The 11 of May it was faire weather, the wind south-west, and then[553] it was [quite] open water in the sea, when our men prayed William Barents once againe to moue the maister to make preparation to goe from thence, which he promised to do as soone as conuenient time serued him.
The 12 of May it was foule weather, the wind north-west; [[177]]and then the water became still opener then it was, which put vs in good comfort.
The 13 of May it was still weather, but it snowed hard with a north[-west] wind.
The 14 of May [it was fine clear weather with a north wind. Then] we fetcht our last slead with fire wood, and stil ware[554] our shooes made of rugde[555] on our feete, wherewith we did our selues much pleasure, and they furthered vs much. At the same time we spake to William Barents againe to mooue the maister about going from thence, which he promised he would doe [on the following day].
The 15 of May it was faire weather with a west wind, and it was agreed that all our men should go out to exercise their bodies with running, goeing,[556] playing at colfe[557] and other exercises, thereby to stirre their ioynts and make them nymble. Meane time [William] Barents spake vnto the maister and showed him what the company had said,[558] who made him answeare that they should stay no longer than to the end of that mounth, and that if then the ship could not be loosed, that preparation should be made to goe away with the scute and the boate.[559]
The 16 of May it was faire weather with a west-wind; at which time the company were glad of the answere that the maister had giuen, but they thought the time too long, because they were to haue much time[560] to make the boate and [[178]]the scute ready to put to sea with them, and therefore some of them were of opinion that it would be best for them to sawe the boate[561] in the middle and to make it longer; which opinion, though[562] it was not amisse, neuerthelesse it would be ye worse for vs, for that although it should be so much the better for the sailing, it would be so much the vnfitter to be drawne ouer the ice, which we were forced [afterwards] to doe.
The 17 and 18 of May it was faire cleere weather with a west wind, and then we [almost] began to reconne[563] the daies that were set downe and appointed[564] for vs to make preparation to be gone.
The 19 of May it was faire weather with an east wind; then foure of our men went to the ship or to the sea side, to see what way we should draue the scute into the water.[565]
The 20 of May it was foule weather with a north-east wind, whereby the ice began to come in [strongly] againe; and at noone we spake vnto the maister, and told him that it was time to make preparation to be gon, if he would euer get away from thence;[566] whereunto he made answeare that his owne life was as deere vnto him as any of ours vnto vs, neuerthelesse he willed vs to make haste to prepare our clothes and other things ready and fit for our voiage, and that in the meane time we should patch and amend them, that after it might be no hinderance vnto vs, and that we should stay till the mounth of May was past, and then make ready the scute and the boate and al other things fit and conuenient for our iourney. [[179]]
The 21 of May it was faire weather with a north-east wind, so that the ice came driuing in againe, yet we made preparation touching our things that we should weare, that we might not be hindred thereby.