Note 110 — THE THIRD VOYAGE NORTH-WARD TO THE KINGDOMES OF CATHAIA and China, in Anno 1596.

The tenth of August, being Saterday, the ice began mightily to breake,110 and then wee first perceiued that the great peece of ice wherevnto wee had made our shippe fast, lay on the ground; for the rest of the ice draue along by it, wherewith wee were in great feare that wee should be compassed about with the ice,111 and therefore wee vsed all the diligence and meanes that wee could to get from thence, for wee were in great doubt:112 and being vnder sayle, wee sayled vpon the ice, because it was all broken vnder us,113 and got to another peece of ice, wherevnto wee made our shippe faste againe with our sheate anchor,114 which wee made fast vpon it, and there wee lay till euening. And when wee had supped, in the first quarter115 the sayd peece of ice began on a sodaine to burst and rende in peeces, so fearefully that it was admirable; for with one great cracke it burst into foure hundred peeces at the least: wee lying fast to it,116 weied our cable and got off from it. Vnder the water it was ten fadome deepe and lay vpon the ground, and two fadome above the water: and it made a fearefull noyse both vnder and aboue the water when it burst, and spread it selfe abroad on all sides.