The Introduction to the second edition of this volume was already printed when the Arctic exploring ships, H.M.S. Alert and Discovery , returned to England, and I avail myself of this opportunity to express the feelings of admiration which the undaunted courage and perseverance displayed by its gallant crews have given rise to abroad; and to repeat, with warm enthusiasm, that “welcome-home” which is still finding expression over the whole civilised world. The year 1876 will undoubtedly be writte

Not long after, a very large floe, some 1,000 yards in circumference, drifted down on the little ship, and the pressure was such that the cable with fifty fathoms parted. In a few minutes, the yacht drew only eight feet of water under her keel. Mr. Gardiner, however, not only succeeded in saving his ship, but next day got his lost anchor again; on which he boldly pushed further north. Three days afterwards, in 67 deg. 10 min. east longitude and 72 deg. 20 min. north latitude, he experienced very

The accompanying Map, which has been reproduced by Mr. F. Muller of Amsterdam, is issued to Members of the Hakluyt Society, to be bound up with the volume containing the Three Voyages of Barents. It is the first Map on which the track of Barents, in his third voyage, is shown. The Map is stated (on legends at the top, and also at the foot—to the right) to have been drawn by Willem Barents himself (“ Auctore Wilhelmo Bernardo ”). It was probably drawn by him at his winter quarters in Novaya Zemby

THE True and perfect Description of three Voyages, so strange and woonderfull, that the like hath neuer been heard of before: Done and performed three yeares, one after the other, by the Ships of Holland and Zeland , on the North sides of Norway , Muscouia , and Tartaria , towards the Kingdomes of Cathaia & China ; shewing the discouerie of the Straights of Weigates , Noua Zembla , and the Countrie lying vnder 80. degrees; which is thought to be Greenland : where neuer any man had bin be

It is a most certaine and an assured assertion, that nothing doth more benefit and further the common-wealth (specially these countries 1 ) then the art and knowledge of nauigation, in regard that such countries and nations as are strong and mightie at sea, haue the meanes and ready way to draw, fetch, and bring vnto them for their maintenaunce, all the principalest commodities and fruites of the earth, for that thereby they are inabled to bring all necessary things for the nourishment and suste

This small discourse I thought good to set downe, for an introduction vnto the reader, in regard that I haue vndertaken to describe the three voyages made into the North Seas, in three yeares, one after the other, behind Norway, and along and about Muscouia, towardes the kingdome of Cathaia and China: whereof the two last I myself holpe to effect; 7 and yet brought them not to the desired end that we well hoped. First, to shew our diligent and most toylesome labour and The first finding is hard,

Then we wound about and sailed 10 [40] miles north-east, till the 6 of July in the morning, and so held on our course for the space of 24 [96] miles till the 7 July, the sunne being south [¾ p. 10 A.M. ], and held the same course for 8 [32] miles, till midnight. Then wee wound about and sailed west south-west fourteene [56] miles, till the ninth of July in the morning; and then againe wee wound north-eastward till evening, and so sayled about tenne [40] miles. And then eighteene [72] miles more,

A LETTER FROM JOHN BALAK TO GERARD MERCATOR.—HENRY HUDSON’S ACCOUNT OF HIS VISIT TO NOVAYA ZEMLYA.—WRITINGS OF WILLIAM BARENTS PRESERVED BY PURCHAS. [ 261 ] [ Hakluyt, Principal Navigations , vol. i, pp. 509–510.] A learned epistle, written, 1581, unto the famous Cosmographer, M. Gerardus Mercator, concerning the riuer Pechora, Naramsay, Cara reca, the mighty riuer of Ob, the place of Yaks Olgush in Siberia, the great riuer Ardoh, the lake of Kittay called of the borderers Paraha, [and] the coun

Arusburgi ad Ossellam fluuium 20 Februarij, 1581. Tuus quantus quantus sum Joannes Balakus . [ 265 ] Extracted from “A Second Voyage or Employment of Master Henry Hudson, for finding a Passage to the East Indies by the North-East: written by himselfe.” Printed in Purchas his Pilgrimes, vol. iii, pp. 577–579. [ June , 1608.] The sixe and twentieth, faire sun-shining weather, and little wind at east north-east. From twelue a clocke at night till foure this morning we stood southward two leagues, s

The second, the wind being at east south-east, it was reasonable cold and so was Friday; and the morses did not play in our sight as in warme weather. This morning at three of the clocke, my mate and companie came aboord, and brought a great deeres horne, a white locke of deeres haire, foure dozen of fowle, their boat halfe laden with drift wood, and some flowers and greene things, that they found growing on the shoare. They saw a herd of white deere of ten in a companie on the land, much drift

1 Referred to in page cvi of the Introduction.  ↑ 2 This heading must have been written by Henry Hudson, and not by Hakluyt, as would at first sight appear.  ↑ 3 De Veer (p. 55) writes this name Mermare . In Russian, more certainly means “sea”; but this is all that we have been able to make out of the expression.  ↑...

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