APPENDIX.
I.
A LETTER FROM JOHN BALAK TO GERARD MERCATOR.
[Hakluyt, Principal Navigations, vol. i, pp. 509–510.]
A learned epistle, written, 1581, unto the famous Cosmographer,
M. Gerardus Mercator, concerning the riuer
Pechora, Naramsay, Cara reca, the mighty riuer of Ob,
the place of Yaks Olgush in Siberia, the great riuer Ardoh,
the lake of Kittay called of the borderers Paraha,
[and] the countrey of Carrah Colmak; giving good
light to the discouery of the northeast passage
to Cathay, China, and the Malucaes.
Inclyto & celebri Gerardo Mercatori, domino & amico singulari, in manus proprias Duisburgi in Cliuia.
Cvm meminissem, amice optime, quanta, cum vnà ageremus, delectatione afficerere in legendis geographicis scriptis Homeri, Strabonis, Aristotelis, Plinij, Dionis et reliquorum, lætatus sum eo quod incidissem in hunc nuncium, qui tibi has literas tradit, quem tibi commendatum esse valde cupio, quique dudum Arusburgi hîc ad Ossellam fluuium appulit. Hominis experientia, vt mihi quidem videtur, multum te adiuuerit in re vna, eaque summis à te votis expetita, et magnopere elaborata, dequa tam varie inter se dissentiunt cosmographi recentiores: patefactione nimirum ingentis illius Promontorij Tabin, celebrisque illius & opulentæ regionis sub Cathayorum rege per oceanum ad orientem [[262]]brumalem. Alferius is est natione Belga, qui captiuus aliquot annos vixit in Moscouitarum ditione, apud viros illic celeberrimos Yacouium & Vnekium; à quibus Antuerpiam missus est accersitum homines rei nauticæ peritos, qui satis amplo proposito præmio ad illos viros se recipiant, qui Sueuo artifice duas ad eam patefactionem naues ædificarunt in Duina fluuio. Vt ille rem proponit, quamquam sine arte, apposite tamen, & vt satis intelligas, quod quæso diligenter perpendas, aditus ad Cathayam per orientem proculdubio breuissimus est & admodum expeditus. Adijt ipse fluuium Obam tum terra per Samoedorum & Sibericorum regionem, tum mari per littus Pechoræ fluminis ad orientem. Hac experientia confirmatus certò apud se statuit nauim mercibus onustam, cuius carinam non nimium profundè demissam esse vult, in sinum S. Nicolai conducere in regione Moscouitarum, instructam illam quidem rebus omnibus ad eam patefactionem necessarijs, atque illic redintegrato commeatu, Moscouiticæ nationis notissimos iusta mercede asciscere, qui et Samoedicam linguam pulchre teneant, & fluuium Ob exploratum habeant, vt qui quotannis ea loca ventitant. Vnde Maio exeunte constituit pergere ad orientum per continentem Vgoriæ ad orientales partes Pechoræ, insulamque cui nomen est Dolgoia. Hîc latitudines obseruare, terram describere, bolidem demittere, locorumque ac punctorum distantias annotare, vbi & quoties licebit. Et quoniam Pechoræ sinus vel euntibus vel redeuntibus commodissimus est tum subsidij tum diuersorij locus proper glaciem & tempestates, diem impendere decreuit cognoscendis vadis, facillimoque nauium aditu inueniendo: quo loco antehac aquarum altitudinem duntaxat ad quinque pedes inuenit, sed profundiores canales esse non dubitat: deinde per eos fines pergere ad tria quatuorve milliaria nautica, relicta insula, quam Vaigats vocant, media forè via inter Vgoriam & Nouam Zemblam: tum sinum quendam præterire inter Vaigats atque Obam, qui per meridiem vergens pertingit ad [[263]]terram Vgoriæ, in quem confluunt exigui duo amnes, Marmesia atque Carah, ad quos amnes gens alia Samoedorum accolit immanis & efferata. Multa in eo tractu loca vadosa, multas cataractas inuenit, sed tamen per quas possit nauigari. Vbi ad fluuium Obam peruentum fuerit, qui quidem fluuius (vt referunt Samoedi) septuaginta habet ostia, quæ propter ingentem latitudinem multas magnasque concludentem insulas, quas varij incolunt populi, vix quisquam animaduertat, ne temporis nimium impendat, constituit ad summum tria quatuorve tentare ora, ea præsertim quæ ex consilio incolarum, quos in itinere aliquot habiturus est, commodissima videbuntur, triaque quatuorve eius regionis nauigiola tentandis ostijs adhibere, quàm fieri potest ad littus proxime, (quod quidem sub itinere trium dierum incolitur) vt quo loco tutissime nauigari possit, intelligat.
