After that W. Barents had begun this uoyage vpon the fifth of June, 1594, and at that time (as I sayd before) set saile out of the Texell, the 23 of the same month arriving at Kilduin in Muscouia, and from thence tooke his course on the north side of Noua Zembla, wherein he continued till the first of August, with such aduentures as are before declared, till he came to the Island of Orange:[101] after he had taken all that paine, and finding that he could hardly get through, to accomplish and ende his pretended[102] voyage, his men also beginning to bee weary and would saile no further, they all together agreed to returne back againe, to meet with the Theire returne backe againe. other ships[103] that had taken their course to the Weygates, or Straights of Nassawe,[104] to know what discoueries they had made there. [[28]]
The first of August they turned their course to saile backe againe from the Islands of Orange, and sailed west and west by south 6 [24] miles to the Ice Point.
From the Ice Point to the Cape of Comfort,[105] they sailed west and somewhat south 30 [120] miles: betweene them both there lyeth very high land, but the Cape of Comfort is very low flat land, and on the west end thereof there standeth foure or fiue blacke houels or little hilles like country houses.[106]
Upon the 3 of August, from the Cape of Comfort they [[29]]wound north-ward, and sailed 8 [32] miles north-west and by north, and north north-west; and about noone they wound south-ward till euening, and sailed south and by west, and south-south-west 7 [28] miles, and then came to a long narrow point of land one Cape Nassaw.[107]
In the euening they wound north-ward againe, and sailed north and by east 2 [8] miles; then the winde came north, and therefore they wound west-ward againe, and sailed north north-west one mile [4 miles]; then the wind turned east, and with that they sailed from the 4 of August in the morning till noone west and by north 5 [20] or 6 [24] miles; after that they sailed till euening south-west 5 [20] miles and after that south-west 2 [8] miles more, and fell vpon a low flat land, which on the east-end had a white patche or peece of ground.
After that they sailed till morning, being the 5 of August, west south-west 12 [48] miles,[108] then south-west 14 [56] miles, and then west 3 [12] miles till the 6 of August.
The 6 of August they sailed west south-west 2 [8] or 3 [12] miles; then south-west, and south-west and by south, 4 [16] or 5 [20] miles; then south-west and by west 3 [12] miles, and then south-west and by west 3 [12] miles; and after that west south-west and south-west and by south 3 [12] miles, till the 7 of August.
The 7 of August till noone they sailed 3 [12] miles west south-west, then 3 [12] miles west, and then they wound south-ward till euening, and sailed 3 [12] miles south-east and south-east and by east, then againe west south-west 2 [8] miles, after that they sailed south 3 [12] miles, till the 8 of August in the morning, with a west south-west winde.
The 8 of August they sailed south-east and by south 10 [40] miles, and then south-east and by east vntil euening 5 [[30]][20] miles, and then came to a low flat land, that lay south-west and by south, and north-east and by north, and so sailed 5 [20] miles more, and there they had 36 fadome deepe, 2 [8] miles from the land, the ground blacke sand; There they sailed towards the land, till they were at 12 fadome, and halfe a mile [2 miles] from the land it was stony ground.
From thence the land reacheth south-ward for 3 [12] miles, to the other low point that had a blacke rocke lying close by it; and from thence the land reacheth south south-east 3 [12] miles, to another point; and there lay a little low island from the point, and within halfe a mile [2 miles] of the land it was flat ground, at 8, 9, and 10 fadome deepe, which they called the Black Island,[109] because it showed blacke aboue; then it was very mistie, so that they lay in the wind[110] and sailed 3 [12] miles west north-west; but when it cleared vp, they wound towards the land againe, and the sunne being south [¼ to 11 A.M.], they came right against the Blacke Island, and had held their course east south-east.