The 5 of August, lying there, one of our men went on shore, and found the land further in to be greene and ful of trees,[895] and from thence called to vs to bid vs bring our peeces on shore, saying that there was wild deere to be killed,[896] which made vs exceeding glad, for then our victuales were almost spent, and we had nothing but some broken bread,[897] whereby we were wholy out of comfort, and[898] some of vs were of opinion that we should leaue the scutes and goe further into the land, or else (they said) we should all die with hunger, for that many daies before we were forced to fast, and hunger was a sharpe sword which we could hardly endure any longer.
The 6 of August the weather began to be somewhat better; at which time we determined to row forward, because the wind was [dead] against vs, [so] that we might get out of the creeke,[899] the wind being east south-east, which was our [[231]]course as then. And so, hauing rowed about three [12] miles, we could get no further because it was so full in the wind, and we al together heartlesse and faint, the land streatching further north-east then we made account it had done,[900] whereupon we beheld each other in pittifull manner, for we had great want of victuals, and knew not how farre we had to saile before we should get any releefe, for al our victuals was almost consumed.
The 7 of August, the wind being west north-west, it serued vs well to get out of that creeke, and so we sailed forward east and by north till we got out of the creeke, to the place and the point of land where we first had bin, and there made our scutes fast again; for the north-west wind was right against vs, whereby our mens hearts and courages were wholy abated, to see no issue how we should get from thence; for as then sicknesses, hunger, and no meanes to be found how to get from thence, consumed both our flesh and our bloud; but if we had found any releefe,[901] it would haue bin better with vs.
The 8 of August there was no better weather, but still the wind was [dead] against vs, and we lay a good way one from the other, as we found best place for vs; at which time there was most dislike[902] in our boate, in regard that some of vs were exceeding hungrie and could not endure it any longer, but were wholy out of heart still[903] wishing to die.
The 9 of August it was all one weather, so that the wind blowing contrary we were forced to lye still and could goe no further, our greefe still increasing more and more. At last, two of our men went out of the scute wherein the maister was, which we perceiuing two of our men also landed, and went altogether about a mile [4 miles] into the countrie,[904] and at last saw a banke, by the which there issued [[232]]a great streame of water,[905] which we thought to be the way from whence the Russians came betweene Candinaes and the firme land of Russia.[906] And as our men came backe againe, in the way as they went along they found a dead sea-horse[907] that stanke exceedingly, which they drew with them to our scute,[908] thinking that they should haue a dainty morsell[909] out of it, because they endured so great hunger; but we [dissuaded them from it, and] told them that without doubt it would kil us, and that it were better for vs to endure pouerty and hunger for a time, then to venture vpon it; saying, that seeing God, who[910] in so many great extremitys had sent vs a happy issue, stil liued and was exceeding powerfull, we hoped and nothing doubting that he would not altogether forsake vs, but rather helpe vs when we were most in dispaire.[911]
The 10 of August it was stil a north-west wind, with mistie and darke[912] weather, so that we were driuen[913] to lie still; at which time it was no need for vs to aske one another how we fared, for we could well gesse it by our countenances.
The 11 of August, in the morning, it was faire calme weather; so that, the sunne being about north-east, the master sent one of his men to vs to bid vs prepare our selues to set saile, but we had made our selues ready thereunto before he came, and [had] began to rowe towards [[233]]him. At which time, for that I was very weake and no longer able to rowe, as also for that our boate[914] was harder to rowe then the scute,[915] I was set in the scute to guide the helme, and one that was stronger was sent out of the scute into the boate to rowe in my place, that we might keepe company together; and so we rowed till ye sunne was south, and then we had a good gale of wind out of the south, which made vs take in our oares, and then we hoised vp our sailes, wherewith we made good way; but in the euening the wind began to blowe hard, whereby we were forced to take in our sailes and to rowe towards the land, where we laid our scutes vpon the strand,[916] and went on land to seeke for fresh water, but found none. And because we could goe no further, we laid our sailes ouer the boates to couer vs from the weather; at which time it began to raine very hard, and at midnight it thundred and lightned, with more store of raine, where with our company were much disquieted to see that they found no meanes of releefe, but still entred into further trouble and danger.
