Note 669 — THE THIRD VOYAGE NORTH-WARD TO THE KINGDOMES OF CATHAIA and China, in Anno 1596.

The 20 of June it was indifferent weather, the wind west, and when the sunne was south-east [½ p. 7 A.M.] Claes Adrianson669 began to be extreme sicke, whereby we perceiued that he would not liue long, and the boateson670 came into our scute671 and told vs in what case he was, and that he could not long continue aliue; whereupon William Barents spake and said, I thinke I shal not liue long after him;672 and yet we did not ivdge William Barents to be so sicke, for we sat talking one with the other, and spake of many things, and William Barents read in my card which I had made touching our voiage,673 [and we had some discussion about it]; at last he laid away the card and spake vnto me, saying, Gerrit, give me some drinke;674 and he had no sooner drunke but he was taken with so sodain a qualme, that he turned his eies in his head and died presently, and we had no time to call the maister out of the [other] scute to speake vnto him; and so he died before Claes Adrianson [who died shortly after him]. The death of William Barents put vs in no small discomfort, as being the chiefe guide and onely pilot on whom we reposed our selues next vnder God;675 but we could not striue against God, and therefore we must of force be content.