The 1 of May it was faire weather with a west wind; then we sod our last flesh,[536] which for a long time we had spared, and it was still very good, and the last morsell tasted as well [[174]]as the first, and we found no fault therein but onely that it would last no longer.[537]
The 2 of May it was foule weather with a [seuere] storme out of the south-west, whereby the sea was almost cleere of ice, and then we began to speake about[538] getting from thence, for we had kept house long enough there.
The 3 of May it was still foule weather with a south-west wind, whereby the ice began wholy to driue away, but it lay fast about the ship. And when our best meate, as flesh and other things, began to faile vs,[539] which was our greatest sustenance, and that it behooued vs to be somewhat strong, to sustaine the labour that we were to vndergoe when we went from thence, the master shared the rest of the bacon[540] amongst vs, which was a small barrell with salt bacon in pickle,[541] whereof euery one of vs had two ounces a day, which continued for the space of three weekes, and then it was eaten up.[542]
The 4 of May it was indifferent faire weather, ye wind south-west. That day fiue of vs went to the ship, and found [[175]]it lying still as fast in the ice as it did before;[543] for about the midle of March it was but 75 paces from the open water, and then[544] it was 500 paces from the water and inclosed round about with high hilles of ice, which put vs in no small feare how we should bring our scute and our boate through or ouer that way into the water when we went to leaue that place. That night there came [again] a beare to our house, but as soone as she heard vs make a noise she ranne away againe; one of our men that climbed vp in the chimney saw when she ranne away, so that it seemed that as then they were afraid of vs, and durst not be so bold to set vpon vs as they were at the first.
The 5 of May it was faire weather with some snow, the wind east. That euening and at night we saw the sunne, when it was at the lowest, a good way aboue the earth.
The 6 of May it was faire cleere weather with a great south-west wind, whereby we saw the sea open both in the east and in the west, which made our men exceeding glad, longing sore to be gone from thence.
The 7 of May it was foule weather and snew hard, with a north wind, whereby we were closed vp againe in our house, whereupon our men were somewhat disquieted, saying that they thought they should neuer goe from thence,[545] and therefore, said they, it is best for vs as soone as it is open water to be gone from hence.
The 8 of May it was foule weather with great store of snow, the wind west; then some of our men agreed amongst themselues to speake vnto the master,[546] and to tell him that it was more then time for vs to be gone from thence;[547] but they could not agree vpon it who should moue the same vnto [[176]]him,[548] because he had said that he would staie[549] vntill the end of June, which was the best of the sommer, to see if the ship would then be loose.
The 9 of May it was faire cleere weather with an indifferent wind out of the north-east; at which time the desire that our men had to be gone from thence still more and more encreased, and then they agreed to speake to William Barents to moue the master to goe from thence, but he held them of with faire words [and quieted them]; and yet it was not done to delay them,[550] but to take the best counsell with reason and good aduise, for he heard all what they could saie.[551]
The 10 of May it was faire weather with a north-west wind; yt night, the sun by our common compas being north north-east and at the lowest, we tooke the higth thereof, and it was eleuated 3 degrees and 45 minutes, his declination was 17 degrees and 45 minuts, from whence taking the higth aforesaid, there rested 14 degrees, which substracted from 90 degrees, there rested 76 degrees for the higth of the Pole.[552]