The 23 of January it was faire calme weather, with a south-west wind. Then foure of vs went to the ship and comforted each other, giuing God thankes that the hardest time of the winter was past, being in good hope that we should liue to talke of those things at home in our owne country; and when we were in the ship we found that the water rose higher and higher in it, and so each of us taking a bisket or two with us, we went home againe.
The 24 of January it was faire cleare weather, with a west wind. Then I and Jacob Hermskercke, and another with vs, went to the sea-side on the south side of Noua Zembla, where, contrary to our expectation, I [the] first [of all][396] saw the [[144]]edge of the sun;[397] wherewith we went speedily home againe, to tell William Barents and the rest of our companions that joyfull newes. But William Barents, being a wise and well experienced pilot, would not beleeve it, esteeming it to be about fourteene daies too soone for the sunne to shin in that part of the world;[398] but we earnestly affirmed the contrary and said we had seene the sunne [whereupon divers wagers were laid].
The 20 and 26 of January it was misty and close[399] weather, so yt we could not see anything. Then they that layd ye contrary wager wt vs, thought that they had woon; but vpon the twenty seuen day it was cleare [and bright] weather, and then How the sun which they had lost the 4 of Nouember did appere to them again vpon the 24 of January, which was very strange, and contrary to al learned mens opinions. we [all] saw the sunne in his full roundnesse aboue the horison, whereby it manifestly appeared that we had seene it vpon the twenty foure day of January. And as we were of diuers opinions touching the same, and that we said it was cleane contrary to the opinions of all olde and newe writers, yea and contrary to the nature and roundnesse both of heauen and earth; some of vs said, that seeing in long time there had been no day, that it might be that we had ouerslept our selues, whereof we were better assured:[400] but concerning the thing in itselfe, seeing God is wonderfull in all his workes, we wille referre that to his almightie power, and leaue it vnto others to dispute of. But for that no man shall thinke vs to be in doubt thereof, if we should let this passe without discoursing vpon it, therefore we will make some declaration thereof, whereby we may assure our selues that we kept good reckening.
You must vnderstand, that when we first saw the sunne, [[145]]it was in the fift degree and 25 minutes of Aquarius,[401] and it should haue staied, according to our first gessing,[402] till it had entred into the sixteenth degree and 27 minutes of Aquarius[403] before he should haue shewed[404] there vnto vs in the high of 76 degrees.
Which we striuing and contending about it amongst our selues, we could not be satisfied, but wondred thereat, and amongst vs were of oppinion that we had mistaken our selues, which neuerthelesse we could [not] be persuaded vnto, for that euery day without faile we noted what had past, and also had vsed our clocke continually, and when that was frosen we vsed our houre-glasse of 12 houres long. Whereupon we argued with our selues in diuers wise, to know how we should finde out that difference, and learne[405] the truth of the time; which to trie we agreed to looke into the Ephemerides made by Josephus Schala,[406] printed in Venice, for the [[146]]yeeres of our Lord 1589 till A. 1600, and we found therein that vpon the 24 day of January, (when the sunne first appeared vnto vs) that at Venice, the clocke being one in the night time,[407] the moone and Jupiter were in coniunction.[408] Whereupon we sought to knowe when the same coniunction should be ouer or about the house where we then were; and at last we found, yt the 24 day of January was the same day whereon the coniunction aforesaid happened in Venice, at one of the clocke in the night, and with vs in the morning when ye sun was in the east:[409] for we saw manifestly that the two [[147]]planets aforesaid aproached neere vnto each other,[410] vntill such time as the moone and Jupiter stood iust ouer the other,[411] both in the signe of Taurus,[412] and that was at six of the clocke in the morning;[413] at which time the moone and Jupiter were found by our compas to be in coniunction, ouer our house, in the north and by east point, and the south part of the compass was south-south-west, and there we had it right south,[414] the moone being eight daies old; whereby it appeareth [[148]]that the sunne and the moone were eight points different,[415] and this was about sixe of the clocke in the morning:[416] this place differeth from Venice fiue houres in longitude, whereby we maye gesse[417] how much we were nearer east[418] then the citie of Venice, which was fiue houres, each houre being 15 degrees, which is in all 75 degrees that we were more easterly then Venice. By all which it is manifestly to be seene that we had not failed in our account, and that also we had found our right longitude by the two planets aforesaid; for the towne of Venice lieth vnder 37 degrees and 25 minutes in longitude, and her declination[419] is 46 degrees and 5 minutes;[420] whereby it followeth that our place of Noua Zembla lieth vnder 112 degrees and 25 minutes in longitude, and the high of the Pole 76 degrees; and so you haue the right longitude and latitude. But from [[149]]the vttermost [east] point of Noua Zembla to ye point of Cape de Tabin,[421] the vttermost point of Tartaria, where it windeth southward, the longitude differeth 60 degrees.