The 8 of July it was close[778] misty weather; then we drest the foules[779] which we had killed, which gaue us a princely mealetide.[780] In the euening there blew a fresh gale of wind, out of the north-east, which put vs in great comfort to get from thence.
The 9 of July, in the morning, the ice began to driue, whereby we got open water on the land side, and then also the fast ice whereon we lay began to driue; whereupon the master and ye men went to fetch the pack and the chest that stood vpon the ice, to put them into the scute, and then drew the scutes to the water at least 340 paces, which was hard for vs to do, in regard that the labour was great and we very weake. And when the sun was south south-east we set saile with an east wind; but when the sunne was west we were forced to make towards the fast ice againe, because thereabouts it was not yet gon;[781] ye wind being south and came right from the land, whereby we were in good hope that it would driue awaye, and that we should proceede in our voyage.
The 10 of July, from the time that the sunne was east north-east till it was east, we tooke great paines and labour to get through the ice; and at last we got through, and rowed forth[782] vntill wee happened to fall betweene two great flakes[783] of ice, that closed one with the other, [[213]]so that we could not get through, but were forced to draw the scutes vpon them, and to vnlade the goods, and then to draw them ouer to the open water on the other side, and then we must go fetch the goods also to the same place, being at least 110 paces long, which was very hard for vs; but there was no remedy, for it was but a folly for vs to thinke of any wearines. And when we were in the open water againe, we rowed forward as well as we could, but we had not rowed long before we fell betweene two great flakes of ice, that came driuing one against the other, but by Gods help and our speedy rowing we got from betweene them before they closed vp, and being through, we had a hard west wind right in our teeth, so that of force we were constrained to make towards the fast ice that lay by the shore, and at last with much trouble we got vnto it. And being there, we thought to row along by the fast ice vnto an island that we saw before vs; but by reason of the hard contrary wind we could not goe farre, so that we were compelled to draw the scutes and the goods vpon the ice, to see what weather[784] God would send vs; but our courages were cooled to see ourselues so often inclosed in ye ice, being in great feare yt by meanes of the long and continuall paines (which we were forced to take) we should loose all our strength, and by that meanes should not long be able to continue or hold out.
The 11 of July in the morning as we sate fast vpon the ice, the sunne being north-east, there came a great beare out of the water running towards vs, but we watcht for her with three muskets, and when she came within 30 paces of vs we shot all the three muskets at her and killed her outright, so that she stirred not a foote, and we might see the fat run out at the holes of her skinne, that was shot in with the muskets, swimme vpon the water like oyle; and [she] so driving[785] dead upon the water, we went vpon a flake of ice to her, and putting a rope about her neck [[214]]drew her vp vpon the ice and smit out her teeth; at which time we measured her body, and found it to be eight foote thick.[786] Then we had a west wind with a close[787] weather; but when the sunne was south it began to cleere vp; then three of our men went to the island that lay before vs, and being there they saw the Crosse Island[788] lying west-ward from them, and went thither to see if that sommer there had been any Russian there, and went thither vpon the fast ice that lay between the two islands; and being in the island, they could not percieue that any man had beene in it since we were there. There they got 70 [burrow-ducks’[789]] egges, but when they had them they knew not wherein to carry them; at last one of them put off his breeches, and tying them fast below, they carried them betweene two of them, and the third bare the musket; and so [they] came to vs againe, after they had been twelue hours out, which put vs in no small feare to think what was become of them. They told vs that they had many times gone vp to the knees in water vpon the ice betweene both the islands, and it was at least 6 [24] miles to and fro that they had gone, which made vs wonder how they could indure it, seeing we were all so weake. With the egges that they had brought we were al wel comforted, and fared like lords, so that we found some reliefe in our great misery,[790] and then we shared our last wine amongst us, whereof euery one had three glasses.[791]
The 12 of July in the morning, when the sunne was east, the wind began to blow east and east north-east, [[215]]with misty weather; and at euening six of our men went into the land[792] to seeke certaine stones,[793] and found some, but none of the best sort; and comming backe againe, either of them brought some wood.
The 13 of July it was a faire day; then seuen of our men went to the firme land to seeke for more stones, and found some; at which time the wind was south-east.
The 14 of July it was faire weather with a good south wind, and then the ice began to driue from the land, whereby we were in good hope to haue an open water; but the wind turning westerly againe, it lay still [firm]. When the sunne was south-west, three of our men went to the next island that lay before vs, and there shot a bercheynet,[794] which they brought to the scute and gaue it amongst vs, for all our goods were [in] common.
The 15 of July it was misty weather; that morning the wind was south-east, but the sunne being west it began to raine, and the wind turned west and west south-west.
The 16 of July there came a beare from the firme land that came very neere vnto vs, by reason that it was as white as snow, whereby at first we could not discerne it to be a beare, because it shewed so like the snow; but by her stirring at last wee perceiued her, and as she came neere vnto vs we shot at her and hit her, but she ran away. That morning the wind was west, and after that againe east north-east, with close[795] weather.
The 17 of July, about the south south-east sunne, 5 of our men went againe to the nearest island to see if there appeared any open water, for our long staying there was no small griefe vnto vs, perceiuing not how we should get from thence; who being halfe way thither, they found a beare [[216]]lying behind a peece of ice, which the day before had beene shot by vs, but she hearing vs went away; but one of our men following her with a boate-hooke, thrust her into the skinne,[796] wherewith the beare rose vp vpon her hinder feet, and as the man thrust at her againe, she stroke the iron of the boat-hooke in peeces, wherewith the man fell downe vpon his buttocks. Which our other two men seeing, two of them shot the beare into the body, and with that she ran away, but the other man went after her with his broken staffe, and stroke the beare vpon the backe, wherewith the beare turned about against the man three times one after the other; and then the other two came to her, and shot her into the body againe, wherewith she sat downe vpon her buttocks, and could scant[797] runne any further; and then they shot once againe, wherewith she fell downe, and they smot[798] her teeth out of her head. All that day the wind was north-east and east north-east.