Note 877 — THE THIRD VOYAGE NORTH-WARD TO THE KINGDOMES OF CATHAIA and China, in Anno 1596.

The 3 of August, about the north sun, the weather being somewhat better, we agreed amongst our selues to leaue Noua Zembla and to crosse ouer to Russia; and so committing our selues to God, we set saile with a north-west wind, and sailed south south-west till the sun was east, and then we entred into ice againe, which put vs in great feare, for we had crost ouer and left the ice vpon Noua Zembla,877 and were in good hope yt we should not meet with any ice againe in so short space. At which time, being [thus] in the ice, with calme weather, whereby our sailes could doe vs no great good, we stroke878 our sailes and began to row againe, and at last we rowed clean through the ice,879 not without great and sore labour, and about the south-west sunne got cleere thereof and entred into the large sea,880 where we saw no ice; and then, what with sailing and rowing, we had made 20 [80] miles. And so sailing forwards we thought to aproch neere vnto the Russian coast, but about the north-west sunne we entred into the ice againe, and then it was very cold, wherewith our hearts became very heauy, fearing that it would alwaies continew in that sort, and that we should neuer be freed thereof. And for that our boate881 could not make so good way nor was not able to saile aboue882 the point of ice, we were compelled to enter into the ice, for that being in it we perceiued open sea beyond it; but the hardest matter was to get into it, for it was very close, but at last we found a meanes to enter, and got in. And being entred, it was somewhat better, and in the end with great paine and labour we got into the open water. Our maister, that was in the scute,883 which sailed better than our boate,884 got aboue885 the point of the ice, and was in some feare that we were inclosed with ye ice; but God sent vs the meanes to get out from it as soone as he could saile about the point thereof,886 and so we met together againe.