[422] But you must vnderstand that the degrees are not so great as they are vnder the equinoxial line; for right vnder the line a degree is fifteene [60] miles; but when you leaue the line, either northward or southward, then the degrees in longitude do lessen, so that the neerer that a man is to the north or south Pole, so much the degrees are lesse: so that vnder the 76 degrees northward, where wee wintered, the degrees are but 3 miles and ⅔ parts [14⅔ miles],[423] whereby it is to be marked[424] that we had but 60 degrees to saile to the said Cape de Tabin, which is 220 [880] miles, so[425] the said cape lieth in 172 degrees in longitude as it is thought: and being aboue it,[426] it seemeth that we should be in the straight of Anian,[427] where we may saile bouldlie into the south, as the land [[150]]reacheth. Now what further instructions are to be had to know where we lost the sun[428] vnder ye said 76 degrees upon the fourth of Nouember, and saw it again vpon the 24 of January, I leaue that to be described[429] by such as make profession thereof: it suffiseth vs to haue shewed that it failed vs not to appeare at the ordinary time.[430]
The 25 of January it was darke clowdy weather, the wind westerlie, so that the seeing of the sunne the day before was againe doubted of; and then many wagers were laid, and we still lookt out to see if the sunne appeared. The same day we sawe a beare (which as long as the sunne appeared not vnto vs we sawe not) comming out of the southwest towards our house; but when we shouted at her she came no neerer, but went away againe.
The 26 of Janurie it was faire cleere weather, but in the horrison there hung a white or darke cloude,[431] whereby we could not see the sun; whereupon the rest of our companions thought that we had mistaken our selues upon the 24 day, and that the sunne appeared not vnto vs, and mocked vs; but we were resolute in our former affirmation that we had seene the sunne, but not in the full roundnesse. That euening the sicke man that was amongst vs was very weake, and felt himselfe to be extreame sick, for he had laine long time,[432] and we comforted him as well as we might, and gaue him the best admonition yt we could,[433] but he died not long after midnight.
The 27 of Januarie it was faire cleere weather, with a [[151]]south-west winde: then in the morning we digd a hole in the snowe, hard by the house, but it was still so extreame cold that we could not stay long at worke, and so we digd by turnes euery man a litle while, and then went to the fire, and an other went and supplyed his place, till at last we digd seauen foote depth, where we went to burie the dead man; after that, when we had read certaine chapters and sung some psalmes,[434] we all went out and buried the man; which done, we went in and brake our fasts.[435] And while we were at meate, and discoursed amongst our selues touching the great quantitie of snowe that continually fell in that place, wee said that if it fell out that our house should be closed vp againe with snowe, we would find the meanes to climbe out at the chimney; whereupon our master[436] went to trie if he could clime vp through the chimney and so get out, and while he was climbing one of our men went forth of the doore to see if the master were out or not, who, standing vpon the snowe, sawe the sunne, and called vs all out, wherewith we all went forth and saw the sunne in his full roundnesse a litle aboue the horrison,[437] and then it was without all doubt that we had seene the sunne vpon the 24 of Januarie, which made vs all glad, and we gaue God hearty thankes for his grace shewed vnto us, that that glorious light appeared vnto vs againe.
The 28 of January it was faire [clear] weather, with a west wind; then we went out many tymes to exercise our selues, by going, running, casting of the ball (for then we [[152]]might see a good way from vs), and to refresh our ioynts,[438] for we had long time sitten dull,[439] whereby many of vs were very loase.[440]
The 29 of January it was foule weather, with great store of snow, the wind north-west, whereby the house was closed vp againe with snow.