Note 749 — THE THIRD VOYAGE NORTH-WARD TO THE KINGDOMES OF CATHAIA and China, in Anno 1596.

The 1 of Julie it was indifferent faire weather, with a west-north-west wind; and in the morning, the sunne being east, there came a beare from the driuing yce and swam over the water to the fast yce whereon we lay; but when she heard vs she came no nearer, but ran away. And when the sunne was south-east, the ice came so fast in towards vs, that all the ice whereon we lay with our scutes and our goods brake and ran one peece vpon another, whereby we were in no small feare,749 for at that time most of our goods fell into the water. But we with great diligence drew our scutes750 further vpon the ice towards the land, where we thought to be better defended from the driuing of the ice, and as we went to fetch our goods we fell into the greatest trouble that euer we had before, for yt we endured so great danger in the sauing thereof, that as we laid hold vpon one peece thereof the rest sunke downe with the ice, and many times the ice brake vnder our owne feet; whereby we were wholy discomforted and in a maner cleane out of all hope, expecting no issue thereof, in such sort that our trouble at that time surmounted all our former cares and impeachments. And when we thought to draw vp our boates751 vpon the ice, the ice brake vnder vs, and we were caried away with the scute and al752 by the driuing ice; and when we thought to saue the goods the ice brake vnder our feet, and with that the scute brak in many places, especially yt which we had mended;753 as ye mast, ye mast planke,754 and almost all the scute,755 wherein one of our men that was sick and a chest of mony lay, which we with great danger of our liues got out from it; for as we were doing it, the ice that was vnder our feet draue from vs and slid vpon other ice,756 whereby we were in danger to burst both our armes and our legs. At which time, thinking yt we had been cleane quit of our scute,757 we beheld each other in pittiful maner, knowing not what we should doe, our liues depending thereon; but God made so good prouision for vs, yt ye peeces of ice draue from each other, wherewith we ran in great haste vnto the scute758 and drew it to vs again in such case as it was, and layd it vpon the fast ice by the boate,759 where it was in more security, which put us unto an exceeding and great and dangerous labor from the time that the sunne was south-east vntill it was west south-west, and in al that time we rested not, which made vs extreame weary and wholy out of comfort, for that it troubled vs sore, and it was much more fearfull vnto vs then at that time when William Barents dyed; for there we were almost drowned, and that day we lost (which was sounke in the sea) two barrels of bread, a chest wt linnen cloth, a driefat760 with the sailors [best] clothes, our astron[omi]cale ring, a pack of scarlet cloth, a runlet of oyle, and some cheeses, and a runlet of wine, which bongd with the ice,761 so that there was not anything thereof saued.