Quod si nauim per fluuium Obam aduerso amne possit impellere, prima si poterit cataracta, eaque, vt verisimile est, commodissima, ad eumque locum appellere, quem aliquando ipse cum suis aliquot per Sibericorum regionem terra adijt, qui duodecim iuxta dierum itinere distat à mari, qua influit in mare flumen Ob, qui locus est in continente, propè fluuium Ob cui nomen est Yaks Olgush, nomine mutuato ab illo magno profluente flumini Ob illabente, tum certè speraret maximas se difficultates superasse. Referunt enim illic populares, qui trium duntaxat dierum nauigatione ab eo loco abfuerunt (quod illic rarum est, eo quòd multo ad vnum duntaxat diem cymbas pelliceas à littore propellentes oborta tempestate perierunt, cùm neque à sole neque à syderibus rectionem scirent petere) per transuersum fluminis Ob, vnde spaciosum esse illius latitudinem constat, grandes se carinas præciosis onustas mercibus magno fluuio delatas vidisse per nigros, puta Æthiopes. Eum fluuium Ardoh illi vocant, qui influit in lacum Kittayum, quem Paraha illi nominant, cui contermina est gens illa latissimè fusa, quam Carrah Colmak appellant, non alia certè quam Cathaya. Illic, si necessitas [[264]]postulabit, opportunum erit hybernare, se suosque reficere resque omnes necessarias conquirere. Quod si acciderit, non dubitat interim plurimùm se adiutum iri, plura illic quærentum atque ediscentem. Veruntamen sperat æstate eadem ad Cathayorum fines se peruenturum, nisi ingenti glaciei mole ad os fluuij Obæ impediatur, quæ maior interdum, interdum minor est. Tum per Pechoram redire statuit, atque illic hybernare: vel si id non poterit, in flumen Duinæ, quo mature satis pertinget, atque ita primo vere proximo in itinere progredi. Vnum est quod suo loco oblitus sum. Qui locum illum Yaks Olgush incolunt, à maioribus suis olim prædicatum asserunt, se in lacu Kitthayo dulcissimam campanarum harmoniam audiuisse, atque ampla ædificia conspexisse. Et cùm gentis Carrah Colmak mentionem faciunt (Cathaya illa est) ab imò pectore suspiria repetunt, manibusque proiectis suspiciunt in cœlum, velut insignem illius splendorum innuentes atque admirantes. Vtinam Alferius hic cosmographiam melius saperet, multum ad illius vsum adiungeret, qui sanè plurimus est. Multa prætereo, vir amicissime, ipsumque hominem te audire cupio, qui mihi spospondit se in itinere Duisburgi te visurum. Auet enim tecum conferre sermones, & procul dubio hominem multum adiuueris. Satis instructus videtur pecunia & gratia, in quibus alijsque officijs amicitiæ feci illi, si vellet, mei copiam. Deus Optimus maximus hominis votis atque alacritati faueat, initia secundet, successus fortunet, exitum fœlicissimum concedat. Vale amice ac Domine singularis.
Arusburgi ad Ossellam fluuium 20 Februarij, 1581.
Tuus quantus quantus sum
Joannes Balakus. [[265]]
II.
AN ACCOUNT OF HENRY HUDSON’S VISIT TO NOVAYA ZEMLYA.
Extracted from “A Second Voyage or Employment of Master Henry Hudson, for finding a Passage to the East Indies by the North-East: written by himselfe.” Printed in Purchas his Pilgrimes, vol. iii, pp. 577–579.
[June, 1608.] The sixe and twentieth, faire sun-shining weather, and little wind at east north-east. From twelue a clocke at night till foure this morning we stood southward two leagues, sounding wee had sixtie sixe fathome oaze, as afore. From four a clocke to noone, south-east and by south foure leagues, and had the sunne on the meridian on the south-east and by south point of the compasse, in the latitude of 72 degrees 25 minutes, and had sight of Noua Zembla foure or five leagues from vs, and the place called by the Hollanders Swart Cliffe bearing off south-east. In the after-noone wee had a fine gale at east north-east, and by eight of the clocke we had brought it to beare off vs east southerly, and sayled by the shoare a league from it.
