The States-General nothing discourag’d with the little success of these two Voyagers, sent forth two Ships under the Command of Hugo Linschot, to the Straights of Weygats, and two others under William Barrents, who were to go directly Northwards for Nova Zembla: Linschot went fifty Miles beyond the Straights, but the Northerly Winds and late Season of the year forc’d him to hasten back with all possible speed. William Barents and his Company were necessitated in the Year 1596. being not able to get off, in regard the Ice increas’d upon them more and more, to take up their Winter Quarters there in a Cottage, which they made a shift to cast up for their present necessity, having much ado to defend themselves against the Bears, that continually assaulted them.
Description of the Countrey.
This Countrey is generally deliver’d to be a barren and desart Countrey, full of Wood indeed, but the Boughs as bare of Leaves, as the Ground of Grass; also very incommodious to be travell’d through, by reason of its desartness, and the danger of Bears, great fierce Foxes, and such like ravenous Beasts, which feed onely upon Flesh, and which are the onely Beasts this Countrey harbors.
In a Journal of Mr. Henry Hudson, there is to be found a much more favorable Description of the Countrey: “Generally (saith he) the Land of Nova Zembla that we have seen, is to a Man’s Eye a pleasant Land, much Main High-land with no Snow on it, looking in some places green, and Deer feeding thereon, and the Hills partly cover’d with Snow, and partly bare.”
It should seem to have been a receiv’d Opinion from the first Discovery of Nova Zembla, that it was inhabited by Pygmies, it being several times, in the Journals of some Voyages, mention’d particularly by the Name of The Land of Pygmies, but upon what certain Ground cannot in the least be discover’d; for we find not from the Russians (to whom the Place, by reason of its Vicinity, is probable to have been first known) any other Account of the Inhabitants, but that they are a People wholly destitute of civil Manners, and unlimited by Law or Religion, saving that they seem to give some kind of Adoration to the Sun, Moon, and North-star, and have some Qualities which speak them rational Creatures; whereas the Pygmies (if there be any such Creatures) are thought to have nothing of Humane but their Shape onely.
Willoughby-Island.
Besides Nova Zembla there is not far from it another Island, known by the Name of Willoughby-Island, from Sir Hugh Willoughby, the first Discoverer; they both are of the Dominions of the Czar of Russia.
Several Attempts for the discovery of the North-West Passage.
What hath been discover’d of Sea in the North or South parts of the World, is of no less Consequence than what hath been discover’d of Land, and the Straight of Hudson Northward, is no less considerable than the Straight of Magellan South; we shall therefore compleat this Discourse of the Artick Region with a brief Mention of what Capes, Bays, Sounds, &c. have been found out by those that have attempted to find a Passage by the North-West to the East-Indies.
Not to insist upon the fabulous Stories of King Arthur’s first conquering Ireland, and then Sailing into the Northern Seas, and subduing Scantia, Iseland, Groenland, and (as the Story saith) many other Islands beyond Norway even under the Pole, or of Malgo’s subduing Ireland, Iseland, the Orcades and Norway, or Octher’s Reports to King Alfred of his Voyages to the North-East parts beyond Norway, or the Voyages of the two famous Venetian Brethren, Nicolo and Antonio Zeni, or of Marcus Paulus Venetus, Odoricus and Vertomannus; the first English-man we hear of, that made an Expedition into those Northern Seas, was Sir Hugh Willoughby, before taken notice of for the Discovery of King James’s Newland and Willoughby-Island, in the Year of our Lord 1553.