of
effecting a passage, to which result the murmurings of the crews may
perhaps have contributed. Barents, however, with that determination and
perseverance for which he appears to have been distinguished, was not
so satisfied as they were that nothing more could be done; and as on
the 30th of August the ice began again to move, he, on the following
day, had a good many words with the admiral on the subject, [148] after
which he in person crossed over the strait to the main land of the
Samoyedes, where he made inquiries of the natives. On his return the
following day, he again “spake to the admirall to will him to set
sayle, that they might goe forward; but they had not so many wordes
together as was betweene them the day before.” [149] The conversation
which ensued is quaintly told by De Veer, and with an air of perfect
truthfulness. On the following morning (September 2nd), a little before
sun-rise, Barents began to warp his vessel out, when Nai and Tetgales,
on seeing him do so, “began also to hoyse their anchors and to set
sayle.” [150] The result of this movement was, that, with immense
labour and difficulty and no little danger, they succeeded in making
their way through the ice as far as States Island, which they reached
in the evening of the 3rd September; sailing on the following morning a
little further along the channel between that island and the mainland,
so as to be sheltered from the drifting of the ice. [151]
This was virtually the termination of their voyage. On the following
day (September 4th) a council was held on board the admiral’s ship,
when it was decided that, “in order not to fail in their duty,”
[152]—which means that it was little more than a matter of form,—they
should on the following day make one more endeavour to get through the
ice; and if they did not succeed, that then they should not attempt it
any further, seeing that the time was passing rapidly, and the winter,
with its dreadful cold and long nights, was on the point of setting in.
“For,” adds Linschoten, [153] “it is now sufficiently clear and
manifest that it does not please the Lord God to permit us this time to
proceed further on our voyage of discovery, so that it is not fitting
that we should wilfully tempt Him any longer and run with our heads
against the wall.”
It cannot be denied that Nai and his companions were beset with great
difficulties, and that any further attempts might have been extremely
hazardous. The crews too of the vessels were now louder in their
murmurs, and complained that their commanders desired their deaths,
inasmuch as being surrounded by the ice, they ran the chance of
remaining locked up during the whole winter; [154] added to which, the
loss of two men, who were killed by a bear on the 6th of September,
[155] was not at all unlikely to augment the panic, and to cause
insubordination among the survivors.
Finding the sea to continue quite full of ice, a council was again held
on the 8th September on board the admiral’s ship, in order to determine
finally whether they should proceed or return, whereon a great debate
took place. [156] Most of them were of opinion that they should at once
return. To this however, the Amsterdammers were opposed, their opinion
being that some of them should volunteer to remain there with two of
the vessels during the winter, and take their chance of the wintering,
besides seeing whether they could not manage to get through, or else
trying whether they might not be able to make their way to the west of
Vaigats, and so round by the north of Novaya Zemlya. But it was
replied, that the time for doing so was past, and that moreover it did
not accord with their instructions. Nevertheless, if they wished it,
they could do it of their own authority, and then see how they might
afterwards answer for their conduct. [157]
On the following day the indefatigable Barents “went on shoare on the
south side of the States Iland, and layd a stone on the brinke of the
water, to proue whether there were a tide, and went round about the
iland to shoote at a hare; and returning”—as he says in the only
writing undoubtedly of his original composition which has been
preserved to us—“I found the stone as I left it, and the water neither
higher nor lower; which prooueth, as afore, that there is no flood nor
ebbe.” [158]
He could scarcely have returned on board before the fleet set sail from
States Island, on their return to the strait; but the ice came in so
thick and with such force, that they could not get through, and
therefore had to put back in the evening. [159] Next day, however, they
succeeded in again reaching Cape Dispute, where they anchored.
On the 11th, it was decided that they should once more sail towards the
ice, for the purpose of removing all doubts as to the impossibility of
proceeding; but they had not sailed three hours before they reached the
firm ice, which stretched round in all directions, completely
preventing all further passage. [160] They therefore returned and
anchored at Cross Point, where they remained till the morning of the
14th, when Barents weighed his anchor and set his top mast, thinking
once again to try what he could do to further his voyage; but the
admiral, being of another mind, lay still till the 15th of September.
[161]
On that day, as Linschoten relates in no very courteous language,
“seeing how the weather had set in, the Amsterdammers thought better of
the matter, and let their obstinacy somewhat abate (lieten hun
obstinaetheyt wat sincken), agreeing to conform with all the rest.”
[162] The following protest, which had been drawn up by Linschoten, was
accordingly signed by Barents together with the other officers, [163]
and the same day the whole fleet sailed out from the west end of the
strait homeward bound.