Note 157 — THE THIRD VOYAGE NORTH-WARD TO THE KINGDOMES OF CATHAIA and China, in Anno 1596.

The 31 of August, by the force of the ice, the ship was driuen vp 4 or 5 foote high at the beake head,157 and the hinder part thereof lay in a clift158 of ice, whereby we thought that the ruther would be freed from the force of the flakes of ice,159 but, notwithstanding, it brake in peeces staffe160 and all: and if that the hinder part of the ship had bin in the ice that draue as well as the fore part was, then all the ship161 would haue bin driuen wholly vpon the ice, or possibly haue ran on groūd,162 and for that cause wee were in great feare, and set our scutes and our boate163 out vpon the ice, if neede were, to saue our selues. But within 4 houres after, the ice draue awaye of it selfe, wherewith we were exceeding glad, as if we had saued our liues, for that the ship was then on float againe; and vpon that we made a new ruther and a staffe,164 and hung the ruther out vpon the hooks, that if we chanced to be born165 vpon the ice againe, as we had bin, it might so be freed from it.