A BRIEFE DECLARATION OF
A SECOND NAUIGATION MADE IN ANNO
1595, Behinde Norway, Moscouia,
and Tartaria, towards the kingdoms
of Cathaia and China.
The 4 ships aforesaid being returned home about harvest-time, in anno 1594, they were in good hope that the voiage aforesaid would be done, by passing along through the Straights of Weygates, and specially by the report made by the 2 ships of Zelandt and Enck-huysen, wherein John Huyghen of Linschoten was committed,[1] who declared the manner of their trauell in such sort,[2] that the Generall States and Prince Maurice resolued, in the beginning of the next yeare, to prepare certaine ships, not only (as they went before) to discouer the passage, but to send certaine wares and merchandises thither, wherein the marchants might lade what wares they would, with certaine factors to sell the saide wares, in such places as they should arrive, neither [[41]]paying fraight nor custome. Peter Plantins,[3] a learned cosmographer, being a great furtherer and setter forward of this uoiage, and was their chiefe instructer therein, setting downe the scituation of the coasts of Tartaria, Cathaia, and China; but how they lye it is not yet sufficiently discouered, for that the courses and rules by him set downe were not fully effected, by meanes of some inconueniencies that fell out, which, by reason of the shortnesse of time could not be holpen. The reasons that some men (not greatly affected to this uoyage) vse to propound, to affirme it not possible to be done, are taken (as they say) out of some old and auncient writers: which is, yt 350 miles[4] at the least of the North Pole on both sides are not to be sailed, which appeareth not to be true, for that the White Sea, and farther north-ward, is now sayled and daily fisht in, cleane contrary to the writings and opinions of auncient writers; yea, and how many places hath bin discouered that were not knowne in times past? It is also no marueile (as in the beginning of the first description of this uoyage I haue sayd),[5] that vnder the North Pole for 23 degrees, it is as cold on both sides, one as the other, although it hath not beene fully discouered. Who would beleeue that in the Periudan mountaines,[6] and the Alpes, that lye betweene Spaine, Italie, Germanie, and France, there is so great cold, that the snow thereon neuer melteth, and yet lye a great deale nearer the sunne, then the [[42]]countries lying on the North Seas doe, being low countries.[7] By what meanes then is it so cold in those hilles? onely by meanes of the deepe uallies, wherein the snow lyes so deepe, that the sunne cannot shine upon the ground, by reason that the high hilles keepe the sunne from shining on them. So it is (as I iudge) with the ice in the Tartarian Seas, which is also called the Ice Sea, about Noua Zembla, where the ice that commeth into those seas out of the riuers that are in Tartaria and Cathaia, can not melt, by reason of the great quantitie thereof, and for that the sun sheweth not high aboue those places, and therefore casteth not so great a heat, as it can easily melt: which is the cause that the ice lyeth there still, as the snowe doth in the hilles of Spaine aforesayd, and that the sayd ice maketh it farre colder there, then it is a greate deal neerer the Pole in the large seas;[8] and although those places that are not discouered, cannot bee so well described as if they were discouered, yet I thought good to say thus much for a memoriall; and now I will proceed to the declaration of the second uoyage made into the North Seas.[9]
In anno 1595, the generall States of the vnited prouinces, and Prince Maurice, caused seuen shippes to bee prepared to sayle through the Wey-gates, or the Straights of Nassaue,[10] to the kingdome of Cathaia and China: two out of Amsterdam, two out of Zelandt, two out of Enck-huysen, and one out of Roterdam: sixe of them laden with diuers kindes of wares, marchandizes, and with money, and factors to sell the said wares; the seuenth beeing a pinace, that had commission, when the other shippes were past about the Cape de Tabin[11] (which is the furthest point of Tartaria), or [[43]]so farre that they might saile foorth southward without any let or hinderance of the ice, to turne backe againe, and to bring newes thereof. And I being in William Barents ship, that was our chiefe pilote,[12] and James Hems-kerke chiefe factor,[13] thought good to write downe the same in order as it is here after declared, as I did the first uoyage, according to the course and stretching of the land as it lyeth.
First, after we had been mustered at Amsterdam, and euery man taken an oath that was then purposely ministered vnto vs,[14] vpon the 18 of June wee sailed to the Texel, from thence to put to sea with other ships that were appointed to meet vs at a certaine day; and so to begin our uoiage in the name of God.
The 2 of July, wee set saile out of the Texel, in the morning at breake of day, holding our course north-west and by north, and sayled about sixe [24] miles.
After that wee sailed north north-west 18 [72] miles, till the 3 of July in the morning, being then as we esteemed [[44]]vnder 55 degrees; then the wind being north-west, and north north-west, calme weather, we sailed west and west and by south 4 [16] miles, till the 4 of July in the morning: after that, the winde being north north-west and rather more northerly, wee sayled west and west and by north 15 [60] miles, till the 5 of July in the morning, and after that 8 [32] miles more, till the sunne was west [¼ to 4 P.M.]
Then we wound about and sailed 10 [40] miles north-east, till the 6 of July in the morning, and so held on our course for the space of 24 [96] miles till the 7 July, the sunne being south [¾ p. 10 A.M.], and held the same course for 8 [32] miles, till midnight.
Then wee wound about and sailed west south-west fourteene [56] miles, till the ninth of July in the morning; and then againe wee wound north-eastward till evening, and so sayled about tenne [40] miles.
And then eighteene [72] miles more, east-ward,[15] till the tenth of July in the euening; then we wound about againe and sailed south-west, eight [32] miles, till the 11 of July, the sunne then being south-east [½ p. 7 A.M.]