The seuen and twentieth, all the fore-noone it was almost calme. Wee being two mile from the shoare, I sent my mate Robert Iuet and Iohn Cooke my boat-swaine on shoare, with foure others, to see what the land would yeeld that might bee profitable, and to fill two or three caskes with water. They found and brought aboord some whales finnes, two deeres hornes, and the dung of deere, and they told me that they saw grasse on the shoare of the last yeere, and young grasse came up amongst it a shaftman long, and it was boggie ground in some places; there are many streames of [[266]]snow water nigh, it was very hot on the shoare, and the snow melted apace; they saw the footings of many great beares, of deere, and foxes. They went from vs at three a clocke in the morning, and came aboord at a south-east sunne; and at their comming we saw two or three companies of morses in the sea neere vs swimming, being almost calme. I presently sent my mate, Ladlow the carpenter, and sixe others ashoare, to a place where I thought the morses might come on the shoare; they found the place likely, but found no signe of any that had beene there. There was a crosse standing on the shoare, much driftwood, and signes of fires that had beene made there. They saw the footing of very great deere and bears, and much fowle, and a foxe; they brought aboord whale finnes, some mosse, flowers, and greene things, that did there grow. They brought also two peeces of a crosse, which they found there. The sunne was on the meridian on the north north-east, halfe a point easterly, before it began to fall. The sunnes height was 4 degrees 45 minutes, inclination 22 degrees 33 minutes, which makes the latitude 72 degrees 12 minutes. There is disagreement betweene this and the last obseruation; but by meanes of the cleerenesse of the sunne, the smoothnesse of the sea, and the neerness to land, wee could not bee deceiued, and care was taken in it.
The eight and twentieth, at foure a clocke in the morning, our boat came aboord, and brought two dozen of fowle, and some egges, whereof a few were good, and a whales finne; and wee all saw the sea full of morses, yet no signes of their being on shoare. And in this calme, from eight a clocke last eeuening till foure this morning, wee were drawne backe to the northward as farre as wee were the last eeuening at foure a clocke by a streame or a tide; and wee choose rather so to driue, then to aduenture the losse of an anchor and the spoyle of a cable. Heere our new ship-boate began to doe vs seruice, and was an incouragement to my companie, which want I found the last yeere. [[267]]
The nine and twentieth, in the morning calme, being halfe a league from the shoare, the sea being smooth, the needle did encline 84 degrees; we had many morses in the sea neere vs, and desiring to find where they came on shoare, wee put to with sayle and oares, towing in our boat and rowing in our barke, to get about a point of land, from whence the land did fall more easterly, and the morses did goe that way. Wee had the sunne on the meridian on the south and by west point, halfe a point to the wester part of the compasse, in the latitude of 71 degrees 15 minutes. At two a clocke this after-noone we came to anchor in the mouth of a riuer, where lieth an iland in the mouth thereof foure leagues: wee anchored from the iland in two and thirtie fathomes blacke sandy ground. There droue much ice out of it with a streame that set out of the river or sound, and there were many morses sleeping on the ice, and by it we were put from our road twice this night; and being calme on this day, it pleased God at our neede to giue vs a fine gale, which freed vs out of danger. This day was calme, cleere and hot weather: all the night we rode still.
The thirtieth, calme, hot, and faire weather: we weighed in the morning, and towed and rowed, and at noone we came to anchor neere the ile aforesaid in the mouth of the riuer, and saw very much ice driuing in the sea, two leagues without vs, lying south-east and north-west, and driving to the north-west so fast, that wee could not by twelve a clocke at night see it out of the top. At the iland where wee rode lieth a little rocke, whereon were fortie or fiftie morses lying asleepe, being all that it could hold, it being so full and little. I sent my companie ashoare to them, leauing none aboord but my boy with mee; and by meanes of their neerenesse to the water they all got away, saue one which they killed, and brought his head aboord; and ere they came aboord they went on the iland, which is reasonable high and steepe, but flat on the top. They killed and brought with [[268]]them a great fowle, whereof there were many, and likewise some egges, and in an houre they came aboord. The ile is two flight-shot ouer in length, and one in breadth. At midnight our anchor came home, and wee tayld aground by meanes of the strength of the streame; but by the helpe of God wee houed her off without hurt. In short time wee moued our ship, and rode still all night; and in the night wee had little wind at east and east south-east. Wee had at noone this day an obseruation, and were in the latitude of 71 degrees 15 minutes.