The 12 of August it was faire weather; at which time, the sunne being east, we saw a Russia lodgie[917] come towards vs with al his sailes vp, wherewith we were not a little comforted, which we perceauing from the strand, where we laie with our scutes, we desired the master that we might goe[918] vnto him to speake with him, and to get some victuales of them; and to that end we made as much haste as we could to launche out our scutes,[919] and sailed toward them. And when we got to them, the master went into the lodgie to aske them how farre we had to Candinaes, which we could not well learne of them because we understood them not. They held vp their fiue fingers vnto vs, but we knew not [[234]]what they ment thereby, but after we perceaued that thereby they would show us that there stood five crosses upon it; and they brought their compas out and shewed vs that it lay north-west from us, which our compas also shewed vs, which reckning also we had made; but when we saw we could haue no better intelligence from them, the master went further into their ship, and pointed to a barrell of fish yt he saw therein, making signes to know whether they would sel it vnto vs, showing them a peece of 8 royles;[920] which they vnderstanding, gave vs 102 fishes, with some cakes which they had made of meale when they sod[921] their fishe. And about the south sunne we left them, being glad that we had gotten some victuales, for long before we had had but two[922] ounces of bread a day with a little water, and nothing else, and with that we were forced to comfort our selues as well as we could. The fishes we shared amongst vs equally, to one as much as another,[923] without any difference. And when we had left them, we held our course west and by north, with a south and a south and by east wind; and when the sunne was west south west it began to thunder and raine, but it continued not long, for shortly after the weather began to cleare vp againe; and passing forward in that sort, we saw the sunne in our common compas go downe north and by west.[924]
The 13 of August we [again] had the wind against vs, being west south-west, and our course was west and by north, whereby we were forced to put to the shore againe, [[235]]where two of our men went on the land to see how it laie, and whether the point of Candinaes reacht not out from thence into the sea, for we gest that we were not farre from it. Our men comming againe, showed vs that they had seene a house vpon the land, but no man in it, and said further that they could not perceaue but that it was the point of Candinaes that we had seene, wherewith we were somewhat comforted, and went into our scutes againe, and rowed along by the land; at which time hope made vs to be of good comfort, and procured vs to doe more then we could well haue done, for our liues and maintenance consisted therein. And in that sort rowing along by the land, we saw an other Russian iollie[925] lying vpon the shore, which was broken in peeces; but we past by it, and a little after that we saw a house at the water-side, whereunto some of our men went, wherein also they found no man, but only an ouen. And when they came againe to the scute, they brought some leple leaues[926] with them, which they had found[927] as they went. And as we rowed along by the point, we had [again] a good gale of winde[928] out of the east, at which time we hoised vp our sailes and sailed foreward. And after noone, about the south-west sunne, we perceaued that the point which we had seene laie south-ward, whereby we were fully perswaded that it was the point of Candinaes, from whence we ment[929] to saile ouer the mouth of the White Sea;[930] and to that end we borded each other and deuided our candles and all other things that we should need amongst vs,[931] to helpe our selues therewith, and so put of from the land, thinking to [[236]]passe ouer the White Sea to the coast of Russia.[932] And sailing in that sort with a good winde, about midnight there rose a great storme out of the north, wherewith we stroke saile and made it shorter;[933] but our other boate, that was harder vnder saile,[934] (knowing not that we had lessened our sailes,) sailed foreward, whereby we straied one from the other, for then it was very darke.
The 14 of August in the morning, it being indifferent good weather with a south-west wind, we sailed west north-west, and then it began to cleare vp, so that we [just] saw our [other] boate, and did what we could to get vnto her, but we could not, because it began to be mistie weather againe; and therefore we said unto each other, let vs hold on our course, we shal finde them wel enough on the north coast, when we are past the White Sea.[935] Our course was west north-west, the wind being south-west and by west, and about the south-west sunne, we could get no further, because the wind fel contrary, whereby we were forced to strike our sailes and to row forward; and in that sort, rowing till the sunne was west, there blew an indifferent gale of wind[936] out of the east, and therewith we set saile (and yet we rowed with two oares) till the sunne was north north-west, and then the wind began to blow somewhat stronger east and east south-east, at which time we tooke in our oares and sailed forward west north-west.