The 18 of July, about the east sunne, three of our men went vp vpon the highest part of the land, to see if there was any open water in the sea; at which time they saw much open water, but it was so farre from the land that they were almost out of comfort, because it lay so farre from the land and the fast ice; being of opinion that we should not be able to drawe the scutes and the goods so farre thither, because our strengthes stil began to decrease,[799] and the sore labour and paine that we were forced to indure more and more increased. And comming to our scutes, they brought vs that newes; but we, being compelled thereunto by necessity, abandoned all wearines and faint heartednes, and determined with our selues to bring the boates and the goods to the water side, and to row vnto that ice where we must passe ouer to get to the open water. And when we got to [[217]]it, we vnladed our scutes, and drewe them first [the one and then the other] ouer the ice to the open water, and after that the goods, it being at the least 1000 paces; which was so sore a labour for vs, that as we were in hand therewith we were in a manner ready to leaue off in the middle thereof, and feared that wee should not goe through withall; but for that we had gone through so many dangers, we hoped yt we should not be faint therin, wishing yt it might be ye last trouble yt we should as then indure, and so wt great difficulty got into the open water about the south-west sunne. Then we set saile till the sunne was west and by south, and presently fell amongst the ice againe, where we were forced to drawe vp the scutes againe vpon the ice; and being vpon it, we could see the Crosse Island, which we gest to be about a mile [4 miles] from vs, the wind then being east and east north-east.
The 19 of July, lying in that manner vpon the ice, about the east sunne seuen of our men went to the Crosse Island, and being there they saw great store of open water in ye west, wherewith they much reioyced, and made as great haste as they could to get to the scutes againe; but before they came away they got a hundred egges, and brought them away with them. And comming to the scutes, they shewed vs that they had seen as much open water in the sea as they could decerne; being in good hope that that would be the last time that they should draw the scutes ouer the ice, and that it should be no more measured by vs,[800] and in that sort put vs in good comfort. Whereupon we made speede to dresse our egges, and shared them amongst vs; and presently, the sun being south south-west, we fell to worke to make all things ready to bring the scutes to the water, which were to be drawen at least 270[801] paces [[218]]ouer the ice, which we did with a good[802] courage because we were in good hope that it would be the last time. And getting to the water, we put to sea, with Gods [merciful] helpe [in his mercy], with an east and east north-east wind and a good gale,[803] so that with the west sun we past by the Crosse Island, which is distant from Cape de Nassawes 10 [40] miles. And presently after that the ice left vs, and we got cleere out of it; yet we saw some in the sea, but it troubled vs not; and so we held our course west and by south, with a good gale of wind[804] out of the east and east north-east, so that we gest that betweene euery mealetide[805] we sailed eighteene [72] miles, wherewith we were exceedingly comforted [and full of joy], giuing God thanks that he had deliuered [and saved] vs out of so great and many difficulties (wherein it seemed that we should haue bin ouerwhelmed), hoping in his mercie that from thence foorth he would [still mercifully] ayde vs.[806]
True portraiture of our boats, and how we nearly got into trouble with the seahorses.
The 20 of July, hauing still a good gale,[807] about the south-east sunne we past along by the Black Point,[808] which is twelue [48] miles distant from the Crosse Island, and sailed west south-west; and about the euening with the west sunne we saw the Admirable Island,[809] and about the north sunne past along by it, which is distant from the Black Point eight [32] miles. And passing along by it, we saw about two hundred sea horses lying upon a flake of ice, and we sayled close by them [[219]]and draue them from thence, which had almost cost vs deere;[810] for they, being mighty strong fishes[811] and of great force, swam towards vs (as if they would be reuenged on us for the dispight that we had don them) round about our scuts[812] with a great noyse, as if they would haue deuoured vs; but we escaped from them by reason that we had a good gale of wind, yet it was not wisely done of vs to wake sleeping wolues.
The 21 of July we past by Cape Pluncio[813] about the east north-east sunne, which lyeth west south-west eight [32] miles from ye Admirable Island;[814] and with the good gale yt we had, about ye south-west sun we sailed by Langenes, 9 [36] miles from Cape Pluncio; there the land reacheth most south-west, and we had a good[815] north-east winde.
The 22 of July, we hauing so good a gale of wind,[816] when we came to Cape de Cant,[817] there we went on land to seeke for some birds and egs, but we found none; so we sayled forwards. But after yt, about ye south sun, we saw a clift[818] yt was ful of birds; thither we sailed, and casting stones at them, we killed 22 birds and got fifteene egges, which one of our men fetcht from the clift, and if we would haue stayed there any longer we might haue taken a hundred or two hundred birds at least; but because the maister was somewhat further into sea-ward then we and stayed for vs, and for that we would not loose that faire fore-wind,[819] we [speedily] sailed forwards [close] a long by the land; and about the south-west sunne we came to another point, [[220]]where we got [about] a hundred [and] twenty fiue birds, which we tooke with our hands out of their neasts, and some we killed with stones and made them fal downe into the water; for it is a thing certaine yt those birds neuer vsed to see men, and that no man had euer sought or vsed to take them, for else they would haue flowne away,[820] and that they feared no body but the foxes and other wilde beastes, that could not clime up the high clifts,[821] and that therefore they had made their nests thereon, where they were out of feare of any beastes comming vnto them; for we were in no small daunger of breaking of our legges and armes, especially as we came downe againe, because the clift was so high and so stepe. Those birds had euery one but one egge in their neasts, and that lay vpon the bare clift without any straw or other [soft] thing vnder them, which is to be wondred at to thinke how they could breed[822] their young ones in so great cold; but it is to be thought and beleeued that they therfore sit but vpon one egge, that so the heat which they giue in breeding so many, [having so much more power,] may be wholy giuen vnto one egge, and by that meanes it hath all the heat of the birde vnto it selfe, [and is not divided among many eggs at the same time]. And there also we found many egges, but most of them were foule and bad. And when we left them,[823] the wind fell flat against vs and blew [824] And at last by lauering[825] we fell into the ice; and being there we saw much open water[826] towards the land, whereunto we made as well as we could. But our maister, (that was [with his boat] more to [[221]]sea ward,) perceiuing vs to be in the ice, thought we had gotten some hurt, and lauered to and againe along by the ice; but at last seeing that we sailed therein,[827] he was of opinion that we saw some open water,[828] and that we made towards it (as it was true), and therefore he wound also towards vs and came to land by us, where we found a good hauen and lay safe almost from all winds, and he came thither about two houres after vs. There we went on land, and got some eggs and [picked up] some wood to make a fire, wherewith we made ready[829] the birds that we had taken; at which time we had a north-west wind with close[830] weather.
The 23 of July it was darke and mistie weather, with a north wind, whereby we were forced to lye still in that creeke or hauen: meanetime some of our men went on land,[831] to seeke for some egges and [perchance also for] stones,[832] but found not many, but a reasonable number of good stones.
The 24 of July it was faire weather, but the wind still northerly, whereby we were forced to lye still; and about noone we tooke the higth of ye sun with our astrolabium, and found it to be eleuated aboue the horizon 37 degrees and 20 min., his declination 20 degrees and 10 minutes, which substracted from ye higth aforesaid rested 17 degrees and 10 minutes, which taken from 90 degrees, the higth of the Pole was 73 degrees and 10 minutes.[833] And for yt we lay stil there, some of our men went often times on land to seeke stones, and found some that were as good as euer any that we found.
The 25 of July it was darke misty weather, the wind north, but we were forced to ly still because it blew so hard.