The first of July wee saw more ice to seaward of vs, from the south-east to the north-west, driuing to the north-west. At noone it was calme, and we had the sunne on the meridian on the south and by west point, halfe a point to the westerly part of the compasse, in the latitude of 71 degrees 24 minutes. This morning I sent my mate Eueret and foure of our companie, to rowe about the bay, to see what riuers were in the same, and to find where the morses did come on land, and to see a sound or great riuer in the bottome of the bay, which did alwaies send out a great streame to the north-wards, against the tide that came from thence: and I found the same, in comming in from the north to this place, before this. When, by the meanes of the great plenty of ice, the hope of passage betweene Newland and Noua Zembla was taken away, my purpose was by the Vaygats to passe by the mouth of the river Ob, and to double that way the north cape of Tartaria, or to giue reason wherefore it will not be: but being here, and hoping by the plentie of morses wee saw here to defray the charge of our voyage; and also that this sound might for some reasons bee a better passage to the east of Noua Zembla than the Vaygats, if it held according to my hope conceiued by the likenesse it gaue: for whereas we had a floud came from the northwards, yet this sound or riuer did runne so strong, that ice with the streame of this riuer was carried away, or anything else, against the [[269]]floud: so that both in floud and ebbe, the streame doth hold a strong course, and it floweth from the north three houres, and ebbeth nine.
The second, the wind being at east south-east, it was reasonable cold and so was Friday; and the morses did not play in our sight as in warme weather. This morning at three of the clocke, my mate and companie came aboord, and brought a great deeres horne, a white locke of deeres haire, foure dozen of fowle, their boat halfe laden with drift wood, and some flowers and greene things, that they found growing on the shoare. They saw a herd of white deere of ten in a companie on the land, much drift wood lying on the shoare, many good bayes, and one riuer faire to see to, on the north shoare, for the morses to land on; but they saw no morses there, but signes that they had beene in the bayes. And the great riuer or sound, they certified me, was of breadth two or three leagues, and had no ground at twentie fathoms and that the water was of the colour of the sea, and very salt, and that the stream setteth strongly out of it. At sixe a clocke this morning, came much ice from the south-ward driuing upon us, very fearefull to looke on; but by the mercy of God and his mightie helpe, wee being moored with two anchors ahead, with vering out of one cable and heauing home the other, and fending off with beams and sparres, escaped the danger: which labour continued till sixe a clocke in the euening, and then it was past vs, and we rode still and tooke our rest this night.
The third, the wind at north a hard gale. At three a clocke this morning wee weighed our anchor, and set sayle, purposing to runne into the riuer or sound before spoken of.
The fourth, in the morning, it cleered up with the wind at north-west; we weighed and set sayle, and stood to the eastwards, and passed ouer a reefe and found on it fiue and a halfe, sixe, sixe and a halfe and seuen fathoms water: then wee saw that the sound was full and a very large riuer [[270]]from the north-eastward free from ice, and a strong streame comming out of it; and we had sounding then, foure and thirtie fathoms water. Wee all conceiued hope of this northerly riuer or sound; and sayling in it, wee found three and twentie fathomes for three leagues, and after twentie fathomes for fiue or sixe leagues, all tough ozie ground. Then the winde vered more northerly, and the streame came downe so strong, that we could doe no good on it; we come to anchor, and went to supper, and then presently I sent my mate Iuet, with fiue more of our companie, in our boat with sayle and oares, to get up the riuer, being prouided with victuals and weapons for defence, willing them to sound as they went, and if it did continue still deepe, to go untill it did trende to the eastward or to the southwards; and wee rode still.
The fift, in the morning, we had the wind at west: we began to weigh anchor, purposing to set sayle, and to runne vp the sound after our companie: then the wind vered northerly upon vs, and we saued our labour. At noone our companie came aboord vs, having had a hard rought; for they had beene vp the river sixe or seven leagues, and sounded it from twentie to three and twentie, and after brought it to eight, sixe, and one fathome, and then to foure foot in the best: they then went ashoare, and found good store of wilde goose quills, a piece of an old oare, and some flowers, and green things which they found growing: they saw many deere, and so did we in our after-dayes sayling. They being come aboord, we presently set sayle with the wind at north north-west, and we stood out againe to the south-westwards, with sorrow that our labour was in vaine: for, had this sound held as it did make shew of, for breadth, depth, safenesse of harbour, and good anchor ground, it might haue yeelded an excellent passage to a more easterly sea. Generally, all the land of Noua Zembla that yet wee haue seene, is to a mans eye a pleasant land; much mayne [[271]]high land with no snow on it, looking in some places greene, and deere feeding thereon; and the hills are partly covered with snow, and partly bare. It is no maruell that there is so much ice in the sea towards the Pole, so many sounds and riuers being in the lands of Noua Zembla and Newland to ingender it; besides the coasts of Pechora, Russia, and Groenland, with Lappia, as by proofes I finde by my trauell in these parts: by means of which ice I suppose there will be no nauigable passage this way. This eeuening wee had the wind at west and by south: wee therefore came to anchor under Deere Point; and it was a storme at sea, wee rode in twentie fathomes, ozie ground: I sent my mate Ladlow, with foure more ashore, to see whether any morses were on the shoare, and to kill some fowle (for we had seene no morses since Saturday, the second day of this moneth, that wee saw them driuing out of the ice). They found good landing for them, but no signe that they had been there: but they found that fire had beene made there, yet not lately. At ten of the clocke in the eeuening they came aboord, and brought with them neere an hundred fowles called wellocks; this night it was wet fogge, and very thicke and cold, the winde at west south-west.
The sixt, in the morning, wee had the wind stormie and shifting, betweene the west and south-west, against us for doing any good: we rode still, and had much ice driuing by vs to the eastwards of vs. At nine of the clocke, this eeuening wee had the wind at north north-west: we presently weighed, and set sayle, and stood to the westward, being out of hope to find passage by the north-east: and my purpose was now to see whether Willoughbies Land were, as it is layd in our cardes; which if it were, wee might finde morses on it; for with the ice they were all driven from hence. This place vpon Noua Zembla, is another then that which the Hollanders call Costing Sarch, discouered by Oliuer Brownell: and William Barentsons obseruation doth witnesse [[272]]the same. It is layd in plot by the Hollanders out of his true place too farre north: to what end I know not, unlesse to make it hold course with the compasse, not respecting the variation. It is as broad and like to yeeld passage as the Vaygats, and my hope was, that by the strong streame it would haue cleered it selfe; but it did not. It is so full of ice that you will hardly thinke it. [[273]]
III.
WRITINGS OF WILLIAM BARENTS, PRESERVED BY PURCHAS[1].
[Purchas his Pilgrimes, vol. iii, pp. 518–520.]
I thought good to adde hither for Barents or Barentsons sake, certaine notes which I have found (the one translated, the other written by him (amongst Master Hakluyts Paper).
This was written by William Barentson in a loose paper,
which was lent mee by the Reuerend Peter Plantius in
Amsterdam, March the seuen and twentieth, 1609.[2]
The foure and twentieth of August, stilo nouo, 1595, wee spake with the Samoieds, and asked them how the land and sea did lye to the east of Way-gates. They sayd, after fiue dayes iourney going north-east, wee should come to a great sea, going south-east. This sea to the east of Way-gats they sayd was called Marmoria, that is to say, a calme sea.[3] And they of Ward-house haue told vs the same. I asked them if at any time of the yeere it was frozen ouer? They sayd it was. And that sometimes they passed it with sleds. And the first of September 1595, stilo nouo, the Russes of the lodie or barke affirmed the same; saying, that the sea is sometimes so frozen, that the lodies or barkes going sometimes to Gielhsidi from Pechora, are forced there to winter; [[274]]which Gielhsidi was wonne from the Tartars three yeeres past.
For the ebbe and flood there, I can finde none; but with the winde so runneth the streame. The third of September, stilo nouo, the winde was south-west, and then I found the water higher then with the winde at north north-east. Mine opinion is grounded on experience: that if there bee a passage, it is small, or else the sea could not rise with a southerly winde. And for the better proofe to know if there were a flood and ebbe, the ninth of September, stilo nouo, I went on shoare on the south end of the States Iland, where the crosse standeth, 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, I found the stone as I left it, and the water neither higher nor lowere: which prooueth, as afore, that there is no flood nor ebbe.
THE END.
[[275]]
[1] Referred to in page cvi of the Introduction. [↑]
[2] This heading must have been written by Henry Hudson, and not by Hakluyt, as would at first sight appear. [↑]
[3] 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. [↑]